Chapter 26 Mei Xi (Twenty-Six) Save the two daughters...
Xia Jie's rough hug and the strong smell of blood seemed to still linger in her nose. The severe pain in her right shoulder and the dull pain in her ribs reminded Lin Jiaojiao of the fear she had just experienced, like a brand.
She curled up on the couch, her underwear soaked with cold sweat, her body trembling uncontrollably. Chun and Wanyan surrounded her, their faces filled with worry and fear. The hall was filled with the dead silence and depression of surviving a disaster.
However, the silence did not last long.
Outside the hall, Shi Hu's deliberately low, solemn voice could be heard faintly, accompanied by the hurried footsteps of the soldiers and the clanging of metal:
"...Reinforce the east gate! Raise it three feet! Use huge stones!...Over there at the treasury! All the stored grain! Not a single grain shall be lost!...Call up everyone who can lift a spear! Palace servants! Slaves! Anyone over fifteen! Under fifty!...Anyone who disobeys this order...will be executed!"
"Reinforce the city defenses", "store food", "summon palace servants and slaves", "behead"... These cold words were like poisoned ice needles, piercing Lin Jiaojiao's eardrums. She sat up suddenly, her heart as if being tightly grasped by an invisible big hand.
Xia Jie's tyranny, like a long-brewing doomsday storm, finally arrived. His so-called "rest" was just a brief silence before the storm. He came back not to rest, but... to squeeze the last bit of flesh and blood from the royal capital and fight like a trapped beast.
[Warning! External environment undergoing drastic changes! Threat Level: Sharply increasing! Core Individual (Xia Jie) Behavior Pattern: Tyrannical (plundering resources/extortion). Host Living Environment: Sharply deteriorating! Logic Module: Highest Alert! Emotion Simulation Unit: ...Redundant data (fear, anger) surging...] The system's alarm shrieked, carrying an unprecedented sense of urgency.
Almost at the same time when Shi Hu gave the order, inside and outside the royal court, things exploded instantly, like a drop of water thrown into a pot of boiling oil.
"By the king's order! Grain collection! All stored grain! Whether in government warehouses or private warehouses! All will be confiscated! Anyone who violates this will be killed without mercy!"
"By the king's order! Recruitment! All young and strong men! Over fifteen and under fifty! Regardless of gender, palace servants or slaves! All will be conscripted and incorporated into the city defense! Anyone who disobeys will be killed without mercy!"
"Quick! Hand over the food!"
"Get out of here! This is my mother's life-saving food!"
"Ah! General, please spare me! Please spare me!"
“Puff!”
“…”
Shrill cries, angry curses, the clang of unsheathed weapons, the whistling of whips, and... the short and miserable wails of death, like a symphony from hell, instantly spread from the depths of the royal court and quickly swept across the entire capital.
Lin Jiaojiao rushed to the window and pushed it open a crack. She saw that inside the royal court, teams of armored soldiers as ferocious as wolves and tigers, who were the personal guards brought back by Xia Jie and some of Shi Hu's men, were violently kicking open the doors of the palace rooms, rummaging through the drawers and cabinets, and looting any food they could find.
Several old palace servants who tried to hide half a bag of millet were dragged into the courtyard without mercy. The whips fell like raindrops, leaving their skin and flesh torn and wailing. What's worse, a young slave who was protecting his young son and trying to resist was stabbed in the chest by a soldier. The blood instantly dyed the cold ground red. The body was dragged away like garbage, leaving behind a frightened, wailing child.
Outside the palace, the chaos and tragedy were unimaginable. Crying, cursing, smashing, screaming... merged into a torrent of despair, penetrating the high walls and reaching the royal court!
Lin Jiaojiao covered her mouth tightly, her stomach churning. The intense nausea made her almost vomit. Bastards! These beasts! Anger and powerlessness gnawed at her heart like venomous snakes! Xia Jie! This tyrant! He was personally pushing the entire capital into hell!
Host Emotion: Anger (peak) → Powerlessness (dominant). Logic Module: Survival Strategy Analysis - Host Unable to Stop. Recommendation: Self-preservation Prioritized. Emotional Simulation Unit: ...Humanitarian Conflict...Data Redundancy...Zizi ...
At this moment, the palace door was suddenly pushed open, and Wanyan and the other girl rushed in with pale faces and stumbled. They had obviously also seen the tragic scene outside. Lady Yan's little face was full of tear marks, and her eyes were filled with extreme fear. Although Lady Wan was holding on, her tightly pursed lips and trembling body revealed her inner panic.
“Sister! Sister!” Lady Yan rushed to Lin Jiaojiao’s side, her voice filled with tears. “Outside…outside, people are killing people! They are stealing food! They…they want to arrest people! They want to take us to defend the city! Sister! What should we do?!”
Lady Wan also tightly grasped Lin Jiaojiao's arm, her voice trembling: "Sister... the king... the king has gone crazy! He wants to force everyone to death!"
Lin Jiaojiao watched their panicked expressions, her heart icy. She suppressed her surging anger and disgust, her voice trembling slightly. "Don't be afraid... This is the harem... They... don't dare come in yet..." Her words were completely unconvincing. Under the tyranny of King Jie of Xia, how could there even be a forbidden harem?!
As if to confirm her worries, there was a noisy sound of footsteps and rough shouting outside the hall.
"By the king's order! Recruit grain! Recruit soldiers! Everyone inside! Get out!"
"Kusi! Where's Kusi?! All the food! Count and load it immediately!"
"And you! Those women! What are you looking at?! Come here and register! Get ready to be incorporated into the City Defense Women's Battalion!"
It's Xia Jie's personal guards! They've broken into the harem area!
Wanyan and the other girl were so frightened that they trembled all over and subconsciously shrank behind Lin Jiaojiao.
Lin Jiaojiao's heart sank to the bottom. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She adjusted her clothes, straightened her back, and winked at Chun. Chun understood and hurried forward to block the door of the hall.
Lin Jiaojiao walked to the door of the palace and opened it a crack. She saw several personal guards of Xia Jie, wearing blood-stained leather armor and with fierce eyes, roughly driving away several frightened palace maids. One of them, who looked like an officer, was pointing in the direction of Lin Jiaojiao's side hall and roaring at a young eunuch who stayed behind.
"The Princess Yuan is recuperating here! Why are you making so much noise?!" Chun's voice reached everyone's ears clearly.
The officer heard the voice and turned around. When he saw Lin Jiaojiao, standing at the palace gate, dressed in plain clothes but unable to conceal her stunning beauty, his eyes flashed with surprise and... a hint of fear? He obviously recognized this Princess Yuan and was aware of the "special" place she held in the king's heart.
He softened his ferocity, but his tone remained firm: "Your Highness! I am commanded by the king to mobilise food, fodder and men! The treasury's food reserves must be counted immediately! And…" He glanced at the two girls, Wanyan and Lin Jiaojiao, standing behind him. "…These two beauties, according to the king's order, are also among those being recruited! Please grant me some favors, Your Highness!"
Recruiting Wanyan's two daughters?! Lin Jiaojiao was shocked. King Jie of Xia didn't even spare his own concubines?! He wanted them to defend the city?! This was simply insane.
Upon hearing this, Wanyan and the other two girls were so frightened that their faces turned pale and they grabbed the corner of Lin Jiaojiao's clothes tightly, like frightened quails.
Lin Jiaojiao forced herself to remain calm, her voice carrying just the right amount of weakness and dignity. "Your Majesty's orders, I shall certainly obey. However, the grain stored in the treasury was greatly lost due to the treacherous diversions recently, and there is very little left. General Shi Hu should have kept records. As for Concubine Wan and Concubine Yan..." She paused, looking calmly at the officer, "They are the king's beauties, frail and sickly. How can they serve in the city defense? I will personally report this to the king, and you...go recruit them elsewhere!"
Her words were flawless. She did not directly disobey the king's order, but mentioned Shi Hu and the king, and emphasized the "beauties" and "weakness" of the two Wanyan girls. She was soft but firm, trying to make the other party give up.
A hint of hesitation flashed across the officer's face. He clearly didn't want to offend the princess, who was deeply loved by the king, but the king's orders were as heavy as a mountain...
At this moment, a cold, emotionless voice rang out from behind everyone: "The king's orders are as heavy as a mountain! How can we shirk them?!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Li, the leader of the Blood Wolf Guard, appear at the end of the corridor like a ghost. He was still wearing the dark red leather armor, with hideous patterns painted on his face and his eyes were as cold as a knife, without a trace of human emotion. He strode over, and the strong smell of blood and murderous aura instantly made the air around him freeze.
The officer and several guards quickly bowed and saluted: "Commander Li!"
Li's gaze was like a cold searchlight, sweeping across Lin Jiaojiao and lingering on her face for a moment. His eyes were so sharp that they seemed to be able to penetrate people's hearts.
Then, he looked at the two women, Wan and Yan, standing behind Lin Jiaojiao. His voice was as cold as ice: "The king has issued an order! All young and strong men must serve! No matter their status! The two beauties, Wan and Yan, will be immediately assigned to the women's camp for the city defense! They will be responsible for carrying rolling logs and rocks! Anyone who disobeys this order... will be executed!"
His words were decisive and filled with an unquestionable murderous aura, leaving no room for maneuver.
The two girls, Wanyan, turned pale in an instant. Miss Yan cried out "Wow", and Miss Wan's body swayed and she almost collapsed to the ground.
Lin Jiaojiao's heart sank. It was him again, this cold-blooded executioner! He didn't care about his status at all! He only obeyed the king's orders!
"Commander Li!" Lin Jiaojiao stepped forward, standing in front of Wan and Yan. She stared directly into Li's icy eyes, her voice laced with forced composure and... a subtle pleading. "Wan and Yan are the king's beauties, former companions. They are also frail and sickly. How can we..."
"Princess Yuan!" Li interrupted her coldly, his voice calm. "The king's orders are as heavy as a mountain. I only know how to obey orders! Please, Princess Yuan... don't make things difficult for me!" Although he said "please", the coldness and threat in his tone were like the edge of a knife.
He stopped looking at Lin Jiaojiao and turned his gaze towards the officer: "What are you still standing there for?! Carry out the king's orders!"
"Yes!" The officer did not dare to delay and immediately led his men forward to capture Wanyan's two daughters.
"No! Let me go! Sister, save me!" Lady Yan screamed and struggled in fear.
"Get out of here!" Miss Wan was shocked and angry, and tried to push away the outstretched hand.
The scene suddenly became chaotic.
"Stop!" Lin Jiaojiao shouted sternly. She stood in front of Wanyan and the other girl, her eyes like lightning sweeping over the guards. The majesty and determination of Concubine Yuan made the guards pause.
A cold light flashed in Li's eyes. He took a step forward, his icy gaze fixed on Lin Jiaojiao like a poisonous snake: "Empress Yuanfei! You... want to disobey my order?!" His hand slowly pressed on the hilt of the knife at his waist, and a strong murderous intent instantly spread.
The air seemed to freeze, and Lin Jiaojiao felt a chill running from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. She knew that Li was not joking and he really dared to attack her.
[Lethal Threat! External Individual (Li) Intent: Enforce the King's Order (Clear Obstacles). Host Survival Risk: Extremely High! Logic Module: Strongly Recommended to Retreat! Emotional Simulation Unit: ...Energy Core: Overload... Zizi...] The system's alarm blared, piercingly so!
At this critical moment.
"What's the noise?!" A low, hoarse, yet supremely majestic voice sounded like thunder.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw the tall figure of Xia Jie appear at the end of the corridor. He was obviously startled by the commotion here. He was still wearing the blood-stained royal robe, and his face had a trace of disturbed anger and deep fatigue. He strode over, and the violent aura that he exuded was like a real tide, instantly overwhelming Li's murderous intent.
"Your Majesty!" Everyone bowed hurriedly.
Li also withdrew his hand from the hilt of the knife and bowed slightly: "Your Majesty."
Xia Jie's gaze swept across the chaotic scene, finally landing on Wanyan and the other girl, who were protected by Lin Jiaojiao, trembling with fear and crying bitterly. His brows furrowed, and his crimson eyes flashed with a trace of undisguised... disgust and... irritation?!
"You're crying and whining, how disgraceful!" Xia Jie's voice was filled with biting coldness and extreme impatience. "Get out! Don't be an eyesore here!" He waved his hand in disgust, as if to drive away a fly.
The two girls, Wanyan and Yanyan, froze instantly. Lady Yan's crying stopped abruptly, as if her neck was strangled. Lady Wan's face turned pale, and her eyes were filled with incredible humiliation and... deeper fear. They never expected that the king would treat them... in such an attitude.
Xia Jie's gaze then fell on Lin Jiaojiao. When he saw Lin Jiaojiao's pale face, furrowed brows, the forced calmness in her eyes and a barely perceptible trace of... worry, the violent flames in the depths of his red eyes seemed to flicker slightly.
He snorted in annoyance and yelled at Li and the officer, "Get out! Get back to work! Don't waste your time here!" He was obviously extremely disgusted with the crying of Wanyan and the other two girls, and even took his anger out on Li and others who were carrying out orders.
"Yes!" Officer Li He did not dare to say more and immediately bowed and retreated.
Xia Jie took one last look at Lin Jiaojiao. His expression was indescribably complex, containing scrutiny, a subtle hint of...irritation? And...a deep sense of fatigue. He said no more, turned around and strode away. His heavy footsteps were like thunder, hammering at everyone's heart.
It was not until Xia Jie's figure disappeared at the end of the corridor that Wanyan and the other two girls collapsed to the ground as if exhausted.
Lady Yan covered her face with her hands, sobbing silently, her shoulders shaking violently, while Lady Wan sat on the ground in despair, her eyes empty, filled with humiliation and despair.
The king's undisguised disgust and expulsion were like a cold knife, piercing through their last bit of fantasy and dignity.
Lin Jiaojiao looked at their distraught expressions, feeling a mixture of emotions. She squatted down, gently patted Concubine Yan's back, and helped Concubine Wan up again. Her voice was filled with fatigue and helplessness: "Okay, it's okay. The king... is just in a bad mood..."
Wan Meiren suddenly raised her head and looked at Lin Jiaojiao, her eyes filled with tears, humiliation, and... an indescribable dependence, like grasping at a life-saving straw! "Sister..." Her voice choked with endless grievances and fear, "Only... Only sister is good to us..."
Lady Yan also threw herself into Lin Jiaojiao's arms and burst into tears: "Sister... wuwu... we... we only have you... sister..."
Lin Jiaojiao hugged them, feeling their trembling bodies and desperate dependence, and a heavy sense of powerlessness and... a faint sense of responsibility surged in her heart. In this hell, we can only rely on each other. She sighed softly and looked out the window.
There, the doomsday tide of the royal capital has just begun, and they are just a few pieces of duckweed in this tide that may be torn apart at any time.
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