Chapter 251 The Last Day of the January Period
Before they could even utter the words "something's not right," the same voice as before suddenly rang out above them. They immediately sensed something was wrong. When they looked up, they saw a dense rain of cold light falling from the sky—countless arrows!
With a whoosh, cold light fell all at once, turning these people into sieves. Blood and flesh splattered everywhere, completely staining the entire mountain path red!
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
These people never imagined that while they were eyeing their prey, they themselves had become the prey.
On the mountaintop, in the direction from which the arrows had been shot, several figures slowly appeared. The tallest and most imposing of them all, the one who should have been crushed to pieces in the carriage, was none other than Duke Sheng, Yuwen Yuan, who was now unharmed.
He coldly glanced down at the carnage below, showing no emotion, and asked only, "Are there any remaining comrades?"
The person following him was his deputy, Da Bo.
He said, "There's more."
With a wave of his hand, their men immediately grabbed several people and brought them forward. These were the same men the leader had ordered to kill the coachman to prevent future trouble. Seeing the horrific scene on the mountain road, and then seeing Duke Sheng standing before them with his hands behind his back, exuding an unapproachable and imposing aura, they were terrified. Their legs went weak, and they knelt on the ground, repeatedly begging for mercy: "Your Excellency, spare our lives! Your Excellency, spare our lives!"
Yuwen Yuan glanced at them out of the corner of his eye.
Then he asked, "Who sent you?"
The group exchanged glances, all hesitating to speak.
Yuwen Yuan sneered and said, "Actually, I know even if you don't tell me. I'm only asking you to give you a chance to live."
"..."
"Since you don't cherish it, then—"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the guards beside him drew their swords to kill him.
The men were terrified and immediately kowtowed, begging for mercy. One of them quickly said, "Lord, spare our lives! We are...we are men of the Right Guard General..."
The others nodded in agreement.
Da Bo immediately frowned. His expression was solemn. He was about to ask again, but before he could speak, he heard a loud bang. Yuwen Yuan had pulled the sword out of his hand and waved it!
The man's head flew off instantly, and blood splattered all over the ground with a splash.
The other captured bandits were stunned, but before they could react, Yuwen Yuan had already turned his back and said in a deep voice, "Behead them."
The guards obeyed the order and immediately drew their swords. With a few swift movements, the men were decapitated before they could even scream. Instantly, the small foothold on the mountaintop was littered with corpses.
Da Bo stood to the side, speechless with shock.
It wasn't because the scene before him was too horrific; he was a soldier himself and had seen far worse things on the battlefield. However, what worried him was something else entirely.
After much deliberation, he turned to Yuwen Yuan and said, "Why did the Duke want to kill them? Their words clearly indicate that they are hiding something."
Yuwen Yuan said, "I want to be kept in the dark by them."
"...!"
Da Bo opened his eyes wide in astonishment, but after a moment's thought, he immediately understood.
He admired the Duke of Sheng before him immensely and hurriedly cupped his hands, saying, "Your Excellency's thoughts are meticulous; I cannot wait any longer."
Yuwen Yuan was not affected by his words. His expression remained calm and indifferent. He ordered, "Wrap up a few heads and send them back to the residence of the Right Guard General."
Several soldiers obeyed the order, picked up a few heads, and went down.
Da Bo then said, "Duke, what's next—"
Yuwen Yuan said, "Have them tidy up the area below so as not to disturb the passing civilians. Let's continue on our way."
"yes."
Soon, the group finished collecting the wreckage and sped north, disappearing from sight.
Meanwhile, the boxes containing bloody human heads were quickly sent back to the Eastern Capital and placed at the gate of the Prince's Mansion under the cover of night, naturally causing quite a stir.
Therefore, as soon as dawn broke, the warm pavilion in the Ziwei Palace was already brightly lit.
The air was still filled with an indescribable, intoxicating fragrance, and the entire hall was warm and cozy. Coupled with the gurgling of the underground spring, it gave people the illusion of being in the middle of spring.
Wang Shaoji knelt outside the screen, but his back felt slightly cold.
After a while, a lazy voice came from the inner hall. It was Chu Yang, who stretched lazily and said, "So, the people we sent out were all wiped out?"
Wang Shaoji bowed his head and said, "Your humble servant is incompetent."
"Not a single survivor was left?"
"Yes. Although His Majesty instructed that these people were only sent to probe the Duke of Sheng's background, the Duke of Sheng acted ruthlessly, and none of the men he sent survived."
"Does the Duke of Sheng know that these people are all Imperial Guards?"
"He'd better not know."
"Oh? What makes you say that, my dear minister?"
Wang Shaoji raised his head, a cold light flashing in his slanted eyes, and said, "Although the Imperial Guards obey my orders, they are His Majesty's men. If the Duke of Sheng knew their identities and still showed no mercy, it means that he has no regard for His Majesty at all!"
The inner hall was quiet for a while.
After a long while, Chu Yang's voice rang out again: "Where were those heads sent?"
"Outside the gate of my humble abode."
"So tell me, did he know, or did he not know?"
"Your humble servant dares not speak presumptuously."
Although he said he "dared not speak recklessly," Wang Shaoji's eyes flickered, and he continued, "However, in my humble opinion, Your Majesty has already shown extraordinary leniency to the Yuwen family this time. If they still do not appreciate this blessing, then Your Majesty need not show them any more mercy."
Chu Yang said in a deep voice, "You mean—"
A ruthless glint flashed in Wang Shaoji's eyes as he said, "Those who amass military power and deceive the emperor deserve to have their entire families executed!"
"The whole family...?"
These two words stirred Chu Yang's heart. At that moment, he raised his head and couldn't help but look at the wide carpet in the inner hall, which was marked with the location of the Western Regions.
There, it seemed as if a figure was standing gracefully.
She is charming and beautiful, and exudes a tranquil aura that puts people at ease.
Thinking of this, a hint of tenderness seemed to appear in Chu Yang's eyes. Then, he said calmly, "Alright, I understand. You may leave."
Wang Shaoji was taken aback: "Your Majesty?"
Chu Yang said, "I have other things to think about. You may leave now. Since the Duke of Sheng sent the head back to your residence, it at least proves that he does not believe, nor dares to believe, that I sent someone to test him. As long as he is still loyal to me and respects me, then the Yuwen family still has a chance to survive."
Wang Shaoji's brows furrowed into a knot, and he felt even more unwilling.
After all, he had taken a risky gamble this time, even risking the crime of deceiving the emperor by ordering his men to kill the Duke of Sheng, but in the end, all he got in return was the emperor's words, "The Yuwen family still has a chance to survive." How could he accept that?
However, Chu Yang seemed unwilling to say anything more, and he could be seen lying down lazily through the semi-transparent screen.
Wang Shaoji gritted his teeth and finally could only bow and say, "Your humble servant takes his leave."
After saying that, he left with resentment.
After he left, Chu Yang lay on the bed, looking at the top of the hall. His eyes flickered, sometimes as if a gentle warmth flowed through them, and sometimes as if they were frozen in ice. His complicated emotions were eventually replaced by a fervent feeling.
He suddenly sat up and looked at the map at his feet once again.
To the northeast, there was a place that always felt like a thorn in his heart—the Kingdom of Gouli!
He shouted, "Someone come here!"
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As if overnight, the thick dark clouds that had been hanging over the Eastern Capital City disappeared, and the weather cleared up for the first time in a row, with good weather for several days in a row.
That morning, Shang Ruyi got up early.
However, Yuwen Ye got up even earlier than her. Although it was his day off, he didn't slack off at all. In addition to studying military books and maps at home during the day, he also got up early every morning to practice swordsmanship. Shang Ruyi could hear the sound of the swords wielding in the courtyard as she washed up.
Just as she sat down at the dressing table to comb her hair, Yuwen Ye came in from outside, wiping away sweat.
As soon as I came in, I turned and glanced at her.
Shang Ruyi looked at him in the bronze mirror. She wanted to smile back at him, but for some reason, her face felt hot and she subconsciously lowered her head.
Today is his last day off.
Yes, it's the last day of the one-month period.
The way he's practicing his swordplay clearly shows that his injury is no longer a problem...
Seeing Shang Ruyi's slightly flushed cheeks, a glint seemed to flash in Yuwen Ye's eyes, but he didn't say anything. He went to wash his hands, but when he turned around and saw that her hair was styled and Tu She'er had only given her a simple hairpin, he couldn't help but ask, "Where are the jewelry that Mother gave you?"
"It's there."
"What are you leaving it there for? Take it out and bring it with you."
"But at home, is it really necessary to be so formal?"
Yuwen Ye said, "Today, you're coming out with me."
Shang Ruyi turned and glanced at him: "Where are you going?"
Yuwen Ye narrowed his eyes slightly, then suddenly seemed displeased and turned away. Tu She'er, on the other hand, happily took out the box of jewelry Guan Yunmu had given her and said cheerfully, "Young Master is right, such beautiful weather is perfect for going out for a walk. Miss, you're the same; it's a waste to leave these pieces unworn."
After saying that, he applied makeup to her one by one.
Before long, her head was covered in jewels, making her look exceptionally luxurious and dazzling.
Shang Ruyi rarely dressed up so elaborately, and she felt a little uncomfortable looking at her radiant reflection in the mirror. Just as she glanced at herself, Wo Xue came in from outside and said, "Young Madam, the Second Young Master has already had a carriage prepared and wants you to leave immediately."
"What?"
Shang Ruyi was somewhat taken aback, wondering why he was moving so quickly. She hurriedly dressed and went out the door. Sure enough, the carriage was parked at the door. When Mu Xian helped her into the carriage, Yuwen Ye was sitting inside with his eyes closed.
Calm and collected, like a Buddha.
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment, then leaned closer to him and whispered, "Where are we going?"
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