Chapter 208 Anyone who touches me, I'll kill them!
"What?!"
Shang Ruyi was taken aback—how could this be?
Yuwen Ye deserted his post?!
She immediately said, "Your Excellency, please be careful with your words! My husband is a Grand General appointed by the imperial court. He is leading troops to conquer Xingluocang this time, and he has a duty to fulfill. How could he possibly desert his post in the face of battle?!"
Kou Yunliang sneered and said, "Why is it impossible? Everything in this military camp is evidence."
Shang Ruyi was taken aback and asked, "What do you mean?"
Kou Yunliang said, "Yuwen Ye is ambitious and eager for glory. He launched three expeditions to attack Xingluocang but failed. Instead, he lost soldiers and generals and wasted military supplies. Everyone, including this supervisor, advised him to reconsider. But he not only ignored the advice but also underestimated the enemy and acted rashly, leading a group of men to fight Wang Gang's army head-on."
Shang Ruyi's heart skipped a beat again.
Yuwen Ye has sent troops again?
The words Chu Yang had spoken in Tinghe Tower were still ringing in my ears—if he were to send out troops again and suffer heavy losses, the emperor would punish him, and it might even implicate the entire Yuwen family!
Thinking of this, Shang Ruyi broke out in a cold sweat and asked in a hoarse voice, "Then, what were the results?"
Kou Yunliang gave her a cold look and said, "Results? No results."
"No results? What do you mean?"
"It means that he took the military rations, led his troops out to war, and then disappeared without a trace. Not only did he not return, but the troops he led also never returned to camp! Your husband, the Grand General of the State, has run away!"
"...!?"
Shang Ruyi was struck again, her mind buzzing.
Yuwen Ye, he ran away?!
Shang Ruyi murmured, "How is this possible...?"
Kou Yunliang sneered, "How is it impossible? He led 20,000 troops into battle, and thousands had already been killed or wounded. Then he led another 10,000 troops out, leaving less than a thousand men for me, the supervising officer. Now, he has disappeared, and the provisions have also disappeared. This is a heinous crime of desertion in the face of battle!"
"..."
"This supervising officer is about to report to the Emperor that he should be punished by having his entire family executed!"
Shang Ruyi felt a sudden chill run through her body. Kou Yunliang's words kept echoing in her ears, especially the words "deserting in the face of battle, the entire family to be executed." These words felt like heavy hammer blows to the back of her head, making it impossible for her to think.
No wonder, no wonder she sensed something was off when she first entered the military camp; it was the people—
There are too few people in this army.
She had been to military camps with more than 10,000 people before, and the atmosphere and scene were completely different from what she was seeing now. Although there were countless tents, fences, and patrolling soldiers, the military camp in front of her was obviously very empty and did not look like what a military camp with 10,000 people should look like.
So, did Yuwen Ye really leave with his troops?
But—desertion at the last minute?
Would he do that?
Shang Ruyi took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Your Excellency, please be careful with your words."
"..."
“My husband is loyal to the court. He would never desert his post. There must be another reason.”
Kou Yunliang sneered and said, "You still want to defend him? After the previous defeats, the Emperor was furious and issued an edict to reprimand him. He was obviously guilty, knowing that he could not conquer Xingluocang, and was even more afraid of being questioned by the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice when he returned. So, he simply led his troops to flee. Now, I'm afraid he has run off to some mountain valley to become an outlaw."
At this point, he narrowed his eyes at Shang Ruyi and said, "General's wife—you can no longer be called General's wife."
"..."
"Once we submit this report, you will be a criminal who will be implicated and punished as a result!"
After saying that, he suddenly roared, "Men, seize him!"
She heard hurried footsteps behind her. When she turned around, she saw several Imperial Guards rushing in, each with their swords drawn, heading straight for her.
Shang Ruyi's heart tightened, and in a flash, she had already drawn a dagger from her sleeve and rushed forward!
This sudden turn of events caught not only Kou Yunliang off guard, but also the imperial guards. By the time they came to their senses, Shang Ruyi had already flashed behind Kou Yunliang, one arm around his shoulder to prevent him from moving, the other holding a dagger to his throat, coldly saying, "Anyone who moves, I'll kill him!"
"You, you—"
Kou Yunliang was completely dumbfounded.
He was pleased that Yuwen Ye had deserted and disappeared without a trace, and he was so pleased that he could kill him without having to think of any other way. Just as he was feeling smug, he heard that Yuwen Ye's wife was coming. He felt even more confident that he had her under his control, so he didn't bother to guard against her. He thought that even if a pampered noblewoman came, she would only be his possession.
Unexpectedly, the general's wife was so fierce that she immediately turned on him with a knife.
He shouted, "You, you dare to lay a hand on me?"
Shang Ruyi sneered, "What do I have to be afraid of? You judged me without trial and executed the innocent. Do you expect me to be polite to you?"
As soon as she finished speaking, her hand tightened, and the blade immediately slashed a bloody gash across Kou Yunliang's neck.
This terrified Kou Yunliang so much that he cried out, "No, don't kill me!"
Several Imperial Guard soldiers shouted, "Supervisor!"
"You, you vile woman, release the supervisor right now!"
"Otherwise, we won't be polite to you!"
Seeing their steel knives pointed at her, even in the tent filled with braziers and as hot as midsummer, a chill lingered around her. Yet, Shang Ruyi remained calm, radiating a fierce aura that made the imperial guards hesitant to step forward. She said in a deep voice, "Get out of my way! Anyone who dares to come up here, I'll bleed your supervisor!"
"you--"
Although those imperial guards were brave and skilled, Kou Yunliang's special status prevented them from making any rash moves.
For a time, the two sides were deadlocked.
Seeing that they were hesitant to act, Shang Ruyi sneered and whispered in Kou Yunliang's ear, "Tell them to step back."
"This, I—"
Kou Yunliang was still hesitating when Shang Ruyi tightened her grip, and the knife cut another inch of his skin. Although it was only a slight sting, it terrified him, and he screamed, "Everyone, get out of the way—don't kill me, don't kill me!"
The imperial guards had no choice but to retreat, while Shang Ruyi, holding Kou Yunliang, walked out of the tent step by step.
As soon as they went outside, the other soldiers on the riverbank saw what was happening and all gathered around.
"Lord Supervisor!"
"What's going on? Isn't she the general's wife?"
"Don't do anything reckless!"
For a moment, the military camp was filled with a cacophony of voices. Shang Ruyi was so overwhelmed by the noise that she felt dizzy. In addition, she had just been in the tent, which was as hot as summer, but as soon as she came out, the cold wind pierced through her body like a steel knife, and her hands and body inevitably stiffened.
In that instant when her body stiffened and went cold, the nearest Imperial Guard reacted swiftly, rushing forward and knocking the dagger from her hand.
"ah!"
A sharp pain shot through her wrist, and Shang Ruyi let out a scream before she could react. Kou Yunliang, already terrified, fell to the ground and scrambled away from her side.
Immediately, several imperial guards surrounded her. As soon as Shang Ruyi looked up, several steel knives were placed against her neck.
The coldness of that blade was even more intense than the biting wind!
Shang Ruyi stood there helplessly, her body stiff and cold, her heart feeling as if it had fallen into an ice cave.
It's over.
Yuwen Ye's whereabouts are unknown, and I rushed here but didn't even get to see him before falling into Kou Yunliang's hands; moreover, given my actions just now—I'm afraid this man won't let me off easily.
Sure enough, Kou Yunliang crawled several meters away, until he was completely away from Shang Ruyi and with people protecting him, he stumbled to his feet with the help of others. He touched his neck and found his hand covered in blood. He pointed at Shang Ruyi in a rage and roared, "Kill her!"
Although several Imperial Guards had their knives to her neck, they hesitated upon hearing this.
The woman before them was, after all, the wife of the Grand General of the State.
Even though she had just tried to take Kou Yunliang hostage, he was now safe. Killing her now would be difficult to explain later, especially—
Those of them who walked around the palace had heard some rumors that couldn't be spread outside. They heard that when His Majesty the Emperor made his last northern tour, he had a very close relationship with this young mistress of the Yuwen family. Some even said that during the chaos of war, the Emperor personally carried this injured young mistress back to treat her.
If she really could make His Majesty the Emperor care so much, wouldn't killing her here offend the Emperor?
With that in mind, the group hesitated and didn't make a move.
Kou Yunliang was already so enraged that he lost his mind. Moreover, this woman was Yuwen Ye's wife, so she couldn't be allowed to live. He roared, "Why aren't you doing anything? I was appointed by the Emperor himself. Her assassination attempt on me is treason. Kill her! As long as you kill her, I will bear the consequences!"
Hearing him say that, the imperial guards softened their stance somewhat.
After all, they had to follow Kou Yunliang's orders in everything they did on this expedition. Since he said he would bear the consequences, they didn't need to have any reservations about what they were doing.
One of them, steeling his resolve, raised the knife in his hand towards Shang Ruyi!
Seeing the gleaming steel blade pointed at her, Shang Ruyi felt a wave of despair and a surge of resentment. She thought she had changed her fate and wouldn't have to go through those nightmarish experiences, but she never expected to meet her end here.
But regardless, she has saved her family.
Uncle, Aunt, and Wu Zheng who was with them.
besides--
The image of that cold, stern face flashed into her mind, making her heart tremble, and filling her with a sense of reluctance that she was unwilling to admit.
Did he really run away? Did he really desert his post?
But now, the answer is no longer important. He felt the bloody blade already touching his face, and he knew he had reached a dead end.
She instinctively closed her eyes, waiting for the final moment.
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