Chapter 1168 Surrender of the City
"Wait a moment!"
Just as the sharp steel blade drew a bright arc of light in the air and slashed down towards Guan'ao's neck, a shout suddenly rang out from the crowd below the altar.
The familiar voice made Guan'ao, who had already resolved to die, feel a jolt in his heart.
This is--
He struggled to turn his head, but because his hands were tied, he couldn't see clearly. However, after hearing the word of dissuasion, Liang Shide immediately turned around, staring intently at the civil and military officials below the altar, as well as the people who had just been driven out of the city. All of them were kneeling, except for one person who stood with his hands behind his back. His tall and elegant figure immediately attracted everyone's attention.
He was a young man in his early twenties, with a handsome face and a friendly smile. Although he wore simple clothes like the common people around him, his noble air was outstanding, and he had a truly elegant and dashing appearance.
That shout just now was from him.
Liang Shide narrowed his eyes slightly, revealing a dangerous aura: "Was it you who just shouted—wait a minute?"
"Exactly,"
After speaking, the man slowly walked out of the crowd and onto the straight path leading to the altar. The guards around him immediately stepped forward, drawing their swords and pointing them at him. In an instant, he was surrounded by sharp blades and found himself in extreme danger. However, he seemed not to be afraid at all. Instead, he smiled and bowed to Liang Shide, saying, "King Xia, why make such a fuss?"
Originally, anyone who disturbed his sacrificial ceremony should be immediately dragged away and chopped into mincemeat, but seeing the young man's leisurely demeanor, Liang Shide concluded that he must have some background.
So he waved his hand, ordering the guards to retreat to the surrounding area, but not completely clearing the way. Then he strolled to the edge of the altar, staring intently at the young man.
"Who are you?"
The young man already had a pair of smiling, crescent-shaped eyes, and even when he wasn't smiling, his face always carried a hint of joy. At this moment, his smile was as warm and festive as the rising sun. He dusted off his robes and solemnly bowed to Liang Shide, saying, "I am—"
Before he could finish speaking, Guan Ao, who was bound and kneeling on the altar, struggled violently. The familiar voice surprised and delighted him. Even several guards couldn't hold him down. He finally turned his head and looked at the dashing man in the crowd with bloodshot eyes. He suddenly gasped.
"It's you? Pei—"
At the same time, the man standing in the crowd also looked at Guan'ao, and their eyes met, revealing a hint of worry and concern.
But he continued to smile and said loudly, "I am Pei Xingyuan."
Pei Xingyuan?!
Upon hearing this name, Liang Shide first frowned, then searched his mind for the origin of this somewhat familiar name—he was the second son of the Yuwen family, who had been his enemy for many years, and Yuwen Ye's best friend!
When he captured Luoyang, many people resisted to the death, such as Guan Ao and the people around him. Some surrendered immediately, such as Wei Yu and Jiang Chongen, who had already died. After surrendering to him, these people told him a lot of secrets of the court and palace. They also told him a lot about the deeds of the Yuwen family after Yuwen Yuan ascended the throne.
Among them, the one they repeatedly mentioned was the former Second Prince Yuwen, now the Prince of Qin—Yuwen Ye.
In fact, Liang Shide had heard many rumors about him when Emperor Yang was still alive. He was a man of extraordinary talent, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and capable of strategizing and winning battles from afar. In particular, his arrow shot in Yanmen County shocked the world. Afterwards, he did many great things in Guanzhong. In particular, he had a group of loyal followers who helped him not only achieve great merits, but also brought his struggle with Crown Prince Yuwen Qian to a fever pitch.
His group of close friends were all talented in both literature and martial arts, and one of them was a very famous name: Pei Xingyuan.
Because they were separated by thousands of miles, although Liang Shide had heard a lot about Chang'an, he was unaware of some minor details. Especially after the two sides had started fighting, all attention was focused on the battlefield, so he did not know that Pei Xingyuan had been convicted and forced into exile because of the Tangquan Palace incident.
At this moment, Pei Xingyuan appeared in Luoyang, beneath his altar—
Liang Shide took another step forward, but still did not step down from the altar. This feeling of being high above others made him feel superior to everyone else, and he could look down on this "enemy" whom he could not quite understand, thus psychologically suppressing him.
Liang Shide said, "So it was you."
Pei Xingyuan smiled and said, "That is indeed me."
Liang Shide's eyes narrowed slightly again, his pupils dark and bottomless in the sunlight, brimming with a dangerous aura. He said, "You've come here to die?"
These four words have almost sealed Pei Xingyuan's fate.
Although the guards around him retreated to the side, they did not sheath their swords and instead pointed them all at Pei Xingyuan, waiting for Liang Shide's order to pounce on him and tear him to pieces.
Pei Xingyuan still smiled and said, "I've come to deliver a letter."
Liang Shide asked, "Whose letter?"
Pei Xingyuan said, "Your Highness, Prince Qin."
“Yuwen Ye,”
The name caused Liang Shide's expression to change slightly, and it also made Guan Ao and Guan Chiying, who were kneeling on the ground, feel their hearts pound even harder. The two looked at each other, but they were both somewhat at a loss. Neither of them expected Pei Xingyuan to appear at this time. However, Luoyang City had been besieged, and Liang Shide had closed the city gates for several months. When exactly did this person arrive? And what did he want to do?
Moreover, what can he do all by himself?
Liang Shide took a deep breath and asked, "What did he want you to say in the message?"
Pei Xingyuan said, "Your Highness, I hope you will surrender the city."
"...!"
He spoke those last four words neither loudly nor softly, even with a hint of laughter, but the instant they left his lips, everyone felt as if the sky had darkened, as if a thunderbolt had struck them from the sky, leaving no trace of their bodies. The guards roared in fury, "How dare you!"
"How dare you spout such nonsense!"
"King Xia, please allow us to tear him to pieces!"
The moment he heard the word "surrender," Liang Shide's mind went blank, and he was immediately filled with a surge of murderous intent. He wished he could rush down and tear this brat who had spoken so arrogantly on his auspicious day to shreds with his own hands.
But the next moment, he suppressed his anger and gritted his teeth as he looked at Pei Xingyuan, who remained unfazed despite being surrounded by swords and blades: "By him, or by you?"
Pei Xingyuan smiled and said, "By our means."
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