Draw your sword and meet
The man accepted the order and left. Zhao Song, who was standing in place, looked at a wall, but he was not looking at the white wall with green grass spots. Instead, he was looking in the direction of Yuling's residence.
He went out, but did not go to the courtyard of Yuling. He stood in the corridor and saw the guard who served Yuling. He called out to the guard and said to him casually, "These past few days have been turbulent. Let her rest well."
The man bowed respectfully to Zhao Song and said, "Yes."
Zhao Song felt a little relieved when he saw the man leave and head towards the Yuling Mausoleum.
He then returned to his study and pushed all the layers of books off the table. Once all the books had fallen, a square-shaped object appeared, which he gently pressed down.
Suddenly, a sound of stones colliding was heard, and the table suddenly fell downwards, followed by a suit of armor gleaming coldly being raised up.
With a "click," the mechanism stopped, and he put on his armor.
He then pulled out a tiger-shaped inscription from his sleeve. The object was jet black but had a gleaming sheen; it was the tiger tally of the Great Abyss, representing 30,000 Imperial Guards.
Li Yin waited in the room, but Zhao Song did not come. Instead, the person serving Yu Ling arrived. When Yu Ling got up, the person quickly stepped forward and said in a reproachful tone, "Why did you do this? The King of Song only played with you and still doesn't care much about you."
Li Yin remained silent upon hearing this, only nodding in agreement.
Seeing Li Yin's reaction, the woman laughed and said, "So you understand now, but aren't you still doing foolish things?"
Li Yin said, "Yes, it is indeed very confusing."
Hearing Li Yin say this, the woman looked surprised. She said, "You seem a little different today." But she couldn't tell that he was the same person; she just felt it was different based on her intuition.
Li Yin smiled softly upon hearing this.
Wild geese fly in the sky, armored soldiers march on the ground.
News of the Song King's mutiny quickly reached the palace.
However, the person on the high platform, dressed in a royal robe with dragon patterns, remained calm and unmoved upon hearing the news.
Only after Li Changde had finished speaking for a long time did he raise his hand and say, "Summon Minister Wen."
Li Changde appeared calm, but inwardly he was burning with anxiety. He asked, "Your Majesty, which Wen..."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Yingzong frowned slightly, his face showing displeasure. Li Changde then knew the answer: who else in the Wen family could be addressed as a beloved minister by His Majesty besides Wen Youqing?
He replied, "It was this old servant who was confused. Your Majesty, please calm down."
Emperor Yingzong coughed lightly. The wind swept through the hall and into the palace. He frowned slightly. A person dressed in imperial robes beside him saw this and draped a fur coat over Emperor Yingzong's shoulders.
This time, however, the sage did not push away the white fox fur coat. His pale hair was gently blown by the wind, and he sighed softly.
This was the first time he had accepted something from Wen Lan, and the first time he had shown a vulnerable side to Wen Lan, unlike the emperor.
He raised his hand and gently patted Wen Lan's hand, saying, "Many people have been by my side, but in the end, only you have remained. This is the past. I can give you whatever you want."
The phoenix hairpin on Wen Lan's head, symbolizing the Empress, swayed gently in the wind. She lowered her eyes and said, "This concubine only wishes for Your Majesty's good health."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Yingzong smiled gently. As if recalling something, he said softly, "Do you know why I chose you that year?"
Wen Lan shook her head and said, "I am foolish and do not know." She dared not guess, nor did she dare to know.
He suddenly looked towards the center of the hall and said, "That person, you were wearing a red dress, looking up at me from the top of the hall. When your eyes met mine, I could never forget you."
Those eyes are so similar to that person's, except that person hates me to the core and wishes I were dead. How could they be as caring as you?
Moreover, you are a daughter of the Wen family, and you recently severed ties with them. This opportunity is too good for me. By making you my empress, I can keep an eye on that person through your eyes, and I can also use your name to gain the Wen family's support.
Knowing Wen Youqing's special abilities, they obtained a precious sword.
He chuckled softly and said, "That person was very beautiful; I will never forget her in my entire life."
Upon hearing this, Wen Lan smiled. She gently turned her head, her cheeks slightly flushed. She said, "I can't forget it either. That was the first time Your Majesty and I met. I will never forget it in my life."
She spoke more and more slowly, it was unclear whether she wanted to express her feelings or reveal some other emotions.
She softly added, "I will never forget it in this lifetime."
Emperor Yingzong didn't notice anything amiss, but Wen Lan's voice sounded a bit heavy, so he asked, "Have you caught a cold?"
Wen Lan nodded upon hearing this, and said, "Your Majesty, thank you for your trouble."
Emperor Yingzong gently took her hand and placed it on the jade seal on the table. He said, "This is the empire you and I share. You must not ruin your health."
Upon hearing this, Wen Lan's eyes reddened. She lowered her gaze, staring intently at the jade seal she was touching, and said, "Your Majesty, this concubine..."
Upon seeing this, Emperor Yingzong's heart softened, and he pulled her into his arms. He gently patted Wen Lan's back and said, "My beloved consort, there's no need for further words. I know your heart."
But when he couldn't see her, Wen Lan's eyes darkened, and her emotions became complicated, but they vanished without a trace when she looked up.
She said, "Your Majesty, I will always stay by your side."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Yingzong gently kissed Wenlan's forehead, but a strand of his hair brushed against her face, causing her to close her eyes.
After the kiss, Emperor Yingzong released her, waiting for Wen Youqing to arrive.
Not long after, Wen Youqing, dressed in green, was summoned. He knelt down and bowed to Emperor Yingzong, but just as he bent his knees, Emperor Yingzong interrupted him, saying, "No need."
Wen Youqing stood up and saw Emperor Yingzong holding Wen Lan's hand tightly in the high hall.
What a perfect example of "the emperor and empress being of one mind"!
He asked, "Your Majesty, why have you summoned me here?"
Emperor Yingzong of Ming went straight to the point: "There is unrest in the capital, and the Prince of Song intends to rebel."
Wen Youqing smiled gently upon hearing this and said, "So, Your Majesty, what would you like me to do?"
Emperor Yingzong of Ming said, "Naturally, we should quell the rebellion and bring peace to the country."
Wen Youqing nodded upon hearing this, and said, "But, Your Majesty, I am not familiar with military strategy, I'm afraid..."
Before he could finish speaking, Emperor Yingzong frowned slightly and said, "My dear minister, if you can handle this matter well, I will grant you any request."
Wen Youqing said, "Okay."
That was exactly what he wanted to hear, so after agreeing, he went out and mounted his horse.
In the main hall, a calm atmosphere descended. Emperor Yingzong released Wen Lan's hand, but this time his expression was that of the Emperor Yingzong who was untouched by wind and snow on the high platform in the past, as if the tenderness he had just shared with Wen Lan belonged to a different person.
Outside the main hall, Wen Youqing galloped across the imperial city on horseback. He tightened the reins, then pushed off with his legs, and the horse galloped away. He led 5,000 soldiers straight into the city and blocked the road at the east gate.
Less than a quarter of an hour later, he encountered Zhao Song. When Zhao Song saw that the person blocking his way was Wen Youqing, he knew that Emperor Yingzong of Ming had no troops left to use and no one dared to use them.
Upon seeing him, he smiled, a contemptuous smile. He said, "Young Master Wen, instead of staying at your own residence with your beautiful concubine, you've come here to wait for me. Haven't you made a bad deal?"
Wen Youqing smiled gently upon hearing this and said, "Madam, let me have a proper meeting with the Prince. Today is the perfect opportunity."
Zhao Song smiled contemptuously upon hearing this, and said, "Young Master Wen is merely a civil official. There's no point in wielding swords and spears here; they have no eyes. We lest you injure him."
Even as he said this, he drew his sword and pointed it directly at Wen Youqing. He then kicked the horse's belly, and with a neigh, he charged forward.
Swords and blades have no eyes; their cold light shines brightly, illuminating the heavens and earth. What surprised him and everyone else most was that Wen Youqing actually caught the blade.
His eyes widened. Sure enough, Emperor Ming Yingzong had left him a trick up his sleeve. Wen Youqing was not as easy to deal with as the rumors suggested, but he was no pushover either.
He seemed to be outmatched by Wen Youqing in every aspect, but he was still 80% confident in his martial arts skills. Therefore, after Wen Youqing skillfully dodged the killing move, he continued to attack.
He assumed Wen Youqing was just a clueless dodge who only knew a little bit, and he felt a surge of smugness. Even his gaze towards Wen Youqing was filled with disdain and contempt.
He smiled softly, already convinced he was going to win. But what he didn't expect was that Wen Youqing would knock the knife away after he loosened his grip once.
He was slightly panicked when he lost his weapon, but he had practiced these things beforehand, so when it actually happened, he was only slightly surprised at first. Then, he bent down, pulled on the reins with one hand, and reached for the knife with the other.
After rounding a bend, he regained control of the knife. Wanting to finish the fight quickly, he threw the knife at Wen Youqing with all his might, then stood up to watch the scene of Wen Youqing being cut in two by the knife, but that didn't happen.
His smiling face was about to crumble. As he saw Wen Youqing easily dodge, he took out his soft sword from his waist and heard a soft "click" in his mind.
He's going to lose.
But he was unwilling to accept it.
The soft sword was agile and quickly wrapped around his neck. However, Wen Youqing did not kill him with one strike. Instead, she said, "Withdraw your troops first, and I can let you leave faster."
Zhao Song laughed upon hearing this, stretched his neck forward, and said, "I cannot choose how I am born, but I can choose how I die."
The white flesh on his neck was grazed by the sharp blade, instantly tearing the skin. Fresh blood slowly dripped down the blade, landing quietly on the dust.
Just like his life, he planned for a long time, but ultimately failed quietly.
How ridiculous! How utterly ridiculous!
But as he closed his eyes, he vaguely saw a person, someone who shouldn't be there. He just assumed it was a fleeting image before someone died.
He saw Yu Ling, and slowly reached out his hand, but then put it down when the person came into his sight.
He is the King of Song, the master; how could he possibly like a mere maid?
The sounds around me gradually faded, my vision blurred, and everything turned white, but the image of that person in my heart became clearer and clearer.
Li Yin, dressed in white, rushed towards Wen Youqing, saying, "No, Wen Youqing, don't kill him."
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