Chapter 61 The Smoke of Battle Rises: An iron arrow whistled through the air, drowning out the man's soft laughter behind him.
"Murder—murder!"
Panic spread like a plague among the crowd, and screams and shouts instantly echoed across the land.
The stench of blood filled the crowd, and arrows continued to fly from the city wall, piercing through chests with a "whoosh." The man's eyes were filled with terror and regret as he slowly looked down at the bloody hole in his chest.
The next instant, he collapsed to the ground and stopped breathing.
The panic lasted for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Fourteenth Prince raised his hand, signaling the Imperial Guards to cease fire. He stood by the city wall, surveying the students below. Those traitors who had infiltrated the students had been completely slaughtered.
"Your Majesty, it's clean."
"Hmm," Gu Huizhou reached out and took Yao Ruyi's hand, seemingly to comfort her or to casually stroke and play with it out of boredom. He nodded, "Go down."
"Yes." Fourteen responded, and he and Thirteen exchanged a glance and nodded to each other before turning around and leading the Imperial Guards away.
Li Wenjing was still standing on the city wall. He looked at the faces of the people who were killed below, their expressions complicated. It was certainly a good thing for the court to kill the traitors, but they were all living, breathing people!
It's just for a living...
But whatever the reason.
Treason... leads only to death.
Li Wenjing suddenly straightened up. He was no longer as strong as he used to be, but he was still upright. "Now that the rebels have been killed by the Imperial Guards, if you still think there are rebels around you, you can go to the government to report it!" His eyes looked down like an eagle's. "Are there still people who want to cause trouble?"
"Rebels? They're rebels?"
"Sir! Mr. Li!"
"Causing trouble? How can we be considered causing trouble!"
"I...how did I get here! I..." Some people began to feel dazed. They had all been quietly reading their books, but for some reason, they felt that what that group said made sense, and they joined in the rebellion against the court. But now it turned out that Mr. Li was not dead at all...
Someone's face turned deathly pale instantly. "Your Majesty...Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please forgive us!"
"What's going on! How can they be rebels?!"
Li Wenjing looked at these people with a disappointed expression, "I was kept in the palace by His Majesty to discuss classics and poetry, and you don't even think about who said I was dead! Who exactly is the rebel now!"
"The rebels are... are Liang Chengfeng!"
"But the one outside the city is the late Emperor's Crown Prince!"
"What crown prince? He was deposed by the late emperor long ago."
"Yes! After Mr. Liang was arrested, Liang Chengfeng, the eldest son of the Liang family, went to travel in Jiangnan and did not return to the capital until the storm surrounding Mr. Liang had passed!"
"I've wasted all that time studying!" a student cried out in anguish, clutching his head. They called themselves students of the sage, but they never expected this!
Unexpectedly, they were manipulated by villains and turned into a mob that couldn't distinguish right from wrong!
Most of the people had an epiphany under Li Wenjing's guidance, but some were still hysterical. They only saw thousands of people causing trouble at the city gate, and then nearly two hundred people were shot dead.
This is simply a suppression by force!
"Gu Huizhou! You dog emperor! You mustn't—" The people around him quickly covered his mouth and pinned him down before the surrounding soldiers could surround him. "Shut up! Do you even want to live?!"
"Ugh—" The man struggled, but several more people surrounded him and covered his mouth tightly, preventing him from making a sound.
Gu Huizhou was satisfied with what he saw, but also found it amusing. "A weather vane, swaying with the wind." He then looked at Yao Ruyi, "What does the Nineteenth Lord think?"
Yao Ruyi pouted, "Did you already know that the scholars would gather together?"
"It doesn't count."
How could it be not calculated? Gu Huizhou had clearly arranged for the Fourteenth Prince and the Imperial Guards to guard the city wall, as well as Mr. Li. If they hadn't been waiting here, how could it have arrived so quickly?
Thirteen went down with the patrol soldiers to deal with the corpses of the scholars and rebels. Li Wenjing stood on the city wall for a while, then let out a long sigh and slowly walked back. Gu Huizhou and his men stood still. "Want to know?"
"think."
Gu Huizhou reached out and squeezed Yao Ruyi's hand, his eyes full of meaning, "If the Nineteenth Lord wants to know..."
Yao Ruyi snorted lightly, knowing he wasn't thinking about anything serious. With the rebels attacking the city and internal and external troubles looming, why was the man still thinking about teasing her all day? Mushroom muttered indignantly, "You yourself are not at ease either."
“Hmph,” Gu Huizhou suddenly leaned down and whispered in someone’s ear, “Twelve found out about it at the brothel.”
That's what he said?
Gu Huizhou's sudden change to being so agreeable left Yao Ruyi somewhat incredulous. "Really?"
"really."
Since Twelve was able to gather information at the brothel, they could make plans in advance. Yao Ruyi understood, "I see."
"Hmm, are you relieved now?"
Yao Ruyi didn't nod. He didn't know what other schemes Gu Huizhou had up his sleeve, but judging from his expression, he couldn't be wrong. "I don't know."
"Heh, then I'll teach you to write when we get back."
Yao Ruyi took the hand the man was playing with the beads from and obediently responded. He knew that Gu Huizhou's heart wasn't as calm and content as it appeared on the surface.
-
More than a month had passed since the war began, and Liang Chengfeng was covered in wounds. His expression was grim as he turned to the soldier beside him and asked fiercely, "Has Xiao Kingdom replied yet?"
The soldier, panting heavily, said, "Sir, I just brought it." He hadn't even had time to wipe the blood from his face. "The Crown Prince Xiao sent a letter, asking you to hold on for a few more days. There are changes in the Xiao Kingdom, and the matter of sending troops should be handled with caution."
"Damn it!" Liang Chengfeng slammed his hand on the sword, the other side of the longsword hitting the corner of the table with a muffled thud, causing the soldier to take two steps back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a pink figure emerge from the tent next to him and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sir, Miss Liang..."
Liang Chengfeng was startled. He immediately stood up. In the past few days, Liang Pingxia had become increasingly thin. She couldn't eat during the day and couldn't sleep at night. "Pingxia."
"elder brother."
The girl smiled when she saw Liang Chengfeng, but her cheeks were slightly sunken, and she no longer had her usual liveliness. She was only a little over a month pregnant, but her waist was still slender.
She was about to walk towards Liang Chengfeng, leaning on the water vat outside the tent, when a sudden, intense discomfort in her abdomen made her arch her back and retch, still holding onto the vat.
"Ping Xia!"
"Ugh—cough cough—" Sour water dripped from Liang Pingxia's mouth, wetting a patch of sand. Her eyes were red, she hadn't rested well for several days, and her lips, which used to be rosy, were now pale. "Brother—cough cough cough, Pingxia is fine."
She said she was fine, but her eyes welled up with tears from coughing.
"Where is the imperial physician? Did he say anything?"
Liang Pingxia was startled by Liang Chengfeng's sudden loud question and weakly replied, "The physician said these are all symptoms of pregnancy in women and are nothing serious."
And what else can they do but live in tents now?
Liang Pingxia lowered his head, his expression darkening.
Clenching his fists tightly, Liang Chengfeng frowned. "Wait!" With that, he turned abruptly and strode away without waiting for Liang Pingxia's response.
"elder brother--"
Night falls in the capital city.
The panic only spread to the streets; laughter continued inside the officials' residences even after the doors were closed. Li Li emerged from his concubine's room, his face flushed and his eyes lacking clarity. The old steward stepped forward, his brow furrowed by the strong smell of alcohol emanating from him.
"Master! Why are you out so late? It's windy at night, please take care of yourself."
"Wind? What wind could there be?" Li Li ignored it. He picked up the wine jug, still wanting to drink, but it was empty. He looked up at the sky, but the sky was pitch black and he couldn't see a single star. "Wine, where's my wine!"
The old butler sneered inwardly, but outwardly he still had to carefully protect the person to prevent them from falling. "Master, be careful! Madam is still waiting for you in her room. Why don't you hurry up and keep her company?"
lady?
Li Li paused, his steps faltering. He and Chen Shi had grown increasingly distant lately, even sitting across from each other at meals without a word. Every time he saw Chen Shi after Yunyun's disappearance, his heart ached more!
His cloud, his cloud!
"Yun'er—"
The butler helped Li Li walk forward step by step, feeling annoyed himself. He wasn't paying attention and Li Li stepped on a pebble. Neither of them would let go of the other. The old butler's eyes widened. "Master!"
"ah--"
With a scream, Li Li felt a wave of dizziness, followed by a sharp pain from her neck to her lower back. "My leg!"
Li Li couldn't straighten his leg; the wrinkles on his face were all knitted together. He struggled with all his might to touch his right leg, which he could no longer move. "Ah—"
"Master!" The old butler panicked. He was perfectly fine, with only a minor abrasion on his wrist, but Li Li exclaimed, "Master! Your leg!"
Li Li had his leg pinned down by himself, so the family physician didn't even need to examine him. The old steward had a bad feeling; Li Li's leg was probably broken.
"My legs, my legs!"
His cries of pain attracted a number of servants, who immediately surrounded Li Li, shouting, "Quick! Go find the imperial physician!"
Before long, Li Li was carried to the bedroom. The physician stopped and covered Li Li with a blanket. She had fainted from the pain. Madam Chen, the wife of the Vice Minister, frowned and asked, "How is she?"
"Reporting to Madam, Master's leg is broken. I have already prescribed medicine for him to recuperate. Recovery... will take some time."
Madam Chen waved her hand impatiently. Her once dignified and elegant features looked aged because of this moment of sorrow, but she still retained her charm. She reached out and pressed her forehead, "Go down."
"Yes, madam."
One by one, the servants withdrew, and the old steward, feeling guilty, left as well. Only Madam Chen and Li Li on the bed remained in the bedroom. Madam Chen stepped forward, her slender fingers shielding her eyes from Li Li's view, and her eyes immediately reddened.
Her Yun'er's eyes most resemble Li Li's. Now, Yun'er has been missing for half a year, and she doesn't know if she is doing well.
"Yun'er, Yun—"
With a thud, the thin body lay on the ground, tears falling from Chen's eyes onto the ground. Her neck was red, and it was unclear how much force the person had used.
A dark figure appeared in the room; it was none other than Liang Chengfeng.
Liang Chengfeng coldly stared at Li Li on the bed. He had broken his leg at this moment. Damn it.
His night clothes covered him tightly, and if someone didn't know him well, they would never recognize him as Liang Chengfeng, who had been raising an army outside the city for a month.
"Li Li, Li Li!"
Liang Chengfeng slapped Li Li's face several times. Finally, amidst sobs, Li Li opened his eyes. The excruciating pain in his leg prevented him from speaking. He was startled by the person in front of him as soon as he opened his eyes a crack. "Someone! Someone—"
With her mouth gagged, Li Li's heart pounded wildly.
His gaze darted around in a panic, and he immediately spotted Chen lying on the ground.
lady!
Liang Chengfeng took a step back, grabbed a chair, ripped off the black cloth from his mouth, and said with a serious expression, "It's me."
"Liang Chengfeng!" Li Li's eyes widened. He had thought it was a vagrant from the capital who had murdered him for money, but he never expected it to be Liang Chengfeng. "You! What are you doing in my residence!"
Forgetting the pain in his legs, Li Li struggled to get up. If someone saw Liang Chengfeng in his residence now, wouldn't he also be accused of being a traitor?
That's absolutely unacceptable!
Li Li, still recovering from the pain and shock of his drunkenness, shouted angrily, "I don't welcome you! If you don't leave, I'll have someone report this to the authorities!"
He glared at him coldly, "I'm letting you off this time because our families were originally related by marriage. Now get out of here!"
Liang Chengfeng sneered, "Lord Li should think carefully. If you help me with this favor, you will surely receive a lot of benefits when His Highness the Crown Prince ascends the throne!"
Ascend the throne? Dream on!
Do you really think a few tens of thousands of rebel troops outside the city can break through the gates of the capital? That's just wishful thinking!
Li Li didn't dare touch his leg, and he turned his head away, ignoring Liang Chengfeng.
"Li Li! Our two families were originally related by marriage, how can you disregard even the last bit of affection?" Liang Chengfeng's eyes reddened. "Pingxia is pregnant and cannot withstand the journey. If you are willing to let Pingxia stay in the manor to rest and prepare for childbirth, I, Liang Chengfeng, will owe you a favor!"
Li Li was taken aback. Liang Pingxia? He remembered that the little girl was not yet of marriageable age!
Whose child is that...?
With a swift turn of her gaze, Li Li declared sternly, "Don't even think about it! My Li family and the Liang family have absolutely no connection whatsoever now!"
"Li Li!"
"Take care, and don't bother seeing me off." Li Li endured the excruciating pain in his leg, which was almost overwhelming him, but he still had to maintain his composure in front of the Liang family.
They've already lost enough face in the Liang family. Now that the Liang family has fallen so low as to become a rebel army, how can we tolerate them being bossy?
Liang Chengfeng gritted his teeth, "I'll ask you one more time, will you help me with this?!"
Li Li declared resolutely, "My Li family will not have any connection with the rebels!"
After Li Li finished speaking, he closed his eyes and endured the pain. When he opened his eyes again, the person in front of him was gone, leaving only the wide-open window and the unconscious Chen Shi on the ground.
"Madam, Madam!" Li Li cried out in pain, wincing. "Help! Help!"
Soon, the servants and steward hurriedly pushed open the door and rushed in, looking flustered.
Liang Chengfeng returned to the garrison outside the city, gritting his teeth. He never expected Li Li to dare to go against them like this! Once he succeeds, he will definitely make sure the Li family is wiped out of the capital.
From the darkness, a girl's soft voice rang out, "Brother."
While Gu Huai'an was asleep, Liang Pingxia tiptoed out. She was worried that Liang Chengfeng would do something dangerous, but she was relieved to see him return. "Brother, Pingxia is doing very well now, so you don't need to worry."
Under the bright moonlight, Liang Chengfeng looked at the increasingly pale face and sneered, "Good my ass! You go pack your things now, I'll find someone to send you south, and I'll find someone to pick you up after this is all over."
"Go south?" Liang Pingxia panicked. "Then what will you do?"
"You don't need to worry about the rest. You and your aunt go to Jiangnan to recuperate."
"That……"
"Go back and pack your things quickly." Liang Chengfeng turned around and stopped a soldier, ordering him to prepare a carriage.
“Brother, Pingxia understands.”
About an hour later, Liang Pingxia, carrying a bundle on his back, and Wang Shi helped each other onto the carriage, their eyes red with reluctance. "Brother! Please be careful!"
"Okay, go ahead."
Liang Pingxia nodded. She felt a little better at this moment. With tears in her eyes, she boarded the carriage. After getting on, she couldn't help but peek out, looking at Liang Chengfeng and also at the direction of the capital.
After a long silence, Liang Chengfeng said coldly, "Take your men and leave."
"Yes, sir."
The coachman called out "Whoa!" and the large red horse spurred forward. In the darkness, Liang Pingxia's tear-streaked eyes were hidden in the night. She choked back tears as she sat back in the carriage, meeting Wang Shi's gaze. "Mother!"
Wang's beautiful face now looked old, and seeing Liang Pingxia cry, she also shed tears, "Mother is here, Mother is here!"
"Xia'er, be good. Mother will always be by your side."
Liang Pingxia nodded through her tears, clinging tightly to Wang Shi.
Dawn broke in the blink of an eye.
The dark circles under Gu Huizhou's eyes had grown increasingly pronounced in recent days. He looked at Thirteen approaching and asked coldly, "Who is it?"
Thirteen suppressed his frustration, "The grasslands are led by Yuan Liao."
With a cold snort, Gu Huizhou could barely contain the murderous intent in his eyes when he heard the reply. "Alright, you've finally shown yourself."
He originally thought Liang Chengfeng was involved with Xiao Guo, but he never expected it to be Yuan Liao. "Go tell Guan Yunshan and Han Jiqing to speed things up."
Thirteen paused, a sharp glint in his eyes, "Yes, Your Majesty!"
A mere 50,000 people, yet it dragged on for a whole month.
Well, at least the person behind this has finally been brought to light.
As he walked, Thirteen thought to himself, "We're both defeated opponents, but Yuan Liao is so brainless. He actually dares to dream of joining forces with Liang Chengfeng to get a share of the spoils when we win in the future. He's dreaming!"
Guan Yunshan and Han Jiqing were already waiting outside the courtyard. Thirteen cupped his hands and said, "Generals, His Majesty has instructed you to resolve this matter as soon as possible, without further delay."
"really?!"
"It can't be fake."
Guan Yunshan laughed heartily. He had shown leniency towards Liang Chengfeng these past few days, and several of his men were almost convinced he was a rebel too. Now, he was ready to beat them senseless. "Your Majesty, rest assured, they will regret this!"
"Your subject obeys."
Han Jiqing and Han Jiwen received orders to go to the northern frontier to fight the grasslands. They led their troops away that afternoon after receiving the orders. Guan Yunshan remained guarding the city gate, rubbing his hands together, eager for battle. "Brothers! From now on, charge!"
"rush!"
"Charge!"
Amidst the chaos of war, tens of thousands of people mingled together, raising endless dust that nearly swallowed them up. A cloud of yellow smoke obscured faces as the sand rose. Guan Yunshan, carrying his long sword, charged ahead, heading towards Liang Chengfeng, who was at the very front of the enemy.
Liang Chengfeng and Gu Huai'an stood back to back, both frowning. "What's going on!"
There hadn't been this kind of situation a few days ago, and he felt uneasy. News of the Liao's war against the Yun should have reached the capital by now, so why were the troops here increasing instead of decreasing?
Gu Huai'an didn't care much. He shouted, "Hmph! Gu Huizhou always likes to fool people. What's there to be afraid of?" Gu Huai'an called to the soldiers around him, "Soldiers! Charge with me!"
"rush!"
"kill--"
Pang Qiying charged ahead, almost in a frenzy, but more and more people rushed out of the city gate, so many that their sheer numbers forced them to retreat repeatedly.
He kept swinging his longsword forward, "Ah—" He severed a man's arm with one stroke, the blood blurring his vision, which he hurriedly wiped away with his sleeve.
No! If this continues, they'll all die sooner or later!
Pang Qiying now understands—what do you mean by "no soldiers in the army"? All those days before, Gu Huizhou was just playing with them!
Gasping for breath, he took large strides backward until he was beside Liang Chengfeng. "Young Master Liang! What do we do now!"
Liang Chengfeng's eyes were bloodshot, and he didn't bother to treat the wound on his leg that was gushing blood. Several soldiers stepped forward to protect him, giving the two of them time to talk.
"What can we do? Kill!"
Pang Qiying gritted his teeth, "Kill!"
Gu Huai'an was constantly blocked by several lieutenants, his armor completely concealing him. However, he was determined to rush forward and kill, but his mediocre skills only made him a sitting duck. The lieutenants couldn't stop him, and Gu Huai'an's wounds multiplied. Resentment welled up in his heart. "Get out of the way! I'm going to storm into the city!"
On the high wall, Gu Huizhou kept fiddling with a bow, his expression calm, occasionally raising it to aim at the battlefield where fierce fighting raged. A flash of bloodlust crossed his eyes, and he beckoned, "Yao Ruyi, come here."
"do what?"
Yao Ruyi also changed into a red robe today. He doesn't often wear red, but the bright red made him look even fairer.
"come over."
As the others entered, Gu Huizhou pulled them into his arms, saying, "I will teach you how to use a bow."
"good."
Gu Huizhou lowered his gaze, took Yao Ruyi's hand in his right hand, and guided him to pull the string. "Lower your head, lower your hand."
Yao Ruyi listened to the man's words and made the changes. His right hand, holding the string, stopped at his chin. His gaze was fixed straight ahead, where the two people trembling together made it impossible to see clearly what was real. Gu Huizhou whispered in his ear, "Release."
"Gu Huizhou!"
"Whoosh—"
The iron sword pierced the air, and the white arrow feathers drew an arc through the sky. The gloomy sky became even more desolate and barren because of the yellow sand and dust. On the battlefield where the fighting was fierce, Gu Huai'an was almost stabbed by a sword again. With a "clang," Liang Chengfeng blocked the blow for him with his sword.
"Your Highness! Step back!"
"No! I will stand with my soldiers through thick and thin!"
Liang Chengfeng frowned deeply, but he didn't have time to think further. "Die!" A furious shout rang out from behind him. Liang Chengfeng turned around abruptly, brushing past an iron sword. A jade pendant at his waist fell to the dust and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"Ah—" Liang Chengfeng shouted, grabbing Gu Huai'an and trying to lead them to the back. But Guan Yunshan was no pushover either. He waved his hand, knocking back a lieutenant, and stepped forward to confront Liang Chengfeng. "Young Master Liang! I've come to learn from Young Master Liang's swordsmanship!"
Liang Chengfeng's eyes were bloodshot, a streak of blood spreading from the corner of his eye. "Screech—"
Guan Yunshan was taken aback, not expecting Liang Chengfeng to dodge his swordsmanship! Whether it was luck or not, they'd have to wait and see in the next move!
"Pang Qiying!"
Liang Chengfeng shouted. Seeing Pang Qiying looking this way, he disregarded whether Guan Yunshan had caught up behind him or not, and stepped forward to grab Gu Huai'an's sleeve, "Crown Prince—"
"Whoosh—whoosh—"
His pupils trembled, and he stared blankly down, letting the hand he was holding, Gu Huai'an, fall to his sides. Blood gushed from his chest like a spring, the wound squeezing out more and more blood, instantly soaking through his clothes.
"Liang Chengfeng!"
Gu Huai'an froze, a huge panic surging from the bottom of his heart. He frantically shook off Liang Chengfeng's hand, and seeing that the man had suddenly become lifeless, he swallowed hard, "Dead...dead?"
"Liang Chengfeng! Liang Chengfeng!"
He can't die! He can't die!
Gu Huai'an finally became afraid. He panicked and tried to run backward, as if everything behind him was happening on the road to the underworld.
Yao Ruyi's heart pounded. He turned his head and asked, "Is that Liang Chengfeng?"
"Um."
Gu Huizhou smiled, "The 19th Party Congress is truly remarkable."
"It was clearly him who hit it," Yao Ruyi said, then drew the bowstring again. This time he was alone, and the bow and arrow were much heavier than before. He closed one eye, thinking about the movements Gu Huizhou had just taught him, and aimed at the most obvious white figure behind him.
The iron arrow whistled through the air, drowning out the man's soft laughter behind him.
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