Looking at the Sword by Lamplight (Twenty-Two)
The carriage curtains rustled in the wind. Cui Yue pulled a traceless piece of paper from his sleeve, bearing a secret order. Printed on the lower left corner was the symbol "天下归心" (The World is at Peace). He reached out and sketched a few lines, still relying solely on eye contact as he spoke to Song Jingyan, who was separated from him by a curtain. "The Prince of Liang's Mansion is loyal to the country. The western border will soon be pacified. I believe Prince Liang's return to the capital will bring him great success."
Song Jingyan seemed unaware that this was a test, and replied lightly, "The late king and princess were both buried in Shangyang. Your Highness hasn't been home for ten years, and I'm afraid he won't stay in Beijing for long."
Cui Yue laughed, "Prince Liang was born and raised in Shangyang, so it's understandable that he should be the head of Shangyang. However, the royal bloodline is weak, and Prince Liang is the prince closest to Your Majesty. I might say this disrespectfully, but he's even closer than the Crown Prince. The border of Shangyang is bitterly cold. Even though it's springtime all year round in the west, it still doesn't have the splendor and wealth of the capital. Why should Your Majesty endure this hardship?"
He paused, and before Song Jingyan could respond, he continued, "But then again, everyone has their own place to go. Your Highness is a noble man, and the world is so big that there is no place he cannot go."
Cui Yue didn't hide his words. Song Jingyan, riding on the other side of the carriage, tilted her head slightly and easily saw the traceless paper in his hand. She knew full well that Cui Yue was being overly talkative—after ten years of fighting side by side, this loyal and devoted minister had developed a special bond with the Western Frontier Army. With the situation nearing its conclusion, he was trying to extract some truth from the man he considered a "friend."
So Song Jingyan didn't beat around the bush: "His Highness is not here, but I can tell you about his feelings."
"The late king died of wolfsbane, and the princess burned herself in the attic. One of them never even saw the birth of His Highness, and the other went insane after giving birth. And His Highness was raised as a girl until he was in his teens. Over the years, I've often felt guilty towards the late king and princess. His parents had a weak bond, and they were raised carelessly in silk skirts until he grew up to understand things. He couldn't distinguish between men and women, and so, even their chances of having children were ruined."
Song Jingyan: "Your Highness's heart follows the late king's. If it weren't for the unification of Dayu, I'm afraid you would never have taken up the sword. In the future, if I can no longer serve Your Majesty, my only wish would be to return to Shangyang and guard the late king's wife."
As soon as she finished speaking, she met Cui Yue's surprised expression.
Cui Yue knew even more clearly that Song Jingyan couldn't use this kind of thing as a pretext. This former head of the Liang Palace regarded Bian Hongqiu's affairs as more important than his own. Moreover, the Liang Palace had been on the battlefield for a long time, praying to the gods and Buddhas, and they were very cautious about the right and wrong of their words, believing that what they said would come true.
Seeing Song Jingyan's serious expression, he looked him in the eye and said, "Master Cui, the people in Prince Liang's mansion will naturally go to the same place as Prince Liang."
The curtains were still fluttering freely.
After a while, Cui Yue sighed softly and said sincerely, "Prince Liang has made great contributions in the Western Territory. No matter what, I will report the truth to the capital."
Song Jingyan thanked her.
A gust of wind blew up the car curtain again, and this time, she could clearly see the four words on the traceless paper: "The world is at peace."
Even in the hands of a ferocious wolf, devouring raw meat and drinking blood, these four words would be gently caressed. Xi Zhongting, having received Bian Hongqiu's urgent order, had already infiltrated the chaotic Chunxiangzhou Palace. A quarter of an hour earlier, the palace's spies had lost track of the King of Jingxi. Civil and military officials, desperately awaiting the arrival of Yan He's army outside the city walls, waited in anticipation for the attack.
He simply grabbed the collars of Fang's father and son and took them all abducted into a dark corner of the palace.
The old Duke's head fell to the ground, and Fang Changjun's face was covered with snot and tears. He neither saved his father's life nor the bargaining chip he wanted to use to save Wen Chaohua's life.
The jade seal, which had gripped the hearts of all who knew about it, was unearthed by Xi Zhongting from a humble corner of his bedroom and securely placed in a black iron box impervious to swords, spears, water, and fire. A "wolf" collected the iron box and instantly vanished from the palace, bound for the eagerly awaited capital.
Xi Zhongting glanced at the traceless paper he had passed to Fang Changjun with a little feeling.
A few months ago, word arrived that His Majesty was gravely ill. Unwilling to wait any longer, he sent several secret letters, forcing Fang Changjun to reply with a simple message, "It's ok to proceed." Without further ado, he urged Bian Hongqiu to join him in the action. Fortunately, the Western Territory was a bunch of good-for-nothings; otherwise, his grand plan would have been ruined, and he would never be able to atone for his sins.
He looked at Fang Changjun coldly without moving his knife: "Your Fang family has betrayed His Majesty twice. Wait for your end."
Although the twelve signal arrows from the West Camp of Chunxiangzhou were used to send messages within the Western Border Army, he had also heard that Bian Hongqiu had sent another message. He didn't want to waste time on a waste, so he ordered his men to evacuate the palace immediately.
They simply pushed open the bedroom door, and amid the astonished and terrified gazes of countless attendants and officials, they scaled the roof and effortlessly escaped. Wen Chaohua, who had rushed upon hearing the news, had her hair disheveled, but she wasn't overly anxious. Her face, only her lips a vibrant red, looked like a female ghost about to devour someone. Standing before the palace door, she glared at Fang Changjun with the same gaze she had just used in the courtyard. A female official was speaking in her ear, informing her that the explosives buried throughout the palace had been soaked in water.
On the other side, someone came hurriedly and said that Li Yan had disappeared from his temporary residence this morning and all his men had evacuated.
Wen Chaohua didn't even have time to call Fang Changjun a "waste" before letting him stare at his father's head.
"How much explosives do we have left in the city?"
The female official pondered for a moment. "Except for the reserves in the imperial palace, the rest were blown up by the men sent by King Liang. Sixty percent of the reserves buried in civilian houses were revealed by Madam Li and demolished. There are constant patrols under the city walls day and night, but they haven't succeeded yet."
Wen Chaohua took the female official's hand and turned to leave. Under the vast blue sky, she looked in the direction where the King of Jingxi had fled and said, "Then let's do it."
All the garrison troops of Chunxiangzhou, whether capable or not, were transferred to the city to confront the powerful Western Border Army led by Yan He.
The city's inhabitants had long sensed something was amiss. Bian Hongqiu's men, intertwined with them, were scrambling and shouting, directing those willing to move to areas within the city where bombs had already been fired. The sun was blazing, and Chunxiangzhou, freshly blasted by the blast, felt uncharacteristically cold. In several areas of the city where civilians had gathered, they could be seen hugging each other and shivering.
The brothels, forced to bustle with activity a few days ago, had returned to their proper quietude. The tattered curtains hung, unattended. Xi Zhongting hurried to his appointment, not even having a sip of hot tea. His face, still unwashed, he flashed his token to Bian Hongqiu and scribbled a fist-clasp: "Thank you, Prince Liang, for the tip about the explosives in the palace..."
Bian Hongqiu waved his hand and spoke quickly, "The King of Jingxi has already escaped through the secret passage."
He unfolded the sketch on his desk, sketching and scribbling without finalizing anything. It was obvious that this was the result of numerous explorations in a short period of time. He wrote and erased the charcoal, leaving the background a dark, opaque black. New strokes had to be intensified time and again. With Chunxiangzhou as the center, radiating out in all directions, Bian Hongqiu's fingertips finally landed on a coastal city, followed by a line leading to Minghunzhou.
Bian Hongqiu: "Time is short, and they've dug too many holes. The people I sent out have explored back and forth, but they still can't pinpoint the correct path to more than ten passages. Although my Western King of Guanjing has been disengaged in recent years, he won't leave all matters to me unless I need help. In the past ten years, he's launched two offensives against the court, both with naval forces. The rest of his forces are in the hands of the Wen brothers and sisters, so I suspect his trump card will also be related to the training of his naval forces."
"His wife, Li Yan, who manages a small group of troops, once said to me during our cooperation that if this mission succeeds, she won't care about anything else. She hopes the court will pardon her crimes of defecting to the enemy and give her a large ship."
You have to have something before you can divide it.
The Huai River wasn't wide, dwarfed by the sea on the other side of the Zuodan Eighteen Continents, leading to Minghunzhou. Xi Zhongting had controlled the three cities outside Yuechan Continent for several months and was well aware of the situation within them. The place Bian Hongqiu pointed out had the largest dock in the Eighteen Continents. Despite the closure of the western border for years, no ships had been able to reach it, but numerous warships and merchant ships of all sizes were docked there. From his impression, it looked very new.
Bian Hongqiu watched him deep in thought. "My men have already begun to dismantle the explosives planted by Concubine Wen outside Chunxiangzhou. I wonder if they will be able to do it in time."
Concubine Wen's layout of burying explosives must have been planned to facilitate King Jingxi's escape. King Jingxi has been hiding in the Eighteen Continents of Zuodan for so many years, and no one knows whether he will unexpectedly train an elite force that can defeat a hundred with one. His decline here is inevitable. No matter whether escaping is a desperate struggle by a trapped beast, they would not be willing to let only one person be injured.
Ming Hunzhou...
Xi Zhongting looked at the isolated city on the Xiliu Sea, his heart sinking from his throat. "Don't worry, Prince Liang. This traitor is courting death." His eyes were like torches, as if he was staring at Bian Hongqiu and promising, "The King of Jingxi will either be captured or die within the Eighteen Continents."
Since he said so, Bian Hongqiu certainly wouldn't say anything.
"The King of Jingxi has already left the palace, but he shouldn't be far away. General Xi, please come with me."
Although Xi Zhongting was arrogant, he understood His Majesty's attitude, and the Prince of Liang had never been wrong over the years, so he offered a gentle compliment: "I'm willing to clear the way for His Majesty." He pointed to the window where several guards were waiting. Before Bian Hongqiu could even begin to offer politeness, the guards suddenly drew their swords, and a woman in the window fell into their clutches. Following them was Meng Shizhuang, who was now facing them with sword raised.
Bian Hongqiu stood up immediately: "Ah! What happened?"
Xi Zhongting followed in silence. He saw this young man, who seemed half familiar and half unfamiliar to him, staring at Madam Luo with his bare eyes. The guards raised their swords to protect her. Madam Luo, who was still gasping for breath after being chased for a whole street by Meng Shizhuang, only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the prince and the general at the window. She frowned and looked at Meng Shizhuang in return: "Who are you? How can you be so rude!"
Meng Shizhuang was brought back to his senses by this gentle and calm question.
Outside Chunxiangzhou, General Yan was about to attack the city. He came to deliver armor and a sword to Bian Hongqiu. A casual glance on the street unexpectedly led him to believe he saw Luo Shun! At that moment, he didn't even realize he was the 23-year-old Meng Shizhuang. With his sword drawn, he wanted to stab the man like a hornet's nest. The streets of Chunxiangzhou were in chaos, and no one cared about the pursuit.
Driven by panic and hatred in his heart, he chased him here. Looking into Bian Hongqiu's worried eyes, he slowly lowered his sword and asked, "Are you not Luo Shun?"
The person in front of him was exactly like the Luo Shun in his memory.
She has long eyebrows and fine eyes, but she doesn't look mean or feminine. Her face is gentle and soft, and one can easily see the word "kindness" in it.
Mrs. Luo was about to scold him, but when she heard him give his last name, she stopped talking.
She looked at Meng Shizhuang carefully and felt that Meng Shizhuang was very similar to a former friend of her father who bullied his wife and daughter and hated women.
When Meng Shizhuang herself didn't understand the reason, Bian Hongqiu felt a pang in her heart.
Ever since Meng Shizhuang lost his mind over the sword that day, he had sent people to Daohai City to investigate every detail. Sure enough, they discovered a bandit stronghold within Daohai City where many high-ranking officials and nobles had moved in years ago and turned bandit. These were the same people who had intended to kill Emperor Ling in Taiji Hall. Among them was the Champion Marquis surnamed Luo, and another, a defense officer of the capital, surnamed Meng.
He looked towards Xi Zhongting.
There was nothing wrong with saying this, so Xi Zhongting introduced: "This is Madam Luo, a female officer in the army dispatched by His Majesty."
No one cared about his words.
Meng Shizhuang listened to the explanation and understood only one thing: no matter how similar they looked, this person was a real woman.
It couldn't be Luo Shun.
Bian Hongqiu had already abandoned his banquet in the courtyard and left the theater to take Meng Shizhuang with him. He was still dressed in women's clothing. He nodded to Madam Luo as if he were a fellow traveler and apologized, "He admitted his mistake. Madam, please don't make a fuss about it."
Lady Luo saw through his disguise and knew his identity. However, she was well aware of the prestige of King Liang. Seeing Meng Shizhuang belatedly apologize with her sword in her arms, she let out a sigh and brushed it off, "It's nothing serious; it was just a misunderstanding."
Bian Hongqiu freed the sword from Meng Shizhuang's trembling grip and clasped it at his waist, casually rubbing Meng Shizhuang's arm, which refused to let go. Behind him, Xi Zhongting and his men followed closely, his voice unreserved, "What a heartless man! We slept together last night, and now you can't even walk after seeing a girl."
The people in Xi Zhongting were trained to be very disciplined. They didn't say a word, but they all stopped in their tracks.
Meng Shizhuang walked with one foot deep and one foot shallow: "I was not unable to walk. I chased him all the way around the block."
Bian Hongqiu: “…”
Seeing that Bian Hongqiu was silent, Meng Shizhuang realized that he had missed the point. He repeated vaguely: "I recognized the wrong person... Let's go, the armor is ready." More important things are at hand. Meng Shizhuang suppressed all the love, hatred, and grudges that he could not understand in his heart, forcing himself to recover the half-dead state of mind of these years.
Bian Hongqiu also tactfully stopped asking questions.
He followed Meng Shizhuang to the place where the armor was placed. As soon as he stepped in, Xi Zhongting took out a signal arrow from his sleeve that was recognized only by his own guards. This message would be transmitted to Ming Hunzhou one by one at the fastest speed. When Bian Hongqiu changed into his armor and stepped out, the signal arrow of Song Jingyan's success exploded in the sky, causing a roar of applause.
Only an incense stick of time had passed since the arrow was fired when the city wall of Chunxiangzhou collapsed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
