Princess Liang (I)
The huge and bulky ship rolled over the surging waves and the skeletons of the innocent victims under the sea. The pirates on the ship only wanted to rob money but did not want to enter the city. Looking back, they saw the city gate that had already sunk into the water, so they threw away all the gold and silver treasures in their arms. One or two pirates who were not in a clear mind jumped into the sea on their own initiative, trying to swim back through the city gate. Unfortunately, even if they were not strangled by the "black iron net" that was still in the water, they could not swim to the end.
This city gate was built with the painstaking efforts of generations of people who have guarded Minghunzhou. It was located in the most suitable place, using the black iron collected openly or secretly by generations. The place where the city gate falls will be firmly inserted into the land under the sea, and it will be impossible to shake it even if you dig three feet into the ground.
When the city gate fell, Meng Shizhuang finally gathered his strength and half-supported his body to look outside. Thousands of small boats were floating on the vast sea, and he couldn't see where Lao Ju was. The fat boy in his arms held his breath and looked at the arrow feather beside him that was still "breathing", not daring to move, for fear that if he touched it without permission, it would cost Meng Shizhuang his life.
Strangely enough, Meng Shizhuang was not panicked.
If a person can survive a sudden event that can be called a "catastrophe", then as long as he is still alive, all the remaining things, whether important or not, will become snow falling in his heart - the "fall" of dust settling. He knows that it is only a matter of time, and one day he will be able to sweep away the falling snow.
He took a deep breath, pressed his hand between his ribs, fumbled a few times, and when he exhaled again, he easily and casually pulled the arrow out. The little fat boy's face was splattered with blood, and his eyes rolled up, finally starting to make up for the sleep he had missed tonight. Meng Shizhuang sighed and picked up the corner of his clothes to wipe the child, but found that the corner of his clothes had been washed several times with blood, so he had to give up.
The next moment he looked up, he was extremely relieved that the child had fainted.
Song Jingyan and the others had already dealt with the pirates who had sneaked onto the ship. Hong Min, who had been hiding peacefully in the side room, came out with his bulging belly in his arms. He straightened his clothes properly before speaking and bowed to Song Jingyan and the others. "Thank you, Miss Song, for your planning. Please take us to Ming Hunzhou."
This good-for-nothing has been staying in the side room, sleeping peacefully without moving, no matter whether there is burning, looting, wind, thunder or lightning outside.
His heart was as big as his stomach, but his men, who had come with him, lacked this kind of generous heart and strong body. Since setting sail tonight, their hearts had been in their throats, their worries about the uncertain future overwhelming all other emotions. They were always trying to find ways to peek outside. So, when the situation became clear and the safety gradually returned to their own hands, they returned to their duties and began to add insult to injury to Song Jingyan.
One of the tall, thin, middle-aged men raised his eyebrows and said in a sharp voice, "Miss Song, it was the Princess who fell off the boat! Now we have entered Ming Hunzhou, but the Princess's life or death is uncertain. How can we report this to His Majesty?"
Song Jingyan clenched her jaw tightly, the vein on her forehead throbbing. She looked neither angry nor anxious, and forced a very stiff smile at the corner of her lips. Then she slowly said, "You are right. The imperial decree has been issued, but His Highness's life or death is unknown. I cannot report to His Majesty. The Liang Palace is about to fall, so I... can only resort to any means necessary."
At this moment, Song Jingyan felt both pain and calm.
The knife in her hand, stained with seawater and blood, felt heavy and cold. She felt as if she were holding the hand of the old Prince Liang—the same feeling as when the old prince held her hand in his dying moments. His eyes were unfocused, a murky black like the dawn sky. Perhaps he was no longer certain that the person he had entrusted his son to was Song Jingyan, but his last remaining strength wasn't enough to complete his words.
His weak voice drifted through the air of the Liang Palace, where yellow sand billowed into the air. He said to her, "Since I left the capital, there has been no reply to the letter I sent to Your Majesty. I'm afraid Your Majesty has already made up his mind. The princess's unborn child is not yet born. The Liang Palace is only under the care of Mr. Song and his comrades. I implore Mr. Song to take care of himself and everyone in the Liang Palace. If you have the energy to do so, please look after my wife and child."
Song Jingyan only heard the last sentence.
She looked at the hateful face of the imperial envoy in front of her, and the warships in the courtyard were leading the way in front of the tower ship.
——She could only tell herself that Bian Hongqiu, who was left behind by them, would definitely be alive.
Decades passed, and His Majesty gradually recovered lost territory. The government stabilized, and much needed rebuilding remained, lacking only the Eighteen Continents of Zuodan, held by the King of Jingxi. The Liang Palace's summons to the capital was a test, a final olive branch. They could, of course, truthfully report the princess' disappearance, then leisurely wait for Xi Zhongting to capture Ming Hunzhou. Once the city gates were opened, they could return to search, whether for the body or the corpse.
So, the Prince of Liang's Palace, which so many years ago commanded a formidable army, is now unable to even defend Ming Hunzhou, unable to protect its sole master. Such a bunch of good-for-nothings, and the old Prince of Liang died long ago, their last vestiges of affection vanishing with him. Will Your Majesty use them as cannon fodder or cannon fodder?
Song Jingyan didn't have to think too much about it.
Being late is just an excuse. Your Majesty certainly wouldn't use such a harsh excuse.
Xi Zhongting is also in the city. As long as the news of Bian Hongqiu's life or death gets out, even if he can survive, he will probably have to follow His Majesty's wishes and live and die together with everyone in the Prince Liang's Mansion again - the name of his death is probably not going to be very good.
In a flash, Song Jingyan made her decision.
When there was no room for maneuver, she was even more ruthless than Shao Zheng.
The tall, thin, middle-aged man hadn't yet grasped the hidden meaning behind Song Jingyan's words. When he confronted Hong Min, Hong Min started to worry, "The princess is missing? What should we do?" He looked around and saw the majestic Xi Zhongting in front of him. He felt that he had an amazing "good idea." "Quick! Report to General Xi and ask for his help!"
The look of joy on his fat face had not faded, and he suddenly leaned back.
Then, he stared blankly down at the knife on his heart. In front of him, Song Jingyan's expression remained unchanged.
She always had a face like a bodhisattva, indifferent to sadness or joy. She was slender and spoke softly. She never got angry even when facing a fool like Hong Min. The imperial envoys who witnessed the whole process thought that the slap she had just given Shao Zheng was her limit. Unexpectedly, she was able to draw her sword faster than any other soldier on the ship.
This knife is not as sharp as iron. As long as you see the hand of the owner holding the knife, you will feel that the knife is as soft as a flower.
But it easily pierced Hong Min's fat body.
Hong Min's body fell down with a loud bang.
The officials following him were all horrified. Whether they were shocked or wanted to ask for help from the people on his boat, they were all killed in the blink of an eye by Shao Zheng and his men who reacted immediately.
Song Jingyan and Shao Zheng looked at each other quietly, and they were silent for a long time.
Shao Zheng still had the mark of her slap on his face.
Song Jingyan first looked away, her tone returning to its usual calmness as she casually instructed, "The swords and weapons in the palace are specially forged. Once we investigate, we'll know these people didn't die at the hands of pirates. Throw them overboard."
Shao Zheng nodded in agreement.
Hengbo trembled as she followed Song Jingyan. She saw her turn her gaze toward her, then frown and look away. Hengbo was five years older than Bian Hongqiu, and now, in the form of an adult woman, it was difficult to disguise herself. Her gaze swept over the people in Prince Liang's mansion, and on the messy deck, she finally noticed Meng Shizhuang.
As she walked over, Meng Shizhuang was surrounded by the guards on the ship.
Meng Shizhuang had met these people only once, but the one who made the deepest impression on him was the Bodhisattva who had given him two copper coins. He could hear the sound of someone being pushed into the sea, and he realized that the ship he had climbed, feeling he had unleashed his potential, was the largest pirate ship in the Western Liu Sea. He glanced at the fat, unconscious child in his arms, gently lifted his arm, and pulled him aboard.
Then, he pulled out his dagger from the deck, held it in front of him, and looked straight at Song Jingyan with a fierce look in his eyes.
He said, "Can Bodhisattvas also kill people?"
Song Jingyan lowered her head and looked at him quietly. The image of her looking up to blackmail someone in Daohai City overlapped with the image of her just now rushing towards Bian Hongqiu. She opened her eyes slightly and looked at Meng Shizhuang carefully again before she continued his words: "Even the Buddha would kill people."
She looked at Meng Shizhuang, who was on high alert. Seeing the child in his arms twitching uncontrollably in his sleep, his face flushed red, she warned him, "This is a convulsion caused by a high fever. The child is very fragile and may not survive until you unsheathe your sword. There is a doctor on board. Why not give it a try?"
There were many implications in these words, but Meng Shizhuang didn't catch any other meaning. Recalling the white moonlight of last night, a single thought suddenly crossed his mind: Why did these boatmen love to promote their family's doctor so much? How unskilled must he be to always ask someone like him, who was obviously penniless, to treat his illnesses?
But Meng Shizhuang was very tactful and slowly put down the dagger along the stairs.
Meng Shizhuang carried the child into the cabin, looking back every step of the way. Hengbo said in doubt, "Sister..."
Her voice was trembling, but Shao Zheng interrupted her first: "The princess is alone in the wing room with no one to serve her. There is no need for so many people here. Everyone, please go down."
The tacit understanding formed over the years by everyone in the Liang Palace kept them silent at this moment. Everyone turned their eyes to Song Jingyan. Song Jingyan traced the direction of the outer city tower of Ming Hunzhou over and over again with her peripheral vision, then nodded without any abnormality. "Summon Mr. Zhou to diagnose His Highness, Hengbo to go and take care of His Highness, and General Feiyun to select thirty men to follow me on the boat to help General Xi break through the city."
A cool breeze blew across the deck. Dawn had arrived, but the sky remained dark. This maritime city lay shrouded in dark clouds, which lingered for an eternity, sparing only a sliver of gray light. Those around Song Jingyan raised no questions, nor exchanged glances or arguments. Instead, they all bowed their heads in unison, uttering a resounding "yes" before proceeding in perfect order.
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