Chapter 54
Cassel didn't move. He held the knife and still looked at them warily. When he saw them approaching, he bared his teeth and said in a way he thought was very fierce: "Don't push me."
The servants just knelt and cried. They surrounded Cassel and told him all the wrong things they had done and all the sins they had committed.
"I am guilty... I saw that the young cook was pretty, so I took advantage of the fact that no one was around and dragged her away. When she refused, I accidentally smothered her to death..."
"I am guilty... The concubine whom the Marquis took in last year did not have an affair at all. I went to find her, but she refused to have sex with me, so I framed her and caused her death..."
"I am guilty... The Liu family didn't steal anything two years ago..."
…
They were all confessing, all repenting, with their heads on the ground, recounting their sins word by word, and finally crawling forward two steps, crying, "Sir, please punish us..."
Cassell was visibly stunned for a moment. He always felt that this scene was familiar, but it was too long ago and he couldn't remember where it was. He just looked at them with disgust and said, "Punish you? Fine, then you go and be buried with those people, and make amends..."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a "bang" and the servant who was still crying actually hit the wall! Before he died, he was still mumbling something, asking for forgiveness...
Cassel was shocked. But before he could react, the remaining servants did the same thing and died by hitting their heads against the wall.
Clang——
The knife in his hand fell to the ground with a crisp sound. Cassel took a few steps back in fear. He looked at the corpses around him and his hands were shaking with panic.
There were footsteps outside the door.
Cassel looked up and saw Nie Wuhen standing in front of him, looking at everything in front of him in shock.
"It's not me..." Cassel swallowed and explained in a trembling voice, his eyes were wide open and filled with tears. Cassel looked at Nie Wuhen and said helplessly, "I didn't kill him... It really wasn't me..."
“Why are you crying?” Nie Wuhen came back to his senses from the shock and sighed. He didn’t care about the bodies lying in front of him. He walked over to Cassel and wiped his tears. “Don’t be afraid. Each of them has taken a life. Even if we kill them, we are doing justice…”
It is a chaotic world. In troubled times, being able to survive is the result of merit accumulated over several lifetimes. Eating raw human flesh and blood is so horrifying that it is outrageous.
Cassel was afraid that Nie Wuhen would misunderstand him, that he was just a complete devil... Cassel's eyes were filled with confusion. Wasn't he a devil? Why fear these?
Nie Wuhen was still wiping his tears, but he couldn't finish wiping them, so he pinched Cassel's chin and kissed his eyes: "Don't cry."
Cassel rushed over and hugged him.
Nie Wuhen just patted him on the back. His fingers accidentally touched the small wings behind him. Nie Wuhen was stunned for a moment and then took a casual look.
He didn't know if it was his illusion, but he always felt that the feather seemed to have changed a little. It was white with a hint of gold, soft and beautiful, holy and inviolable.
In the afternoon, Nie Wuhen was going to Handu Pass using Zhao Ying's body. The Liang State and Beiyuan confronted the Dayan State, and the two armies remained stationary at Handu Pass. Nie Wuhen had a talk with the Crown Prince of Yan that day. The two had heated words and parted unhappily, but the next day the old emperor issued an edict to release the envoys of Liang and Beiyuan, and at the same time continue to pay compensation and survive with the policy of marriage.
Nie Wuhen knew without thinking that it must be the prince who went there and used coercion and bribery to bribe the old emperor. But he didn't care. The Great Yan Kingdom would be destroyed sooner or later, but there was no rush.
When they were about to set off, Cassel opened his arms and watched Nie Wuhen tie his belt and put on his clothes. The clothes here are too complicated for Cassel to wear properly, one piece on the left and one piece on the right. He can't remember them and is too lazy to remember them.
The dark green jade pendant was hung on Cassel's waist. Nie Wuhen bent down to adjust it, then stood up. Seeing Cassel looking at him with bright eyes, he asked, "When are we leaving?"
Nie Wuhen replied: "I'll leave in the afternoon."
All of Zhao Ying's wealth was gone, but Nie Wuhen didn't care, nor did he need it. He distributed the money to the families persecuted by the Zhao family, and appropriately spread the news that Liang State had reduced taxes and that those who settled there would be given land.
For a time, those poor people who were deceived spread the news frantically in a short period of time. The capital city was in chaos, and countless civilians began to rack their brains to think of how to escape from this hell on earth and go to Liang State.
Nie Wuhen was sitting on the couch, looking at the map in front of him. After Tonglin Pass fell and Marquis Wu'an rebelled, he captured three cities in succession, instantly turning the situation on the battlefield around. Finally, the Liang army retreated to Handan Pass, and the old emperor issued an edict overnight to seek peace, which led to the standoff.
Cassel leaned next to him and didn't disturb him. He watched Nie Wuhen stare at the map with his eyes lowered. He tapped his fingertips lightly on the sandalwood table, then picked up a pen and scribbled a circle on it.
The inkstone was right next to Cassel. He straightened up subconsciously and started to grind ink for Nie Wuhen.
Nie Wuhen looked back at him, and as expected, he saw ink on the back of Cassel's hand. He pursed his lips slightly, put down his pen, and held Cassel's wrist.
Cassel felt a little embarrassed. He touched his nose, his cheeks flushed: "Aren't you going to watch it?"
"I've finished reading it." Nie Wuhen took a handkerchief, dipped it in water, and wiped Cassel's nose, then wiped his palm, "Liang Country is very good. At least the people there can eat and wear warm clothes. We will leave immediately and buy you some candied haws."
"If we go in the afternoon, when can we get there?" Cassel blinked, "Why don't we use magic power?"
"You and Bai Yi can go first," Nie Wuhen said, "I'm wearing Zhao Ying's identity now, so I'm afraid I can't leave."
"Ah," Cassel's brows knitted together. He rushed over and nestled in Nie Wuhen's arms, holding his hand tightly, his tone full of sadness, "Why are we separated again..."
Nie Wuhen pinched his face, but Cassel got angry and refused to let him do it. Instead, he leaned over to rub his chest and said, "I don't want to follow Bai Yi. I want to be with you."
Nie Wuhen had a faint smile in his eyes. He lowered his head and was about to say something when he heard urgent footsteps outside the door. A servant pushed the door open and kowtowed, saying, "Young Marquis, the Crown Prince is here with the imperial edict!"
Cassel stood up immediately, stood aside, and said sensibly, "Then you go first, I'll wait for you here."
Nie Wuhen didn't move.
The servant was still urging: "Young Marquis"
"Come with me," Nie Wuhen took Cassel's hand and said slowly in his confused eyes, "Come with me."
Nie Wuhen's feeling was correct. The moment he went out, he clearly felt the unusual atmosphere around him. Not far away, in the dense tree canopy, there were secret guards hiding, and even the servants coming and going all had their eyes on the two of them.
Front hall.
The Crown Prince was wearing bright yellow clothes and was sitting on the elegant chair in the middle, playing with a small ceramic cup in his hand. When he saw Nie Wuhen coming, he lazily put the cup down and said, "Young Marquis Zhao really made me wait so long."
Cassel followed Nie Wuhen closely. When he heard someone talking, he was stunned for a moment. He thought the voice sounded familiar, so he leaned over to look over. Then he froze in place as if he had been struck by lightning.
"How dare you—" The guard beside him drew out his sword and said sternly, "Why don't you kneel before His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
"Hey," the prince stopped him appropriately, looking good-tempered, "I forgive the young marquis for being innocent...but the person behind the marquis looks quite familiar."
Nie Wuhen did not salute, so he naturally did not miss the gloom that flashed across the prince's eyes. He took a half step forward, blocking the prince's gaze, and said, "My friend has been staying in the mansion recently and has never gone out. Your Highness the Prince may have made a mistake."
"Really?" The prince smiled and said, "Then I was wrong. Handanyu Pass is a bitter and cold place. You have been ordered to escort the princess to marry. You have done a great job. Therefore, my father has issued an order to give you ten thousand taels of gold and promote you to a higher position."
Nie Wuhen showed no emotion: "Thank you." But he didn't need it.
Nie Wuhen refused to kneel, salute or be humble, and he contradicted the prince repeatedly, which really made the prince lose face. The prince could no longer maintain the smiling expression on his face, and he just snorted coldly, explaining the reason for today:
"Young Marquis, don't think that you can be so arrogant just because you are the Grand Marshal. The last person like you had grass half a man high on his grave. But considering your merits, I will not punish you for escorting the princess to marry. If the marriage fails, you should know what will happen to you, young Marquis."
Nie Wuhen's expression was still very cold, he just said two calm words, "I know." It seemed as if the Crown Prince's warning was nothing but a passing cloud and had no deterrent effect at all.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince smashed the teacup hard on the table with a "bang". The surrounding palace maids, servants, and eunuchs were all frightened. They stood up rustling, knelt on the ground, and asked His Royal Highness to forgive them.
Cassel clearly felt the air solidify, but he didn't know what to do. He just reached out to pull Nie Wuhen's clothes and asked him in a low voice whether he wanted to use magic to freeze them and throw them all out.
Nie Wuhen: "...That's not necessary."
The confrontation was still going on here. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince watched the eunuch come over and make him a cup of tea. The tea was steaming and the smoke almost blurred his vision. He held the tea and waved for the eunuch to come over.
The eunuch crawled over and knelt in fear and trepidation.
"Look up." His Royal Highness the Crown Prince ordered.
The next second, the scalding tea poured down the eunuch's forehead. The eunuch suddenly screamed and seemed to struggle back, but the guards behind him held him down, leaving him with no way to retreat.
"Is it hot?" The Crown Prince poured the tea slowly, then turned the cup upside down on the table. He looked up at Nie Wuhen, implying, "How dare you serve me such hot tea? If I don't punish you, who should I punish? You dare to hide. You really have no manners at all. Come, drag this person out and beat him to death."
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