Chapter 26: Sweeping Bandits and Chasing a Wife
The bamboo in Luoye Garden rustled pleasantly as the wind blew through it. Zhao Linxu was growing more and more fond of this sound.
At this moment, Zhao Linxu was practicing his sword in the courtyard. The sword wind was fierce, making the bamboo sway back and forth as if someone were playing a tune to accompany him.
“Your Majesty.”
Seeing Zhao Linxu pause his movements to rest, Shuo Lin immediately stepped forward and handed him a message slip.
“It’s from Shuo Yuan.”
Zhao Linxu took the message.
The content was very brief, roughly detailing what Li Jianyu had been doing these past few days. There was nothing particularly special.
After reading it, Zhao Linxu handed the message back to Shuo Lin to be burned.
Before leaving, Shuo Lin couldn’t help but pause and ask, “Your Majesty has sent someone to secretly protect the City Lord. Do you have any plans?”
Zhao Linxu raised an eyebrow at Shuo Lin.
Shuo Lin knelt down. “This subordinate has spoken too much.”
Zhao Linxu waved his hand for Shuo Lin to rise and smiled. “I have no particular plan. Guarding against him is official business, but protecting him is My personal business.”
“In that case, this subordinate is relieved.”
Shuo Lin had been with Zhao Linxu since he was a child. The two were more like brothers than a sovereign and a subject. Shuo Lin was worried that Zhao Linxu would make the wrong decision.
Zhao Linxu shook his head. “As an emperor, after this storm, I will mete out punishment for whatever crimes Li Jianyu has committed. But as myself, I will not allow anything to happen to the person I want to trust and protect.”
“Shuo Yuan will definitely not disappoint Your Majesty’s expectations.”
“That is very good.” Zhao Linxu clasped his hands behind his back. “Is there any news from Feng Juhua?”
“Feng Juhua already knows about Feng Juheng’s secret dealings with the Prince. As an emperor, he certainly cannot tolerate it. He agreed to our request without hesitation and promised that the Great Xi’s troops can be used by us in future battles. Feng Juhua’s envoy is already on the way.”
“It’s a pity it’s not all of them.”
Zhao Linxu sneered.
He didn’t completely control all the military power of the Great Gong either. Zhao Zhanqi was one, and there were also Zhao Linxu’s uncle and the kings on the border, none of whom were peaceful. And it was said that the military power of the Great Xi was even more dispersed. After all, the Feng Ju family had only recently established their kingdom, and their foundation was not stable.
“We’ll take it one step at a time.”
After Shuo Lin left, Zhao Linxu was about to return to his room when he saw Zhao Jiangxue rushing over in a flurry.
“Imperial Brother! Imperial Brother, have you heard!”
Zhao Linxu frowned. “As a dignified princess, can you pay a little attention to your decorum?”
Zhao Jiangxue paid no heed to Zhao Linxu’s scolding—she never had—and just grabbed his hand. “Zhao Zhanqi has announced to the world his grand wedding with Li Jianyu, and he even said that Li Jianyu is carrying his child!”
From the looks of it before, she had thought there was something between her imperial brother and that City Lord. Who knew that now, it seemed he even had the Prince’s child?
Zhao Jiangxue was a little stunned.
Zhao Linxu was also a little stunned.
“What?”
“They were so in love they couldn’t control themselves and got pregnant before marriage!” Zhao Jiangxue stomped her foot in anger. “The storybooks don’t even have you and the City Lord as the main characters anymore!”
Zhao Linxu rolled his eyes and turned to go back into the house.
By the small table in the corner still lay the two wooden swords. Zhao Linxu’s eyes darkened slightly.
Shuo Lin was still investigating. Zhao Zhanqi would probably investigate too. Let’s see what the final truth is.
After returning to his room, Zhao Linxu saw a carrier pigeon perched on the windowsill.
Zhao Linxu smiled and gently took the note from the pigeon’s leg.
XXXXXX
The next day, Li Jianyu accompanied Xue Ni and Zhao Zhanqi to the North-South army camp.
Perhaps to accommodate Li Jianyu, the carriage moved very slowly and did not take any bumpy roads. Zhao Zhanqi didn’t pursue the matter from the day before, nor did he press him about where the child came from. But Li Jianyu knew that this child would, one way or another, be designated as belonging to the North-South Manor.
Li Jianyu leaned against the soft cushion, his hand gently resting on his stomach. The pain from yesterday was gone after taking the medicine. But Li Jianyu still felt a strange mix of emotions.
After Doctor Lu had detected the joyful pulse, Li Jianyu had been filled with rage. After venting on Zhao Linxu, all sorts of things had happened before he could sort out his thoughts, and he hadn’t had time to calm down and catch his breath.
Because of this, Li Jianyu had never properly acknowledged the little baby in his belly. He didn’t know if the little thing felt neglected and was reminding him in this way.
If he had detected the child in a hospital before he transmigrated, he would probably have gone crazy. But after coming here, he had known since he was a child that men could have babies and had seen many pregnant men. Although he was used to it, it was still unbelievable that it was happening to him, and he even doubted whether there was really a baby in his belly.
How could there be?
But there was.
So what should he do? Li Jianyu got agitated just thinking about it.
However, looking around, he seemed to have only one choice. Li Jianyu couldn’t bring himself to abort the child, not out of excessive kindness, but because it was unnecessary. So, Li Jianyu could only give birth to the baby and take good care of it. On the bright side, he was all alone in this other world and had no plans to get married or fall in love, so having a child to accompany him would be very good.
Let it be so.
Li Jianyu sighed.
“Your Highness, we’re almost there,” Ruo’er said softly from outside the carriage. “Less than half an incense stick’s time.”
Li Jianyu gave an “mm” in response.
He had often gone to the army camp when he first took over the Luoye army. He knew that Lu Ai and Zheng Ke would occasionally have barbecues and drink with the soldiers, messing around. They probably didn’t feel at ease with him being alone in the North-South Manor, so they had brought him along to keep an eye on him.
It was good to get some fresh air, Li Jianyu thought.
The part of the North-South army that Zhao Zhanqi had brought with him was camped in the city outskirts. Before they even arrived, Li Jianyu lifted the carriage curtain and could see the curling smoke rising from the forest, and he could vaguely hear shouting.
After entering, Xue Ni helped Li Jianyu out of the carriage.
In the camp, everyone was gathered around a bonfire in the open space, eating and drinking. Some were even singing to liven things up.
“General! The General is here!”
The soldiers called Zhao Zhanqi “General,” not “Prince.”
Zhao Zhanqi nodded and led Xue Ni and Li Jianyu to sit down at the side.
“General!”
Soon, someone handed Zhao Zhanqi a plate full of barbecue.
“I’ll get it myself. You give it to Xue Ni and the City Lord.”
Xue Ni and Li Jianyu took the barbecue and thanked him.
Before long, Zhao Zhanqi was pulled by the soldiers to have a match. Wild cheers erupted.
From the corner of his eye, Li Jianyu saw that Xue Ni’s eyes had never left Zhao Zhanqi. Watching Zhao Zhanqi fight with the other soldiers, effortlessly defeating round after round of opponents, his eyes seemed to be filled with stars.
“The Prince is mighty!”
“The Prince is mighty!”
Zhao Zhanqi plunged his sword into the ring with a thud and said with a loud laugh, “Whoever beats me tonight, I will reward them with the position of a wing commander in the next border war!”
The atmosphere became even more heated, and many people were eager to try.
Li Jianyu was puzzled.
The next border war?
Xue Ni said, “The border is not peaceful again. Yesterday, one of the North-South deputy generals guarding the border came and talked with His Highness in the study for half the night. It seems there will be another turmoil.”
Li Jianyu frowned slightly.
That’s right… because of the struggle between Zhao Zhanqi and Zhao Linxu, Li Jianyu had almost overlooked it. In fact, the North-South army was one of the brave armies that guarded a region and protected the Great Gong. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have the ability to threaten Zhao Linxu’s dragon throne.
“These soldiers are loyal to His Highness, and His Highness is also genuinely loyal to the Great Gong,” Xue Ni said with a smile. “His Majesty has suppressed many rebels with his troops before, but so has His Highness.”
Li Jianyu said, “His Majesty is clear about public and private matters. Although he is dissatisfied with His Highness because of his mother consort’s affair, I believe His Majesty also recognizes His Highness’s great contributions.”
Li Jianyu had learned from Zhao Linxu that Consort Duan, Zhao Linxu’s birth mother, had been framed and killed with a cup of poisoned wine by the Empress, Zhao Zhanqi’s mother.
Xue Ni pondered for a moment and sighed. “Does Your Highness know the truth of what happened back then? At that time, His Highness had long known that the Empress was going to harm Consort Duan, so he had replaced the poisoned wine with ordinary wine beforehand.”
Li Jianyu said, “But Consort Duan still died in the end.”
“That’s because His Majesty gave the tribute Drunken Man’s Fruit to Consort Duan. At that time, no one knew about the Drunken Man’s Fruit, but I was born in the Great Xi and know about these fruits that can be made into poison.”
Li Jianyu stared blankly at Xue Ni for a moment before saying, “You… you didn’t tell His Majesty?”
“Are we supposed to tell His Majesty that he himself killed his own mother consort?” Xue Ni shook his head. “His Highness is not that kind of petty person. What’s past is past. Even without this relationship, His Highness and His Majesty would still be enemies.”
The winner becomes king, the loser a bandit. It has always been so.
Li Jianyu smiled, took the wine cup from the small table before him, and toasted Xue Ni.
Before long, Zhao Zhanqi had defeated all the challenging soldiers and was walking towards them in high spirits. He looked down at Xue Ni. “Well?”
“His Highness’s martial arts are unparalleled, a dragon among men,” Xue Ni said with a smile on his lips, his words conventional.
“Let’s go,” Zhao Zhanqi said. “The City Lord will come too. This Prince has arranged to discuss the grand wedding with General Lu and General Zheng.”
Li Jianyu followed Zhao Zhanqi and Xue Ni to the main tent in the camp and saw that Lu Ai and Zheng Ke were already waiting inside with several of Zhao Zhanqi’s deputy generals.
“Greetings, Your Highness!”
Lu Ai and Zheng Ke looked at Li Jianyu with complicated expressions.
They really hadn’t expected Li Jianyu to completely side with Zhao Zhanqi.
Zhao Zhanqi sat down in the main seat, crossed his legs, and looked around at the people in the main tent.
“The wedding date has been set. The Great Xi’s troops and Mister Yi are also ready.” Xue Ni spread a map of Luoye on the table and asked Lu Ai and Zheng Ke, “May I ask, two generals, where do you think is the most suitable place to attack from?”
Lu Ai and Zheng Ke exchanged a glance, then lowered their heads to study the map carefully.
Li Jianyu sat to the side, watching the generals discuss, and sighed in his heart.
It seemed the day of the grand wedding would be the day of the turmoil.
XXXXXXX
The seventh, a good day calculated by the fortune teller.
On this day, the North-South Manor was a sea of red. Silk lanterns, firecrackers that could be heard for miles. But the common people could only watch from the outside. After all, the North-South Manor had only invited a few distinguished guests, so it was not very lively inside.
“Your Highness, someone has been sent to invite the Princess Consort.”
In the room decorated with a large “囍” (double happiness) character, Xue Ni was standing behind Zhao Zhanqi, gently combing his hair. He held the somewhat unruly black hair in one hand and slowly combed it down with a wooden comb in the other.
Zhao Zhanqi sat before the bronze mirror and gave a casual “mm” in response.
His status was noble, so for the grand wedding, it was his great generals who would invite Li Jianyu to the North-South Manor, not him personally.
The room was very quiet, so quiet that he could hear the faint breathing of the person behind him. Zhao Zhanqi looked at the person in the bronze mirror, his thoughts drifting.
A long time ago, when he had just come of age, he was still a child. And Xue Ni was even smaller, a tiny thing with a soft, thin voice, who followed him everywhere, tugging on his sleeve and calling “Brother Qi, Brother Qi.” When he met outsiders, he would shrink behind him, thinking of “Brother Qi” for everything.
Xue Ni had originally been a disciple of the Great Xi’s court sorcerers, but secret arts required talent, and the system was even more cruel. The priests would randomly choose some children. Those with talent would stay, and those without would be killed to silence them. Although Xue Ni was the latter, he had successfully escaped from the palace and was rescued and taken in by Zhao Zhanqi on the border.
From then on, Xue Ni had been completely loyal to Zhao Zhanqi, following him faithfully.
Zhao Zhanqi’s lips curled slightly.
The Xue Ni of his childhood was really cute. But as the years passed, Xue Ni had become as he was now, introverted and gentle, the pool in his eyes so deep that he could no longer see into it.
The little bun from before had suddenly disappeared, replaced by the deep-minded Advisor Xue, who devised strategies on the battlefield, contacted the Great Xi for him, and managed his affairs meticulously…
“Does Your Highness have something on your mind?”
And he could see through his thoughts, except for…
Zhao Zhanqi smiled. “What do you think of Li Jianyu? Are you satisfied with my marriage to him?”
“The City Lord is beautiful and smart, and is the lord of a city. He is worthy of Your Highness. Most importantly, he is beneficial to Your Highness.”
Zhao Zhanqi raised an eyebrow. “And after tonight? Will this Prince have to become a real husband and wife with this City Lord?”
“If Your Highness likes him, Xue Ni will naturally serve the City Lord well. If Your Highness does not like him, Xue Ni will definitely help Your Highness and the City Lord to end this marital relationship.”
“Alright, Your Highness.”
Xue Ni carefully put away the wooden comb.
Zhao Zhanqi stood up, straightened his grand red wedding robe, and said, “After the storm tonight, I have something to give you.”
“What is it?” Xue Ni raised his eyes slightly.
“You will know later.” Zhao Zhanqi smiled and left the room.
Xue Ni turned to look at the sky outside the window. The night was just beginning.
XXXXXX
“Enemy attack! Enemy attack!”
“The city is under attack!”
The warning bell on the city gate watchtower was rung.
Zhao Linxu was on horseback by the city gate, watching the soldiers forming up to defend the city.
He knew what Zhao Zhanqi was thinking. As long as the city fell, his death would be justified. And “Emperor Zhao Linxu died on the battlefield, Prince Zhao Zhanqi succeeded in repelling the enemy and ascended the throne in order” would also be justified.
The enemy army outside was nominally from the Great Xi, but Zhao Linxu knew how many North-South soldiers were mixed in, and perhaps even the Luoye army had to be counted. With Li Jianyu as an inside man, Zhao Zhanqi’s work would surely be twice as effective with half the effort.
Although Zhao Linxu had sent half of Chen Zhishu’s Valiant Cavalry Army to guard the capital, he had Feng Juhua here, the Joyful Moon Cult and the Hundred Flowers Sect, with whom he had an agreement, and the remaining Valiant Cavalry Army. Zhao Linxu felt he was sufficient to handle it.
Even with Li Jianyu obstructing him, he could still win.
Zhao Linxu had fought battles with even greater disparities in strength before. He was not afraid of defeat, and even less afraid of death.
“Your Majesty!” The deputy left behind by Chen Zhishu, now the commander, Liu Pucheng, rode up to Zhao Linxu. “The watchtowers outside Luoye have all been captured by the enemy.”
Zhao Linxu nodded, not surprised.
Li Jianyu was already standing with Zhao Zhanqi. What watchtowers did he want to protect? He didn’t even know if he could protect the city gate.
Thump, thump—thump, thump—
“The enemy is only a gate away from us!” Zhao Linxu raised his sword and shouted, “Are you all willing to live and die with me! To protect Luoye!”
“We swear to follow His Majesty to the death—”
“We swear to follow His Majesty to the death—”
Under the moonlight, by the city gate, rows of high-spirited soldiers raised their swords high, as if they wanted to soar into the sky.
The Valiant Cavalry Army was Zhao Linxu’s pride and the only army he had full control over. He had served in the Valiant Cavalry Army, then taken over command from the previous general, and after ascending the throne, handed it over to his brother-in-arms, Chen Zhishu.
“Kill—”
The city gate was high, and the enemy couldn’t break through in a short time.
Zhao Linxu dismounted, stood on the city wall, and fought alongside the soldiers to repel the enemy who were trying to climb up. Large wooden rams kept hitting the city gate, but the enemy operating them were quickly shot down by a volley of arrows.
Zhao Linxu confidently handed over the command to Liu Pucheng, letting him set up formations and give orders, while he himself fought with the Valiant Cavalry Army to his heart’s content.
Liu Pucheng saw Zhao Linxu, stained with blood, from a distance and belatedly realized that the person before him was the king. He shouted, “Your Majesty! It’s dangerous here!”
“Dangerous?” Zhao Linxu seemed to have heard something ridiculous. He leaped up, and with a sweep of his sword, he sent the two enemies before him tumbling off the city wall.
“This subordinate means, the enemy is in danger!” Liu Pucheng laughed loudly.
As the battle around the city gate raged on, Zhao Linxu heard the sound of hooves below the city wall.
What was that noise?
Liu Pucheng, standing at the highest point, was shocked.
Outside the city gate were the wolf-like enemy troops, and inside, the Valiant Cavalry Army was guarding the gate.
But behind the Valiant Cavalry Army, another army was slowly approaching, coming from within the city! Although the number of these troops was much smaller than those outside, they were still not to be underestimated.
These people, Liu Pucheng thought, came in from Luoye’s north back gate! But aren’t the other back gates and side gates being watched by the Hundred Flowers Sect and the Joyful Moon Cult!
“General Liu! General Liu!”
Before Liu Pucheng could figure it out, he saw a woman leap onto the high platform where he was standing with her lightness skill and kneel down. “The north and west gates have fallen! The other disciples and the Joyful Moon Cult members are still resisting the remaining enemies!”
No wonder the army below seemed to have thinned out, and there were gaps in their formation.
Zhao Linxu looked at the person at the head of the army.
Zhao Zhanqi, in full armor, was leading the charge.
Zhao Zhanqi looked at Zhao Linxu and smiled. “Does Your Majesty know why City Lord Li betrayed you? Because I told him a secret. Has Your Majesty heard of certain ‘quirks’ of the Feng Ju family?”
“Feng Juhua and Feng Juheng are not mortal enemies. This was just a show they put on for me.” Zhao Linxu raised an eyebrow and looked at the formation below. Outside the city gate were the North-South army and Feng Juheng’s men, and these before him, weren’t they his original reinforcements, Feng Juhua’s men?
Feng Juhua and Feng Juheng were of the same party, and they were also united on Zhao Zhanqi’s side.
And the quirk Zhao Zhanqi mentioned…
Zhao Linxu sneered.
The Feng Ju family had a strange custom. They themselves revered it, but outsiders despised it. It was said that the Feng Ju family had a pure bloodline, which had a very high talent for secret arts. Therefore, they liked to practice incest within the family. Brothers would marry sisters, and uncles would take nieces as concubines… Over time, they had become accustomed to marrying within the family, regardless of gender.
It seemed that Feng Juhua and Feng Juheng had such a relationship.
Liu Pucheng stood beside Zhao Linxu and said in a low voice, “Your Majesty, what should we do?”
Now they were facing a pincer attack, with enemies on both sides.
“Fight them head-on,” Zhao Linxu said with a smile. “What else?”
The battle at the city gate behind them was intensifying, and the one before them was on the verge of breaking out.
“Fight!!” Liu Pucheng shouted. “Form up!”
The Valiant Cavalry Army had fought even more arduous and dangerous battles with Zhao Linxu before. They were not afraid!
Zhao Linxu twisted his neck, leaped off the city gate, and mounted Yuefeng.
Zhao Zhanqi smiled and also spurred his horse towards Zhao Linxu. With a clang, the two swords collided.
“Zhao Zhanqi! You have never beaten Us.” Zhao Linxu grinned.
“I will win today,” Zhao Zhanqi said with a raised eyebrow. “Your Majesty will not only lose this match but also the empire.”
With that, Zhao Zhanqi tilted his head towards the area behind Zhao Linxu.
With a thud, the sturdy city gate was broken open, making a harsh creaking sound, and it opened wide to the enemy.
But something unexpected happened. The moment the city gate opened, it seemed to trigger something. The city gate, along with the entire city wall, began to make a strange mechanical sound, which sounded like the friction of wood and iron.
Then, with a “swoosh, swoosh, swoosh” sound, every stone brick of the city wall turned around, revealing another side. And on that side was a dark, bottomless hole.
After turning, every stone revealed these strange openings to the enemy. For a moment, the enemy was faced with a dense sea of black holes, which was very unsettling.
The enemy general sensed something, and his eyes widened. He shouted, “Retreat! All of you, retreat!!”
However, at this moment, many figures appeared in the jungle outside the city gate, hiding in the bushes and trees, completely surrounding the enemy.
All of these figures held a bow and arrow.
Swoosh—
The arrows shot by the figures and those that erupted from the holes in the stone wall merged together. The weapons, coming from all directions and covering the sky, left the enemy with no escape.
For a moment, a rain of arrows fell, and cries of agony filled the air.
Liu Pucheng’s eyes widened, and he stared blankly at the unexpected turn of events.
Since when did the city gate have such a hidden weapon?
Could it be…
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—
After the last sharp arrow shot out from the stone wall, a man led the figures who had been hiding in the forest out.
“Slaughter them!”
The man in the lead was none other than Lu Ai, and behind him, naturally, was the Luoye army.
Zhao Linxu smiled, his eyes shining with surprise and excitement.
He just knew it, Beauty was on his side!
Zhao Linxu was overjoyed. He felt a surge of strength throughout his body, with nowhere to vent it.
Looking at the ever-changing expression on Zhao Zhanqi’s face, Zhao Linxu said, “It’s a pity, little brother. Today will end the same as always.”
With that, he swung his sword at Zhao Zhanqi.
Zhao Zhanqi’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Very good.
Li Jianyu had deceived him.
Marrying him, destroying the watchtowers, devising strategies—it was all a smokescreen. From the very beginning, Li Jianyu had been planning to confuse him and make him overconfident!
But he wasn’t a fool either.
“So what if Li Jianyu betrayed me?” There was a fierce look in Zhao Zhanqi’s eyes. He swung his sword to block Zhao Linxu’s aggressive strike. “The Emperor of the Great Xi and the Prince with the most military power are both on my side. How can the Luoye army and the incomplete Valiant Cavalry Army resist?”
Zhao Linxu raised an eyebrow.
He could see that Zhao Zhanqi was in a very bad mood now. It seemed he really disliked being betrayed or having his plans go wrong. This was the same as himself. Zhao Linxu couldn’t tolerate betrayal from others, but he found things that went against his plans interesting.
Zhao Linxu smiled. “What? Only you are allowed to seek help from the Great Xi, and We are not?”
A trace of doubt grew in Zhao Zhanqi’s heart.
Could it be?
It was not easy to get Feng Juhua and Feng Juheng on his side. It was also thanks to Xue Ni’s methods, who had stayed in the Great Xi’s imperial palace before. With the atmosphere in the Great Xi, how could Zhao Linxu possibly have the ability to get them to help and send troops?
Clang!
The tip of Zhao Linxu’s sword barely grazed Zhao Zhanqi’s cheek.
Zhao Zhanqi was unwilling to be dazed any longer. He gathered his strength and thrust his sword at Zhao Linxu’s waist.
Under the night sky, the two figures were like lightning and thunder, venting their frustrations to their heart’s content, letting the beasts within them roar and tear at the enemy.
XXXXXX
Outside the City Lord’s manor, the bridal sedan and boxes of betrothal gifts were left unattended by the gate.
The commoners in the wedding procession had heard the sounds of battle outside, and could even faintly hear the cries of killing. They had long since been scared and ran home to prepare with their families. Who was in the mood to celebrate a wedding, beat drums, and blow suonas? The small team of North-South soldiers who had come to escort them, however, had surrounded the City Lord’s manor. This was their prince’s order, to prevent any accidents.
Inside the manor, Li Jianyu was lying quietly on the soft couch in the study, waiting.
Lu Ai had taken the Luoye army to assist Zhao Linxu. Lu Ai was the commander-in-chief of this operation, but Zheng Ke was not. Therefore, Li Jianyu was waiting for Zheng Ke to finish his duties and come for him.
There weren’t many North-South soldiers guarding the outside. He believed that Zheng Ke could handle them.
After all, it was too dangerous for him to just stay here and do nothing. What if Zhao Zhanqi, in his anger, lost his mind and sent someone to kill him? Who would he cry to then?
The manor was not completely silent. There were the chirping of cicadas and the sound of flowing water from the courtyard, as well as the sounds of battle from afar.
Li Jianyu sighed. He had not wanted to get involved in this mess, but Zhao Zhanqi had given him no choice, so he couldn’t be blamed for fighting back.
Zhao Zhanqi had asked him for a meeting, and Li Jianyu couldn’t refuse. Blindly avoiding it was not a solution. And then Zhao Zhanqi had forced him to take a side, telling him that if he didn’t help him, and Zhao Linxu was defeated, Li Jianyu and Luoye City would not be able to escape.
Li Jianyu had originally wanted to believe in Zhao Linxu, to believe that he could win, but Li Jianyu couldn’t.
After taking the Nine Cauldrons Pill, Yi Miaosuan had told him that Feng Juhua and Feng Juheng were indulging in debauchery in the palace every day. How could Zhao Linxu win?
Li Jianyu could only do this.
He would never entrust his life and power to another person. His city and his people, his own life—he would naturally find a way himself.
And now, he had succeeded.
Li Jianyu gently played with the jade pendant in his hand. It was the phoenix pendant the old sorceress had given him. Li Jianyu liked it very much. Perhaps it was really as the old woman had said, that this jade pendant could bring good fortune and a calming effect to the phoenix. As Li Jianyu touched it, his mind calmed down a lot.
Luoye was in turmoil, and the storm had not yet subsided. Therefore, Li Jianyu had let Little Jiu’er go with Meng Qingshu. Now, he was the only one left in the Luoye manor.
Creak—
Li Jianyu was stunned. He stood up and saw the door being pushed open. The person who came in was Yi Miaosuan.
A sense of foreboding rose in Li Jianyu’s heart, but his face remained impassive. “Why has Mister Yi come?”
Yi Miaosuan got straight to the point. “Where is the military tally?”
Li Jianyu raised an eyebrow. “Why does Mister want the military tally?”
“Your Highness, have you no shame for betraying the Prince? There is still a chance to salvage the situation. Give me the military tally.”
Li Jianyu let out a few soft, cold laughs.
Yi Miaosuan wanted his military power and then to kill him, right? That way, Yi Miaosuan could say that the Lord of Luoye City had “accidentally” died in the chaotic battle. Now that he was still here, Lu Ai and Zheng Ke listened to him, and the Luoye army listened to them. But if he died, the Luoye army would have to obey the military tally.
“The Luoye military tally, where is it?” Yi Miaosuan reiterated.
Li Jianyu’s hand gently rested on the dagger at his waist. Why hasn’t Zheng Ke come yet? he thought.
“Your Highness, do not refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit.”
“Mister Yi is truly devoted to the Prince.”
“I work for the Feng Ju family. It has nothing to do with the Prince. As for Your Highness…” Yi Miaosuan shook his head. “Zhao Linxu and Zhao Zhanqi, why did Your Highness have to choose Zhao Linxu?”
“Because I…”
Li Jianyu’s thoughts drifted for a moment.
Why?
“Because…” Li Jianyu composed himself, his lips curling. “I keep my promises.”
Not long ago, someone had said to him, Beauty, your Luoye army, We have one chance to use it.
“Then that is a pity.” Few of the Great Xi’s royal family did not know secret arts. A ball of fire ignited in Yi Miaosuan’s hand, and his eyes were dark. “I will ask Your Highness one last time, where is the military tally?”
Li Jianyu raised an eyebrow at him.
“Goodbye, Your Highness.”
Splash—
XXXXXX
Below the city gate, swords and shadows flashed, and the cries of killing filled the air. The ground and the sky were stained red.
The Luoye army and the Valiant Cavalry Army fought side by side to repel the Feng Ju and North-South armies. The Hundred Flowers Sect’s silk formations and the Joyful Moon Cult’s secret arts were also a great help.
“General!”
Hua Huanxi landed beside Liu Pucheng on her silk ribbon, her face full of worry. “I don’t know if the General has noticed, but we are at a disadvantage now. It’s not good if this continues.”
Hua Huanxi had to command her disciples to set up formations to assist the main army, so she was the clearest about the battle situation.
Before Liu Pucheng could reply, he heard a howl from a distance. But this howl didn’t sound human, more like…
“The Ghost-Faced General has arrived!!!”
Liu Pucheng stepped onto a higher watchtower to look, and his eyeballs almost popped out.
What the hell is that!
In the distance, Zheng Ke was leading the charge on horseback, but in front of him was a herd of… pigs. The herd of pigs charged forward with a “thump, thump, thump,” howling, and even the ground shook.
Zhao Linxu was also dumbfounded.
These pigs were different from the ones that had “welcomed” him when he first came to Luoye. The pigs back then had just been released and were lost, looking for a direction.
But these, with torches tied to their tails, charging forward like mad, were different. If one were hit by these creatures weighing hundreds or thousands of jin, even if they survived, would they be saved if they were trampled on afterwards?
Not to mention the torches tied to their tails would also set people on fire.
Zheng Ke laughed and shouted from his horse, “I! Zheng Ke! Specialize in releasing pigs for the City Lord!! Charge—”
And so, the pigs crashed into the enemy army, and chaos immediately ensued. Not only were the formations broken, but the fire from the pigs’ bodies also spread, and the scene was a tragic one.
Zhao Zhanqi’s face was extremely ugly, and then his expression could no longer be described as just ugly.
Because behind Zheng Ke was a tall man wearing a ghost mask and dark armor. Under the night sky, the man looked terrifying and eerie.
“The Ghost-Faced General of the Great Xi? Then behind him is… the Ghost-Faced Army?” Liu Pucheng’s jaw couldn’t close. One thing after another.
Zhao Zhanqi couldn’t believe it.
Zhao Linxu was actually able to get the Ghost-Faced General?
The Ghost-Faced General!
Zhao Linxu smiled. A white dove flew out from the Ghost-Faced General’s body and landed on Zhao Linxu’s shoulder.
“Not bad, you’ve fulfilled your promise.” Zhao Linxu raised an eyebrow.
The overall situation was decided.
Zhao Zhanqi gritted his teeth and shouted, “Retreat!”
Liu Pucheng was overjoyed. “Don’t let them retreat!”
“Let them retreat!” Zhao Linxu shouted. “Don’t pursue a desperate enemy!”
Zhao Linxu and Zhao Zhanqi had been fighting on horseback. At this moment, although Zhao Linxu had given the order not to pursue, he himself had no intention of letting Zhao Zhanqi leave just like that.
Zhao Zhanqi ducked to avoid Zhao Linxu’s thrust at his shoulder and sneered, “Your Majesty, don’t forget, Li Jianyu is still in my hands. He sacrificed himself to marry me just to help Your Majesty, and he is also the mysterious person from that night that Your Majesty has been searching for. Can Your Majesty bear it?”
Zhao Linxu’s body stiffened.
What?
“I forgot, Your Majesty still doesn’t know.” Zhao Zhanqi shook his head. “How pitiful.”
Li Jianyu had really hidden it deep. If it weren’t for Li Jianyu’s abdominal pain in the North-South Manor that day, Zhao Zhanqi thought, I wouldn’t have connected the dots and started investigating. Zhao Linxu couldn’t find anything about that night, but he, Zhao Zhanqi, was the mastermind behind it, so it was naturally easier for him to investigate.
“What did you say!”
In a duel between masters, a small opening is fatal. Taking advantage of Zhao Linxu’s distraction and the slight slowness in his movements, Zhao Zhanqi kicked him off his horse and then threw his long spear.
By the time Zhao Linxu got up and reacted, Zhao Zhanqi was long gone.
Bastard!
Zhao Linxu was completely stunned.
What Zhao Zhanqi had just said…
He said Li Jianyu was…
Li Jianyu…
“Your Majesty!” Hua Huanxi came forward with concern. “What’s wrong with Your Majesty? Why is your face so pale? Are you injured?”
Perhaps because they had fought the ferocious beast in the cave together before, Hua Huanxi was more casual with Zhao Linxu. After all, Zhao Linxu had never put on any airs in front of her and had humbly asked her for help in this battle.
“Impossible… Li Jianyu doesn’t have a tattoo.”
How could he not have noticed?
“A tattoo?” Hua Huanxi hadn’t been deliberately listening to Zhao Linxu’s muttering, so she had only vaguely caught the keywords “Li Jianyu” and “tattoo.” She asked, “Has Your Majesty also seen the tattoo on City Lord Li’s body?”
Zhao Linxu’s eyes widened, and he stared blankly at Hua Huanxi.
“It’s a phoenix tattoo, right?” Zhao Linxu himself didn’t notice the tremble in his voice.
“Yes. At that time, the City Lord was injured by the ferocious beast, and the pain would make the tattoo appear. The City Lord told me not to tell outsiders. Since Your Majesty has seen it, you should also keep the secret for the City Lord.”
Zhao Linxu was stunned for a moment, then he laughed.
Ridiculous, ridiculous.
So that’s how it was.
All the unexplainable and strange things from before, he finally understood them all now.
He should have guessed it long ago.
“Your Majesty!” Zheng Ke rode up to Zhao Linxu and shouted, “Your Majesty saw it too! Our City Lord did not betray you! The City Lord knew long ago that Feng Juhua and Feng Juheng were in cahoots… Your Majesty?”
Zhao Linxu composed himself and clenched his fists tightly. “Where is Li Jianyu now?”
“Naturally, he’s in the City Lord’s manor. This subordinate was delayed by an accidental encounter with the Ghost-Faced General and didn’t have time to go and get him, so I asked the sisters of the Hundred Flowers Sect for help. The disciples of the Hundred Flowers Sect are highly skilled in martial arts. There will definitely be no problem!”
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
Before long, a woman rode over.
“How are things?” Zheng Ke went forward to meet her, but seeing the woman come alone, his heart sank. He raised his voice and shouted, “Where is the City Lord?!”
“The City Lord…” The woman’s face was pale, and her voice trembled. “When my sisters and I arrived at the City Lord’s manor, the entire residence had already been burned to ashes. Only… only ruins were left…”
Zheng Ke’s mouth hung open, and he stared blankly at the woman.
Impossible…
Impossible…
“It’s… it’s true. Everyone saw it… not a single person, not one.” If this woman weren’t a disciple of the Hundred Flowers Sect, she would have been scared senseless by the tragic scene.
Zheng Ke, a grown man, immediately had red-rimmed eyes.
“Impossible…” Wasn’t the City Lord confident? The City Lord said there would be no problem, that he and Lu Ai should just do as he said… How could his City Lord…
Zhao Linxu gripped the reins tightly, so tight that his palm was bleeding. He looked at Liu Pucheng. “I’ll leave this to you.”
With that, he spurred his horse and galloped away, riding over the still-wet blood on the ground.
