"Soldiers?" Shen Ducai's brow furrowed, and he suddenly looked towards the door.
A subordinate rushed in, his face pale with sweat, his steps unsteady. "Lord... Lord Shen, i-it's bad! A large group of soldiers are outside the gate, charging in, killing anyone they see. Our men can barely hold them off!"
Shen Ducai: "???"
Where did these soldiers come from?
Could they be the same soldiers he encountered on the road when he arrived at Da Shui Village?
What was their connection to the Yun family?
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinfeng finally breathed a sigh of relief...
He thought the reinforcements sent by his father had arrived. In reality, the soldiers outside were brought by Gu Zhenshan.
"Come with me to see!" Shen Ducai glanced at Xiao Jinfeng, then flicked his sleeve and strode out.
The other subordinates, no longer paying attention to Xiao Jinfeng, rushed out as well...
"Huaihua, are you alright? Huaihua, wake up, Huaihua..." Xiao Jinfeng knelt on the ground, softly calling out to Jin Huaihua, his voice choked with sobs. "If you don't make it, I won't live either!"
He wanted to hold Jin Huaihua in his arms, but as soon as he touched her, she let out a painful moan.
Shen Ducai had beaten her too severely, almost taking her life.
"Xiao... Young Master Xiao!" Jin Huaihua murmured with her eyes closed, "I... I'm fine. You should run quickly, don't worry about me, cough cough!"
"Huaihua!" Xiao Jinfeng looked at Jin Huaihua, covered in blood and covered in wounds, and almost burst into tears. "Don't be afraid, the soldiers are here to save us. Once we catch that scoundrel Shen Ducai, I'll avenge you and beat him soundly..."
He hated his own powerlessness, unable to protect the woman he loved.
Jin Huaihua managed a weak smile upon hearing this, then completely lost consciousness.
"Erlong..." Seeing this, Xiao Jinfeng was about to order Erlongzi to fetch a doctor, but suddenly remembered that Erlongzi had also been knocked unconscious.
Helplessly, he picked up Jin Huaihua, without even a cotton-padded jacket, and ran out like a madman.
There was still a carriage in the stable of the west wing. Xiao Jinfeng gently placed Jin Huaihua inside, then jumped onto the driver's seat, flicked the whip, "Giddy up, giddy up..."
The fine horse neighed and charged out of the courtyard. Due to its speed, it almost collided with Gu Zhenshan and Shen Ducai, who were fighting.
Erlongzi, lying unconscious on the floor: "..."
Your Highness, couldn't you have taken me along to the carriage too?
I think I still have a chance.
Outside the Yun family's gate, Gu Zhenshan, like a frenzied tiger, grabbed Shen Ducai by the collar and threw two punches...
"Bang bang!"
"Ah ah!"
"You dog, what did you do to my sister? Speak!" Gu Zhenshan roared.
Shen Ducai was beaten black and blue. Even though he had superior martial arts skills, in front of the battle-hardened Gu Zhenshan, he was like a little chick, with no power to fight back...
"General Gu, you've misunderstood me. I didn't kill your sister at all!" Shen Ducai said, covering his nose.
This was truly bizarre. Why did he encounter such a lunatic like Gu Zhenshan in the middle of the night?
He had been entangled with him for so long that he couldn't even get away to stop Prince Ming's carriage as it fled the Yun family...
It was completely over now. Not only had he failed to kill the Crown Prince, but Prince Ming had also escaped. How would he explain this to the Consort upon his return to the palace?
"If you didn't kill my sister, then where is she?" Gu Zhenshan's eyes blazed, his fists clenched tightly. "If you don't hand her over, I'll flay you alive right now!"
Shen Ducai: "..."
Is this guy mentally ill?
There was no one in or outside this house. When he arrived, only Prince Ming and that young lady were eating in the main hall. Other than that, there wasn't even a ghost in sight. Where was his sister...
"General Gu, I truly don't know!" Shen Ducai was on the verge of tears.
Hearing this, Gu Zhenshan narrowed his eyes. "Very well, you won't say? Then fine, today I'll make you wish you were dead..."
With that, Gu Zhenshan ordered his subordinates, "Men, hold this scoundrel down and give him fifty military strokes first!"
"Yes!"
Shen Ducai: "..."
When Shen Ducai's other subordinates saw this, they were about to intervene, but Gu Zhenshan slapped them down with two swift blows.
There were many ruffians in the army. Without some skills and courage, he wouldn't have become a great general. Therefore, Gu Zhenshan was never soft-hearted when dealing with such people...
A moment later, piercing screams like those of a slaughtered pig echoed from the Yun family's courtyard.
"Slap slap slap!"
"Ah! My heavens, stop, stop hitting! General Gu, when I arrived, there was no one in this house. You can ask the neighbors if you don't believe me..." Shen Ducai pleaded loudly.
Oh, if they kept hitting, his backside would be blooming.
Gu Zhenshan didn't listen. He walked into the house and looked around.
Seeing three people lying on the ground, he felt for their breaths. "So they've fainted. Old Cao, go get a basin of cold water..."
"Yes, alright!" Steward Cao responded, then trotted into the kitchen, scooped up a basin of water from the water vat, and brought it over.
With a splash, Gu Zhenshan poured the entire basin of water onto Erlongzi's head. The latter shot up from the ground as if shocked.
"Hmph, who, who is so mean? Pouring cold water on someone in the middle of winter, are they lacking in virtue..." Erlongzi hugged his shoulders, shivering from the cold.
Gu Zhenshan frowned, staring at Erlongzi. "Who are you?"
Judging by his attire and appearance, he didn't seem to be Shen Ducai's subordinate.
Erlongzi let out a "Yip!" and leaned closer to Gu Zhenshan, exclaiming, "You you you... You are General Gu Zhenshan of Jingbei?"
Good heavens, wasn't the great general fighting the barbarians in the northern frontier? Why did he suddenly appear at the Yun family's house?
He knew it, this Yun family was full of hidden talents, truly attracting all sorts of deities to his home...
Gu Zhenshan curved his eyebrows and asked sternly, "I'm asking you, who are you? And where have the Yun family's old and young gone?"
Upon hearing this, Erlongzi's heart was filled with excitement.
Since General Gu himself had come to the Yun family, that scoundrel Shen Ducai was definitely finished...
He organized his thoughts and then recounted the events in broad strokes. Finally, he said gratefully, "General Gu, you are truly timely rain! His Highness Prince Ming will surely thank you in the future!"
Gu Zhenshan heard this and slowly stroked his chin, musing, "Prince Ming? The Crown Prince? Consort Xian?"