Chapter 269: Chapter 251: The Last Day of the One-Month Period
"Something’s wrong" hadn’t even left their lips when, suddenly, the same sound echoed from above. They immediately sensed something was amiss. Looking up, they saw a shower of cold glints, like a downpour—it was countless arrows!
With a swish, the cold glints fell simultaneously, turning these men into human sieves. Blood and flesh splattered, dyeing the entire mountain path red!
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
These people never expected, as they were watching their prey, they themselves also became prey.
At the mountaintop, from the direction where arrows were shot, a few silhouettes slowly appeared. The tallest and most robust among them, who should have been crushed inside the carriage but now stood unscathed, was none other than Duke Sheng, Yu Wenquan.
He looked down coldly at the massacre below without a trace of emotion and asked, "Are there any remnants?"
Beside him was the Deputy General, Dabo.
He replied, "Yes, there are."
After speaking, he waved his hand, and their men immediately dragged a few people up. They were the ones who had just ordered the execution of the coachman to eliminate future troubles. Seeing the gruesome scene on the mountain road, and then Yu Wenquan standing imposingly with his hands behind his back, they immediately weakened at the knees, begging for mercy, "Spare us, Duke! Spare us, Duke!"
Yu Wenquan glanced at them from the corner of his eye.
He then said, "Who sent you?"
The few exchanged glances but hesitated to speak.
Yu Wenquan sneered, "Actually, even if you don’t tell me, I know. Asking you is merely giving you a chance to live."
"..."
"Since you do not treasure it, then—"
As he spoke, a guard next to him was about to draw his sword to kill.
Terror-stricken, those few immediately kowtowed for mercy, with one hastily saying, "Spare us, Duke! We — we are from the Right Guard General..."
The others nodded repeatedly.
Dabo immediately furrowed his brow, looking gravely concerned. He wanted to question further, but before he could speak, there was a sudden clang. Yu Wenquan pulled out the sword from his hand with a swift motion!
The man’s head flew up instantly, splattering blood all over the ground.
The remaining captured bandits were dumbfounded. But before they could react, Yu Wenquan turned his back and said in a deep voice, "Behead them."
The guards obeyed, drawing their swords out of their sheaths. With swift strokes, before those men could even scream, they were decapitated. Instantly, corpses lay strewn across the small foothold at the mountaintop.
Dabo stood aside, rendered speechless by the scene.
It wasn’t because the scene was too gruesome. As a military man, he had seen far bloodier situations on the battlefield. But what worried him was something else.
After much thought, he finally turned to Yu Wenquan and said, "Why did the Duke kill them? Their words clearly still hide something."
Yu Wenquan replied, "I want to be hidden by them."
"...!"
Dabo opened his eyes wide in shock, then quickly understood.
He was filled with admiration for Yu Wenquan’s foresight, and hastily bowed, "The Duke’s thoughts run deep, far beyond our reach."
Yu Wenquan was not swayed by his words, maintaining a calm and indifferent expression. He ordered, "Wrap a few heads and send them back to the Right Guard General’s mansion."
A few soldiers obeyed, picking up the heads and departing.
Dabo also asked, "Duke, what shall we do next—"
Yu Wenquan said, "Have them clean up below; do not disturb the passing civilians. Let’s continue on our journey."
"Yes."
Soon, after disposing of the remains, the group sped northward, vanishing from sight.
Meanwhile, the boxes containing the bloody heads were swiftly sent back to the Eastern Capital City, placed at the gates of the Prince Mansion under the cover of night, naturally causing no small commotion.
Thus, at dawn, the Warm Dock in the Ziwei Palace was already brightly lit.
The air was filled with an intoxicating and indescribable fragrance, the entire hall warm and cozy, with the subterranean hot springs murmuring, creating an illusion of being amidst the bloom of spring.
But Wang Shaoji, kneeling outside the screen, felt a slight chill down his back.
After a long while, a lazy voice came from within the inner hall, as Chu Yang leisurely stretched and said, "So, those sent out were completely wiped out?"
Wang Shaoji bowed his head and said, "I am incompetent, Your Majesty."
"Not a single one left alive?"
"Yes. Although Your Majesty ordered those people just to probe Duke Sheng’s situation, Duke Sheng ruthlessly ordered their death. No one returned alive."
"Does Duke Sheng know these were imperial guards?"
"He, better not know."
"Oh? Why do you say that, my beloved minister?"
Wang Shaoji raised his head, a sinister light gleaming in his upturned eyes, "Although the imperial guards obey me, they are under Your Majesty’s command. If Duke Sheng knew their identity and showed no mercy, it would mean he neither respects nor fears Your Majesty in the slightest!"
The inner hall fell silent for a moment.
After a while, Chu Yang’s voice rang out again: "Where were those heads sent to?"
"Outside the gate of my humble abode."
"So what do you think, does he know or not?"
"Your humble servant dares not speculate."
Although he said, "dares not speculate," Wang Shaoji’s eyes flickered, and he continued: "But, in my humble opinion, Your Majesty has been exceptionally lenient with the Yu Wen family this time, showing extraordinary kindness. If they do not cherish this, then Your Majesty need not show any mercy to them."
Chu Yang said in a deep voice: "You mean—"
A trace of ferocity flashed in Wang Shaoji’s eyes, and he said: "Holding power and disrespecting the sovereign, they should be executed with their entire clan!"
"The entire clan...?"
Those words stirred Chu Yang’s heart, and at that moment, he raised his head, unable to resist looking at the expansive carpet in the inner hall marked with the position of the Western Regions.
There, a figure seemed to stand gracefully.
Beautiful and delicate, she emitted a reassuring tranquility.
Thinking of this, a hint of tenderness seemed to appear in Chu Yang’s eyes, and he said faintly, "Alright, I understand. You may leave now."
Wang Shaoji was taken aback: "Your Majesty?"
Chu Yang said: "I have other matters to consider, you may leave first. Since Duke Sheng sent the heads back to your mansion, at least it proves he does not believe nor dare to believe that I sent someone to test him. As long as he remains loyal and awed by me, then the Yu Wen family still has a chance to survive."
Wang Shaoji’s brows furrowed into a knot, feeling unwilling.
After all, this time he took a risky move, even risking deceit against the sovereign by letting his men attack Duke Sheng, but ultimately, he only received the Emperor’s words, "The Yu Wen family still has a chance to survive," which left him in disbelief.
However, Chu Yang seemed unwilling to say more, as the translucent screen showed him lazily reclining.
Wang Shaoji gritted his teeth and finally could only bow and say: "Your humble servant takes his leave."
After speaking, he departed with resentment.
After he left, Chu Yang lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling of the main hall. His gaze flickered, alternating between a gentle warmth and the coldness of frozen ice. The tangled and complex emotions were ultimately replaced by a fervent sentiment.
Suddenly, he turned over and sat up, once again looking at the map under his feet.
In the northeast, that ever-present thorn in his heart—the Gouli Country!
He shouted loudly: "Come!"
|
It seemed like overnight, the thick clouds covering the sky above Eastern Capital City disappeared without a trace, allowing rare sunshine, with several consecutive days of good weather.
That morning, Shang Ruyi rose early.
However, Yu Wenye woke up even earlier than her, and despite having a rest, he was far from idle. Besides reading military books and studying maps at home during the day, he also practiced swordsmanship every morning. Shang Ruyi, while washing up, could hear the sound of the long sword swishing in the courtyard.
And when she sat at the dressing table to comb her hair, Yu Wenye, wiping sweat, entered from outside.
Upon entering, he turned and glanced at her.
Shang Ruyi also glanced at him through the copper mirror, initially wanting to return his smile, but for some reason, her face flushed, and she instinctively lowered her head.
Today was the last day of his bathing rest.
It was also the final day of the month’s duration.
The fact that he practiced swordsmanship like this clearly indicated that the injury was no longer a concern...
Looking at Shang Ruyi’s slightly flushed cheeks, a light seemed to flash through Yu Wenye’s eyes, but he said no more and went to wash his hands. However, when he saw that Tushere had only placed a simple pearl hairpin in her hairstyle, he couldn’t help but say: "Where are the ornaments mother gave you?"
"They’re put away."
"Put away for what? Take them out and wear them."
"But at home, is it necessary to be so formal?"
Yu Wenye said: "Today, you’re going out with me."
Shang Ruyi looked back at him: "Where to?"
Yu Wenye squinted slightly, suddenly seemed displeased, and turned away. Instead, Tushere happily took out the box of jewelry given by Guan Yunmu, cheerfully saying: "The young master is right, with such nice weather, it’s perfect to go for a walk. Miss, you’re the same, not wearing these ornaments is a waste."
With that, she adorned each piece on her.
Soon, her head was adorned with shining jewels, strikingly luxurious.
Shang Ruyi rarely dressed so formally, and felt a bit uncomfortable looking at her radiant reflection in the mirror. Then, having glanced only once, Wo Xue walked in from outside and said: "Young Madam, Second Young Master has already prepared the carriage, urging you to head out swiftly."
"What?"
Shang Ruyi was somewhat startled, not knowing why he was acting so quickly, but she could only hurriedly dress and don, and stepping out the door, she indeed saw the carriage waiting at the entrance. As Mu Xian assisted her into the carriage, Yu Wenye was sitting inside with his eyes closed.
Calm and collected, like a statue of Buddha.
Shang Ruyi thought for a moment and leaned next to him, whispering: "Where are we going?"