"Fire arrows!"
In a flash of lightning, a command was heard, and several arrows immediately shot through the air.
Li Chengyan, who was at the forefront, naturally became the primary target. Arrows swarmed towards him, with the first to aim at Ning Shunhe. He was immobilized, watching the cold glint rapidly approach, his eyes wide with terror, almost to the point of fainting.
Seeing this, Li Chengyan's eyes darkened.
The other side, knowing he held a hostage, still acted so decisively and lethally, which was somewhat beyond his expectation.
"Ning the Second, it seems your life isn't worth much."
With a sneer, he swung his sword, parrying the arrows one by one. Ning Shunhe, his face already pale, had closed his eyes, no longer paying attention to Li Chengyan's mockery.
After this volley, the soldiers, using their shields to defend, advanced in an orderly fashion, not suffering many casualties.
As he was about to reach them, the person intended to give another order to fire arrows, but was sternly stopped by Ning Shunyi.
"Stop firing!"
It was in this brief window that Li Chengyan broke through the defense, carrying Ning Shunhe and rapidly retreating.
The iron shields that had been blocking the front line at that moment turned their direction, quickly forming a tight rectangular formation of iron.
The soldiers were protected within the formation, their spears poking through the gaps in the iron shields. This wall of bronze and iron, armed with sharp blades, was not only impenetrable but also highly offensive.
The enemy could not counter it and could only let them pass.
Ning Shunyi's face darkened with surging emotions upon seeing this.
This was the formidable nature of Ye Tinglan. Even though he wasn't present today, and these soldiers were not his personal guards, he could still command them with ease. Moreover, through flexible and exquisite formations, he could maximize their potential.
In this regard, they were indeed inferior to him.
The commander, clearly unwilling to let them escape so easily, snatched a bow and arrows from a nearby soldier and intended to shoot again, but was coldly stopped by Ning Shunyi.
"I told you not to fire. Why did General Feng insist on giving the order just now? Did you wish to disregard Shunhe's life?"
The man's expression flickered for a moment, and he was forced to put down the bow and arrows.
"General Ning misunderstands. We were ordered by the Second Prince to assist you, so naturally, we had no such intention."
Ning Shunyi cast him a cold glance. "I am well aware of the Second Prince's intentions. However, there is only one commander in the army. Since you are here, you must obey orders. I do not wish for today's incident to happen again."
He had not failed to hear the news that Ye Tingyan had already entered the palace.
Earlier, he had been somewhat grateful to Ye Tingyan for delivering his father's dying wish. But observing the situation over the past two days, things had become increasingly unsettling.
While the Ning family fought on the front lines, Ye Tingyan was the one reaping the benefits. This looked suspiciously like doing work for others.
Now, he proposed sending private troops to help in the encirclement, while ostensibly claiming to be suppressing rebels. Although Ning Shunyi agreed, he felt a sense of dissatisfaction.
The other man perceived this and paused slightly, cupping his fists.
"Naturally."
...
Meanwhile, at the Dingnan King's military camp.
As the war drums began to beat for Li Chengyan's side, a carriage arrived from the capital, driving straight in and stopping before the Dingnan King's tent.
A graceful figure emerged from the carriage and entered the tent accompanied by guards.
Inside the tent, the Dingnan King was pacing nervously. Upon seeing Yun Shu, he quickly stepped forward.
"Shu'er? Is it really you!"
Initially, he had been somewhat disbelieving when Ye Tingyan sent word, but he hadn't expected Yun Shu to actually be in his hands.
"Father."
This long-lost address caused the Dingnan King to nod twice, his hands trembling as he clasped hers.
"My child, did they mistreat you these past two days? If they did, you can tell your father the truth, and I will seek justice for you!"
Who did Ye Tingyan think he was, daring to bully his daughter!
To his surprise, Yun Shu shook her head. "Father, the Second Prince did not mistreat me. I went there of my own volition."
"What?"
The Dingnan King was stunned. "You said you went to Ye Tingyan willingly?"
He had thought that Ye Tinglan had been careless and lost her. But she claimed to have gone willingly. What was going on?
After a pause, he glared at the guards behind her, his anger evident. "Did they threaten you into saying that? I'll have them dragged out and beheaded right now!"
Seeing him wave his hand to issue the order, Yun Shu's face paled with anxiety, and she quickly spoke to stop him.
"Father, it is truly my own will. The Second Prince treated me very courteously and did not mistreat or threaten me."
The Dingnan King still did not believe her.
Seeing his furrowed brow and constipated expression, Yun Shu turned to the two guards and said, "You two, go out first. I have something to say to Father."
"Yes."
The two men exited the tent with stiff voices. While the Dingnan King was still hesitant, Yun Shu had already guided him to a seat.
Yun Shu's expression changed slightly. When she spoke again, her tone was no longer as cheerful as before.
"Father, I like Prince Mo, and I was willing to be his concubine. But the capital fell into chaos, and Prince Mo only sent his son and maid away, disregarding my life. I was disheartened, so I went to seek out the Second Prince."
The Dingnan King's face immediately contorted in rage. "Such a thing happened?!"
He had been gathering troops to support Ye Tinglan, only to discover that Ye Tinglan could be so heartless towards his daughter!
This alone was not enough to make him completely turn against Ye Tinglan. Yun Shu pursed her lips, the despair in her eyes deepening.
"Father, my condition has worsened in the palace these past two days. The Second Prince invited imperial physicians to examine me, but the physicians said..."
"Said what?"
"The physicians said my body is not afflicted with a serious illness, but rather, I have been poisoned."
"Poisoned?!"
The Dingnan King's mind buzzed. Before he could recover, he heard her continue.
"The physicians said the poison in my body has been there for a long time. If we calculate, it was likely planted three years ago."
Three years ago, which was precisely when she had entered the capital and moved into Prince Mo's mansion.
The Dingnan King quickly understood and flew into a rage.
"Ye Tinglan, you beast! I will kill him!"
"Father."
Yun Shu swayed as if she were fragile. The Dingnan King immediately went to support her, his face full of concern.
"My child, you have suffered! It is all my fault. I thought I had found a good match for you, only to find such a heartless and treacherous villain!"
Yun Shu shook her head, her brow furrowed with worry.
"Father, I do not resent him. It is just that the battle for succession is fierce, and I truly do not wish for you to be entangled in it."
"The current situation is chaotic, and it is difficult enough to stay safe. I only hope my health can recover soon so that I can help you."
She coughed a few times, and the Dingnan King, seeing this, could no longer focus on her words, only feeling heartbroken.
"Don't say any more. I only have you as my daughter. Of course, I will not let you suffer in vain. For now, you just need to take care of your health. I will handle the rest."
He vowed he would not let Ye Tinglan off for harming his daughter to this extent!