Sicherheit

Kapitel 7

"Your Highness's position as the most handsome man in Daling is probably in danger."

Ye Piao rolled her eyes, her expression flickering, but she didn't comment on such gossipy talk.

Feng Xinglie chuckled inwardly. With years of military service in Qin and a long-standing relationship with Qin Han since their youth, she had no flaws. If she could be so easily recognized as a woman, what would become of the dignity of the Great Qin King Feng?

Ye Piao and Zi Mo were considered leaders of the Dark Pavilion. Before the trip, Feng Xinglie subtly tested their martial arts skills and learned that they had considerable combat experience and were considered experts, not much inferior to Xi Suifeng in terms of skill. He also heard from Zi Mo that although Ling Yuxiang didn't frequently use these Dark Pavilion members in battle, they were always by his side, protecting him day and night. Their ability to act and their obedience were definitely no less than that of soldiers. A charming smile crept onto his handsome face. Very good. Even without the Flaming Riders, if these people were truly as Zi Mo said, they should be capable of handling this operation. Ling Yuxiang's direct subordinates shouldn't be too disappointing.

The members of the Dark Pavilion were skilled at concealment. Although they could not hide from Feng Xinglie, whose eyes and ears were trained to be extraordinary, ordinary people could not find their traces at all. Wherever Feng Xinglie went, the ninety-eight of them had the ability to follow him closely, which made Feng Xinglie secretly praise them in his heart.

Next, Feng Xinglie, along with Zi Mo (who had also changed into men's clothing) and Ye Piao, strolled leisurely to the entrance of Anxianglou, the largest brothel in the capital.

As soon as she entered the gate, she drew gasps from the crowd. Her fiery red attire and her breathtakingly beautiful eyes were enough to make anyone feel ashamed. Even though her eyes were covered, one could still make out from her vague outline that she was an exceptionally handsome man! If it weren't for her relatively short and imposing stature, one would really think that the most handsome man in Da Ling had arrived.

Prince Ling certainly wouldn't come to a place like this openly. So who is this incredibly handsome and elegant young nobleman? No one in the capital has ever heard of a young master from a wealthy family with such refined manners! The surrounding people began to whisper among themselves…

Seeing the pointing and whispering around them, Zi Mo and Ye Piao felt a chill run down their spines. Tomorrow, the streets would likely be awash in red again. Remember how many women bought red clothes for their husbands back then? Wasn't it all because of their prince? And if Prince Ling heard the rumors and found out they'd accompanied the princess to a brothel, given his recent anxious demeanor towards her, they'd probably be in serious trouble.

When Feng Xinglie saw the brothel madam, adorned with rouge and powder and possessing a voluptuous figure, rushing towards him with great enthusiasm, the first thing he did was to greet her with a smile. He opened and closed his folding fan with a "snap!" and lazily narrowed his eyes, exuding a dangerous aura. Several sensible girls immediately retreated, and the exceptionally beautiful Zi Mo and Ye Piao behind him finally escaped another calamity.

The madam also squinted her eyes and smiled innocently: "These three young masters are quite handsome. This must be your first time visiting Anxiang Pavilion. I wonder which girls have caught your eye? Liniang will call them up for you right away."

Feng Xinglie smiled calmly, raised his folding fan slightly, and quietly handed over a silver ingot along with a jade pendant from his sleeve: "Li Niang is a reasonable person. I have some matters to discuss. Please arrange a place for the person in charge here to meet with us."

Li Niang accepted the silver and gifts without batting an eye, her smile as bright as a flower, her eyes revealing an undisguised shrewdness. She said in a sweet voice, "So you want Miss Ju Ji. However, Miss Ju Ji usually doesn't see outsiders. But since you are so talented, I, Li Niang, can make an exception. As for the two behind you... if you are sincere, you must not be stingy."

Understanding the implication, Feng Xinglie smiled again, added two silver ingots and handed them over. Since the matter was to be handled, the people from the Dark Pavilion were indispensable. She had no intention of hiding anything from Ling Yuxiang; what they needed to know, they should know.

Li Niang swayed her waist and pointed upwards with her shrewd eyes: "Gentlemen, please go upstairs."

The three followed her upstairs to a private room in a side hall. In less than a quarter of an hour, Li Niang led a man dressed in a blue robe and wearing a bamboo hat. The man nodded to Li Niang, and Li Niang knowingly swayed her hips as she went downstairs. Although she was the figurehead, she was not the main person in charge. To support the number one brothel in the capital, her influence was far from enough.

Ye Piao and Zi Mo exchanged glances, feeling that everything here was somewhat eerie. Of course, the strangest thing was this princess they couldn't understand at all. Zi Mo frowned. Wasn't she the princess of the Southern Kingdom? Could it be that the Southern Kingdom also had such places? She seemed so familiar with them; did their princess frequent such occasions? Heavens! Please, please don't be true. If that were the case, wouldn't the prince go crazy?

Ye Piao, who already knew some of Feng Xinglie, quietly looked at the man in blue, a few moments of realization flashing across her thoughtful gaze.

After Li Niang had gone far away, the man in the blue robe walked forward with unsteady steps, his deep, steady voice trembling slightly.

"Young master, it must be you who brought this..." He slowly raised his right hand, revealing the jade pendant that Feng Xinglie had given away. The extremely fine threads threaded through the jade pendant only reflected a dazzling light under the sunlight; if one did not look closely, almost no one could see it. The small, crystal-clear green stone floated quietly in the air. Holding it and playing with it, one could discover that the bottom of this small pendant was engraved with an extremely clear character "Lie".

His gaze pierced through the black veil of the bamboo hat, and seemed to penetrate even the veil on Feng Xinglie's face, staring intently without yielding an inch: "May I ask, young master, where did this jade pendant come from?"

Gazing into his terrifyingly tense gaze, Feng Xinglie, hidden beneath the veil, sighed inwardly, then suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly. She, too, could feel nervous; she, too, could be afraid to face reality! Who was she? Feng Xinglie should disdain escaping, much less deceive! Since the incident, her mind had been in turmoil, and she had inexplicably become this fake princess, leaving her no time to visit them. Was she truly afraid to show her face? Could she really still bear the title of princess? Now that war had broken out in Qin, and the borders were in chaos, what was coming would inevitably come!

Even if it's hard to let go, what needs to be let go should be let go...

Without hesitation, she finally smiled peacefully and removed the veil from her face.

The man stared intently, then knelt down, trembling, tears of joy streaming down his face: "My lord! You didn't... it really is..."

The handsome man raised his eyebrows slightly, and with a flick of his finger, his folding fan twirled and flew out, then lifted it just in time. The man in the blue robe's hat fluttered gently and flew to Feng Xinglie's side in the blink of an eye. He tossed the fan and the fan aside together, and then Feng Xinglie laughed loudly at him: "Youying, did you see clearly? Who in this world has the guts to impersonate your master?"

His eyes lit up. The extremely handsome man, though somewhat haggard, had tears welling in his eyes. Feng Xinglie felt a warmth in his heart, followed by a pang of sadness. He walked up to him, grasped his shoulder with one hand, and gently lifted him up with his inner strength. Raising an eyebrow, he feigned anger and said:

"Didn't I say I don't like this habit of kneeling down all the time? Besides, what are you crying for, you're a grown man? I'm standing right in front of you, don't make a fool of yourself! People might think you have a crush on me!"

Hearing that familiar smile and joke, the man in blue finally relaxed his brows, though he was still somewhat agitated. He wiped away a handful of hot tears and forced a smile, saying, "It's all because of those brats who were talking about you... These past few days, all the branches of the Dark Moon Sect have been searching frantically all over the country, but we haven't seen a trace of you. We thought... Now, you've finally decided to come out?" He then looked at Zi Mo and Ye Piao behind Feng Xinglie with a puzzled expression, "Why would the Master..." He knew Ye Piao and Zi Mo's identities, so even though he was extremely agitated, he didn't actually call out Feng Xinglie's name.

Why would the Lord be with the Dark Guards of War God Ling Yuxiang? A master of Youying's level could certainly sense the presence of other people outside, obviously other Dark Guards, but since the Lord hadn't said anything, he couldn't say anything either.

Zi Mo's beautiful eyes were full of surprise, and then she looked at Feng Xinglie, who was smiling slightly, with some suspicion.

"Your Highness, what's going on?"

Youying knew their identities! The Dark Moon Sect was a major intelligence hub in the martial arts world, and they had heard of it. It wasn't surprising that they had found out about the people in the Dark Pavilion. However, the fact that their former princess of the Southern Kingdom, now the Princess Ronghua, had suddenly become the leader of the Dark Moon Sect was a bit hard to believe.

Upon hearing the words "Princess Consort," Youying was stunned. Although Ye Piao understood the situation, she was still completely confused. All three pairs of eyes simultaneously looked towards Feng Xinglie.

Feng Xinglie didn't explain further, a sharp glint already appearing in his eyes: "We don't have time to waste now. Immediately get me a map of the capital, the most detailed map of streets, alleys, and lanes. Close Anxiang Tower immediately; a curfew is in effect tonight. Find out the movements and deployments of the troops in the city. Get me all the data on the commanders and lieutenants. Get all this done within two hours. Then… bring up your collection. Youying, I know you have the most poisons and poison nets here. You're always the most enthusiastic about learning these treacherous and harmful ambush techniques; they've come in handy today. Tonight, I'm afraid we'll have a tough battle…" After obtaining the necessary intelligence and data, the next step…

Youying discerned something amiss: "The recent mobilization of personnel in the Imperial Guards and the Imperial Guards has been quite rapid, and today we've also heard of Prince Ling's expedition. Could it be that the capital is about to undergo a major upheaval? My lord, are you planning to take over the Imperial Guards and the Imperial Guards?"

Feng Xinglie glanced at him, a faint arrogance emanating from his smile.

"Of course not..."

Before Youying could catch his breath, Feng Xinglie's next words sent him reeling.

"And there's the city guard."

A city defense force of 10,000? The total number is over 13,000! And you only have these 100 people?

The room was deathly silent. Feng Xinglie closed his eyes slightly, a conceited and arrogant smile on his lips. He remained silent, confident, and the sound of his right index finger lightly tapping the table seemed unusually abrupt.

Ye Piao and Zi Mo gasped, exchanging bewildered glances, finding it utterly unbelievable, and wondering if Feng Xinglie had gone mad.

At that time, that's really what they believed...

[The Wind Rises in Kyoto: Chapter Fourteen - The Asura Reborn from the Ashes]

In the stillness of the night, with the bright moon hanging high in the sky, even thieves seemed to give the weather a kind of respect, hiding themselves completely. It was curfew, and the desolate, long streets were nothing like the bustling capital of Ling Kingdom during the day.

A troop of spirited and orderly soldiers quietly turned a corner at the end of the long street. The general at the front wore a smug smile, like the smile of a thug who had abducted a stunning beauty. Such a smile, appearing in such a well-organized unit, in such the night and in such an environment, was truly eerie.

Sun Yu had every reason to laugh, a very good reason.

After today, he, the head instructor of the Imperial Guards, will be promoted several ranks and directly become the Grand Marshal of the Great Ling Army! Could there be anything more exciting than this?

As a confidant of the Empress Dowager, he had abandoned his talents for decades, lying low in the shadows as a mere instructor in the Imperial Guard, all so that he could remain in the capital and control the deployment of these five hundred elite soldiers, making them his greatest asset when the Empress Dowager seized power! In short, all for today!

How many years have he endured this! Every time he saw Ling Yuxiang return in triumph, admired by thousands and watched by thousands, Sun Yu would clench his fists in the shadows.

Was his knowledge inferior to Ling Yuxiang's? Was his military leadership weaker? Was his troop training method inferior? Yet, the late emperor seemed to have only one military general in his eyes: Ling Yuxiang! He was a man of vision and ambition, eager to lead troops into battle, but the late emperor didn't even bother to give him a second glance, casually tossing him aside. If it weren't for the Empress Dowager's appreciation, Sun Yu would probably never have been able to hold his head high in his entire life. However, such days are coming to an end today!

The Imperial Guards have already surrounded the entire palace, and the city guards have also quietly entered the city under his arrangement. Before dawn, all the key military offices will be under their control, and all the kings and ministers will be held hostage by the army. Ling Yuxiang has now been transferred far away from the city by the Empress Dowager's plan. With the Qin Dynasty in turmoil, all the eyes of the world are focused there. If we do not act now, when will we?

Without Ling Yuxiang, there would be no resistance in the capital. Once they seized control of the hundreds of thousands of newly recruited soldiers in the recruit camp, would they still be afraid of Ling Yuxiang? Moreover, they also held the woman that Prince Ling valued most in their hands!

"Hmph, what is Ling Yuxiang? Next time we face off, I, Sun Yu, will definitely make this invincible war god taste defeat!" (Little Xiang, you really are the envy of everyone!)

Sun Yu looked at the Dark Fragrance Pavilion so close at hand, his smile brightening as if he saw a bright future ahead.

Several imperial guards skillfully blasted open the gates of the Dark Fragrance Pavilion, and the crowd surged inside.

Whoever finds that woman will achieve a great feat! Last night, the Emperor's request to the Empress Dowager was that Princess Ronghua not be harmed. It's said that Princess Ronghua is protected by Ling Yuxiang's secret guards, so these five hundred Imperial Guards naturally took on this most important task. But what exactly is so good about Princess Ronghua? One Prince Ling is already astonishing enough, but even the Emperor seems to have taken a liking to her.

Compared to the bright moonlight outside, the dimness inside the building was disorienting, causing Sun Yu to frown slightly. Suddenly, a chilling aura enveloped his head, making him shiver. He looked up, his brow furrowing. What he saw horrified him, and he involuntarily took a step back, bumping into his adjutant before realizing his lapse in composure.

A person sat on the bench above, two dark, sharp, and chilling beams of light staring menacingly at the group of people below.

Such a gaze, like that of a demon from hell, suddenly emerged from the darkness, and many people lost their courage instantly! Many imperial guards reflexively gripped their weapons, and cold sweat broke out on their foreheads. They were somewhat doubtful whether the figure that suddenly appeared was human or ghost.

Sun Yu, being a general, quelled the internal strife within the Imperial Guards with a wave of his hand. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, the scenery became much clearer. He boldly looked up carefully, and upon seeing this, he couldn't help but burst into laughter. His white teeth were clearly visible in the dim light: "Who do we have here? It turns out that Princess Ronghua was already waiting for us here. She must have informed us in secret. It seems that the Emperor and Prince Ling have good judgment; they have both seen that the rumored good-for-nothing princess is actually a clever woman."

Upon hearing this, the woman above casually stood up from the bench, still dressed in men's clothing. A slight smile played on her lips, exuding an air of effortless ease and comfort. She seemed completely unconcerned with the five hundred imperial guards before her, as if they were nothing to her. She sighed and said:

"The coach is taking forever to arrive; I'm getting a little impatient."

Sensing something amiss in her words, Sun Yu arrogantly and disdainfully glanced around, then snorted coldly: "Your Highness is mistaken. After tonight, this instructor should be called a marshal!"

"Marshal? Oh..." The pair of clear black and white eyes narrowed slightly in the darkness, flashing with an even sharper edge: "Just now I heard Coach Sun say that Ling Yuxiang is nothing, and that in a head-on confrontation, he should taste defeat. It seems that Coach Sun is very confident?"

Sun Yu was startled. Although he hadn't deliberately lowered his voice, there was still some distance between them and the outside of the gate. How could he have heard clearly unless he had exceptionally sharp hearing? It seemed that she was indeed a master, just as the rumors in the palace said.

"The Princess seems unconvinced?" Sun Yu sneered. "Ling Yuxiang has never fought me. If he had..."

"If we had actually fought, you would have been dead by now, not alive and kicking here spouting nonsense!" Who does he think he is? How dare he compare himself to Ling Yuxiang? Feng Xinglie simply couldn't tolerate Ling Yuxiang being judged like this!

An even colder and more arrogant voice came from above. Seeing the disdain and indifference in her eyes, Sun Yu was furious and extremely annoyed.

"Princess Ronghua, don't think we're afraid of you just because you're skilled in martial arts! Your tricks are just江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the martial arts world) stunts. How can they be child's play against an army? Do you even have the ability to fight? There are five hundred Imperial Guards here. Are they afraid they can't capture a mere woman like you?" Seeing this, Sun Yu became too lazy to continue and grinned fiercely. "So what if you have the Dark Pavilion protecting you? The capital has already changed! At this moment, the Military Affairs Bureau is under our control. Even the ministers with Prince Ling's subordinates are struggling to protect themselves. How can they possibly care about you? Hmph, Ling Yuxiang is in the capital. Perhaps I really fear him, but today there are battle reports that several vicious bandit groups have appeared on the Qin-Ling border, and there's also a fierce army from who-knows-where. How can he dare to spare even a moment's attention? He's probably already beyond Tianwu, willing but powerless. Haha, tomorrow, won't the capital be ours?"

The imperial guards around them all stepped forward, intending to arrest the person, but stopped, looking at the woman who suddenly let out a long, leisurely laugh with suspicion.

"Your Highness, has she gone mad?"

Feng Xinglie's light laughter pierced through the darkness, reaching clear ears: "Are you mistaken? Who said your army holds supreme military power? And who said your men have captured all the important officials in the capital?"

"As expected of the Queen Consort of the God of War, judging from her words, she does seem to have a fighting spirit." Sun Yu snorted and sneered, "Now I'm not afraid to tell you, I have thirteen thousand men already in the city. How many men do you have? Can you turn the tide?"

"Ninety-eight people!" Feng Xinglie answered with great composure.

After a moment of silence, the five hundred imperial guards burst into laughter. Sun Yu laughed so hard that tears almost streamed down his face, and then asked, amused, "..."

"Your Highness is referring to the Dark Pavilion, isn't she? How will Your Highness deal with our five hundred Imperial Guards? How many men will you use?"

Still walking with her hands behind her back, Sun Yu, though smiling, felt that Feng Xinglie's figure was simply too beautiful and dashing at this moment. Her dark hair fluttered lightly, and her smile was radiant.

"Me! Alone!"

The laughter around them suddenly stopped abruptly, their mouths agape as if they had seen a ghost, yet no sound came out! It wasn't that they didn't find it laughable; what she said could clearly be considered the biggest joke in the world! However, as the woman calmly approached them step by step, a strong sense of oppression arose spontaneously!

What is that? Sun Yu asked himself, but his strong right hand involuntarily went to the hilt of the sword at his waist and swung it out!

"Bang!" A series of terrified and chaotic screams and groans erupted from the darkness, splattering a sticky liquid onto his face. Sun Yu, who had been thrown back, scrambled to his feet and stared in horror at the dozens of figures lying on the ground. He could faintly hear the sound of blood flowing from the underworld. The severed limbs in the corner were eerily quiet. Sun Yu unconsciously swallowed hard, convinced that he must have seen a ghost!

The woman stood there, still elegant, beautiful, and relaxed, a long sword, taller than herself, now held upside down in her right hand! Sun Yu was shocked; she had killed more than ten people with a single wave of her hand! Although most of them were unprepared, this method of killing, which even elite soldiers like the Imperial Guards couldn't react to, was simply... terrifying!

However, even so, with five hundred of them attacking at once, there was no way she could survive!

Sun Yu gripped his sword, pointed it at Feng Xinglie, and shouted, "Aren't you going to charge! Are you going to stand there and wait until she kills us all one by one?" At this critical moment, who cared about orders? Whether they could survive was a huge question! Dozens of imperial guards rushed forward, each move a deadly strike!

With a light tap of his feet, Feng Xinglie suddenly glided backward, his previous ruthlessness and decisiveness completely gone.

As if remembering something, Sun Yu roared, "Everyone, get out of there! Evacuate!"

They wanted to leave, and their reaction was indeed quite fast. However, before they could take a single step, fishing nets suddenly appeared from all directions and fell down, blocking the gate completely!

Sun Yu and some others, being more agile, rolled on the spot and leaped to catch up with Feng Xinglie, managing to escape unscathed! Behind them, more people screamed in agony. The vine nets were not only covered in small, sharp blades, but also coated with anesthetic! Many were unable to break free! A black shadow flashed, and Feng Xinglie let out another long laugh. His long sword flew from his hand, dancing a fierce and elegant dance in the dark void. A series of crisp "crack! crack! crack!" sounds rang out as the ties of a large number of crossbow bolts were severed. A swarm of arrows, gleaming coldly, crisscrossed among the fallen imperial guards, forming a giant net. Screams, the sound of bones breaking, and the clanging of crossbow bolts piercing wooden pillars created a chaotic cacophony. Several jars of liquid above churned down, instantly drenching the already battered and bruised imperial guards!

"It's wine...it's wine!" someone cried out, and sure enough, a bright color fell into the hall, followed by a deafening roar! In an instant, the Dark Fragrance Pavilion lit up! Flames, screams, and blood filled the ground, and the entire Dark Fragrance Pavilion was instantly engulfed in flames!

Sun Yu stared at the Imperial Guards, who had lost at least three hundred men, his throat tightening as if choked. His red eyes bulged out of their sockets as he stared intently at Feng Xinglie, unable to utter a single word! If everything here could be called meticulously planned, then surely other places could be meticulously planned as well, especially this woman…

In the firelight, the woman, carrying a long sword, stood gracefully, still as elegant as ever. She gave him a mocking smile:

"Do you know? You suffered seven defeats. In military strategy, a single wrong move can ruin the entire game, let alone seven consecutive losses. First, you sent your 10,000 troops outside the city in three separate waves at varying times, fearing to alert the enemy. This dispersed your forces, making you vulnerable to being defeated one by one. Second, the city is not like the open field; street fighting is more dangerous. What good are more people? It only increases chaos! Third, your commanders couldn't accurately assess your troop strength, leading to disobedience and inevitable defeat. Fourth, to weed out those loyal to Ling Yuxiang, you promoted too many new recruits. Although they are physically strong, they have absolutely no combat experience. In any situation, they will only scatter and flee, unable to coordinate an attack. How can you not be defeated?" Defeat? Fifth, you have absolutely no idea about the terrain of all the alleyways in the capital, where the blind spots are, and where you can set up ambushes and traps. You have never thoroughly investigated. Sixth, you thought that because Ling Yuxiang was transferred, you were reckless, underestimating your opponent and becoming complacent, venturing deep into enemy territory without realizing it. You were bound to fall into the traps and ambushes. Seventh, you always felt that no one but Ling Yuxiang could turn the tide, as if only Ling Yuxiang was a generation of war god, so…” At this point, feeling the intense heat of the flames, Feng Xinglie’s eyes reflected a long-lost heroism and fighting spirit amidst the sea of fire. He gracefully wielded his long sword, tearing up a patch of bloody flesh:

"I'll show you that Ling Yuxiang isn't the only war god or battlefield demon in this world!"

[The Wind Rises in Kyoto: Chapter Fifteen - Should Go Like the Wind]

When Ye Piao and Zi Mo arrived at Anxiang Tower with the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, they saw a sinister sea of fire. The ferocious flames and the burning wood crackled and popped, and there was no one around.

"Your Highness!" Seeing this scene, Zi Mo called out helplessly, but there was no reply.

Ye Piao and Zi Mo exchanged a anxious glance. The events of the night had earned their deepest admiration for Feng Xinglie. Her beautiful eyes, the way she commanded with every gesture and smile, and her strategic brilliance were comparable to that of the prince!

She glanced at the map of Dadu and found forty-eight suitable locations for ambush and surprise attack. She instructed the forty-eight members of the Dark Pavilion, excluding herself and Zi Mo, to set up poison nets in the locations, prepare special crossbows, and lie in wait. The other forty-eight members were responsible for coordinating and luring the enemy. Each location was not far apart, and if needed, these forty-eight people could reinforce each other at any time to ensure that nothing went wrong.