Eternal Night - Chapter 79
He rode up to the carriage and asked softly, "It's getting dark. Where shall we camp?"
Yongye sighed, "There are too many corpses here, and the stench of blood is too strong. Let's move on; I'm too timid."
Cowardly? Lin Hong was both amused and exasperated. She had ordered that none be spared, and those who had been drugged and passed out were to be finished off with an arrow. Was that cowardice? In the blink of an eye, three hundred corpses lay strewn across Tiger's Mouth, blood splattered like a scene from hell. Who was to blame for this? The Marquis was so ruthless to her enemies in her youth. Who among her enemies could possibly be anything but heartbroken and regretful?
He bowed his head and replied, "Yes!"
The team checked their belongings and found nothing missing. The leopard rider and the coachman suffered only minor injuries. Soldiers were separated to catch up with the carriages and leave Tiger's Mouth.
Yi Hong looked at Yong Ye leaning lazily against the cushions and couldn't help but sigh, "Wouldn't this create a deep enmity with General Yi?"
Yongye smiled and said, "It's better than me being beaten so badly that I end up in the Chen King's palace looking like a beggar. Does that mean he won't hate me anymore just because I was beaten? He'll hate me no matter what, whether he hates me a lot or a little."
Yi Hong muttered, "Before the princess left, she kept saying that the young master was weak but kind-hearted..."
“My mother even said that the rumors in the neighborhood that my father kills without blinking an eye are false. The number of heads he cuts off could crush his mount, but my mother still doesn’t believe it!” Yongye chuckled, seeing Yihong’s stunned expression, and decided to tease her again. He reached out and pinched her face, saying, “My Yihong is so beautiful, be careful the princess gets jealous!”
Yi Hong slapped the palm away, blushing as she said, "How can Yi Hong compare to the princess!"
"Who said that? This is called healthy beauty, which others can't appreciate."
As the two were joking around, the procession stopped again, and Lin Hong hurriedly came to report: "My lord, Envoy Chen is waiting for you at Cuiping ahead of time."
Yongye raised an eyebrow and said, "It seems that the death of three hundred people has pained General Yi. Is he afraid that we will wipe out all the mountain strongholds here one by one? Hand over those prisoners to Envoy Chen and let them make their arrangements."
"yes!"
Yongye blinked and asked Lin Hong, "What do you think General Yi's expression will be after we helped Chen State wipe out so many bandits?"
Lin Hong was taken aback, suppressed a chuckle, and said in a deep voice, "General Yi would certainly praise the Marquis for his bravery!"
Yongye nodded in satisfaction.
Yi Zhongtian's Qin
Chen Duzeya, Left General's Mansion.
The winding corridors are washed clean as if by a mirror, and the moss in the courtyard is growing deeper. Water drips from the carved roof tiles like silk threads, and the sound is like a zither striking the surface of the water in the celadon jars below, creating ripples in circles.
A man in grey robes sat on the veranda, his long hair flowing freely as he played a zither. His hands were thin and bony, the very hands that held a sword. Judging by his hands, the man in grey must have a strong will. Yet, the melody he played was tender and lingering, his expression focused, his face full of gentleness, as if he were gently caressing the soft body of a young girl.
Two servants knelt not far behind, captivated by the music, their eyes fixed on the dripping water droplets, a smile playing on their lips.
The zither's melody lingered, never ceasing even when paused. The sound of dripping water from under the eaves seemed to merge with the zither's melody; the zither was gone, but the sound remained.
After a long silence, the man in gray raised his head. His face was gaunt, with a hooked nose and thin lips, exuding an air of authority. His voice, like the breath of a rainy day, carried a slight nasal tone and was utterly cold: "Five survived?"
Upon hearing this, the waiter trembled and prostrated himself on the ground, his voice trembling: "Yes, General."
"How could five of them have survived?" A hint of anger flashed between Yi Zhongtian's brows.
"Reporting to the General, General Lu wished to commit suicide... but could not!" This was an extremely humiliating answer. The servant's nose almost touched the floor, and he dared not lift his head.
"General Lu wanted to commit suicide... but couldn't?" Yi Zhongtian murmured, repeating himself. He slammed his zither down and stood up, shouting sharply, "Where is he?"
"Qingzhou Post Station, a hundred miles away!"
Yi Zhongtian strode out of the corridor with his hands behind his back, his gray robe billowing. The two servants, hearing his footsteps, looked up, quickly lifted the corners of their robes, and followed him with their heads bowed.
The corridor returned to calm. A moment later, a celadon jar under the eaves shattered with a sharp crack, and several red fish were dumped into the bluestone courtyard. Their tails struggled and thrashed, but soon their mouths opened and they lay still. They had been torn apart by Yi Zhongtian's anger.
The rain continued to fall, a merciless mockery, for some would die a horrible death, just like this fish.
Qingzhou Post Station.
Double-eaved roofs and red pillars, along with winding corridors connecting one courtyard after another. Yongye recalled the architecture of Anguo and chuckled: "Commander Lin, how does Chenguo compare to my Anguo? I mean, the architecture of the houses."
Lin Hong smiled dismissively: "My Anguo is grand and magnificent, but this place is so delicate and refined. Even the houses are built so small and cramped, with all the twists and turns."
"Otherwise, if we consider architecture, Chen's is exquisite, with intricate constructions. Doesn't that mean they have a better understanding of refined taste? As for character, An is forthright, while Chen is meticulous. This time, when you go to Chen, Commander Lin, you must be careful to restrain your soldiers so that they are not easily provoked into anger!" Yongye said with a faint smile.
Lin Hong was taken aback. He saw Yongye stretch out his jade-like hands to catch the rain from the eaves, a faint smile on his face revealing innocent joy. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of person this Marquis was. Sometimes shrewd, sometimes ruthless, sometimes sickly, sometimes innocent. He shook his head. He couldn't see clearly, nor could he see clearly.
"Commander Lin!"
He turned around and saw that Yihong had changed into a light green robe and skirt, looking as fresh and clean as the lush moss in the courtyard. He smiled and asked, "What brings you here, Miss Yihong?"
Yi Hong held up a finger to shush him and waved at him.
Lin Hong hurriedly bowed to Yongye: "This humble general takes his leave!" He strode towards Yihong and followed her out of the corridor. Yihong stomped her foot and said: "Why are you taking your leave! Didn't I tell you not to make a sound? My young master likes to be alone at this time. I saw you standing next to her like an idiot, and I was afraid you would make a sound and disturb her again."
"I'm sorry, Miss Yihong!" Lin Hong scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly.
Yi Hong laughed: "Ignorance is no excuse. By the way, the young master said that tonight he would have the captain remove the guards from her courtyard, leaving only two at the gate as a formality."
Lin Hong was puzzled.
"Young Master said that she hired bodyguards because she was afraid that our people would rush in and get hurt tonight. She instructed them not to come in if there was any noise, unless she called for help."
Lin Hong was filled with admiration for Yongye. He still clearly remembered the awkward expression on Envoy Chen's face after the handover of the prisoners that day. Envoy Chen and Lord Xie had been serving him with utmost care all the way, and Lin Hong only seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when they arrived at Qingzhou City, a hundred miles away from the capital.
They will be able to enter Chen Du Zeya in three days. They have already stayed in Qingzhou City for two days. Lord Xie's ease is probably because someone will take over the task. After waiting for two days, who will it be?
He clasped his hands and smiled, "Thank you for the reminder, Miss Yihong. I will make the arrangements right away." Lin Hong took a few steps and then turned back and said softly, "Thank you for the kindness of giving me the cake that day, Miss."
Yi Hong lowered her head and whispered, "The Commandant didn't rest all night and only ate thin porridge for breakfast. I just happened to bring two extra pancakes, it's nothing."
Lin Hong glanced at her, and when he left, his steps became even lighter.