Those passing by and the subordinates behind them all knew that the Empress was General Ji's sister, so no one laughed at them. Everyone's faces were solemn, cold, and sad.
Ji Shaocheng went into the tent to change his clothes, and before he could even sit down to rest, he saw Shi Mei rush in and called out anxiously.
"General Ji, General Ji, something terrible has happened! The Emperor has gone mad! No one can stop him! He still wants to enter Red Snow Lake!"
"What?"
Ji Shaocheng was startled and quickly walked outside. He was sad, but entering Red Snow Lake again would be dangerous. What if Ling'er was alright, but Ye Lingfeng was in danger? Ji Shaocheng and Shi Mei walked towards the Emperor's tent. They saw that the tent was surrounded by a dark mass of kneeling people, all of whom stood outside the tent with fearless expressions, and they all spoke in unison.
"If Your Majesty wishes to leave, then step over the corpses of your subordinates."
"Get out, get out."
Ye Lingfeng's furious roar, bordering on madness, rang out, followed by the knocking away of several figures. These were the soldiers who had been trying to stop him from leaving. Although he had injured several people with his first move, the others did not step aside and continued to push forward. It was not advisable for the Emperor to enter Red Snow Lake at this moment; if he were to go in, something bad would surely happen.
So as long as everyone has a breath left, they won't let him go.
As soon as Ji Shaocheng arrived, the soldiers made way for him. Before he could even step out, another man was knocked away. Ji Shaocheng quickly grabbed the man to prevent him from being thrown out. At that moment, the voices of ministers such as Wenbin came from inside the tent: "Your Majesty, please reconsider! Her Majesty the Empress is blessed with good fortune and will be alright. What will happen to Her Majesty if something happens to you?"
Upon hearing the voice, Ji Shaocheng's face darkened, his heart aching with inexplicable pain. However, thinking of the Emperor, he composed himself and entered the tent. Inside, the tent was a scene of utter chaos, everything smashed. Ye Lingfeng was nearly driven mad, his jet-black hair cascading over his shoulders, yet interspersed with strands of white hair, a striking contrast that shocked everyone. The Emperor's hair had turned white in an instant; how painful must that be? His features were bloodless, his eyes bloodshot, he was panting heavily, writhing in rage like a wounded wolf. His remaining rationality told him he couldn't harm these people; they were all his subjects. But the thought of Ling'er being dragged into the lake and disappearing before his very eyes drove him insane. He was a madman, devoid of any reason, and he wanted to kill everyone in the world to pay for Ling'er's death.
Ye Lingfeng went completely mad and actually laughed, his laughter both demonic and alluring. Inside the tent, everyone felt their hearts burning with dread.
As soon as Ji Shaocheng entered, he calmly greeted the emperor: "Your Majesty."
As soon as he spoke, Ye Lingfeng surprisingly became a little more sober. Seeing him reminded him of Ling'er. Ye Lingfeng suddenly stopped laughing wildly and looked at Ji Shaocheng: "Shaocheng, let's go to Red Snow Lake to save Ling'er. She must still be somewhere. I heard her calling me, asking me to save her. Let's go together. These people are all villains. They want to kill Ling'er. Only you and I won't. Let's go together."
His once deep and wise eyes, now as black as lacquer, held a hint of misery, despair, and madness. His delicate face was deathly pale, like a fine piece of porcelain, breathtakingly beautiful, as if it would shatter at the slightest touch.
Seeing the Emperor like this, Ji Shaocheng's heart ached even more. He was already heartbroken when his sister went missing, but seeing the Emperor like this now, his heart ached beyond repair.
But he had to pull himself together and persuade the Emperor. Thinking of this, he suddenly spoke coldly and hard: "Your Majesty, calm down. We have searched all over Red Snow Lake but have not found Ling'er. She should not be in any danger in such a short time. Since we cannot find her, she may have been taken away by Feng Zixiao. If you go into Red Snow Lake now and something happens to you, how do you expect us to explain to Ling'er?"
As soon as Ji Shaocheng finished speaking, all the people kneeling in the tent cried out, "Your Majesty, please reconsider! Her Majesty the Empress is blessed with good fortune and will be alright."
Ye Lingfeng's body trembled slightly. He stretched out his long, slender hand, tightly hugged his head, and slumped down onto the soft couch behind him. He remained still, a faint light flickering in his dark eyes. After a long while, he finally moved and spoke in a bloodthirsty and murderous tone.
"If anything happens to her, I will make everyone in the Great Zhou Dynasty pay with their lives."
Upon hearing his words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The Emperor's words meant that he would no longer insist on entering Red Snow Lake, which put their minds at ease. Once the Emperor calmed down, they would then devise a long-term plan on how to deal with the ambush troops of the Great Zhou Dynasty hidden in the lake.
"You may all leave. I am tired and wish to rest for a while."
Ye Lingfeng's cold, lifeless voice rang out, chilling everyone to the bone. Daring not to provoke him further, they slowly rose and retreated.
Ji Shaocheng looked up at him and saw that the person leaning against the wall, although he had a handsome appearance, had no human presence at all. He was like an empty shell, a soulless body, cold and stiff, with no warmth in his eyes. Seeing the emperor like this, Ji Shaocheng did not know how to help him, but after thinking about it, he could not come up with a solution and could only slowly retreat.
"Your Majesty, please take care."
Inside the tent, Ye Lingfeng remained motionless. After everyone had left, he raised his hand again and swept wildly until he was completely exhausted. Then he collapsed onto the soft couch with a thud, motionless, his black hair now frosty and covering his entire body.
In the evening, Ye Lingfeng regained his composure and ordered Shizhu to summon Ji Shaocheng into the tent. He then spoke in a deep voice.
"Ji Shaocheng, I need you to do something."
"Your Majesty, please give your orders," Ji Shaocheng said sorrowfully. Although the emperor had calmed down, he was so lifeless, so gloomy, so devoid of breath, as if he was only so quiet because he wanted to avenge Ling'er.
"I will write you a letter. You shall immediately set off for Shaoyi Kingdom and transfer 20,000 naval troops here."
---Aside---
My dears, this story is nearing its end. Please finish writing the ending in the next two or three days. Thank you all for your support along the way. *kissing emojis*
Chapter 135 of Butterfly Loves Flowers: A Happy Family (Perfect Ending 1)
Ji Shaocheng accepted the order and took a letter to Shaoyi Kingdom to request Emperor Wu Muye to borrow some naval forces. The navy of Beilu was ultimately lacking; if they could obtain the navy from Shaoyi Kingdom, conquering Lincheng would be a piece of cake. (Note: The last sentence appears to be an unrelated, possibly erroneous, addition.)
Here, Ye Lingfeng gave another order: to immediately begin mass production of gunpowder and scarecrows. The entire shore of Red Snow Lake was a hive of activity, with everyone working in an orderly fashion, yet no one dared to utter a sound. The Emperor rarely came out of his tent, spending most of his time drinking. Every evening, he would go to the shore of Red Snow Lake to play the flute. The mournful and somber sound of the flute caused all the soldiers and officers on the shore of Red Snow Lake to weep with inexplicable heartache.
One night, Helian Qianxun finally couldn't help but appear. He had been staying with Feng Qian these past few days. Feng Qian's heartache was no less than Ye Lingfeng's. The thought of Ling'er being dragged to the bottom of the lake and not knowing what had happened to her caused her extreme pain. She hated herself even more. Everything that happened back then was because of her. If something really happened to Ling'er, she would never forgive herself.
Helian Qianxun stayed with her the whole time, trying to comfort her, saying that Ji Hailing was a lucky person and would be alright. As the mother of a nation, she wouldn't die so easily.
Feng Qian felt a little better. After Feng Qian fell asleep, he came out of the tent and went to the shore of Red Snow Lake.
A night breeze blew, and on the shore stood a tall and straight figure, as unyielding as a pine or bamboo. His back was so resilient that it seemed he would not flinch even if struck by frost. Yet, among his thick black hair were strands of white, revealing at a glance the depth of his pain. It was because of his pain that the flute music he played was filled with sorrow and lament.
Helian Qianxun slowly walked over and stopped behind him. Only after he finished playing the tune did she slowly speak.
"Ye Lingfeng, although you are heartbroken and in pain, do you want to be defeated before the battle even begins? You play such heart-wrenching tunes every night. You say that the morale of those soldiers will turn to ashes in the sound of your music. Even if we conquer the Great Zhou Dynasty, I'm afraid we won't have any high spirits. At that time, not only you, but all these people will be going to their deaths in vain."
Helian Qianxun was just stating the facts. He knew he was heartbroken, and if he were in his shoes today, his heartache and despair would not be any less than his.
He was still worried sick when Feng Qian ran away from Yunjiang without a word, let alone watching his woman being dragged to the bottom of the lake and disappearing.
But now is not the time for them to wallow in self-pity. Besides, Ji Hailing might not be alright; it's not confirmed that something happened to her yet. If Ye Lingfeng were to have an accident, then it would be Ji Hailing's turn to be heartbroken. (This is from the latest chapter of the novel "All-Round Genius".)
"Ji Hailing is the Empress, and she is no ordinary woman. Don't you believe in her abilities? She has always been with you, resolving countless crises and helping you a great deal. I think she will be fine this time as well."
Helian Qianxun's words finally elicited a response from the person standing motionless on the shore, who slowly turned to look at Helian Qianxun.
Even though Helian Qianxun was prepared, she was still shocked. In just a few days, this person had lost a lot of weight. Not only that, but his once beautiful face was now completely bloodless. His long eyebrows were deeply furrowed, and his sharp, dark eyes were devoid of any soul. They were as cold and clear as a block of ice that had been frozen for thousands of years, without a trace of warmth, making people's teeth chatter.
Even someone like Helian Qianxun couldn't help but feel uneasy under such a gaze, let alone others, who would probably be scared half to death.
Ye Lingfeng stared at Helian Qianxun for a while, then, right in front of Helian Qianxun, he threw the flute in his hand into Red Snow Lake, turned around and left without saying a word. Helian Qianxun couldn't help but shout loudly behind him.
"Ye Lingfeng, don't get yourself killed before you even start fighting. If Ji Hailing is really in Feng Zixiao's hands, don't you want to save her?"
The figure in front paused for a moment, but still didn't say anything, and strode away into the distance. Helian Qianxun sighed. Outsiders couldn't say anything about this; it was up to him to decide.