Sueño de Jiangshan

Capítulo 105

“Mother, we’re not here to stop you. We’ll fight our way out with you,” Leng Yangtian replied firmly.

Duanmu Xingyue nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, Mother, we'll go to the palace with you to rescue Father."

So they weren't here to stop her after all! Madam Leng was greatly relieved. Her face, which had been gloomy for half a month, forced a smile that was more like a grimace. She choked out, "..."

"I am already very happy that you two have such filial piety. I know that this trip will surely mean certain death, and I want to die with your father. But you cannot go. You must leave an heir for the Leng family. After I take Yi'er out through the main gate, you go out through the back gate. Then find a place to hide. After tomorrow's events are over and the city gates open, immediately go to Beifeng to find your sister Xiaojie. Tell her that whether she is Rui'er or not, she is still your father's and my good daughter."

“Mother, we can’t let you go on this adventure alone. Even if we’re going to die, our whole family will die together,” Leng Yangtian insisted.

“Yes, Mother, don’t be so pessimistic. Let’s go together, and we’ll see who comes out on top!” Duanmu Xingyue said confidently.

“Silly children, neither of you knows martial arts. Going with you would be suicide. How could I bear to let you go?” Madam Leng shook her head sadly and sighed, “If Xiao Jie were here, perhaps she could help. But now I don’t know how she is in Beifeng? Have she rescued her senior brother?”

"Mother, have you forgotten that I am the daughter of a martial arts family? How could I not know martial arts?" Duanmu Xingyue said, taking out her Star Moon Sword and handing it to Madam Leng.

"Mother, let me show you my weapon."

Madam Leng thought that even if the sword knew some basic martial arts, it would only be a superficial skill, and she didn't care. But when she took the sword and looked at it, she was immediately stunned and asked in surprise:

"Xingyue, how do you know about the Qingyi Sect's health practices?"

Duanmu Xingyue blushed slightly, stealing a glance at Leng Yangtian's expression, then at Madam Leng. Seeing that they showed no disdain beyond surprise, she cautiously replied:

"Actually, my father is the current leader of the Green Robe Sect. My brother is the young leader, and I am currently one of the eight protectors."

After speaking, Xingyue shrank back two steps, waiting for Leng Yangtian's roar. When they got married, she swore that she would hide nothing from him except the secrets of the Dark Guard. However, at the time, she was afraid he would look down on the Green Robe Sect, so she concealed her identity. Now, she had to use her family's heirloom sword and the Green Robe Sect's ultimate techniques in front of them, so she had no choice but to confess.

After waiting for a long time without hearing the expected roar, she looked up at Leng Yangtian with worry, only to see his face was truly horribly gloomy. She couldn't help but shiver. She quickly apologized:

"Mother, husband, I'm sorry! I know I shouldn't have hidden my identity. But I was really afraid you would look down on the Green Robe Sect!"

"Silly child, you don't need to apologize. That's your family's secret. It's not just your business. So naturally you can't just tell anyone." Madam Leng stepped forward and stroked Xingyue's head, speaking gently.

"Thank you, Mother!" Xingyue said gratefully to Madam Leng, while secretly glancing at her husband, who was still furious and silent. She involuntarily hid behind Madam Leng.

"No wonder Tian'er is angry with you. You didn't say anything because you were afraid we'd look down on the Green Robe Sect. Don't you know the Leng family? We've never been prejudiced. Even if the Green Robe Sect had cleared its name three years ago, and even if it really were a cult, you're still you, a member of the Leng family. How could we look down on you!" Seeing her daughter-in-law's fear and understanding the true reason for her son's anger, Madam Leng directly resolved the situation for them.

Her mother-in-law's words moved Xingyue to tears, and she threw herself into her mother's arms. She said excitedly:

“Mother, you are Xingyue’s real mother. No matter what the road ahead may be like, Xingyue will follow you.”

Leng Yangtian glared at Xingyue, his eyes telling her that they could settle this score later. His resolute gaze then shifted to his mother. He said firmly, "Mother, since your daughter-in-law has said so, I'm even less likely to abandon you and live alone."

Seeing that her son and daughter-in-law were determined to go, Madam Leng had no choice but to nod helplessly and say:

"Alright then! It seems the task of continuing the Leng family line can only be entrusted to Rui'er."

Sighing, Madam Leng said to her son:

"Yang Tian, go and bring Yi'er here! To be honest, I've grown fond of this kid after spending these past few months with him. As for how his father will treat him, that's beyond our control," Xingyue comforted him.

However, to their surprise, Xiao Yi'er proved to be a very useful talisman. With him by their side, the Leng family mother and her two children entered the palace without hindrance. However, what they didn't expect was that no sooner had they left than their rescuers stormed into the northern city. Just as they entered the palace, Xuanyuan led his men into the Prime Minister's residence.

"Reporting to the Sect Master! Apart from Prime Minister Leng's family, who have already gone to the palace, all the other ministers' families have come out. In addition, Lord Shui has also come out and is currently requesting an audience outside."

"Let him in quickly," Xuanyuan ordered urgently.

"I have failed in my duties and have let down His Majesty. I beg Your Majesty to punish me!" Shui Feifan asked for punishment as soon as he entered the room.

Xuanyuan stepped forward to help him up and urgently instructed, "Now is not the time to punish you. You must immediately take my decree and go to take over the 10,000 Imperial Guards outside the capital. Also, this map shows the hidden Imperial Guard forces. You are responsible for surrounding the entire capital for me. Do not let a single person out. With Liang Xin in the outer city, you don't need to worry about being attacked from both sides."

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Shui Feifan accepted the imperial edict and map handed over by Xuanyuan and hurriedly left the Leng residence.

Xuanyuan turned to the kneeling servants of the Leng family and asked, "Is the steward here?"

"Your Majesty, I am the steward of the Leng residence," the steward replied tremblingly.

"When did Madam Leng and her son enter the palace? And who came to escort them in?"

Xuanyuan hadn't intentionally tried to frighten them, but from the moment they entered, the servants were unconsciously intimidated by his imposing presence. Now that they knew he was the emperor, the level of shock was unimaginable. Although they had a powerful empress in their household, the emperor was like the sun in the sky to them, unapproachable. Now, they were all trembling with fear, except for the experienced old steward, who remained kneeling upright, his face unchanged. Suddenly, when the emperor asked him a question, he calmly replied:

"Your Majesty, the Madam and the young master and mistress just left a short while ago. No one summoned them to the palace. They went to storm the palace with the young prince. The Madam said they would rather die together than be separated from their loved ones."

The old steward's last words struck Xuanyuan like a muffled thunderclap, sending a jolt through him. After a moment of stunned silence, he immediately gave an order to the people behind him:

"Take all the ministers' families back and protect them. Leave a small team to guard the Prime Minister's residence. The rest of you, come with me."

The sound still echoed in the air, but the Emperor and his entourage were nowhere to be seen in the courtyard. If it weren't for another group of people rushing in immediately afterward, the people of the Leng residence would have thought they had just hallucinated.

As for Leng Jie, ever since Xuan Yuan left, she had been filled with anxiety and unease. She had a constant feeling that something bad was going to happen. After pacing back and forth in her room for an hour, she couldn't sit still any longer. She felt that waiting for Xuan Yuan to come and get her was worse than going to jail. She disliked the feeling of waiting, especially this kind of uncertainty. She preferred the feeling of having everything under control. As the saying goes, action speaks louder than words.

One hour and ten minutes after Xuanyuan left, Leng Jie, fully armed, appeared in the council hall of the Yunxi Longmen branch. The Longmen disciples, who were undergoing morning training, were all stunned and speechless for a long time when they suddenly saw a heroic female warrior appear before them.

"Master Zhang, how many Dragon Gate disciples are there in Yunxi? Take them all with you, we need to return to the capital immediately." Leng Jie's words were an order.

Only then did Master Zhang emerge. This valiant female warrior was none other than the Third Sect Master he had met the previous night. However, her current attire was completely different from her appearance the night before. Yesterday, she was dressed in ordinary women's clothing, yet she exuded a refined and ethereal beauty. Today, she wore an outfit that resembled neither armor nor helmet, making her look every bit the dashing female general.

"But the sect leader has ordered that the third sect leader is not allowed to return to the capital," Hall Master Zhang replied truthfully.

"Things have changed now. With the sect leader absent, you naturally have to obey my orders as the third sect leader," Leng Jie said, taking out her token with an undeniable air. Seeing their continued indifference, she knew they had received an imperial decree from Xuanyuan. Helpless, Leng Jie then took out another gleaming golden token and said:

"How about this? You can listen to me now!"

"Yes, we will obey the orders of the three sect leaders!" Hall Master Zhang replied happily immediately.

As members of the Dragon Gate, seeing their sect leader in trouble and being unable to help him, their feelings were no better than Leng Jie's. Now that the Third Sect Master had given them this opportunity, they were naturally overjoyed and immediately took action, each one afraid that if they were too slow, the Third Sect Master would change his mind and not take them along.

Now that Xuanyuan and Yangpu were no longer nagging and admonishing her, Leng Jie didn't care whether the baby in her belly could withstand the jolting. Without a second thought, she picked out a tall and majestic steed from the stables, leaped onto it, and spurred it on, leading the way towards the capital.

As darkness fell, their group of fifty or sixty people settled in a fishing village five miles from the capital. Leng Jie reined in her horse and stopped. Turning back, she gave instructions to those behind her:

"Master Zhang, please wait for me here."

With that, she leaped down from her horse and headed towards the village.

Because the moat was also under martial law, the fishermen were all resting at home. They ate dinner early and went to bed, so the whole village was completely silent at night. Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves was heard, immediately triggering a series of barking dogs. The villagers who had just gone to bed were naturally awakened.

Leng Jie arrived at a door with an oil lamp lit, knocked on the door, and called out in a male voice:

"Uncle Liu! You're not asleep, are you? I'm Xiao Leng, the fish-collecting guy who came from Jianzhou three years ago."

"It's Young Master Leng! Please wait a moment, I'll get up soon." The middle-aged man's simple voice came out, followed by the sound of him getting up and dressing.

Leng Jie continued speaking through the door:

"Our caravan can't get into the city, so we'd like to ask to stay overnight in your village. Would you kind folks be so kind as to do us this favor?"

“Okay, okay, no problem. You’re our lucky charm. You can stay for a month, let alone one night.” The middle-aged woman’s sharp voice rang out.

"Squeak!" The door opened. The person inside looked up, their smile instantly freezing. Their hand trembled, and the lantern they were carrying slipped from their grasp. Then, the woman's questioning voice came from inside again:

"Old man, what are you doing? Quickly invite Young Master Leng inside!" The voice rang out, and Granny Liu was already at the door. Then came another exclamation: "Oh my! Where did this female general come from!"

Leng Jie reached out and caught the oil lamp, explaining with a smile:

"Uncle, Auntie, I didn't scare you! When my younger brother and I came to the capital alone, we disguised ourselves as men for convenience. This is my true appearance."

"Oh! So it's Miss Leng! No wonder you can cook so well. We were just saying, what man could have your skillful hands!" Aunt Liu was the first to realize, and said in a daze.

"Didn't you say it was a group of people? Where are they?" Uncle Liu asked, sticking his head out of the door and glancing around.

“They’re at the village entrance. I’m afraid they’ll frighten you if we come together.” Leng Jie said sincerely, then paused and asked anxiously, “Uncle, to be honest, we have urgent business in the city. I’ve heard Uncle Zhang mention before that you have a special passage into the city. I wonder if we can get in now?”

The two honest fishermen were taken aback for a moment, then shook their heads frantically, saying, "Don't you know the city is under martial law right now? Going into the city now is tantamount to suicide. I can't let you down. So, I can't tell you that way."

This means we can get in without going through the water! Leng Jie was overjoyed. She grabbed Aunt Liu's rough, calloused hand and pleaded:

"Uncle, auntie. We're going in to rescue people. If we don't go in, many people will die. Please help us and tell us! I promise I won't implicate you."

The elderly couple exchanged a glance. Although they were ordinary fishermen, they had lived in the capital and had heard some things about the imperial court. Looking at Leng Jie's attire, they could guess why she was in such a hurry to go in. Finally, they both gritted their teeth and nodded. They were going to take the plunge.

Chapter 133

After Lady Leng and her entourage entered the palace with the hostages, they were taken directly to the main hall. All the civil and military officials who opposed the Crown Prince, including Prime Minister Leng, were placed under house arrest in the Xinhe Hall. The arrival of Lady Leng and her party immediately brought a ripple to the lifeless Xinhe Hall.

Upon seeing his beloved wife and daughter-in-law, Leng Xiang was first surprised, then enraged. His usually calm face suddenly contorted with fury. He glared fiercely at his son and demanded sharply:

What are you doing here?

"My lord, we've come to save you!" Madam Leng completely ignored the astonished gazes of the many ministers and threw herself into Prime Minister Leng's arms, speaking in a coquettish manner.

"Wow~" This immediately drew a burst of exclamations of amazement!

Leng Xiangmu's sullen face flushed crimson from his forehead to his ears. Leng Yangtian and Xingyue exchanged a smile, knowing that only their mother could keep their father in check.

Leng Lian hurriedly pulled away the pair of slender arms that were tightly draped around his neck, and said helplessly:

"Madam, please mind your image. This is the main hall!"

"Hmph!" Madam Leng curled her lip and snorted coldly. She glanced disdainfully at the magnificent hall, then stared contemptuously at the gleaming golden dragon throne under the lamplight, saying, "What's so great about this hall? If a beast sat on it, this place would immediately become..."

"Madam, you mustn't speak nonsense!"

The cold-hearted Prime Minister sternly interrupted Madam Leng, but when he looked down and met her aggrieved eyes, his heart softened. How could he not know that they had deliberately come to die with him?

The Emperor had entrusted the Imperial Guards to him and Shui Feifan, and they had always thought the plan was meticulously executed. Little did they know that the old fox of the Shui family would distrust Shui Feifan and detain him at home early on. Then, before he could react, they were detained in the palace.

Unless the Emperor suddenly returns with a large army, none of them in this palace will escape tomorrow's calamity. But this wasn't part of their original plan. Besides, how could the Emperor, so far away, possibly return? They were all doomed anyway. Let her have her fun! The Cold Prime Minister unconsciously tightened his embrace around the lady's slender waist, saying apologetically:

"Madam, you are right. Tomorrow this place will no longer be a solemn and majestic hall. It will become our place of ascension."

"Husband, don't talk nonsense. We haven't finished our worldly affairs yet, how can we ascend to immortality so quickly! Don't forget that we have a protective talisman." Madam Leng's gaze fell on Yi'er, who was being held by Yang Tian, and she said meaningfully.

Leng Xiang shook his head and said, "I originally thought that if you had him in your hands, perhaps the two children could escape this predicament. However, now that you've led the wolf cubs into the wolf's den, how could the old wolf possibly let you out again!"

"Father, let's fight our way out!" Xingyue suggested, stepping forward.

"No, the palace is full of their people now. With just a few dozen of us, fighting them head-on is like throwing eggs against rocks. Besides, if he doesn't want chaos in the court, he might not kill innocent people indiscriminately. Let's wait until after the ceremony tomorrow!" The Prime Minister still held a sliver of hope. He truly didn't want his son, daughter-in-law, and numerous ministers to die with him.

"Where is that shameless scoundrel? Why is he nowhere to be seen?" Madam Leng asked through gritted teeth. She thought the best solution was to kill that scourge; that would end it all!

"We've been trapped here for ten days and haven't seen him since," Leng Xiang replied helplessly. "But he'll definitely appear tomorrow, so let's wait one more night!"

The Prime Minister's subsequent words undoubtedly indicated his agreement with Madam Leng's opinion. If she could kill the Crown Prince, at least the Emperor would still have a chance to return. If the former Crown Prince were to ascend the throne, then even if the Emperor were to fight back, Jinghe would likely be finished.

"Boom! Bang!..." Suddenly, a series of earth-shattering roars came from the outer city.

"Listen! What's that sound?" Xingyue suddenly exclaimed.

"It seems to have come from the north of the city?" Yang Tian echoed.

"Could it be an earthquake?" The first thing that came to mind for one of the officials from the Imperial Observatory was an earthquake.

"Finally, the heavens have been angered and the people have resented us! The Jinghe dynasty has come to an end!" an old minister cried out, beating his chest and stamping his feet.