Чистое сердце в нефритовом сосуде - Глава 160
The meal was finished amidst blushing faces, neither happy nor sad. After leaving the table, Chu Chen danced with joy: "Auntie is so amazing! They're usually so fierce, not letting us do this or that, but they weren't fierce today."
Looking at Chu Chen's smiling face, I was trembling with fear. I had accidentally offended both of the divine doctor's disciples. Would all my previous efforts be in vain?
Fortunately, although they were all eccentric people, they didn't stop taking care of me because of this. They continued to give me medicine and soup every day as usual. However, they became increasingly cold and sarcastic towards me, which made me feel a chill even in the early summer weather. I became more and more careful in my words and actions, afraid that I might offend them again if I was not careful, and then I would have the good fortune to experience the miracle of snow in June in the hot summer.
Zi Nuo has been traveling north for over a month, and has sent thirteen letters, mostly inquiring about my health. Now, Zi Nuo has entered the southern border of Xuan Ying and begun taking over the five cities that had voluntarily requested to submit to Jin Que. Jin Que's army has finally crossed the border and entered Xuan Ying, cutting off the five cities from the outside world.
Although they voluntarily requested to surrender, the handover process was not smooth. Upon hearing the news, the remaining forces of Xuan Ying obstructed and berated them in every way, causing some officials in the five cities to waver. Finally, a general surnamed Li roared, "Damn it, we're going to lose our country anyway, so we might as well surrender to Jinque Kingdom and save many brothers from loss. They are all my own children. You may not feel the pain, but I do."
This roar won over many hearts yearning for peace, and under the powerful call of the people, the five cities of Song, Fu, Xi, Gong, and Bao finally submitted to the Golden Sparrow Kingdom. Zinuo, stationed in Gong City, directed the relocation and resettlement of the five cities' inhabitants while fiercely resisting Xuan Ying's attack. Xuan Ying's remaining forces were ultimately annihilated by the surging Western Xia army.
In June of the 381st year of the Holy Calendar, Xuan Ying, which had once dominated the north, was completely conquered. Except for the five cities of Song, Fu, Xi, Gong, and Bao, which were peacefully surrendered to Jinque Kingdom, the rest of the territory was occupied by Xixia Kingdom. Xixia, which had been a poor and small country in the western corner for many years, suddenly became a great power with a vast territory that could rival Youjing (if Youjing had not been fragmented). At this point, the Kunpeng Continent was divided into three kingdoms. Among the three kingdoms, Jinque had the smallest territory but the strongest national power.
After conquering Xuanying, the Western Xia did not press on with its momentum to attack Youjing, which was plagued by internal strife. Instead, it paused to focus on consolidating its newly conquered territory and making every effort to establish a firm foothold.
In July, the replanning of the five cities of Song, Fu, Xi, Gong, and Bao was completed. At the request of the people, Qiuyang Prefecture was established, and the five cities were incorporated into it, a sentiment that resounded throughout Qiuyang Valley. To appease the people of the five cities, more than 20,000 Xuan Ying soldiers who had been held captive by Jinque to various places for land reclamation were reassigned to the five cities to take on the crucial task of defending them. This allowed many soldiers to reunite with their families, further solidifying the people's loyalty to Jinque.
On July 15th, Qiuyang Prefecture was officially established, and the whole country celebrated. Although Qiuyang Prefecture was small, its significance was extraordinary, marking a turning point in history. To express their respect for the people of Xuanying in the Central Plains of Qiuyang Prefecture, the Golden Sparrow Kingdom also left Hanyue City and headed north to participate in this highly anticipated ceremony. I, however, remained in Hanyue City due to health issues, only able to hear about the ceremony but not witness it.
With the King and the Regent Prince both in the north, only Princes Luo Chen and Luo Yang remained in Hanyue City, with the Prime Minister and the Imperial Preceptor assisting in governance. Compared to the bustling Qiuyang County, Hanyue City was much quieter, as the surrounding wars meant this year's Ritual Ceremony was not as lively as last year's.
Seeing that things are gradually going smoothly and Zinuo's position is becoming more and more stable, I feel relieved. However, thinking about the future struggle between Xixia, Youjing, and Jinque, and what Huangfu Xuan, Lin Zhao, Shen Haoyu, Shen Tingxuan, and Zinuo mean to me, I feel conflicted. I even hope that I don't live that long and don't want to see that day come.
Lying under the crabapple tree, the incessant chirping of cicadas was utterly irritating. Summer in Hanyue City was truly hot; I longed for the refreshing summers of Autumn Sun Valley, filled with the fragrance of grass and fruit. And besides, Hanyue City had no ice. I was unbearably hot.
Ruosheng arranged for two maids to fan me continuously. I didn't really want to exploit people's labor like this, or to be a truly evil nobleman, but it's better to have someone fan you than to die from the heat, so I shamelessly accepted.
Chu Chen was having a great time playing alone in the garden, not taking a break even as he was covered in sweat. Gan Lin had taught Chu Chen some lessons in the morning before leaving to find a master to learn business, saying he wanted to revitalize the Mo family and find a way out for Chu Chen.
Ruosheng brought over a plate of fruit, Biqiong told Chuchen to wash his hands, and I also got up from the recliner. The group sat around the stone table, put the fruit in their mouths, and enjoyed this rare moment of coolness.
After eating the fruit, the area under the crabapple tree was almost scorching in the sun. I moved the deck chair around a bit and then lay down to sleep again. A good nap on a hot summer day.
It was so hot that I was drowsy and couldn't sleep soundly. In my hazy state, I heard the sound of a sharp weapon cutting through the air. Having survived several brushes with death, I was very familiar with that sound. My heart tightened, and I rolled off the recliner. Although the posture was undignified, I still managed to escape the fatal blow. Looking up, I saw a dark, short sword deeply embedded in the tree trunk.
The two maids who were fanning themselves screamed in fright and dropped their fans. "Whoosh," "whoosh," "whoosh," several more arrows came flying in quick succession. I rolled on the ground, the arrows grazing my ears and leaving a burning pain. The two maids weren't as lucky as me; they fell to the ground with a thud.
Someone's trying to kill me again. Looks like I'm really not well-liked. While desperately dodging the hidden arrows, I shouted for help, but the garden was eerily quiet. Where had everyone gone? What about the guards Zinuo had placed outside? How could they not know someone had entered? Or had they already met with misfortune?
Why isn't Gan Lin here at this time? Or did the person who came deliberately choose a time when Gan Lin wasn't here?
What about the other people in the mansion?
It turns out that even Hanyue City is not a safe place.
The person didn't show himself, but used short arrows to force me to run east and west, seemingly enjoying my miserable state.
"No need to shout anymore. Those people are either dead or asleep. Just wait to die." A cold male voice came from the tall sycamore tree, giving me goosebumps. Then, a short arrow came straight at my face.
I narrowly dodged them, and the man chuckled sinisterly, "You really are lucky. Even without martial arts skills, you still managed to dodge so many of my arrows. You're just as good as you were back then." As he spoke, a dark figure leaped down from a tree and struck several pressure points on me. "I'm done teasing you. Come with me and let's see how much you can get back."
Arrows, arrows, arrows… I looked up at the man. Although his face was covered, his eyes, his gaze… I asked tremblingly, “King Min?”
The man chuckled, "It's an honor that you remember me so well. However, you'd better not speak." With that, he sealed my acupoints, making me mute. I was filled with resentment. Why could I never learn acupoint striking, yet I was always the one being struck?
However, wasn't King Min imprisoned because of King Xuan Ying's serious suspicion? He wasn't released even when the Western Xia invaded. So how did he end up here now? What does he want to exchange me for?
Before I could even think it through or speak, he grabbed my collar and leaped me out of the courtyard. Looking down at my collar, I secretly rejoiced that I was wearing ordinary cotton clothes. If I had been wearing those thin palace robes, he wouldn't have had a collar to pull, and he might have pulled my hair.
King Min leaped over the wall with me. Before our feet even touched the ground, a gust of wind came from behind. King Min dodged to the side, flicked his sleeve, and a hidden weapon of unknown origin shot behind us. Immediately afterward, a silver light accompanied by a low shout came straight at us.
"Put her down." The swordsman, Bu Bei, stopped King Min, his eyes blazing with anger.
"Put her down, what bargaining chips do I have left?" King Min's hand gripped my neck tighter and tighter. I forced myself not to roll my eyes and stared at him steadily without showing any sadness.
Unsorrowful sword still pointed at King Min, coldly asking, "What do you want with her?"
King Min stepped back: "There's no need to tell you."
"Everything is about first come, first served. I've been here for many days, how can I let you get there first?" Bu Bei said in a deep voice, flicked his sword, and thrust it at us again.
Suddenly, a gleaming black whip appeared in Min Wang's hand. With a flick of his wrist, the whip was about to wrap around Bu Bei's sword, but Bu Bei reversed his stance, thrusting his sword straight at Min Wang. The two fought fiercely, evenly matched, and I was being squeezed so tightly by Min Wang that I could barely breathe. Because he was carrying me, Min Wang wasn't very agile, and Bu Bei, also mindful of me, didn't use overly fierce sword techniques, only wanting to force Min Wang to let go.
“I really can’t understand what Mr. Immortal wants from this girl. If that’s the case, why didn’t he just bring her back to the mountain under the pretext of curing her illness?” King Min sneered, his tone full of sarcasm and doubt.
Bu Bei didn't answer, but kept thrusting her sword at King Min. King Min parried each move, and as he watched Bu Bei's techniques become more and more familiar, even her figure became so familiar that my eyes started to ache. That familiarity made me startled, panicked, and heartbroken. Recalling the occasional look Bu Bei gave me, the tone of her voice, a name stuck in my throat, but I couldn't bring myself to ask it.
Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 139
Chapter word count: 3752 Update time: 09-09-22 06:13
While I was still reeling from the shock of discovering his true identity, King Min suddenly stiffened, and the hand that had been gripping my neck went limp. Sensing the sudden change, I instinctively pulled away from King Min's grasp. Turning my head, I saw Gan Lin standing behind King Min with an icy expression, one hand holding a sword to King Min's neck, and the other gripping the arm that King Min had previously held me hostage.
Bu Bei sheathed his sword, stepped forward, and tore off King Min's mask. A cruel smile appeared on King Min's lips.
"So it was the missing King Min." Bu Bei loosened the black cloth, which gently floated to the ground.
Upon hearing this, Gan Lin released his grip, shielding me behind him, and said coldly, "Since you are a prince, please leave immediately."
King Min turned around, glanced at Gan Lin indifferently, and said sarcastically, "I wondered who had such quick skills, it turns out it was you."
Gan Lin lowered his eyes: "I was once saved by Your Highness, and I do not wish to make things difficult for you today. Please leave now."
King Min sneered, "I thought you had completely forgotten. If you haven't forgotten, why do you keep opposing me?"
Gan Lin pulled me aside, keeping a safe distance from Prince Min, before speaking: "A drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring of gratitude, but I cannot repay it with my own sister's life. Your Highness has twice tried to harm my sister, yet I still let you leave today, which is to repay the kindness of the past."
Upon hearing Gan Lin's words, Min Wang's sharp gaze swept over me, then instantly replaced with a half-smile: "Holy Maiden Yin Qingqiu? Who exactly are you? You're quite the enigma. But—" He then changed the subject, adding meaningfully, "No matter who you are, there are quite a few people who want to get rid of you."