Part 2
If the path ahead and behind was already a dead end, he would rather fight the other man to the finish and then die a satisfied death.
The shadow that had lingered in Ying Xi’s heart vanished in an instant.
He was personally rescuing his helpless past self.
The earth beneath the West City gate thrummed and vibrated.
The Longwu Army atop the wall covered Ying Xi, releasing a rain of feathered arrows.
The arrows precisely bypassed the Emperor and struck their targets. The recoil produced by the simultaneous volley pushed the Shadow back several feet in an instant!
Jia Ruzhen was turned into a hedgehog by this rain of arrows. His black-bean eyes finally reflected the gap of the gate as it slowly began to widen.
On the other side of the gate—
The Imperial Army’s night battle had lit countless torches.
The blazing firelight shone into the West City along the gateway.
That light seemed almost physical.
The moment the toes of the Guangling rebels touched that light, it was as if they had been scalded; they retreated wherever the light reached.
The fire elongated only Ying Xi’s shadow.
Within his dark gray pupils, two points of fire also danced, completely dispelling all the shadows before him. The area beneath the West City gate before Ying Xi was filled with light.
Ying Xi followed the light and slowly turned his head.
The city gate framed this turn of his, his eyes reflecting countless pieces of gleaming silver armor.
His field of vision narrowed abruptly.
Finally, it focused on the commander leading the soldiers to seize the city—the man in white robes and silver armor, covered in bloodstains.
Xie Qianli.
“The Longwu Army received the decree to break through the city gate from the south to the west, control the West City, and swiftly eliminate the remnants beneath the wall.”
“This subordinate and the others have arrived late to protect the Emperor. We pray Your Majesty will forgive our sin.”
“Your Majesty is wise!”
“Your Majesty is wise…”
The Longwu Army charged into Guangling City!
The snow-white flood surged forward from behind Ying Xi, becoming a solid shield to protect the Emperor.
As the army pushed forward, the rebels were scattered.
The sounds of battle beneath the wall were a cacophony.
Ying Xi dazedly lifted his long eyelashes.
For a brief moment, he could actually not distinguish between the past and the present; he saw thousands of rays of light behind Xie Qianli once again.
His heart hammered in his chest…
He couldn’t help but take a step, wanting to approach the back of the man who was charging ahead, but he was stopped in place by the pain in his limbs.
Ying Xi stumbled a step.
The Emperor had to stand firm before the army. Standing alone beneath the city gate, his dark gray eyes seemed frozen.
Once a single city gate was opened, occupying the entire Guangling Commandery was as easy as turning over a hand.
Not long after, victory reports also came from the south of the city; the main gate had been breached, over a thousand enemy troops were eliminated, and Xie Meng was leading the naval forces from south to north to clear out the remaining rebels in the city.
The clamor of war ceased in the early morning.
According to normal custom, the Imperial Army should have entered the Guangling Prefect’s Mansion, where the Emperor would issue orders and formally take over Guangling.
However, since the Prefect of Guangling was Jia Ruzhen, Ying Xi hated the Shadow to the extreme.
How could he be willing to stay in a place where the Shadow had lived?
Where should the Emperor’s temporary residence be established?
If it were any other city, this might be a difficult problem.
Guangling was different. The Yongning Prince Mansion was right here. Everyone knew this was the Emperor’s old home, his genuine “Qiandi” —the residence of a dragon before ascending the throne.
The main gates of the Yongning Prince Mansion were thrown open!
Because there had been rumors of the mansion being haunted for many years, no one had dared to come and cause damage. The interior furnishings were almost unchanged. The overgrown weeds, the ground covered in dead leaves, and the thickets of shrubs… none of that mattered.
Lian Qing personally led the Longwu Army soldiers to clean the Emperor’s old home.
However, while cleaning, anyone could see the terrifying bloodstains splashed upon the mansion’s courtyard walls. One couldn’t help but think deeper into the matter, though none dared to guess wildly.
Lian Qing could only have his subordinates buy clear and white lacquer from the paint shops in Guangling overnight to refurbish the Yongning Prince Mansion.
After all, winning a battle was a joyous occasion, and returning home in glory was also a joyous thing.
As for those tragic memories, it was better not to let the Emperor remember them.
On the other side.
The Emperor temporarily borrowed the residence of a wealthy local to bathe and change his clothes.
Once Ying Xi had slightly settled down, he did not dare to rest. He issued his first decree to the local area that night:
“The rebels acted against the natural order, but the people of Guangling are innocent.”
“Officials for the Prefect’s office shall be separately appointed by the Imperial Court. Tomorrow, all duties shall be carried out as usual. Each unit in the city is to strictly restrain its soldiers; they are not to harass the local populace.”
As soon as the decree was issued, soldiers beat gongs, shouting the message to the commoners as they went through the streets and alleys.
Even though the sound of the gongs was loud and piercing, the content of this Imperial Decree truly put the hearts of all the people at ease.
As dawn broke, households one after another removed the wooden boards nailed to their doors and windows. People walked from their houses onto the streets, poking their heads out like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.
Seeing the promising situation and the stable state of the city, the commoners each brought out the tools of their trade—setting up stalls, selling goods. The city of Guangling, which had been blockaded for over ten days, gradually regained its vitality…
It was worth mentioning that the number of commoners who volunteered to participate in the refurbishment of the Yongning Prince Mansion had increased several-fold.
Thus, the project duration was also shortened by several-fold.
It took only about ten hours for the vast Yongning Prince Mansion to transform from desolate and cold to a place of blossoming flowers and silk.
Lian Qing looked with satisfaction at the mansion that could now be handed over. He once again represented the Longwu Army in expressing gratitude to the commoners who came to help.
The sons of Guangling had nearly been branded as criminal subjects; now, they had leapt to become the Emperor’s fellow townsmen. The disparity in treatment naturally went without saying. Both sides were courteous, showing a scene of harmony between the military and the people.
“I shall go invite the Imperial Presence.”
Having sent off the commoners, the Emperor had to be invited to appreciate his newly reconstructed home before dusk.
Lian Qing said excitedly, “Keep an eye out for anything that doesn’t look right and tidy it up.”
“When His Majesty arrives later, don’t all just stand around in the courtyard. The Yongning Prince Mansion is known for its elegance; we don’t need so many soldiers ruining the scenery! Everyone find a wall to hide behind where you can still protect His Majesty. Don’t be an eyesore outside…”
“Yes, yes.”
The soldiers hurriedly agreed and scrambled to find cool places to hide.
Lian Qing trotted all the way to the wealthy merchant’s residence where the Emperor was temporarily staying, looking like he was about to claim credit.
He was a familiar face, known to everyone in the Longwu Army, so Lian Qing entered the courtyard directly. As long as he didn’t actively disturb the Emperor, no one would announce his arrival to the monarch.
It was broad daylight.
Yet the door to the Emperor’s side was closed.
Lian Qing stopped in his tracks. Had His Majesty finished handling government affairs and taken an afternoon nap?
Lian Qing didn’t dare disturb him. The Emperor had been exhausted lately; if he was sleeping, Lian Qing could wait outside.
Lian Qing stood honestly outside the door.
Suddenly, he heard the Emperor’s voice from inside. That voice was noble and very recognizable, but now one could easily hear a suppressed tone in it.
“It hurts…”
Lian Qing pricked up his ears.
“Stop that, it hurts… I’m so hot.”
The pitch suddenly rose as the Emperor warned: “Minister Xie!”
Lian Qing’s eyes instantly widened many times over.
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