"Three-in-one Great Chapter"
Banquet in the palace.
Xue Rui could hold his liquor very well. Usually, he would not get drunk even if he drank eight or ten jars. But tonight, he did not reject anyone and drank too much. Who knew that he did it on purpose, revealing a little of his arrogance after drinking, to tempt those officials who were jealous of his meteoric rise to criticize him.
There were always factions fighting in the court. Fighting for fame and profit was the norm in officialdom. The officials who had followed the Yan Emperor to conquer the country would inevitably be unequal when it came time to split the spoils. But he was the only one who was bestowed the title of King and Prime Minister, standing above everyone else. There were many who were dissatisfied.
As he had expected, there were people who could not stand his complacency and jumped out in the middle of the banquet. First, they accused him of overthrowing the officials of the previous dynasty, taking the opportunity to amass wealth and buy people's hearts.
If the Yan Emperor was not a magnanimous ruler, he would be dissatisfied with Xue Rui just because of this. Luckily, Xue Rui had already reported to the Emperor beforehand. Overthrowing the officials of the previous dynasty was approved by the Emperor. As for the accusation of amassing wealth, it was even more groundless and there was no real evidence.
Xue Rui spoke out to defend himself, and he poured out his grievances in front of all the civil and military officials of the Imperial Court. Do all of you think recruiting envoys is a good job? You can make those scholars who view their reputation as more important than their lives to work for the Imperial Court for the sake of a few stones of salary?
Recruiting enlistment, that is a technical job. Do you really think anyone can do it?
Relying on the fact that he was a little drunk, Xue Rui spoke straightforwardly, "I told them that His Majesty is a wise man who treats the wise with respect and benevolence. As long as they are willing to work for the common people and contribute to the country, His Majesty will not mind their background. I tried my best to persuade them, and only then did I manage to persuade thirty percent of the ambitious men to pledge their loyalty to Great Yan Dynasty."
"Furthermore, the war has just ended. The people of the world are in trouble. The court is in turmoil and the foreign countries are watching. In such a situation, we should give up our personal interests for the greater good. So I persuaded thirty percent of the knowledgeable people to forsake the darkness and join the light. Also, Jun Shang's action of not killing the previous dynasty's fallen ruler has moved thirty percent of the people who are loyal to Jun Shang, and they are willing to serve Jun Shang. "
His words not only flattered the emperor, but also the group of old courtiers. No one would expose his coercion and bribery tactics. Their old faces flushed red and they all pretended to be angry from embarrassment. They glared at the courtier who had accused His Highness of selling official titles. If he dared to say another word, they would rush forward and fight him to the death.
Even the Emperor of Yan nodded his head as he comforted Xue Rui, "I know that it's not easy for you. I was the one who allowed you to resume your duties. From today onwards, I will not forgive anyone who speaks ill of you."
He was obviously supporting Xue Rui.
The new Minister of Revenue who opposed Xue Rui was unwilling to accept this. He relied on the fact that he had followed the Jiang Clan for a few dozen years and refused to let Xue Rui off the hook. He asked in an arrogant manner, "Then how do you explain the matter of King Ping harboring an important minister of the previous dynasty?"
Xue Rui frowned and said, "Why do you say so, Minister?"
Minister Ning said reasonably, "Your Royal Highness, you don't have to play dumb. I have already investigated. Half a month ago, you were ordered to attack the capital. At that time, not only did you capture the fallen emperor, you also captured the previous dynasty's Celestial Commissioner, Grand Commissioner Yu Shu. You brought her back to the military camp and detained her privately. This Grand Commissioner is a woman and there are many rumors among the people. It is said that she was taught by immortals and has the ability to cast beans into soldiers to summon wind and rain. Some even said that the previous dynasty was able to enjoy three hundred years of peace and prosperity because of the Celestial Commissioner. As the head of the Celestial Commissioner, Grand Commissioner Yu Shu plays an important role. Since you captured this woman, you did not immediately present her to His Majesty. Is it not because you have ulterior motives and are plotting something? "
Xue Rui pursed his lips and looked troubled. He did not refute immediately. This made Minister Ning even more certain that he was up to no good. He became even more aggressive.
"Your Royal Highness, you are not speaking. Are you feeling guilty?"
Xue Rui ignored him and turned to face the Emperor. He looked embarrassed and said, "Allow me to report in private."
The Yan Emperor already knew that he had an engagement with the female courtier. He thought that he was doing it out of selfishness and it was not good for him to talk about it in public. He was about to nod and agree when Minister Ning did not spare him and interrupted.
"Your Royal Highness, why don't you dare to say it in front of others? Could it be that you have some shady business with that woman?"
He was deliberately provoking Xue Rui and was waiting for him to get angry. He spoke without thinking and his methods were not clever. If it was any other time, Xue Rui would just laugh it off. However, he was drunk tonight and was not as good-tempered as usual. He did not know which sore spot was stepped on. He was so angry that his eyes turned red and he sneered again and again. His two fingers formed a sword and pointed angrily at others.
"You are all filthy. How can you measure the heart of a gentleman with the heart of a villain? I am magnanimous. After being slandered by you, I only treated it as a dog barking and did not want to argue with you. However, that Official Yu is like a beautiful orchid. I admire her and will not allow you to insult her like this! "
Minister Ning was dumbfounded by his blatant words of protection, and the crowd was also in an uproar.
But this time, Xue Rui did not wait for the other to grab hold of his words and turned towards the Yan Emperor again. Holding back a bellyful of indignation, he said truthfully, "Regardless of the previous dynasty or this dynasty, since ancient times until now, as an official, talent and ability are still secondary. The most important thing is loyalty. That day, your younger brother led the troops to attack An Ling and captured the ruler of the fallen country. Inside and outside the capital, only Da Tidian came to the rescue. Although he was alone and weak, he was eventually subdued by your younger brother. However, in terms of loyalty and courage, he is worthy of praise and respect. As a woman, she is more responsible than most men in this world. "
"Just now, Minister Ning was right about one thing. Before entering the capital this time, I received a secret report and learned that the three hundred years of peace of the previous dynasty is indeed closely related to the Celestial Commissioner." He took a deep breath and brought up the matter of enlistment.
"I have said before that with the virtuous character of the Emperor and my silver tongue, I have indeed persuaded ninety percent of the wise men to abandon the dark and join the light. However, there is still the remaining ten percent that I can do nothing about. The officials of the Celestial Commissioner are all in a group. As long as they don't see the Commissioner, they will not surrender. From this, it can be seen that in order to subdue the Celestial Commissioner, we need to subdue the Commissioner first. "
"I am ashamed to say this. After capturing the Commissioner that day, I tried to persuade her to surrender to the Great Yan. However, she refused to submit despite threats and temptations. If I had not told her that the Emperor of Da An was trapped and not dead, she would have already killed herself and died for the country."
Xue Rui sighed and shook his head. He looked at the Emperor with a little shame and a little guilty.
When the Emperor of Yan saw such a look, he suddenly understood. He thought to himself, "No wonder this boy was hesitating before. It turns out that he has not settled the girl yet and has come to me on his own initiative to ask for a decree to marry her."
The Emperor of Yan felt angry and funny at the same time. However, his focus was still on the sentence "the Celestial Commissioner is closely related to the peace and prosperity". After a moment of silence, he glanced at the people under his seat and said loudly, "Such a noble and pure woman with amazing talent, it is indeed a pity to kill her. If she can surrender to our dynasty, I will treat her with courtesy and will not disgrace her. "
Xue Rui lowered his eyes, and a light flashed in them. How did Minister Ning know that Yu Shu was kidnapped by him, and how did he know about the secret of the Celestial Commissioner? It was all arranged by him and instigated by someone, so that Minister Ning would question him in public.
And what he was waiting for was this sentence from the Emperor of Yan. With everyone's eyes and hundreds of ears hearing it, in the future, even if Yu Shu surrendered to the Great Yan, no one could criticize her. He had set up this trap tonight so that the Emperor would personally give her a proper name!
"Your Majesty is benevolent and virtuous. Your name will go down in history for thousands of years." Xue Rui took off his robe and knelt on the ground, sincerely kowtowing and shouting.
There was a buzzing sound in the hall. Then, dozens of old officials of the previous dynasty left their seats and kowtowed excitedly. They were impressed by the benevolence of the current Emperor. Even the important officials of the previous dynasty like the Commissioner could let go of their prejudice and treat them kindly, let alone these people. The uneasiness in everyone's heart was dispelled, and a sense of belonging grew in them. From now on, the previous dynasty was an old dream, and they were the officials of the Great Yan.
All the officials were loyal, so the Emperor of Yan was naturally happy to see this scene. He cracked a smile right away and didn't fuss about Xue Rui playing tricks before his eyes.
Seeing this, all the officials knew in their hearts that the arm could not twist the thigh. In terms of means and favor, Minister Ning could not be compared to King Ping.
"Alright, you may all rise." The Emperor of Yan raised his hand, signaling for everyone to return to their seats. He then glanced at Minister Ning who was standing there blowing his beard and glaring. He was unhappy that he did not know how to read the situation, but it was not good to flare up at him on the spot. So, he casually said, "You are all the pillars of the Great Yan, my officials. No matter where you come from, I will treat you all equally. In the future, don't mention the previous dynasty or the current dynasty."
Another round of cheers rang out from the crowd. After the banquet, the Emperor of Yan summoned Xue Rui to the side hall for a 'heart to heart talk'.
.....
"What is going on with the Celestial Commissioner? Why haven't I heard you mention it before today?" The Emperor of Yan purposely kept a straight face.
Xue Rui shook his head, a little tipsy, his tone slow. "I only know some rumors and have not confirmed it. How would I dare to speak nonsense in front of Your Majesty? That is a crime of deceiving Your Majesty."
"Speak freely." The Emperor of Yan put down his imperial airs and pointed to a chair for him to sit down. "In private, there is no need to adhere to your etiquette of an official."
Xue Rui's shoulders drooped, and he didn't seem so reserved anymore. He rubbed his forehead and said slowly, "My lord is clearly aware of this subject's background. The person who raised me is the previous dynasty's Right Minister, Xue Lingnan. The Xue Clan has produced generations of high-ranking officials, so there's bound to be some information that no one knows about. As for the Imperial Astronomer, there's indeed such a rumor — Emperor An had relied on the might of the Six Tools of Founding to unify the country three hundred years ago, and it was precisely because of the existence of the Six Tools of Founding that the An Dynasty was able to continue standing for three hundred years. And the purpose of Empress Ningzhen establishing the Celestial Commissioner was to let the successive generations of officials inherit the Six Tools of the Founding Nation and protect the royal family. "
Five years ago, he brought his father and brothers to Ningdong City to seek refuge with Jiang Huaiying, who had not yet become independent. At that time, he did not divulge the secret of the Book of Mystic Fairy Liu Ren, but he confessed his background.
He lied that more than twenty years ago, his biological father Yun Hua was assassinated because he was involved in the fight for the throne. He had no choice but to entrust him to the Xue family, and his adoptive father Xue Zao was implicated because of this. Later, he reunited with Yun Hua and his father, and learned that the murderer who killed his adoptive father Xue Zao was Zhu Muzhao, the Great Minister of the Celestial Commissioner at that time. It was also the same person who sent people to kill his biological mother, and the mastermind was Emperor Zhaoqing. Because of the new hatred and old hatred, he could not live under the same sky with the imperial court of Da An. Therefore, he betrayed the Xue family and went to assist Jiang Huaiying in conquering the world.
"I have also heard about the Six Tools of the Founding Nation. The rumor is just an exaggeration. Otherwise, how can I conquer the world?" The Emperor of Yan said disapprovingly.
Xue Rui shook his head and leaned forward slightly. His eyes flickered as he said, "Your Majesty, you may not know this, but the Six Tools of the Founding Nation of Da An were lost many years ago. Since then, the fate of the nation has declined. Otherwise, how could the three hundred years of foundation of the Great Yan be overturned so easily in just five years?"
The Emperor of Yan's expression changed as he looked at him doubtfully.
Xue Rui added more firewood, striking while the iron was hot. "I dare not say for sure what the truth is, but I know someone who definitely knows the secret of the Six Tools of the Founding Nation."
"You mean … That Yu Family?"
"That's her." Xue Rui had aroused the Emperor's curiosity. Without keeping him in suspense, he said, "Zhu Muzhao could have passed the position of the Great Minister to anyone, but he chose her. There must be something fishy about it. I've asked her about it. Although she refused to say it, it was inevitable that she would reveal something in her words. Therefore, I speculated that her rapid rise in power must be related to the Six Tools of the Founding Nation. It is highly possible that she knows the whereabouts of the lost Six Tools. That's why Zhu Muzhao placed the hope of the nation on her. He stood his ground and put her in charge of the Celestial Commissioner."
The Emperor of Yan only took Yu Shu seriously after he heard him speak frankly, and he glanced at Xue Rui before asking with a rather deep meaning in his words. "Since you've told me the truth, aren't you afraid that I'll execute the Yu Clan for the sake of eliminating the root of the problem?"
Xue Rui laughed with some satisfaction, revealing his drunken state. His words became presumptuous. "I am afraid. That's why I locked her up and tried to persuade her to submit to the Great Yan. In this way, sworn brother, you will not kill her. Not only will you not kill her, you will also put her in an important position."
The Emperor of Yan studied him for a moment. Suddenly, he shook his head and laughed. He pointed at him and said, "What an infatuated person." After going around in circles, he was still trying to put in a good word for Yu Family in front of him, afraid that she would be wronged.
However, regarding the Six Tools of the Founding Nation, it was better to believe it than not.
"I will give you a deadline of three days. If Yu Family is willing to confess the secret of the Six Tools of the Founding Nation, I promise you that I will also appoint her as the Celestial Commissioner. Then, I will appoint a marriage between the two of you."
Xue Rui's eyes brightened. He immediately stood up and bowed, as if afraid that the Emperor would go back on his words. "On behalf of Yu Family, I thank Your Majesty for your grace."
.....
Late at night, the banquet ended.
Outside Dong Hua Gate, a few drunken officials could be seen with their arms around each other's shoulders, calling each other brothers. They were reluctant to leave in their carriages. Xue Rui's legs were a little weak. He was helped into the sedan by a servant. As the curtain was put down, he let out a long sigh. He supported his burning forehead with one hand and undid the jade buckle on his collar with the other. His chest and back were soaked with sweat.
Tonight, he had played tricks in front of the Emperor. In reality, he had taken a big risk. He had been careful step by step. He was afraid that if he was not careful, it would backfire and cause the Emperor to suspect that he had ulterior motives for protecting Yu Shu. Thus, he had made his feelings clear to the Emperor early on. He had confessed that he and Yu Shu had been engaged to each other. First impressions were strong, so that the Emperor would think that his every action was due to love affairs and not suspect him.
He had paved the way for Yu Shu. As long as she took one step forward, she would be able to rise to the top.
Xue Rui set his mind at ease as he had a load off his mind. Sitting in the sedan, he swayed back and forth. After a while, he dozed off. In his daze, he felt that the sedan had stopped. He heard someone talking in a low voice outside. He furrowed his brows and asked with his eyes still closed, "Where are we?"
The person who answered outside was not one of his attendants. "Your Highness, something happened outside the city. Someone set fire to the barracks at night and burned a few of the tents."
Xue Rui suddenly woke up and pulled open the curtain of the sedan. In a deep voice, he asked, "Are there any casualties?" The person who came hurriedly replied, "Only two soldiers who were fighting the fire were slightly injured. Official Yu caught the person who set the fire. Please go back and punish him."
Xue Rui's heart tightened and then relaxed. His drunkenness had completely disappeared. He immediately got out of the sedan and ordered people to prepare a horse. He rushed to the barracks outside the city. There was a curfew in the city. Fortunately, the soldiers guarding the eastern part of the city were all under his command. Once they saw his people, there was no reason for them not to leave the city.
The horse galloped all the way to the barracks. By dawn, the fire had been extinguished and the air was filled with the smell of burning. Xue Rui saw that the collapsed tents were not far from the residence that he had arranged for Yu Shu. The expression on his face was very ugly.
"Where is Official Yu?"
Xue Rui's personal guards all knew that their Highness treated this female official of the An Dynasty very differently. Thus, no one was stupid enough to imprison her as a criminal. Tonight, Yu Shu hid out and waited for the fire to be extinguished. No one forced her to return to her residence.
"Reporting to Your Highness, Official Yu is currently in the eastern tent."
Xue Rui turned around and headed east. He didn't go far before he saw the maidservant outside the tent yawning. When she saw him, she hurriedly covered her mouth and lowered her body, "Your Highness, you're finally back. Master has been waiting for you for a long time."
Xue Rui nodded his head and pushed aside the curtain to enter. There were a few candles lit inside the tent, which dimly illuminated three people. Yu Shu was sitting in the position that he used to order soldiers. She was supporting her head with her hands and dozing off. Her clothes were thin, so it was obvious that she wasn't injured. He first let out a sigh of relief. Although he had heard that nothing happened to her, he still wanted to see with his own eyes that she was unharmed.
Afterwards, he turned his attention to the other two people. One was the expressionless man, and the other was clearly under someone else's control — — Jiang Miya. In the blink of an eye, he had guessed who the main culprit of tonight's disturbance was.
Jiang Miya's phoenix eyes glared fiercely at Xue Rui, who had just entered from outside. She gritted her teeth and said, "Liu Shining, quickly tell them to release this princess. Otherwise, you'll see what happens to you!"
Yu Shu was awakened by her voice. When she opened her eyes and saw that Xue Rui had arrived, she stretched and rubbed her neck while pointing at Jiang Miya. She said to him, "You're finally back. Here, I caught the thief who set the fire. What do you think we should do with him?" However, she didn't take the initiative to mention that Jiang Miya had tried to assassinate her. It wasn't because she was afraid of Jiang Miya's identity, but because she didn't want to make things difficult for Xue Rui.
Xue Rui ignored Jiang Miya's fiery gaze and walked to Yu Shu's side. He took off his cloak and wrapped it around her. He put one hand on her shoulder and said in a gentle manner, "It's my fault for not thinking things through and startling you."
Yu Shu patted the back of his hand to show that she was fine.
"Liu Shining!" Jiang Miya was angered by their intimate actions. She slammed the table and stood up. However, Loneswan, who was behind her, pressed down on her shoulder and made her sit back down. She had never suffered such humiliation before. She turned her head and angrily said, "Dog slave, do you dare to fight with me outside? See if I don't chop off your dog claws."
Loneswan looked down at her and said, "You're not my opponent." Even if he let her use one hand, she wouldn't be able to beat him.
"Pei, you were the one who sneak attacked me from behind. If you have the ability, then let go of me and fight again!"
This time, Loneswan didn't pay any attention to her. However, the way he looked at her was clearly saying 'defeated opponent'. Jiang Miya was furious. She hated the fact that she was under someone else's control and she couldn't beat this bastard. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She turned to look at Xue Rui and Yu Shu. She was so angry that she laughed and questioned them,
"One of you is a minister of a fallen country, and the other is a general of an enemy country. How dare you have an illicit relationship in private. Aren't you afraid that you'll be cursed by the whole world if this matter is spread out?"
Xue Rui and Yu Shu looked at each other. They could see no fear and no regret in each other's eyes. Xue Rui said with a serious expression, "Princess Royal did not attend tonight's celebration banquet. She must be unaware of Her Majesty's golden words. The previous dynasty's Celestial Commissioner mentioned that Yu Shu has the talent to govern the country. As long as she is willing to submit to the Great Yan, she will be treated with courtesy and let bygones be bygones."
Upon hearing this, Yu Shu's eyes flickered. With the same serious expression, she said, "As long as His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Yan promises not to kill Emperor Chongzhen, I'm willing to submit to him."
Both of them echoed each other, completely disregarding Jiang Miya's threat. Both of them wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder in front of the world. How could they not have a plan for the future?
"You, you …" Jiang Miya's eyes turned red with anger. She pointed her finger at them and scolded, "Blame me for being blind and not seeing through the relationship between you two!"
Yu Shu didn't like to hear this. She squinted at her, sneered and said, "You have no right to tell us what the relationship between us is. Princess trespassed into the barracks and set fire in the middle of the night. I caught you red-handed. You don't know how to repent and keep pestering me. Do you think you can get away with this? "
Xue Rui could vaguely guess that the reason why Jiang Miya was absent from the palace banquet tonight and sneaked into the barracks was not just to set fire to the barracks. He asked with a stern voice, "Why did you come here tonight?"
Jiang Miya didn't bother to cover up, "It's a dark and windy night. Why do you think I came here to set fire to the barracks?" Yu Shu didn't complain, but she admitted that she came here to set fire to the barracks. As for who she wanted to kill, it was self-evident.
Yu Shu suddenly felt the palm on her shoulder sink, and when she raised her head to look, she saw Xue Rui's expression was gloomy. His handsome features were suffused with a vicious aura, his eyes were faintly suffused with a red light, and his entire body seethed with a baleful aura, causing him to actually seem like a black-faced god that was extremely shocking. She didn't know that a person who had been on the battlefield for a long time, his hands were stained with blood, and he was used to seeing dead people. It was inevitable that he would be infected with killing intent. Once he was angry, he would kill anyone who stood in his way.
"How many people knew that Princess sneaked into the barracks? Who was the accomplice? "The angrier Xue Rui got, the calmer he became.
"No one knew. I just wanted to kill someone. I don't need any help." Jiang Miya said frankly. She was confident that they could not do anything to her. That's right. As the Eldest Princess of Great Yan Dynasty, if she wanted to kill a minister of a fallen dynasty, even if the minister died, no one would dare to make her pay with her life. Moreover, she had failed, but she was still alive.
Xue Rui lowered his head and asked Yu Shu, "Who else saw her?"
Yu Shu thought for a moment and answered, "At that time, everyone was fighting the fire, so no one noticed that I had captured her. Only my two serving ladies and Gu Hong, my man of sacrifice." She only mentioned Gu Hong's identity. She wasn't sure if Xue Rui was denying that Gu Hong was the sword bearer who followed Zhu Muzhao that night in Ascending Cloud Temple.
"That means apart from you, no one has seen her. That makes things easier." Xue Rui nodded his head, spun and walked to a weapon rack in the corner. He picked up a heavy sword and pulled it out from the scabbard.
Inside the tent, both Yu Shu and Jiang Miya were confused by his action. Just when they thought it was strange, they saw Xue Rui stride towards Jiang Miya with the sword in his hand. He swung the sword and was about to chop off Jiang Miya's head!
"Wait!" Yu Shu cried out hastily. But, her voice was not as fast as Xue Rui's sword. In just a split second, the blade of the sword had reached her neck, and a terrified face was reflected on the surface of the sword.
Jiang Miya's mind went blank. Her mouth was wide open, but she couldn't make any sound. Her eyes were filled with the cold expression of Xue Rui as he swung the sword at her. A final thought flashed across her mind – why did he want to kill her?!
"Clang!"
At the moment of life and death, Loneswan actually blocked it. Xue Rui's sword chopped down on his arm guard, causing the ground to tremble. Loneswan's expression changed slightly. He didn't dare to be careless and immediately retreated. His other hand picked up Jiang Miya, who had narrowly escaped death, and quickly dodged to the corner of the tent. His arm moved, and the steel arm guard broke into two halves and fell to the ground. It could be seen that Xue Rui had great strength. If that sword had landed on Jiang Miya's neck, her head would have fallen to the ground on the spot.
Seeing this, Yu Shu hurriedly rushed forward and grabbed onto Xue Rui's arm, holding him back. Although she was angry that Jiang Miya tried to assassinate her in the middle of the night, she never thought of killing her!
"Big Brother, don't! Quickly stop!" After their reunion, they had been together for more than half a month. Why didn't she notice that his temper had become so bad? When he was impulsive, it could cause one's liver to tremble.
Jiang Miya leaned on Loneswan's body, and her legs went soft. Her face was ashen, and there was no longer the indifference she had before. Her eyes reddened, and she asked in a daze, "You want to kill me?"
She thought that they had known each other for nine years, going through trials and tribulations together. Even if he didn't have any feelings for her, he would still have some feelings for her. In the end, it was all wishful thinking on her part.
Xue Rui failed to kill her, but his expression didn't change as he said, "In my heart, Ah Shu is already my wife. Since you have the intention to kill her, how can I spare you? Even if I didn't succeed today, I can't guarantee that you won't do it again in the future. You have nothing to fear just because you are a princess. If I don't get rid of you, there will be endless troubles in the future. Why don't you give me a reason not to kill you? "
No one knew how many nightmares he had when he and Ah Shu were separated for five years. He dreamed that she was trapped in the capital and died in this cage, unable to wait for him to pick her up. He cut through all the obstacles just to be by her side one day earlier. After going through so many hardships, he finally got what he wanted. Anyone who tried to stop him would be his enemy!
Jiang Hua Ya's face was pale. Looking at Xue Rui's eyes, it was as if she had just recognized him today, "If I die, my royal brother will not let you off."
"No one will think that I will kill you," Xue Rui was extremely calm. He raised his sword and pointed it at her, "After tonight, the Eldest Princess will disappear and the fire in the camp outside the city was done by a spy to steal military secrets. These two matters are unrelated."
Hearing this, Jiang Hua's hair stood up. She could no longer lie to herself that Xue Rui had any feelings for her. He wasn't trying to scare her, he really wanted her life!
Of course Jiang Hua was afraid of death. Her willfulness was only because she had someone to rely on, not because she didn't have a brain. Now that death was near, she finally knew fear. She didn't want to die here and let this dog and dog couple take advantage of her.
She awkwardly retreated and stepped on a foot. When she turned around and saw Loneswan, she suddenly remembered that he had just saved her. Thinking about how his martial arts were strong and how he could appear and disappear unpredictably, she suddenly had an idea and grabbed his arm. Gritting her teeth, she said,
"You, you escort this princess out of this place. When I safely return to the palace, I will reward you with a thousand taels of gold!"
However, Loneswan coldly looked at her and thought, this stupid woman must have misunderstood something. If he hadn't heard his master stop him, he wouldn't have cared if she was dead or alive.
"You think a thousand taels of gold is too little?" Jiang Hua grabbed his arm and refused to let go, like she was grabbing onto a life-saving straw, "Alright, alright, alright. I'll have my royal brother make you an official and give you a mansion and beauties. If you have any other requests, I'll agree to them all!"
Loneswan did not move and looked at Yu Shu with impatience in his eyes.
Yu Shu knew that she shouldn't laugh at this moment, but Jiang Hua's silly look amused her. She chuckled and couldn't help but tease, "Princess, instead of begging him, why don't you beg me? As long as you lower your head and admit your mistake, I will consider sparing you."
"Humph!" Jiang Hua hated Yu Shu to the core. How could she lower her head and admit her mistake? She might as well die.
Xue Rui was still holding his sword. He turned around and looked at Yu Shu with an indescribable expression, "When did you learn to be softhearted? Even if you forgive her today, will she forgive you in the future?"
Seeing him stubbornly insisting on killing Jiang Qiya, disregarding the consequences, Yu Shu couldn't help but feel very happy in her heart. However, she couldn't really watch him kill Jiang Hua, the emperor's younger sister, in a moment of impulse.
She stretched out her hand and pressed it on Xue Rui's wrist that was holding the sword. She gently pressed it down and looked him in the eye, silently stopping him. The anger in his eyes didn't diminish, but he still followed her will and lowered his sword, wanting to see what she would do.
"I haven't died yet, but you're already so angry. What if I really die in her hands? What will you do then?"
Xue Rui replied without hesitation, "I will first kill her to avenge you, then meet you in the underworld." Without her in this world, what meaning was there in living?
Yu Shu unconsciously used the Great Insight Technique and stared at him for a moment. Suddenly, she smiled brightly and turned her head to say to Jiang Hua, "You saw and heard everything. You want to kill me, so he will definitely avenge me. Unless you kill both of us, you won't be able to escape death. Let me ask you, what kind of deep hatred do we have for each other to fight to the death? "
"I — —" Jiang Hua was originally bold and confident. From her point of view, she had already determined that Xue Rui would be her future son-in-law. Who would have thought that Yu Shu would appear out of nowhere and ruin her plans? Of course, it was Yu Shu's fault. She was angry and wanted to kill Yu Shu to vent her hatred.
However, when Yu Shu seriously asked about it, she couldn't bring herself to say it. What kind of deep hatred was it to steal someone's love? If she said it out loud, it would make her seem petty.
When she saw Jiang Miya's conflicted expression, Yu Shu put away her smile and went to ask Xue Rui for the sword in his hand. Under his deep gaze, she carried the heavy sword with both hands and walked over to Jiang Miya before she passed the hilt of the sword forward and said,
"I know you like him, but I like him even more than you do. If I can't be with him for the rest of my life, glory, splendor, wealth, and fame are useless to me. So, I'll give you a chance. You can kill the two of us now to prevent him from seeking revenge in the future. Otherwise, please be magnanimous and let us go, so that our lovers can finally be together. "
She didn't see Xue Rui's suddenly burning gaze behind her, nor did she see the gentleness on his lips. However, Jiang Hua, who was in front of her, could see that dazzling smile.
"Do you think I don't dare?" Jiang Hua gripped the hilt of the sword with a gloomy expression. As long as she used a little more strength to stab forward, Yu Shu would be unable to escape death. However, Xue Rui, who was standing not far away, didn't move at all. He didn't stop her, as if he was prepared to die together with her.
Yu Shu let go of her hand, allowing Jiang Hua to point the sword at her heart. She didn't care whether she would live or die in the next moment. She turned around and locked eyes with Xue Rui. The two of them only had eyes for each other and nothing else.
"Damn it!" "Clang!"
Jiang Hua forcefully threw the sword on the ground and scolded in a low voice, "Isn't he just a stinky man? Do you think I can't live without him? If you want to die together, then go jump into the lake, go drown yourself, or go take poison!"
Gu Hong was startled by her sudden craziness, so he took a few more glances at her. He inadvertently discovered a trace of moisture at the corner of her red eyes, making him feel a little awkward.
Yu Shu didn't get angry after being scolded by her. She asked with a smile, "Does Princess still want to kill me?"
"I won't kill her, I won't kill her." Jiang Qiya glared at her angrily before glaring at Xue Rui. She said sarcastically, "This princess's words carry enormous weight. If someone were to kill her one day, you better not wrongly accuse me."
Although her words were unpleasant to hear, they were the truth.
Yu Shu finally relaxed. She walked to Xue Rui's side and persuaded him in a low voice. He hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he listened to her and said to Jiang Hua, "I will let you off this time. If there is a next time, I will definitely not be lenient."
After saying that, he hugged Yu Shu and left, leaving Jiang Hua and Gu Hong staring at each other.
"Since there's nothing else, I will be leaving." Jiang Hua was putting on a brave front, but in reality, she was secretly relieved. There was a wave of lingering fear in her heart, and her head was spinning. She just wanted to leave this godforsaken place as soon as possible.
"…" Loneswan silently grabbed her collar and pulled her back.
"Aiyo! Why are you grabbing onto me? Let go, let go of me! "
"Master didn't say anything, so you can't leave."
"Are you blind? Can't you see that the two of them have left? Hurry up and let go of this princess. Believe it or not, I will get someone to cut you into pieces and feed you to the dogs? "
"Hmph."
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