Ban Han's speed was too fast, and the two sides were in full swing. Although her arrow didn't hit his head, it still injured his arm. She fell in love with him. Ban Han's action was like a switch. The Rong Army's prepared archers, under the cover of the shield-wielding soldiers, fired their arrows in unison.
These people had all attacked Qingsong County with Ban Huo, so their cooperation was very tacit. From the beginning to the end, they adhered to the principle that if they could fight, they would never say a word more. Even if they did, it was to confuse the enemy and ignite the flames of war.
The Imperial Court's army didn't expect the Rong Army to be so insidious. They were clearly scolding each other, but when there was a disagreement, they attacked. This seemed to be a bit different from before.
"Despicable people," the soldier who was shot covered his wound and gasped, "Today, I'm here, I definitely won't let them enter the city!"
War was always bloody, the sound of killing, and the cries of pain. Some people were so bloodthirsty that they didn't know pain or fatigue.
"Kill five enemies and you'll get five taels of silver. Kill ten enemies and you'll get fifteen taels of silver. If you kill the enemy's general, you'll get an official title. Brothers, let's go!" Du Jiu carried a blood-stained broadsword and rode his horse to the city gate. The battering ram hit the city gate again and again. The old city gate, which had been in disrepair for many years, finally lost its ability to resist the continuous impact and fell down.
The Imperial Court's army that was hiding behind the city gate came out in full force. The two sides fought together, and the ground outside the city gate was dyed red with blood.
Ban Han also wanted to rush in, but he was stopped by Rong Xia.
"As a general, you can't be impulsive," Rong Xia rode on his horse and looked at the Imperial Flag on the city wall expressionlessly, "This war hasn't reached the point where you have to fight."
Ban Han pulled out his sword and held it tightly, "I understand."
"Marshal, the gate is broken!" A soldier stopped the hurried Changqing Of Gojoseon, "You should leave quickly, the gate can't be defended for long."
They didn't expect that Yongzhou's city gate would be in such a state of disrepair. What were the local officials doing? Their mansions were luxurious and magnificent, yet they did not have the money to repair the city gates?
The only thing they could do now was to protect the marshal's retreat and prevent the rebel army from capturing him.
General Shi had already been captured. If the marshal was captured as well, then the imperial army would be completely wiped out.
The battle cries outside the city shook the heavens. The Changqing Of Gojoseon heard the battle cries coming closer and closer. He gritted his teeth and said to the people around him, "Retreat!"
Yongzhou City couldn't be saved.
He did not expect Rong Xia to have so many tricks up their sleeves. The rebel army's armor and weapons were probably prepared long ago. Otherwise, how could they be better than the imperial army?
Rong Xia was so bold to have such ambitions at such a young age.
Although the Changqing Of Gojoseon was filled with hatred, he knew that this was not the time to show off. He ordered his subordinates to pack up a few things, got on his horse, and fled. Because they were worried that the rebels would catch up to them if they ran too slowly, they threw away everything that was slightly heavier and inconvenient to carry.
They used their actions to demonstrate what it meant to throw away one's armor.
Rong Xia stepped on a sea of blood as he entered the gates of Yongzhou City. The city was filled with the smell of blood and faint cries of agony. It made this place seem like hell on earth.
Ban Han stood by his side, avoiding the blood on the ground. She turned and said to Du Jiu, "Take people to deal with the wounded soldiers. Pay attention to the imperial army lying on the ground. Don't get ambushed."
"Yes." Du Jiu accepted the order and retreated.
"Huahua," Rong Xia turned to look at Ban Han and held her hand, "Just stay by my side like this, okay?"
"If your heart doesn't change, I won't let you down," Ban Han neatly adjusted her clothes, "Don't think too much. As long as you don't disappoint me, I will always be by your side."
"Lord, General," Zhao Zhong rode a fast horse over, "the Changqing Of Gojoseon escaped."
"Escaped?" Ban Han sneered, "It's only been a few hours and he abandoned the soldiers and ran away. He really is a loyal wang ye."
When Zhao Zhong saw the two of them holding hands, he dryly smiled, "Are we going to chase after them?"
"No need," Rong Xia said, "Rest in Yongzhou for now. Half a month later, go to the imperial city to kill the traitors and restore the court!"
"Yes!" Zhao Zhong's heart warmed and his eyes lit up.
The Changqing Of Gojoseon had fled the entire way and only felt safe when he hid in Mingyu Zhou, which was very close to the capital. But now that he had fled, he had to give the court an explanation. He thought for a long time. He had his subordinates send gold, silver and jewels to some of the officials that the Fengning Emperor trusted. He also wrote a memorial to the Fengning Emperor asking for forgiveness. The memorial was full of apologies, but every sentence hinted to the Fengning Emperor that it wasn't his ability to lead the troops, but that there was a traitor in the army who had leaked the military secrets.
Who was the traitor?
Of course, it was the Crown Prince's brother-in-law, Shi Jin. Since Shi Jin had been captured, he would take all the blame. The Changqing Of Gojoseon didn't feel any pressure.
When Jiang Luo received the Changqing Of Gojoseon's memorial and with the help of his close officials, he really did blame Shi Jin for everything. In a fit of anger, he killed the Shi Family, demoted them, and sent the younger ones to be slaves. The once glorious Shi Family had completely declined.
Some people sighed, some people sympathized. Anyone with a normal brain could guess that the Changqing Of Gojoseon had lied. But the Emperor believed it, so what could they do? In addition, when the Shi Family was in power, they had offended many people. Naturally, no one was willing to stand up for them.
When the news reached Yongzhou, Shi Jin was copying scriptures in his room.
"My father … has been beheaded?" Shi Jin's voice was hoarse. He sat on the stool in a daze. The ink on the tip of the brush spilled and stained the entire paper. But at this time, who would care about such a piece of paper?
Seeing him like this, Zhao Zhong felt a little sympathetic. "Please restrain your grief."
Shi Jin shook his head blankly. He put down the brush and said to Zhao Zhong, "Thank you, Lord Zhao. I want to be alone for a while."
"Goodbye." Zhao Zhong left the room, shook his head, and sighed.
Three days later, Shi Jin changed into a clean, plain-colored cotton robe. His hair was tied up with a silver crown. His complexion looked good, but there were still traces of blood in his eyes. He found Rong Xia and bowed to him. "I am Shi Jin. I am willing to serve Marquis Cheng'an faithfully."
Rong Xia looked at the man standing under the sun. After a while, he asked, "Are you willing?"
"Of course."
Shi Jin smiled bitterly. "I am all alone now. I have nothing to worry about. If I follow Marquis, at least I won't be condemned by my conscience."
"Mr. Shi is too polite." Rong Xia bowed to him. "Please take care of me in the future."
"I don't dare." Shi Jin bowed again. "Subordinate Shi Jin greets my lord."
Ban Han stood outside the door, wearing a water-colored dress. Shi Jin's back was facing her, so she couldn't see his expression. Shi Jin also didn't know that the woman he had a crush on was standing behind him.
Ban Han stood there for a while. In the end, she didn't come forward to disturb them. She turned around and walked out of the courtyard, basking in the sunlight.
"General." Madame Zhao held the two children's hands. When she saw her, she bowed and smiled. "The weather is good today. Why don't you take a walk in the city?"
Ban Han reached out and patted the children's heads. She smiled at Madame Zhao and said, "Let's go. You two little monkeys must be bored."
Previously, she was worried that there would be spies from the imperial court in the city. Therefore, the families of the soldiers were not allowed to go out. Now that the city had been searched over and over again, and some people had even started to set up stalls to survive, Ban Han was relieved to let the two children go out.
"It's a little boring." Zhao Dalang nodded. "But it's bearable."
"You know how to endure at such a young age." Ban Han rubbed the whip on his head. "You take after your father."
Zhao Dalang rubbed his head and smiled foolishly. His younger brother broke free from Madame Zhao's hand and eagerly approached Ban Han. He took out an ugly candy and said, "Princess, I saved this for you."
"Thank you, Erlang." Ban Han took the candy. She didn't care whether the candy was clean or not. She threw it into her mouth and munched on it.
Bringing along the bodyguards, the group of people walked out of the temporary residence. Ban Han used some money to buy a lot of small toys for the two children. Some stall owners didn't dare to take her money, so she didn't say anything. She directly threw down the money and walked away. She was very much like a moving money bag.
When she walked to the foot of a wall, a child less than ten years old was crying loudly. His face was dirty and his clothes were tattered beyond recognition. Madame Zhao couldn't bear to see it. She wanted to help the child, but Ban Han stopped her.
"Madame Zhao." Ban Han looked at the child who was crying more and more sadly. His expression was cold. "In times of chaos, sometimes children aren't necessarily children. You should be careful."
Madame Zhao's heart trembled. She carefully looked at the poor child. She couldn't see what was wrong with him.
"Didn't you notice? When the children who were fighting saw us, they unconsciously lowered their voices." Ban Han raised his chin. "Children like these who don't have parents to protect them should be careful."
Madame Zhao immediately understood. Thinking about her behavior, she sucked in a breath of cold air. If there really was a problem with this child, she …
Ban Han gestured to the bodyguards. "Take this child to the orphanage. Tell them to pay attention to him, but don't make things difficult for him."
"Yes."
Madame Zhao looked at the dazzling Princess Fule. Her heart was filled with admiration. She was worthy of being the imperial daughter that all the soldiers in the army admired. She acted cautiously and rationally. She was much more knowledgeable than a woman like her.
Madame Zhao didn't know why, but she felt a bit envious.
It must be very interesting for a girl to live like this.
The child who was sent to the orphanage was investigated within a few days. He was really a trained young assassin. He hadn't been in the organization for long. He was chosen by the assassin organization during the snowstorm two years ago. Because of the recent serious situation, these young assassins were also sent out to carry out missions.
This young assassin joined the assassin organization in order to earn a bowl of rice. This was the first time he acted, and the result was a failure.
He saw that the food in the orphanage was not worse than that of the assassin organization. He was also caught, so he might as well tell them everything he knew. He hadn't been brainwashed by the assassin organization yet. His pragmatic nature prevailed. When he betrayed the organization, he didn't feel any pressure.
Ban Han found out that this assassin organization was the one that assassinated Rong Xia. It was also because of the heavy losses that they had to send out their children.
After finding out where their base was, Ban Han decided that when he returned to the capital, he would dismantle this assassin organization.
Three days later, the army set out. The Rong army cut through all obstacles and swept away all obstacles. No one was able to stop them. In less than three months, they reached the state closest to the capital, Yujing state.
Yujing state was a prosperous place. There was once an expert who said that only with Yujing state in the capital would the imperial aura be more vigorous. For the imperial court, Yujing state was their last line of defense.
When he heard that Rong Xia had reached Yujing state, Jiang Luo couldn't eat or sleep. He once wanted to abandon the capital and escape. When he found out that his escape route had been surrounded by Rong Xia's people, he gave up on this idea.
Yujing state and the capital were like a piece of fat meat that was surrounded and couldn't jump out. They could only wait for the day when they would be eaten. Unless this piece of fat meat turned into a hungry wolf and fought back.
Compared to the panicked nobles and imperial family, the people in the capital were much calmer. They had heard that Marquis Cheng'an's journey was like the help of God. In just a short year, he had occupied more than half of the territory of Daye. Some states and counties even warmly welcomed his arrival. After Marquis Cheng'an's army entered the city, they didn't disturb the people nor did they steal. They were much kinder than the imperial court's army.
It was no wonder that God sent a miracle to remind the people that there would be a wise ruler to replace the incapable ruler. The wise ruler was Marquis Cheng'an, and the incapable ruler was the one sitting on the dragon throne now.
After the family closed the door, they couldn't help but secretly ask each other, "Did Marquis Cheng'an attack today?"
"Not yet."
"It's been a few days. Did Marquis Cheng'an attack?"
"Not yet."
When would the Marquis of Cheng 'an be able to break in? The people had to deal with this brain-damaged emperor every day. It was very tiring.
"We can't leave, we can't attack. What do you think we should do?" Jiang Luo smashed the teacup in his hand and scolded the ministers standing below. "Do you really want me to give up the throne to him?"
"Your Majesty, why don't you send a minister who has a good relationship with Marquis Cheng'an to persuade him to surrender? Give him the title of Prince or something like that. It'll give him a way out." A minister who was usually quite respected in front of Jiang Luo said, "Our imperial court has shown our sincerity. If Marquis Cheng'an still doesn't know what's good for him, then he will have bad intentions."
"You're right. We'll do as you say. But who should we send?" Jiang Luo didn't know who Rong Xia was on good terms with. In his impression, when his father was in power, Rong Xia seemed to have a good relationship with every minister.
"Why don't …" The minister rolled his eyes. "Let Yao Peiji go?"
"Okay, let's send him."
After Yao Peiji received the imperial edict, he was at home playing with his grandson. The eunuch who announced the edict was arrogant. After taking Yao Peiji's pouch, he turned and left without giving any face.
"What's there to be proud of? His master is going to be the ruler of a fallen country," Yao Ling scolded. "Snakes and rats alike. They're all bad people."
Yao Peiji threw the imperial edict to one side. Stroking his beard, he said: "The imperial court is too naive."
Rong Xia's victory was in sight. Why would he care about the position of Prince? As for the so-called gossip, it was even more laughable. In this world, only the losers cared about gossip. The real history was written by the victors.
"Father, what should we do now?" Yao Ling held her face, her expression desolate. "I don't know how Princess Fule is doing. Following Marquis Cheng 'an, she has to go to the battlefield and come into contact with bloody things. It's really worrying."
Yao Peiji looked at his youngest daughter in confusion. "When did you become so close to Princess Fule?"
In this half a year, his daughter would ask him about Princess Fule from time to time. He didn't think there was anything wrong before, but now he felt that something was wrong. His daughter's behavior seemed a bit strange?
"Father, you don't understand. Beauties are treasures given to us by the heavens," Yao Ling shook her head. "Beauties are easy to obtain, but true beauties are hard to find."
"Nonsense," Yao Peiji said. "I see that you're not young anymore. When Jing City stabilizes, I'll arrange a marriage for you."
"I think Princess Fule's younger brother is not bad," Yao Ling held her face. "He looks cute when he smiles."
"Ban Heng?" Yao Peiji's eyes widened. "That dandy from the Ban Family?"
"He's not an ordinary dandy. He's different from the rest," Yao Ling said seriously. "It's good to marry him."
Yao Peiji held back for a long time before saying: "You want to marry him, but he has to be willing to marry you first."
Yao Peiji, who had made his daughter speechless, took a few officials with him and left the capital for Yujing Prefecture the next morning.
Yujing Prefecture.
Ban Han was teaching the soldiers how to use the spear. When he heard that an envoy had come from the capital, he threw the silver spear in his hand to one of the soldiers. Wiping the sweat on his forehead, he asked, "Who is it?"
"Yao Peiji," Du Jiu replied.
"Him?" Ban Han raised his eyebrows and quickly walked to the main tent. He happened to see box after box of gold, silver and jewels being carried into the main tent. When the eunuchs outside saw her, they didn't even dare to raise their heads.
These were all eunuchs sent by the palace. Their purpose was to monitor Yao Peiji.
When she opened the tent and entered, she heard a eunuch's shrill voice.
"Marquis Cheng 'an, do you want to commit treason?"
She stepped forward and kicked the screaming eunuch to the ground. After staying in the military camp for a while, she had become less and less tactful in her actions.
The envoy lay on the ground and didn't know how to react. After a while, he cursed: "Who is it, who dares to kick me?"
Ban Han stepped on the eunuch's back and sneered: "You're just one of Jiang Luo's dogs. You dare to bark here. This is the main tent of the Rong Army, not Jiang Luo's palace. You better shut your mouth. Otherwise, I'll have someone drag you out and cut out your tongue. "
"Princess Fule, you, you dare!" All the eunuchs in the palace knew Ban Han. Even though he was lying on the ground and couldn't see Ban Han's face, he knew who kicked him just by listening to the voice.
"You can try," Ban Han sneered and released the eunuch's foot, "Come, let me hear you shout."
The eunuch's face turned red, then white, then green, but he didn't dare to shout again.
"Wouldn't it have been better if you'd just shut your mouth?" Ban Han walked over to Rong Xia and sat down. The two of them sat on the same long and wide chair. There was no difference in height.
Rong Xia saw sweat on her forehead and nose. She used a handkerchief to wipe it for her: "Why bother with this kind of thing? Be careful not to dirty your feet."
"Untactful dog, do you think I'll tolerate him?" Ban Han drank half a cup of tea, "You guys talk, I'll just sit here and won't disturb you."
Yao Peiji, who was sitting to the side, acted as if he didn't see anything when Ban Han kicked the eunuch. When he heard Ban Han's words, he stood up and cupped his hands to Rong Xia: "Marquis Cheng'an, this old man greets you."
"Lord Yao, there's no need to be so courteous. Please sit." Rong Xia didn't ask Yao Peiji why he came. After the two of them argued for a long time, Yao Peiji couldn't take it anymore and stated his purpose.
"The title of Prince?" Rong Xia raised her eyebrows. She had a faint smile on her face, "What title is that?"
"Loyalty."
"Loyalty, can the sun and moon bear witness?" Rong Xia picked up Ban Han's cup of tea and took a sip. She slowly shook her head, "This title isn't good."
"Marquis, what title do you like? The imperial court will definitely satisfy you."
"The title isn't important. I just want to see His Majesty and the Crown Prince," Rong Xia put down the teacup, "If I don't see His Majesty and the Crown Prince, I won't be able to eat or sleep in peace."
Rong Xia kept saying 'His Majesty', but he definitely wasn't referring to the Fengning Emperor, but the Emperor Yunqing who hadn't shown up for a long time.
Yao Peiji only acted as if he didn't understand and lowered his head to drink his tea.
"Marquis, His Majesty is the heir appointed by the Retired Emperor. What do you mean by that?" The eunuch who had been quiet for a long time couldn't help but speak again, "His Majesty is the Retired Emperor's child. Could it be …"
"Bang!" A teacup exploded at his feet.
Rong Xia said with a cold face, "I'm talking to the Lord Yao. How can a lowly person like you interrupt?"
"Someone come!"
A few armored soldiers walked in, their faces filled with killing intent.
"Drag this eunuch away and cut out his tongue," Rong Xia said expressionlessly, "It's annoying to listen to."
The soldiers ignored the eunuch's struggles and covered his mouth before dragging him away. The other eunuchs who came with him didn't dare to speak. Only now did they completely wake up. This wasn't the Daye Imperial Palace, and they weren't the Emperor's favorites that even court officials had to curry favor with. No one would give them face.
Marquis Cheng'an acted without warning. How could they dare to offend him?
Seeing the talkative eunuch being dragged away, Yao Peiji didn't feel offended. Instead, he stood up and apologized to Rong Xia.
"Lord Yao, don't take it to heart. What do other people's mistakes have to do with you?" Rong Xia said, "Lord Yao, please go back and tell Prince Ning that I don't care about the title. I just want Prince Ning to bring His Majesty and the Crown Prince out to prove their safety."
Yao Peiji didn't insist and immediately agreed, "This official will definitely pass on Marquis' message."
Yao Peiji hadn't returned to the capital yet. The news that Rong Xia would rather not give up the title of Prince to ensure His Majesty and the Crown Prince's safety had spread through several provinces and counties. Even the people in the capital knew.
Some people praised Rong Xia for not bowing to power. Others praised Rong Xia for his loyalty. This further confirmed that Jiang Luo's position as Emperor was not obtained through proper means.
"He rebelled and made a good name for himself?" When Jiang Luo heard these rumors, he was so angry that the blood in his heart almost came out. "Go tell the capital zhaoyi that if anyone in the capital speaks nonsense, immediately send them to prison."
"Your Majesty, this cannot be done," said a crafty official who still had some brains. "If we do this, in the eyes of the people, it will only make us look guilty."
Jiang Luo's face suddenly darkened. "If Retired Emperor dies of illness, naturally no one will clamor to see him."
The others frowned. Now that His Majesty had obtained the throne and Retired Emperor was under house arrest, killing one's father was not a good name. This matter … could not be done.
They didn't dare to speak directly and could only use silence to express their attitude.
Jiang Luo was most annoyed by their silent and cowardly appearance. After scolding them a few times, he had them leave.
He thought for a long time in the hall. Thinking back to Emperor Yunqing's actions of favoring the Crown Prince, he finally made up his mind. He summoned Emperor Yunqing's personal eunuch, Wang De, and handed a bag of medicine to Wang De.
"Imperial Father hasn't been sleeping well recently and frequently has palpitations, right?" Jiang Luo looked gloomily at Wang De.
Wang De knelt on the ground and didn't speak.
Jiang Luo suddenly became angry and stood up to kick him. At this time, a eunuch scrambled in.
"Your Majesty, it's not good!"
"Rong Xia has attacked the capital!"
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