CHAPTER 19

He couldn’t tell them immediately that the city was about to fall, or else the panicked civilians would be uncontrollable. However, the last day might not be enough for them to escape! A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Lian Chengzhu’s eyes. It had to be this way.

The next day, as dawn approached, Lian Sihuan and Lian Xiyue, along with Madam Jiang, waited by the Xiangnao River for Lian Chengzhu. Lian Sihuan’s face was pale; she knew that abandoning the city was a grave offense. She hadn’t slept well these past days. Once they left this place, she would no longer be the noble lady of Yingdong; she would be the daughter of a traitor. Thinking about the future, it felt bleak.

The three of them waited for a quarter of an hour, but Lian Chengzhu still hadn’t arrived. Lian Xiyue showed signs of impatience: “Why hasn’t father come yet? Didn’t he say he would handle things and then come?”

“Should we not tell Qi’er and Sheng’er that we are going to the imperial city?” Madam Sang furrowed her brows in worry. She was timid and gentle by nature, and leaving behind Lian Qi and Lian Sheng made her uneasy. She felt guilty about it.

“Mother, what are you still thinking about them at a time like this! Big brother will find a way to escape unharmed. Lian Sheng married Yi Qiancheng, became the city lord’s wife—her future is better than ours. Her situation is far better than ours,” Lian Sihuan pouted. Her mother was never on the same page as them.

Everyone knew that Lian Sihuan wasn’t speaking the truth. Once the city fell, how could Lian Qi, as the commander, survive? He would fight to the very last moment on the battlefield. As for Lian Sheng, if she truly had the “good life” Lian Sihuan spoke of, she would have married Yi Qiancheng long ago. Yi Qiancheng hated the Lian family; for Lian Sheng to survive in his hands would be a miracle.

The wharf had still not seen Lian Chengzhu’s figure when a guard rushed over: “Madam, Second Young Master, Second Young Miss, the city lord asks that you return to the city. General Yi and the eldest miss have returned!”

“What did you say? Lian Sheng has returned!” Lian Sihuan widened her eyes. Why would Lian Sheng return now? And she brought Yi Qiancheng with her!

……

In the Yingdong City Lord’s residence, Lian Chengzhu was smiling apologetically. Sitting in the main seat, Yi Qiancheng’s eyes flashed with sarcasm. It had been five years. Back then, on the city wall, Lian Chengzhu had pleaded with him, only for Yi Qiancheng to coldly tell him, “The engagement between Yingdong and Shaji is hereby nullified. Close the city gates and let Master Yi leave.”

The door slowly closed in Yi Qiancheng’s eyes, and the overwhelming despair nearly drowned him. He had killed countless Western Qiang people and had pinned all his hopes on this rescue, but he never expected his hopes to be shattered so thoroughly.

When he returned to Shaji, covered in injuries, he received the news that his father had died in battle and his mother had died by suicide.

Now, the tables had turned, and it was finally time for the Lord of Lian City to seek help from him. Five years ago, his family and countless citizens of the city had perished because of the Lord of Lian City’s selfish indifference. Yi Qiancheng raised his eyes and spoke coldly, “I came this time only to accompany Lian Sheng back to her home.”

The Lord of Lian City sneered and awkwardly said, “I’m sorry for what happened back then, General. For many years, I’ve been unable to sleep, regretting and blaming myself. Now, with the Western Qiang army attacking the city and the situation critical, I hope, for the sake of the friendship between the late Lord Yi and me, you will lend a helping hand.” He had seen the large army that Yi Qiancheng had brought, and all of them were well-equipped. If Yi Qiancheng were willing to intervene, Yingdong could be saved, and he would no longer have to carry the shame of abandoning the city and fleeing to the imperial city with his family.

Lian Sheng had just asked the maidservants to put down their things and, not having time to chat with the tearful Old Madam Liu, hurried to the main hall. She didn’t expect to overhear this conversation right when she arrived. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked at Yi Qiancheng’s expression. As expected, his face immediately turned cold, and there seemed to be a layer of ice over his brows and eyes.

She shouldn’t have let her father stay with Yi Qiancheng! How could he so casually speak of such things? Her father had once disregarded their friendship, and now he was hoping Yi Qiancheng would do the same?

Before Lian Sheng left, she had asked Old Madam Liu about the battle situation. The old maidservant had shaken her head and replied, “I’m not sure, but these past few days, the Lord and Madam’s faces have looked terrible. I suspect the situation is not good.”

It seemed that the situation in Yingdong was indeed dire. Since Yi Qiancheng had already come, Lian Sheng didn’t intend to beat around the bush with him. She was worried about her brother, and if she delayed, it might be too late. She needed to be direct with Yi Qiancheng.

“Husband! Husband, you are kind-hearted. The lives of the entire city are at stake, and only you can save them. Please, the whole of Yingdong will be forever grateful for your kindness.”

The coldness on Yi Qiancheng’s face hadn’t faded, and he glanced at her when he heard her words. Lian Sheng was lying. When had he ever shown kindness on his face? Yi Qiancheng didn’t respond. He stood up and walked toward Lian Sheng. “Where is your bedroom? I’m tired. I only promised to accompany you back to your home. I didn’t promise anything else.”

Lian Sheng bit her lip. Before she could speak, the Lord of Lian City suddenly said, “General Yi! Name your terms! To be honest, Yingdong is about to fall, and if you’re willing to save us, we’ll accept anything.”

If they waited any longer, Yingdong would fall. While the Lord of Lian City was sometimes foolish, at this moment, he was clear-headed. Yi Qiancheng had brought his army to Lian’s residence, and his intentions were obvious. He intended to conquer the world! Given this, he certainly wouldn’t offer help to Yingdong for free.

The Lord of Lian City had figured it out. If they fled to the imperial city, and if the Second Prince ascended the throne, it would be fine. But if the Second Prince failed to secure the throne, then the Lord might not escape unscathed. It was better to align with Yi Qiancheng, even if only to temporarily relieve the crisis facing the city. Now, looking at Yi Qiancheng’s military strength, it was truly frightening. Maybe... Yi Qiancheng really had the potential to rule the world.

Lian Sheng frowned and looked up at Yi Qiancheng. Since he married her, the two cities should have been in an allied relationship, not one of annexation. Unless, of course, Lian Sheng was a woman sent to Yi Qiancheng from Yingdong, rather than a wife of equal standing.

Yi Qiancheng didn’t turn around when he heard her. He met her gaze, took a breath, and reached out to touch her face. “You should rest for now.”

Lian Sheng’s lashes fluttered, but she didn’t pull away. Feeling the warmth of his palm, she softly responded, “Okay.” She gave him the respect he deserved and didn’t make unreasonable demands to have him intervene for free.

The resentment in his heart hadn’t dissipated, and she hadn’t truly entered his heart. Everything he did was driven by ambition. Lian Sheng only hoped that Yi Qiancheng, for her sake, would save as many soldiers as he could and do everything he could to protect the citizens of the city.

Yi Qiancheng watched Lian Sheng leave, and the slight warmth on his face disappeared. He turned back to the Lord of Lian City, smiling faintly, “I can send the troops, but from now on, Yingdong will belong to Shaji. After the chaos settles, I will station my troops in Yingdong. If you’re willing, sign the agreement. If not, we’ll leave it.”

“You want the entire Yingdong!” The Lord of Lian City stared at Yi Qiancheng in shock. He had thought Yi Qiancheng would demand wealth, treasures, jewels, grain... but instead, he was claiming the entire city for Shaji!

This was a blatant challenge to the imperial family!

Yi Qiancheng didn’t answer the Lord’s rhetorical question. Despite the importance of this negotiation, he seemed distracted, his thoughts drifting back to Lian Sheng’s expression earlier. He still didn’t want her to see his current self, so he let her leave first.

Would she be sad? How would she look at him?

“Fine... As long as General can keep my family safe and ensure that Yingdong isn’t trampled by the Western Qiang, I’ll sign!”

Yi Qiancheng nodded and strode out.

“General Yi! Where are you going?”

“Out to deploy the troops.” It would be better to act sooner than later. From the intelligence he had received yesterday, Lian Qi’s forces had run out of supplies and could barely hold on. If anything happened to Lian Qi, Lian Sheng would be deeply hurt.

Along the way, Yi Qiancheng kept probing into Lian Sheng’s past, having thoroughly investigated her background. He naturally knew that in the Lian family, Lian Sheng was closest to Lian Qi. With a man’s intuition, he harbored a deep animosity toward his brother-in-law, whom he had never met.

A smile crept across his lips. No matter how good things were before, Lian Sheng was only Lian Qi’s sister. Now, she was his woman.

His alone.

Here’s the English translation of the text:

Liu Momo said, “It seems the general has feelings for you, that’s why he rushed to leave so quickly. Do you want to go and send him off?”

Lian Sheng shook her head. She didn’t believe that Yi Qiancheng was in such a rush because of her. Most likely, he was in a hurry because of his own ambitions. She didn’t know what conditions her father and he had agreed upon. When Momo asked her if she wanted to see Yi Qiancheng off, she instinctively refused.

Perhaps it was because she had returned to a familiar place, with people who cared for her. She didn’t have to constantly revolve around Yi Qiancheng. For the time being, she didn’t want to continue trying to win his favor.

He didn’t really like her, so there was no need to be around him and be in the way. It was better for her to leave quickly and avoid the trouble of saying goodbye.

But someone else had a different idea. A flurry of footsteps sounded in the courtyard, mixed with the voices of people greeting, “General.” After a while, the sound of footsteps drew nearer.

Damn! Yi Qiancheng, who should have been on the battlefield, was coming to her boudoir!

He was holding his armor, and when he saw Lian Sheng’s surprised expression, he raised an eyebrow. “What, are you stunned? Aren’t you going to help me get dressed? Don’t cry later if it’s too late.”

Lian Sheng: “...” She had almost forgotten that he needed to put on armor in a hurry! Now, it looked like she would have to say goodbye after all.

Liu Momo, seeing the way the general looked at the young lady, felt a sense of relief and even a hint of joy. Yi Qiancheng didn’t seem as terrifying as the rumors suggested. He was very handsome and seemed to have some feelings for the young lady.

Liu Momo pulled two maids out of the room, leaving the young lady and the general to say their goodbyes.

“Come over, help me take off my clothes.”

Comparing the truth, when the general had said, “You look much better when you cry than when you smile,” now the general was probably afraid that Lian Sheng would be upset! In the future, there would be slaps in the face, and there would be extreme pampering.

And also, the current situation may not be the truth. The truth was more complicated.