PMM - 31

At that moment, it was already too late to retreat. Yu Deyue shouted, “Fire the arrows!”

The archers drew their bows and released their arrows, and the “refugees” quickly dodged, while the Shaji soldiers, unprepared, were hit. Fang Mu gritted his teeth and rushed into the arrow rain, grabbing a soldier and using his sword to block the arrows.

“Shaji soldiers, follow my command, retreat to the rear!” Fang Mu shouted. He fought valiantly, killing many of the fake refugees as he fought and retreated, soon almost breaking free from the encirclement.

Yu Deyue knew that firing arrows alone wouldn’t be enough to stop Fang Mu. Since the trap was set, there was no way for Fang Mu to escape now. Yu Deyue ordered, “Kill them! Leave no one alive!”

The imperial guards rushed out, and most of Shaji’s soldiers couldn’t retreat in time. Fang Mu, seeing his comrades fall one by one, became enraged. “I’ll kill all of you dog bastards!”

Yu Deyue sneered. “Ants may bite an elephant to death. No matter how brave you are, once you’re trapped, you’re helpless.” As a general, he had heard of Fang Mu’s great reputation. He immediately drew his sword to meet him.

Fang Mu recognized Yu Deyue as the enemy general, and with great fury, he clashed with him. After a few exchanges, he swung a mighty blow. Fang Mu’s strength was immense, and his strike almost broke through Yu Deyue’s defense, making his hands numb.

Fang Mu was fearless, even with injuries. His hatred pushed him to fight with everything he had, his blows becoming fiercer. Soon, Yu Deyue struggled to parry. Fang Mu’s sword passed dangerously close to his neck, and cold sweat poured from Yu Deyue’s body as he quickly retreated.

The gap in strength was clear, and Yu Deyue had no intention of continuing the duel. He ordered his guards to block Fang Mu’s sword and retreated, commanding, “Surround them! Whoever kills Fang Mu will be heavily rewarded when we return to the imperial city!”

Upon hearing “great reward,” the soldiers, who had previously been somewhat fearful, quickly surrounded him, and soon several layers of soldiers formed around Fang Mu. The soldiers of Shaji saw the situation turning unfavorable and hurriedly gathered around him.

“My lord! You go first, tell the general that something is happening in Yingdong!”

“I, Fang Mu, have fought alongside you for most of my life. How could I leave first!”

“My lord, listen to me. Right now, Yingdong is in turmoil, the general’s great plans are hindered. If the message doesn’t reach him in time, he may be in danger. For the sake of the general, please leave now!”

Fang Mu’s eyes reddened as he gritted his teeth: “Fine!”

The soldiers of Shaji fought their way out, and Fang Mu mounted his horse, unable to bear looking back. He urged the horse to leave. Yu Deyue realized that if Fang Mu escaped today, the emperor would surely be furious!

“Archers, shoot! Target the horse!”

Arrows flew, and several struck the horse’s body, one also hitting Fang Mu’s shoulder. Yu Deyue was overjoyed: “Fang Mu is injured, whoever kills him will be rewarded!”

This message spread like oil splashing into hot water, and the imperial soldiers rushed toward Fang Mu without hesitation.

Fang Mu fell from his horse, and with all his strength, he blocked a spear thrust at him. He roared angrily, breaking off a broken arrow from his body and killed several soldiers nearby.

More and more enemies surged forward, and the wounds on Fang Mu multiplied. He killed many, and the bodies of the enemy piled up around him, forming a small mountain, his eyes bloodshot. Even Yu Deyue felt a bit of fear in his heart.

But gradually, Fang Mu’s strength began to wane. Yu Deyue stretched out his hand: “Give me the bow and arrows.” A soldier handed him a bow, and Yu Deyue pulled the bow and nocked an arrow, “Whoosh—”

The arrow shot out and struck Fang Mu in the chest. He could no longer stand, and with his sword bracing his body, he dropped to one knee. Yu Deyue was ecstatic: “Quick!”

With a “screech,” a slash cut across Fang Mu’s back. He could no longer grip his sword and collapsed to the ground. The sky grew dark, with dark clouds gathering, and soon a light rain began to fall, washing the blood from Fang Mu’s face, revealing his young, determined face.

Another slash came down—

He had been in the military since the age of fifteen, and now, after ten years of service, protecting his homeland without regret. In this life, Fang Mu had nothing to regret—he had lived up to the general and the people. There was no sorrow left...

The only thing he regretted was that he would never return to Shaji. Next year, when the Phoenix flowers bloomed in Shaji, he would never again see such a scene...

Thunder rumbled, and he slowly closed his eyes.

Someone shouted excitedly: “General Fang Mu of Shaji is dead!” At the same time, countless others cried out in sorrow: “Lord Fang!”

Yu Deyue laughed out loud: “Good! No one can be spared, and after we return to the capital, the emperor will reward those who contributed!”

Meanwhile, a huge fire broke out at Fang Mu’s camp in Yingdong. Countless bodies were reduced to ash in the flames, and the rain was too light to extinguish the fire.

“Reporting to the Captain, things were too chaotic just now. I... I’m not sure if any enemy soldiers managed to escape...”

The Captain’s subordinate scolded in a low voice: “Useless! With so many of us surrounding a group of leaderless soldiers, how could they escape!”

“My lord, what should we do now?”

The firelight reflected on the Captain’s face as he sighed, “This place is too noisy; we shouldn’t stay long! Withdraw, and meet with General Yu, follow his orders!”

Elsewhere, on the outskirts of the city, Yin Zhou gazed at the rising smoke in the distance, frowning with a sense of unease. Soon, the soldiers sent to scout returned: “Lord Yin, Shaji’s camp was burned down, I didn’t dare get too close, but it seems they were ambushed by a group of people.”

“What did you say? Fang Mu’s camp was ambushed!” Yin Zhou’s heart tightened, feeling a chill. “Quick! Follow me to find the eldest son, something is wrong!”

Previously, the eldest son had been severely injured on the battlefield, and Lord Lian feared that he might suffer from lingering effects, so today, they took the eldest son to seek the famous physician Mo Bai. Yin Zhou roughly knew where the physician might be and hurried with his guards up the mountain.

Lord Lian had already made preparations. While he couldn’t deal with Fang Mu, as the lord of the city, he still had some influence over the people of Yingdong. Yin Zhou was stopped halfway up the mountain by people from the City Lord’s Manor. Yin Zhou was anxious but didn’t want to clash with them.

“Let me through, I have urgent business with the eldest son.”

“Lord Yin, the City Lord has given orders. Physician Mo Bai values peace and quiet. Today, the eldest son is here to seek treatment, and no one is allowed to disturb him. If you have something to say, wait for the son to come down.”

“This is a matter of great importance. If you delay, how many heads will you have to pay for?” Yin Zhou said angrily.

The guard sneered: “Lord, your words are not right. As the son’s subordinate, you think the son’s health is less important than trivial matters! No matter what you say today, we are stationed here and will not let you go up.”

Yin Zhou found himself in a difficult position, knowing that continuing to argue would be fruitless.

Helpless, he descended the mountain and a plan formed in his mind. He ordered his subordinates, “Go bring the pigeons the young master used for sending messages, and bring more of them.” The people at the City Lord’s Manor could stop them, but they couldn’t stop the pigeons in the sky. Even if some were shot down before reaching the top, if there were enough, one or two might make it to the eldest son.

The pigeons were brought, and Yin Zhou carefully placed the messages, watching as the pigeons flew into the sky, circling before heading up the mountain. Yin Zhou silently prayed: Young master, you must see this!

Lian Qi frowned as he looked out at the overcast sky, then stood up and said to Mo Bai, “Lian Qi thanks the physician for today’s help. If there is anything in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask, I will certainly do it.”

Mo Bai, a rare physician with a gentle temperament, smiled and replied, “Young master, no need for such formalities. You are a dragon among men, and after returning, you must take care of your health.”

The City Lord of Lian was unaware of the ongoing battle outside and felt some unease in his heart. He feared that Lian Qi might realize something, so he hurriedly followed with his thanks.

Lian Qi felt that something was seriously wrong today. The City Lord insisted on taking him up the mountain to see a doctor, claiming it was to prevent him from falling ill. Although his father was usually not unkind, he rarely acted with such care. Despite his suspicions, Lian Qi couldn’t figure out his father’s intentions and couldn’t bring himself to refuse his request, so he went up the mountain.

The sound of birds flapping their wings rang out, and Lian Qi looked over. His expression hardened as he cupped his hands in a polite gesture, bidding farewell to the doctor and quickly walking out.

“Qi’er!” The City Lord, seeing that things couldn’t be hidden any longer, rushed after him. A pigeon landed in Lian Qi’s hand. He opened the message and his face changed slightly. Filled with anger, he said, “Father! The army stationed by Fang Mu was attacked. You knew about this, didn’t you?”

The City Lord’s face stiffened. “I am your father. What kind of tone is that?”

Lian Qi clenched his fists and studied his father’s face. It was clear that he not only knew about this in advance, but was involved as well.

“You are my father, but A Sheng is also my sister. Have you thought about what kind of situation she will be in because of what you’ve done?” Lian Qi’s voice was low, his heart filled with pain. For A Sheng’s safety, he had to be cautious even in training the troops. His father’s actions today were forcing A Sheng into a desperate situation!

“All you care about is your sister! The people of this city, your parents, Si Tian, and Xi Yue—who is more important than her? Think carefully about this today!” The City Lord’s voice was harsh.

Lian Qi felt his heart grow cold. He had once thought his father was merely occasionally confused, but he never expected him to be so ruthless. If it weren’t for them, how could Lian Qi have allowed Yi Qiancheng to take A Sheng away? She was the little girl he had raised, the one who had called him brother for over ten years. From her first words to learning poetry and painting, he had taught her everything!

Lian Qi sneered, his voice soft but firm. “Father, you never considered A Sheng as your daughter, did you?”

The City Lord’s eyes widened. “Shut your mouth! Lian Qi, are you trying to rebel?”

“I would never dare to rebel,” Lian Qi’s voice was cold. “But if Aunt Yu’e knew about this, do you think she would rest in peace knowing how you’ve treated her flesh and blood?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“What do I mean?” Lian Qi laughed lightly. “You never treated A Sheng as your daughter because she is not your daughter. Father, there are no walls that don’t let air pass. Just because I keep silent doesn’t mean I don’t know. What you’re doing today means you’ve completely given up on A Sheng, but I still want her.”

Lian Qi mounted his horse, his eyes sharp and cold. “Father, go on with your delusions. I won’t stay with you. I’m going to bring A Sheng back home.”

The City Lord was stunned by his words, unable to respond for a long time. Yu’e… the stunning beauty from sixteen years ago, Fei Yu’e!

After reuniting with his subordinates, Yu De Yue was furious to hear that the soldiers who weren’t sure whether any of Fang Mu’s troops had escaped. He was so angry he wanted to kill them all.

But now, it was pointless to say more. It was impossible to search for every soldier individually. They couldn’t stay in Yingdong any longer. Once the Emperor’s plans were known, Yi Qiancheng would soon be furious, and Yingdong would surely meet a bad end.

The Emperor didn’t plan to protect Yingdong; his only purpose was to create a rift between City Lord Lian and Yi Qiancheng. They could not stay any longer, as once Yi Qiancheng’s troops arrived, it would be impossible to escape.

Yu De Yue took out the letter that Liang Zhen had given him and handed it to the captain, instructing him, “You go report the situation to the Emperor. Once you reach the capital, find a way to give this letter to Yi Qiancheng. I’m going to bring the Lian family’s young lady back to the capital. I’ll return in a few days.”

The plan to kill the soldiers of Shaji was in trouble, and Yu De Yue was worried about the safety of the Lian family’s young lady. He decided to personally escort her to the capital.

The Emperor’s strategy to stir up trouble was brilliant—once Yi Qiancheng saw this letter, the first person he would want to kill would certainly be his father-in-law, City Lord Lian.

The captain left to carry out his orders, and Yu De Yue gathered his remaining troops to rendezvous with the previous 200 men. He had previously discussed with City Lord Lian. Lian Qi was to be delayed, while City Lord Lian’s wife, Lady Sang, and the second young master would escort the Lian family’s young lady to the Xiangnao River.

The Xiangnao River was connected to the capital by water, making it a convenient and safe route.

Lian Si Tian, dressed in an exquisite bridal gown, couldn’t hide the joy in her eyes. Lian Xi Yue looked pleased as well. Only Lady Sang had a worried expression on her face. “Tian’er, have you really thought this through? What if the Emperor doesn’t treat you well?”

“Mother! You’ve seen the Emperor, he’s gentle and generous. How could he wrong his daughter? Look at this army and the wedding boat—if the Emperor didn’t care about this marriage, would he be willing to put so much effort into it? You’re overthinking it!” Lian Si Tian was displeased with her mother’s demeanor. She was about to become an empress, possibly even the future queen. Seeing her mother looking so sad was unsettling.

“Tian’er, I heard that the Emperor wants someone…”

“Mother!” Lian Si Tian quickly interrupted Lady Sang, glancing around before her expression turned cold. “Don’t say such things. The Emperor wants to marry into the Lian family and help Yingdong break free from Yi Qiancheng’s control. That’s a great favor. I am the legitimate daughter of the Lian family. The Emperor probably just hasn’t figured out which of the two girls from the Lian family is marrying. Once he knows it’s me, he will be delighted. How could he treat me poorly?”

As if to confirm her words, Yu De Yue arrived with his men and respectfully greeted them. “Miss, Lady, Young Master.”

Lian Si Tian slightly raised her chin, smiling at Lady Sang.

“May I ask if you have finished saying your farewells to your family? I’ve been ordered to escort you to the capital.”

“Thank you, General.” Lian Si Tian curtsied and said her goodbyes to her mother and brother. Her maid helped her aboard the splendid wedding boat.

Lady Sang watched the boat drift further away, clutching the handkerchief tightly. For some reason, she felt an unease in her heart.