In Xiangguo Temple, Yuwen Jing felt increasingly uneasy. Under Chen Mo’s command, the Jinyi Guard protected Yuwen Jing, and a ssage was sent by carrier pigeon back to the Capital City requesting reinforcents.
Chen Mo feared for Yuwen Jing’s safety and stayed by his side constantly.
The Ningzhou Iron Cavalry lured half of the Jinyi Guard out of Xiangguo Temple. Yuwen Jing couldn’t do without protection; apart from those chasing outside, most remained inside the temple.
Chen Mo said, "Your Majesty, let us escort you back to the palace. The Jinyi Guard has been dispatched out, and I fear this is Xie Jue’s strategy to lure the tiger from its den. With fewer guards, this place becos increasingly unsafe."
Yuwen Jing sat in the main seat, his gaze cold. Imrsed in his thoughts, he seed not to hear Chen Mo’s words. Chen Mo grew anxious and urged, "Your Majesty!"
"Chen Mo, don’t you find it strange? Why would they lure the Jinyi Guard out of Xiangguo Temple? If it were to assassinate , why is it so quiet here? Although there was an attempt on my way here, it stopped at the main hall. Their diversion tactic wasn’t aid at ." Yuwen Jing suddenly stood up, "Xie Jue ca to rescue Shu’er."
He hurriedly walked out, but Chen Mo desperately tried to stop him, "Your Majesty, you are precious and cannot take risks. You absolutely must not go out!"
"Chen Mo, Xie Jue’s target isn’t . Go to the back mountain!" Yuwen Jing’s face slightly darkened. Being an emperor, he possessed a natural aura of authority even without anger, leaving Chen Mo unable to disobey, thus protecting Yuwen Jing as they went out.
Xie Jue’s Shadow Guards, upon seeing Yuwen Jing erge, quickly shot arrows to create a false appearance. Initially, they thought Chen Mo would protect Yuwen Jing and hide, but unexpectedly, Yuwen Jing headed towards the back mountain instead.
Xie Jue’s Shadow Guards excelled in concealnt, assassination, and intelligence gathering. Each was talented. When it was confird that Yuwen Jing wasn’t returning to the palace but heading for the back mountain, a sharp and prolonged bird call was issued as a warning.
Upon hearing this sharp bird call, Yuwen Jing was further convinced that Feng Shu was Xie Jue’s target. With large strides, he walked towards the back mountain, and the Shadow Guards couldn’t actually stop him.
Too many Jinyi Guards surrounded Yuwen Jing, and fighting to assassinate would only result in needless sacrifice. Just now, Ying Qi had already sent word that Feng Shu had given birth. There’s no need for complications; the master just needs to use the secret path to leave.
Thus, the Shadow Guards lay in hiding, awaiting developnts in the rear court.
When Xie Jue heard the bird call, he knew Yuwen Jing had arrived. "Sister-in-law, we have to go now!"
Feng Shu, reluctantly kissing her child, wrapped him up and handed him to Xie Jue, "You take Ruyi and go. I won’t leave. If I do, I’ll implicate the entire Feng Family. Ting Feng, take good care of Ru Yi!"
Xie Jue had anticipated Feng Shu’s decision and didn’t persuade further. The Feng sisters, Feng Shu and Fengyu, were decisive won who wouldn’t turn back on a decision. Just like when Fengyu wanted to go to the West Continent, despite Xie Xun’s strong opposition during her vulnerable ti, she didn’t change her mind. Feng Shu probably couldn’t be persuaded either.
Continuous bird calls urged persistently. Xie Jue took Ru Yi in his arms, "Sister-in-law, live well in the Capital City. Wait for Zhixu and ; we will definitely bring Ru Yi back to you."
"...Alright!" Feng Shu looked at the sleeping little Ru Yi with tears, her heart in anguish.
"Master, it’s ti to go!" Ying Qi said softly.
Xie Jue, holding Ru Yi, entered the secret passage with Ying Qi. Xia Zhu moved a wardrobe to block the entrance. Feng Shu, just after childbirth, was weak and exhausted, and Dongxue and Xia Zhu pulled the bedding over her. Feng Shu, despite being utterly strengthless from recent childbirth, couldn’t show her weakness clearly, or else Yuwen Jing would order an Imperial Physician to examine her, revealing she had given birth recently. Dongxue quickly applied so rouge for her.
When Yuwen Jing arrived, Xia Zhu and Dongxue pretended to resist, but Yuwen Jing rudely pushed past them. "Out of the way!"
Feng Shu, half reclining on a soft pillow, bore severe pain and looked at him coldly, "What do you want to do?"
Yuwen Jing looked at Feng Shu’s pale face, his suspicions rising to the extre. Xie Jue wouldn’t appear at Xiangguo Temple for no reason, only for the person to disappear, as he must have co to see Feng Shu.
"Where is Xie Jue?"
"He left!" Feng Shu replied indifferently, neither denying nor confirming anything. Yuwen Jing was shrewd and suspicious. Persistently denying would not ease his doubts.
Yuwen Jing grew furious, "Search the place! Search Xiangguo Temple thoroughly, and find Xie Jue!"
"Yes!"
Chen Mo sent people to search. Xiangguo Temple was still under the siege of the Jinyi Guard. If Xie Jue were on the mountain, he wouldn’t get far. Feng Shu watched Yuwen Jing pacing back and forth restlessly and closed her eyes.
She was in too much pain to speak.
Yuwen Jing asked in a deep voice, "What was Xie Jue here for?"
"He ca to the Capital City for business, and on the way, wanted to take from Xiangguo Temple. How could I possibly go with him? You hold my family hostage; where could I go? Yuwen Jing, not everyone is as ruthless as you, killing their father and abandoning their brother," Feng Shu said flatly. "Prince Kang is imprisoned in Ningzhou; have you considered his fate?"
Yuwen Jing’s face changed slightly. The Empress Dowager had spoken to him countless tis about Prince Kang, hoping he would negotiate with the Xie brothers to bring back Prince Kang. No one expected that he would remain with the Beiman for so long and astonishingly be imprisoned in Ningzhou. The enmity between the Yuwen Family and the Xie Family had reached such a point that negotiations were impossible.
Yuwen Jing was not one to engage in fruitless endeavors and had no intention of negotiating with the Xie Family.
Thus, the matter remained unresolved.
Feng Shu intentionally brought up Prince Kang to disrupt his focus and divert the conversation. Yuwen Jing, staring at her gloomily, said, "Shu’er, when the one-year period is up, I will personally bring you back to the palace from Xiangguo Temple. Whether you wish to or not, you have no choice!"
He intended to converse with Feng Shu, to express his longing, but the incident with Xie Jue left him incensed. Yuwen Jing stord out and instructed the Jinyi Guard, "From today, watch over the courtyard and don’t let anyone see her."
"Yes!"
Feng Shu closed her eyes, relieved. Thankfully, Ru Yi had been born early and sent away. If relations deteriorated and the Jinyi Guard were stationed outside, Ru Yi truly would have no way to survive.
Ru Yi, grow up well in Ningzhou.
In this life, our karma as mother and child ends here, and we shall continue it in the next life!
The secret passage was not long, leading to a cliff on the back mountain, where dozens of cavalry were waiting. After reuniting with them, Xie Jue signaled to General Xu Zhou to et at the Ten Miles Pavilion.
Ru Yi was just born, fragile and delicate. Xie Jue didn’t have the ti to prepare a carriage for him, so he had to strap Ru Yi to his front and descend through the forest.
This ti, Xie Jue only took Ying Qi with him, leaving the rest of the Shadow Guards in the Capital City.
If not for needing Ying Qi to take care of Ru Yi along the way, he might have left all his people in the Capital City to protect Feng Shu from Yuwen Jing’s harm.
Erging from the forest, there were horses waiting. Xie Jue mounted, gazing deeply in the direction of Xiangguo Temple, as this was the perfect opportunity to kill Yuwen Jing.
He, Xu Zhou, Shadow Guards, and a hundred cavalry, would fight against Yuwen Jing before the reinforcents from the Capital City arrived; those Jinyi Guard were no match for the cavalry.
He could turn Xiangguo Temple upside down, making Yuwen Jing pay the price.
The enemy was within reach, but the newborn was right in his arms.
Xie Jue looked down at little Ru Yi’s sleeping face, a newborn so innocent and tender, yet to open his eyes to the world, so soft and crucial.
For the first ti, Xie Jue realized that Xie Xun was right. So people, so things, were more important than hatred in this world!
They would kill Yuwen Jing, but not today!
"Ru Yi, Uncle will take you ho!"
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