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墨書 Inktalez
As she exited the palace gates, she unexpectedly ran into Ju Rong, who hurried past her as if he hadn't seen her at all. Even if he had seen her, he surely wouldn't recognize her now.
San Chun stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Ju Rong. He seemed to have aged considerably, his spirit much diminished compared to a year ago when she last saw him.
At that moment, he rushed towards the king's sleeping quarters with a worried expression, likely due to some urgent matter.
San Chun had intended to leave, but upon seeing him, she instinctively followed him back into the sleeping palace.
She didn't enter but stood by the palace door, hoping to overhear what was happening inside. Qi generally disliked crowds, and his sleeping quarters were rarely guarded, so no one came out to stop her.
Ju Rong entered the hall and performed the formal greeting expected between a ruler and his minister. He spoke up, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
Qi looked up from his desk. "What is it, Lord Ju?"
"I need to go build a city."
"Everyone knows your concern for the country and its people, but you are a civil official; there is no need for you to take such personal risks."
"Your Majesty," Ju Rong wiped the sweat from his brow, "I have matters to attend to."
"Do you not know that this is a critical time? Ministers cannot go to build a city without permission."
Ju Rong hesitated for a moment. "Yes... I need to find my daughter; I heard she is in the city being built."
Qi suddenly stood up. "Where did you hear that?"
"It was from one of my subordinates who saw her in the city at a tavern. This was before the city was besieged. My subordinate managed to escape and only learned today that something happened in the city; he specifically reported it to me."
After hearing this, Qi began pacing back and forth in the hall. He had been searching for people during this time but had found nothing; he never expected that she would be in the city.
After turning around three times, the excitement in his heart finally settled down. He reached out and pulled a copper bell hanging by the window. Suddenly, the entire hall was filled with the sound of copper bells; one sound led to ten, ten led to a hundred, and the noise echoed through the skies.
Hearing the bell ring, San Chun was momentarily stunned, not expecting that after such a long time, he was still using this.
Qi did not like people getting close to him; there generally wouldn’t be anyone serving him. When he wanted to call someone, he would just pull the copper bell in the hall. That bell was connected to countless other bells, and as soon as it rang, many bells would ring simultaneously, and soon many people would rush over.
This was his habit; he remembered it was like this back then. He didn’t like interacting with people but feared not being able to find anyone when he needed help. That was why she made this bell for him. He just didn’t expect that even after growing up, he was still using this bell, and it seemed to connect even more than before and sounded louder.
As the copper bell rang, many people rushed toward the sleeping quarters. Upon seeing this, San Chun hurriedly jumped down the steps and left from behind.
In the sleeping quarters, Qi looked at the crowd in the hall and revealed a faint smile. His copper bell was originally designed by Yan Dan but had been improved by him later; as long as he pulled it hard enough, it would ensure that the entire palace would be alerted.
He glanced at the broken rope; it seemed this time he had pulled it with all his might. She indeed had a profound influence on him; even if the Yan Kingdom were to fall, he probably wouldn’t be this excited.
He called out loudly, “Convey my decree: I will personally lead an expedition.”
“Yes.” A group of people responded in unison.
Qi looked at Ju Rong, “Lord Ju, will you accompany me?”
Ju Rong quickly replied, “This subject obeys your command.”
He naturally had to go; ever since Ju Dan left, he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep. Finally, he would be able to see his daughter this time.
Pang Wan was quite surprised to learn that the king intended to lead an expedition himself. Qi rarely concerned himself with state affairs; why was he making such a big fuss now?
He initially wanted to advise the king against it due to the dangers involved, but time was too pressing. He didn’t have time to argue with a child who would never grow up, so he could only leave quickly. As for what would happen to the Yan Kingdom in the future, it was beyond his control.
He increasingly missed the original Prince Yan Dan. Although she was soft-hearted, she was willing to risk her life for the Yan Kingdom, which was far better than King Uncle Qi, who didn't care about the Yan Kingdom at all.
The king had many preparations to make for his personal expedition, so Qi simplified everything, resulting in a departure that was only slightly later than Pang Wan.
Sometimes, just one moment can change many things. When they arrived at Jiancheng, the Chu Army had already been defeated, and the flag of Jiancheng had been replaced by that of the Wei Kingdom.
Pang Wan arrived early; by the time he got there, Jiancheng was already engulfed in flames of war.
The Wei Kingdom army attacked the Chu Army from behind, something no one had anticipated—not Governor Feng Cheng, nor the commanders of the Chu Army. Everyone was stunned to see the Wei Army rushing in.
The Chu Army had been attacking Jiancheng for five consecutive days, and the defending soldiers had suffered heavy casualties. They could barely hold out for another day. This was faster than initially predicted; at this rate, Jiancheng would likely fall before help from Jicheng could arrive.
However, at that moment, the appearance of the Wei Army completely turned the tide.
From the city tower, Feng Cheng saw the left and right flanks of the Chu Army scattering under pressure. He could hardly believe his eyes. It was the flag of the Wei Army, charging forward amidst billowing smoke and dust.
These were two of the most powerful iron armies of the Warring States period, both having a glorious record of invincibility and filled with brave warriors willing to fight to the death. Bloodied swords, low howls, and pervasive smoke enveloped the entire landscape in a brutal atmosphere of primal combat.
Feng Cheng had been observing this battle. The formidable Chu Army had been incredibly fierce while attacking Jiancheng but appeared somewhat inferior against the Wei Army, especially with its powerful cavalry. Their sudden appearance scattered the Chu Army, and by the time they realized they were being attacked from behind and tried to call back their cavalry for support, it was already too late. The scattered troops found it difficult to regroup; no matter how much their commander waved his flag or shouted loudly, it was futile.
Seeing that the timing was right, Feng Cheng immediately ordered the gates to be opened and launched a frontal assault to flank the Wei Kingdom. This was an opportunity for the Yan Army. Regardless of what the purpose of the Wei Army was, their arrival saved Jiancheng. This wasn't just assistance; it was self-preservation—getting rid of the Chu Army as quickly as possible to prevent them from becoming desperate.
The battle progressed faster than expected. By the time Pang Wan arrived, it had already ended. He only saw a tail end of it before witnessing the Wei Army being welcomed into Jiancheng. Or rather than being welcomed, they surged in along with the Yan Army stationed at the city gate.
The defeated Chu Army retreated while it was only natural for the Wei Army to enter the city. Feng Cheng could do nothing to stop it; he could only watch as this legendary figure known as Chengyang Jun entered the Prefectural Office, taking his rightful seat.
He felt uncomfortable; even if they saved Jiancheng, it couldn't be considered their home. What is this called? Driving away a tiger only to welcome a wolf? And Chengyang Jun was definitely more cunning than Song Ren from Chu.
He looked displeased and coldly asked, "What does Lord Jun plan to do?"
Zhong Xue ignored him and instructed the servants to prepare Dishes and Wine. After the meal was served, he took a few bites before asking, "What about it?"
Feng Cheng, standing below, felt pain in his feet. If it weren't for the current disadvantage of the Yan Army, he would have rushed over and punched Zhong Xue in the face. This arrogant demeanor was truly infuriating.
He gritted his teeth and said, "Building the city is within the territory of the Yan Kingdom, so I ask Lord Jun to leave as soon as possible."
Zhong Xue dug at his ears and told his subordinates, "This person is too noisy; quickly get him out of here."
"Understood." A few people came over to drag Feng Cheng out.
Feng Cheng was so angry that he jumped up and cursed, but unfortunately, the Prefectural Office was now filled with Wei Kingdom people, and he was powerless to resist. He was carried out by four soldiers and thrown onto Main Street. The gates were then tightly shut with a loud bang, locking him outside.
Feng Cheng was unwilling to accept this, but what could he do? The situation was lost, and there was no way to turn it around.
Zhong Xue quickly occupied every part of the city, and the city gates were adorned with the great flag of the Wei Kingdom. When Pang Wan arrived with his men, everything had just concluded.
The gates were tightly closed, and no one responded to their calls. Instead, the soldiers of the Wei Kingdom on the city walls laughed loudly at them: "Sons of Yan Kingdom, go as far away as you can; from today on, this is our territory."
Pang Wan felt furious inside and asked the Wei Army why they had appeared, but no one could provide an explanation. It was as if they had suddenly descended from nowhere. Helplessly, he could only set up camp and wait for the arrival of the king's army to possibly reclaim the city.
San Chun arrived with Qi's army the next day and was astonished to see the changed flags on the city walls. She suddenly recalled Zhong Xue's words about forgiving him for whatever he did. It seemed that from that moment on, he had been planning to seize control of the city.
She gritted her teeth; she had truly misjudged him, thinking he would save the city for her sake. It appeared that her position in his heart was not as high as she had imagined.
A dull pain throbbed in her heart due to his deception—no, it wasn't exactly deception; at least he hadn't told her that he wouldn't garrison in the city.
Qi was extremely angry and wanted to immediately order an assault on the city, but was stopped by Pang Wan. At present, they still did not understand the intentions of the Wei Kingdom, and it was indeed unwise to attack the city at this moment. Chengyang Jun had always been cunning, and one had to be cautious when fighting against him. In uncertain circumstances, it was better to remain unchanged in response to the myriad changes.
Initially, Qi felt that Yan Dan might be in danger after seeing the city fall, which caused a momentary loss of reason. Now that he had calmed down, he realized how foolish that was. He immediately sent a messenger to call for the city, wanting to have a good talk with Chengyang Jun.
Someone called out from below the city gate, and after a while, the gate opened to reveal Feng Cheng.
He was covered in injuries, seemingly beaten up. It was because he refused to admit defeat and was thrown out by someone. He then ran to the Prefectural Office's entrance to shout and curse, which led to him being beaten up again.
Coincidentally, Yan Wang had sent someone to demand a call, so Zhong Xue ordered him to be thrown out, perhaps seeking some peace and quiet.
Feng Cheng was brought before Yan Wang and upon seeing Qi's face, he immediately fell at his feet and cried out loudly, "My King, I am guilty; I am incompetent!"
Qi really wanted to kick him away but restrained himself since he was at least a Governor and did not want to be too harsh.
He smiled and helped him up, saying gently, "Governor, you have worked hard. You have done your best; there is no need for self-blame."
Feng Cheng immediately cried even harder. He had thought that losing the city meant certain death for him, but unexpectedly, the King was so forgiving. He couldn't help but feel grateful in his heart and secretly vowed to serve the King with all his might.
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