Jiaohua

Chapter 1635 Seeing you coming towards me makes me happy

Upon reaching the Imperial Street, the Yan army soldiers lit torches.

A bright, dazzling sea of ​​fire illuminated the long street as if it were daytime.

People along the street opened their windows to look out. The long street was ablaze with light, and thousands of torches fell like stars, flowing from south to north toward Tiansheng Palace, making the whole place shine.

what happened?
No one knows.

But everyone was calm, because the soldiers were also calm; they kept their eyes straight ahead, remained undisturbed, and walked with steady steps.

Even the light reflected from the black armor became so intense that it was almost blinding to look directly at it; the chilling gleam of this deadly weapon now seemed to have turned into a warm glow.

The palace guards watched them approach from afar, feeling as if it were all a dream.

It wasn't until Shen Lie stopped that the palace guards snapped out of their daze.

The young, aloof general looked down from his mount, exuding an imposing aura. The flames surrounding him outlined his sharply defined features: sword-like eyebrows, eyes like cold stars, a high, straight nose like a mountain peak, and fair, cool skin. He was handsome and sharp, with a fierce and menacing aura, like a dagger coming straight at you.

The firelight warmed Xuanjia, but not him.

Suddenly, a row of archers appeared on the palace gate.

They had barely appeared, and before they could even draw their bows and aim, the arrows of the Yan army archers had already been swiftly fired.

A flurry of arrows whistled through the air as they hurtled towards the high wall.

A series of screams echoed from the high wall.

The second and third waves followed immediately, the rain of arrows leaving dense, shimmering silver streaks across the night sky. Regardless of whether they saw anyone, Yan Jun carried out the principle of "preemptive strike" to the very end.

There was no further sound from above.

All the guards in front of the palace gate stood frozen in place.

It wasn't that no one moved, but as soon as the man turned to run inside, he was pierced through the chest by three arrows coming from different directions.

Shen Lie turned his head slightly and looked at Liang Jun.

Liang Jun nodded, spurred his horse forward, and shouted that all the guards should disarm and kneel down, or they could be spared.

Some people did it, while others refused.

Those who refuse will be pierced by a thousand arrows.

Shen Lie said, "Drag it away."

Ye Zheng immediately led his men forward and ordered them to drag away the bodies of the guards.

Wu Shaoning also led his troops out and began to attack the city gate.

Not far away, at the Jingzhao Prefecture government office, all the officials on duty tonight were placed under house arrest by Xia Zhaoyi in the main hall of the rear office, guarded by six strong and tall female soldiers.

The commotion from the siege made Xia Zhaoyi, who was flipping through the tax register for the Grand Canal, stop and look out the window.

Lu Ningjin came in from outside: "Ali, it's at the palace gate, a fight has broken out."

Xia Zhaoyi said, "We should be able to break through soon."

“That’s really efficient,” Lu Ningjin said. “Who would have thought that Song Zhiyi’s dynasty would collapse so easily?”

Xia Zhaoyi shook her head: "Song Zhiyi has fallen, but Daping is still here, and Jin Hongkang still has hundreds of thousands of troops."

Lu Ningjin laughed: "Let him become too powerful. Song Zhiyi only covets the throne, but he doesn't realize whether he has the strength to rule the world. The land is so vast, how can he possibly take it all at once? It's precisely because his troops are scattered that you were able to strike at his root and steal his home base. Oh, no, that's not right, his home base is in Anjiang."

Xia Zhaoyi asked, "How's it on the street? Are your men keeping an eye on things?"

"Yes, we've been keeping a close watch and giving them serious warnings. No one's been running around. As for those restless patrol guards and garrison guards in the city, I've arrested them all and locked them up in the former Zhibei Yamen, just as you instructed. General Shen's troops have also moved quickly and have already gone to the residences of those civil and military officials to take control of their families."

After saying that, Lu Ningjin thought of something and said, "Tian Wu wasn't home. He was lucky and escaped this calamity by accident."

Xia Zhaoyi simply nodded without saying anything.

Lu Ningjin then said, "The palace is easy to attack. General Shen has probably already entered the palace by now. Ali, do you want to go there?"

“I’m not going. There’s still a lot to do here,” Xia Zhaoyi picked up the book on the table and pointed to the blue cover. “It lists all the cargo that will be transported to Yong’an in the next few days.” “Alas, I’m afraid that among all those in power, you are the only one who values ​​people’s livelihood more than power.”

Xia Zhaoyi smiled and said, "No, power is still very important. If used in the right place, it can protect people's livelihoods."

Lu Ningjin said sincerely, "Ali, you've changed so much."

Xia Zhaoyi smiled but didn't reply.

Half an hour later, Zhai Jinsheng and Cheng Jieshi came over and personally reported to Xia Zhaoyi that the palace walls had been breached and the army had entered the palace.

Xia Zhaoyi understood that Shen Lie wanted her to go there.

Lu Ningjin saw Xia Zhaoyi off at the yamen and said with a smile, "You still have to go after all."

Her men had already prepared the mounts, and Xia Zhaoyi chuckled, "One must be righteous; I can't just leave Shen Lie there."

She had no intention of going there, but Shen Lie didn't like this path either; he embarked on it because of her.

Xia Zhaoyi rode her horse toward the palace and saw Shen Lie standing alone on a horse in front of the open square, his dark eyes fixed on her.

On the main street directly opposite the palace, the Yan army soldiers who had not yet entered the palace stood silently like a forest, their iron armor imposing.

They still held their torches high, the flames blazing and shining, reflecting off their cold, hard armor. As the night wind swept by, the light flickered and danced, like shimmering golden scales.

These magnificent sights made Shen Lie, standing alone in the square, appear both grand and solitary, dazzling and aloof, radiant and captivating.

He watched Xia Zhaoyi ride towards him on horseback, and the joy hidden in his eyes became more and more obvious. When Xia Zhaoyi reined in her horse and stopped, his eyes were full of smiles, clear and bright.

Xia Zhaoyi asked, "You didn't go in?"

"I'm waiting for you."

Xia Zhaoyi looked into his eyes: "Then, what are you laughing at?"

Shen Lie said deeply, "Seeing you coming towards me makes me happy."

Last night, when she saw him, she ran and threw herself into his arms, which made Shen Lie extremely happy.

Today is another one.

Xia Zhaoyi smiled and said, "Me too."

Every parting is bittersweet, every reunion is exhilarating.

She used to think that love between men and women was nothing special, but now that she has experienced it firsthand, she knows that if you meet the right person, then love is a wonderful thing.

Xia Zhaoyi turned her gaze to the palace before her.

The city wall was tall. She looked up, the summer breeze blowing her ponytail. Her face, tanned from the sun, was serene and peaceful in the night.

"I was very small when I first came here, and my mother carried me in."

Shen Lie said, "Ali, I've rarely heard you mention your mother."

“…Because I don’t remember her well enough,” Xia Zhaoyi sighed. “My father loved her deeply, and she was his only wife, so she felt she had to have many children for him. My father didn’t need her to do that, but she insisted. When she was pregnant with me, she contracted an infection and fell seriously ill several times. She shouldn’t have kept me, but she still insisted on preserving the pregnancy. So I was born with a weak constitution and was always sick. My father was afraid I would die young, so he sent me to Yunling to be cared for by my master. After my mother recuperated for a few years, she wanted to have another child and became pregnant with my younger brother. Unexpectedly, she was injured while giving birth to my younger brother and passed away not long after. My younger brother’s health was also poor, but he was stronger than me and only needed careful care, so my father sent him to a farm in the suburbs of Beijing to be raised. Later, although Yan Qinglin exchanged her son for my younger brother, my younger brother was weak. He lost the care he received before, such as being dressed warmly in the wind, and he also lost the precious medicines to prolong his life, so he still died.”

Xia Zhaoyi rarely speaks so much in one go.

She turned her gaze away from the palace wall and looked at Shen Lie.

Shen Lie kept staring at her profile as she spoke, never looking away.

Xia Zhaoyi smiled and said, "It's strange. After I died, I did go into the palace. I even climbed over the wall to get inside this time when I came to Yong'an. Why am I only feeling nostalgic now?"

“You said it yourself, it’s a stroll,” Shen Lie urged his horse over, took her hand, “Today, let’s go for a stroll.”

His palms were broad and warm, holding her hand tightly.

Xia Zhaoyi smiled and said, "Alright, but we can't be selfish. We'll open the palace to all the people in the world and let them come in for a visit. But if there are too many people, some will cause trouble. So we'll send people here to charge fees and manage the situation. The money collected will be turned over to the national treasury."

Shen Lie nodded and said gently, "Whatever you say."

The two walked side by side, their horses' hooves slowly pounding through the massive, ancient palace gate.