Jiaohua

Chapter 1636 I Like to Suffer for You

The main force of the Yan army had already taken control of the entire palace. Ye Zheng and Wu Shaoning sent people to search every corner, but they could not find Song Zhiyi.

On the way, they encountered Ding Renzhong, who was dressed in a dragon robe. Under the cover of a group of eunuchs, he hurriedly fled, using his back to attract the attention of Yan's army.

However, he wasn't fast and was easily caught.

Ding Renzhong realized that he was really unlucky.

He had just survived the funeral palace incident, barely clinging to life from that brutal and bloody massacre, and now he was faced with this earth-shattering event.

Because he has experienced death firsthand, he is now very afraid of dying.

His legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, still wearing his dragon robe.

The eunuchs nearby quickly helped him up.

Ye Zheng stepped forward and shouted, "Speak! Where is Song Zhiyi?!"

“You, you bunch of thieves,” Ding Renzhong stammered weakly, “You have such audacity, such audacity! I, I won’t say it, I, I…”

Ye Zheng drew his knife: "If you don't talk, I'll chop off your fingers, then cut off your arm, and slice off your collarbone!"

Ding Renzhong was so frightened that his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and he looked at him in fear.

Suddenly, a eunuch's eyes hardened, and he drew a dagger and stabbed Ding Renzhong in the heart, intending to kill him and then immediately commit suicide.

Ye Zheng reacted quickly, rushing forward with his knife, and the eunuch's arm holding the dagger was thrown into the air.

He clutched his severed arm, rolled on the ground, and screamed in agony.

Ding Renzhong collapsed in his blood.

"Aren't you going to talk?" Ye Zheng said angrily.

“I’ll talk, I’ll talk…” Ding Renzhong cried.

However, the information Song Zhiyi gave him was false.

Before leaving, Song Zhiyi said he wanted to leave through the east gate, but the east gate was full of Yan Jun's men, so he couldn't possibly get out.

“What a cunning and treacherous fellow,” Ye Zheng cursed. “Does he really think he can escape?”

Three years ago, Song Zhiyi renovated the main hall of the imperial court and gave it a new name: Shengming Hall.

Just as Xia Zhaoyi and Shen Lie arrived at the Shengming Hall, Ye Zheng and Wu Shaoning came to report on the situation in the palace.

Wang Yitai, Liang Jun, Hui Jin, and others were waiting there early on.

They had never met before, but after some communication, they introduced themselves to each other.

Shen Lie told Xia Zhaoyi to go find Cao Yuxiang first, leaving the trivial matters here to him.

The so-called trivial matters not only involved finding Song Zhiyi, but also stabilizing the situation and maintaining order.

Xia Zhaoyi was overjoyed and was about to leave, but after taking only a few steps, she turned back to look at Shen Lie, her brows and eyes revealing a rare hint of guilt.

"Hmm?" Shen Lie looked at her.

Xia Zhaoyi returned somewhat awkwardly: "...I don't like these things, and you don't like these things either, so I ran away, leaving you here to 'suffer'... Hmm, am I being a little... well..."

Seeing her hesitant manner, Shen Lie suddenly smiled: "I don't dislike it."

"You like it?"

Shen Lie smiled, but his voice was serious: "Ali, I don't like these things, but I like to suffer for you."

"..."

Xia Zhaoyi couldn't help but laugh, and she simply said, "Fine, I'll grant your wish."

After saying that, she ran away.

All of Song Zhiyi's concubines were currently in Cao Yuxiang's cold palace courtyard. Many of them were awakened from their sleep, but the Yan army, with its strict discipline, gave them ample time to dress before leaving.

Only when a few concubines refused to cooperate did the Yan army force their way in.

Another concubine said "okay" and "I'll be right out," but then she used a white silk ribbon to hang herself.

Xia Zhaoyi rode over alone. There were about a hundred Yan soldiers standing inside and outside the palace gate. They all saluted her when they saw her: "General Ali!"

The men shouted in unison, their voices booming. All the concubines immediately turned their gazes to them and saw a young woman gracefully leap down from her horse. She wore no fine clothes, no jewelry, and no makeup. Her features were beautiful, but she was slightly tanned.

The night breeze blew her ponytail; she had a slender neck and waist, and a tall figure, making her look particularly energetic.

"You've worked hard," Xia Zhaoyi said to the Yan army soldiers. "Has anything unexpected happened?"

A captain stepped forward and said that a concubine had killed two palace maids and then hanged herself.

Another concubine refused to come out, so they had to go in to arrest her. She suddenly tried to stab someone with a dagger, but failed. In the chaos, however, this concubine was slashed on the arm and bled profusely; she has only received basic treatment so far.

The team leader spoke of several people in succession.

Xia Zhaoyi nodded and patted his arm: "Thank you for your hard work!"

She turned and stepped into the "cold palace".

Song Zhiyi only chose beautiful women for himself, and they were all very young.

The beauties all stared at her, not daring to move, even their breathing was careful, and the whole courtyard was quiet and silent.

Xia Zhaoyi didn't stop walking and went straight to find Cao Yuxiang.

Cao Yuxiang had already heard the commotion outside and had opened the door to greet her.

Upon seeing Xia Zhaoyi approach, Cao Yuxiang's eyes reddened, and she was about to kneel down before her when Xia Zhaoyi held her hand, saying, "There's no need for that."

Cao Yuxiang's eunuchs and aunts were all kneeling behind her.

Xia Zhaoyi said, "Get up, don't kneel before me."

She only received the kneeling worship of defeated prisoners of war.

"Thank you, General Ali!"

"General Ali, you are our savior!"

If Cao Yuxiang was really killed by Yan Qinglin, then they wouldn't have a good life either.

Xia Zhaoyi looked back at Cao Yuxiang.

Cao Yuxiang lowered her head to wipe away her tears, and hesitated before asking, "General Ali, His Majesty..."

"I don't know where Song Zhiyi has gone yet. I came to ask you if you can handle these concubines. If you can't, I'll give you more manpower."

Cao Yuxiang said, "...General Ali, I want to go back to my hometown."

Xia Zhaoyi shook her head and said solemnly, "You can't go back for the time being. Song Zhiyi is no threat, but Jin Hongkang still holds military power. Your cousin Cao Yijun is still under his house arrest. If you go back to your hometown now, Jin Hongkang has a million ways to deal with you. Even the Cao family of Dingtao will be dragged down with you."

Cao Yuxiang's face turned deathly pale: "Then, then I..."

"I only trust you right now. Can you manage them? If not, I'll send my own people, but they're quite fierce."

Cao Yuxiang looked at the concubines.

The concubines had no idea what the other women were talking about.

Cao Yuxiang thought for a moment and said, "General, do you mean, like those concubines in Li Qian's palace in Hejing... that we will have to find our own way to make a living in the future?"

Xia Zhaoyi said, "It will be a bit difficult at first. People will inevitably criticize you and treat you differently. But don't worry, I will send people to protect you and won't let you be harmed by those malicious people. After the situation stabilizes, if you have a hometown to return to, then go back. If there are grudges or malicious words from your hometown people, you can continue to stay in Yong'an. If needed, I can also help you live in anonymity."

Cao Yuxiang's tears fell: "...General Ali, you are such a good person! Good! I will definitely seize this chance to be reborn! I will help them seize it too!"