Jiaohua

Chapter 1689 General Shen, are you stupid?

Shen Lie's handsome face showed surprise: "...The end of the year?"

Today is the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, the end of the year, less than a month away.

Based on the distance between here and Ling Daicheng, she will have to set off tomorrow or the day after.

Shen Lie quickly calmed himself down: "Ali, I'll go with you."

Xia Zhaoyi looked guilty: "You came all this way, and I didn't want to leave you here alone. I really wanted you to come with me... I didn't ask for your opinion beforehand and made the decision for you on my own."

Shen Lie was overjoyed: "No, I'm happy that you've included me in your plan, Ali."

Xia Zhaoyi laughed and leaned closer to him: "Heroic and mighty General Shen, are you stupid?"

Shen Lie took the opportunity to pull her waist close, his strong arms holding her and her cloak tightly in his embrace, his dark eyes igniting a ghostly fire that locked onto her gaze.

“Ali, you are wise. How long do you think the Central Plains will remain in chaos? I don’t want to be separated from you again. I want to stay in the Northern Territory for a long time and stay by your side.”

His words filled Xia Zhaoyi's heart with the bitterness of their infrequent meetings. She said softly, "...Actually, you know that this will take a very long time. The Central Plains are vast, and even traveling takes months. Troop deployment is even more complicated. Their small skirmishes are fine, but if it comes to a life-or-death battle, we have to consider the hundreds of strategists on both sides pulling and tugging at each other, which can easily take years."

Shen Lie said, "Then, you do the math, give me a rough estimate, give me a random estimate, even if it's fake, just give me an idea."

Xia Zhaoyi chuckled: "Didn't you say you didn't like believing in this stuff?"

"I believe what you calculated."

Xia Zhaoyi smiled and said, "I'll keep this a secret for you. Let's not let Shen An know."

Shen Lie couldn't help but chuckle, and lowered his head to kiss her deeply between the eyebrows.

For the past six months, Shen Lie has been acquiring land and clearing out the entire prefecture and province north of the Ancient Locust Plain.

The Guan-Ning Army was completely wiped out, and Li's iron cavalry was routed. The surviving remnants scattered into refugees, hiding in the city or countryside, and could no longer pose a threat.

Besides them, there are also various local military towns or bandit groups of all sizes and sizes in so many states and provinces.

Many of these issues were things that Song Zhiyi had been unable to resolve over the years, and Shen Lie essentially cleaned up all the mess he left behind.

In order to spend more time with Xia Zhaoyi, Shen Lie set off early this time. However, he received a letter from Wang Gu on the way. So, Shen Lie went to Tanggua City in Tu to bring people.

The place was so vast that the time he deliberately brought forward could not make up for the detours and twists and turns of getting around to it.

The trip was interrupted, and half of the rare time he could spend with her was cut off. Although Shen Lie didn't say it, he felt very sad.

Now, Xia Zhaoyi wants him to go to Lingdai City together, and the two of them will definitely be inseparable on the way.

Shen Lie is easy to coax; Xia Zhaoyi coaxes him, and he coaxes himself as well.

But there are still surprises.

When they reached the flattest stretch of beach at Xingxue Lake, Xia Zhaoyi untied two large bundles from the back of her horse.

Shen Lie assumed it was something she used for military operations, but she forgot to check it, only to find out it was a tent and heating equipment.

Xia Zhaoyi unfolded the thick felt and smiled at him, saying, "This place is high and wide, and the tides cannot disturb it. Tonight the stars are clear, the clouds are thin and the wind is calm, so it is a good time to rest by the lake."

She then magically produced a hand warmer and placed it in Shen Lie's hand: "I've gotten used to the bitter cold of the North, so I'll borrow this to warm myself tonight, Young Master Shen."

Shen Lie was provoked by her words and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Ali, my body has always been warmer than yours."

"..."

Then, as if by magic, Shen Lie took a delicate hand warmer from the bundle on his mount.

The body of the pot is carved from a single piece of mutton fat jade. The inner wall of the mouth of the pot is polished thin, like an egg membrane or silkworm shell, and when held up to the light, the clear water inside can be seen to ripple slightly.

The relief on the teapot is extremely shallow, depicting a vibrant peach blossom forest. The natural mineral colors are cleverly used to carve out the peach blossom pink, the forest green, and the earthy ink blue. The lines on the surface are so fine that they are as delicate as a hair. The painting and craftsmanship are both superb, a masterpiece of nature.

The small teapot is very handy and easy to handle, with a shape that fits perfectly in Xia Zhaoyi's palm.

"It's really beautiful." Xia Zhaoyi took it. The knob on the lid had a hidden feature, and there was also a special mechanism at the bottom of the pot. She was an expert in this field and immediately knew the ingenuity of the design, which was to prevent hot water from overflowing from the charcoal fire.

A close sniff reveals a familiar, delicate fragrance, which is precisely the Du Ruo perfume that Shen Lie often uses.

A strong arm reached out and hugged her again: "Are you hungry?"

Xia Zhaoyi nodded: "A little, but I came prepared with food. How about you, are you hungry?"

Shen Lie smiled: "I brought one too."

He had come prepared, but he hadn't expected that she had brought a tent and intended to spend the night there.

“Go get something to eat, I’ll set up the tent,” Shen Lie kissed her on the tip of the nose. “I’m also quite resistant to the cold, General Xia.”

Not only is it cold-resistant, but Shen Lie is also efficient at his work, quickly setting up the tent.

Xia Zhaoyi started a fire nearby and laid out a soft felt blanket next to the campfire before running to the lake to fish.

When she returned with the fish basket, she found that Shen Lie had set up several wooden racks over the campfire, which could be used to boil two pots of water and roast several plates of food at the same time.

Shen Lie took away the fish basket that Xia Zhaoyi brought back. He grilled two fish and boiled three. The fish meat was mashed up, and the white soup was fresh, fragrant and mellow.

They sat by the fire and continued chatting.

His breath, exhaling white smoke, mingled in the air. Afraid that Xia Zhaoyi was cold, Shen Lie would occasionally stroke the back of her hand with his fingers.

The two sat together until late, nestled side by side between heaven and earth, talking about everything. The stars in the distance were clear, the lake was bright, and the cold mountains in the surrounding fields seemed to have softened their sharp edges, turning into a gentle and romantic background on the horizon.

They rode back on horseback around noon the next day.

Because of Shen Lie's long journey, Xia Zhaoyi postponed the original departure date to Lingdai City to the thirteenth day of the twelfth lunar month.

In all her years of commanding troops, she has rarely changed the timing of operations, let alone postponed them by so many days.

She didn't mention it much, but the people around her, intentionally or unintentionally, brought it up to Shen Lie.

Shen Lie heard this but didn't show it on his face; inwardly, he was very pleased.

In the early morning of the thirteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, before dawn, they set off, disguising themselves as a merchant caravan.

Since Qingquan Town was destroyed by the Xia family army last year, the entire town has fallen into complete ruin and desolation.
The trade route leading to Eagle Star Fortress and Lingdai City was sparsely populated; one could only see one or two large caravans or travelers every few dozen miles.

These large caravans were composed of many smaller caravans that came from all directions, pieced together from various places, banding together for survival.

Xia Zhaoyi's caravan was also regarded as such a caravan by them.

When they stayed overnight in the Frosty Plains, other merchant caravans would occasionally visit with wine, and Shi Baijin and Li Xinya would go over to negotiate and welcome them.

Both of them are quick-witted and have excellent communication skills; they can extract a lot of useful information from just a few simple sentences.

For the Northern Yuan people, the most sensational event recently was the execution of Wu Weili.

But it wasn't just Bei Yuan; for Zhi Tu, the fact that someone who had infiltrated the upper echelons of Yangliu Tower was actually a Bei Yuan spy was unacceptable to all Zhi Tu members.

Wu Weili died a terrible death.

After Shen Lie brought him here, Xia Zhaoyi sent someone to deliver him to Ouyang Jun overnight.

Ouyang Jun has been near Lanze City for some time now, and he has several officers under his command who are even more ruthless than Zhang Ji.

After Wu Weili was publicly executed by slow slicing, an officer ordered his body parts to be bound with arrows and shot towards the outer fence of Yi Shurong's camp.

The head, placed in a bundle, was also shot.

When Shi Baijin and Li Xinya heard this, their faces turned pale, and they went back to tell Xia Zhaoyi.

When Xia Zhaoyi sent Wu Weili away, she knew that Ouyang Jun would not let him off easily, but she did not expect it to be so cruel.

However, she agreed.

When Shen Lie returned with his men on patrol, Xia Zhaoyi told him all this.

Shen Lie said, "Cruel, but useful, killing two birds with one stone."

Xia Zhaoyi smiled and said, "That's what I think too. General Ouyang's move serves two purposes. First, it's to make an example of them and let those spies and traitors see what will happen to them. Second, it's a brilliant plan to sow discord, which has actually helped us."

Wu Weili is Shang Taiyu's man, and has been working for Shang Taiyu for the past thirty years.

But now, Ouyang Jun has dismembered Wu Weili's body and used it to wreak havoc on Yi Shurong.

Yi Shurong and Shang Taiyu, as the wealthiest and most powerful nobles in the Northern Yuan, have always disliked each other.

After Xia Zhaoyi destroyed Shang Taiyu's Flying Bird Communication System last year, Yi Shurong not only gave Shang Taiyu a good scolding, but also directly reported him to the Northern Yuan Emperor Shang Tai Zhenli.

In that year, Yi Shurong and Shang Taiyu were the two families that contributed the most money and troops to the Northern Alliance Army. Xia Zhaoyi created a lot of incidents, which made them increasingly hostile to each other.

For example, when both sides' troops were present at the same time, they only focused on Yi Shurong's troops.

For example, after confirming the location of Shang Taiyu's troops, they would follow Yi Shurong's troops and take care of Shang Taiyu's troops as well.

The conflict between the two families is deepening, and Ouyang Jun will undoubtedly exacerbate it once again.

Coincidentally, this incident also gave Xia Zhaoyi an idea.

So, after setting off the next day and encountering other caravans, Li Xinya and Shi Baijin's mouths were never idle. They each led a small team and chattered to everyone they met, talking about how tragically Wu Weili died and how angry Yi Shurong was.

Not only is she a chatterbox, but she also acts.

Li Xinya and Shi Baijin each belonged to one faction, one supporting Yi Shurong and the other favoring Shang Taiyu, and the two sides were constantly hurling insults at each other.

One blamed Shang Taiyu for slaughtering too ruthlessly, and now Yi Shurong has to clean up the mess.

One of them retorted that Yi Shurong was no good either, that he had killed Xia Zhaoyi back then, but Xia Zhaoyi's younger sister, Ali, ended up destroying Shang Taiyu's Qingquan Town and Yingxing Fortress.

She retorted, saying that Yi Shurong wasn't much better off. Ali wasn't just targeting Shang Taiyu. So many nobles died in Lanze City, and Yi Shurong's father and elder sister were all killed. At least Shang Taiyu's Ling Daicheng was still alive.

They accused each other, their words were highly inflammatory, and when the argument got heated, they even tried to fight, only to be pulled apart by bystanders.

And so, amidst all the commotion and the spread of the news, they finally arrived in Lingdai City on the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month.

With Qingquan Town destroyed, the supply of materials to Lingdai City, though alternative trade routes were available, became extremely difficult, with significant transportation obstacles. Many places required the reconstruction of mountain roads. Princess Chiyu of Shangtaiyu personally traveled north to oversee the reconstruction.

For several months in the second half of the year, Shang Taiyu stayed in the Prince Ling Daicheng's mansion.

His palace was extremely magnificent, comparable to an imperial palace. To prevent a repeat of the Lanze City incident, Shang Taiyu added layer upon layer of protection. The entire palace was filled with traps and patrols, all of whom were strong men six or seven feet tall.

Shang Taiyu didn't want to stay cowardly in the palace forever, but at the beginning of the year, he was so angry that he vomited blood and fainted. Throughout the year, news from the front lines kept coming in, but there was no good news to cheer him up. In addition, he was almost fifty years old and his health was not as good as before. Several times he wanted to lead his troops into battle, but he was defeated by reality.

As the year draws to a close, the Prince's Mansion is bustling with activity, as many noble ladies come to pay their respects, wanting to discuss the marriages of Shang Taiyu's children.

Although Chiyu was not in the palace, Shangtaiyu was not short of women. The visits of these noble ladies were all handled by the two concubines.

Shang Taiyu doesn't have many children. He arranged two marriages in the middle of the year, and the weddings will be held next spring.

Shangtai Jinni's marriage was being discussed, but she disagreed and insisted on choosing her own husband, even saying she would hold a martial arts contest to find a husband.

Shang Taiyu also disagreed; the current situation was not good, and he did not want to make a big fuss.

As the conflict between father and daughter deepened, and after repeated arguments, Shang Taiyu flew into a rage at his most beloved daughter and sent her to confinement.

The last person imprisoned by Guan Shangtai Jinni was Queen Chiyu, and she was only imprisoned for ten days.

This time, Shang Taiyu didn't say how long he would be locked up, but with the New Year approaching, Shang Taijinni was dissatisfied and shouted and yelled in the house every day. With the help of her friends, she secretly escaped twice.

The third time, in a fit of rage, Shang Taiyu ordered her to be taken to a secret dungeon next to the hunting grounds as punishment.

This dark dungeon held Han Chinese prisoners, mostly the butchers, with a small number from other provinces inhabited by Han Chinese.

However, the dark cell is now almost empty.

All the ones that needed to be killed have been killed, and there hasn't been any "fresh" ones to replace them yet.

The warden was terrified when he received the order. He immediately selected the best cell, had it cleaned and tidied, and had brocade cloths laid on the walls and floors. The bedding and pillows were all newly purchased. He also summoned all the wives and daughters of the prison guards to serve Shangtai Jinni.

During those two years of scarcity, these goods were extremely expensive. They were still Han Chinese goods, but transported from Tanzhou, Panyu, and Ningsi along the southern corridor to Hechuan, and then from Hechuan to the northern border. The circuitous route was ten times longer than before, and the price increased tenfold.

However, Shangtai Jinni had been pampered since childhood and looked down on him, instead hating her father for mistreating her.

On the night of the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, Shangtai Jinni's friends, driven by loyalty, disregarded their family's objections and secretly rushed to rescue her.

This time, however, Shang Taiyu no longer tolerated or indulged him.

Shangtai Jinni's friends were shot dead by the guards at the hunting grounds, leaving two wounded men to protect the unharmed Shangtai Jinni as they escaped.

The three disappeared, and the guards searched extensively for two days but could not find them.

In fact, the three of them did not run far, but ran into the Baiyinsuer Stone Tower, which was only three miles away.

That is, the treasure room of the infamous King Changyan.

The security here isn't that tight, because not many people dare to come here on ordinary days.

The stone gate of the Cold Palace was tightly closed. The open space outside the gate led to three corridors, with ten guards standing in the main corridor. The corridors extending to the left and right were deep and dark, with extremely poor lighting.

Shangtai Jinni and her two companions hid in a dark room in the northwest corridor leading to the backyard.

The injuries of the two companions were severe, and after two days, their condition deteriorated significantly.

Shangtai Jinni went to the back to steal food and water to take care of them.

The two companions didn't want to die and begged her to take them back, but Shangtai Jinni refused.

She wanted Shang Taiyu to see her stance and didn't want to be hastily sent to get married like this.

She comforted her two companions, telling them to be patient for a few more days until Shang Taiyu became desperate, so that she could go back and offer them a deal to save their lives.

And so, they made it to the 27th of the twelfth lunar month.

One of their companions was in so much pain that he cried and begged Shangtai Jinni to let them go back.

Shangtai Jinni remained silent, sitting cross-legged to the side, her expression impatient.

“Princess,” her companion cried repeatedly, “I want to go home. I’m worried about my father and mother. I’m afraid the prince will take his anger out on them.”

"You're talking nonsense. No matter how fierce and irritable my father is, he knows what he's doing. He won't touch your Hulan surname."

"But I'm in so much pain! Princess, please, for the sake of us risking our lives to save you and give you your freedom, please. If you don't want to take us back, could you go find the guards for us and have them come and take us away so you can hide us?"

"Bear the pain!" Shangtai Jinni stood up with disgust. "You risked your lives to save me, haven't I taken good care of you these past few days? I am a princess, I have stolen water and food for you, I have done things for you! Stop crying and whining! Or I will kill you!"

Fearing being discovered, they argued in hushed tones.

Shangtai Jinni felt increasingly suffocated: "I'm going for a walk!"

As she stepped out of the dark room, tears streamed down Shangtai Jinni's face.

She hated her father for being unreasonable, and she also hated Chiyu for setting a precedent by imprisoning her. She also hated her father's concubines for their wicked schemes to marry her off to any Tom, Dick, or Harry.

As she walked and cried, Shangtai Jinni was completely unaware that Han Dian had changed.

Especially in the buffer hall outside the main corridor of the Cold Palace, all the guards were knocked down and had their throats slit with a single, ruthless strike.

She tried to be as careful as possible when she cried, but she was still overheard by two uninvited guests.

The two uninvited guests were Xia Zhaoyi and Shen Lie, who arrived on the outskirts of Lingdai City on the evening of the 26th.

Xia Zhaoyi said in a low voice, "It seems to be a young girl. Shall I go and take a look?"

Shen Lie said, "I'll go with you."

The first place they went to today was the dark prison next to the hunting grounds, which was also the largest prison in the entire Lingdai City.

It turned out that the dark cell was almost empty.

That makes sense. Lingdai City has always been short of supplies, relying on Qingquan Town for 70% of its resources. Now that Qingquan Town is destroyed, Shang Taiyu will not spare those mouths that waste food.

However, there were still many Han Chinese in Lingdai City, most of whom were forcibly enslaved and imprisoned in the backyards of noble mansions.

Xia Zhaoyi's first thought upon seeing the crying little girl was whether she was Han Chinese.

But when she and Shen Lie quietly approached the little girl, they discovered that she wasn't a little girl at all; she was about the same age as Shen Lie.

When she and Shen Lie arrived, they happened to hear her sobbing and whispering, referring to herself as "Princess" and cursing "Father."

Xia Zhaoyi and Shen Lie gazed at each other silently in the darkness.

Shen Lie was waiting for Xia Zhaoyi's instructions.

Xia Zhaoyi's eyes dimmed slightly, then a fierce glint flashed across them.

She looked up at Shen Lie, paused, and whispered something in his ear.

Her breath was soft, gently brushing against Shen Lie's earlobe, a sensation Shen Lie enjoyed.

“Okay,” Shen Lie said softly, “I’ll do whatever you say.”

Shangtai Jinni didn't cry for long. She didn't like weak people, and she wouldn't allow herself to be weak either.

Feeling hungry again, she decided to go to the back to find something to eat.

As usual, before exiting the back door of the stone tower, she hid in a corner for a while and quietly observed.

As she waited, Shangtai Jinni finally noticed something strange.

She stepped out from the corner, cautiously looking around.

It didn't make sense that she hadn't seen a single person on such a long journey from where she left the dark room, and so much time had passed. Shangtai Jinni walked back along the corridor, and before she even reached the corner, she was met with a strong, pungent stench.

A strong sense of unease welled up in Shangtai Jinni's heart. She quickened her pace, when suddenly someone gently patted her on the back: "Hey!"

Shangtai Jinni quickly turned around, and with just one glance, her eyes widened in shock.

She had never met Ali, but she always kept Ali's portrait in her princess's residence.

When she was in a bad mood, she would take it out on this portrait, either by whipping it, stabbing it with a long sword, or spitting on it.

If one portrait is ruined, there's always another.

If the next portrait is ruined, there will be the one after that.

A Li's portrait is no longer a rarity; every noble family in the Northern Yuan Dynasty has several of them. She's practically become a jinx.

Now, this nemesis is standing right in front of him.

"You, when did you get here!" Shangtai Jinni said in a daze. Suddenly, her eyes hardened, and she raised her hand to make the first move.

Before the palm strike could even land, a short knife was pressed against her neck.

"You'd better not move." The young man's voice was clear and deep, like a fine wine, and he spoke fluent Mandarin.

Shangtai Jinni had a background in martial arts, and the moment she felt the dagger, her muscles reacted and she stopped.

This quick thinking saved her; otherwise, she would have been beheaded the moment her body lunged forward.

Shangtai Jinni didn't dare turn around, and coldly asked, "Are you Shen Lie?"

Shen Lie ignored her and looked at Xia Zhaoyi.

Xia Zhaoyi smiled at Shangtai Jinni: "That's right, he is Shen Lie."

"This is Ling Dai City, how dare you set foot here! Get out!"

Xia Zhaoyi glanced at her and said to Shen Lie, "Let's go."

"Ah."

Shen Lie looked at Shangtai Jinni: "Let's go."

After saying that, without waiting for Shangtai Jinni to react, he pressed the dagger against her shoulder and turned around.

Shangtai Jinni broke out in a cold sweat and quickly followed the short knife, fearing that she would be cut.

The stone door was heavy, but it had a mechanism that would open it by itself.

Even in the dead of winter, one could clearly feel that the temperature inside the Cold Palace was much colder than outside.

As the stone gate slowly opened, Xia Zhaoyi felt a sudden increase in chill, as if the cold had seeped into her very bones.

Xia Zhaoyi turned to look at Shangtai Jinni: "Have you been here before today?"

Shangtai Jinni stared at her coldly without saying a word.

"It seems you've been here before?" Xia Zhaoyi said.

Shangtai Jinni was pale and remained silent.

Of course she had been here before, which is why she knew the terrain so well and was able to hide here for several days.

Even if you've never been here, everyone in the entire Northern Yuan knows what's inside the Cold Palace of the White Soundsor Stone Tower, let alone Ling Daicheng.

But now, Shen Lie's dagger is at her neck.

Shangtai Jinni dared not utter a single word, for fear that her head would also become one of the objects on display inside.

As Xia Zhaoyi stepped inside first, Shen Lie, holding Shangtai Jinni hostage, also entered.

The candles and lamps in the cold palace were specially made, with twelve lamps placed on each of twenty-four towering wooden frames. Soldiers would come and add oil periodically to keep the lamps burning.

The heads on the large wooden frame were all placed on a large round black lacquered bowl with gold-painted flying apsaras and intertwined branches, one head per bowl, densely packed together.

Xia Zhaoyi already knew what was in the Cold Palace, but standing here in person and witnessing it firsthand, the intense visual impact still ignited her anger and made her blood boil.

"Are you scared?" Xia Zhaoyi looked up at a child with closed eyes on a large wooden frame on the left and asked Shangtai Jinni in a cold voice.

Shangtai Jinni was terrified; she was already too scared to speak.

“I will tear you to pieces,” Xia Zhaoyi turned and looked into Shangtai Jinni’s eyes, “I will feed the pieces of your flesh to these heads.”

"No!!!" Shangtai Jinni screamed in terror, "Ali, you can kill me if you want, you can't, you can't..."

She couldn't continue.

"Do you have any room to bargain with me!" Xia Zhaoyi suddenly said sharply, her voice clear and resolute. "You don't even spare children. If a child begs you not to kill him, would you spare him?"

Shangtai Jinni shrank back in fright, tears streaming down her face.

Xia Zhaoyi coldly withdrew her gaze and picked up a lamp from a wooden table not far away.

Shen Lie said, "Let's go."

The dagger in his hand never left Shangtai Jinni's shoulder; his hand was extremely steady, never trembling, as if he felt no pain.

Forced by the sharp blade, Shangtai Jinni had no choice but to go along.

The orange glow of the lamplight illuminated Xia Zhaoyi's small face. She examined the light and said calmly, "This lamp oil is quite good."

Turning around, she handed the lamp to Shangtai Jinni: "Go, burn all these wooden frames."

"Burned, burned?"

“Yes,” Xia Zhaoyi’s lips curled up slightly, a half-smile playing on her lips, her eyes so cold that they chilled Shangtai Jinni to the bone. “My people are human beings, not Shangtai Yu’s spoils of war. I’ll give you two hours to burn them. If a few heads are left, I’ll cut off a few pieces of your flesh and feed them to them. If not a single head is left, you will live.”

Shangtai Jinni stared blankly at the lamp in Xia Zhaoyi's hand. After a pause, she suddenly took it and said, "Okay, I'll go light it, I'll go light it!"

There were lamps on those large wooden frames. Shangtai Jinni climbed up the wooden ladder and hurriedly knocked over all the lamps, not caring that the flying sparks would burn her skin, and letting the lamp oil spill out of the lamps.

Surrounded by millennia-old ice, without a wick, it would be very difficult to light the lamp.

Shangtai Jinni hurriedly went down the wooden ladder again, rummaged through the chests and cabinets, and carried a small bucket full of lamp oil, which she then poured onto the heads.

After much effort, the first fire was finally lit.

She ran to the next wooden frame and continued setting it on fire.

The fire grew fiercer and stronger, gaining momentum. Shangtai Jinni was overjoyed and worked even harder. At the same time, she pondered whether this fire could be used to her advantage to kill Ali and Shen Lie.

She didn't think her current behavior was shameful or cowardly; she was fighting for herself.

After the ninth wooden frame caught fire, Xia Zhaoyi looked at Shen Lie and said softly, "That's about enough."

Shen Lie nodded: "I'll go right away."

"Be careful, there can't be even the slightest injury."

Shen Lie chuckled: "As you wish."

Shen Lie left silently and went outside to set a fire.

He and Xia Zhaoyi were merciful enough that the guards they injured were all killed with a single blow, without much pain.

Soon, the bodies of the guards, the tables and chairs nearby, and the felt on the ground all caught fire, and the fire quickly got out of control.

Shangtai Jinni was completely unaware inside; she herself was already surrounded by flames.

When all the lamp oil was gone, she went back to the cabinet to get more, only to find that Shen Lie and Xia Zhaoyi were gone.

Shangtai Jinni was startled, stood up and looked around. Her gaze went through the wide-open stone door and she saw that the fire was raging outside.

Shangtai Jinni immediately ran outside, but the thick smoke was so choking that she was forced to return to the cold cave.

"Help!" Shangtai Jinni cried out in despair, "Help! Help me!"

As she curled up into a ball, her shoulder was suddenly pulled up.

"Take this!" a clear, anxious voice called out, while a soaking wet cloth was draped over Shangtai Jinni's face. "Come with me!"

Shangtai Jinni hurriedly followed Xia Zhaoyi and ran outside.

Thick smoke billowed, obscuring her view of the road; she relied entirely on Xia Zhaoyi's collar for guidance.

After going around in circles, we finally reached a corner of a corridor where the fire wasn't so intense.

Xia Zhaoyi picked up a basin of water and poured it over Shangtai Jinni's head. The icy water made her scream.

After pouring out the water, Xia Zhaoyi shoved the empty wooden basin into her hands.

Before Shangtai Jinni could react, Xia Zhaoyi quickly left.

When Shangtai Jinni recovered from the icy water, she was surrounded by thick smoke and couldn't see anything. She grabbed her wet clothes and covered her mouth and nose.

"Help! Someone help me!!" Shangtai Jinni screamed at the top of her lungs, "Help!!!"

The towering flames from the Baiyinsuer stone tower quickly attracted the attention of the civilians living on the outskirts of the city.

Before long, the troops from the hunting grounds also arrived.

Shangtai Jinni is still alive.

Xia Zhaoyi had chosen a good corner for her, avoiding the wind direction tonight and with a dark window in the stone wall of the house.

When the men found the princess, whom they had been searching for for several days, they immediately rescued her and sent her back to the royal palace in the city.

One of her two companions also survived, not suffocating from the thick smoke.

Apart from the two of them, no other survivors could be found in the entire Baiyinsuer Stone Tower.

Shangtai Jinni escaped death and burst into tears as soon as she returned to the Prince's Mansion.

As she cried, she suddenly remembered something, wiped away her tears, and cried out in terror, "Ali and Shen Lie started the fire! Ali and Shen Lie are here! They're in Lingdai City!"

One sentence startled everyone.

Shang Taiyu was still angry and didn't want to talk to her. His subordinates rushed over to report the matter. Shang Taiyu was skeptical, so he sent someone to bring her to him.

Shangtai Jinni's hair was burned in large chunks, and her face was covered in soot that it couldn't be cleaned off in a short time; it was only enough to change her clothes.

As soon as she arrived, she rushed to Shang Taiyu and cried, "Father, I was harmed by Ali and Shen Lie! They are both in Lingdai City, Father, kill them!"

Shang Taiyu looked down at Shang Taijinni, his eyes cold.

The reason he loved his youngest daughter the most was because he felt she resembled him the most.

He loved his youngest daughter's spiritedness and willful arrogance. He too had once been young and impetuous, and arrogant beyond measure. They were born noble and had the right to trample on all living beings. How could he not be arrogant and domineering, worthy of the pure blood flowing in their veins?

But now, his most beloved youngest daughter has no looks, no temperament, no spirit, and is disheveled and dirty, like she was raised by a homeless person!

Adding to her annoyance was her constant mention of Ah Li and Shen Lie, which made Shang Taiyu irritated. Suddenly, he kicked her in the shoulder, sending her flying.

Those around were stunned.

"Your Majesty!"

"Princess!"

Shangtai Jinni was helped up and looked at Shangtai Yu in surprise: "Father, you..."

Shang Taiyu roared, "Look at yourself! Where is Shen Lie? Where is Ali? Who saw them?! If it really was them, how could you still be alive and back here? Ali alone, or Shen Lie alone, would be enough to kill you a hundred times, a thousand times over! You mean, with your pathetic skills, you escaped from those two? If they were so easy to deal with, would our army be in this state?!"

Shangtai Jinni hugged her sore elbow and looked at her fierce father. Her brows furrowed, and the grievances and anger in her chest quickly grew.

Shangtai Jinni shoved the servant aside, her voice equally loud: "What do you think I am?! I escaped from a sea of ​​fire! I'm incredibly lucky, I'm a blessed person! Everyone else died, but I survived! And there's Ali and Shen Lie, I say it's them, so it's them. If Father believes me, then prepare in advance, be prepared for a rainy day! If Father doesn't believe me, then don't believe me! If something really happens, you'll regret it!"

Shangtai Jinni turned around and shoved the people behind her aside, furiously shouting, "Get out of my way! Don't block my path! I'll kill anyone who gets in my way! I can't handle Ali and Shen Lie, but I can kill you all!"

She strode away, cursing anyone who blocked her way, and even slapped several servants.

As Shang Taiyu listened to her departing voice, his expression darkened. After a pause, he looked at the steward of the Prince's mansion.

The prince's steward immediately stepped forward: "Your Highness."

Shang Taiyu coldly said, "Go and summon Hulan Qing and Hulan Qian."

"Yes."

Hulanqing and Hulanqian arrived quickly. Shangtaiyu told them what Shangtaijinni had said, instructing them to investigate the truth about the fire at Baiyinsuer Stone Tower within two days.

The two planned to go home first to prepare before heading to the stone pagoda.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they arrived home, they were told that their nephew, Hulanzhong, was a survivor who had been rescued from the fire at the stone tower along with Shangtai Jinni.

The two were overjoyed and immediately went to inquire.

After hearing what Hulanzhong said, the two were speechless and incredulous.

After a long night of discussion, they finally decided to tell Shang Taiyu the result.

Without Ali, there is no Shen Lie.

In fact, Princess Ginny herself started the fire.

For the past few days, Princess Ginny has refused to send Hulanzhong and the others back to heal their wounds, and the three of them have been hiding in the stone tower.

During this time, Hulan Zhong did not see Shen Lie and Ali, but he heard Shangtai Jinni angrily say more than once that she wanted to kill them.

After saying this, Hu Lanqing quietly added, "Your Highness, Princess Jinni also said that she would do anything for her future marriage..."

Sang Tai-woo recalled the scene he saw last night, especially Sang Tai-jin-ni's hand.

Her hands were covered in blisters from burns.

Now that I think about it, if the fire was so bad that it burned her hands, why was her hair just messy instead of curled up from the fire?

From a young age, Shang Taiyu liked Shang Taijinni's "willfulness" and "vengefulness".

Looking back now, doesn't this "willfulness" and "vindictiveness" seem a bit excessive?

Shangtai Jinni was in a daze and didn't sleep well all night. She kept having nightmares, and in her dreams, she kept hearing what Ali had said, that she wanted to cut off pieces of her flesh and stuff them into the mouths of those heads.

Shangtai Jinni was startled awake several times, and finally sat on the bed and cried loudly.

Not long after, her wet nurse came to see her.

After the wet nurse came in, she sent away the servants around Shangtai Jinni.

Once only the two of them were left in the room, the wet nurse revealed the findings of the investigation into the brothers, Hulan Qing and Hulan Qian.

Shangtai Jinni remained expressionless, letting the words go in one ear and out the other.

The wet nurse held her hand worriedly: "Princess, if the prince doesn't believe us, then so be it. But if the prince does believe us, then..."

“Then, can he still kill me?” Shangtai Jinni said coldly. “I thought my father loved me so much! Turns out, he doesn’t believe me at all! I…”

The wet nurse asked, "Princess, are Ali and Shen Lie really, really in Lingdai City?"

Shangtai Jinni nodded: "Yes."

Her eyes were firm, and her tone was certain; she didn't seem to be talking nonsense.

The wet nurse frowned: "That's easy to handle. As long as we can get them to show themselves, then the princess can be cleared of all charges."

Shangtai Jinni suddenly shook off her wet nurse's hand: "Who cares about this innocence! Let my father and the Hulan family say whatever they want about me!"

"Princess!"

“I was coerced by Ali and Shen Lie, and they ganged up on me! I survived this ordeal, which is a good thing! But what about my father? How did he treat me? Even if an ordinary child falls from a tree while picking fruit, his parents would immediately pick him up and comfort him, feeling sorry for him. But my father, after I escaped death, wished I hadn't escaped at all, wished I had died there!”

The more she talked, the more upset she became, and Shangtai Jinni's eyes reddened.

However, she wouldn't allow herself to cry: "I am the bravest and strongest girl on the grassland! I escaped from Ali and Shen Lie's clutches, and there is nothing in this world that can make me afraid anymore!"

That's what they said, but what followed was a very difficult time for Shangtai Jinni.

The number of maids in the princess's residence was reduced by half.

The butler was replaced by a strange middle-aged man.

The number of guards and protectors has tripled, and they will not obey a single order from Shangtai Ginny.

Furthermore, if Shangtai Jinni tries to force her way out of the mansion and warnings are ignored, they will actually take action against her, and they will be very harsh.

Shangtai Jinni was in pain from the beating and couldn't turn over in bed at night. She screamed and cried out in pain, but no one paid any attention to her.

After enduring several days of hardship, with the Lunar New Year fast approaching, Shangtai Jinni could no longer bear it and didn't want to live like this anymore.

She began sharpening knives, making her own hidden weapons, and figuring out how to kill Ali and Shen Lie.

As she pondered this, Shangtai Jinni suddenly realized something: where had Shen Lie and Ali been these past few days?

Did they really come to Lingdai City?
……