Red Mansion: Picking up a Lin Daiyu

Chapter 532 Why fight?
Xuanwu Gate

The soldiers of the capital garrison were no match for the elite troops selected by the Second Prince Liu Yi. Despite their numerical superiority, they were attacked from both sides and could not defend themselves, and soon they were forced into a series of defeats.

Liu Yi took the lead, fighting his way through the enemy lines. His armor was already soaked in blood, and his robes were red.

Once they were close to the city gate, they hurriedly summoned the Prince of Nan'an to knock on the gate.

“Your Highness, didn’t you say that the general guarding the gate is an old friend of yours? Now that the formation is solid, it will be difficult for my brother to counterattack for the time being. Let’s enter the city first and defend the gate.”

"Having gained the upper hand in terms of righteousness, we are already in an invincible position!"

Liu Yi became more and more excited as he spoke. He believed that once he cleaned up this mess and went to see his father and empress again, this achievement would be enough for him to become the crown prince.

The Prince of Nan'an straightened his helmet, suppressed a smile, walked to the door, and said, "Your Highness, please don't be in a hurry. I will shoot my identification token onto the gate tower, and he will surely understand what I mean."

Having said that, he took the wooden plaque from his waist, tied it to the end of an arrow, then nocked the arrow and shot it up the gate tower with a whoosh.

Sure enough, less than fifteen minutes later, there was a sound coming from the doorway.

Liu Yi was overjoyed and patted the Prince of Nan'an on the shoulder, saying, "I will never forget Your Highness's contributions. In the future, I will treat Your Highness with the same courtesy that my father treated the Duke of Dingguo."

The Prince of Nan'an cupped his hands and smiled, "Thank you, Your Highness."

……

Liu An, who had retreated into a house, was naturally unable to calm down for a long time.

His second brother was a skilled soldier, and he knew he couldn't compare, but he never expected that he would be so easily defeated in battle.

This was something that Liu An, who was new to the battlefield, found hard to accept for a time.

"Mr. Chai, is there still a chance for us to turn things around?"

Liu An was extremely unwilling, clenched his fists angrily, and asked through gritted teeth.

Chai Pu peered outside, sighed, and said, "Your Highness, we have lost all advantages in terms of timing, location, and popular support. It's hard to say there's any room for maneuver. The Second Prince's arrival was truly too swift and unexpected."

"However, it would be unwise for the Second Prince to entangle himself with us until dawn, as he cannot enter the city gates yet."

"Next, if the Second Prince can open the city gates, we might have another chance before they close. If we can break through the gates, it will save us from the damage of attacking the city walls. We can go in, stir up trouble, and then engage in hand-to-hand combat, relying on our numerical advantage..."

Upon hearing this, Liu An nodded emphatically, "Good, we have nowhere to retreat now, we must fight to the death. Order all the generals and soldiers to prepare. When the city gates open and more than half of the enemy troops have entered, we will launch our charge and enter the city together!"

"Yes!"

The messenger ran out the door, while Chai Pu secretly beckoned to two servants behind him, who then followed Chai Pu and Liu An closer...

……

As the city gates slowly opened, the smile on the face of the Second Prince Liu Yi deepened.

"Your Highness, the city gates are open. Shall we enter the city as soon as possible?"

"it is good!"

Liu Yi was overjoyed and, carrying his weapons, joined his soldiers to enter the city.

"This success is all thanks to Your Highness's planning behind the scenes. I wonder where your old friend, the general, is now? I hope that in the future I can recognize his talent and promote him."

Liu Yi was still thinking of returning the favor, but the Prince of Nan'an warned him, "Rewarding merits is not in a hurry. Your Highness should first organize the army. The army is not well-organized when it enters the city. Be careful that the Crown Prince may lead a surprise attack."

Liu Yi said smugly, "Your Highness, rest assured. The army led by my brother is a rabble, no match for us. Moreover, my brother is cowardly. If he had the will to fight to the death, he shouldn't have handed over the main gate to me so easily."

The Prince of Nan'an sighed, still looking worried. "If everything is as Your Highness says, then this old minister can rest assured."

But just as their own army had entered more than half of the city, earth-shattering shouts of battle erupted from the street not far away.

Liu Yi's face darkened, and he ordered his men to urge the soldiers below to enter the city quickly. Even if the city gates could not be closed, they should not be left wide open; they should be closed at least partially to better defend against attacks.

He himself was to lead his soldiers to the city gate to defend against the enemy.

From a high vantage point, one can use bows and arrows to attack the enemy, gaining a significant advantage.

Even if his elder brother were to launch another attack, everything was still under Liu Yi's control, so he remained calm.

But as he walked further into the city and tried to climb the city wall, he saw two figures that he found unbelievable.

"The Emperor's younger brother? The Prince of Bei Jing?"

Liu Yi turned around abruptly and saw that the Prince of Nan'an also looked surprised and had even silently slipped into the military camp.

Liu Yi was deeply shocked. He had anticipated his elder brother's reaction and was able to handle it even if it deviated from his plan. However, he had never considered his third brother as a potential candidate.

In this situation, it's impossible not to feel panicked.

"Indeed, for such a momentous matter, even the Prince of Nan'an came to my residence. How could the Prince of Beijing not have taken any action? It turns out he didn't expect that he would choose the Emperor's younger brother."

Looking up at the Imperial Guards gradually surrounding his third brother Liu Yun, Liu Yi couldn't help but feel a self-deprecating smile.

Unexpectedly, his open and covert struggles with his elder brother ultimately benefited his least prominent younger brother.

But now that things have come to this, how could Liu Yi give up completely?
Before he could even step forward to confront the Imperial Guards, the Prince of Nan'an, seemingly blinded by rage, burst out of the ranks and pointed directly at the Prince of Beijing, shouting, "You traitorous scoundrel, you killed my daughter! Give me your life!"

Shui Rong's cheeks trembled slightly, thinking that the Prince of Nan'an was truly sincere in his words. Not to mention Liu Yi, he would have thought that the Prince of Nan'an was scolding him from the bottom of his heart.

Liu Yun shook his head and said, "Men, go and capture him, but do not kill him."

At his command, none of the Imperial Guards around him obeyed; they all stared at Shui Rong.

The atmosphere gradually froze. When Shui Rong came to her senses, she realized that Liu Yun was also staring at her with a faint smile on his face.

Shui Rong's face immediately turned cold, and he angrily rebuked, "Are you all deaf? Why don't you obey His Highness's orders and go now?!"

"As ordered!"

The Imperial Guards marched out to meet the enemy, and the sound of metal clashing against metal rose again.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Liu Yi sent another message to his men: "Send word to let my brother enter the city without any obstruction. The water needs to be even muddier."

……

Despite having severed the head of the commander, Yue Ling was still not satisfied.

The sight of broken walls and ruins filled Yue Ling with rage, and he gripped his spear so tightly that it trembled.

With such imposing presence, even without armor, the guards would recognize their lord.

They then abandoned their positions, took up arms, and joined forces with Yue Ling's troops to annihilate the rebels in the alleyways.

This time, the rebels fared even worse. The soldiers showed no mercy, killing anyone they encountered on the spot and giving them no chance to surrender.

The area in front of Dingguo Mansion was stained red with blood, and corpses lay scattered all over the ground, with constant wails of agony.

The shouts of battle did not last long. Yue Ling rode his horse over the bricks and rubble to the training ground, still indignant at what he saw.

Unexpectedly, these treacherous officials actually dared to target his family.

No matter who it is, whether it's a prince or a high-ranking official who ordered the confiscation of his property, Yue Ling will make them pay a heavy price!

"Husband."

With tears in her eyes, Lin Daiyu came out of the house to greet him. Seeing that Yue Ling had taken off his helmet and his gaze was still somewhat unfocused, Lin Daiyu was afraid that he was too caught up in anger and hatred to remain calm and composed, so she rushed into his arms first.

“My lord, we are alright. Everything is fine in the manor. They are all hiding under the tunnels, so they must be safe.”

"Only a few guards were injured, and Yun's maid Cuilu was shot in the shoulder with an arrow while protecting her, but the doctor said she is out of danger."

Yue Ling took Lin Daiyu's hand, wrapped his arm around her waist, lowered his head to her shoulder, and sighed softly, "Yes, I'm late, and I've made you suffer."

A cold tear rolled down Lin Daiyu's cheek, and she shook her head. "No, my husband is not late. He always arrives just in time."

"Moreover, if my husband hadn't simulated the battle with me many times beforehand, I certainly wouldn't have been so calm when I was on the scene just now."

"Thankfully, thankfully everything turned out just in time. The mansion was secured, and everyone is safe."

Countless words of affection could not express Lin Daiyu's emotions. Especially after she finished speaking, she was so weak that she immediately collapsed onto Yue Ling.

Seeing that Lin Daiyu's face was pale, Yue Ling was heartbroken. He picked her up and carried her into the inner chamber.

"I'll take you to rest first. Now that I'm back, I'll handle things outside. You don't need to worry about it anymore."

Lin Daiyu nestled gently against Yue Ling's shoulder and nodded.

With her arms around Yue Ling's neck, Lin Daiyu said slowly, "You can't disregard your own safety and do something foolish. The sisters in the manor are still worried about you."

Yue Ling shook his head and said, "No, it won't happen."

In reality, he was unable to expel the pent-up frustration in his chest.

When serving away from home, ensuring the safety of one's family is of paramount importance.

Yue Ling believed that they had gone too far this time and that they needed to settle the score.

The shattered walls of the mansion, the battlefield engulfed in flames, and the corpses and limbs scattered on the ground contrasted sharply with the beautiful and intelligent Lin Daiyu in his arms.

Yue Ling couldn't help but wonder what his purpose was in transmigrating to this world.

Is it overwhelming power, or being revered by thousands?

He wanted to shoulder the responsibility of a time traveler, to promote the progress of the times, to enable the people to live and work in peace and contentment, to have better development, and to be free from the slaughter of invaders.

In the end, their own courtyard wall collapsed first.

His ideals were lofty, but reality was harsh; he truly didn't want to see Lin Daiyu get involved in danger again.

After placing Lin Daiyu on the bed, Yue Ling fetched warm water for her.

Lin Daiyu wanted to take the food, but Yue Ling insisted on feeding her, so she smiled and ate a few bites.

"What's on your mind, my husband? You look so troubled."

Seeing Lin Daiyu smile, Yue Ling couldn't help but laugh as well, saying, "I'm thinking that everything I wanted to do before wasn't what I truly wanted to achieve. Besides, I should have an easier way, instead of doing everything myself and being so meticulous."

Lin Daiyu blinked, somewhat out of sync with Yue Ling's train of thought, unsure of what he was saying.

But I had a vague feeling that he was making some important decision.

After drinking the warm water, Lin Daiyu took Yue Ling's arm and said, "No matter what my husband wants to do or where he wants to go, I will follow him for a long, long time, for all eternity."

Yue Ling smiled gently, tidied Lin Daiyu's disheveled hair, and said softly, "I understand Madam's intentions, and I dare not disappoint them."

"Take a nap in the manor, and when you wake up, I will have already taken care of everything."

Lin Daiyu nodded slightly, "Husband, please be careful."

"it is good."

As I stepped outside, a figure was standing in the corridor.

His face was covered in red, yellow, and black marks from crying, and his body was stained with mud. He carried a crossbow in each hand and several bolts on his back.

“I heard from you, Madam, that you shot and killed the rebel leader, throwing them into chaos and leaving them leaderless. This deserves to be counted as a merit.”

"All those days of hard work have not been in vain."

Gently rubbing Shi Xiangyun's head, Yue Ling coaxed her softly.

Shi Xiangyun looked up at Yue Ling with tears in her eyes and choked out, "But Cuilu was injured for me. She was only two inches away from being pierced through the body and would have died."

Yue Ling encouraged him, "Wounds on the battlefield are inevitable. The timing you chose is not yet good enough. You can hone your skills in the future."

Shi Xiangyun shook her head, crying as she threw herself into Yue Ling's arms. "No, my lord, merit is not what I want. When I saw Cuilu gasping for breath in pain, I realized that whether I practice martial arts or join the army, it's to protect what I want to protect. But Cuilu, my most important family member, almost lost her life because of my greed for merit. So what's the point of practicing?"

Yue Ling felt as if she had been struck by an arrow; her arm trembled slightly as she slowly bent down.

"It's not entirely your fault. The purpose of martial arts training is to be able to step forward in critical moments and protect everything you cherish."

"You shot and killed the rebel leader, causing the enemy to collapse in an instant, and you also protected the people in the mansion."

“Cuilu’s kindness to you is as high as a mountain, and you have not let her down.”

"Having feelings in your heart, rather than being a numb and cold-blooded machine, proves that you are a responsible person and a qualified leader."

"To avoid further pain, all we can do is be more cautious and stronger, and not let this discourage us."

Yue Ling spoke with such certainty that half of it seemed to be addressed to Shi Xiangyun, while the other half seemed to be spoken to himself.

After comforting Shi Xiangyun, Yue Ling's eyes became even calmer, as if he had already embraced a belief.

"Please take care, my lord. I'll be waiting for you to return to the manor."

"it is good!"

……

Inside Xuande Gate,

The Second Prince Liu Yi opened the passage into the city. Before the soldiers on the city wall could react, some of them had already climbed the city wall from both the inside and outside and started hand-to-hand combat.

The eldest prince, Liu An, was able to join the battle, and when he saw the Prince of Beijing leading the Imperial Guards to fight against the second prince, he was so shocked that he was momentarily stunned.

Upon seeing the figure of the third brother, Liu Yun, he immediately realized the situation.

Either the Prince of Beijing conspired with his third brother to seize control of the Imperial Guards and carry out the same palace coup as them.

Either all of this was arranged by the Emperor beforehand, waiting for the two of them to walk into a trap and reveal their true colors.

But Liu An believed that the former was more in line with common sense.

They then divided their forces to fight alongside both sides.

The three groups fought fiercely at the city gate, creating chaos and a stalemate.

However, in an instant, the booming sound of bells rang in everyone's ears, making them unconsciously want to cover their ears.

When they opened their eyes again, both the eldest prince and the second prince had been taken hostage...

(End of this chapter)