Marrying a treacherous official

"Report—"

The sentry rushed into the main tent, knelt down, and reported, "Reporting to Vice General Li, signal shells have been fired over Lingshan Temple."

Li Xiuji jumped up from behind the desk and rushed to the outside of the tent to assess the situation.

Gao Jie also got up from his cot, tucked his feet into his leather boots, and ran out of the tent.

The two looked towards Lingshan Temple, where a blaze of fire illuminated the dark night, making their hearts pound.

"If the First Madam is trapped in Lingshan Temple and can't get out..."

Gao Jie didn't dare to say the rest of his words, but Li Xiuji replied swiftly, "Neither you nor I will escape; we will both be buried alive with the First Madam."

Li Xiuji gave the order, "Bring my warhorse over and dispatch five hundred cavalrymen to Lingshan Temple to rescue the people."

Gao Jie saw soldiers leading horses ahead and quickly went to take one, but someone snatched the reins first. He cursed loudly:

"Your rotten ass hasn't healed yet, what are you doing riding a horse, trying to be a hero?"

Huo Xi ignored him, tightened his grip on the reins, and galloped towards Lingshan Temple.

Li Xiuji immediately mustered his troops and set off. Seeing Gao Jie pulling on the reins, preparing to mount his horse, he directly ordered him:

"You stay here to guard the camp. It's too late to send someone to report to the general. The only option is to send messages and cannonballs down the mountain to get the general's information as quickly as possible."

Gao Jie did not remount his horse, but quickly climbed to the guard post and summoned the sentry to fire a signal flare into the sky.

Every thirty miles, a series of telegraph shells were launched into the air, carrying messages all the way to the Jinghua Gate of Shengjing.

As the last white firework illuminated the darkness, the guard quickly pushed open the door to the outer study, rushed in, and reported:

"General, an urgent military intelligence signal has arrived from the direction of the Tiger Wing Army."

Cui Zemin put down the memorial in his hand and strode out of the study.

He glanced at the sky and saw a bright red glow appear in the east, clearly indicating that a great fire had shot straight into the sky.

The guards galloped to bring the black horse to them.

Cui Zemin mounted his horse, gripped its belly tightly, and with a flick of the reins, galloped out the door.

"Madam, the wind is blowing from the southwest."

The guards stood atop the temple wall, discerning the wind direction and promptly reporting back to her.

Looking through the latticed window in the wall at the dense pine forest outside the mountain temple, Yunji saw that the time was ripe and instructed Shi Ling and the others:

"ignition."

The guards immediately used burning wood to set fire to the pile of dry branches and leaves. The fire spread in a continuous line, and flames, reaching out to lick the dry grass on the ground, spread rapidly outwards like wildfire.

This is both a way to save themselves and a way to send out their location to the outside world when they are seeking help.

Yunji looked around the woods outside the western mountain temple, but only this hillside in front of him was a patch of sparse vegetation and overgrown weeds.

By burning down this patch of barren grass, they could penetrate deep into the heart of the outer sea of ​​fire. Once the fires from both inside and outside had created a passage through the ashes, they could then escape.

They could not simply hide in the courtyard of the well and wait to die.

Once the outer sea of ​​fire surrounds Lingshan Temple, even if it is not ignited by open flames, the suffocating heat and billowing black smoke can suffocate them to death.

Aunt Du was awakened from her fainting spell.

Cui Shuhua cried out with tears streaming down her face, "Mother, you're finally awake! The First Madam will be leading us out of here soon. We're saved!"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Du forced herself to sit up.

She watched as Lingshan Temple was burned to the ground by the surrounding wildfires, then looked at the slender figure standing before the flower wall, and inexplicably believed:

"Stay close to the First Madam, and we'll definitely be able to escape."

Xi Kui walked to Yun Ji's side and solemnly reported to her:

"Madam, the abbot and the young monk are hiding in the Guanyin Hall in front. I saw them sneaking around and peeking at the backyard. It seems they want to escape with us."

"Taking them along will only lead to our deaths."

"This servant will have the guards tie them up right away, let's see how they manage to follow us then."

"What are they supposed to do if the fire spreads into the Guanyin Hall?"

Yunji's question stumped Xikui.

She frowned, her round face contorted with worry, her delicate brows furrowed. She couldn't figure out what to do; she couldn't tie her up or let her follow her.

"Have the guards block the back gate."

"But madam, they will try every means to break down the door or climb over the wall, and they will follow us out sooner or later."

Xi Kui suddenly understood the deeper meaning behind the First Madam's actions.

The First Madam did not want to kill the Abbot and the young monk.

The reason for blocking the back door instead of tying them up in the Guanyin Hall was to leave them a way out. Once they were completely shaken off, whether they could escape by following the route would depend on their fate.

"Madam, I know what to do."

Fifteen minutes later, the wildfire had burned a long path of ashes that stretched straight into the heart of the land.

Shi Ling used a wooden stake to break open the lattice window in the wall, then leaped in and said:

"Madam, I have roughly calculated that if we set off now, by the time we cross the wasteland, the fires inside and outside will have already collided and created a passage."

Yunji looked up at the guards keeping watch on the wall and asked in a raised voice:

What's the wind direction in the mountains?

"Reporting to the First Madam, the wind is still blowing from the southwest."

Yunji addressed everyone, "Draw water from the well, irrigate yourself from head to toe, cover your mouths with wet handkerchiefs, and get ready to depart."

Everyone obeyed the order and poured buckets of well water over themselves, getting completely soaked.

Once everything was ready, the group jumped over the wall through the opened lattice window.

Yunji led Aunt Du and Cui Shuhua in the middle, with three maids following closely on either side, and six guards protecting them from the front and back, as they rushed into the scorched wasteland.

Upon seeing this, the abbot and the young monk hurriedly ran out of the Guanyin Hall and rushed to the courtyard, only to find that the back door was blocked by a wooden door and stones.

He cursed fiercely and sternly ordered the little monk to find some wood to build a ladder.

After a great deal of effort, the three of them jumped down from the courtyard wall and rushed towards the latticed window. Just as they were about to crawl out through the broken hole, a long sword suddenly appeared from behind and was held against their necks.

The abbot led the young monks to kneel on the ground and beg for mercy.

The assassin in black searched the abbot's robes but couldn't find the booklet he wanted. He then coldly demanded:

"Where is it?"

"My lord, spare my life! This old monk knows nothing and has no idea what you desire."

Seeing that the abbot was still lying even as he faced death, the assassin in black sneered and pressed his long sword against the young monk's neck, bribing him to say:

"If you can tell me where the thing is hidden, it's either him or you; otherwise, it's you or him."

The young monk's face was deathly pale, and he was trembling all over. Under the abbot's fierce glare, he closed his eyes tightly.

The assassin in black increased the pressure on his hand, and the long sword pressed against his neck went deeper into his flesh, causing blood to gush out.

"explain--!"

The abbot handed the booklet to Madam Cui.

The assassin beside him swiftly brought down his blade, and the abbot died on the spot.

The two young monks were so frightened that they collapsed to the ground and retreated in terror.

The assassin in black pressed his longsword against the neck of another young monk, threatening him once more:

"Where exactly is the thing located?"

The young monk said in a trembling voice, "In...that lady's...hands..."

The assassin beside them swung his sword, and the two young monks fell into a pool of blood.

The assassin in black gave a deep, resonant command: "Chase!"