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North and South Capital City
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Lu Qi Yang’s army was below the city walls, while also having Empress Ji as hostage. Song Yan Li was momentarily unable to advance or retreat, completely at his wits end.
He was absolutely unwilling to let Ji Fei Xia lose her life in vain. But, if he were to surrender the city, then that was also the crime of betraying his ruler. Song Yan Li angrily glared, pacing back and forth atop the city wall, endlessly wavering.
Shortly after, a deputy general whispered by his ear, “Before his Majesty left, he’d specifically stated that we cannot lose the city no matter what. As for the empress, she hardly amounts to anything. If able to save, then we can save; if not, it’s not a major crime either, can only blame Zhennan Wang for being treacherous.”
Upon hearing this, his body shook.
Lu Zi Xiang not having genuine feelings for Ji Fei Xia, this bit, he was naturally very clear of. If they need to use the entire capital city to exchange for Ji Fei Xia, then Lu Zi Xiang certainly won’t be willing.
Amidst burning anxiety, Song Yan Li saw below the city walls Ji Fei Xia in a sorry state, her face covered in tears, no longer like in the past when she was being pampered. For a moment, he felt an incomparable twinge of heartache. While feeling distressed, Song Yan Li even had a bit of resentment towards Lu Zi Xiang———
If not for Lu Zi Xiang mistaking her for someone else back then, going along with the mistake, and marrying Ji Fei Xia, how could Ji Fei Xia end up in this situation now? She should be showered with endless affection and not forced to be a hostage!
The more thought of this, the more convinced he felt. About half an incense stick later, he already made up his mind.
His older brother Song Yan De has already died in battle for Lu Zi Xiang. The capital at present was nothing more than an empty city, already not worth sacrificing Ji Fei Xia for!
“General……”
Hearing the deputy general beside him, Song Yan Li hardened his heart and angrily roared, “Prepare to open the gates!”
“General!” The deputy general exclaimed in alarm, “If we lose the city, afraid we won’t be able to explain ourselves before his Majesty!”
“Zhennan Wang has an army of over a hundred thousand troops, based on you and I, how can we possibly defend the capital?” Song Yan Li said with a glare, “The city is destined to fall. Rather than dying for nothing, we might as well use it to exchange for her Highness’s life!”
Seeing his face thoroughly red, a rare look for him, the deputy general immediately didn’t dare to say more.
Admittedly, what Song Yan Li said was true——–It was simply impossible to hold the capital city. Defending this place was merely for the sake of buying a bit more time for the emperor’s retreat south. In other words, it was just throwing away their lives.
Silence fell upon the city walls.
An hour later, Song Yan Li sent out an envoy to negotiate with Lu Qi Yang. He was willing to open the city gates and surrender, but Lu Qi Yang must keep Ji Fei Xia safe and sound.
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
When Ji Fei Xia heard that Song Yan Li was willing to open the gates to exchange for her, she was very elated inside. She completely forgot the situation she was in, pulling the envoy’s sleeve and asking with eyes full of anticipation, “His Majesty still cares about me, right?”
Seeing this, a look of pity appeared in the envoy’s eyes, but he didn’t say more, just stating, “Asking your Highness to rest assured.”
Seeing his expression, Ji Fei Xia knew something was off, so immediately asked, “Could it be that this wasn’t his Majesty’s order?”
Lu Qi Yang finally couldn’t stand watching anymore, saying, “Your Highness, the decision to open the gates was Song Yan Li’s own idea.”
“Si-sir Song…..?” Ji Fei Xia was stunned for a moment and said, “Why would he go this far? He and I aren’t that familiar to begin with.”
When Lu Qi Yang heard, he blanked for a moment. Afterwards, he turned around, faintly sighing inside.
——-The two who were once a loving couple in the past life were now just considered ‘not that familiar’. Ji Fei Xia married someone else, while Song Yan Li never once expressed his feelings.
On the other side, Ji Fei Xia was overcome with loneliness and disappointment, saying, “Really…..gave General Song trouble.” However, between her words, she didn’t have too much affection towards Song Yan Li.
• • •
That night, the gates of the capital slowly opened, allowing Zhennan Wang’s army to enter the capital.
It was the late autumn of Tianqing year 3. The leaves throughout the capital have already all fallen. Majority of the commoners have all fled south, the once bustling capital city now deserted.
Some of the powerful aristocrats and imperial clansmen who didn’t flee south with Lu Zi Xiang all expressed their goodwill towards the Zhennan Wang so as to ensure their safety. Among them was Lu Jing Hua.
He although got forced by Shen Ran to press down the jade seal, his heart still leaned towards Lu Qi Yang. As soon as Lu Qi Yang entered the capital, he immediately looked for Lu Qi Yang and obediently told him about Shen Ran’s plans.
“Brother Qi Yang, I don’t want to be the emperor in the slightest. If brother Qi Yang is displeased, then I’ll immediately go south to look for my father……..” In front of Lu Qi Yang, he has always been full of admiration and timidness. At this very moment, he also appeared very humble.
“What a coincidence, I also don’t want to be the emperor either.” Lu Qi Yang patted Lu Jing Hua’s shoulder and said, “Furthermore, Lu Zi Xiang is still ruling as the emperor in the south, so it’s not the time for the two of us to be thinking about that position legitimately. Let’s rediscuss this once the situation in the capital has settled down.”
Thus, this matter just got delayed like this.
A month later, the situation of ‘Lu Zi Xiang in the south and Lu Qi Yang in the north’ gradually stabilized.
The winter of Tianqing year 3 was a bit warmer than past years’, the snow late to come. Before the snow seal off the roads, Lu Qi Yang sent a squad to have Shen Lan Chi who was in the Wu province escorted to the capital.
Compared with the Wu province, the capital currently was much safer.
Because Shen Lan Chi was pregnant, they travelled particularly cautiously. More than half a month later, she finally arrived in the capital.
When Lu Zi Xiang and his ministers fled south, they had torn down half of the palace buildings. The residences of those powerful aristocrats in the east district also got ransacked and looted by the refugees afterwards, each one left in a sorry state. Even the An Duke Manor and Zhennan Wang Manor who have been prominent for generations were also unable to escape from this fate.
Lu Qi Yang immediately ordered someone to prepare a resting place, having the old Cien Palace in the south of the imperial city cleaned up for Shen Lan Chi to rest in.
When Shen Lan Chi arrived at Cien Palace, she heard the mama in serving there say, “Heard that before your Highness married, your Highness frequently stayed over in Jiaxi Empress’s bedchamber. Wangye figured that wangfei should be relatively familiar with this place, so specially had this place sorted out for your Highness to rest in.” As the mama spoke, she led Shen Lan Chi into the palace hall, “Wangye even prepared Wuwei Kitchen’s honey jujube cake that’s renowned throughout the capital, waiting to let you have a taste…….”
Shen Lan Chi let out an ‘oh’ as she slowly walked in.
Cien Palace, for her, was indeed a familiar place. Just, at present, everything has changed, so seeing this place again made her feel rather sentimental.
The place she was staying at was Cien Palace’s side hall. A thick brocade curtain with aquatic flowers hung above the entrance. The heat from the underground furnace filled the room with warmth.
Shen Lan Chi followed the mama into the palace hall. Turning her line of sight, she saw hanging on the clothes rack a man’s outer garment.
“These clothes….” Shen Lan Chi was somewhat hesitant, “…are wangye’s?”
“Yes….” The servant woman eagerly said, “Aiyaa, wangye must have came early to wait for you.”
As soon as she said this, she just heard frantic footsteps come from behind the pearl curtains. With a rustling sound, Lu Qi Yang lifted the curtains, somewhat nervously saying, “Lan Lan, you sure came quick. I thought that you’d be moving in at night.” After saying this, he reprimanded the servant woman, “Why didn’t anyone come inform me that the wangfei has arrived?”
Shen Lan Chi furrowed her brows, keenly noticing that there was seemingly something on the corner of Lu Qi Yang’s mouth.
It was cake crumbs.
She lifted her brow, asking, “Where is the rumored honey jujube cake that wangye has personally prepared for me?”
Lu Qi Yang blanked for a moment, feeling somewhat guilty, saying, “This….this…..I’ll let someone go buy right away……”
“You ate them?” Shen Lan Chi narrowed her eyes, revealing a smile.
“No…..no…….” Lu Qi Yang averted his eyes, feeling increasingly guilty.
Shen Lan Chi hooked the corner of her lip and extended her finger, swiping it against his lips and saying, “Have a taste of my finger.”
“?” Lu Qi Yang didn’t really understand, but still did as told. Upon tasting that sweet flavor, Lu Qi Yang was greatly shocked, “This…..isn’t…….I…….”
“A piece of cake, just eat if you want to eat.” Shen Lan Chi was increasingly amused, “Already this big, yet still like a small child.”
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