Chapter 412 – Besieging the capital (1)
And so, during this tense situation, the palace gates were sealed, and only Marquis Moyu could freely come and go.
—
The virtuous consort was standing inside Wangyue Building and sneering at the person in the bed. “It’s already gotten to this point. Your Majesty, are you still unwilling to help the emperor? Truly, the deep affection that the emperor has shown you was a waste. Are you really going to peacefully rest in Wangyue Building and do nothing while His Majesty’s throne is in danger?”
Pengyue softly coughed. Looking at the virtuous consort, she mustered up the strength to sit up. In Yuzhen, she had been a princess that was used to being doted on. How could an abandoned woman like Kangyuan be allowed to climb over her?
“What? It can’t be that Your Majesty wants to whip me when you’re already in such a poor condition, right?” The virtuous consort disdainfully smiled. “It would already be pretty good if you can stand up. You’ve been poisoned with Bone Erosion Poison. Your bones will slowly erode little by little. Your Majesty, you better be careful. Otherwise, your leg bones will snap in half.”
Leaning against the bed, Pengyue was in so much pain that cold sweat had accumulated over her entire body. Looking at the virtuous consort, she could only clench her jaw and curse, “You poisonous woman!”
“I’m poisonous?” The virtuous consort laughed so much that tears almost came out of her eyes. “How can I compare to you? You’re just a princess that inserted yourself halfway into our relationship. What right do you have to request the emperor to not have any consorts in his harem? Did you know that I could have originally entered the palace and be his Majesty’s close companion? But, solely because of your words, His Majesty married me to Ning Mingjie. As an abandoned woman, it’ll be so difficult for me to receive His Majesty’s whole-hearted love. Princess Pengyue, Your Majesty, of the two of us, who’s the more poisonous one?”
Pengyue was slightly startled. She lowered her eyes and said, “If you really had a place in the emperor’s heart, he wouldn’t have married you off to General Ning just because I didn’t want him to have a harem.”
The virtuous consort angrily retorted, “Nonsense. The emperor and me have known each other since childhood. Every year that I came to the palace for the Lantern Festival, we would spend it together. I was with him during his most difficult times. How could I not be in his heart? It’s only because you have Yuzhen. Otherwise, what can you possibly take out to compete with me?”
Pengyue had momentarily frozen in surprise. She finally softly laughed. Yeah, if she didn’t have Yuzhen, he wouldn’t have chosen her. Now that Yuzhen could no longer help him, he wouldn’t come to see her anymore.
She remembered that long ago day. She had stood in front of him in a red outfit. While swinging her whip, she had declared to everyone, “He’s the one that I want as my husband. In the future, if anyone dares to bully or insult him, it’ll be the same as bullying or insulting me.
She had been so stupid, ah.
As Pengyue continued to laugh, tears started to fall. She slowly lied back down and said, “I won’t compete with you for anything. You might as well leave. It’ll be the best if you go the emperor’s side and keep him company. Yuzhen won’t send reinforcements.”
The virtuous consort was extremely infuriated. Flinging her sleeve, she left Wangyue Building.
—
The capital had been besieged for a month. Because Marquis Moyu had pledged his life to stubbornly resisting Zhangjun’s forces and pressured the officials, the capital remained impregnable during this time. However, problems arose when everyone had been trapped in the capital for too long.
How to solve the problem of food? The rice merchants in the capital had already closed their businesses, and there was nowhere to buy rice. The commoners had already changed to eating other foods, but these remaining foods were dwindling.
When some of the soldiers sent by the various first-rank princes finally arrived, they passably fought with Zhangjun’s army for two months.
During these two months of war, Ji Man secretly contacted Yan Buba and had the rice in Ji Store’s warehouses stealthily transported out of the capital. Then, she had people cooking rice right by the capital’s moat and spread the news that she was giving out free rice outside of the capital. That’s right, it was rice, not watery congee.
There had already been countless people, who had starved to death in the capital. When the commoners heard the news of free rice, they crowded at the capital’s gate like people that had lost theirs minds. The emperor ordered for these people to be put down. And so, before a group of soldiers went out to fight the enemy, they slaughtered their own people first.
Fear and anxiety spread throughout the capital. It was enveloped in a haze of gloom.
When the capital’s forces had exhausted their strength, Marquis Jingwen’s troops arrived at the capital. Unfortunately, this army, which had been flying the flag of serving the emperor, directly went to Zhangjun’s army camps.
Ji Man saw the person that lifted up the curtain and couldn’t resist exclaiming, “Older brother!”
Nie Qingyun had also regained to his original name. When Jingwen’s army had reached the outskirts of the capital, the flag that declared allegiance to the emperor had been switched out, and Nie Qingyun publicly threatened the emperor that a debt of blood must be paid in blood. Two years had passed, and Nie Qingyun had risen to the position of Jing Province’s commander-in-chief. While enduring hardships, he had waited until he would have the opportunity for revenge.
“Sangyu.” Nie Qingyun was smiling as he looked at her. His gaze showed that he was excited, but he suppressed this feeling since Zhao Zhe was also present. “Back then, you left without say anything. If Zhangjun Prince hadn’t informed me, I wouldn’t even know where to look for you.”
“Your sister-in-law gave birth to a body,” said Nie Qingyun while he stretched his hand out to stroke her hair.
Ji Man felt slightly choked up with emotion. For a moment, she wasn’t able to say a single in response. It was good that Errong had given birth to a son. Their son would definitely have her older brother’s valiant spirit as well as Errong’s genuine temperament.
“Sir Nie, you came from so far away. It must have been tiring.” Zhao Zhe smiled and said, “Right now, it’s only a matter of time before the capital is captured. For you to come here and witness the beginning of a golden age with this prince, that’s also rare. In contrast, that Marquis Yong’an is stubbornly insisting on opposing this prince.”
(T/N: Just in case it was too long ago, Marquis Yong’an is Kangyuan’s father.)
Nie Qingyun understandingly smiled. Having already thought of what he would say, he respectfully cupped one fist in the other hand and said, “All the soldiers that Qingyun brought with me are Jing Province’s elite troops. Yong’an is situated in the highlands, so their troops would naturally be weak at water warfare. Qingyun has already finished discussing a plan with the other generals. We’ll lead Yong’an’s soldiers to autumn waters to battle.”
“Excellent!” Zhao Zhe clapped his hands. “You two siblings have been indispensable to this prince. If we win, the two of you will definitely be rewarded in the future.”
“Thank you, Your Highness!” Ji Man and Nie Qingyun bowed together.