General’s Gown - CH 28

Chapter 28 Blood-like Sunset Part 8

Yan Changqing stared at Zhang Jian’s face, and could no longer care about the courtesy between courtiers. He just wanted to cut him thousands of times to pay homage to the countless lives in Qixia Village. However, as soon as Zhang Jian said this sentence, it was like a basin of icy water running down his head, making him instantly calm down.

Or more precisely, shudder.

Help me?

Yan Changqing murmured. In fact, since Helian Rongchuan was surrounded just now, he had a terrible conjecture, and now it may be the time to prove it.

Yan Changqing suddenly felt that the reason for his anger was gone, he only felt it was inexplicably absurd. His figure shook slightly, his hands loosened and Zhang Jian fell to the ground. He coughed violently twice. Ignoring the pain in his chest, he struggled to get up and took out a jade silk brocade from his arms.

An Imperial edict.

The trembling bloody fingers slowly opened the jade brocade and on the splendid auspicious clouds and crane brocade, familiar handwriting leaped into view. Yan Changqing still remembered that when he was Murong Xiu’s escort, he wrote with a strong character and a Shoujin font. Murong Xiu liked it very much when he saw it. He secretly collected a lot of copybooks, and finally he practiced until he almost had the same character shape as him.

But now every word written seemed to be soaked in human blood, and every stroke was like a sharp dagger piercing into Yan Changqing’s heart.

Sarcastic and cruel.

Yan Changqing raised his head and laughed miserably. He forcibly pressed down the surge of blood in his chest. His wrist shook and the imperial edict fell into the blood on the ground.

Zhang Jian hurried forward, holding the imperial edict in his hands and carefully wiped off the blood on it. He knew the weight of this imperial edict, because every word in it was the Yan Emperor, Murong Xiu commending Yan Changqing for strangling the water bandits on the border.

It turned out that Murong Xiu had already sent a spy to understand the reason why the temper snow stones were robbed. Zhang Jian still remembered Murong Xiu’s distorted and terrifying expression when he talked about the Dongyun man.

After all, the other party was the second prince of Dongyun and it was not easy to solve, but Murong Xiu thought of a strategy.

Aren’t there many water bandits on the Jiaolu River on the border? So if the small village by the river is regarded as the nest of water bandits, it could work.

Therefore, the entire Qixia Village could become a sacrifice for Murong Xiu to build up military power for Yan Changqing and wash away his guilt. With this imperial decree, the loss of the temper snow stones would have the most reliable explanation, which will not cause trouble to the Dongyun people, nor will it cause the impeachment and suspicion of Yan Changqing by the officials.

It is said that the people in Qixia Village were all water bandits who robbed the temper snow stones, so they were.

Anyway, the dead can not explain. As for the Prince Dongyun, if everything was killed and burned all at once, with so many dead bones, who would know?

The little fat girl looked at the silent Yan Changqing with a little bit of confusion. She was a little scared: “Big brother, what’s the matter with you?”

What’s wrong?

Yan Changqing looked at Helian Rongchuan somewhat stupidly, with a bitter smile at the corner of his mouth: “I am blinded by the wind.”

Helian Rongchuan stared at Yan Changqing quietly. He suddenly felt an emotion he had never felt before. Was it pity, resentment, or sorrow? He didn’t know, but he felt that there was too much despair and bitterness in his chest, and he wanted to hold the person in front of him tight in his arms and soothe away all the sad emotions.

However, when he saw that imperial edict, he knew that he could never do that again.

“It turns out that this is the emperor’s strategy. It’s really wonderful, wonderful!”

Helian Rongchuan clapped his hands continuously, and couldn’t help but laugh horribly.

Seeing him like this, Yan Changqing felt a pain in his heart, but he couldn’t explain anymore. Zhang Jian’s expression changed, and he shouted, “This person is the leader of the water bandits, hurry up and arrest him!!”

Helian Rongchuan looked at Zhang Jian, and a trace of hatred flashed in his eyes. He said, “I am the Dongyun Prince, you dare?!”

Zhang Jian sneered and said, “I don’t see any Dongyun Prince, I only know that you are the leader of the water bandits!”

Before the words finished, a dozen sharp arrows suddenly darted towards Helian Rongchuan, but Helian Rongchuan had already prepared for that and dodged sideways. He turned his back and retreated. The men in black under Zhang Jian did not wait for orders and immediately chased him.

Yan Changqing was furious, and grabbed Zhang Jian’s lapels. “Stop! Make them stop!!!”

Zhang Jian’s face was pale, but he said with a serious face, “General Yan hasn’t discovered them yet? These people in black are all directly under him, they are the Emperor’s Qilin Guard!”

Qilin Guard!

Yan Changqing was stunned. The Qilin guard is an elite guard personally selected by Murong Xiu. Even Zhang Jian from the second rank can’t directly order them.

A trace of panic flashed in Yan Changqing’s eyes, and he ran to Helian Rongchuan desperately.

The setting sun was about to set, and the sky full of clouds became darker, as if the entire sky was stained scarlet by the blood of Qixia Village. On the cliff lined with huge rocks, Helian Rongchuan was heavily surrounded, stepping back to the edge step by step. His chest, abdomen, and arms had received light or severe stab wounds. Every time he took a step back, there was a bloody footprint on the ground.

But in his amber-like eyes, there was still a fearless and fierce light flashing, like a lion who was backed into a corner but refused to give up.

Below the cliff was Jiaolu River. If one jumped down, how much chance would one have to survive?

The premise was that he had to avoid the countless rows of sharp arrows in front of him.

“Stop!”

Suddenly, with a sharp shout, a familiar figure appeared in front of him.

Helian Rongchuan’s face was pale, with thousands of emotions surging in his chest. Whether it was regret, resentment, or him being crazy, in the end, it all turned into a gentle smile at the corner of his mouth.

It’s great to see him before he died.

The man in black saw Yan Changqing rushing over. Although he was a little afraid of the consequences, none of them put down their bows and arrows. Only one man in black who seemed to be the leader said coldly, “Master Yan, please forgive us. Our Qilin guard only listens to the current emperor’s dispatch. This person must be killed today, please don’t interfere!”

As soon as the voice fell, hundreds of bows and arrows were aimed at Helian Rongchuan. With just one command, Helian Rongchuan will surely die here!

Yan Changqing looked at the arrows glinting with cold light from the people in black around him, and a sense of absurdity and powerlessness suddenly appeared in his heart. He knew that every knife and every arrow of these Qilin guards had a sufficient amount of temper snow stone added, which made it extremely sharp.

Was the temper snow stones that he had tried so hard to obtain, originally intended to kill someone he cherished?

Yan Changqing knew that even though he was 70-80% sure he could kill the leader in black with a single blow, he also knew that perhaps as soon as he shot out, Helian Rongchuan would be shot to death by random arrows.

Yan Changqing took a deep breath and tried to calm down his emotions. Turning around, he said to the black man: “Isn’t the decree saying that I have merit in suppressing the bandits?”

The man in black was taken aback. “What does your lord mean?”

“Then this person must be killed by me personally.”

“This…” The man in black was a little shaken, and couldn’t help feeling that Yan Changqing’s words seemed to make sense.

Anyway, under his nose, could the Dongyun man survive? So he nodded and agreed.

Yan Changqing took the bow and arrow. He drew his bow without hesitation, the arrow pointed at Helian Rongchuan’s heart.

Helian Rongchuan was shocked, and he couldn’t help taking a half step forward. He couldn’t believe it and said, “Changqing–you?”

Yan Changqing pressed his lips tightly, without saying a word. His face was as pale as paper, and he was holding a bow and arrow motionlessly. In his eyes that were as clear as black mercury, there were faint waves moving.

No one noticed. The famous, reputed, Yan country’s number one shooter, Yan Changqing’s fingers were trembling on the bow.

Seeing that he didn’t answer, Helian Rongchuan seemed to understand something, and the shock on his face was replaced by a sad smile. He bowed his head and let out a long sigh, looking reluctantly at Yan Changqing’s expressionless face.

It turned out that at the end, he still failed to warm up this piece of ice. Everything was his wishful thinking.

Helian Rongchuan said softly, “I understand. That’s fine, that’s okay. I won’t blame you.”

“General Yan, come on.”

Helian Rongchuan slowly closed his eyes.

It’s going to be dark. Along with the setting sun that was about to disappear in the sky, a sharp arrow burst out of the wind and shot into Helian Rongchuan’s chest.

Helian Rongchuan staggered back, looked at Yan Changqing with nostalgia and sadness for the last time, stepped into the air, rolled over and fell off the cliff.

The violent wind blew up and his black hair fluttered with the wind. Yan Changqing stared straight at the empty cliff. He suddenly felt blood surging in his chest and his throat was sweet. He knelt on his knees with a thump, and spit out a large mouthful of blood.

“Master Yan!”

Yan Changqing couldn’t hear any sounds anymore, his eyes went dark and he passed out.