Nightfall

Ning Que held onto his walking stick and looked at Hua Shanyue . He leaned half of his weight on the walking stick . His posture made him seem earnest in his gaze toward Hua Shanyue, almost as if he would look through him .

Hua Shanyue felt a little pain between his eyebrows . He felt like Ning Que"s eyes were like two sharp knives . So he leaned over to one side, holding Xiao Man"s hand .

As he leaned, he opened the view of the night sky for others . But in doing so, he blocked Li Yu"s sight .

Earlier when he said there were 30 Shenhou crossbows in the night, he wasn"t lying . As Hua Shanyue turned his body, a shrill sound suddenly pierced the quiet courtyard .

Snowflakes were pulverized as dozens of arrows were shot from the trees next to the wall, pointing at Ning Que on the terrace .

There wasn"t much snow falling in the courtyard, but now it seemed to acc.u.mulate more and more . There was a strange force on the snow, causing sharp lines to appear in it .

After crossing the snow, the sharp arrowhead from the crossbow was like a head cut in half by a sharp knife . It was broken and fell . Then the crossbow arrow broke piece by piece . It was scattered in the air .

There were dozens of arrows . They couldn"t cross the snowstorm outside . They shattered into countless broken pieces . The snow scattered the pieces everywhere, like dead branches falling from a tree .

The fragments of the arrow fell on the snow and made a loud noise . The people inside and outside the terrace were shocked by this scene until they came to after hearing the sound .

There were two loud sounds . Many of the Tang Army soldiers shouted as they drew the swords . They swung their swords toward Ning Que"s head .

Ning Que leaned on his walking stick . He didn"t even look at the swords . He just kept looking at Hua Shanyue, quietly .

The pain between Hua Shanyue"s eyebrows kept getting worse and worse . His body and soul were both cold .

Before the Tang Army"s swords could reach Ning Que"s side, they fell down . The swords were cut in half by a sharp noise . Then the hands holding the swords were also cut .

Two distinct cut marks appeared on their chests and abdomens . The blood slowly came out of the cuts . The cuts gradually opened wider and wider . It was a horrible sight .

Even though Ning Que didn"t have a sword, he still made the two cuts on the Tang soldiers" bodies . And even though the cuts were on their front sides, they felt the pain on their backs . The capes worn by the Tang soldiers were all torn in two and fell to the ground .

The cut halves of the capes rolled up as they hit the ground . Blood streaks were visible . It looked like a river of blood . The Tang soldiers couldn"t stand anymore and fell to their knees in the river of blood .

Hua Shanyue"s pupils were contracted to pinpoints, yet still looked calm . He asked Ning Que, "Is this the word?"

Ning Que looked at him, still holding onto his walking stick . He didn"t say a word . Then he straightened his posture slowly and loosened the horizontal piece of wood from the bottom of his walking stick . He looked as though he was preparing to draw a sword or write something .

These two scenes showed the power gap between the two sides . Everyone could see Ning Que"s actions and guess what he would do next .

Just then, Chao Xiaoshu grabbed Ning Que"s shoulder .

Ning Que wanted an explanation .

Chao Xiaoshu looked at the Tang Army on the ground and asked, "Did you just come back from the front lines?"

It was very quiet on the terrace . n.o.body answered his question because n.o.body knew why he would ask this question .

Ning Que knew Chao Xiaoshu was talking to himself . He looked at the dew on the fallen Tang soldiers" faces, remaining silent . His right hand grabbed his walking stick again, putting his weight on it .

He looked at Hua Shanyue and said, "Whatever you"re thinking, it"s wishful thinking . "

Hua Shanyue looked at his subordinates lying on the ground in their own blood . He was silent for awhile . Then he took his right hand back from covering Xiao Man"s eyes . Hua Shanyue said to Ning Que, "Thinking sometimes can be a ridiculous thing . You can kill me, but you cannot stop me from thinking . "

When he said these things, he went through a myriad of facial expressions: regret, self-deprication, unwillingness . He wanted to help Li Yu escape Chang"an, so he made a careful plan . However, who could"ve guessed two guests of this caliber would come in this kind of weather to disrupt the calm where the Princess lived?

The Princess" house had been quiet for a long time . But tonight, it came alive again . The Bodyguard office and Chang"an Local Government sent a lot of people to the house . The front of the house was lit by many torches . People gathered on both sides of the street . They looked and judged all movements and sounds . They all said bad things . Only gossip and judgement .

The fight was tense . The Tang people were still in the front lines, but the n.o.bles within the city of Chang"an were still causing so many problems . n.o.body would show sympathy to the losers .

Hua Shanyue and over fifty Tang soldiers from the Gushan Commandery had their weapons taken away . They were then removed from the Princess" Palace . The jail cells were waiting for them . As for what their ultimate punishment would be, n.o.body knew .

In hindsight, this rescue seemed to be wishful thinking . It seemed fair to say these people were out of their minds going on a mission like this . But in actuality, Hua Shanyue deserved to be called a leader of the Tang Army . He wasn"t as useless as he was shown to be . The plan he had made in advance was actually perfect .

Just when he had returned to Chang"an, he started fighting thunderously . He planned every part . If he could just take Li Yu out of the Princess" Palace, no City Patrol Department or Bodyguard office could stop them from leaving Chang"an . And if he really took Li Yu back to the Gushan Commandery, who knew what would come of the Tang Empire?

Unfortunately, he had terrible luck . n.o.body could have thought Chao Xiaoshu would go to see Li Yu . What"s more, Ning Que went to the Princess" Palace with him .

The noise and gossip in the street outside the palace did not affect the quiet inside it .

Ning Que said to Chao Xiaoshu, "Do you still want to talk to her now?"

After a few moments of silence, he said, "We"ve seen her, so there"s no need to talk . "

"Then wait for me for a moment . "

Ning Que said, "I"ve just thought of something I would like to discuss with her . "

The terrace was quiet . The snow on the lake had gotten colder and thicker . Xiao Man was taken to bed by his servant . Tonight, he saw such a b.l.o.o.d.y scene . He didn"t know if he could fall asleep .

Ning Que put down his walking stick . It was a little difficult to sit at his desk . He reached out his hand to take the cold tea in front of Li Yu . He took two sips to soothe his throat and said, "Actually, I really don"t want to call you a fool . "

Li Yu looked at the tea and asked, "Are you tired of calling me a fool?"

Ning Que replied, "Stay in this garden quietly . Though the scenery is dull, it"s still better than death . You should understand this . Why can"t you give up fighting?"

"I"ve said it before: Between dying of old age or being killed, I prefer the latter . And Hua Shanyue showed no regard to his own life in trying to save mine . What else can I do? How could I tell you this?"

Li Yu looked at him and said sarcastically, "In the imperial study that night, you told me I would see your coldness eventually . Then you killed Hun Yuan in the palace . Will you now continue to show your coldness? If you want to kill me, you better be direct with it . Don"t use excuses like calling me a fool . "

Ning Que said, "I want to call you a fool not because of what happened tonight, but because you still seemed confident that I wouldn"t kill you . "

Li Yu said, "If you really wanted to kill me, you wouldn"t stay here and say these things to me . "

Ning Que shook his head and said, "It would be very simple to kill you . Not killing you is the hard part . But this kind of trouble is not what you"re thinking . "

Li Yu kept her gaze on Ning Que, but she didn"t say anything .

Ning Que looked at her beautiful face as if he had seen the maid holding Xiao Man listening to a fairy tale by the bonfire many years ago and said, "It seems that you have figured out many things lately . "

Li Yu kept her silence .

Ning Que continued, "There is nothing of value worth holding on to in this world . Whether it be Xiao Man"s birth, or your influence from your time in the gra.s.sland, neither will affect the decision the Empress and I have made . "

Li Yu stared at his eyes, her hands shaking in her sleeves . She knew Ning Que could read her thoughts and reasoning . She didn"t expect for him to remain so calm after finding these things out .

Now the whole world was fighting the Tang Empire, except for the West-Hill Divine Palace . Only the Golden Palace"s cavalry moving their way southward could threaten the Tang Empire . If they wanted to completely shut down this threat from the north, Xiao Man"s birth and her influence in the golden tent seemed to be of importance .

Because of these reasons, she knew the Academy and the imperial court would keep her .

"Actually, you"re not wrong . But the Academy and the imperial court wouldn"t likely do that . Especially when I found out you wanted to keep these as bargaining chips . "

Ning Que looked at her and said, "I can still eat a pig, if the butcher who slaughtered the pig is dead . If the Headmaster is gone, the Academy is still strong enough on its own . They are without enemies . I already had a plan for the vast Wilderness of the Golden Palace . It would be better if I had your help . But if not, I could still get the final victory . "

Li Yu looked at him with raised eyebrows and said, "Even if many people die?"

Ning Que said, "As long as those who die are not Tang people . "

Li Yu thought of some possibilities . She changed her expression slightly and sadly said, "It seems like the Tang Empire doesn"t need Xiao Man and me . Did you make a plan before the war started?"

Ning Que never thought she could"ve guessed what he had done to the Golden Palace just from a few sentences . He said, "It looks like you are no fool in this respect . "

Li Yu said wryly, "That means I"m still a fool in other respects . "

Ning Que replied, "Yes . "

The army left . The street in front of the Princess" Palace eventually quieted down . The snow that had been trampled until it became muddy water could not return to its clean white look in a short time .

Ning Que and Chao Xiaoshu were walking on the street . They stepped on the muddied snow, making a crunching sound beneath their feet .

"Killing or not killing, you need to solve this problem eventually . " Chao Xiaoshu said, "After all, she"s the favorite daughter of the king . If we don"t have to kill her, it"s better not to kill her . ". . . . Ning Que held onto his walking stick and looked at Hua Shanyue . He leaned half of his weight on the walking stick . His posture made him seem earnest in his gaze toward Hua Shanyue, almost as if he would look through him . Hua Shanyue felt a little pain between his eyebrows . He felt like Ning Ques eyes were like two sharp knives . So he leaned over to one side, holding Xiao Mans hand . As he leaned, he opened the view of the night sky for others . But in doing so, he blocked Li Yus sight . Earlier when he said there were 30 Shenhou crossbows in the night, he wasnt lying . As Hua Shanyue turned his body, a shrill sound suddenly pierced the quiet courtyard . Snowflakes were pulverized as dozens of arrows were shot from the trees next to the wall, pointing at Ning Que on the terrace . There wasnt much snow falling in the courtyard, but now it seemed to acc.u.mulate more and more . There was a strange force on the snow, causing sharp lines to appear in it . After crossing the snow, the sharp arrowhead from the crossbow was like a head cut in half by a sharp knife . It was broken and fell . Then the crossbow arrow broke piece by piece . It was scattered in the air . There were dozens of arrows . They couldnt cross the snowstorm outside . They shattered into countless broken pieces . The snow scattered the pieces everywhere, like dead branches falling from a tree . The fragments of the arrow fell on the snow and made a loud noise . The people inside and outside the terrace were shocked by this scene until they came to after hearing the sound . There were two loud sounds . Many of the Tang Army soldiers shouted as they drew the swords . They swung their swords toward Ning Ques head . Ning Que leaned on his walking stick . He didnt even look at the swords . He just kept looking at Hua Shanyue, quietly . The pain between Hua Shanyues eyebrows kept getting worse and worse . His body and soul were both cold . Before the Tang Armys swords could reach Ning Ques side, they fell down . The swords were cut in half by a sharp noise . Then the hands holding the swords were also cut . . . Two distinct cut marks appeared on their chests and abdomens . The blood slowly came out of the cuts . The cuts gradually opened wider and wider . It was a horrible sight . Even though Ning Que didnt have a sword, he still made the two cuts on the Tang soldiers bodies . And even though the cuts were on their front sides, they felt the pain on their backs . The capes worn by the Tang soldiers were all torn in two and fell to the ground . The cut halves of the capes rolled up as they hit the ground . Blood streaks were visible . It looked like a river of blood . The Tang soldiers couldnt stand anymore and fell to their knees in the river of blood . Hua Shanyues pupils were contracted to pinpoints, yet still looked calm . He asked Ning Que, Is this the word? Ning Que looked at him, still holding onto his walking stick . He didnt say a word . Then he straightened his posture slowly and loosened the horizontal piece of wood from the bottom of his walking stick . He looked as though he was preparing to draw a sword or write something . These two scenes showed the power gap between the two sides . Everyone could see Ning Ques actions and guess what he would do next . Just then, Chao Xiaoshu grabbed Ning Ques shoulder . Ning Que wanted an explanation . Chao Xiaoshu looked at the Tang Army on the ground and asked, Did you just come back from the front lines? It was very quiet on the terrace . n.o.body answered his question because n.o.body knew why he would ask this question . Ning Que knew Chao Xiaoshu was talking to himself . He looked at the dew on the fallen Tang soldiers faces, remaining silent . His right hand grabbed his walking stick again, putting his weight on it . He looked at Hua Shanyue and said, Whatever youre thinking, its wishful thinking . Hua Shanyue looked at his subordinates lying on the ground in their own blood . He was silent for awhile . Then he took his right hand back from covering Xiao Mans eyes . Hua Shanyue said to Ning Que, Thinking sometimes can be a ridiculous thing . You can kill me, but you cannot stop me from thinking . . . . . When he said these things, he went through a myriad of facial expressions: regret, self-deprication, unwillingness . He wanted to help Li Yu escape Changan, so he made a careful plan . However, who couldve guessed two guests of this caliber would come in this kind of weather to disrupt the calm where the Princess lived? The Princess house had been quiet for a long time . But tonight, it came alive again . The Bodyguard office and Changan Local Government sent a lot of people to the house . The front of the house was lit by many torches . People gathered on both sides of the street . They looked and judged all movements and sounds . They all said bad things . Only gossip and judgement . The fight was tense . The Tang people were still in the front lines, but the n.o.bles within the city of Changan were still causing so many problems . n.o.body would show sympathy to the losers . Hua Shanyue and over fifty Tang soldiers from the Gushan Commandery had their weapons taken away . They were then removed from the Princess Palace . The jail cells were waiting for them . As for what their ultimate punishment would be, n.o.body knew . In hindsight, this rescue seemed to be wishful thinking . It seemed fair to say these people were out of their minds going on a mission like this . But in actuality, Hua Shanyue deserved to be called a leader of the Tang Army . He wasnt as useless as he was shown to be . The plan he had made in advance was actually perfect . Just when he had returned to Changan, he started fighting thunderously . He planned every part . If he could just take Li Yu out of the Princess Palace, no City Patrol Department or Bodyguard office could stop them from leaving Changan . And if he really took Li Yu back to the Gushan Commandery, who knew what would come of the Tang Empire? Unfortunately, he had terrible luck . n.o.body could have thought Chao Xiaoshu would go to see Li Yu . Whats more, Ning Que went to the Princess Palace with him . The noise and gossip in the street outside the palace did not affect the quiet inside it . Ning Que said to Chao Xiaoshu, Do you still want to talk to her now? After a few moments of silence, he said, Weve seen her, so theres no need to talk . Then wait for me for a moment . Ning Que said, Ive just thought of something I would like to discuss with her . The terrace was quiet . The snow on the lake had gotten colder and thicker . Xiao Man was taken to bed by his servant . Tonight, he saw such a b.l.o.o.d.y scene . He didnt know if he could fall asleep . Ning Que put down his walking stick . It was a little difficult to sit at his desk . He reached out his hand to take the cold tea in front of Li Yu . He took two sips to soothe his throat and said, Actually, I really dont want to call you a fool . Li Yu looked at the tea and asked, Are you tired of calling me a fool? Ning Que replied, Stay in this garden quietly . Though the scenery is dull, its still better than death . You should understand this . Why cant you give up fighting? Ive said it before: Between dying of old age or being killed, I prefer the latter . And Hua Shanyue showed no regard to his own life in trying to save mine . What else can I do? How could I tell you this? Li Yu looked at him and said sarcastically, In the imperial study that night, you told me I would see your coldness eventually . Then you killed Hun Yuan in the palace . Will you now continue to show your coldness? If you want to kill me, you better be direct with it . Dont use excuses like calling me a fool . Ning Que said, I want to call you a fool not because of what happened tonight, but because you still seemed confident that I wouldnt kill you . Li Yu said, If you really wanted to kill me, you wouldnt stay here and say these things to me . Ning Que shook his head and said, It would be very simple to kill you . Not killing you is the hard part . But this kind of trouble is not what youre thinking . Li Yu kept her gaze on Ning Que, but she didnt say anything . Ning Que looked at her beautiful face as if he had seen the maid holding Xiao Man listening to a fairy tale by the bonfire many years ago and said, It seems that you have figured out many things lately . Li Yu kept her silence . Ning Que continued, There is nothing of value worth holding on to in this world . Whether it be Xiao Mans birth, or your influence from your time in the gra.s.sland, neither will affect the decision the Empress and I have made . Li Yu stared at his eyes, her hands shaking in her sleeves . She knew Ning Que could read her thoughts and reasoning . She didnt expect for him to remain so calm after finding these things out . Now the whole world was fighting the Tang Empire, except for the West-Hill Divine Palace . Only the Golden Palaces cavalry moving their way southward could threaten the Tang Empire . If they wanted to completely shut down this threat from the north, Xiao Mans birth and her influence in the golden tent seemed to be of importance . Because of these reasons, she knew the Academy and the imperial court would keep her . Actually, youre not wrong . But the Academy and the imperial court wouldnt likely do that . Especially when I found out you wanted to keep these as bargaining chips . Ning Que looked at her and said, I can still eat a pig, if the butcher who slaughtered the pig is dead . If the Headmaster is gone, the Academy is still strong enough on its own . They are without enemies . I already had a plan for the vast Wilderness of the Golden Palace . It would be better if I had your help . But if not, I could still get the final victory . Li Yu looked at him with raised eyebrows and said, Even if many people die? Ning Que said, As long as those who die are not Tang people . Li Yu thought of some possibilities . She changed her expression slightly and sadly said, It seems like the Tang Empire doesnt need Xiao Man and me . Did you make a plan before the war started? Ning Que never thought she couldve guessed what he had done to the Golden Palace just from a few sentences . He said, It looks like you are no fool in this respect . Li Yu said wryly, That means Im still a fool in other respects . Ning Que replied, Yes . The army left . The street in front of the Princess Palace eventually quieted down . The snow that had been trampled until it became muddy water could not return to its clean white look in a short time . Ning Que and Chao Xiaoshu were walking on the street . They stepped on the muddied snow, making a crunching sound beneath their feet . Killing or not killing, you need to solve this problem eventually . Chao Xiaoshu said, After all, shes the favorite daughter of the king . If we dont have to kill her, its better not to kill her .