The Slender Waist-Chapter 571 - 408 Extreme Madness

Feng Yun could not discern any clues from his expression, shook her head, and asked in a low voice, "What happened?"

Without speaking, Pei Jue drew back the carriage curtain that had been pierced by the long sword and glanced outside.

Apart from the one who he had run through with his sword, the other two accomplices had already been subdued by Jiu You and Zuo Zhong, lying on the ground drenched in blood, their fates unknown.

He signaled to Zuo Zhong with his eyes, let the curtain fall, and his arm naturally found its way around Feng Yun’s waist, securely embracing her.

"The Prince of Yonghuai, because of mutual trade with Yecheng, sharing resources, was severely reprimanded by me and had his gains confiscated. He harbored resentment in his heart..."

Feng Yun, "The Prince of Yonghuai sent someone to assassinate you?" Before Pei Jue could answer, she shook her head again, "No, that’s not right. You said they came to kill me? I’m confused, what exactly is going on?"

The hand Pei Jue had around her waist tightened, his demeanor indifferent, "The royal family is in decline. Even with deep hatred, the Prince of Yonghuai would not dare to easily lay a hand on me..."

Feng Yun raised her eyebrows, looking at him.

Pei Jue lowered his gaze, watching the smile at the corner of her lips, a slight movement at the corner of his eyes, his gaze profound and tender.

"Instead, it’s his undutiful son, reckless and audacious, who actually planned to whisk away his family and flee Andu to head for Yecheng. But in today’s situation, Yuan Kang wants to leave but cannot..."

After thinking for a moment, Feng Yun understood.

"So, Yuan Kang taking the Prince of Danyang hostage was to compel the Grand Princess to appear and take his whole family away..."

Pei Jue hummed softly in affirmation.

"More or less."

Feng Yun raised an eyebrow, "Are you implying there’s more to it?"

Pei Jue gazed down deeply at her.

"Yuan Kang didn’t care about his whole family."

He used Puyang Zong as a shield, with official documents to pass checkpoints, solely to get himself and his two sons out.

His wife and parents, he was prepared to abandon in Andu altogether.

Feng Yun gave a barely perceptible nod, "Then why do you say these people came to kill me?"

Pei Jue glanced at her, "They followed you all the way from Huaxi. If not to kill you, then to kill me?"

Feng Yun: ...

They have been following all along?

A chill ran down her spine, a sense of fright settling in.

When she left the village earlier, too preoccupied with dealing with Puyang Zong’s affair, she hadn’t brought additional guards, nor had she noticed anyone tailing her.

Pei Jue pinched her sweat-dampened palm.

"You’ve become lax in your defenses lately."

Feng Yun remained silent, nodding her head.

What Pei Jue said was indeed true.

Without warfare, she spent all her time thinking about making money and how to develop Changmen in Huaxi, with no spare time to consider anything else...

She asked, "Who are they?"

Pei Jue did not speak.

Feng Yun glanced at him, leaned forward to lift the curtain, and the man was already thoroughly dead, a pool of blood on the ground, while soldiers from the city gate came over to remove the body and clean the ground.

She pondered, "Did you silence them?"

Pei Jue: ...

Feng Yun, "Could it be Empress Dowager Li?"

Having been through such an ordeal once, Feng Yun naturally harbored such thoughts.

Pei Jue, "No matter who it is, you need to strengthen your guard. Starting tomorrow, bring Ye Chuang with you when you go out."

Feng Yun exchanged a glance with him, repressed the emotions in her heart, and hesitantly inquired, "Then, what should I do about the coal deal with Yecheng?"

Pei Jue looked at her firmly, "Proceed with the original plan."

Feng Yun felt slightly relieved and then remembered the matter of Puyang Zong, frowning.

"Was Yuan Kang captured?"

Pei Jue shook his head, "He fled east with Puyang Zong. Since he is the darling of the Grand Princess, the Beiyong Army couldn’t act rashly..."

As he said this, he paused, and suddenly turned to Feng Yun, "Lady Yun, would you like to come along to watch the excitement?"

Feng Yun’s eyes lit up, "Is that convenient? Won’t it delay your important matters?"

Pei Jue raised an eyebrow and ordered Ge Guang, "Turn around, head for Shiguan County."

-

The setting sun cast a golden glow on the vast lands left behind by the autumn harvest, stern and tranquil.

Several fast horses and a carriage raced along the official road, kicking up clouds of dust in the dry air, on a straight path that seemed to reach the horizon.

Feng Yun hadn’t ridden in such a fast carriage for a long time; she was nearly jostled about.

The sound of horse hooves echoed across the open fields.

Her heart, at that moment, was expansive and remote...

"Say, who has been consorting with Yecheng? Is it the Princely Heir Yuan Kang, or is it his father, the Prince of Yonghuai?"

Pei Jue looked down at her, "They’re all of the same ilk."

"Hmm," Feng Yun nodded thoughtfully.

Father and son were of one household, and with this incident, even if the Prince of Yonghuai wanted to dissociate himself, he no longer had the chance.

She did not know how Pei Jue would deal with it and did not ask, because as soon as the carriage left Shiguan and had just reached the Tonghui Bridge on the border with Chuzhou, someone came to report.

"The Grand Princess has arrived."

The Grand Princess had one son who had died young, and thereafter held Puyang Zong as dear as her own life, perfectly embodying the character "Zong" as she indulged him to the point of lawlessness.

She was already deeply regretful at this moment.

Regretful for sending her son to Huaxi Village and letting him become Yuan Kang’s hostage...

And she was also vaguely conflicted.

Now that Yuan Kang had taken Puyang Zong hostage, it could thoroughly safeguard the reputation of the Princess Residence—at least it could prove that she was not in league with the Prince of Yonghuai and had no dealings with Yecheng.

The Grand Princess hurried over, looking at Pei Jue and his wife, she made every effort to control her expression, not showing any signs of panic.

"Has the traitor Yuan Kang been caught?"

Pei Jue shook his head, vaguely pointing, "He’s been stopped by the soldiers of the Red Armor Army at the head of the bridge."

The Grand Princess’s body shivered, her gaze visibly panicked for a moment before slowly calming down.

"Take me there to see."

She was wearing a dark silver cloak to ward off the autumn wind, moving quickly as she walked, her dress billowing, her bearing still intact, but the fact she arrived so quickly from Andu to Tonghui Bridge, a considerable distance, showed she was frantic with worry. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Feng Yun glanced at Pei Jue’s expressionless face and sighed deeply.

"A mother’s heart is known to heaven and earth."

Speaking from a mother’s perspective, her words were laden with emotion...

Pei Jue glanced at her, not saying much more.

"Follow me and don’t run off."

Feng Yun curled her lips slightly.

His words sounded like he was instructing a child, somewhat awkward, yet there was an oddly indulgent tone to them.

The two walked side by side, following behind the Princess, heading towards the more crowded area...

Tonghui Bridge is the necessary route from Shiguan to Chuzhou, an arched stone bridge surrounded by farmhouses and fields on both sides. Due to the dry winter, the river under the bridge had dried up, and the water level had dropped, revealing the pillars beneath the bridge.

"Yuan Kang." The Grand Princess, surrounded by a crowd, stepped forward and shouted sternly.

"You grew up close with Zong’er, and as your aunt, I always treated you well. Now, for your own selfish desires, you are willing to betray the Dajin royal family, the Imperial Court, and the unbreakable bond between you and Zong’er?"

Yuan Kang didn’t answer.

The carriage remained silent.

On Tonghui Bridge, where the crowd surged, the soldiers stationed there from the Beiyong Army’s Red Armor Army all faced Yuan Kang’s carriage. Standing in front of a group of cavalries was the young and valiant General Ao Qi.

He stood in front of the cavalry, letting out an imposing shout.

"Has the person in the carriage not heard the Grand Princess’s rebuke? Will you not surrender the Prince of Danyang, and beg for forgiveness?"

The carriage remained silent.

Obviously, Yuan Kang had no intention of surrendering and was prepared to resist to the end.

The Grand Princess’s face showed clear signs of urgency.

When Pei Jue and Feng Yun approached her, she looked back, her eyes already red.

"Prince of Yonghuai..."

She looked around at the soldiers present and bowed deeply to Pei Jue.

"Please ensure my son’s life is spared, I beseech you."

Pei Jue’s brow furrowed slightly.

"Your Highness, there’s no discrimination in battle..."

The Grand Princess’s eyes darkened, about to speak when suddenly, struggling noises came from the inside of the carriage, followed by Puyang Zong’s gasping voice:

"Mother, this bastard has gone mad, he wants to join forces with Yecheng, betraying our ancestors... mmh..."

He didn’t continue, his voice becoming muffled as though it was coming from his throat.

Clearly, Yuan Kang had gagged him.

"Auntie." Yuan Kang did not lift the curtain nor show his face, his voice emanating calmly from inside the carriage.

"If you want to see your son alive, you have only one chance... have them lay down their weapons and allow me passage to Yecheng, otherwise, don’t blame me for being heartless..."

"Agh!" Puyang Zong’s voice came again, "Mother, don’t listen to him... Ah!"

This scream pierced the sky, accompanied by pained groans, hitting everyone’s ears, making their spines go rigid, and their hair stand on end.

"Auntie, here is your son’s finger, please have a look."

Yuan Kang’s voice remained annoyingly cavalier, as if certain that the Grand Princess wouldn’t dare to make things difficult for him because of her love for her son. As his voice faded, a bloody finger was thrown from the carriage window...

It landed on the yellow dirt road, gruesomely horrific...

The Grand Princess screamed, nearly fainting.

"Yuan Kang, how dare you chop off my son’s finger?"

The Grand Princess cried out heartrendingly, yet all Yuan Kang gave her was a faint, shallow smile.

"What am I afraid of? If, after a quarter of an hour, the Red Armor Army does not withdraw, and I can’t cross Tonghui Bridge to reach Yecheng, then Brother Zifang will have to keep me company in death."

"Yuan Kang, you scum, I’ll fight you..."

Puyang Zong’s voice, filled with anger and pain, seemed to stab into the Grand Princess’s heart with every word.

The carriage shook violently.

Puyang Zong’s voice, uncontrollably angry and trembling, poured out like a torrent, carrying unimaginable power.

"Even if I die today, I will not let you succeed, and even if I have to die, I will die on the land of the Western Capital Dynasty, even my corpse will not side with the Li Family dynasty..."

"How spirited!" Yuan Kang snorted coldly.

In no time, another bloody finger was thrown out of the carriage window.

The color of fresh blood was particularly glaring.

"Zong’er!" The Grand Princess wailed.

She had raised her son to this size, and this was the first time the Grand Princess heard him stand up with such spine, daring to take responsibility, unafraid of death...

But this wasn’t what she wanted.

All she desired was for her child to be alive and safe.

At any cost.

She turned abruptly, as if blind to the gazes of everyone present, walked up to Pei Jue and whispered:

"I ask Your Majesty to be magnanimous and save my son’s life."

By saying "be magnanimous", she meant to have the Beiyong Army let Yuan Kang pass...