Chen Feng also followed Sima Ray only after his rebellion. Discreet and paranoid as Sima Ray was, usually he wouldn’t trust any generals coming from outside. However, Chen Feng had been behaving well in the past year. For several times, he had risked his life during the fight, saving Sima Ray from danger, which made Sima Ray look at this humble little general with new eyes. However, now…
“Your Royal Highness, although I’m not a nobleman of Qi, my family has been serving the army of Qi for generations, so we can be counted as a valiant family. Having borne shame beside you, I think it’s time for me to work for Qi. Your Royal Highness, please hand over the great seal and give the order back to Qi,” Chen Feng stood outside, saying plausible words, “After all, you’re just a concubine’s son. You are not qualified to inherit the imperial power.”
“I’m not qualified?” Sima Ray only felt that Chen Feng was obviously a fence-sitter, “Well, in the past, who had killed his old superior in front of me to declare his loyalty? And now you’ve turned your coat! Chen Feng, you exclaimed to be a loyal officer. So where did your flattering face go? In the end, you are no more than a worthless fence-sitter.”
While Chen Feng and Sima Ray were waging a tit-for-tat struggle against each other, Qin Yunuan turned to Leng Changxi and asked, “What do you think of him?”
“For the first time ever, I agree with Prince Ray,” through the hazy screen window, Leng Changxi seemed to see Chen Feng outside, wearing golden armor, as arrogant as an arriviste. In fact, the moment Leng Changxi saw Chen Feng when he entered Luguan, he knew immediately that this was an ambitious man, “Although Chen Feng exclaims that he wants to give the imperial power to its rightful heir, he wants to be a king himself actually. Otherwise, why does he ask Prince Ray to give him the great seal? Isn’t giving it to me also a way to get back the power to its rightful heir?”
“Shut up,” Sima Ray was at a moment of life and death. Hearing Leng Changxi’s understatement, he was increasingly unhappy.
“If I shut up, how can I come up with a way for you to get out, Your Royal Highness?”
“Are you able to help me out?”
Leng Changxi nodded confidently, “Of course.”
Suddenly there was a loud noise. The door of the Yunying Palace was pushed open violently, which made Chen Feng, who stood the closest to it, take several steps backward in fright.
In front of the hall, a few golden rays of the rising sun were engulfed, hooking a golden rim on the frame of the door, both luxurious and simple.
Leng Changxi stood upright on the steps holding a long sword, whose blade was against the throat of Sima Ray. Beside him, Qin Yunuan was holding Shangguan Yuen in her arms, whose breathing is barely perceptible. Shangguan Yuen’s hair was disheveled. Her face was as pale as a piece of white paper. Without deliberate reminding, she was certain to be considered as a dead person.
Qin Yunuan had seized Shangguan Yuen’s lifeline in secret. She also gave her genuine energy to prolong her life secretly. Shangguan Yuen came from the capital, so she must know the real situation of the Royal City and what happened in Prince Ning’s Mansion well. Even just because of this, Qin Yunuan couldn’t let her die.
Seeing Leng Changxi coming out hijacking Sima Ray, Chen Feng seemed to be a little surprised.
“Leng, what do you mean?”
Pushing Sima Ray, Leng Changxi took a step forward, “Didn’t you say that you wanted to return the imperial power to its rightful heir? Lieutenant Chen, I’ve already picked out the traitor for you. Can you withdraw your troops now?”
“No,” Chen Feng’s real intention was not what he exclaimed to be, “This traitor must hand over the great seal.”
“Isn’t it the same to have the great seal in my hand?” Leng Changxi gestured to the bulging bag around his waist with his eyes. What in the bag was three-foot square, which was about the size of the great seal. Chen Feng glanced at it quickly, probably coming up with a plan in his mind.
“Throw the great seal in your bag to me.”
“Throw to you?” Leng Changxi looked at Chen Feng smilingly, “This is the great seal. How can it be thrown as you say? What’s more, if you really wanted to fight against the rebels, it’s exactly the same as my aim to borrow armies from West Xia. Isn’t it no difference whether the great seal is in my hand or in your hand?”
Of course, Chen Feng was not satisfied. He frowned.
Sima Ray raised his head, chuckling at Chen Feng’s discomfiture, “Chen Feng, do you say that following me is bearing shame? Now it’s time for you to revenge. Show your loyalty to me.”
Chen Feng’s patience had been worn out by the two men’s words. He waved to order the archers to step forward. The bright arrows pointed to the direction of Leng Changxi and Sima Ray. Sima Ray couldn’t help but turn his head to Leng Changxi and say, “Is it your way to get out?”
Leng Changxi gave him a sidelong glance and answered without care, “I’ve just said I’ll get out. I didn’t promise to run away with you.”
Suddenly, Leng Changxi quickly untied the cloth bag around his waist, in which there was the great seal, and threw it into the air. Having been under extremely strict training, those archers all prepared to shoot the object in the air subconsciously. However, they were stopped by Chen Feng firmly.
“Dumbass. Don’t you see what it is?” After saying this, he jumped alone to get the cloth bag desperately.
Just at this moment, Leng Changxi had already taken Qin Yunuan to leap away from the high eave of the Yunying Palace. Even though having Shangguan Yuen on his back, who was unable to move by herself, Leng Changxi still seemed to be flying over the wall, as dexterous as a swallow. Qin Yunuan was following him closely. Before long, they disappeared.
Chen Feng stomped his feet angrily. It was still good, however, that the great seal was in his hand. To his surprise, he only found a three-chi-square big stone when he opened the cloth bag. Although the stone and the seal were both heavy, there was a huge difference between their values.
“The great seal is still in the Yunying Palace,” Chen Feng held the huge moon scimitar and pushed Sima Ray into the palace directly. The moment he stepped into the palace, the door was closed heavily.
Chen Feng looked back at the closed door in fright. Behind him was Sima Ray’s smiling voice, low and weird.
“Lieutenant Chen, do you know what is called ‘catching a turtle in the jar’?”
At the same time, Leng Changxi and Qin Yunuan had already seated on two fast horses prepared early outside Luguan. Qin Yunuan gave Shangguan Yuen, who had been in a coma, to Leng Wu, who simply used a piece of silk to tie her to his back.
“General, is everything okay?”
Smiling, Leng Changxi took out an emerald green Hetian jade from an inconspicuous black package on his back. This was the great seal, the real one.
“When I advised to use a stone instead of the great seal to deceive Chen Feng, Sima Ray clapped and applauded. However, he didn’t expect that since I could deceive Chen Feng with the fake one, I could also replace his real great seal with a fake one. I’m so happy to think about what he will look like when he finds out later.”
“But general, Chen Feng has already taken so many generals and soldiers to rebel. I’m afraid that Luguan will be in huge chaos.”
“It won’t be,” Qin Yunuan was holding the rein. Having been trained in the camp for such a time, she could ride a horse by herself now. “Sima Ray is not an ordinary figure. Now that he is able to rebel, he also has the ability to suppress those who want to rebel. Nevertheless, it can be seen that Chen Feng’s rebellion is on the spur of the moment. Does he think that he is leading an army of justice only by instigating a gathering of crowds to surround the Yunying Palace? Believe me. Sima Ray can finish dealing with what happens inside before sunrise. We don’t need to worry.”
Just when her words ended, two soldiers who followed Qin Yunuan and Leng Changxi to bring up the rear came to report, “General, Yunying Palace is in peace now.”
Leng Wu was a little shocked. After all, it was a disturbance on a relatively large scale.
“It’s good. At least it will take Sima Ray some time and energy to sort out the army. Execution and conviction alone are enough to bother him for a while,” Leng Changxi was smiling. He seemed not to regret missing this opportunity to kill Sima Ray at all.
After all, there was still plenty of time. Also, Leng Changxi didn’t want Sima Ray to die too easily.
When they returned to the army camp, the first thing for Qin Yunuan to do was sending Shangguan Yuen to a relatively quiet camp for a thorough examination. Despite that several people intimate to Leng Changxi, like Leng Wu and Heiying, knew that he had brought back the great seal of Qi, he wasn’t going to tell others about it. The great seal was exactly like a hot potato. Only those who couldn’t get it would desire it desperately.
Qin Yunuan didn’t come out of the military camp until the sun rose high. There was bean-like sweat on her forehead. Maner, who had waited outside the camp, hurried to wipe off the sweat for Qin Yunuan.
“What a beast Sima Ray is,” this was the strongest feeling of Qin Yunuan after checking on Shangguan Yuen, especially after seeing what was inside her skirt. Although Qin Yunuan had never lived together with this cousin, blood was thicker than water, after all. Even for a totally strange woman, Qin Yunuan still couldn’t accept it, “He really doesn’t think women as human beings.”
Maner had also been helped a little bit inside, so she knew what Qin Yunuan was saying naturally. She shook her head and sighed, “Will Qiu Shuihan, who was sent over, also suffer from this?”
“Of course, she will,” Qin Yunuan smiled suddenly, “I’m afraid that she will even suffer more. The elixir I developed has changed Qiu Shuihan’s pulse condition, deluding Sima Ray into thinking that he has found a person with the coldest blood, who can help him practice martial arts. However, he doesn’t know that Qiu Murong has already buried the magnetic fish in Qiu Shuihan’s pulse for her to learn the magic to tempt others. Now once Qiu Shuihan has sex with a man, the man will be poisoned. Only the person burying the magnetic fish knows where it is. Since Sima Ray has kicked down the ladder by killing Qiu Murong, it can be counted as reaping what he sows for him now.”
When Qin Yunuan finished her words, Leng Wu and Heiying outside both came to visit her.
“Madam, the iron-armored chariot we build according to the drawings is almost ready. General wants you to come to see it.”
“I get it,” Qin Yunuan nodded as an answer. However, Maner was worried about Qin Yunuan, “Madam, you have rushed here all the way from Luguan. And you also spend such a long time to examine Miss Shangguan. You’d better take a rest for a while before you go.” Then she said to Leng Wu, “The general is not urging Madam, is he?”
Leng Wu had always been rather decisive outside. He always stood by his word. However, others knew that Lieutenant Leng was a hen-pecked husband. In their home, the one who took charge was Maner. So he had to shook his head honestly, “The general only said that Madam should come to have a look once she had spare time.”
“So it is,” Maner tried to persuade Qin Yunuan, “Madam, your health is the most important. If you are too tired, you won’t be able to bear it even if you have a bone of iron. As far as I’m concerned, what about having a break now?”
Qin Yunuan looked at the couple having a conversation with each other and felt it rather interesting. She nodded and prepared to nap for a while according to Maner’s suggestion.
