The sky was dark and heavy.
The gates of the sacred land were suddenly flung open, and a large group of people stormed in.
The man at the front, mounted on a fine steed, had features as clear and refined as a jade sculpture. Upon witnessing the tragic scene, a glint of killing intent flashed in his indifferent eyes.
"Brother!"
Chiyou, being held up, saw Xie Beihan lying on the ground covered in mandara flowers. She let out a shocked, mournful cry.
She struggled fiercely, breaking free from the guards' grasp, and ran towards him desperately, her skirts trailing.
Liu Rongruo watched with a faint smile, then glanced at the injured Ye Luan and spoke to those behind him.
"Attack. Kill Xie Beihan."
More and more people surged forward, and Chiyou, unable to resist, was struck by several blades.
Liu Rongruo watched her get injured, his expression calm and unperturbed.
Chiyou looked towards Liu Rongruo on horseback, her eyes filled with hatred.
That fool had actually fallen in love with him.
Hate, how she hated him.
He had used her, always using her.
He had humiliated her, tricked her out of the military token, and then deceived her into drinking the blood-eating silkworm, pushing her step by step into the abyss.
Now, she was about to be tricked into the destruction of her nation, the ruin of her country and family.
The hundred-year foundation of Southern Xinjiang was about to be destroyed by her hands.
Hate, hate.
"Ah----"
A sharp pain coursed through her body, and Chiyou spat out a large mouthful of blood.
Liu Rongruo looked at her with indifference, his clear and cold face showing no change.
Xie Beihan saw Chiyou being thrown aside, propped himself up with his sword, and flew to embrace her, landing gracefully.
Standing straight, he expressionlessly drew out his sword, tore off a sleeve, and casually bandaged his wound.
"Brother, are you alright?"
Xie Beihan ignored her, his sinister face expressionless, as if he felt no pain.
Xiao Chizhan picked up Ye Luan, gave Liu Rongruo a look, and mounted his horse.
Liu Rongruo understood and waved his hand.
"Attack."
At this moment, from the far reaches of the horizon, a monk emerged.
The man's form was ethereal, and he approached them with extreme speed. In the blink of an eye, he stopped before them.
He looked at Xiao Chizhan, clasped his hands together at his chest, and said calmly.
"I have come to escort my Emperor back to court. My apologies for the disturbance."
This monk, wherever he came from, stood there quietly. The energy waves emanating from him prevented anyone from approaching, repelling them all.
All the assassins and masters were unable to break through his defense.
Xiao Chizhan, anxious about Ye Luan's injuries, had no desire to linger in battle.
"Tantai Ye fell into the river. Send more men to search downstream."
Ye Luan, her face pale, clutched Xiao Chizhan's sleeve and weakly said.
"Stop fighting them and save people first. Qingge and Li Qiongyu fell off a cliff, just over the back mountain."
Upon hearing this, both Xiao Chizhan and Liu Rongruo's expressions turned extremely grim.
"Quick, go find them."
All the soldiers behind them went to search.
As Ye Luan was leaving, she looked back at Xie Beihan.
In the misty rain, she couldn't make out his expression. The surroundings were filled with the glint of swords.
Xie Beihan, you be your emperor, and let us never meet again.
Xie Beihan looked at the two figures departing, his face grim, wanting to pursue, but his hand was caught by the monk.
"Your Majesty should prioritize the overall situation."
Xie Beihan turned his head and said coldly, "I want to kill him."
"The northern border pass will never know peace."
Xie Beihan sneered, "Then let them all die."
The monk's eyes deepened. Seeing him draw his sword to block, he suddenly attacked, knocking Xie Beihan unconscious with a single palm strike. Disregarding the surrounding assassins, he intended to take Xie Beihan away.
The people around immediately gave chase, but the monk's speed was incredibly fast. In a flash, he disappeared into the misty rain.
"Chase."
People from all directions pursued him.
Liu Rongruo's expression was clear and cold. He threw a token to the general behind him. "Mobilize troops to search. Turn the entire forbidden area upside down to find the person."
"Yes."
As these people left, the entire forbidden area became empty.
Chiyou glanced at the sky, knowing that fool would come out again. She suppressed the hatred in her heart and looked at Liu Rongruo.
"I want to return to the royal court."
She was being held captive by him now. She didn't know his true intentions and could only try to negotiate with him.
Liu Rongruo rode his horse, casually approaching her side, and condescendingly looked down at her.
"There's nothing worth seeing in the fate of a defeated nation."
Chiyou sneered, "You used me, destroyed my Southern Xinjiang, and ruined my people. Such a despicable act deserves the ridicule of the world."
Liu Rongruo raised an eyebrow, "This play, you started it."
Yes, she was the one who first wanted to use him to obtain the border defense map of Da Liang. She was the one whose skills were inferior, and who had brought ruin to Southern Xinjiang.
A wave of pain washed over Chiyou's heart. If not for her physical condition, how could she have lost so miserably and invited a wolf into her home.
The most laughable thing was that fool had actually fallen in love with such a heartless wretch.
He had known about her condition all along but had always used that fool to harm her and control her.
"Liu Rongruo, you will face retribution for your unscrupulous methods and for using someone who looked at you with all her heart."
Liu Rongruo lowered his eyelids and smiled faintly.
"She is you, and you are all one person."
------
According to records, in the twenty-eighth year of Zhengyuan, the Great Liang and Southern Xinjiang nations engaged in battle at the Sacred Tower. Southern Xinjiang was defeated, suffering heavy casualties.
Great Liang, under the pretext of "Southern Xinjiang assassinating Tantai Ye," pushed its armies all the way into the royal capital, cut off the head of the Gu King, and displayed it on the city walls.
Southern Xinjiang fell into chaos, its people were decimated, and wars raged, leading to near national ruin.
The Southern Xinjiang royal family, not knowing where it came from, learned that Chiyou had handed over the military token, allowing Great Liang to invade Southern Xinjiang without effort. They also learned of her entanglement with Liu Rongruo in Shangjing, mistakenly believing Chiyou had rebelled and defected to Great Liang. They all sought to execute her.
Some even cursed, "Women are indeed incapable of great deeds. Obsessed with romantic affairs, they have led us to become slaves of a fallen nation, resulting in the ruin of our country and family."
Chiyou instantly became the target of public wrath, enduring all sorts of condemnation.
She did not refute a single word, nor did she allow her trusted subordinates to draw their swords, accepting the blame.
With the death of the Gu King, no one was capable of leadership. Internal strife continued, and external enemies attacked fiercely. The entire Southern Xinjiang descended into chaos.
Upon waking, Xie Beihan learned that Southern Xinjiang had nearly been annihilated by Great Liang and immediately ordered an attack on Great Liang to aid Southern Xinjiang.
Later, for reasons unknown, the two nations reached an agreement. Northern Qi and Great Liang signed a thirty-year non-aggression treaty, while Southern Xinjiang, without resistance, became a vassal state of Great Liang, paying thirty thousand taels of gold as compensation. Chiyou, as the Saintess, also married the Emperor of Great Liang as a consort to ensure the peace of Southern Xinjiang.
There had never been a precedent for a Saintess of Southern Xinjiang to marry for political alliance, and the people strongly disagreed. However, Great Liang insisted on her, threatening war at the city gates.
Southern Xinjiang had no one capable of fighting and no strength to resist.
Chiyou seized this opportunity to support her younger brother in ascending the throne as the Gu King, entrusting all her influence to him, and only taking a few trusted confidantes with her.
After this battle, Southern Xinjiang experienced a snowfall of unprecedented scale.
The vast snow fell heavily, and the north wind raged. The sparse white covered the tragic crimson, casting vast expanses of white over the scattered flowers and leaves.