Chapter 204: Choose One of Two

Chapter 204: Choose One of Two

"What? The Xue family is colluding with the Cangjue?" Everyone was shocked.

This news was like a boulder thrown into water, creating ripples everywhere.

Over the years, the relationship between Yunhan and Cangjue has been strained.

The Xue family actually colluded with the Cangjue and lost another fifty cities. This is simply repeating the mistakes of the late emperor.

For the sake of the throne, they even abandoned the land and its people—how wicked the Xue family is!

Xue Qingning's eyes widened in shock. How could they have discovered this when it had been done so discreetly?

Shen Nanzi continued, "Don't think that just because we don't use people from your Xue family, we can't find out. Just because of one charge of embezzlement, you suddenly replaced the main general?"

"Does your Xue family think you've covered your tracks perfectly, that the border is too far away and we can't get news from there?"

"You're spouting nonsense and slandering our Xue family!" Xue Qingning immediately denied it; how could she admit it at a time like this?

"Is that so?" Shen Nanzi turned her head, and Qinghe behind her handed her a secret letter.

She took it and held it up: "These are all the letters between you and Cang Jue."

"Qinghe, show this to the soldiers defending the city, show them how the Xue family they are protecting betrayed Yunhan,"

As soon as Shen Nanzi finished speaking, an archer immediately inserted the rubbing of the letter into the arrow shaft, drew the bowstring taut, and prepared to shoot at the soldiers guarding the city.

"Shen Nanzi!" Xue Qingning, fearing the truth would be revealed, hurriedly shouted to stop her, "Xie Yu is in my hands, aren't you afraid I'll kill him?"

Immediately afterwards, Xie Yu was escorted to the edge of the city wall and appeared before all the soldiers.

His hair ornament was askew, and his hair was messy, obscuring his somewhat dirty face.

The wind on the city tower billowed his robes, which were no longer as crisp as before, and were wrinkled like pickled vegetables.

His body was visibly bent over, as if he were enduring some kind of pain.

This scene shocked Shen Nanzi. Xie Yu had always been dashing and unrestrained; when had he ever been so disheveled?

Xue Qingning actually treated him like this!!

Suppressing her anger, Shen Nanzi raised her hand, signaling the archers to cease fire.

A smug smile appeared on Xue Qingning's lips. "It seems that Princess Jing really does treat the Sixth Prince differently!"

She turned her head slightly and looked at the man standing in the back row.

His eyes held a hint of pity, but even more so, resentment and hatred.

He was still dressed in the black clothes he wore in the woods, standing there with an indifferent expression, as if he were watching her make a fool of herself.

Knowing that he was worried about hurting Xie Chengze, he didn't dare to fire arrows easily even though he had elite troops around him.

They actually risked their lives, using themselves as a bargaining chip, as an exchange.

His kindness towards the mother and child aroused her jealousy and hatred.

If it weren't for the 60,000 troops watching her like predators, she would have killed Xie Chengze with a single blow long ago. Why keep him as a hostage?!

Although exchanging Xie Yan for Xie Chengze was obviously not as valuable, at that time, Xie Yan was there, and they couldn't take Xie Chengze with them.

We had no choice but to settle for second best.

She chuckled softly, "Xie Yan, you really went to great lengths! Giving up this beautiful land to pave the way for them, mother and son."

"That sounds nice. They gave our Xue family everything we wanted and even handed the imperial seal to my brother."

"But you already knew about Prince Ding as the mastermind behind it all along, and you even left the troops under Grand Commandant Shen in your hands to Xie Yu."

"To create a three-way power struggle, so that they can hinder Hong'er's succession."

She pointed at Imperial Censor Zhang below the city wall, gritting her teeth, filled with hatred: "In the end, all these people are still loyal to you."

"Our Xue family is just a pawn in your hands, so that you can free up your hands to gather strength, and incidentally subdue or defeat those wavering vassal kings, and finally eliminate the biggest threat, the King of Liang."

"He wears the skin of Prince Qi, but in reality he has seized all power."

"Xie Yan, you've got a real scheme going on!!"

Xie Yan's gaze didn't fall on Xue Qingning at all; instead, he looked over the city wall at the mother and child on horseback below.

This fueled Xue Qingning's jealousy and anger, her eyes filled with mockery.

"Since you're so devoted to that mother and child, today I'll show you who's more important to Shen Nanzi and Xie Chengze."

"Let's see what Shen Nanzi will choose now that she's changed her mind and no longer loves you so passionately!"

Xie Yan's eyes flickered slightly, a trace of sadness welling up in them, as if he already knew the answer.

As she spoke, Xue Qingning waved her hand.

Immediately, someone tied Xie Yu and Xie Yan up, pushed them off the city wall, and hung them on the wall.

Shen Nanzi knew that Xue Qingning wouldn't let Xie Yu off easily, and her fingers turned white as she gripped the reins tightly.

The city wall was tall, the tallest of all the city walls in Yunhan, and no other vassal city could surpass it.

If you fall, you will surely die.

Xue Qingning, that vicious woman, was indeed ruthless in her actions.

When he squinted and saw the other person hanging on the city wall, he couldn't help but laugh in his heart. The elusive Xie Yan had actually been tied up by Xue Qingning.

He was ultimately betrayed by the woman he loved most and used as a bargaining chip.

Threatening her won't work; it seems the threat is directed at Zhao Zhendong and Imperial Censor Zhang.

Xie Chengze, standing beside him, saw what they had done, his eyes instantly turning bloodshot, and he shouted anxiously:

"Release my sixth imperial uncle! If anything happens to him, I will make sure you die a horrible death!"

On the city wall, Xue Qingning lowered her eyes, looking at the black figure hanging below, and mocked:

"Xie Yan, did you hear that? Your good son only sees Xie Yu in his eyes, he doesn't care about you as his father at all."

"Are you happy? Are you surprised? If you treated me and Hong'er well, why would we treat you like this?"

Xie Yan hung on the city wall. The early spring wind was still chilly, and when you put it on, you felt a slight shiver.

When he heard Cheng'er call him "Sixth Imperial Uncle," he knew that Cheng'er would worry about Xie Yu, but his heart still ached uncontrollably.

As Xue Qingning said, Cheng'er only had Xie Yu in his eyes and didn't care about him as his father at all.

The wind blew, stinging my eyes and making them hurt.

Xie Yu, standing beside Xie Yan, turned his head to the side, letting the wind blow his hair across his face. He squinted at Xie Yan and said, "Third Brother, I knew you wouldn't die so easily."

Xie Yan gave a faint, bitter smile: "It's hard to say now."

He was a little petty and didn't want to hear Xie Yu's voice. If it weren't for him, Shen Nanzi might... But then he thought of Ye Shuyin!

Xie Yu's silent companionship, and Ye Shuyin's undisguised declaration of love.

It seems like every one of them is better than him.

"I have to thank Third Brother for the troops, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to hold out until Cheng'er came back." Xie Yu said frankly, smiling at Shen Nanzi, "She looks really good in armor, so heroic."

"Yes! It looks very good." Xie Yan's gaze was either on Xie Chengze or on Shen Nanzi.

After she left, she grew up so much that he almost didn't recognize her.

He made a deal with Ye Shuyin, bringing three thousand soldiers and armor, and used winter clothes and provisions to break open the border gate.

She led Cheng'er all the way back to Luoyang. She had actually discovered him long ago, but kept it a secret and took advantage of the situation.

Perhaps he never truly knew Shen Nanzi.

"Shut up!" Xue Qingning was shocked to hear the two brothers still having the leisure to talk about Shen Nanzi at such a critical moment.