Hong'an Xiangzhuang - 20

Hong'an Xiangzhuang - 20

With the Khitan army pressing in, Zhao Yunkang rushed to the northern frontier on the second day of the Lunar New Year.

He didn't want Yun Yixia to see him off before he left, so he left before dawn.

Not long after he left Xijing City, a group of people slowly followed behind him, carrying red flags and parading through the city.

The little beggar's cries broke through the local gentry's silence, forcing them to pack several large boxes of grain, cotton clothing, and charcoal and deliver them to him.

The supply convoy kept adding new convoys along the way, resembling a long, winding dragon.

When Zhao Yunkang was deployed to the northern frontier, the convoy behind him took more than a month to complete the delivery.

The officials in charge of collecting grain and military supplies were so tired that they could barely lift their arms, and they were all smiles.

He had been fighting in the northern frontier for decades and had never fought such a rich and rewarding battle.

The soldiers knew that food and supplies were plentiful, each soldier had two sets of winter clothes, and their armor had been replaced with new ones; they were all full of fighting spirit.

A small skirmish broke out between Daqing and the Khitan, and the soldiers utterly crushed the Khitan's morale.

During the winter, the Khitans suffered from food shortages. Upon learning that Daqing had enough supplies to sustain them for three to five years, their morale plummeted, their will to fight vanished, and some even deserted.

The Khitan had no choice but to sue for peace again, this time offering double the annual tribute as before, in an attempt to buy time to recuperate and not want Zhao Yunkang to invade the Khitan heartland again.

Those Khitan nobles, dressed in fur coats and adorned with gold ornaments, were terrified of the Great Qing War God.

The Northern Frontier Army of Daqing achieved a great victory, and Zhao Yunkang held a celebration banquet.

Liang Qiu held a letter, its opening slightly ajar. He looked at the general and soldiers in the distance with a troubled expression, not wanting to spoil the pleasant atmosphere.

△△△△△△

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, lanterns and decorations are everywhere, and the streets are bustling with people celebrating and welcoming the New Year.

Zhao Yuankai stood outside the moon gate of Qinfangyuan, clutching a heavy black pottery jar in his hand. The mouth of the jar was sealed with oilcloth, and hemp rope was digging into his palm.

pain!

But it couldn't compare to the scorching fire burning in his heart.

During the day, Zhao Yuankai transferred all the servants of Qinfangyuan to the front yard to help prepare Tangyuan (sweet rice balls) for distribution outside the fifteen cities.

At this moment, only Yun Yixia and her few maids were in the courtyard.

Zhao Yuankai took a deep breath and pushed open the half-closed door, the bearing making a particularly jarring "squeak".

He froze, listened intently for a long time, and when no one came out, he slipped inside.

The full moon hung high in the sky, and the scenery in the garden looked extremely unfamiliar under the pale light.

Zhao Yuankai walked through the corridor with extremely light steps, his boots making a soft "crunch" sound as they stepped on the snow.

The main room was pitch black; Yun Yixia must be fast asleep.

As Du Mama once said, the princess was easily fatigued after becoming pregnant and often slept through the night until dawn.

Zhao Yuankai stopped in front of the steps, his chubby little hands trembling as he untied the hemp rope sealing the jar.

"Only when she dies will my father look at me with a second glance."

He silently repeated the words he had thought about a thousand times during the day.

As long as she disappears, as long as the unborn child dies with her, the father's gaze will fall on him again.

Zhao Yuankai closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, all that remained in his eyes was ruthlessness.

He tilted the earthenware pot, and tung oil gushed out, the liquid shimmering eerily in the moonlight, like a venomous snake winding its way across the doors, windows, and pillars.

He moved slowly and carefully, making sure that every part was coated with enough tung oil.

Wherever the oil touched, the snow melted rapidly, and the smell grew stronger and stronger, making his throat tighten.

As the last drop of oil slid from the jar, Zhao Yuankai stood in the yard, looking at his "masterpiece."

The entire main building of Qinfangyuan was quietly enveloped in tung oil, and a single spark would ignite a raging inferno.

Zhao Yuankai took out a tinderbox, removed the copper cap, and blew on it.

"Hiss~"

A cluster of eerie blue flames leaped up and danced in his pupils. He stared at that light, as if it were the last embers of his conscience.

Zhao Yuankai raised his hand and threw the tinderbox over. It spun and "flew" over, landing flame-down on the sticky oil stains on the bluestone steps.

With a soft "hiss," the tinderbox touched the edge of the tung oil, and a golden-blue spark bloomed on the surface of the oil.

Oil fuels the fire, and fire makes the oil boil.

Flames climbed up the steps, licked the wooden door, and in the blink of an eye, half of the door panel was engulfed.

A wave of heat swept over us, the air distorted in the high temperature, and the scenery in our vision began to sway and deform. The entire Qinfangyuan was engulfed in flames.

Zhao Yuankai staggered backward, not daring to linger, and turned to run back to his own courtyard, carefully avoiding the servants who came to put out the fire.

After finally running back to his room, he jumped onto the bed, crawled under the covers, and wrapped himself tightly in them.

"fine!"

"Nobody saw it!"

"From today onwards, Father only has me."

Hehehe!

Zhao Yuankai hid under the covers and let out a nervous laugh.

Anyone who served the former queen in her early years would recognize that the laughter was exactly the same as when her mother was "unable to have the love she desired".

On the night of the fifteenth of the first lunar month, a fire broke out at the Kang Prince's residence. The news reached the palace the next day, and the emperor ordered the news to be kept secret, so that Zhao Yun Kang, who was fighting in the northern frontier, would not know.

Zhao Yunxian sent people to investigate the cause of the fire, and Shi Anwan brought Zhao Yuankai to live in the palace.

"Your Majesty, the fire first broke out in the Qinfang Garden, where the Princess Consort of Kang resided."

The house was surrounded by tung oil, and the fire spread very quickly.

The steward of the Prince Kang's mansion led his servants to extinguish the fire in time, and apart from Qinfang Garden, no major damage was caused.

Four unrecognizable corpses were discovered in Qinfangyuan.

All the coroners who performed the autopsies were women, who had been burned to death while still alive, and one of them was pregnant.

This was arson; four people died and several others sustained minor injuries.

The Minister of War wiped the sweat from his brow, inwardly groaning in despair.

There is a war going on in the north. If the Prince of Kang finds out that his house caught fire and his wife and unborn child died, can the border still be defended?

"You may leave!"

Zhao Yunxian pinched the bridge of his nose, rubbed his fingers together, his brows furrowed, his shock mixed with barely concealed exhaustion.

His gaze fell on the brocade quilt brought back by the guards, which was clearly marked with handprints stained with tung oil.

Feng Cha, who takes care of the heir apparent in the Kang Prince's mansion, once said that Zhao Yunkai had been collecting tung oil during this period, but wouldn't say what it was for when asked.

With witnesses and physical evidence, it's hard not to believe that a five- or six-year-old child committed arson and murder.

"Your Majesty, shall we summon the imperial physician?"

Zhang Qing asked in a low voice, and Zhao Yunxian shook his head. After making some arrangements, they headed straight for Baoci Palace.

The grandfather and grandson were having a meal inside Baoci Palace when Zhao Yunxian walked in, glanced at Zhao Yuankai, and said nothing.

After they finished eating, he handed the memorial in his hand to his mother, waved his hand, and the eunuch stood behind Zhao Yuankai.

"Yuan Kai, is this true?" Shi Anwan looked at her grandson in disbelief. "You started the fire?"

“Grandmother, Father has never liked me!” Zhao Yuankai rubbed the corner of his clothes. “If the Princess gives birth to the child, Father won’t even look at me.”

'Mother, if I don't leave behind a child, how can I win the prince's heart?'

He probably wouldn't even want to look at me!

The youthful face overlapped with that of the former princess, and she uttered similar words, which was chilling.

No wonder the youngest son so vehemently resented his mother and son. If he dared to commit arson and murder when he was a child, what would he be like when he grew up?

"Your Majesty, you decide how to handle this!"

Shi Anwan waved her hand, feeling that all the heartache she had felt these past few days had been wasted.

"Take him away!"

Zhao Yunxian waved his hand, and two eunuchs immediately stepped forward, grabbed Zhao Yuankai, and carried him out.

"Royal Grandmother!!!"

"Don't you want me anymore either?"

"Royal Grandmother!!!"

You can't leave me!

...

Zhao Yuankai struggled like a fat fish that had just come ashore, but he could not break free from the two eunuchs' large, fiery hands.

"What a terrible thing!"

Shi Anwan sighed and regretted once again arranging this marriage for her youngest son.

"Mother, let's wait until my brother returns in triumph before telling him the whole story." Zhao Yunxian paused. "Let Zhao Yuankai decide how to deal with this."

Who would have thought that a child could do something so heinous?

"As you wish!"

A ruthless glint flashed in Shi Anwan's eyes. If her youngest son was too difficult to deal with, then she would give the order.

We must not allow Zhao Yuankai to grow up and tarnish the royal family's reputation!

△△△△△△

"What are you loitering around outside for? Come over and have a drink with the general."

Xu Zhihao grabbed Liang Qiu and pushed him toward Zhao Yunkang, while also stuffing a jar of wine into his arms.

"Did you receive a letter from home?"

Zhao Yunkang clinked his wine jar with Liang Qiu's, then laughed and took a big gulp, his movements bold yet not rude.

"Um!"

Liang Qiu forced a smile, stuffed the letter back into his pocket, clinked glasses with the general, and then tilted his head back to gulp it down.

Since things have come to this, let's give it to the general tomorrow!

The atmosphere in the military camp was jubilant. Zhao Yunkang stayed with the troops until midnight before returning to his main tent to rest.

He sat behind his desk, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, his large hand stroking the thin envelope.

"Heartless woman!"

Zhao Yunkang tucked the envelope into his pocket, washed up briefly, and lay down on the bed. He patted his chest repeatedly, thinking that once the northern border was stable, he would immediately send a memorial back to the capital.

When they arrived in Xijing, he wanted to hold Xia in his arms and ask her how she dared to be so heartless as not to write him more letters.

Zhao Yunkang fell asleep while thinking about it.

When the moon gate of Qinfang Garden appeared before Zhao Yunkang, he couldn't help but shake his head and rub his forehead, for what he had been thinking about during the day was now a dream he was having at night.

He stepped inside, and suddenly a flame erupted, engulfing the entire main room in flames. He opened his mouth to call for help, but no sound came out.

It was only then that they realized the fire burning the house made no sound; it was eerily quiet.

Zhao Yunkang knew it was a dream, but he couldn't help feeling heartbroken and wanted to get closer to the main room.

No matter how big his steps were or how fast he walked, he could not get close to her.

Watching helplessly as flames consumed the entire Qinfang Garden, Zhao Yunkang gritted his teeth and repeatedly told himself...

This is a dream!

This is a dream!

It's not true!

"Xia..."

Zhao Yunkang sat up abruptly, his clothes soaked with cold sweat, his heart pounding like a drum, making his eardrums buzz.

Before me was a familiar military tent, beneath me a hard bed, and outside, the cold winds of the northern frontier howled.

"It's a dream!"

Zhao Yunkang kept swallowing, threw off the blanket, got out of bed, walked to the basin, scooped up cold water and splashed it on his face.

The biting cold made him shiver and clear his mind considerably.

The sky outside was a hazy gray. Someone walked up to the main tent, cleared his throat, and asked in a low voice, "Has the general risen yet?"

"Liangqiu?"

Zhao Yunkang raised his voice to inquire, and after receiving an affirmative answer, he let someone in to speak.

"Why are you up so early today?" He tapped his temple. "Doesn't your head hurt?"

"pain!"

Liang Qiu had a headache in every sense of the word, and with a wry smile, he took out two letters from his pocket and handed them to the general.

They were delivered to the military camp in February, when they were engaged in a fierce battle with the Khitan. The emperor ordered that the information not be told to the general, but he was allowed to know it.

Zhao Yunkang took the document and quickly scanned it. He felt as if he had returned to a dream, standing outside a sea of ​​fire, yet powerless to do anything about it.

His fists were clenching at his side, and he almost gritted his teeth to stop himself from hitting Liang Qiu. He picked up a pen and scribbled down eight large characters.

"A life for a life, and he shall never return to the capital!"

The brushstrokes are sharp and powerful, penetrating the paper, exuding a fierce and murderous aura.

"Send it to the capital!"

Zhao Yun Kang sat exhausted in the tent, his eyes devoid of any light, as if his body was still there but his soul had flown away.

After an unknown amount of time, it was broad daylight outside, and a personal guard came to report.

"Reporting to the general, there is a man outside the military camp who calls himself 'Zhao Xia' and wants to see you. He says he is an old acquaintance of yours."

"Where did I come from..."

Zhao Yunkang suddenly sprang up and ran straight to the outside of the military camp. He ran to the large carriage, steadied his breathing, and lifted the curtain.

He closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again, stepped into the car, and embraced the person he had been longing for...