The Quxia Rebellion (II)

Uncertain of how long she had drifted, a dark and sheer cliff appeared before her, surrounded by jagged rocks. She barely managed to steady herself and turned back once more; the large ship had already been left far behind. In the torrential downpour, the two-masted vessel tilted, with a small portion already submerged in the water. Faint cries of alarm could be heard from the ship, but they were immediately drowned out by the sounds of the wind and the crashing waves.

Due to Shen Qianchi having no offspring, the bloodline of the Juze royal family has thus come to an end. Emperor Chongji has incorporated the Juze territory into the central administration, transforming the Juze fief into Juze Prefecture, which is now directly governed by an appointed prefect from the court

No ... ... not ... ...

Murong Qi wiped his face with the garment he had pulled up from his chest while recalling that there were still important matters left to address

He abruptly interrupted her impassioned speech, with a flick of his wrist, the black cord suddenly tightened, pulling both her and the barrel out of the water. With a clever twist, the barrel fell back into the water, while Murong Qi was soaked and held tightly by him around the waist. With a brief command of "Go," the feathered boat quickly turned its head and sailed deeper into the cave

The Emperor Chongji dispatched 2,000 Imperial Guards to successfully intercept the heir of the Juze family, Shen Qianchi, at the Quxia of the Dian River. Nearly one hundred guards from the heir's residence were swiftly defeated. In the chaos, Shen Qianchi was struck by several arrows and fell into the water, where he drowned. His body was retrieved by the Imperial Guards and brought back to Liaoyang for burial with the honors befitting a prince. The heir's consort, Princess Yanrong, sank with the ship into the river. A total of 126 members of the household were involved, with many women, children, and the elderly being rescued by nearby fishermen, while the guards suffered heavy casualties.

Do you still dare to act recklessly and impulsively

She held onto the wooden barrel with one hand and waved with the other, saying, "A Che, I am so cold, quickly pull me up."

This battle is historically referred to as the "Quxia hetushu.com.com Rebellion"

... ...

Then, he leaned forward slightly, his tone remaining even, "... Is getting married really fun?"

Well, as for mother’s words, let it be. Throughout her life, she feared nothing under heaven or on earth, except for one thing: her mother

Ah? Ah ah! Mother, why have you come! Scoundrel! You are so ungrateful! Why didn't you tell me earlier

I won't anymore" she endured

Hello, can you hear me speaking?

The man in black interrupted her: "Have you seen Shen Qianchi?"

The man in black did not respond, slightly narrowing his beautiful eyes as he scrutinized her disheveled hair and the bloodstained face beneath it. With a blank expression, he said: "I heard that you married the heir of the Jiuze family without the orders of your parents or a matchmaker's words?"

Murong Qi felt somewhat guilty upon hearing this and stammered, "Well... it can be considered as having some, since it was the Emperor who arranged the marriage. After all, the Emperor is my uncle, and besides, all the people in the world are subjects of the Emperor..."

You ask. "Murong Qi gritted his teeth in response.

"Clearly, you have not suffered enough," Ji Che's words took a turn, causing her to choke on the breath she had just swallowed, coughing as she waited for him.

The man in black remained indifferent and said in a calm tone: "She has practiced the 'Melting Snow and Fragrance' mental technique of the Kasyapa Palace since childhood, and can stay on the snow mountain for three days and three nights without any issue. What is a mere twelve months of the Dian River water worth?"

No... never...

He continued, "Let me ask you a few questions.

Chief Guo silently stepped back

Murong Qi clutched the wooden barrel and splashed around vigorously for a few moments, her teeth chattering uncontrollably, feeling as if her entire body was about to freeze. The sound of arrows piercing the water filled her ears, and she dared not linger. After roughly gauging the direction, she hid behind the barrel and struggled to paddle forward with the current.

The internal force transmitted from the black rope was powerful yet gentle, prompting Murong Qi to immediately lower all defenses, allowing the black rope to drag him back against the current.

So, you were aware of this ambush in advance

He is very fond of you

Murong Qi, feeling somewhat disheartened after being exposed, leaned on the wooden barrel and muttered: "... ... Heartless, what if I get injured and am unable to cultivate?"

... ...

Murong Qi, who was originally smiling with his mouth open, could no longer smile under such a gaze

Shut up

When the news arrived, Murong Qi was confined at home, copying Buddhist scriptures. Upon hearing the news, she sighed deeply: "If only I had known to seek a divorce earlier, but in the end, I still have to become a widow. My luck is truly unfortunate..."

She spoke so confidently, as if she had never considered the possibility that "he would not be able to find her"

Hey Ji Che, that's enough! Whether you want to save me or not, why are you being so verbose? At worst, I could drown today, and eighteen years later, I would be a good man again. By then, don't blame me for taking all your wives, big and small...

This is a dark and blood-stained winter, but soon, the festive atmosphere of the New Year diluted the brutality of the killings. The north wind from the Baishu Grassland stirred the remnants of firecrackers, lingering in the streets and alleys of Liaoyang. The topics of conversation among the people had already changed several times.

From a distance, this gap appears extremely narrow, yet little did one know that there is another world behind it. Murong Qi felt a sudden darkness before her eyes, and upon looking up, she could vaguely see a suddenly spacious cave behind the stone crevice. Stalactites hung down from the ceiling, and she, along with the wooden barrel, was floating in a dark river. One end of the river connected to the Dian River outside the gap, while the other end was blocked by a long, narrow black wooden boat, the destination of which remained unknown.

Before she could finish her words, the black rope tightened and pulled her forward rapidly. In a moment of carelessness, she swallowed a mouthful of icy river water and immediately began to cough uncontrollably. By the time she finally managed to catch her breath, the black teak gunwales of the feathered boat were already close at hand

A cold wind blew between the two cliffs, and Murong Qi couldn't help but sneeze, muttering, "Where are the people who were supposed to come to our aid?"

Murong Qiyan's eyes lit up, and he waved his hand, shouting: "A Che, A Che, I am here..."

This is the original statement of the Moon Palace Master

"I dare not anymore." She endured again

Will I still marry someone casually in the future

... ...

It is unclear whether it is because it is truly cold or for some other reason, but her voice is somewhat hoarse

The man in black glanced at her and slowly said, "If you don't experience some hardship, you will never learn to restrain yourself..."

"Ji Che, the letter states that we must find a way to save those elderly, weak, women, and children. Have you instructed anyone to take action on this?"

"Overthinking not only wastes time but also causes one to miss opportunities; it might even cost one their life. How can one take action then?" Murong Qi remained noncommittal, feeling quite uncomfortable in the rushing water beneath her. She couldn't help but feel annoyed: "Are you done interrogating me? Hurry and pull me up. You know I can't swim, and I've been soaking for so long; it's unbearable!"

The first line of lights gradually illuminated, and she strained to lift her head, catching sight of a figure at the bow of the ship. In his left hand, he held a brass lantern, while his right wrist was wrapped in tightly coiled black ropes. Two black and silver gem-encrusted rings sparkled on his index and middle fingers, glimmering under the outline of the black ropes. He stood with one foot on the serpent-headed relief at the bow, his tall frame slightly bent forward, gazing at her with a solemn expression. The wind in the mountain crevice lifted the dark edges of his clothing, and his uniformly black hair, along with the silver hair tie woven among the strands, danced in the breeze. The tassel at the end of the hair tie brushed against the two small cat's eye stone ear clips on her ears, casting a faint glow.

The weather in December, the water of the Dianjiang is as cold as ice

Before she could finish her words, a black rope suddenly flew in from the gap of the cliff, landing precisely above her head and coiling around her waist.

"I don't know," Murong Qi replied succinctly. "I can only guess that, given the Emperor's temperament, his limit of patience would never exceed that of the Quxia. That is why I sent a letter for you to come here to fetch me. The Dian River is just like your backyard; you will surely be able to find me there"

He bent down and looked at her in the water, silent, his pair of already radiant eyes reflecting the shimmering light on the water under the lantern, appearing even deeper, softening his originally somewhat sharp features. Yet at this moment, those eyes were devoid of expression, dark and unsettling to behold.

It is better to worry about yourself first rather than being concerned about others, for the Moon Palace Master has been waiting on the shore for quite some time

The person from Lasso was evidently very familiar with the terrain in this area. Even when heavy rain obscured visibility, they were still able to skillfully navigate Murong Qi and Wooden Barrel Jun through numerous hidden reefs, until they approached the cliff's stone wall. The black rope gave a slight shake, maneuvering around a rock formation resembling a screen and a book, pulling her into a natural crevice in the mountain.

Under his emotionless gaze, for some reason, even with the protection of divine powers, Murong Qi still shivered involuntarily. The originally assertive words that came out of his mouth lost some of their strength: "It's not fun. But I... I have my reasons for having to do this."

Behind the man in black stood several individuals dressed in sharkskin wetsuits. One of them was about to step forward but was stopped by the man in black, who remained in place and could not help but say: "Young Master, Miss Murong is quite cold; it would be better to discuss matters after boarding the ship."

In the seventeenth year of the Great You Chunping, as the year-end approached, snowflakes fell abundantly over the capital city.

The cold gaze of the man in black softened slightly, yet his tone remained unchanged: "Just because you guessed correctly this time does not mean that what you did is right. Relying on intuitive judgments can lead to mistakes, and it seems that during these years confined in the palace, you still have not learned to think twice before acting"

Did you ask me?

He stared at her for a moment, not asking any further questions, but instead turned his gaze towards the crevice in the mountain, where amidst the sounds of wind and rain, there were faint screams and the sounds of weapons.

She recognized this wooden boat, which was quite handsome in appearance, and it sailed swiftly and lightly, earning it the elegant nickname "Feathered Boat." Throughout the entire Dayou, only the Hongshui Gang, led by Xiong Ba in the Dianjiang region, could be found, a group that even the court had to regard with caution.

He nodded while saying Murong Qi, sighing: "Chief Guo, you are a good person!"

I can't hold it in any longer, you bastard

Very well, if you dare to cause such great trouble again, remember, next time I will not help you at all

Murong Qi's eyebrows shot up in anger: "Ji Che, on what grounds do you dare to reprimand me!"