Chapter 75

Chapter 75

◎Second Update◎

"Finish what you were saying. What happened after Xie Jiuyi wavered?" Huiyin asked.

Li Cheng said, "Many of his followers were initially neutral. They were only loyal to him because of his position as an aide to the Prince of Yuzhang. Now, these people see him as King You of Zhou, a ruler known for his downfall due to his indulgence and poor leadership. Back when I was under the Prince of Wei, both of us served him. I had a royal identity, and the Prince of Wei seemed closer to me, but he trusted Xie Jiuyi more with important tasks. It seems that when someone is in power, those below always want to bring them down. I heard that their army mutinied, and Xie Jiuyi was unable to regain control, forcing him to retreat temporarily."

Huiyin didn’t understand. "But what about Yin Liyi now that he’s retreated?"

Li Cheng shrugged. "That, I don’t know."

"Sigh, the situation is getting more chaotic. Wei Duo is using some truly unconventional tactics," Huiyin shook her head.

Li Cheng stood with his hands behind his back. "Yes, actually, I can understand Xie Jiuyi’s actions. If someone else had captured Yin Liyi, I wouldn’t feel the need to intervene, but if they had captured you, I would definitely hesitate."

Huiyin hadn’t thought of that. Hearing Li Cheng mention it, she couldn’t help but ask, "So, if I were captured and used to threaten you, what would you do?"

"I would definitely save you, without a doubt," Li Cheng said without thinking.

Huiyin was incredulous. "Then… how can you act like that?"

"If he’s using you to threaten me, it shows that his strength is limited. Actually, Wei Duo’s actions aren’t a good example. In the future, others will capture his wife and daughters. It’s not a good thing," Li Cheng said.

Huiyin had originally hoped he would say something else, but she also felt it wasn’t right. "In my heart, I hope a man would always put me first, but in terms of national warfare, it’s not good to act like that."

Li Cheng understood. "I know it’s not right, but if I don’t save my own wife, who shares my bed, how can I be expected to save others? I understand the old saying that ‘brothers are like limbs, and women are like clothing,’ but I want them to know that if they so much as harm a single hair on you, I will make them pay double."

"But I don’t want you to do anything reckless because of me. Don’t worry, I can manage well wherever I am," Huiyin said, standing up to touch his face.

"Don’t say such things. You say that because you haven’t seen true evil. People who refuse to listen to reason and only seek to abuse and dominate women. It’s terrifying," Li Cheng said, holding Huiyin.

Huiyin said, "You’re right. If someone captured you, I definitely wouldn’t just watch you die. I would give everything to save you, but we both need to work hard to protect ourselves and not give others any leverage."

The couple shared their feelings, but little did they know that after this battle, Xie Jiuyi attacked Wei Duo again and lost. The people in the army deliberately spread rumors that Xie Jiuyi had deliberately lost to Wei Duo, painting him as King You of Zhou.

Even Li Cheng felt sympathetic because Xie Jiuyi had only hesitated for a moment, but he had fought as he should and was truly loyal to the Prince of Yuzhang. He hadn’t expected those people to act like this.

In these few months, Wei Duo had only managed to break through one city. Xie Jiuyi had really done his best. He hadn’t slacked off just because someone had captured his wife; instead, he continued to attack.

"Xie Jiuyi’s position has been stripped, and he’s become a commoner now. What will he do in the future?" Huiyin asked, biting into a pork knuckle (a type of pork leg dish).

Li Cheng shuddered. "He’s too naive, thinking that innocence would clear itself. By acting this way, he expected others to spare Yin Liyi."

It was easy to imagine what fate awaited Yin Liyi, a beautiful woman in a time of chaos. Huiyin couldn’t help but feel sympathetic. "What happened to Yin Liyi?"

Li Cheng said, "I heard that she was given away as a concubine."

Later, it was said that the Prince of Yuzhang and his mother had also gone missing. Without Xie Jiuyi, those people acted independently, and they were already a scattered mess.

**

Yin Liyi hadn’t anticipated that this time she wouldn’t be so fortunate and was given away as a concubine. Dressed in red and green, her heart was as cold as dead ashes.

Perhaps they thought that as a woman, she wouldn’t run away, and even if she did, she couldn’t escape.

Someone knocked on the door, and Yin Liyi said irritably, "I said, I don’t want that useless thing."

"It’s me."

Recognizing the voice, Yin Liyi quickly rose and opened the door. To her surprise, it was Xie Jiuyi.

Since they were still in Wei Duo's territory, Xie Jiuyi had disguised himself as a woman. In the past, when Yin Liyi used to share private conversations with him, she had said that Xie Jiuyi would definitely look good dressed as a woman.

Unexpectedly, now in this situation, she saw her husband in women's clothes. It was both absurd and heartwarming.

...

"Prime Minister, it seems that Xie Jiuyi has taken his wife away?" a subordinate reported to Wei Duo.

Wei Duo, who was drinking wine, said carelessly, "Xie Jiuyi is a useless man now. It's fortunate he still has some conscience, let him go. Pass my order: execute Prince Lujiang Li Zhi and his mother, Lady Xu, on the way, and intensify the search for Prince Yuzhang, he must be killed immediately."

The subordinate left to carry out the orders.

Xie Jiuyi had stolen a soldier's token from Wei Duo and bribed the guards at the city gates. Once they returned to Wei territory, he said, "My official position has been systematically undermined. I am tired of this life. I have found a rural estate, and I have sent someone to bring my mother and children there. From now on, we will no longer meddle in these affairs."

Yin Liyi had also grown up on a countryside estate and never liked the complicated etiquette. Hearing Xie Jiuyi's plan, she was naturally happy.

But then she thought, "What about my sister? Are they there too?"

Xie Jiuyi said seriously, "Your sister seems to have run away with Prince Yuzhang. I don't know exactly where they went, but Liyi, we have already helped your sister a lot."

He hadn't rescued Yin Liyi immediately, and later lost his command, but he believed he had done his duty to the Wei King. At that time, for the sake of Prince Yuzhang, he had even abandoned his wife.

"No, we can't ignore my sister. I want to get off the carriage, I want to get off the carriage..." Yin Liyi said.

Xie Jiuyi looked at her in disbelief. "Do you know that our son and daughter are waiting for you to return home? Do you know that my mother is old and just wants to live an ordinary life? Many of my soldiers have perished in this war, yet you are so reckless and unafraid of death. If you get off the carriage, our marriage is at an end."

Actually, once the Wei King died, he knew that the tides had turned. Wei territory was complicated, with various factions, and Prince Yuzhang was still a child, lacking any ability to unite people.

Yin Liyi collapsed onto the carriage floor, stunned by the intensity of her husband's anger, something she had never seen before.

Xie Jiuyi even accused, "If you had listened to me earlier and left with your sister, they wouldn't have found an excuse to turn against me. I don't blame you for today's situation. If you still want to live a peaceful life, let's go, but if you want to find your sister, I'll leave the carriage for you, and we won't need to see each other again."