Chapter 174: Feather Birth Pill

Inside the vast Liu family estate, in a forgotten corner.

A dozen black-clothed guards, torches in their left hands and daggers at their waists in their right, strode quickly through the complex, winding narrow alleys.

Between the dim, high walls and grey tiles, only the swaying orange-yellow light of the torches held some warmth. Outside the world illuminated by the torches, everything was black and white, cold.

From afar came the sounds of roaring and shouting. The Liu family estate seemed to have houses collapsing one after another, lives perishing one by one.

The black-clothed guards did not know what was happening, nor did they care.

They arrived in front of a courtyard door. Two black-clothed guards responsible for imprisoning Jing Wang drew their knives and blocked them.

"Why are you here?"

The black-clothed guards holding torches did not stop. The leader raised a waist token.

"By the master's order, execute Jing Wang and his relatives. Make way!"

The black-clothed guards rushed directly into the courtyard, only to find the small siheyuan empty of people.

The doors of the east and west wing rooms were wide open, only the door of the north main room was tightly closed.

One black-clothed guard stepped forward and lifted his foot to kick the door, but found it was already blocked from the inside with a heavy object.

He drew his waist dagger and shouted angrily.

"Chop the door down!"

With one chop, the wooden door pasted with white paper opened with a huge crack.

The black-clothed guard looked through the crack and saw inside the room Jing Wang, the heir, and the princess, each holding a chair!

"Useless!"

Just as the black-clothed guard was about to chop a second time, he heard the sound of tiles cracking from beside him.

He suddenly turned his head to look.

"Who?"

He saw an armored soldier wearing a face guard, holding a long knife, attacking from a distant rooftop.

Along the way, with every step the armored soldier took, tiles cracked inch by inch. The next moment, the distant sunrise finally penetrated layers of dark clouds.

A touch of white quickly tore through the sky. The armored soldier arrived at the rooftop of the east wing house and leaped down.

The black-clothed guard at the back hastily raised his knife to block, but the force of the descending knife was like a thousand jun. It actually chopped off the knife first, and then chopped off the black-clothed guard's head.

The remaining black-clothed guards looked at each other. The leader said in a low voice.

"Official Xing. You all block him, I'll go kill Jing Wang. Jing Wang cannot live!"

With that, he continued to chop the wooden door. The dozen black-clothed guards swung their knives to block the armored soldier.

But the armored soldier ignored them and continued to rush towards the main room door.

However, as he reached the wall of knives, he suddenly twisted his body, receiving the knife edges directly with his body armor.

Four knife edges cut across the cast iron armor pieces, producing brilliant sparks like silk ribbons.

All the knife edges were blocked by the armor pieces; none could injure the heavy armor underneath.

In an instant, the armored soldier used his shoulder to crash through the wall of knives and the black-clothed guards.

He was seen arriving behind the black-clothed guard who was chopping the door and stabbing out with his knife.

Clang!

The black-clothed guard's body suddenly stiffened, his neck rising high.

The knife edge stabbed in from his back and came out from the inside of the wooden door, startling both Bai Li and the heir inside the room.

The armored soldier turned his head to stare at the black-clothed guards behind him like a wolf, his face guard grim and terrifying.

He slowly pulled out the knife blade in his hand, then shook it, shaking off a handful of blood mist from the bloodstains on the blade.

The black-clothed guards' faces were solemn. They surrounded him and attacked together.

Inside the room, Bai Li and the heir simultaneously looked towards Jing Wang.

"Father, are they people from the Qian Sui Army?"

Jing Wang shook his head.

"The Qian Sui Army cannot kill their way here yet. I made arrangements for aid earlier, but this person is not the one I arranged."

The three of them were all a bit doubtful. In the deep Liu family residence, who would suddenly extend a helping hand?

Bai Li suddenly said.

"Chen Ji!"

The heir hesitated a bit.

"How could Chen Ji appear here? It shouldn't be him."

Bai Li also hesitated. She looked out through the crack in the door and saw the armored soldier gradually struggling in the siege of the dozen black-clothed guards.

The armored soldier guarded the door, actually not letting a single black-clothed guard kill their way in.

The heir was surprised and doubtful.

"Dad, do we want to go out and help him?"

Jing Wang thought.

"Yun Xi, pull open the table, and I'll go out and pick up a dropped knife to support him a bit!"

However, just as the two of them were pulling up the table blocking the door, a muffled voice from under the face guard came from outside the door.

"Don't come out!"

Bai Li exclaimed.

"It really is Chen Ji!"

The heir turned his head to look at her.

"You can even hear that?"

At this time, Chen Ji was heavily panting under the face guard. On his body armor, a dozen more knife marks had been added.

If it weren't for this heavy armor, he would probably already be covered in injuries.

Chen Ji gripped the knife handle tightly in his palm, raised his knife, and advanced instead of retreating.

However, just at this moment, one black-clothed guard in the crowd with cold eyes suddenly drew a cold knife and chopped out.

That knife edge was extremely fast. Chen Ji stopped his feet hard and retreated backward. The knife edge chopped across his face, splitting the white tassel on his helmet and the face guard under his helmet.

Clang, clang, two sounds. The face guard split into two and fell to the ground, exposing Chen Ji's face under the face guard.

The white tassel lightly floated to the ground and was blown away by the wind.

The black-clothed guards surrounded Chen Ji in a fan shape in the courtyard. One of them said coldly.

"You are already exhausted. Now abandon your knife, and we'll pretend you didn't come."

Chen Ji raised his knife.

"Say that when I'm exhausted!"

Behind him, the sound of pulling a table was heard. Jing Wang, the heir, and Bai Li pulled open the room door and rushed out, each holding a chair and standing beside him.

"You all!"

Chen Ji's words were not yet finished when he saw a tall and burly figure fly down from the rooftop. Like lightning and thunder, he pressed a palm on the chest of every black-clothed guard.

The world seemed to pause for a moment. After a while, the sounds of bones cracking crackled.

The remaining seven black-clothed guards simultaneously flew backward, smashed against the wall, and bounced back to the ground, no longer breathing.

"Feng Da Companion!"

Bai Li exclaimed.

Chen Ji let out a long, turbid breath, supporting his body with the knife.

Feng Da Companion turned and cupped his hands in a bow.

"Wang Ye, please forgive me, this minister is late."

Bai Li hurriedly pulled Chen Ji's arm armor and turned left and right.

"Injured?"

Chen Ji smiled.

"Fortunately, Feng Da Companion came in time. No injury."

The heir and Bai Li breathed a sigh of relief.

"How did you get mixed in with the Liu family's armored soldiers?"

Chen Ji explained.

"By chance!"

Jing Wang looked towards Feng Da Companion.

"How is the situation?"

Feng Da Companion answered in a soft voice.

"All six zodiacs of the secret spy department have arrived. The Jie Fan Guards and the Qian Sui Army have already killed their way into the Liu family estate. The Xiang Jia Camp was too late to rush to aid. The Hu Jia Iron Cavalry led by Feng Mister were ambushed by the Northern Wan Sui Army. Wang Ye, rest assured, White Dragon adult calculates without omission. Absolute safety can be guaranteed."

Jing Wang showed no joy of victory, only a long sigh.

"So many years, finally the dust settles!"

Feng Da Companion asked.

"Wang Ye, would you like to rest here for a moment?"

Jing Wang shook his head.

"No rest. Go send the cabinet elder on his final journey. He should be waiting for me!"

In front of the ancestral hall, a long blood road extended to outside the estate. It was like a twisted scarlet carpet, woven with flesh and blood.

Liu Shi Ye, missing an arm, leaned against the front of the ancestral hall door, breathing heavily.

White Dragon stepped over, his white boots already dyed red. His clean white clothes were also splashed with blood spots.

He arrived in front of the ancestral hall door, not giving an extra glance to Liu Shi Ye at his feet, only looking at Liu Ge Lao wiping the backs of the spirit tablets one by one.

Liu Ge Lao put his own father's spirit tablet back into the main niche, then took down another spirit tablet and used his sleeve to wipe away the dust.

The killing and wailing behind him seemed to have nothing to do with him.

White Dragon said softly.

"Cabinet elder, the overthrow of the Liu family is not your fault, no need to blame yourself!"

Liu Ge Lao, while wiping the spirit tablet, said with a smile.

"Success and failure, there is nothing to blame myself for. Thirty-one years ago, my Liu family's fields spanned three provinces. Ten years ago, we could only shrink to one place in Yu state, barely lingering. Ten years ago, I knew this day would come sooner or later, I just didn't expect it would be in such a disgraceful way. That Poison Prime Minister adult, ah. He is actually unwilling to even give the Liu family a grand and magnificent facade."

White Dragon thought and said.

"The Jing Dynasty has been sharpening its soldiers and horses this year. The foundations of the Liu family still have great use and cannot be wasted. Later, I may still need to borrow a bit of your and the Liu family clan's heads to persuade the Hu Jia camp and the Yu state troops to surrender."

Liu Ge Lao lightly laughed.

"You persuade my Liu family troops to surrender, aren't you afraid of burying hidden troubles?"

White Dragon's dragon pattern mask was expressionless, unable to show joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness.

"That is a matter that Inner Prime Minister adult should consider, it is unrelated to me, this vanguard."

Liu Ge Lao put the spirit tablet in his hand back into the main niche and looked around the ancestral hall.

"What a pity!"

At this time, Jin Zhu's voice came from outside the door.

"Wang Ye!"

Liu Ge Lao turned his head to look and saw the Jie Fan Guards make way, allowing Jing Wang to walk into the Liu family ancestral hall.

He looked at Jing Wang and remained silent for a long time.

"You and I, father-in-law and son-in-law, will play another game of chess!"

"Good!"

"Liu Shi Ye, fetch a set of chess."

Liu Ge Lao instructed.

The one-armed Liu Shi Ye, barely propping himself up, limped through the crowd, carried a chess set back from the side room.

There was no suitable table inside the ancestral hall, so he could only place the chess set on a stool.

Blood from his arm dripped onto the chess set. He used his other hand to wipe it, but the more he wiped, the dirtier it became.

Liu Shi Ye said troubled.

"Old master, I..."

Liu Ge Lao smiled warmly.

"It doesn't matter. Sit beside me and rest for a bit!"

Liu Shi Ye said "ah" and retreated to the edge of the door, leaning against the threshold to sit.

Jing Wang picked up a chess piece and placed it on the blood-stained chess set, sighing.

"I didn't expect that my last game of chess with my father-in-law would actually be played in this kind of environment."

Liu Ge Lao laughed and scolded, dropping a chess piece.

"Don't pretend. If it weren't for you, my Liu family wouldn't have fallen to this state today."

Jing Wang's eyes looked at the chess set, and without lifting his head, he asked.

"Father-in-law, was A Yi killed by the Liu family?"

Liu Ge Lao was startled.

"Yes! After A Yi married you, the Empress wanted her to alienate you and His Majesty. Who knew she was wholeheartedly devoted to you, and fundamentally unwilling to intervene in these rights and wrongs."

Jing Wang said calmly.

"The Empress, for her own private gain, then left Yun Xi motherless. So later, the Liu family arranged for A Jing to marry me again, also with the intention of alienating me and His Majesty?"

Liu Ge Lao said slowly.

"No, it was A Jing herself who wanted to marry you. She begged me for seven days and seven nights, and then I agreed."

Jing Wang held the chess piece, hesitant to drop it.

"You initially didn't agree?"

Liu Ge Lao laughed.

"I was afraid that vicious sister of mine would kill her again. Wang Ye, you shouldn't be wanting to trap my Liu family into eternal damnation because of A Yi?"

Jing Wang was silent for a long time.

"No! For so many years, three-tenths of our dynasty's taxes, silver, grain, and fodder have entered the national treasury, and seven-tenths have entered the aristocratic families. If the accumulated evils are not cured, the last breath of this empire will also be gone."

Liu Ge Lao looked towards outside the ancestral hall and saw countless heads crowded together, waiting for them to finish the chess game. He sighed for a moment.

"Wang Ye, I thought others might stab the Liu family in the back, but I didn't think it would be you. Do you know why?"

Jing Wang said.

"I don't know!"

Liu Ge Lao smiled.

"Because I thought you were a smart person and understood the principle of lips being cold when teeth are gone. What kind of person is that person in Ren Shou Palace, you know better than me. With the Liu family gone, you are next. Moreover, look at those people outside. They are not here for me, but for you, ah."

Jing Wang was unchanged.

"His Majesty and I are as close as brothers."

Liu Ge Lao laughed loudly, as if he had heard the biggest joke.

"Does the Emperor need brothers? Forget it, forget it. What's the point of playing chess with a bad chess player?"

With that, he waved away the chess pieces on the chess set and got up to walk to the door.

Liu Ge Lao tiptoed to pull down the mourning banner on the door lintel, and then pulled the mourning banner back to step on the blood-dyed chess set.

He stood in a high place, threw the white mourning banner over the house beam, and tied a knot.

Then, he lowered his head to look at Jing Wang, and said with a smile.

"Wang Ye, you stay in this world to see if what I said is right or wrong. I will be waiting for you on the road to the Yellow Spring."

As his words fell, Liu Ge Lao put the mourning banner around his neck and kicked over the chess set and stool.

Liu Shi Ye at the threshold used one hand to prop himself up. He looked at Liu Ge Lao without a word, kowtowed three times loudly, then slapped his palm towards his forehead, directly smashing his skull.

Just at this time, a shrill wail sounded.

"Father!"

Jing Wang turned his head to look. On the bloody road outside, Jing Fei stumbled over. She passed through the crowd, hugging Liu Ge Lao's leg, wanting to take him down from the beam.

Alas, her strength was too small, she couldn't hug him at all.

Jing Fei cried with red eyes, turned her head to look at Jing Wang, and patted his chest one by one.

"Wang Ye, why did it come to this, ah?? Why did it come to this, ah??"

Jing Wang said in a low voice.

"The Liu family's sins are deep and inexhaustible. Moreover, look at those women who are accompanying your elder brother to the grave. What crimes have they committed? What wrongs have the common people in Yu state whose fields were seized by the Liu family suffered?"

Jing Fei cried unable to speak.

"But what did I do wrong? They let me deceive you to steal firearms, I was unwilling, so they killed the fetus in my womb. I admire you, I want to be with you my whole life like a sister, but you used my words to induce the Liu family to rebel. These are all your men's matters. I only want to give birth to children, manage my husband and teach my children, what wrong do I have?"

Jing Wang was silent and did not speak. Instead, Jin Zhu outside the door suddenly said.

"Jing Fei madam, the maidservants you have beaten to death these years, if not a hundred, are eighty!"

Jing Fei glared angrily.

"What qualifications do you eunuch parties have to say this? Have you all killed few people?"

Jin Zhu shrank his neck and stopped speaking.

Jing Fei loosened Jing Wang's clothes and staggered towards the door. She took out a wooden box from her sleeve, then threw it on the ground outside the door.

"Wang Ye, I begged back the raw feather pill for you. Take care of yourself from now on!"

With that, Jing Fei suddenly rushed towards the ancestral hall pillar and fell crookedly.

The wooden box outside the door smashed on the ground into two halves. A round white pill rolled out, stained with blood.