Chapter 232 Lonely Army
In Qingzhou, the red building by the river was burned to ashes overnight, but fortunately no guests were injured or killed. The mother of the red building was also missing, and she disappeared into the city with those prostitutes overnight, as if she had never appeared. A curious guest recalled that he happened to pass by the red building that night and seemed to see a handsome man in red. He was shocked and suspected that it was a beautiful and charming spirit who came out from the deep mountains and forests to play around in the world. He was afraid of being discovered, so he simply burned down the red building and left no trace.

The rumors made the fire seem more mysterious and erotic.

The beautiful buildings were burned down, and the love and hatred inside were annihilated. No one knew what kind of opera was performed that night, or what kind of separation and reunion was witnessed. Late at night, at the gate of Qingzhou City, someone watched the carriage carrying the coffin go away.

"Sir." Wen Ji said, "Are you really going to see Yin Zhili?"

General Ji and Yin Zhan were both lost. Ji Heng wanted to send General Ji back to Yanjing, but he couldn't escort him in person right away because Jiang Li was still in their hands. Situ Jiuyue sent him a letter from Yanjing City, and he knew everything that had happened in the past.

Yin Zhili really didn't hurt Situ Jiuyue, except that Haitang had a little finger cut off - that was also ordered by Yin Zhan. In fact, Yin Zhan also instructed that as long as Jiang Li was still there, he would send someone to kill the Ye family and others, so as to avoid more trouble. But Yin Zhili strongly opposed it, threatening with his life, and finally had the Ye family sent back.

It was at this moment that Ji Heng understood why Yin Zhan had a strange smile on his face until his death. It turned out that he had paved a way out for Yin Zhili long ago. Whether Yin Zhan died in the Red Mansion or not, Yin Zhili could use Jiang Li's life to threaten him.

"Sir, that bastard Yin Zhili must have set a trap, knowing that you would go for Miss Jiang Er and intending to kill you. You must not act rashly!" Zhao Ke also said.

"There will be a fight between Yin Zhili and me sooner or later." Ji Heng sneered, "Since I promised Xue Huaiyuan, I will protect Ah Li."

Zhao Ke and Wen Ji were both a little puzzled. Why did they agree to protect Jiang Li as promised by Xue Huaiyuan? Did Xue Huaiyuan look at Jiang Li like this? But why did Ji Heng listen to Xue Huaiyuan's words? Xue Huaiyuan was very important to Ji Heng?
"But Yin Zhili has set up camp in Luye, a hundred miles away. There are hundreds of people in the camp, and we only have... How can we break out? We don't know where those Yin family soldiers are now. I'm afraid they are lying in ambush, waiting for you to fall into their trap." Zhao Ke still disagreed.

"He has the Yin family soldiers, and the Jinwu Army has not all died in recent years." Ji Heng said lightly. He looked into the distance, where the shadows of carriages and horses had completely disappeared. His grandfather said goodbye to him on this winter day, and from then on, there was no one in the world who was related to him.

How could he lose Jiang Li? In his life, after all, no one could protect him.

He turned around, his red robe shining like blood in the wind and snow. The whiter the snow, the redder the robe, which made his lips and teeth look red and his figure look handsome.

He said: "Let's go."

Zhao Ke and Wen Ji stopped talking. Ji Heng's attitude was so firm that they could not change it. As subordinates, they should stand together with their masters.

Jiang Li is not Yu Ji, and Ji Heng is not Xiang Yu. The play of Farewell My Concubine is too tragic. He has seen many tragedies, and never once did he hope that she could accompany him to the end of this play, and the story ends with a reunion and everyone is happy.

The snow and wind covered his tracks.

……

On Luye, outside the tent, Yin Zhiqing was panicked, tears welled up in her eyes, as if she had suffered a great blow, she shuttled in front of the tent, and the soldiers did not stop her until she found Yin Zhili, who was drunk and hiding by the fire behind the tent.

"Yin Zhili!" Yin Zhiqing called out his name, her voice trembling, "They, they said Dad is dead, what's going on?"

Yin Zhili opened his eyes dazedly and looked at her. He was still holding a wine jar in his hand, and the air was filled with alcohol. He didn't like drinking, but Yin Zhan always asked him to drink, saying that as a man, how could he not drink. He still didn't like it, but now that Yin Zhan was dead, he did as Yin Zhan wished and got drunk holding the wine jar. It was a pity that Yin Zhan would never see it again.

"Dad is dead." He gave Yin Zhiqing a strange smile and whispered, "Dad was killed by Ji Heng, with one sword--" He pointed to his throat, "pierced through here!" He laughed strangely.

"Impossible!" Yin Zhiqing grabbed his collar and said, "This is all fake, they are just making it up, right? Why would Duke Su kill Dad? We didn't even see Dad..."

"He is dead." Yin Zhili took another big gulp from the wine jar. "My father's men saw it with their own eyes. It may not be long before Yanjing announces it to the world."

"Why, why?"

"Because my father killed Ji Heng's parents, Ji Heng wants to avenge his parents. Hehehe, every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt has its creditor. You have to remember this." Yin Zhili said with a silly smile.

He looked like a madman, his clothes were soaked by the spilled wine, but he himself was unaware of it. His hair was disheveled and his smile was weird. He was no longer as elegant as a gentleman. Yin Zhiqing was grieving and angry at Yin Zhili. She said, "Brother! What's wrong with you? You have been acting strange since the day Dad talked to you. He said he wanted me to go back to Yunzhong. What did Dad say to you? What kind of hatred do our family have with Duke Su? Tell me!"

That day, Yin Zhili asked someone to ask Yin Zhiqing and Madam Yin to return to Yunzhong, but Yin Zhiqing refused. Then suddenly one day, Yin Zhili took them out of the city. Yin Zhili left in a hurry, as if he was fleeing. Yin Zhiqing thought they were going back to Yunzhong, but unexpectedly they came to Qingzhou. After that, things became incomprehensible to Yin Zhiqing. They used to talk about everything, but now, Yin Zhili refused to say anything. There was no explanation for what he did, including abducting Jiang Li here. Before that, Yin Zhiqing knew nothing. She didn't know what happened, she only knew that her life had changed beyond recognition. She lived in anxiety every day, always feeling that what the Yin family was going to do next was something she couldn't accept.

But this brother Yin Zhili also became a stranger.

Yin Zhili looked at Yin Zhiqing's anxious expression and suddenly laughed. He said, "Zhiqing, don't call me brother. Who knows if we are related by blood?"

After these words came out, Yin Zhiqing's expression changed and he said, "You...what do you mean by this?"

"For the sake of the girl in the palace, my father even killed his own son and his wife, and ignored my mother for so many years. Maybe you are not my son at all." Yin Zhili said.

"Yin Zhili!" Yin Zhiqing screamed. Her voice attracted the soldiers in the distance to look over here. She was shocked and said, "How can you say that! You slandered my mother, you bastard!"

"Do you really want to be your father's daughter?" Yin Zhili didn't care at all. He lay there like a puddle of mud and said drunkenly, "What's good about being the son of the Yin family? Look at me, I'm neither human nor ghost now, forced to accept a fate I don't like. Fuck the fate!" He got excited and his voice became harsh. "Don't you want to know what I want to do? Well, I'll tell you, I want to kill Ji Heng, start a rebellion, establish myself as king based on the situation, occupy half of the country, or force the emperor to the throne. I'm going to do all of these! Is this what I want to do? Why should I do this? Just because I'm Yin Zhan's son and my biological mother is the one in the palace!"

He finished speaking in one breath. Yin Zhiqing was stunned and even forgot to cry. She asked tremblingly: "You said..."

"I am the Queen Mother's son." Yin Zhili looked at her and smiled, "Now you know why Dad has to go back to Beijing to do these things, right? Because he has already thought about it, that position in the world belongs to our Yin family. Zhiqing, it would be great if you could be the daughter of an ordinary family. It's not like now, as long as you have the surname Yin, you will be accused of being a traitor and a traitor, and you will never be able to wash it off."

Yin Zhiqing covered her mouth, she thought of what Jiang Li said to her that day. She said that Duke Su and the Yin family had an irreconcilable feud, and she thought that Jiang Li deliberately lied to her for revenge. Now it seems that what Jiang Li said is true... But this fact is too hard for people to accept.

She didn't know what to say, and couldn't face Yin Zhili like this, so she turned around and ran out.

Yin Zhili didn't even look at her, he just kept drinking. Yin Zhiqing ran out crying, she thought of her mother, she couldn't let Madam Yin see her like this, if Madam Yin knew everything, she would be so sad. For so many years, Madam Yin had always attributed Yin Zhan's sudden indifference to her because she didn't do well, but she didn't know that this matter had nothing to do with her, it was just because she was a fig leaf that Yin Zhan found to cover up his ambitions, including herself... was also a bargaining chip being used.

Yin Zhiqing was extremely sad, but she didn't know who to talk to. Before she knew it, she had walked outside Jiang Li's tent.

There was a figure sitting quietly in the tent. Yin Zhiqing walked in and the soldiers guarding outside did not stop him.

Jiang Li was sitting in the tent with a lamp on the table. She supported her head with one hand, not knowing what she was thinking. When she heard the noise, she turned her head and her eyes stopped on Yin Zhiqing's face.

Yin Zhiqing's face was covered with tears.

Jiang Li frowned: "Pingyang County Master? What's wrong with you?"

It was just an ordinary question, and Yin Zhiqing's panic, helplessness, grievance and unwillingness of the past few days all came out. She walked forward a few steps quickly, looked at Jiang Li and said, "Did you know it a long time ago?"

"Know what?" Jiang Li looked at her puzzled.

Yin Zhiqing's heart suddenly erupted with great sorrow. She said, "Now that I know that my father killed Duke Su's parents, it is Duke Su's turn to avenge his parents."

Jiang Li was surprised. She knew that the Ji family and the Yin family had a feud, but Ji Heng did not tell her the origins. She did not know that Ji Heng's parents were killed by Yin Zhan. It seemed that Yin Zhiqing already knew it.

"How do you know?" Jiang Li asked.

"Yin Zhili told me." Yin Zhiqing slumped in the chair, as if he had lost all his strength.

"Why did Yin Zhili tell you these things?" Jiang Li asked, "Could it be Yin Zhan..."

Yin Zhiqing burst into tears. Seeing her like this, Jiang Li knew that her guess was probably right. Yin Zhan was dead? That meant Ji Heng was safe. She finally put down her worries. She had been locked up here for these days and had no way of knowing the news outside. The news brought by Yin Zhiqing could be considered good news.

But this was not the case for Yin Zhiqing. She cried heartbreakingly and kept muttering, "Why...why did it become like this?"

This was not actually Yin Zhiqing's fault. Yin Zhan's decision ruined both Yin Zhili and Yin Zhiqing. Judging from their appearance, they were unaware that they had to bear huge pain just because of Yin Zhan's ambition.

Jiang Li said softly: "This is not your fault, you don't have to blame yourself."

Yin Zhiqing did not stop crying, Jiang Li asked again: "Can you help me leave here?"

Yin Zhiqing's crying suddenly stopped, and she looked at Jiang Li in confusion.

"You know that Yin Zhili is going to use me to threaten Ji Heng. I know you like Ji Heng and don't want Ji Heng to get hurt. If Ji Heng is hurt because of me, I will also be in pain, and you will not be completely indifferent. I know you are unhappy staying here. If you save me, I will go with you and leave here, and you don't have to fulfill a fate that does not belong to you." Yin Zhiqing looked at Jiang Li in a daze. Jiang Li pointed her to a completely different path. In this chaotic time, this path was so clear, so bright, and so desirable that she almost couldn't help but nod immediately and escape with Jiang Li.

However, she did not answer. After a long while, she said, "I can't do it."

Jiang Li looked at her quietly.

"These soldiers don't listen to my orders. Although I have martial arts skills, I can't fight so many people. You are the one they are watching, and I can't take you away from under their noses. And there is my mother, I can't take two people away at the same time. If I run away with you, they will vent their anger on my mother. Yin Zhili may not do this, but the others who have suffered disasters because of this will vent all their anger on my mother."

She spoke clearly, with tears still on her face, but she had stopped crying. Instead, as if she had thought something through, she said, "And I can't leave either. My last name is Yin, and there's no way I can escape this fate. Where can you let me go? Apart from the Yin family, no one will protect me. People will only regard me as a traitor and want to kill me as soon as possible."

Jiang Li sighed softly. Everyone has their own standpoint. Yin Zhiqing's words were not wrong. If Jiang Li was in Yin Zhiqing's position, she would be as confused and struggling as she was. Besides, the one who made the mistake was Yin Zhiqing's father Yin Zhan. Yin Zhiqing would not accept it emotionally or rationally.

However, there was one thing Jiang Li didn't understand. She asked, "Do you know what the grudge between Ji Heng and the Yin family is? If your father killed Ji Heng's parents, why did he kill them?"

Yin Zhiqing took a deep breath and shook her head, "I don't know, and I don't want to know." She stood up and looked at Jiang Li with a sad expression. She said, "I once heard about what you suffered in Qingcheng Mountain. I felt sorry for you for a while, but now it seems that you are much better than me. The charges against you are false, and one day you will be cleared of them and have no regrets. But the charges against me are real and can never be removed."

"You are you, and Yin Zhan is Yin Zhan." Jiang Li reminded.

"If possible, I also hope that my last name is not Yin. I'm sorry, Jiang Li," Yin Zhiqing said, "I can't help you, and I can't take you away from here. But do you think that Duke Su will really go deep into the enemy's territory alone for you? The Luye is full of Yin family soldiers. If he comes, he will surely die."

Jiang Li's heart skipped a beat. She had a hunch that Ji Heng would definitely come, but she said, "If wishes can come true, I hope he will never come."

Yin Zhiqing looked at her steadily, and after a long while, he said, "I hope so, too."

Jiang Li didn't know what she meant by "I hope so too". Was it that she hoped Ji Heng didn't have such deep feelings for Jiang Li that he was willing to exchange his life for hers? Or was it that she hoped Ji Heng wouldn't get hurt?

"There is one more thing I would like to ask Princess Pingyang." Jiang Li said.

"I can't help you with anything."

"It's not me who's helping you, it's Ji Heng."

Yin Zhiqing frowned: "What do you mean?"

"I don't know how your brother is going to deal with Ji Heng, but I think he will not show mercy. If Ji Heng is imprisoned for me, that is what I least want to see. You like Ji Heng, so you certainly don't want him to die. If you can, please help Ji Heng if you can. As for me, you don't have to worry about it. In fact, it doesn't matter whether I live or die. Even if I really die, it's good as long as I don't implicate others."

Yin Zhiqing didn't say anything else, but just stood there, as if thinking quietly for a while, before saying, "I understand." She walked out of the tent.

Jiang Li did not chase him out. Yin Zhiqing's desperate cry seemed to still echo in the tent. She knew that there was no time. Since Yin Zhan was dead, Yin Zhili would immediately start the second plan. He would use himself to lure Ji Heng to death.

Jiang Li prayed silently in her heart, Mother, if you are still in heaven and are watching over your daughter, please help Ji Heng and keep him safe.

……

That night, there was a heavy snowstorm. The snow had not stopped on the next morning. The snow from last night had not melted yet, and new snow had fallen. The blood on the ground was higher than a person's knees. Looking around, it was all white.

Jiang Li stood in the tent, with the soldiers at the door guarding her. She looked outside, and all she could see was the vast, long, distant plain and what had become a white jungle in the distance.

It is said that many years ago, Luye was a dense forest near a long river, where many white deer lived. The white deer drank water from the long river, so it was named "Luye". Hundreds of years later, the forest disappeared and the area became a plain. There was no trace of white deer, but the name Luye was preserved.

The long river was not far from here. It was so long that you could not see the end of it on weekdays. Now it was completely frozen. People could walk on it without breaking the ice. The snow was falling heavily. It seemed that there was nothing but white and the black of the armor on this plain.

Someone came over, the soldiers made way, and Jiang Li saw Yin Zhili.

Yin Zhili was very different from before. He always wore white clothes and looked as gentle as jade. He spoke in a tone that said he was the son of a general, but it would be better to say that he was a handsome young man from a certain family. Jiang Li had never seen him wearing armor before, but today he wore armor, tied up his long hair, and had an indifferent and cold expression on his face. He walked into the tent.

Jiang Li turned and looked at him.

"I have good news for you. Ji Heng killed my father, but he survived."

Jiang Li was not excited about this. Yin Zhili probably didn't know that Yin Zhiqing had told him about this last night. Yin Zhili didn't care. He just continued, "My father is dead. I have to do what he told me to do. Do you understand what I mean, Miss Jiang Er?"

"I understand." Jiang Li replied, "You are going to use me to surround and kill Ji Heng."

Yin Zhili clenched his hands at his side and said, "I originally thought that as long as my father was alive and Ji Heng died first, this outcome could be avoided. Although you will hate me for this, at least I don't have to kill him in front of you and use you. This is the worst choice for me. But now it seems that God is not on my side. I still have to take this path. Struggling is meaningless. This is the end of you and me."

Jiang Li didn't say anything. Yin Zhili's expression at this moment was really scary. Without his softness, even his past indecision turned into kindness at this moment. His expression was like he was about to do something terrible, full of sharpness and determination.

"Everyone says that Duke Su is moody, shrewd and cruel. I think he may not come to save you. In this case, although it is a pity that I cannot kill him, it is a good thing to let you see his true face. Since I am already a bad guy in the heart of Miss Jiang Er, it is best that he is not much better in her heart."

He said this in a very angry tone, and if Jiang Li hadn't looked at his expression, she would probably have thought it was childish and ridiculous, but unfortunately, Yin Zhili had become very paranoid now, and he stubbornly believed that everything was the fault of others, and he had to go down this path, and no one could persuade him.

"Why do you have to kill Ji Heng?" Jiang Li said, "The grudges of the previous generation have been settled."

"There is no end!" Yin Zhili interrupted Jiang Li and said, "My father killed his parents, and he turned around and killed my parents. In order to avenge my father, I must kill him. The Yin family and the Ji family are destined to be mortal enemies. Either I die or he dies, until one side dies and there are no descendants. The reason why my father left behind a disaster is because he left some alive when he killed the Ji family. This mistake will not be made by me."

Jiang Li looked at Yin Zhili coldly, and the last bit of sympathy she had for Yin Zhili also vanished. Hatred can blind a person's eyes and turn him into another person. And the current Yin Zhili is completely different from the Yin Zhili of the past. He was determined to kill Ji Heng, regardless of whether Yin Zhan was wrong first, and regardless of how many lives were lost after the uprising.

"You will regret it." Jiang Li said.

"I only regret not killing him earlier." Yin Zhili laughed loudly. He said, "And he got the imperial edict and got you! But," he laughed again and said, "as long as he dies, you are still mine."

"But I could never love you."

"Then why did you fall in love with Ji Heng?" Yin Zhili stopped smiling, stared at her, and pressed on, "How many lives has he taken? He has killed countless people! Just because you like him, his sins are not sins? Just because you don't like me, I am a bad person in your eyes? The biggest difference between Ji Heng and me is that his father didn't let him bear the infamy, but I was born in the Yin family, so I am destined to sacrifice for the Yin family!"

"Not really." Jiang Li looked at him coldly and replied, "Ji Heng is an evil man feared by the world, but he has never hurt me. And you are a good man praised by the world, but you used me. You and he are certainly different people, but it has nothing to do with your parents."

Yin Zhili stopped talking, just staring at her viciously, as if he wanted to kill her but couldn't bear to do it. He turned his head abruptly, snorted coldly, and said, "Whatever you say. Anyway, if Ji Heng comes today, he won't survive today!"

"What do you want to do?" Jiang Li asked sternly.

"I didn't do anything." Yin Zhili said casually, "All the people in Luye are mine. The archers outside have been ready for a long time. There is a plain above Luye, with no shelter. If Ji Heng dares to come, he must be prepared to be pierced by thousands of arrows. Of course, he can bring his troops here, but you are in my hands, so he has to be on guard. I heard that when my father surrounded and killed Ji Minghan, it was a hundred archers from Hongshan Temple who ambushed Ji Minghan, and Ji Minghan could not escape. Second Miss Jiang, I let Ji Heng die in the same way as his father, which is the greatest respect for him."

Jiang Li shouted angrily: "Despicable!"

"He is not an upright person!" Yin Zhili seemed to be irritated by this and said angrily: "Of course I can be mean!"

Jiang Li was extremely angry. Yin Zhili was simply a madman. He could not be talked to properly. When they were about to stand still, they suddenly heard a whistle outside. The whistle was sharp and urgent. Yin Zhili was stunned, pushed Jiang Li aside, and rushed out.

Jiang Li also wanted to go out, but was stopped by the soldiers and could only stand in front of the tent. There was only a vast expanse of white in the field, and between the sky and the earth, a red figure appeared. The red figure was riding on a horse, and the horse was also covered with red armor. One person and one horse, in the wind and snow, were like returning home, and the snow could not cover up the bright and dazzling color.

Jiang Li's eyes became hot and she almost cried. She called out "Ji Heng"!
Yin Zhili outside was also stunned. After a while, he sneered and said, "It seems that he is very brave and loves you deeply. Unfortunately, wisdom will hurt you, and love will not last long." He shouted, "Archers, get ready!"

The archers in armor all aimed at the man. Jiang Li wanted to rush out, but she couldn't. She could only watch the red color becoming brighter and brighter.

Only him.

　Brother Ji carried the whole game alone!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)