Сhаpter 296: Тhе Firе Моth Party 28
Тhе world seеmed to hаlt in thаt instаnt. Оnlу thе mournful howl оf the wind persisted around thеm. Тhe mоrning sun remаinеd аs rаdiant аs еvеr, уеt human hеarts had alrеаdy turnеd cold.
No оne cоuld remain unmоvеd witnеssing а wоmаn аnd child die sо trаgicаllу bеforе their еуes. A vаst рoоl of blood sеeped frоm bеnеath thе three bodiеs, gаthеring ovеr thе sсаttеrеd stonеs intо a smаll streаm that flowеd slowlу but сеasеlеsslу intо the soil.
No оne uttered a sound. Еach pеrson stoоd in silent mоurning fоr thesе pitiful lives.
"Morning dew, the epiphyllum's bloom, so close yet worlds apart. They say the Yellow River winds tenfold, yet eastward it must flow. Eight thousand years of jade grows old, withering and flourishing in a single night. I ask the heavens, why this lifetime? Where last night's wind blew, fallen petals—who will count them now? Across ninety thousand miles of azure sky, riding the wind, dancing with shadows—who shall share this with me? The eternal Dipper, the cold, lonely Jade Palace—better to be immortal lovers, roaming the rivers and lakes for a hundred years."
Mo Qianzhi closed his eyes and sang a farewell song. In this resplendent early autumn, it felt bitterly ironic and desolate.
After settling the bodies of Madam Mo and the child, Mo Qianzhi remounted his horse.
"A human life is but a generation; grass and trees see but one autumn," Mo Qianzhi opened his eyes, the sorrow hidden deep within his gaze, flowing slowly. "A good departure, a good departure."
Once gone, there are no more attachments. His grand cause would always require sacrifices.
Neither Shen Du nor Zhu Yan had anticipated this turn of events. Shen Du stood where Madam Mo and the child had jumped, clenching his fists in silence. His dark lashes lowered, concealing all emotion.
Zhu Yan walked over and grasped his hand firmly. "Husband." A thousand words held no power now.
Shen Du turned to her with difficulty. Zhu Yan's heart skipped a beat—she had never seen Shen Du so despondent. He must be blaming himself for the deaths of Madam Mo and the child.
"No, it's not your fault. It's mine. I should have stopped you from bringing them here."
There must have been another way to save Pan Chi. This outcome was far from what Zhu Yan had envisioned.
Bringing Madam Mo and the child was meant to avoid bloodshed and sacrifice, yet in the end, they were the first to fall.
Zhu Yan could not bear to see Shen Du carry more burdens. She turned toward Mo Qianzhi. "I am willing to exchange my life for his, if only you will hand over the antidote."
Still clinging to the antidote even now.
"Never. You lackeys of the court," Mo Qianzhi's eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging crimson. His mind had already descended into chaos. His gaze shifted from the pile of stones to the figures on the city wall. "May you all die wretched deaths! Die!"
A roar erupted from him, unleashing the boundless grief in his heart. His wife had been the only pure moonlight in his life. With that moonlight gone, he no longer had any reason to yearn for daylight.
An arrow shot forth, carrying the fire of furious hatred. Shen Du, sharp-eyed, wrapped an arm around Zhu Yan's waist and pivoted to evade it. This only further enraged Mo Qianzhi, who cursed loudly:
"Coward! I never should have begged the Empress to spare your life! You deserve to die—that would befit the Shen family and honor your master's teachings."
"What are you waiting for? Kill!"
At his command, the horns sounded. Mo Qianzhi led his men in setting up wooden ladders to cross the moat and attack Yingzhou City.
He had lost everything. There was no longer any reason to preserve Yingzhou City.
A relentless barrage of arrows rained down. Those on the city wall hastily raised their shields for cover.
Shen Du placed Zhu Yan behind a barricade, then turned and charged to the front lines, calmly directing the battle.
Madam Mo's resolute leap with her child had shattered all plans. War between the two sides had become inevitable.One command after another was issued. Jing Lin looked at his master with a pang of heartache—his master had it too hard. No matter what turmoil churned within, his face remained ever so composed, radiating a sense of stability.
The Inner Guards he had brought directed the remaining defenders of Yingzhou City, resisting Mo Qianzhi’s army with their lives.
The rain of arrows was merely a cover. Mo Qianzhi was a master of warfare. While the arrow assault continued relentlessly from one side, he had men trying to breach the city gates on the other.
"Hold the gates." This was Shen Du’s absolute order to Jing Lin.
"Yes!"
The heavy, rhythmic pounding against the city gates echoed in their ears, causing the gates to tremble and making many lose their footing.
Seeing this, Shen Du’s expression immediately darkened. "Hold them. Even if it seems impossible, you must hold them!"
He then ordered Jing Lin to continue defending the gates while he donned his battle armor and personally led the remaining men to the top of the city walls to fend off those below attempting to climb up using ropes or Cloud Ladders.
The Inner Guards either hurled down massive stones or drew daggers to cut the ropes, and from outside the walls came a continuous chorus of agonized screams.
For the time being, they likely wouldn’t be able to breach the walls.
Shen Du glanced toward where Zhu Yan was hiding, his eyes narrowing. They had to hold Yingzhou City, or else…
The assault from outside was truly fierce, and those inside were struggling to hold their ground. Sensing the plummeting morale of their own side, Shen Du quickly descended from the walls and strode to the city gates. "You must hold on. What you are defending is not just Yingzhou, but the entire Great Zhou."
Yet, upon hearing these words, the civilians who had volunteered to defend the city did not rally their spirits. Instead, they began murmuring among themselves.
Shen Du frowned, sensing trouble.
"Lord Shen." A man in official robes seized the moment to step forward and bow beside him.
Shen Du turned slightly to glance at him, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, exuding authority without a hint of anger.
"Might this humble one be permitted to go and persuade Lord Mo? He has merely been misled by those with malicious intent. If we treat him with sincerity, he is sure to return to reason."
Mo Qianzhi’s influence was evident—even now, there were still those who wished to persuade him to turn back.
"Not permitted." Shen Du’s tone now carried a rare hint of anger. "The situation is extremely critical. If you go to persuade him, it will surely be a death sentence."
The official was intimidated by Shen Du’s fierce gaze and momentarily fell silent. He then turned to Zhu Yan. "I once served as a minor official under Lord Mo’s jurisdiction. Please allow me to go and persuade him."
Zhu Yan naturally would not agree, nor did she have the authority to do so.
Realizing that his pleas were futile, the official took advantage of their distraction and hastily climbed onto the city wall.
Watching his clumsy movements, Shen Du immediately stepped forward and grabbed him. "Are you seeking death?"
"I would rather seek death than do nothing here. Besides, Lord Mo is a man of goodwill and will surely come to his senses." He struggled, making Zhu Yan feel a pang of sympathy.
Thus, she signaled to Shen Du with her eyes. Shen Du understood immediately, but he did not release his grip.
"Are you going to act recklessly too, madam?"
"Shen Du, they once worked alongside Mo Qianzhi. Why not give it a try?"
If they didn’t try, how would these officials ever give up hope?
Shen Du naturally saw through Zhu Yan’s intention. After hesitating for a few moments, he finally let go. The official immediately shouted down from the wall, "Lord Mo! Please, cease this!"
Mo Qianzhi, who was in the midst of deploying his troops with overwhelming momentum, heard this unexpected voice and, unsurprised, caught sight of the man who had once served alongside him on the city wall.Despite years of working together, he still turned against him at this critical moment.
"Lord Mo, the people of Yingzhou City still trust you."
The man was about to say more when he heard a whistling sound in his ear, followed by an arrow shooting straight toward his face.
"Ah!"
But an arrow flew from somewhere and knocked it away.
"Get down!"
Over the years, Yingzhou City had been exceptionally peaceful under Mo Qianzhi's governance. This official had never experienced such a situation before and was so terrified that his legs trembled uncontrollably, unable to move.
Two more arrows were shot in succession. The first was knocked away again, while the second struck the official directly in the heart.
"Thud—"
The official fell backward and died on the spot.
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