Jiaohua

Chapter 1535: The Collection of King Chang Yan

Two tall stone doors that exuded a chill were pushed open. Because they were too heavy, the sound of the stone doors being pushed open was dull and long, like an ancient bell penetrating distant time and space.

It was freezing cold inside the stone gate and the space was vast and empty. The walls of the hall were covered with huge blocks of ice that were chiseled from the river in winter. They stretched from the ground to the top of the building, overlooking and oppressing outsiders.

Ten soldiers entered through two stone doors.

In their hands, they each held a large round bowl with black lacquer and gold-painted flying fairy and twined branches pattern. In the middle of the plate, there was a short round footrest three inches high and five inches wide, and on each plate was placed a freshly chopped off head.

The soldiers climbed the wooden stairs on the west side of the hall and placed the plates on the tall wooden racks.

The rows of redwood shelves were already filled with skulls, densely packed but neatly arranged, of men, women, old and young. The only thing they had in common was that they were all butchers.

The soldiers put the head down, took out the clean wet cloth they brought in, and wiped the mahogany frame carefully, making sure to keep it spotless.

This cold palace is the "treasure" of King Changyan Shang Taiyu. Six years ago, he ordered the best craftsmen in the North to build it. There are twenty-four large wooden frames supporting the sky and the earth. Now, there are eighteen of them filled with butchers' heads.

The ten new heads and the fifty heads that had been put down not long ago just filled the top floor of the nineteenth wooden rack.

After wiping the wooden frame, the soldiers left and the huge stone door closed heavily. When the low and hoarse murmurs slowly disappeared, the cold hall returned to silence.

Shang Taiyu is the youngest king in the North, but he is also forty-five years old.

He stood on a tall building with his hands behind his back, his profile handsome and resolute, and watched coldly as the ten headless bodies that had just been beheaded were dragged away and thrown into a wooden fence in the distance.

Not long after, a pack of wolves came running over following the smell and tore the ten corpses to pieces, leaving the snowy ground in a mess in an instant.

A charming female voice suddenly said, "Wang, Hu Lanqing is here."

Shang Taiyu tilted his head slightly, and a tall young man in his early twenties came in and knelt down and said, "Your Highness! We sent someone to investigate. The army that came to Cangjin, about two thousand people, was the Xia family army! According to reliable intelligence, they did not come from Youzhou and Tanzhou, they came all the way from Song Zhiyi's territory, and destroyed nearly 20,000 of Song Zhiyi's troops. After arriving in Cangjin, they settled in Gaitang City, but I don't know if they are still there now."

"Two thousand?" Shang Taiyu asked, "Xia's army only has two thousand people?"

Hu Lanqing raised his head and said, "Your Highness, it is confirmed that there are only 2,000 people. Zhuge Pan's secret letter said that when they left Hengxiang, they had about 3,500 soldiers. They were stopped by Song Zhiyi's General Wen Lang on the Pingyang Road. After fighting for several days, they were surrounded by Wen Lang's plan and about 1,500 people were wiped out."

“Hahaha!” Shang Taiyu couldn’t help but laugh. “This is ridiculous! Back then, the Xia family army was reduced from 150,000 to just over a thousand people. Several major commanders were killed, which was no different from the entire army being annihilated. The remaining thousand people were covered in dust and fled in defeat. I thought they would come back with such courage. In the end, they only had two thousand people after coming all the way here with such momentum? Hahaha!”

"King," said the pretty lady beside Shang Taiyu, "The Xia family doesn't have many soldiers. It's not because they can't recruit them, but because Ah Li doesn't love bloodshed. She used to not kill people. She hates war in her bones."

"She hates war, but has to fight. Hahaha, wonderful! This kind of person is easy to deal with. No matter how good at making decisions, it is useless. Anyone who is cowardly and gentle at heart has no courage at all. Even if you give her royal power and wealth, she will still be a waste who will not enjoy it!"

"My king," the lady said in a displeased tone, "you must not underestimate the enemy."

“Okay, okay,” Shang Taiyu put his big hand around Jiao Niang’s slender waist, “Don’t worry, Yu’er. I’m not underestimating my enemy. I know she’s powerful, but I don’t want to give her too much prestige. From now on, I’ll scold her every day and drive away all her luck!”

"Pfft!" Lady Jiao laughed softly and snuggled up to him, "Okay, then I'll do as Your Majesty wishes."

Shang Taiyu looked back at Hu Lanqing who was kneeling on the ground. "Lan Ze City and Ming Fang City will receive the news of Xia's army returning to the northwest earlier than us. Madam Yu from Lord Yehu Chong's family is definitely more nervous than us. Let's wait and see what she does."

Hu Lanqing responded, paused, and then said: "Your Majesty, there is one more thing, which was also just reported."

"What's the matter?"

"It can now be confirmed that, except for the daughter of Lord Zhu Xiuying, all the people sent by Lord Yehu Chong to Hejing did not have a good end. They either died tragically or were captured. Mubu Yifan, the eldest disciple of Riyutong, had his tongue cut off and his limbs broken. He is now in the hands of Song Zhiyi in Yongan."

Shang Taiyu was stunned: "Mubu Yifan was actually tortured like this?" "Yes, Ri Yutong is furious and may send an envoy to Yong'an to ask Song Zhiyi for the person."

The lady in Shang Taiyu's arms said worriedly, "Your Majesty, I heard that Mubu Yifan once saved Princess Jinni."

Shang Taiyu nodded: "Yes."

Shang Tai Jinni is Shang Taiyu's most beloved youngest daughter and the only child of Shang Taiyu's late princess Xia Erhan. She just turned sixteen this year.

At that time, Shang Tai Jinni was still in her infancy and had a high fever and rash. The doctors were helpless, so Shang Taiyu went to Lan Ze City in person to invite Ri Yutong.

Ri Yutong sent his most proud disciple Mubuyfan to accompany him back. Mubuyfan worked tirelessly for three days and finally cured the dying Shangtai Jinni.

For this, Shang Taiyu gave Mubuyifan a hundred taels of gold. This hundred taels of gold made Mubuyifan become a noble in the North.

Shang Taiyu said, "Mubuifan's experience saddens me. Those people from the Central Plains were really cruel. Hu Lanqing, draft a letter for me and send it to Ri Yutong to express my intention. No matter what happens, I will fully support him. It's a good opportunity for us to give Song Zhiyi a warning and see what this new ruler of the Central Plains, who has been keeping his troops inactive for many years, thinks of us."

Suddenly Lan Qing responded: "Yes!"

After Hu Lanqing took his leave, Shang Taiyu waved his hand again, and the maids and followers in the room also bowed their heads and left.

"King?" Jiao Niang said gently.

Shang Taiyu said in a deep voice: "I gave Mubuyifan 100 taels of gold in the past. I have already forgiven him for taking care of Jinni. The people that Xia's army hates the most are Tao Lan and Yi Shurong. If they are not dead, it will not be my turn. What's more, these remnants of the defeated army only have 2,000 people in total. There is no need to be afraid. Yu'er, do you know what I am worried about?"

The lady nodded, her beautiful eyes looking towards the snow in the distance.

The snow was pure white, so the blood and torn body parts on the snow were particularly glaring and messy.

"What kind of land is Zhitu?" Shang Taiyu said slowly, "I have killed so many people, and they dare not fear death and rush to deliver their heads to me in waves."

"Then let them keep sending until the last one falls. My king, they will all die one day."

"Thank you for your hard work, Yu'er,"

Lady Jiao smiled sweetly, "Your Majesty, just lead your troops southwards and rob them of their food, gold, silk, children, cattle and horses. As for slaughtering these stinking rats, rotten fish, and stray dogs, Yu'er will capture them all for Your Majesty."

When Hu Lanqing came down from upstairs, he saw his half-brother Hu Lanqian waiting for him downstairs.

"Is there an emergency?" Hu Lanqing asked.

When Hu Lanqian saw him, he hurried over and took his hand and walked aside: "Brother, something happened, hurry back home!"

"What happened? I can't go back now."

Hu Lanqian lowered his head and whispered, "I whipped a disobedient slave with a whip and accidentally hit him too hard, and the slave died. I don't know what medicine the other slaves in the house took, they all came to scold me, and they dared to rebel! They killed the butler Mu with a knife, and also chopped your mother and my mother... seriously injured."

Suddenly Lan Qing's eyes widened: "You!"

Hu Lanqian hurriedly explained: "I didn't expect that the slave who looked thick-skinned and tough was so weak! These Chinese are just paper tigers, so fragile! Brother, don't blame me first, let's go back first!"