Love Lock

Chapter 289 Follow Me in Formation to Meet the Enemy
“Then…” Shen Daohong hesitated for a moment, then frowned and said, “How about… we go together?”

Together?
Do you know what they're going to do? Just together?
The Duke of Heng and his wife were both stunned for a moment, and the Duke of Heng's lips twitched.

"Brother Shen, what...what do you mean by this?"

"Sigh!" Shen Daohong's sigh was like a blunt knife, brutally slicing through the silence of the room.

He took out a letter from his pocket. The ink on the envelope, which read "Jingzhou," was still fresh, but it was stained with several marks, suggesting that it had been handled countless times.

“Brother Hua, sister-in-law. Take a look.” His fingertips trembled slightly as he laid the letter flat on the table. “You’ve done the same for the children, and haven’t I…”

Before Shen Daohong could finish speaking, his throat tightened. His temples were streaked with gray, and his eyes were filled with the loving care and worry of an elderly father.

When the Duke of Heng received the letter, he noticed the prominent veins on his old friend's hand.

He knew that Shen Daohong's daughter was the Princess Consort of Jingzhou, so the letter must have been written by Princess Consort Shen Yanru. If it was written by his daughter, then what was the source of Shen Daohong's worry?

The letter still carried Shen Daohong's body warmth and had a faint scent of agarwood.

As he read the words one by one, he suddenly felt that the neat small characters had transformed into venomous snakes, coiling around his heart along his fingertips.

"This..." Lin peeked at what was being said from behind her husband's shoulder, and her nails, painted with red nail polish, suddenly gripped his shoulder tightly.

The Duke of Heng was completely oblivious, staring intently at the word "assassination," the ink in his eyes seeming to twist into a hideous crimson.

A sudden gust of cold wind blew outside the window, swirling withered leaves and slapping against the glass.

It turns out that Shen Daohong's daughter, Shen Yanru, said in her letter that she and her husband, the Prince of Jingzhou, were assassinated by the palace guards a few months ago, but were saved by Zhao Zun's men.

In their panic, they fled to Cangzhou for temporary shelter, not daring to contact their families. Now that the King of Cangzhou has raised the banner of rebellion, they have just returned to the King's Palace in Jingzhou with the King's help, and they do not know if their parents are still safe and sound.

In her letter, Shen Yanru also said that the new emperor could not tolerate those brothers. The Prince of Jizhou and the Prince of Liangzhou had both died. They had luckily escaped the calamity, but they were worried that the new emperor would target their parents in the capital. Therefore, they specially invited their parents to bring the whole family to Jingzhou to live with them.

"So, the King of Jizhou and the King of Liangzhou are..." The Duke of Heng's voice tightened, and the letter rustled in his hands.

He recalled the imperial edict from the capital city government stating that the Kings of Ji and Liang had been killed by bandits...

Looking back now, it wasn't the work of bandits at all. The new emperor, with his jade thumb ring, had long been using the lives of his brothers as pawns.

Suddenly, Lin covered her mouth and coughed, her eyes filled with undisguised terror.

Shen Daohong got up to close the window, his back hunched over like a fully drawn bow.

He recalled the grand entrance of the princes into the capital that day, with people lining both sides of the street to watch.

"The new emperor even killed the Wei family..." Shen Daohong's words turned into a bitter smile.

The screams of the Wei clan, who were wiped out overnight, still echo over Zhuque Street.

“Brother Hua, sister-in-law, now that the King of Jingzhou and the King of Cangzhou are on the same side, and our children are now involved with the rebels, it is no longer safe for us to stay in the capital.” Shen Daohong looked at the couple with pleading eyes.

Duke Heng nodded in deep agreement, “Yes! With the new emperor’s ruthless nature, he cannot tolerate his brothers. Even the Wei family has run into trouble. We don’t even have a chance to defend ourselves.”

"Then what are we hesitating for?" Madam Lin asked anxiously. "Let's leave the capital together and go find Tianyou and the others!"

After a moment of contemplation, the Duke of Heng suddenly slammed the letter onto the table, causing the teacups to clatter.

"Hurry and pack your valuables," he said frantically, "before they see us..."

To avoid attracting attention, Shen Daohong and the Duke and his wife held a long private discussion in the room, agreeing that they would go out in batches at 3:45 AM the next day.

Shen Daohong and his family left through the west gate, saying they were going to Jingzhou to visit their daughter.

The Duke of Heng and his family pretended to go to the temple to offer incense and pray for blessings from the north gate.

The two groups met under the century-old locust tree in Wulipo and then went together to the Prince of Jingzhou's Palace.

After discussing their escape plan, Shen Daohong took his leave.

He picked up the letter from the chessboard, folded it, and carefully wrapped it in a handkerchief sent by his daughter.

The handkerchief was embroidered with the two crooked characters for "peace," the handwriting of the granddaughter.

He suddenly wanted to know if his little grandson, whom he had never met in his fiefdom, smiled like his daughter when she was young, showing two little tiger teeth...

After Shen Daohong left, the Duke of Heng knelt in the ancestral hall all night, the ancestral tablets flickering in the candlelight.

He recalled his father's dying words about the Hua family's generations of loyalty and martyrdom, but his father hadn't mentioned the word "loyalty" above all else; instead, a poisoned knife hung over their necks...

As the fifth watch drum sounded, three gray-canopied carriages quietly drove out of the back gate of the Shen residence. The ruts they left behind, crunching over the frost and dew, left deep and shallow marks, like the tear troughs on an old man's face.

Shen Daohong glanced back at the plaque above the mansion's gate; the four golden characters "Loyalty and Filial Piety Passed Down Through Generations" were gradually blurring in the lamplight.

The soldiers guarding the west gate all recognized Shen Daohong, the former Marshal of the Southern Gate, and let them pass after asking only a few simple questions.

Meanwhile, the entire royal family of the Duke of Heng's mansion emerged from the north gate in a grand procession. The Duke's journey was completely unimpeded, proceeding without any hindrance.

The two families met at Wulipo outside the capital and then traveled together towards the official road to Jingzhou.

The capital city was gradually awakening. Wisps of smoke rose from the breakfast stalls, and an old man selling charcoal pushed his wheelbarrow along the street, calling out his wares.

No one would notice that the two grand mansions were already deserted.

During the morning court session in the palace, Emperor Jing sent a eunuch to the Shen residence to deliver an imperial edict.

Three eunuchs rode up to the gate of the Shen residence. The vermilion gate was tightly closed, and the copper bells on the eaves jingled in the wind.

The leading eunuch straightened his clothes, puffed out his chest, and stepped forward to knock on the door.

No one came to open the door.

The lead eunuch knocked on the door again.

Still no one came to open the door.

The young eunuch knocked again, finally realizing something was wrong, and muttered to his companion, "Strange, at this time on ordinary days, the Shen residence should have already opened its doors."

He cleared his throat and shouted, "Imperial edict! The Shen residence shall receive the edict—"

Still no movement.

The older eunuch frowned: "Push the door open and take a look."

Three eunuchs pushed the door open together, and the hinges made a jarring creaking sound.

The courtyard was tidy but deserted, with a few withered leaves swirling in the wind.

Further inside, the main hall's doors were wide open, revealing a messy array of items inside.

"Oh no...oh no!" The little eunuch's legs went weak. "Lord Shen, this...this is defying an imperial decree!"

The older eunuch's face turned ashen: "Quick! Go back to the palace and report!" The three of them stumbled out of the mansion, mounted their horses, and headed back to the palace.

A long, drawn-out morning bell rang out in the distance, startling a flock of crows. They flapped their wings and swept across the sky above the capital, flying south and quickly disappearing into the leaden clouds. Emperor Jing was holding court when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the hall.

He looked up and saw the commander of the imperial guards rushing in in a panic, forgetting even to bow.

"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!" The captain of the guards knelt on the ground, his voice trembling. "Marshal Shen's residence is completely deserted; not even a gatekeeper has been left!"

"What?!" He felt a rush of heat to his head, and his vision blurred. "Do you know where the Shen family has gone?"

With the Eastern Ming Empire's 300,000-strong army poised to besiege the city in the spring, Shen Daohong, the most capable commander to lead the troops, has vanished! Isn't this deliberately making them "two-legged sheep"?

"Guards!" Emperor Jing shouted sternly, his voice filled with barely concealed anger. "Immediately go to the four city gates to investigate and find out where Shen Daohong has gone!"

After the guards left to carry out their orders, Emperor Jing paced back and forth in the hall, his dragon robe cuffs crumpled from his grip. The civil and military officials below whispered among themselves, their faces filled with apprehension.

Less than an hour later, the commander of the guards rushed back: "Your Majesty, the soldiers guarding the west gate said that General Shen and his family left the west gate before dawn today, saying they were going to Jingzhou to visit their daughter..."

"Visiting your daughter?" Emperor Jing sneered, a cold glint in his eyes. "Visiting your daughter and not even leaving a servant behind?"

He grew angrier the more he thought about it, and slammed his fist hard on the armrest of the dragon throne.

The chief eunuch, Li Zhongxin, standing nearby, trembled as he advised, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Your health is of utmost importance..."

Emperor Jing ignored him, but suddenly remembered something. He hissed and his face became even more unpleasant.

Speaking of visiting his daughter, Emperor Jing recalled the failed assassination attempt on the Prince of Jingzhou, and then he was overwhelmed with other matters, so he temporarily put the Prince of Jingzhou out of his mind!
Now that I think about it, it must have been the King of Jingzhou who encouraged his father-in-law, Shen Daohong, and his family to flee the capital.

The last time the secret guards returned, they reported that the King of Jingzhou had fled to Cangzhou with his family to seek refuge with Zhao Zun, and now he has also summoned Shen Daohong away. What are we going to do?

If he had known better, he should have kept Shen Daohong firmly under his control before attempting to assassinate the King of Jingzhou. It was all his fault for being too careless and overconfident in his bodyguards.

Not to mention that Shen Daohong is a rare military talent, without Shen Daohong, he doesn't know how to deal with the 300,000-strong army of the Eastern Ming Empire.

If Shen Daohong fled to Jingzhou and joined Zhao Zun with the King of Jingzhou and his son-in-law, wouldn't that give Zhao Zun an extra boost?
So, what good will come of this to him?
“Your Majesty…” Li Zhongxin carefully handed over the handkerchief.

Emperor Jing pushed him away abruptly, feeling a sharp pain in his chest. He leaned back on the dragon throne, his face as pale as paper.

Li Zhongxin hurriedly stepped forward and asked with concern, "Your Majesty, should we summon the imperial physician...?"

"No need!" Emperor Jing waved his hand to stop him, forcing himself to sit up straight.

"Your Majesty..." Minister of War Cao Ge cautiously inquired, "Should we send someone to pursue them? Perhaps we can still catch up with them."

Emperor Jing suddenly looked up, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "Issue my decree! Immediately dispatch two thousand Imperial Guards to pursue them along the official road leading to Jingzhou! You must bring Shen Daohong and his family back to me!"

"Yes!" The guard commander accepted the order and was about to leave.

"Wait!" Emperor Jing narrowed his eyes and added, "Remember, they must be alive! If we can't bring them back alive..."

His eyes hardened even more. "Then bring me your head!"

Watching the captain of the guards hurriedly leave, Emperor Jing slumped back on the dragon throne. He gazed at the darkening sky outside the palace, his heart filled with mixed emotions: "This empire... is it really going to be destroyed in my hands?"

The cold wind howled, stirring up dust on the official road, which rustled against the armor of the Imperial Guards.

Two thousand iron cavalrymen, like a black torrent, galloped along the official road leading to Jingzhou. The sound of their hooves shook the ground slightly, like muffled thunder coming from afar.

The red tassel on the helmet of the leading general danced wildly in the wind. He squinted, and through the swirling dust, he could already see the slowly moving convoy ahead.

"accelerate!"

The general cracked his whip and shouted, but his voice was drowned out by the thunder of iron hooves.

The Imperial Guard soldiers clenched their horses' bellies, and the warhorses neighed and sped up, the clanging of armor and the clashing of hooves creating a deathly symphony.

The carriage caravan was moving slowly along the official road.

Inside the luxurious carriage at the very center, Shen Daohong held a black chess piece, his brow slightly furrowed. Black and white pieces crisscrossed the board, the battle raging. The Duke of Heng's hand, holding a white piece, trembled slightly, fine beads of sweat glistening on his forehead.

"Brother Hua, it's your turn." Shen Daohong's voice was steady, but his gaze kept glancing out the car window.

Duke Heng forced a smile and was about to make a move when a sudden gust of cold wind lifted the carriage curtain, and a muffled thunderous sound could be faintly heard in the distance.

Shen Daohong, being a commander, immediately became alert upon hearing the unusual noise. He slammed a chess piece onto the board and abruptly stood up, causing the carriage to sway.

"Not good!" Shen Daohong flung open the carriage curtain, his sharp gaze piercing through the cold wind as he looked into the distance.

At the end of the official road, a cloud of dust was rapidly approaching.

Shen Daohong's expression turned solemn. "They're pursuers! Judging from the sound of their hooves, there are at least a thousand riders!"

Duke Heng's face turned deathly pale instantly, and the chess pieces in his hand scattered all over the ground.

"What...what should we do?" His voice trembled, and his fingers unconsciously tightened around the hem of his brocade robe.

Shen Daohong had already drawn his sword, the blade gleaming coldly inside the carriage.

"Stop the car! Brother Hua, don't panic. You take all the women and go first in the first few light carriages," Shen Daohong instructed calmly, his expression grave. "I'll take all the men to cover our retreat!"

"But...but the enemy has over a thousand cavalry!" Duke Heng tried to grab Shen Daohong's arm, but grasped only air. "No! Brother Shen, if we're going to leave, we'll leave together."

"Stop dawdling! Get them on the carriages ahead quickly." Shen Daohong interrupted him decisively. "The enemy is all Imperial Guards. If we delay any longer, none of them will be able to leave."

After saying that, he pushed open the car door, and a cold wind mixed with dust rushed in.

"Everyone, listen up!" Shen Daohong leaped down from the carriage, his voice booming like thunder, echoing in the cold wind.

"All women, transfer to the first few carriages and leave immediately! The rest of the men, follow me and form ranks to meet the enemy!"

Shen Daohong raised his sword high, his face showing a look of resignation to his fate.

The long convoy was immediately thrown into chaos.

The women scrambled out of their carriages in a panic, and the maids helped the old lady and the young ladies move forward.

A young woman in a light purple dress tripped and fell while changing trains. Her hair was disheveled. When she looked up, she met Shen Daohong's gaze, which was filled with fear and worry.

"Uncle Shen..." the woman called softly, her voice drowned out by the approaching sound of horses' hooves.

Shen Daohong frowned, waved his hand, and shouted, "You all get out of here!"

After shouting, Shen Daohong ignored her and turned to organize the defense.

Over a hundred servants and guards from both sides, armed with various weapons, quickly ran to the rear of the convoy and formed a battle line. Despite the disparity in numbers, no one flinched.

Those veterans who had followed Shen Daohong for many years now had resolute eyes and gripped their spears and broadswords tightly.

"Form a chevaux-de-frise!" Shen Daohong shouted sternly.

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