" Yes, the fire that night was too big, even from outside it looked menacing, blazing all night until dawn. I heard that even people from the palace were sent over to put it out." A man with beady eyes recounted with a squint.
" I saw it too, I was right across the mansion at that time." While someone echoed while taking a sip of his tea.
" Sigh...I say, wasn't Madam Nangong too cruel to choose such a method of committing suicide? Not only that she even brought her two daughters along to die." Another one sighed his voice carrying a hint of pity," Sigh...those two girls were still so young."
"Hmph!" The beady-eyed man harrumphed at this with cold contempt, " Who can they blame?! They can only blame their treacherous father who led them to experience such a cruel fate! Furthermore, do you think that this sort of death was cruel? Hmph...in my opinion it was far from enough. They were lucky they got such an easy way out otherwise when captured they'd be 'enjoying' the rest of their lives as military prostitutes in barren borders!" The look in his eyes was too cold and mean, not at all looking like he was talking about someone who was still a child and hadn't even come of age.
However, no one seemed to care. They didn't seem to hold any goodwill toward these ill-fated mother and daughters as well.
All they remembered and cared about was that the once highly revered General Jiang was a traitorous sinner and these people belonged to his family.
Thus, they deserved all this!
They deserved this cruel fate and they also deserved to be treated hatefully!
During this period Xiao Jinggou had done his best to wash away the revered image of Jiang Zemin with dirt.
He had prepared it all, brewed conspiracies, crafted lies, and woven rumors all in order to achieve his goal--to drag the so-called revered 'War-god' to mud.
And as he had anticipated all goodwill and reverence that people once had for general Jiang was replaced with utter contempt and loath.
Hence, as close-related people of such a person, how could Madam Nangong and her daughters escape from them? Naturally, since they were all family they had to bear a part of it.
A child pays for his parent's crime, obviously, the two daughters of Jiang Zemin were no exception.
These people had long forgotten Jiang Zemin, his ancestors, and their family's sacrifices to guard the nation against traitors and invaders.
Their peaceful lives had made these people too indulgent making them take it all for granted.
They seemed to have forgotten the painful price that someone had paid for this peace or perhaps they still remembered but refused to bother themselves with recalling it.
Either way, when it came to rumors who cared about their credibility, whether they were true or false, since there was no harm in gossiping?
Regardless of the era society was used to preying on weak. Being weak will only bring one disadvantage and as for that tiny bit of pity, it was hardly of any use.
After the incident came to light there was all kinds mix of reactions among the people. However, no one of them was looking at this logically or asking for solid evidence.
After all, it was the capital, and the royal power triumphed all over the land. So even if some people had doubts they chose to remain silent.
" You are right, they deserved it. They can only blame that traitorous scum of a father who was sinister enough to collude with the enemy to betray our nation, who else could they blame?!"
" However, I have to say our Emperor is magnanimous and wise. Aside from sending his royal guards to put out the fire, I also heard that His majesty ordered his people to prepare for Jiang Zemin's and his family's funeral." The person sitting beside the beady-eyed man revealed the information he had gotten, his eyes and his voice carrying a trace of obvious smugness.
He was the first to receive such an important piece of news among his peers, obviously he would be smug.
" Really?! Where did you hear that?" The bunch who were always looking forward to new gossip sipping their tea in the tea stall was immediately crazed and excited hearing that the person had something new.
However, the beady-eyed man revealed a hint of displeasure when he saw that the person beside him was snatching his limelight.
The person was just about to respond and show off his connections they suddenly saw someone rushing into the stall.
" Xuan'er, what are doing here?" The tea-stall owner called out worriedly to the person who was panting heavily after a frantic run.
Then, the people sitting there realized the boy was the tea stall owner's son, hence, they chortled in an intent to tease the boy.
" Hey, boy, take it easy.....Haha... it's good to be young..."
However, the boy didn't pay them any attention, clasping his father's hand tightly the boy dragged him out of the stall, " Father, let's go home. Father, let's go home."
The tea stall owner saw that his son seemed unusual, he looked scared.
Because of extreme fear and anxiety, the boy's hand that was clasped onto his father's was trembling and he was shivering all over. Even his voice and speech were incoherent, " Father, it's not safe here, let's go home!"
" Xuan'er." The owner realized that his son was too scared to say anything and tried to calm him down, " Calm down and tell father what's the matter? Don't be scared father is here!"
Miraculously, the boy calmed down upon hearing his father's words and nodded and recounted what he saw, ".....They blew up the city gate and killed all the guards and are coming this way.....Father, they're close, let's hide somewhere!"
So, it turned out that the boy had some errand to run near the city gate and happened to see the mysterious black robbed intruders breaking into the capital and causing a massacre. He was terribly scared and didn't waste any time and came running to inform his father so that they could hide somewhere in time and escape this calamity.
He had heard that when intruders broke into a city they would usually kill all its residents before taking over the city. Although, this was the capital who could be sure if those people were planning to do the same here?
The people turned pale upon hearing him and hurriedly abandoned everything and fled.
The streets and stalls, everywhere it was chaos.
" Blow up the gate." The lazy voice was brazenly daring and outrageous.
The official looked down from the city gate and saw an extremely beautiful young maiden walking out of the crowd.
Even from afar, he could feel her untouchable and powerful aura that made his heart palpitate.
What was more? There were even two gigantic spirit beasts guarding the young lady on either side.
With just one look he could tell those two beasts weren't some weak and lowly low-grade spirit beasts but instead spirit beasts of high caliber.
This realization brought him to shudder as he prayed vehemently for the timely arrival of the reinforcement.
He had already sent someone to the barracks on the outskirts of the capital to bring back reinforcement while trying his utmost to delay the enemy here.
However, the other party opposite him didn't follow his plan and directly ordered to destroy the city gate.
The official couldn't help turning pale seeing that he had encountered such a nut-case villain.
Jiang Ying Yue stood there and sneered.
Did he think that she was an ordinary villain?
She was a villain who came to the twenty-first century and already had enough knowledge to know the bitter ending of a chatty villain.
With a single glance, she had seen through the official's delaying tactic.
As the terrifying aura of the back-garbed people approached them the soldiers couldn't help gulping.
" Let us in, let us in!!" The slow ones who were still standing at the gate watching the show finally realized the danger.
They screamed at the top of their lungs, banging hard on the door to let them in.
Cries and painful wails soon filled the air making the people on the other side of the gate assume that there was a bloody massacre.
And that was how the rumor of the massacre caused by dark robbed people spread throughout the capital within a matter of a few hours.
Needless to say, everyone was terrified and immediately went into hiding after getting the news.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!....
In the blink of a series of resounding and earth-shaking explosions, soon after which the huge city gate made an eerie creaking noise and crumbled into dust.
In a matter of seconds, the whole city gate was reduced to mere powder. It was a horrifying sight to behold.
Finally, having realized the real prowess of this group of dark robbed people the soldiers soldiers and officials swallowed and decided to not take any action.
They should wait...yes, right, they should wait for the reinforcement.
" Bye Uncle commander, my name is Jiang Ying Yue, I hope we can meet again in the future!" After all, she wasn't sure this uncle would be able to keep his job after this.
Jiang Ying Yue had the leisure to even shout at the man and wave at the man few times in greeting.
The official who had tumbled down the gate from the impact had yet to recover when he heard the girl shout a familiar name.
Jiang Ying Yue?....
Was it the same Jiang Ying Yue as 'that' Jiang Ying Yue?.....
But how could this be possible?!
Despite the pain, the official snapped his neck to look at the back of the person who had ridden off to a far distance and soon mingled in the crowd of the dark-robbed people and disappeared in the corner.
" Eldest Miss, to the palace?" Tao Jin asked his expression carrying faint admiration toward the young lady.
Although he knew it very it was very foolish of her to charge unprepared toward the eye of the storm, he still couldn't help but admire her courage and decisiveness.
At this moment, he somehow saw the shadow of the man who had led them through countless bloody battles.
They were father and daughter indeed!
" No, to the Jiang Residence." Jiang Ying Yue remained expressionless but her heart was turbulent.
She was back but she had never thought she would be back under such circumstances.
Her heart hurt whenever she thought about her parents. And perhaps she had gradually accepted this new identity this feeling of connection and kinship was too real. Her worry and heartache for her family were too obvious for her to ignore them.
Upon hearing her Tao Jin was stunned.
While Jiang Ying Mei asked happily, " Sister, really? We won't go back, right?"
To which Jiang Ying Yue smiled and nodded, " Yes, this is our home, where can go after leaving out home? We'll stay here and wait for our mother to bring back our father home."
" Eldest Miss..." Tao Jin immediately disapproved of this idea. Staying in the capital was akin to staying in a wolves' den. He immediately wanted to dissuade them but Jiang Ying Yue cut him off even before he could say anything.
" Uncle Jin, I know what are you going to say and I understand your concern. But no matter what I have to go back. I can't let those bastards smear my father's years of effort and his reputation. My father had sacrificed a lot in order to protect this nation, and there was no way I am doing nothing and letting them malign him unscrupulously." There was suppressed coldness and hatred in her voice as stared into Tao Jin's eyes seriously and said solemnly, " Uncle Jin, trust me, I know what I am doing. And I will definitely protect myself and my sister well. Uncle Jin, don't worry too much. Just follow me if you want to watch a good show."
Putting a good show out of her family's misery, Heh, she'd return them everything a thousand-fold!
Tao Jin nodded with the rim of his eyes faintly
turning red.
He finally realized why the eldest miss was adamant about coming back.
So, this was the reason...so, it was all for their general's sake!