Priceless: A widow with a baby asks the prince to marry again

Qin Zhen quickened her pace, following her mother's lead. She wondered why her mother was so impatient. Was she taking her to a safe place, or to find her father?

Chu Wei heard her daughter's complaints and felt her obedience, but her face remained icy cold, as if she had turned a deaf ear to them.

Like dragging a human puppet, Chu Wei forcefully pulled Qin Zhen through the corridor and headed straight for the mansion door that was being banged and smashed by the crowd outside!

Qin Zhen's wrist was pulled so hard that it hurt, and she couldn't help but pout. However, perhaps because the matter was too serious, she didn't dare to make a fuss with her mother for the moment. The grievance in her heart only became worse, but she still didn't realize that the fatal danger was approaching.

"Open the door! Your Highness! Please!"

"Your Highness! Open the gate! The rebels are about to attack the city!"

The shouting outside the mansion was like surging waves, gradually becoming clearer and clearer!

"Mom! There are so many people outside! Don't open the door!" Qin Zhen's voice was filled with real panic. This time she was worried about the safety of her mother and herself.

"Open the door!"

Chu Wei roared out the order with all her might, her voice piercing through the clamor, carrying a kind of madness that was so unfamiliar to Qin Zhen that it made her heart palpitate!

The heavy door of the mansion slowly opened a crack under the horrified gaze of the guards!

The blinding sunlight and the surging crowd instantly rushed in! Countless pairs of anxious, angry eyes, like torches, cast towards the mother and daughter who appeared from the door!

The moment the door opened, and Qin Zhen was still looking at the chaotic crowd outside in confusion—

Chu Wei suddenly pulled Qin Zhen in front of her, with her back facing her! At the same time, the cold, gleaming sword, stained with the servant's blood, cruelly rested across Qin Zhen's slender, fragile neck!

The cold, bloody metal blade suddenly pressed against Qin Zhen's warm skin without warning! The biting cold and sharp touch instantly overturned all of Qin Zhen's cognition!

The blood in my body seemed to freeze completely at that moment! My body instantly stiffened like a stone statue, and I even forgot to tremble!

Incredibly, she slowly and inexplicably turned her eyes, trying to look behind her. In the corner of her vision, she saw her mother, Chu Wei, standing close at hand, yet cold and unfamiliar, like a demon from hell! Those eyes, once filled with doting and indulgence, were now a dead, cold pool!

"Mother...?" A broken, trembling voice filled with fear and confusion escaped from Qin Zhen's pale lips.

She felt the entire world shatter and crumble before her eyes, plunging into eternal darkness! The mother who had cherished her like the apple of her eye and doted on her endlessly since she was a child... now placed a blood-stained sword... on her neck?!

Inside and outside the palace, all the clamor froze at this moment! Everyone was stunned by this shocking scene! Princess Taihua actually used her own daughter as a hostage!

"I am Princess Chu Wei of Daxia! Please lead the way outside the city. I want to ask Qin Shuangyu in person! When did you develop such evil ambitions?!"

Chu Wei ignored her daughter's broken eyes and the horrified gazes of the people outside the mansion. Her expression was stern, and her cold, angry gaze swept over the crowd outside the mansion! Finally, she locked her sight on the head of the clan leader, Prince Min, who had just stepped out of the luxurious and exquisite carriage. According to seniority, Chu Wei should call him "Uncle Emperor". When Chu Tianming entered the capital, he appointed this previously unappreciated prince to manage the affairs of the Chu family.

"Your Highness! No! There is no mercy outside the city!" An old minister shouted in opposition in a boastful manner.

"Your Highness the Princess is a precious lady... why not try to persuade the Prince Consort Wei Yu first? Why are you making such a scene?" Another minister looked at Qin Zhen, who was held at swordpoint and looked pale, and could not bear to say anything more.

Chu Wei stared directly at Prince Min, who had also turned his gaze upon her. Her voice was filled with unquestionable determination and a hint of deliberately emphasized coldness: "I still have the Qin family's only grandson, Qin Zhao, in my palace! But he's not even a year old yet, so it's inconvenient to bring him out! The traitor Qin Shuangyu's attack on the city is imminent! You should all know what's more important!"

"Hurry and lead the way! Qin Shuangyu will never set foot in the capital until I'm dead!"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked to the side and behind the princess... They had their own information and knew that the only grandson of the Qin family was in the princess's mansion.

Although they feared the eldest princess would turn against them, as long as the Qin family's only grandson remained in the city, the eldest princess wouldn't dare act rashly. Even if something happened to the eldest princess and Princess Changning, the less than one-year-old grandson, Qin Zhao, could still be used as leverage to control the Qin family's army!

The princess's move seemed crazy, but in fact she wanted to use her daughter as a bargaining chip to fight for a way out for the Qin family or for her grandson? The ministers instantly "understood" why the princess took such a desperate measure.

After a brief silence and eye contact, Zong Ling said in a deep voice: "Taihua is the princess of the Chu family, so she naturally understands the great principles!"

He turned to look at the subjects who were crowded around him and ordered, "Clear the path and escort Her Royal Highness the Princess out of the city!"

The heavy city gate slowly opened a gap under the operation of the soldiers.

Wei held Qin Zhen, who was stiff and puppet-like, hostage, and under the "escort" of guards and some officials, walked step by step towards the gradually opening mouth of the man-eating beast!

Outside the city, war clouds are looming!

The siege ladders were within range! The massive battering rams, pushed by the soldiers, emitted a dull roar as they slowly approached the city gates! Heavy crossbows were drawn, their gleaming arrows aimed at the city walls! The 100,000 Qin army soldiers, like a silent forest of steel, awaited the commander's command to unleash a torrent of blood!

Seeing the city gate suddenly open, Qin Zhong was even more "sensitive" and seized the opportunity!

Qin Zhong sat high on his horse, his black armor reflecting the cold sunlight, and his face under the helmet was twisted with the madness of revenge and the determination to perish together with his enemies.

He raised his sword high, and with all his strength, he issued the devastating command:

"Hurry up and charge! Attack the city gate——!!!"

"Kill!!!" An earth-shaking cry is about to break out!

At this critical moment——

“Wait—!!!”

From the crack in the city gate came a shrill female voice, tearing through the solemn military formation like a torn silk! Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to it!

Along with the female voice, some weak figures walked out!

A dozen maids surrounded the mother and daughter in gorgeous clothes in the center like stars surrounding the moon!

The eldest princess, Chu Wei, held her daughter Qin Zhen's arm tightly with one hand, and with the other hand, the long sword stained with dark red blood was firmly placed on Qin Zhen's slender and fragile neck!

"Qin Shuangyu—!!!" Chu Wei's voice was trembling and hoarse, but it was full of penetrating power. "How dare you hold the prince hostage! Ordering the army to attack the capital, committing the crime of treason?!"

The soldiers preparing to charge stopped in shock, and the roar of the siege engines mysteriously stopped. The entire battlefield instantly fell into an eerie silence.

Who in the Qin Army, above the rank of captain, wouldn't know General Qin's wife, the Princess? And the almost spoiled Princess Changning? But how could the Princess hold a sword to Princess Changning's neck? She was her own daughter, the daughter she'd carried for ten months!

Qin Shuangyu's pupils suddenly shrank!

But then Qin Shuangyu's sharp eyes, which had been through many battles, caught some details - although Chu Wei had the sword on Qin Zhen's neck, it was still several inches away from the blood vessels, and except for a little blood on her collar, her daughter's neck was clean, so it was probably not Qin Zhen's blood.

The judgment in his heart was made in a flash, and before it even really passed through his brain, Qin Shuangyu's attention was instantly attracted by the city gate that was about to close again!

He immediately shouted anxiously: "Retreat to the gate! Stay close to the gate!"

After Qin Shuangyu finished shouting, he gave orders to the stagnant army! He urged the battering rams to charge, hoping to break open the city gate while it was still open!

Seeing that her move had actually backfired, the princess panicked and clenched the only sword she had left in her hand! She didn't even notice the blade touching Qin Zhen's neck!

But Qin Zhen, overwhelmed by fear and a sense of subversion, was awakened by these slight pains. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her, like a drowning man grabbing a last piece of driftwood! At that moment, Qin Zhen's mind, which had been raised in pampering and seemed simple but not dull, was split open as if by a bolt of lightning!

Mother... is she acting?! Is she trying to force my father to withdraw his troops?!

In this way, my mother was giving my father a way out! An irresistible reason to withdraw his troops! She was saving my father! She was saving the Qin family army! She was also saving herself and her brother Qin Tao!

The overwhelming desire to survive and the instinct to help her parents instantly overwhelmed her fear! Qin Zhen raised her head abruptly, tears pouring out like a dam breaking. Using all her strength, she cried out to her father in the distance, her voice breaking:

"Dad! Don't attack the city! Don't! Mother... Mother will really kill me! Dad! I'm scared! I'm so scared! Look at Mother! She's crazy! She's really crazy! Dad! Please! Retreat! For my daughter! For my brother! For Zhao'er! Retreat--!!!"

Her voice, with the sharp, tearful tone unique to a young girl, was filled with extreme fear and helplessness, perfectly portraying the despair of being held hostage! Her body "struggled violently" under Chu Wei's grip, and she cried heartbreakingly, as if she would collapse at any moment.

Chu Wei felt the force of her daughter's "struggle" and the incredibly realistic cries, and her heart ached so much that she could barely hold the hilt of her sword! But her face still maintained the image of a cold and crazy "evil mother" as she shouted at Qin Shuangyu, "Retreat! If you don't confess your crime and accept the punishment, don't blame me for being cold-blooded and ruthless!"

The daughter's tearful cry slightly penetrated Qin Zhong's mind, which was shrouded in obsession with revenge, and stirred some ripples in his grief-stricken soul. He subconsciously wanted to raise his hand to stop the charge, and the order to "retreat" was almost on the verge of blurting out!

However, at this critical moment, his eyes swept across the top of the city!

Behind the battlements on both sides of the city gate tower, densely packed crossbowmen were already in position! Countless arrows, gleaming coldly, like the fangs of venomous snakes, were uniformly and coldly aimed at the position below the city gate—Chu Wei and Qin Zhen, surrounded by maids!

At the highest point, an officer in full military armor held a banner high! As soon as that banner was waved, a volley of arrows would erupt! Chu Wei and Qin Zhen would be instantly shot into the ground like hedgehogs!

Qin Zhong was suddenly at a loss for words! Drawing on his experience in leading troops, he roared out orders: "Charge the convoy! Separate a team! Hold shields! Escort the princess and the county lady to evacuate immediately!"

"Dad! What are you doing? Don't do this!" Qin Zhen's cries became even more shrill! She struggled to stop the obvious destruction of her family, wanting her father to listen to her mother's advice and withdraw the troops!

"Stay back! Don't come over! I will really do it!" Chu Wei shouted frantically, and the tears that she had never really shown to others burst out in front of everyone!

My heart has sunk to the bottom! What's the point of Qin Shuangyu saving them now? Once the Qin army's siege of the city is confirmed, the crime of treason will be unstoppable! They will all die! It's just a matter of time!

What should she do? How could she seize that glimmer of hope?! Would everyone die together?!

Or, even the inseparable existence is sacrificed... Even if only one person can survive, just like twenty years ago...

Just as the officer was about to wave the flag, the battering rams were about to reach the princess!

The string, stretched to its limit, broke...

Bright red blossoms on that delicate flower...

The young girl didn't even react to the pain, only feeling a heat on her neck. She reached out her hand blankly, her fingertips touching a warm wet area. Qin Zhen stared at her mother, who had already let her go, with a pair of confused eyes and disbelief.

Chu Wei's tear-stained face now showed a strange, almost nihilistic calmness.

She let the panicked maids scream and catch her limp daughter, letting the glaring blood stain their hands and clothes. She didn't even look at her daughter again, as if severing that bloodline and also severing her last bit of human emotion.

"I am Princess Chu Wei of Great Xia! Anyone who threatens the dignity of Great Xia will have their entire clan exterminated! As long as I live, you traitors and rebels will never dare to even step through this door!"

Her voice erupted with a determination to perish together with her enemies! Her cold and resolute declaration echoed like a death knell across the deadly battlefield!

She raised the long sword stained with her daughter's blood again, pointing the tip of the sword directly at the battering ram squad and Qin Shuangyu in the distant military formation!

The battering ram suddenly stopped just a few steps away from her. The soldiers were completely shocked by the tragic scene. They looked back at their commander in horror, completely at a loss.

Qin Zhong was no longer able to make any decisions! It turned out that his heart, which he thought was dead, still had warmth! At this moment, it was once again torn apart, causing him to collapse in the torture of hell!

"Zhen'er——!!!"

Qin Shuangyu's heart-wrenching wail finally broke through his throat! He was like a beast whose heart and lungs had been completely gouged out. There was nothing else in his eyes except the rapidly withering figure under the city gate!

He suddenly gave the horse a squeeze, and it rushed forward like an arrow. However, he had lost his mind and absurdly thought the horse was too slow! He rushed forward a few steps, but he actually rolled off the horse's back!

The heavy black armor hit the ground with a dull thud, but he didn't care at all. Like a madman, he rolled and crawled, running wildly towards the city gate!

What a commander's majesty, what a bow's range, what revenge! What a great cause! All were reduced to ashes by the glaring crimson!

All that is left is that illusory hope that is as illusory as a bubble!

Please God!

Let his daughter live!

When he finally rushed forward, Chu Wei's bloody sword pointed at him became the only obstacle.

Qin Shuangyu's red eyes were in a trance, as if he was reaching out with a reed, and he opened the sharp sword with his bare hands!

Tsk-!

The sword blade instantly cut through his scarred, rough hand! Blood flowed down the blade, mixing with Qin Zhen's blood!

But Qin Shuangyu didn't feel any pain at all, and didn't even look at Chu Wei who staggered back with a pale face.

All his attention was focused on the tiny body in the maid's arms.

"Zhen'er... Daddy is sorry for you... Zhen'er! Daddy is here... Don't be afraid! Daddy is here!" His voice was trembling uncontrollably, with a heartbreaking humility and pleading.

He took his daughter from the maid's hands carefully and almost reverently, as if holding a bubble that was about to burst.

Qin Zhen was still conscious in her daze. She looked at the person holding her. Her pale, tender face was filled with fear, confusion, and grievance. Her lips moved, but no sound came out.

But Qin Zhong heard it! His Zhen'er! She was calling "Dad"!

"Ah—" A meaningless beast-like wail rang out from his throat. Qin Zhong knelt in a pool of blood, holding his daughter tightly in his arms. He frantically and futilely covered her neck! He tried to stop the blood that was still gushing out, to keep his beloved daughter alive!

But the warm blood, like a flood bursting through a dam, quickly soaked his battle robe, dyed his arms red, and gathered into a glaring pool of blood beneath him, silently mocking him. It was all in vain...