Several Young Masters were left speechless by the question. Could retreating to Jinliang City truly grant them peace of mind? In truth, everyone knew that was impossible.

But in the current situation, the choice was not theirs to make at all. If they did not return and the charge of Consort Rong harming the Imperial bloodline were established, everyone from the Nanmen Household would be dead either way.

Unless someone could now prove that Consort Rong was innocent of plotting against the Imperial Princes — otherwise, since death awaited them regardless, why not flee back and make a fight of it?

By returning, was there not at least some chance of survival?

Nanmen Tuo narrowed his eyes, then suddenly swept his hand: “Someone, seize the Head Eunuch — we break through!”

“You — you dare rebel?” The Head Eunuch immediately retreated, but he and the dozens of guards he had brought with him were already encircled by the Nanmen Household’s escorts.

“Young Master Tuo, think carefully — once you take this step, there is no turning back!”

The Head Eunuch glared at Nanmen Tuo, his voice urgent: “If the Nanmen Clan openly rebels, the forces you hold will draw every faction’s hungry gaze. Jinliang City will inevitably become a place all sides scramble to seize, and the entire city will be plunged into terrible suffering. Have you truly thought all of this through, Young Master Tuo?”

Nanmen Tuo said nothing. The other Young Masters wore faces full of worry as well.

The Head Eunuch was not wrong. They all knew it — returning to Jinliang City was a road to certain death. The moment they rode back, the Nanmen Clan would be in open rebellion.

Whoever then led troops to take Jinliang City would have righteous cause on their side. The Bei Mu Nation appeared calm on the surface, but beneath it, every faction churned with hidden currents.

Given a righteous cause, who would not rush to be the one to storm Jinliang City? And once it fell, who could say whether the city would be returned to His Majesty?

In short, the moment they bore the name of rebels, Jinliang City would become a piece of fat meat that everyone would claw for. That road of survival would swiftly become another road to death.

Yet if they did not return, what could be done now?

Their aunt had harmed the Imperial bloodline. Their family would be ransacked, and they would be condemned to death — that, too, was a road to certain death.

“Young Master Tuo! Young Master Tuo!” From outside, the head of the guards rushed back, breathless: “All the Young Masters, this is terrible — the Seventh Prince has brought his forces and surrounded the Nanmen Household! They say — they say—”

“Say what?” Nanmen Tuo’s expression darkened. Why had even the Seventh Prince been alarmed by this? What did it have to do with him?

The head of the guards said urgently: “The Seventh Prince’s men say that when Consort Rong was still Empress, she drove Consort Jing to her death. The evidence is conclusive. They have also come to help the Head Eunuch seal off the Nanmen Household.”

“What? Aunt drove Consort Jing to her death?” Several Young Masters nearly cursed aloud when they heard this.

Could this disaster of a woman, Nanmen Rong, not stay still for even a moment? Concubines, Imperial Princes — she went after whoever she pleased in the rear palace, and now it had all come back to land on her own people’s heads?

The Seventh Prince and Consort Rong had never been on good terms. Would he not seize this chance to repay both old and new grievances in one stroke?

“Young Masters, this is terrible!” Another man came running back from outside, drenched in sweat, his face stricken with panic: “Young Master Tuo, Sir Yu Jingfeng of the Ninth Prince’s manor has brought a thousand soldiers and is marching on the Nanmen Household right now!”

Even the Ninth Prince was getting involved!

Every face turned ashen. It all felt as though it had been planned in advance — were they truly being driven to their deaths?

With both the Seventh Prince’s and the Ninth Prince’s forces now present, breaking out would be anything but easy.

“Wait!” From within the crowd, someone suddenly stepped forward. He walked up before the Head Eunuch, his expression grave: “Head Eunuch, I can prove that Consort Rong did not plot against the Imperial bloodline.”

Nanmen Xu! How could he possibly—?

To prove wrongdoing, one needed evidence. To prove someone’s innocence, what was required?

Where did he find the confidence to say such a thing?

After the initial shock, one by one the others fell into despair. No one had any faith in Nanmen Xu. No one believed this useless fellow was capable of anything at all.

It was plain that everyone here was intent on destroying every soul in the Nanmen Household. Even if Nanmen Xu truly had some evidence that could exonerate Nanmen Rong, the Head Eunuch would surely never give him the opportunity to use it.

In power struggles, the truth had never been what anyone was after. Did he truly believe that a few words from him could change anything?

Nanmen Tuo and his brothers paid Nanmen Xu’s words no mind whatsoever — they simply had not yet found a way to break out of their present predicament.

If all else failed, they would just have to fight their way back to Jinliang City. Even if returning did not guarantee survival, it was better than waiting here to die.

Yet to everyone’s surprise, the Head Eunuch actually turned to look at Nanmen Xu and asked: “Do you truly have evidence that can prove Consort Rong’s innocence?”

“Naturally. I ask that the Head Eunuch grant this Young Master one day’s time. Within that one day, this Young Master will certainly be able to prove it before His Majesty.”

Though the others were dismissive, they all kept their eyes fixed on the Head Eunuch’s expression. If one day’s time could be gained, it would at least buy everyone a little breathing room.

Although they all believed Nanmen Xu could not possibly win even that single day.

Yet once again, something that left everyone dumbstruck simply happened. The Head Eunuch said: “Very well. This old servant will give Young Master Xu some face. However, Young Master Xu must accompany this old servant back to the palace and prove it before His Majesty in person.”

“Agreed!”

The commotion ended with Nanmen Xu following the Head Eunuch back to the palace.

The Seventh Prince’s forces temporarily withdrew. The troops Yu Jingfeng had led also returned to where they belonged. The army surrounding the Nanmen Household dispersed in short order, not a single soldier remaining.

No one could make sense of it. Had a few words from Nanmen Xu truly carried such weight?

Though one thing was clear to all: even with the Seventh Prince’s and the Ninth Prince’s people gone, anyone hoping to leave this Imperial City would find it far from easy.

“Fifth Brother, are we truly to wait here for word? Do you think Nanmen Xu can be trusted?”

The other Young Masters gathered close. Whether or not their aunt had actually been wronged was not something any of them truly cared about — after all, some of what that aunt had done in the past had not exactly endeared her to many of them.

But right now, the lives of everyone in the Nanmen Household were inextricably tied to this matter.

What they could not understand was how Emperor Qiwen had dared, in so sensitive a time, to openly move against them.

The Ninth Prince’s military power grew by the day. Was Emperor Qiwen not afraid that by clashing with the Nanmen Clan at this moment, he would hand the Ninth Prince an opportunity?

What on earth was that old schemer Emperor Qiwen thinking?

“Send someone outside the city to notify our men. When the time comes, we strike from within while they press from without — and break through together.”

Matters had reached this point. They could not simply go on waiting to die.

One day was neither very long nor very short. Even knowing the odds of escape were not great, it was still better than sitting here waiting for the end.