A piece of news spread like wildfire throughout the Holy City—General Xia Jingshi, the King of Southern Pacification, had been detained by the Holy Emperor on charges of secretly hoarding weapons and troops. The Emperor planned to use the visit of the Xi Sha delegation to accuse him of colluding with the Xi Sha people in an attempt to rebel. Teahouses and taverns were suddenly filled with whispers in various accents, all discussing this suddenly hot topic. Even storytellers in the streets began recounting historical tales of how the Western Founder Emperor established the country by executing the Prince of Qi.
Court officials, always sensitive to rumors both inside and outside the palace, heard the widespread gossip in the streets. A group of elder statesmen from the previous dynasty immediately raised questions during the court assembly. They not only demanded that the Holy Emperor release Xia Jingshi before the truth was uncovered but also volunteered to participate in the investigation of the private weapons case.
After venting his anger in the court, the Holy Emperor stormed out. His first instinct was to find Xia Jingshi and vent all his fury on him, but halfway there, he suddenly stopped and turned towards Chongning Palace, where Feng Xi Yang was confined.
After several days, Feng Xi Yang had grown noticeably pale and thin. Dressed in plain white robes without makeup, her skin seemed so transparent that even the tiny blood vessels beneath were visible.
Suddenly seeing the Holy Emperor enter, the previously dejected Feng Xi Yang sprang up and rushed to him, clutching his elaborate sleeve. “Why have you locked me up? Where is my husband?” The Holy Emperor frowned and shook her off, coldly saying, “What was originally a simple matter has now been spread into chaos by you. The whole city is in an uproar. Do you think I should continue to let you cause trouble outside?”
Xi Yang had never been rebuked like this before. She stood dumbfounded for a moment as the Holy Emperor walked past her. “I came to tell you some news—your Imperial Brother and Fu Yi Xiao have arrived together.” “Imperial Brother?” Xi Yang exclaimed joyfully, “Really? Has Imperial Brother come?”
The Holy Emperor snorted, “He didn’t come to see you. Why are you so happy?” Xi Yang, filled with joy, smiled brightly, “Of course, I understand he didn’t come specifically for me, but it’s been so long since I’ve seen Imperial Brother, I’ve missed him so much.” “Such deep sibling affection,” the Holy Emperor coldly interrupted, “Even if you’ve forgotten our agreement, you should remember who he came with.”
“Doesn’t Your Majesty think this is perfect?” Feng Xi Yang’s face flushed with excitement. “We can expose her true nature in front of everyone.” “I need evidence,” the Holy Emperor said flatly. “Without evidence, no one will believe us. Besides, how easily would they suspect Fu Yi Xiao?”
“Evidence?” Xi Yang hesitated. “Although I don’t understand much about governing, Father King once said that internal strife easily shakes the foundation of a country. Does Your Majesty want to wait until they make a move before—” “That’s not what I meant,” the Holy Emperor said impatiently. “What I need are documents, such as correspondence or lists of rebel party members.”
At this point, a barely noticeable cold smile appeared on the Holy Emperor’s lips. “I’ll handle the investigation of these matters for now—Let me ask you, do you understand what you should do when they arrive?” Feng Xi Yang instinctively shook her head. The Holy Emperor sighed slightly, “Your husband is being held in my dungeon. Naturally, you should be very anxious to rescue him. So, when your Imperial Brother arrives in Jin Xiu, you should urgently ask him to help me clear up the facts as soon as possible and restore his innocence.” The Holy Emperor paused briefly, “Only by giving Fu Yi Xiao enough time to act alone will she gradually reveal her true colors, don’t you think?”
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep it from Imperial Brother for long,” Xi Yang said with some concern. “I’ve never hidden anything from him.” “It won’t be for too long,” the Holy Emperor smiled, lightly touching her cheek. His cold fingers made Xi Yang involuntarily step back. “But I must warn you, don’t cause any more trouble or disrupt my plans again. I will be angry if you do. This is Jin Xiu, not Xi Sha where you can act willfully!”
Banners fluttering, the delegation from Xi Sha slowly entered the Holy City, led by Jin Xiu’s Feathered Forest Cavalry. In the procession, Xi Sha’s Imperial Guards still wore red, while Jin Xiu’s guards wore black, but the clear division of red and black seen when they left Xi Sha was no longer apparent. Even Jin Xiu’s citizens curiously gathered at the city gates, pointing and discussing this mixed red and black procession. When the first grand carriage, pulled by eight fine horses, slowly entered the city gate, a burst of cheers and applause erupted from the crowd.
“Look, it’s our Princess General, and with her is the Crown Prince of Xi Sha!” someone shouted. Someone started it, and gradually the originally chaotic voices joined together, finally merging into a thunderous chant, “Princess General… Princess General… Princess General…”
Yi Xiao sat stiffly in the half-open carriage, her fists clenched tightly on her knees, motionless. She had seen such scenes before when returning victorious with the army, but then all the praise and admiration had been directed at Xia Jingshi. She had only ridden her horse closely behind him, watching him smile and wave to the people around…
Just as she was thinking this, Feng Suige’s hand affectionately rested on her waist, startling her. She turned to meet his smiling eyes. “It seems you’re very popular in Jin Xiu. How does it feel to be the center of attention?” Yi Xiao’s tense body relaxed a bit. “It’s alright.” “Feeling a bit awkward, not knowing where to put your hands and feet, right?” Feng Suige chuckled. “Relax, there will be many more occasions like this in the future. You’ll get used to it.”
Yi Xiao nodded helplessly. When she turned her gaze back outside the carriage, a slight smile had appeared on her face. But in an instant, her smile vanished, and she stood up abruptly. Feng Suige, quick-witted, grabbed her and stood up with her, asking in a low voice, “What’s wrong?” Yi Xiao’s eyes were fixed on a certain point in the distance, answering quickly and urgently, “One of Ning Fei’s deputy generals is disguised in the crowd—he deliberately let me see him!”
“Now is not the time for recognition,” Feng Suige said with a beaming smile, waving to the crowd while speaking softly, “He will surely find a way to contact you again. Come, follow my lead, smile.”
The wheels of the carriage rolled over the stone-paved palace road. The Princess General from the common people and her husband stood hand in hand on the carriage, smiling. The citizens of Jin Xiu’s Holy City cheered jubilantly, watching their carriage slowly move towards the royal city.
The dark reddish-brown gates of the royal city loomed ahead.