As the fireworks burst in the sky, shouts erupted from the front of the procession leaving the city. Those still within the walls hastened their pace. The soldier got to his feet and, after a brief pause, rushed forward in pursuit. “Your Majesty, there’s unrest in the inner city. Please return to take charge…” But no one paid him any heed.
Lanterns began to light up along the city walls, one by one. Hurried shadows darted back and forth atop the ramparts, and voices called out his name. A wave of terror washed over the soldier as he realized he might have made a grave mistake. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth and drew his sword, slashing his arm and thigh. As he fell, he used his last ounce of strength to cry out, “Help!”
As soon as they left the city, Xia Jingshi swiftly led the group into the dense forest near the walls. He dismounted from the carriage and urgently ordered his subordinates to remove the horses from the wagons and saddle them. Feng Suige and Fu Yixiao, who had also escaped the city, helped Emperor Sheng and Feng Xiyang out of their carriages respectively.
Once Feng Xiyang found her footing, she shook off Fu Yixiao’s support. Yixiao didn’t bother with her, allowing her to stumble back a few steps until she collided with a nearby carriage that was being unhitched. Feng Xiyang winced in pain but still managed to look haughtily at Yixiao. “I can walk on my own. I don’t need your help!”
Yixiao’s lips curled into a smile. “Can you ride a horse? This isn’t a leisurely outing; we’re fleeing for our lives.”
“That’s none of your concern,” Feng Xiyang retorted, beginning to wobble forward. “My husband will take care of me.”
“You’ll only slow him down,” Yixiao coldly replied. “You’ve caused him so much suffering, such grievous injuries. Do you want to cost him his life as well?”
Feng Xiyang hesitated, stopping in her tracks. “My husband is injured?”
“You didn’t know?” Yixiao raised an eyebrow. “No wonder you treat that black-hearted Emperor as your savior. His Highness is severely wounded, which is why he entrusted you to my care. Wait here while I find a steady horse for you.”
Meanwhile, Feng Suige held Emperor Sheng firmly. The Emperor looked up at the lingering smoke in the sky and laughed loudly. “My Yulin Imperial Guard will arrive soon. You’d better surrender now!”
Feng Suige joined in the laughter. “With you as our hostage, why would we need to surrender?”
The Emperor snorted and turned his head, his gaze meeting Feng Xiyang’s peculiar expression. Feng Suige noticed her too and asked with concern, “Weren’t you supposed to stay with Yixiao?”
Feng Xiyang stared at the Emperor for a moment before speaking. “I heard my husband is gravely injured.”
Before Feng Suige could respond, Emperor Sheng chuckled. “Weren’t you the one who delivered him to me? If you were clever, you should have guessed the consequences.”
Feng Xiyang shuddered violently. “But you promised me…”
“I only promised not to take his life. I never promised…” The Emperor’s smug words were cut short by Feng Suige’s fist to his stomach.
“If I were you, I’d be very quiet right now,” Feng Suige said, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he leaned in close to the Emperor. “Don’t forget, your life is only temporarily in your possession!”
Xiyang stood motionless as if still waiting for the Emperor to finish his sentence. Fu Yixiao rode up beside her and extended a hand. “Come on, there will be time for remorse once everyone is safe.”
“Yixiao,” Feng Suige sighed wearily, “couldn’t you…”
“Fine, fine,” Yixiao shrugged nonchalantly. “Please mount the horse, Princess.”
“The Yulin Imperial Guard must be mobilizing by now,” Xia Jingshi said, anxiously glancing at the sky. “If we’re pressed for time, the guard’s 3,000 elite cavalry can reach the inner city in less than 45 minutes. Add the time it takes to enter the city and receive orders, we have just over an hour.”
Feng Suige pondered, “We don’t have enough horses, and half of our people will have to go on foot. It might be better to split up; it’ll be easier to escape that way.”
“Your Highness,” Ning Fei, who had been listening intently, stepped forward and spoke loudly. “The Prince is right. If we force ourselves to stay together, we’ll only hinder each other in the end. Our men are more familiar with Jinxiu. Why don’t we give all the horses to the Susha military officers? We can divide it into two groups. Those without mounts can follow me through the forest. This way, we can divert some of the pursuers and avoid slowing each other down.”
Xia Jingshi nodded. “That could work.”
Feng Suige didn’t hesitate. After a moment’s thought, he turned to Ning Fei. “Very well. We’ll head towards Lu City first. You catch up as quickly as you can.”
Xia Jingshi and Ning Fei both looked surprised. “Lu City?”
“That’s right,” Feng Suige smiled. “I had an agreement with Xiao Weiyan. Once he returned to Lu City, he was to immediately gather the stationed troops and march towards the Holy City. This would not only put pressure on the Holy City but also handle unexpected situations like this one.”
Xia Jingshi frowned. “Once we use Lu City’s military, outsiders will surely see it as an act of rebellion. Then…”
“The Emperor is foolish and jealous of capable men,” Ning Fei clenched his fists angrily. “Your Highness, why not take his place now and eliminate future troubles?”
Before Xia Jingshi could speak, Feng Suige calmly said, “If you only want to retire, have you found a way out for all your subordinates? After we escape and release the Emperor, he won’t swallow this insult. He’ll break the peace treaty and go to war with Susha. But who in Jinxiu, besides you, can withstand my Susha iron army? Even if you’re willing to put aside past grievances and return to lead the army into battle, will he accept you?”
Seeing Xia Jingshi’s silence, Feng Suige stretched lazily. “You can call me despicable or say I’m taking advantage of the situation if you like. There was another reason I didn’t tell you that day – if the Jinxiu Dynasty were under your rule, I’d have more confidence in the continued good relations between Jinxiu and Susha… Think it over. We don’t have much time.”
With that, he patted Ning Fei’s shoulder. “Let’s leave the King of Zhenna alone for a moment. Come with me to arrange the troops.”
Xia Jingshi’s entire body was hidden in darkness, only his eyes reflecting complex emotions under the starlight. After a long while, he sighed softly. “Father, your son is not unwilling to take on this great responsibility… Perhaps your son has indeed been too selfish…”