Chapter 1: Gradual Dawn

Fireworks exploded in the night sky, and naturally Xiao Xun at the postal station also saw them.

He looked up, staring at the fireworks, and after they disappeared, he lowered his head again—his vision had become blurred.

“Who could this be?”

“Has the Third Prince sent additional forces?”

“Have the Crown Prince’s people attacked?”

“Perhaps it’s the Xie family—they’ve been secretly harboring troops.”

The people in the room also discussed in low voices, watching the night sky return to quiet while listening to what seemed like more hoofbeats galloping through the streets.

Before long, news arrived that fierce fighting had broken out at the palace gates.

Ning Kun’s expression shifted as he looked at Xiao Xun again. “Your Highness, we cannot wait any longer.”

From the looks of it, the fighting outside the city was about to end. If both the Third Prince and the Crown Prince’s forces from the Xie family surrounded the imperial palace, it would not be easy for them to get inside.

“We don’t necessarily have to go in,” Xiao Xun said. “We can also remain outside the palace walls to protect His Majesty.”

After all, it wasn’t for His Majesty to see—it was for the world to see.

Ning Kun grabbed him. “We don’t have enough men. That would be too dangerous.”

Here, Tie Ying lifted his foot to step forward. “Allow me to scout the way for Your Highness.”

But this time he still didn’t manage to leave—someone came rushing in urgently from outside the door.

“Your Highness, something’s not right with the Chu family’s side.”

Something’s not right with the Chu family’s side? The people in the room all stopped in their tracks. What could be wrong?

What could that group of old, weak women and children at the Chu household possibly do?

Because they had laid an inescapable net around the Chu household, they hadn’t been continuously monitoring that side, only waiting for reports to come.

If Chu Lan didn’t make his move by dawn, they would make the move for Chu Lan.

Of course, they weren’t completely ignoring that side either.

“We’ve been checking on them all along,” the messenger said. “The code signals have all matched up.”

So then, what was the problem?

The messenger looked at Xiao Xun. “But just now when we tried to approach, we couldn’t.”

What did “couldn’t” mean?

“When we went forward, that side—” the messenger said, “attacked us.”

He pointed to himself—his body was covered in bloodstains, and one arm was still bleeding. Looking closely, there was a small flying knife embedded in it.

“We questioned them again,” he said. “They could still give the correct code signals, but they just wouldn’t let us approach. Isn’t this suspicious—”

Before he could finish, Tie Ying kicked him to the ground.

“Isn’t this suspicious?” he cursed. “Are your brains broken? Do you even need to ask?”

Of course this was suspicious!

Something had happened at the Chu household.

“I’ll go take a look,” Tie Ying said, lifting his foot to leave.

Xiao Xun stopped him. “No need.” He looked toward the receding night outside, then looked up at the sky. “We miscalculated. The Chu family is not under our control.”

Those fireworks—

Perhaps that was the real reason Father had always believed Chu Ling was worth befriending.

Ning Kun’s expression also changed. “Your Highness, now—”

Xiao Xun said, “Now we immediately leave the capital and return to Zhongshan Commandery.”

After speaking, he moved to leave, then thought of something and picked up the imperial edict he had thrown on the ground, striding out of the room with large steps.

The originally quiet postal station became chaotic, countless footsteps creating a clamor, but everyone moved very quickly. In almost the blink of an eye, they clustered around Xiao Xun and rushed through the night, their dark mass causing the night that had been about to clear to become murky once again.

Xiao Xun galloped on horseback, and as he left this street, he turned to look toward the imperial palace.

The fighting at the palace just now—was that her?

He had thought of many people who might go to the imperial palace: the Third Prince, Zhao family followers, remnants of the Crown Prince’s faction, the Xie family, and of course, himself. He just hadn’t thought of that girl.

What would happen next?

He couldn’t guess, but this time he had no chance to enter the palace.

His hand clenched, and he lowered his head to see the imperial edict scroll in his arms.

At least he no longer needed to be conflicted.

Should he feel relieved? Or regretful?

…

…

As the night gradually dispersed, the people hiding under a bridge could finally see each other’s faces.

Qi Leyun couldn’t help but lean out to look, and the next moment she was pressed down by her elders.

“Mother,” she said in a low voice, “there doesn’t seem to be much commotion outside anymore.”

Lady Qi pressed her daughter to her side. “You’re not allowed to go.”

Qi Leyun still insisted on poking her head out to look, murmuring, “Our house has burned to the ground.”

Hearing this, Lady Qi’s body began trembling again. She had been trembling all night, but thinking of the earlier danger, she felt she might tremble until she fainted.

It had erupted suddenly, without warning. Heavy hoofbeats sounded outside the door, and torches were thrown in. The household guards had just opened the door and hadn’t even finished shouting their challenge when they were cut down by oncoming blades.

The household immediately fell into chaos, everyone fleeing and hiding, but the Qi family estate was small—where could they hide? Old Master Qi gritted his teeth and led the old and young, along with servants, charging straight out.

Fortunately, these fierce people seemed to be in a hurry. After setting fires throughout the Qi household, they didn’t pursue to kill everyone, leaving in a clamor.

The streets were filled with back-and-forth fighting, and the entire capital had fallen into a sea of flames.

Their family had hidden under the bridge, soaked in water all night, but their lives were preserved.

Qi Leyun stared blankly at the dim blue sky. She had never woken this early before. So this was what it looked like when night receded and dawn broke—the sky looked like this before the morning light appeared.

“I wonder how many people will be able to wake up as usual today,” she murmured.

How were her young lady friends?

Especially Chu Zhao—

“Father,” Qi Leyun couldn’t help but turn and call out, searching for her father among the crowded family members. “Do you think these people were the Third Prince—”

Before she could finish, her family members covered her mouth amid a chorus of shushing sounds.

“Whoever these bandits were, the authorities and the court will make their judgment,” Old Master Qi also scolded his daughter in a low voice. “Don’t talk nonsense.”

Qi Leyun pursed her lips. What were they all pretending for? Throughout the night’s back-and-forth fighting and chaos, everything had been shouted out. First a group of people shouted that the Crown Prince had been assassinated and killed, that bandits were causing chaos, and that the Third Prince was catching the bandits. Later, shouts arose that the Third Prince was rebelling—

It was so obvious.

She didn’t necessarily need to know who was causing the chaos, she was just worried about Chu Zhao. The Third Prince resented Chu Zhao—would he take advantage of this opportunity to eliminate Chu Zhao’s entire family?

She poked her head out to look again. Their house had burned to the ground—she didn’t know what had happened to Chu Zhao’s home.

In the dim blue light, horse hoofbeats suddenly rang out again on the streets that had only held the crackling sounds of burning fires. The sound was as dense as raindrops, and it also pounded on the hearts of the Qi family members under the bridge.

Bodies that had been soaked in river water all night were ice cold, and faces turned deathly pale.

Were they coming again?

Night had already receded. Without needing to deliberately search, it would be easy to find them—

“Imperial City Bureau on duty! The bandits have been executed!”

Imperial City Bureau?

The Qi family’s old and young were stunned. Was this real or fake? Qi Leyun leaned out to look again, and indeed saw teams of soldiers galloping past, followed by groups of officers carrying buckets and pulling carts, splashing water onto the fires burning by the roadside.

At the same time, similar commotion came from streets in all directions, accompanied by sounds of fighting.

“Those who surrender will not be killed!”

“The bandits have been executed!”

The sounds of fighting were frightening, but the words being shouted brought peace of mind.

…

…

As daylight broke, hoofbeats thundered along the main road amid flying dust. Xie Yanfang galloped among them, carrying a sword on his back and gripping a crossbow in his hand. His body was covered in bloodstains—at first glance quite frightening, but looking carefully, he was still an elegant young gentleman.

“Third Young Master.”

Someone came galloping from ahead, calling out loudly.

Du Qi at Xie Yanfang’s side signaled, and the person was allowed to approach.

“How is the capital?” Xie Yanfang asked.

The Third Prince and the Zhao family had raised quite a few troops. The roads leading to the capital were blocked tight, and the rear capital garrison was also unstable. Caught between front and rear attacks, they had fought bitterly all night before managing to break through.

But the more formidable obstacle was the city gate.

The Third Prince would certainly have heavy troops guarding the city gate to the death.

And they couldn’t shout that the Third Prince was dead to break the enemy’s morale—otherwise they would be even less able to restrain Prince Zhongshan’s heir’s ambitions.

“Attacking the city was extremely difficult,” the messenger said. “But later, fighting suddenly broke out on top of the city gate.”

On top of the gate? Du Qi asked, “Did Seventh Master make arrangements inside the city?”

Xie Yanfang shook his head. “We don’t have that many people in the city.” He looked at the messenger. “What about now?”

“It’s quiet now,” the messenger said. “But we still can’t approach.”

Du Qi looked at Xie Yanfang and asked, “Is it Xiao Xun?”

Xie Yanfang looked ahead, his face showing no fear, and spurred his horse. “We’ll know once we go look.”

…

…

The high, imposing, and majestic city gate had, in a single night, seemingly taken on a layer of grayish defeat.

Corpses and weapons were scattered everywhere, along with burning torches—no longer showing any trace of former prosperity.

The gate top was calm and quiet, as if it were an uninhabited realm.

But when Xie Yanfang approached, countless arrows fell like rain, standing upright in orderly rows on the ground to form a barrier.

“The imperial palace is under martial law! All unauthorized persons are forbidden from entering the city!” a shout came from atop the gate. “Withdraw immediately!”

Imperial palace under martial law. Unauthorized persons.

“I am Xie Yanfang,” Xie Yanfang suddenly raised his voice and shouted. “I am protecting the bodies of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. I must enter the palace to see His Majesty.”

As he spoke, he spurred his horse forward one step, crossing over that dense line of arrows.

Du Qi nervously followed, staying close to protect his side.

This time, no arrows shot down from the gate. Instead, a person stepped forward and looked down.

This was an unfamiliar military officer, tall and burly, with a dark red complexion. From high atop the gate, he examined the young gentleman below.

“Xie Yanfang? Who are you?”

Whether this ignorance was real or feigned was unclear, but as long as they hadn’t shot him, there was opportunity. Even if Xiao Xun had already seized the advantage, he could still persuade Xiao Xun— Xie Yanfang called out, “I am the third younger brother of the Crown Princess.”

The officer made a sound of acknowledgment—unclear whether he understood or not—but he didn’t pursue the question. Instead, he waved his hand.

“You just fall back and continue protecting the Crown Prince and Crown Princess,” he said. “Wait for the court to make subsequent arrangements.”

He still wasn’t letting him enter the city.

Xie Yanfang gripped his reins. “Sir, I must see His Majesty in person. It concerns the Third Prince.”

The officer remained unmoved. “You just fall back. When the court makes arrangements, they will summon you for an audience.”

As Xie Yanfang was about to say more, the officer suddenly turned to look to the side, bowed respectfully, and stepped back. Another person came forward.

The gate was high, and as that person appeared in Xie Yanfang’s line of sight, he wore armor and weapons, tall and thin, with a black and red cloak billowing behind him in the wind.

Clearly, this was an official of even higher rank than that officer, but—

Xie Yanfang didn’t call out. Instead, he looked at that person with some surprise.

Du Qi beside him also stared at that person. His eyes widened in disbelief. Were his eyes broken? Why would he see—

“Xie Yanlai!”