Like a child stubbornly insisting on determining a winner.

And she wasn’t wrong—if she died, she had no regrets.

But what about him? He had schemed and accumulated for half a lifetime. If he died and his son died, there would be nothing left.

This was indeed his loss.

Prince Zhongshan looked at this girl and smiled.

The deathly silence in the hall was broken at this moment as generals, officers, and guards erupted in protest.

“Your Highness, don’t listen to her wild talk!”

“No matter how many private troops there are, they cannot harm our Zhongshan commandery!”

“Capture the Empress and take her to the front lines. If they want to attack the city, they’ll have to trample over the Empress first!”

Becoming a prisoner who wanted to die—where was it so easy? There were a thousand and one methods of torture and humiliation—

But Prince Zhongshan didn’t let them continue, raising his hand to stop them, then looking at Chu Zhao with a long sigh.

“Chu Zhao,” he said. “What exactly do you want?”

Chu Zhao said flatly: “Withdraw your troops, cease warfare. You remain a prince, but Heir Xiao Xun enters the capital as a hostage.”

Prince Zhongshan’s brows shot up as he said coldly: “Chu Zhao, that’s not what you said before.”

What she had said before was conferring the golden seal and obtaining princely authority.

Now not only was there no golden seal or princely authority, but the heir had to be sent as a hostage.

Chu Zhao smiled: “Your Highness, if you had agreed earlier, it would have been our mutual victory. If Your Highness agrees now, you’ve lost.”

Having lost, naturally there was a price to pay.

“As for the heir,” Chu Zhao said, “earlier Your Highness didn’t say you didn’t care about this son. Now that this palace knows Your Highness’s true feelings, I think it’s better to keep the heir in the capital, lest he hear rumors and you father and son develop resentment toward each other. This palace cannot bear to see father and son turn against each other.”

Prince Zhongshan laughed coldly: “The Empress is truly thorough in her considerations.”

Chu Zhao looked at him and said: “Thus, this palace and Your Highness can both live. I continue as Empress, Your Highness continues as prince.”

Prince Zhongshan laughed heartily, then his laughter abruptly stopped.

“Empress, you speak too boldly too soon,” he said, looking at this girl. “The Empress is courageous, but you are only the Empress. This world is not yours to command alone. Things have reached this point—even if this Prince is willing to yield, others will not let this Prince retreat.”

Chu Zhao understood his meaning. Although Prince Zhongshan’s troops were marching under the banner of begging the Emperor’s forgiveness and hadn’t directly declared rebellion, his intentions were as obvious as Sima Zhao’s—known to all under heaven. How could the court let him go?

Moreover, there was still Xie Yanfang in the world.

……

……

Xie Yanfang reined in his horse on a desolate hill, looking ahead.

Before him were cities and wilderness. Banners flew from the city walls, and military camps dotted the wilderness—this was where the capital army’s main camp was located.

Cavalry were galloping from there toward here, with commanders leading the charge.

“Welcome Your Majesty!” they shouted repeatedly.

Behind them, the city gates were opening, and countless citizens poured out. Even from this distance where faces couldn’t be seen clearly and words couldn’t be heard, one could feel the surging joy.

“The Emperor has come—”

“Welcome Your Majesty—”

Xiao Yu sat on horseback, lifting his head to look at Xie Yanfang. Although they had encountered this everywhere along their journey, his eyes still shone as brightly as the first time.

“Uncle,” he said. “Everyone is truly very happy to see me.”

Previously, as the Crown Prince’s eldest son and the Emperor’s eldest grandson, he had been treasured in the palace. Everyone cherished and revered him, but he had never felt the people’s love.

This was an unprecedented feeling.

“Because you came to their side in a time of danger,” Xie Yanfang said. “The people genuinely feel Your Majesty’s care. At this moment, even though you are only a seven-year-old child, you have become the true sovereign in their hearts.”

Xiao Yu nodded: “I will definitely be a good emperor.”

Xie Yanfang stroked Xiao Yu’s shoulder and said: “Your Majesty, remember this moment and keep the people’s respect and love suspended in your heart forever.”

Whether he became a good emperor or not didn’t matter.

As long as he remembered this moment, felt the emperor’s might, experienced the emperor’s power, developed an emperor’s heart—then he would also develop an emperor’s desires.

This way, the young emperor would know who was working tirelessly for his imperial throne, and he could also guard against those who wanted to divide his imperial power—people like Deng Yi, and people like—

Xie Yanfang lowered his eyes.

The child in his arms lifted his head again.

“Uncle,” Xiao Yu asked, “but why doesn’t it seem so tense?”

Although he had never been on a battlefield, having rushed through that night’s chaotic fighting, the atmosphere of life-and-death struggle was etched in his heart.

Now this place was filled with troops deployed in formation like a forest, the atmosphere tense, but without the air of death.

Xie Yanfang’s brows furrowed slightly: “You’re right. The situation is off.”

They had already received reports on the road—two armies facing off, battle about to break out at any moment, but aside from a few small-scale skirmishes at the beginning, there had been no life-and-death struggles.

Especially in recent days’ reports, Prince Zhongshan’s army had changed to a defensive posture, seemingly waiting for something.

Waiting for reinforcements?

Xiao Xun had killed three imperial envoys and used the excuse of wanting to come to the capital to see the Emperor to build momentum—stopping now and letting that momentum dissipate was not a wise move.

“The rebels heard that Your Majesty is personally leading the campaign and are too afraid to advance,” an official declared loudly.

This immediately drew a chorus of agreement. The surrounding citizens who were being held back from prostrating themselves couldn’t help shedding tears. Yes, otherwise they would have already become corpses by now.

“Your Majesty personally leads the campaign—invincible and unstoppable,” countless people knelt and shouted.

Xiao Yu couldn’t help looking up at Xie Yanfang: “Uncle, is this really so? Has the rebel Xiao Xun admitted defeat?”

Children might believe this talk of the Emperor’s might being invincible, but of course Xie Yanfang wouldn’t.

“The rebel’s fear is inevitable,” Xie Yanfang said quietly. “But if he truly admitted his crimes, he should have bound himself and come out of the city to kowtow in greeting to Your Majesty.”

Xiao Yu nodded: “I understand now. This rebel must be scheming something.” He gripped the reins tighter, his small face solemn. “No matter what he plans, I’m not afraid.”

Xie Yanfang laughed heartily: “Exactly. Your Majesty need not be afraid. Your Majesty will only make them afraid. Come, follow me—”

Having said this, Xie Yanfang spurred his horse forward at a gallop.

The generals and officials didn’t react in time.

“Your Majesty?”

“Minister Xie, where are you going?”

“The temporary palace has already been prepared in the city—”

……

……

On the streets and city walls, footsteps thundered like drums, yet still couldn’t drown out the shouting from outside the city.

Outside, it seemed like thousands of troops were shouting in unison.

“Your Majesty has arrived in person!”

“Xiao Xun, come out immediately to receive His Majesty!”

“Xiao Xun, you boldly claimed you wanted to see His Majesty. To spare you the hardship of traveling to offer your apology while bearing punishment rods, His Majesty has specially come in person!”

“Xiao Xun, His Majesty is at the front lines. If you have grievances to air, come air them. If you have resentments to voice, come voice them!”

“Xiao Xun, His Majesty is seven years old this year and dares to come see you. You dare to kill court officials and lead troops to force your way to the palace—don’t you dare to receive His Majesty at the front lines?”

On the city walls, generals and officers gazed into the distance, looking at the troops positioned far away. Dragon banners clustered like clouds around a single horseman. The man on the horse wore no armor—plain robes and black hair—holding a long blade, like a bright moon in the night sky. Before him sat a child. The small child wore dragon robes and also held a long blade—

Although they had never seen the young emperor and couldn’t make out his features clearly, there could be no mistake.

“That’s Xie Yanfang,” another general said quietly. “Only he could and would dare bring the young emperor here.”

“If we shot an arrow and killed this child—” another general couldn’t help raising his crossbow, then regretfully lowered it.

Xie Yanfang wouldn’t truly let the young emperor within their range.

“So what if the Emperor has come?” someone said coldly. “The Emperor can’t conjure soldiers from beans. Our troop strength is sufficient to fight them.”

At the mention of fighting, everyone’s gaze turned to the commanding general.

“Why hasn’t the heir given the order yet?” they asked.

By rights, they should have attacked long ago. Perhaps if they had charged forward days earlier, this young emperor would have turned back to the capital halfway and never made it here at all.

The commanding general withdrew his gaze and said: “The heir has his own plans.”

Hearing this, the generals didn’t dare ask more, but they exchanged glances privately. Something must have happened with the heir.

The commanding general, either too preoccupied with heavy concerns to notice their glances or simply too weary to continue pretending, summoned a personal guard and ordered: “Report to the Prince immediately.”