Outside the door, swords clashed and the screams of the falling guards rang out in a continuous stream. Then a tremendous boom fell just outside the door — sparks and flame flashed, accompanied by billowing thick smoke, the sounds of stone cracking and wood shattering, and then the ground itself shook with a violent tremor.

“Careful!” Yuxiu threw herself over me. The thick smoke choked me so I could not speak. My vision blurred and I could see nothing. I only clung tightly to Yuxiu.

Suddenly a man’s voice rang out: “Subordinate Pang Gui, paying respects to the Commandery Princess!” Through the thick smoke, a ghost-like figure drew near and went down on one knee before me. He called me Commandery Princess and gave his name as “Pang Gui” — the secret agents had no names of their own. The leaders of the agents in each region were designated by the ten Celestial Stems as their group and the twelve Earthly Branches as their designation. The man who had come was indeed one of our own people. Flooded with surprise and joy, I blurted out, “So it is you!”

Pang Gui pressed his sword in hand. “There is no time to lose. General Song is outside receiving you. Please follow this subordinate!”

We moved quickly out of the room, using the cover of the smoke and darkness of the night. The secret agents escorting us fought their way through, cutting down all opposition, straight until we broke through to the gate of the inner courtyard.

Outside the gate, a large group of guards was locked in fierce combat with more than a hundred armored elite troops, and at the head of them was Song Huai’an.

Behind us, flames wound their way in chains, and footsteps shook the ground, as a large force of pursuing soldiers came charging up.

Pang Gui shouted out, “Her Highness has been rescued! General Song, escort Her Highness ahead — we will cover the rear!”

Song Huai’an spurred his horse out of the encirclement, leaned down to haul me up onto his horse’s back, held me firmly, and drove the horse outward. A warm wetness from his arm was soaking through my clothing — it was blood welling steadily from a wound. Without thinking, I hurried to press my hand over the wound to try to stop the bleeding.

“It is nothing.” He deflected a halberd thrust toward the front of the horse with his other hand, and spoke to me in a breathless, trembling voice, “Do not dirty Your Highness’s hand.”

These words struck a pang in my heart. Watching these fine young men bleed and risk their lives for me — even though the blades had not fallen on me, the pain was still as though carved into my very flesh and bone. I longed to make them stop at once.

“Halt —”

Suddenly a sharp call rang out from behind.

I spun around to look, and saw Mou Lian standing with his blade on horseback, imposing and commanding, ten zhang away. Behind him, a large force of soldiers stood at the ready in tight formation — bows and crossbows drawn, spears and halberds like a forest, torches in their hands painting the sky fiery red, and the cold gleam of blades and armor dazzling the eye.

Behind me, Song Huai’an’s breath drew in sharply. He slowly pulled me closer to him, raised his sword horizontally in front, his whole being on high alert.

Pang Gui and the others swiftly closed around us in a fan formation, shielding the front of our horses. Both sides, drenched in battle, halted simultaneously and faced each other down.

My nerves were wound to breaking point as I fixed my gaze on Mou Lian.

The fierce light of the torches painted his face half in shadow and half in flame. The night wind was thick with the smell of gunpowder and pine oil, faintly laced with the tang of blood.

Song Huai’an slowly lowered his hand and silently reached to close his fingers around the carved bow that hung at his saddle.

“A false alarm — turns out these are our own brothers.” Mou Lian spoke in a calm voice, then raised his sword and gave the order, “Stand down —”

The words fell, and everyone around was visibly jolted. Song Huai’an behind me was equally stunned — only I let out a long, quiet breath of relief.

After a moment of frozen standoff, the guards outside all retreated together. Swords went back into their sheaths, spears and halberds pulled back, clearing a path down the middle.

Pang Gui exchanged a glance with Song Huai’an. I said quietly to Song Huai’an, “This man can be trusted.”

Song Huai’an gave a slight nod and called out to Mou Lian in a clear voice, “Thank you.”

Mou Lian nodded and swung his arm in a wave. “Watch yourselves on the road.”

He watched us steadily, his expression unreadable in the dim light. I felt he wanted to say something, but held it back.

Without warning, a rider swept out from behind him, drew his sword, and pointed it at us. “They are Prince Yuzhang’s people — Her Highness is in their hands!”

Pang Gui and the others were caught off guard. Before we could respond, Mou Lian had already thundered in fury, “What nonsense! There is no Prince Yuzhang here — you have gone blind!”

The deputy general reined in his horse and pressed two paces closer. “You there — Mou Lian! How dare you let the enemy go of your own accord! Men — seize this traitor!”

Not one of the surrounding garrison soldiers moved, each of them standing firm as iron, looking only to Mou Lian.

Mou Lian turned his head cold and unsmiling, not saying a word, and a killing intent seemed to radiate from him.

The deputy general looked wildly about him and blanched with shock. “You… have you all — are you all rebelling?”

In a sudden explosive shout, Mou Lian drew his sword. His arm rose and fell — and the man was cut from his horse without so much as letting out a groan!

This shock of violence happened in the blink of an eye. The man’s body rolled several times across the ground, and only then did the startled gasps of the onlookers break out.

I too had not expected Mou Lian to cut down his deputy general in front of everyone, and for a moment I was so shocked I could not speak. I saw Mou Lian staring fixedly at the blood-dripping sword in his hand, motionless for some time. Then he snapped his head up and roared toward us in a hoarse voice, “What are you still waiting for — go!”

Song Huai’an pulled his horse to a halt. I pressed his hand to stop him. “Wait.”

Every gaze in the vicinity converged on me. I took a deep breath and spoke in a clear and grave voice, “The treacherous villain Wu Qian has committed treason and stirred up rebellion. Mou Lian, in an act of righteousness that disregards personal ties, is praiseworthy in his loyalty and valor. When Prince Yuzhang’s great army enters the city and the unrest in Huizhou is brought to peace, this will certainly be reported to the court, and his merit will be commended and rewarded. All soldiers who have aided in suppressing the rebellion will be duly rewarded.”

Mou Lian stared at me fixedly, as though he had gone into a daze.

Right in that moment of standoff, Song Huai’an raised his sword toward the sky and called out in a loud voice, “We are sworn to follow Prince Yuzhang unto death, to be loyal to the Imperial House — long live His Majesty the Emperor —”

“Long live His Majesty the Emperor!” The iron cavalry elite guards and Pang Gui’s men immediately knelt in response.

The surrounding garrison soldiers and officers hesitated no longer, and all prostrated themselves on the ground, their voices in a mountain-shaking chorus that rang throughout the night sky, shaking my heart to its very core.

Mou Lian dismounted, lowered his head in silence for a moment, then knelt. “Long live His Majesty the Emperor!”

There was no time to lose. Once Wu Qian learned what had happened at the lodge, we would have lost all advantage.

Song Huai’an, Mou Lian, and Pang Gui immediately convened at the lodge to plan their strategy, dividing into three groups.

Mou Lian would lead his garrison troops, taking advantage of the changing of the watch at the city walls to launch a night assault on the north gate, then split his forces to seize the lightly defended east and west gates. Pang Gui would deploy the secret agents, carrying my sealed letter out through the north gate, and ride through the night in the direction of Ningshuo to report to Xiao Qi’s vanguard army. Song Huai’an would lead the five hundred elite cavalry, exploit the chaos to storm into the Governor’s Mansion, seize Wu Qian, then rendezvous with Mou Lian and head to the main garrison camp in the south of the city to take control of the military seal and command all the garrison troops in the city. At the same time, Pang Gui would lead his secret agents to slip into the key strategic locations of Huizhou on all sides — the granaries, the treasury, the barracks — setting fires throughout the city, spreading word that Prince Yuzhang’s army had come to storm the city, shaking the morale of Huizhou’s troops and throwing the whole city into chaos.

At this point the sky was beginning to lighten slightly. The fifth watch had already passed — it was the hour when people are half-waking, half-sleeping, the most careless and unguarded moment.

We had only one chance. It was either a decisive success or total annihilation.

Song Huai’an, Mou Lian, and Pang Gui each called up their respective soldiers, fully armed and mounted.

Song Huai’an reined in his horse, turned his head back, and pressed his fist to his sword in a salute toward me.

I gazed steadily at his young and resolute face, then bowed deeply toward all three of them. “Wang Xuan will wait here for the safe return of the three of you!”

More than two hundred guards remained behind to protect the lodge. I led Yuxiu and the other maids in tending to the soldiers who had been wounded in the fighting during the night. The lodge operated in an orderly and unhurried manner. The guards stood at full alert, waiting only for the signal from the city. Only then did I withdraw to my room to quickly wash and dress myself in proper order.

After perhaps two or three incense sticks’ worth of time had passed, a guard came to report that fires had broken out in the city.

I hurried up to the Floating Cup Terrace at the highest point of the hill behind the lodge and leaned against the railing to look down over the city.

Under a heavy cover of dense clouds and gloom, Huizhou was already a scene of complete turmoil and panic. Blazing fires leaped up in all directions throughout the city, and the thick smoke blotted out even the first glimmer of dawn before it could appear. The clouds pressed down heavily, and from their look it seemed a torrential downpour was coming today.

From this lodge terrace set apart in the outskirts, though I could not see the streets beneath the city walls, still before my eyes there floated an indistinct vision of the chaos — people stampeding and crying out in terror… In this moment, the entire city of Huizhou must have been plunged into the horror and panic of imminent catastrophe. Those jolted awake from sleep would have opened their eyes to a scene much like what lay before me now — a dimly apocalyptic sight.

Moments later, a horn rang out from the direction of the north gate, piercing through the whole city — it was our agreed signal. Mou Lian had succeeded.

Thick clouds hung low across the horizon, the sky still as dark as night.

With the north gate captured by Mou Lian, the swift-riding secret agent messenger had made it safely out of the city. I gazed toward the north and closed my eyes in silent prayer, hoping with everything I had that Xiao Qi would come quickly.

Following the plan Pang Gui had proposed, a hundred-odd cavalry should now have left the city, lighting signal fires along the road, tying branches to their horses’ tails, and riding back and forth one li outside the city in a thundering gallop, stirring up swirling clouds of sand and dust, trails of smoke rolling out in a stretching, unbroken line. The garrison troops of the city had always trembled at the name of Prince Yuzhang, and upon suddenly hearing that Xiao Qi had personally led his great army here, their souls were already half-fled from their bodies. When they then saw with their own eyes that the north gate had been breached, and that beyond the city walls smoke and dust were shooting up to the sky — seen from a distance in the dark sky, it looked for all the world like a vast and surging army marching in from the horizon — who still had the presence of mind to distinguish what was real and what was false? Sure enough, before half an hour had passed, low horns rang out from the east gate and then the west gate in succession. The garrison troops at both positions collapsed without a single battle, and both were taken by Mou Lian.

The chaos within the city grew worse and worse. The firelight had stained half the sky red, and the billowing smoke rose up and coiled like a vast black serpent in motion.

By now, with the unrest breaking out in Huizhou — the whole city ablaze and smoke blotting out the sun — Prince Jiangning on the far bank of the river must have seen this sight as well.

Would he believe that Xiao Qi’s great army had come to storm the city? And if this old fox could not be deceived, if he still pushed forward and forced his way across the river — what then? My palms and back were both slick with cold sweat. Even having passed through one life-and-death crisis after another, faced with this city full of beacon fires and an imminent fierce battle, I still could not keep the chill from seizing both heart and soul.

Suddenly a faint, muffled sound of weeping came from behind me. I turned, and saw Yuxiu’s face had gone pale as she raised her hand to wipe her tears.

“What are you afraid of?” I fixed her with a composed look, then slowly swept my gaze over the guards behind me who stood in full armor with their swords at the ready, and said in a low, steady voice to Yuxiu, “There is no one here who is timid or weak. Our officers and soldiers are sacrificing their lives without hesitation — every one of them is a true soldier. To share life and death with them is your honor.”

The guards behind me were all visibly moved. Yuxiu dropped to her knees with a thud, “This servant was wrong.”

After all, she was still a fifteen-year-old child, and she had already been very brave. Feeling a pang of tenderness in my heart, I softened my expression, reached out, and helped her to her feet. “The soldiers are fighting with their lives. I do not want to see anyone weeping at this moment.”

Yuxiu’s tears spun in her eyes. She said in a trembling voice, “This servant is not afraid. This servant only… only fears that General Song and the others are in danger.”

This girl’s pair of large, bright eyes were filled with anxious concern. My heart gave a sudden tug, and all at once I understood something. If it had been Xiao Qi fighting at the front lines today, I might not have been so composed myself.

Before my eyes there floated an image of Xiao Qi’s calm and imperious gaze… As though a nameless force was pouring into my heart, filling my mind with clarity.

I looked directly at Yuxiu and said with unwavering conviction, “They are all the most valiant of warriors. They will certainly return to us safely.”

My words were barely finished when from the south of the city came a deep, resonant blast of a horn, its voice soaring into the sky and splitting the dawn air. Then came the thundering of ten thousand war drums beaten all at once, the rumbling of their sound rolling across the earth, the killing spirit shaking the very heavens.

That must have been Song Huai’an, having seized the main garrison camp. Following the agreed plan, he had sounded the war drums and blown the horns as a show of force toward Prince Jiangning across the river.

Standing on the high platform, I felt utterly shaken. I gripped the railing, scarcely daring to believe that everything was going so smoothly.

Yuxiu, forgetting all sense of protocol, grabbed hold of my sleeve and pressed question after question, “Your Highness, do you hear that? What happened? How are things over there?”

I pressed my lips firmly shut and dared not say a word — not until I had heard from their own mouths, I dared not harbor the slightest trace of wishful thinking.

The wait — half an incense stick’s worth of time — was long and agonizing, nearly exhausting every last reserve of composure I possessed.

“Report —”

A guard came sprinting up. “Huizhou Governor Wu Qian has been executed. The garrison commander has laid down his arms and surrendered. All four city gates have been captured. Generals Song and Mou have assumed control of Huizhou’s military and civil administration. Pang Gui is leading his forces back to the lodge!”

Yuxiu leaped into the air, completely beside herself with joy. “Thank Heaven and Earth! Thank Heaven and Earth!”

Behind me, the guards erupted in jubilation, their elation visibly overflowing.

“Very good. Prepare the carriage to enter the city.” I nodded with a smile, suppressing the excitement within me, not allowing my voice to betray even the slightest tremor.

I turned and looked up at the sky, closed my eyes, and repeated Yuxiu’s words silently to myself. I longed to throw myself to my knees right then and there and press my forehead to the ground in gratitude to Heaven for having watched over me.

By the time Pang Gui returned to the lodge, the great rain had at last come pouring down.

I rushed forward before he could bow, helped him up with my own hands, and smiled my thanks to him and the brave soldiers behind him who stood soaked in blood and drenched in rain.

Pang Gui tossed aside his helmet, wiped a rough hand fiercely across his rain-drenched face, and laughed out loud, “Having spent half a lifetime as a secret agent, to be able today to charge into battle alongside two generals, fighting to my heart’s content — it is the greatest fortune of this subordinate’s life!”

Such a dauntless man — and yet, as a secret agent, he was destined to spend his life hidden from the light of day. I looked steadily at Pang Gui and said with a smile, “If you were to return to the capital with me and follow under Prince Yuzhang’s command from this day forward — would you be willing?”

Pang Gui dropped to his knees without a moment’s hesitation, “This subordinate is a secret agent. He has received the great kindness of the Wang Family, and has sworn an oath of loyalty — he is not permitted to change his allegiance even in death.”

I started, a flicker of wistfulness passing through me, and then, as a thought occurred to me, I recovered myself. “Then what if you were to follow me instead?”

“At Your Highness’s disposal!” Pang Gui lifted his head, his gaze blazing with intensity, and a faint smile appeared.

Looking at Pang Gui and the swath of secret agents kneeling in dense rows behind him, I was struck in that moment by a sudden realization — in the past, the Wang Family had held two great forces in power, one open and one hidden, one in court and one in the world at large, presided over by Father and my uncle respectively. And now I had been pushed by circumstances to stand in their place — for the first time taking over the authority of the generation before me. What I had inherited was not only the lives and fates of the people before me, but their loyalty and trust toward the Wang Family.

In a single moment, as though a great power had surged into my heart, I felt something within me begin, piece by piece, to harden.

The carriages and accompanying escort passed through the city. Along the road, the townspeople all fled in alarm, and no one dared gather to watch as they had the day before.

The entire city had already been placed under strict martial control. After this upheaval, Huizhou was in a state of shock and unease. Wealthy households were hurriedly packing up their valuables and leaving the city to take shelter, while ordinary citizens who could not afford to abandon their homes were urgently stockpiling grain and provisions to prepare for another outbreak of war.

Along the way, garrison soldiers were repeatedly spotted taking advantage of the chaos to harass the townspeople. Huizhou, which had been a scene of thriving prosperity the evening before, had been reduced overnight to a scene of desolation in every direction.

I let the curtain fall and could not bring myself to look any longer.

When the carriages arrived before the Governor’s Mansion, the sight that met my eyes was one of utter wreckage.

On the stone steps outside the gate, there were still traces of blood that had not been fully washed away, the remnants of the ferocious fight the night before still faintly visible. In the courtyard, documents and scrolls lay scattered in disorder across the ground, and not a single servant or maidservant was anywhere to be seen — only soldiers in heavy armor with sabers at their sides, moving about to clean and tidy the place.

Song Huai’an came out to welcome me, with Huizhou’s officials, large and small, at his side — an assortment of civil and military personnel whom I had all seen before during my time in Huizhou, who had never failed to appear in their full fawning splendor at every seasonal feast and banquet. Wherever I walked, every one of them bowed their heads and held their breath, and it felt for a moment just like when I had first arrived in Huizhou. Yet in this place and at this moment, everything had become utterly different.

Song Huai’an had not yet removed his battle armor, the wound on his arm only hastily bandaged, his eyes laced with red — yet still he held himself with a bright and spirited bearing.

He gave me a brief report of the battle, mentioning none of the carnage, only saying that Wu Qian had fled in frantic haste and become mixed in with the defeated soldiers, where Song Huai’an had shot him dead with his own hand. On Prince Jiangning’s side, more than ten small boats had been sent along the river to scout, but there had been no movement so far.

A tangled mess of concerns weighed on me all at once, and I felt a quiet unease inside. With Huizhou’s civil and military officials all present, I had to keep my composure and show nothing.

I gave instructions on three pressing matters. First: stabilize the people’s morale and bring the disturbances within the city under control before dark. Second: reinforce the city’s defenses and prepare at all times to resist Prince Jiangning’s forces. Third: stockpile grain and provisions, and wait for Prince Yuzhang’s great army to arrive.

Mou Lian was nowhere to be seen in the mansion. When I asked Song Huai’an about it, he showed a moment of hesitation.

After the other officials had been dismissed, I returned to the inner hall and furrowed my brow at Song Huai’an.

He said quietly, “Commander Mou is in Madam Wu’s room.”

A sense of foreboding rose in my heart before he had even finished. I heard him say: “When the news of Wu Qian’s death came back, Madam Wu killed herself.”

Madam Wu’s remains had been laid to rest by Mou Lian with his own hands.

She had left no word. Her departure was startlingly decisive. Wu Qian’s two concubines wept and wailed, only saying that the Madam had handed young Miss Huixin into their care, then returned to her own room — and before anyone knew it, she had taken hold of the master’s own personal sword and cut her own throat.

A woman who had never left the inner quarters of her home, who had never once touched a blade her whole life — and she had chosen this way to follow her husband in death.

I did not step into her funeral hall, nor did I go to see her on her final journey — she would certainly not have wished to see me. Before she had left the day before, her words were still ringing in my ears. I had told her, “The kindness of sheltering and protecting me in my time of hardship — I will one day repay it.”

Her act of sheltering and protecting me in my time of hardship had been repaid with the ruin of her household. My repayment had been to entice and turn the nephew she was so proud of against her husband, and to bring death upon him.

“Your Highness, the sky is almost dark — please come out and eat something.” Yuxiu’s voice came quietly from outside the door in a soft plea.

I sat rigid and silent beneath the window, gazing blankly toward the northern sky, watching the night gather around me inch by inch. I could not bear to see anyone, I had no desire to say a single word. I shut myself in the room, and could not summon the courage to go see Mou Lian, to go see the girl called Huixin. I was told that Huixin had fainted from weeping multiple times, had unsuccessfully attempted to hang herself, and was now lying in bed refusing to eat or drink.

Yuxiu was still outside pleading softly for me to open the door. I walked to the door, stood there in silence for a moment, and then opened it.

“Take me to see Huixin.” I spoke without inflection. Yuxiu stared at my face, and did not dare try to dissuade me. She turned and led the way at once.

Before I had even reached the doorway of the bedchamber, I heard the sound of a woman weeping, accompanied by the noise of shattering porcelain.

A woman hurried out to greet me — dressed in plain mourning clothes, her features delicate and clear, her manner composed and dignified as she paid her respects. She introduced herself as Cao Shi, his concubine.

I had no heart for small talk. I walked directly into the room, just in time to see that pale and frail girl swat away the bowl of congee being offered to her by a maidservant.

I took the congee bowl from the maidservant’s hands and walked to her bedside, looking down at her in silence.

The maids around her all knelt on the ground. Huixin, in tears, looked up in startled uncertainty at me, her eyes swollen red from crying.

“Open your mouth.” I scooped up a spoonful of congee and brought it to her lips.

She stared at me wide-eyed, and I spoke coldly, “There is poison in the congee — it is to send you on your way.”

Huixin shuddered, her eyes filled with terror, her lips trembling violently. “Who are you…”

I set down the bowl, fixed my gaze on her eyes, and said slowly, “I am the Princess of Prince Yuzhang.”

Both her pupils went wide in an instant, and she shrieked, “It is you who killed my mother and father!”

I neither flinched nor dodged, and let her throw herself forward to grab my collar. My vision blurred as her palm struck me hard across the face.

Yuxiu and Cao Shi rushed forward to block her. I raised my hand to stop them, and then took a second slap from her in return. Both cheeks burned with a fierce sting.

Huixin reached out to claw at my throat. I evaded, and caught hold of her wrists.

My own build was already slight and slender, and yet this girl was even thinner and more frail than I was. The force in her hands was feeble, and caught by me she could not move.

“These two slaps are what I owe your mother.” I spoke in a mild, level tone. “If you want to take your revenge yourself, live first — and then we will speak of it.”

I released Huixin, rose, and swept away with my sleeve.

Cao Shi followed me all the way out into the courtyard, then bowed. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

“Huixin does not truly wish to die. She will live on and take care of herself.” I sighed, tired to the bone. Then, dimly recalling that Yuxiu had mentioned earlier that it was Mou Lian’s wife who was looking after Huixin… I turned my head to look at her. “You are Mou Lian’s wife?”

Cao Shi bowed her head and confirmed it.

For a moment I did not know what to say. After a brief silence I asked, “Is General Mou all right?”

“Thank you for Your Highness’s concern. My husband has already gone to the garrison camp to assist General Song in managing the defenses,” said Cao Shi in a soft, gentle voice, composed and unhurried — nothing like the ordinary women of the inner quarters. I nodded. “General Mou and his wife have both worked very hard.”

Cao Shi’s face flushed slightly. She seemed about to say something, then held it back. I noticed the oddness of it and turned to look at her more carefully. She hesitated for a moment, then seemed to summon up a great deal of courage to speak. “My husband is only a garrison commander — his rank is too low for him to be addressed as a general.”

I was taken aback, and said in surprise, “How could Mou Lian’s position be so low? Is he not Madam Wu’s nephew?”

Cao Shi seemed somewhat uncomfortable, and after a moment of silence, as though gathering the utmost courage, she spoke, “My husband refused to exploit the advantage of family connections, and my husband’s uncle feared bringing disgrace to his own reputation as an official… and so my husband, though harboring in his heart a desire to serve his country, went year after year without advancement. This time, when his uncle threw in his lot with the rebel forces, my husband attempted to dissuade him. It was not until Your Highness entered the city that my husband was finally pulled back from the edge of the cliff, and did not commit an irreversible mistake. Though this wife is unlearned, I know that a fine horse needs the right master to recognize it, and a great general needs a worthy lord to serve. I beg Your Highness to speak a good word for my husband, and not to be put off by the circumstances of his household — do not let a great general have no road to serve his country!” She said it all in one breath, her cheeks growing red. Then she prostrated herself before me in a deep bow. “This wife here offers her most sincere gratitude to Your Highness!”

Though these words were spoken partly out of selfish concern, fearing that Mou Lian would be implicated and looked down upon as a surrendered general, and seeking to plead his case and clear him of blame… yet the way she said it was sincere and straightforward, without the slightest trace of flattery. She looked to be around the same age as my brother, yet her shrewdness and courage were not inferior to any man’s. I felt a spontaneous surge of admiration and quickly helped her up with my own hands.

“For Mou Lian to have such a worthy wife — it is clear that he is not only a great general, but a fortunate one as well.” I raised my brow at her with a smile, and felt an involuntary warmth toward her. “Wang Xuan is young and inexperienced. If Madam Mou is willing, I would very much welcome her guidance and counsel at all times, and I hope we may discuss the affairs of this place together.”

Cao Shi was overjoyed and surprised, and hurried to bow again.

That night, I lay awake, sleep beyond reach.

Song Huai’an had been insistent that I move from the lodge into the Governor’s Mansion. Though the guard was strict and there was no lack of safety, I could not close my eyes without thinking of Madam Wu, thinking of Huixin, and could find no peace for sleep. The night was already deep and late, and still I had not the least desire to sleep. I rose, wrapped a robe around myself, and stepped out into the courtyard.

The night sky was pitch-black — not even the faintest trace of moonlight. Only a faint glow from somewhere in the distance gave a dim illumination to the horizon, where one could dimly make out soldiers moving to and fro on patrol atop the city walls. I brought only a few of the maids who were keeping watch through the night. I did not wake Yuxiu — she had been so frightened and exhausted these past days that she had fallen deeply asleep the moment she returned to her room.

Walking without direction until I reached the gate of the inner courtyard, I found the outer courtyard still blazing with lights, with soldiers and government clerks going in and out in a busy stream.

I moved quietly to a side hall, signaling to the guards at the door not to make a sound. Inside the hall, a few officers were gathered around a map. The man in the center was Song Huai’an. He had changed into a plain dark blue robe, and in the lamplight he looked all the more refined and clear-featured, his manner composed and steady — the bearing of a true commander beginning to show.

I thought to myself — when Xiao Qi was a young man, he must have been just like this, so full of spirit and vigor.

I stood quietly outside the door for a moment. He had not noticed me, absorbed as he was in laying out the troop deployments and defenses for his assembled commanders. My heart was quietly satisfied. I turned and was just about to leave when I heard a voice from behind me say in surprise, “Your Highness!”

I turned back to find Song Huai’an had snapped his head up and was staring steadily at me.

“The hour is already late. Unless there is urgent military business, everyone should return to rest early.” I stepped into the hall and smiled warmly at those gathered there.

Song Huai’an nodded with a smile and, at my words, dismissed everyone.

I walked unhurriedly to the map. He followed behind me in silence, keeping a distance of a few feet, deferential and restrained as always.

“How are your injuries?” I glanced sideways with a smile.

He lowered his head. “Nothing serious — only surface wounds. Thank you for Your Highness’s concern.”

Seeing him grow all the more flustered, I could not help but smile. “Huai’an — why do you always seem to be bracing for battle when speaking with me?”

He actually went blank — as though my laughing remark had thrown him completely off balance. His ears turned red again.

Seeing his embarrassment, I did not dare continue in that vein. I turned my head with a light cough and said in a more composed tone, “Given the current situation — do you think Prince Jiangning will attempt to cross the river first?”

Song Huai’an’s expression seemed briefly distracted, and it was a moment before he answered. “Today’s upheaval in Huizhou — the beacon fires rising on all sides — Prince Jiangning is by nature cautious and suspicious, and upon seeing this, he will certainly not dare cross the river rashly. However, this subordinate worries that the longer time drags on, the more his suspicions will be aroused.”

I nodded. “Precisely. If a great army had truly arrived, it would never stand guard in the city without coming out. The longer we hold back without engaging, the more we expose our weakness — sooner or later he will see through us.”

“If His Highness receives the report in time, and the journey goes smoothly, he should be able to arrive within five days,” said Song Huai’an, furrowing his brow deeply. “How to hold out through these five days — that is the key. Mou Lian has already followed the plan and planted Prince Yuzhang’s command flags all along the city walls. Cooking fires in the garrison camps have been increased, and patrols continue day and night without cease, creating the impression that a large army has entered the city… Even so, by this subordinate’s estimate, we can hold the deception for three days at most.”

I fell into silence. I had long since prepared myself for this eventuality — the worst that could happen was a head-on clash of swords.

“By that account, after three days, a fierce battle is unavoidable?” I looked at him with a grave expression.

Song Huai’an gave a firm nod. “We must hold out for at least two more days, keeping Prince Jiangning pinned outside the walls of Huizhou while we wait for His Highness the Prince to arrive.”

I frowned and said slowly, “Huizhou’s troop strength is far from sufficient. The garrison soldiers have long been accustomed to eating well at the court’s expense — lazy and out of practice — and now, in the middle of shifting morale and unsettled hearts… If it comes to a head-on fight, I am worried we may not hold out even two days.”

“Hold out we must, whether we can or not!” Song Huai’an raised his eyes. His gaze was like ice beneath a frozen surface. “This subordinate has already issued orders to the entire army — if the city falls, I will set the whole city ablaze, and let every last soldier and civilian, young and old, men and women alike, be buried together with the rebel forces!”

I was struck dumb. I stared at him, stunned, for a long moment, unable to speak.

He met my gaze with a steady, unshakable look, and said slowly, “Then we will have burned every bridge behind us — no retreat remains. There is nothing left but to fight with our lives!”