Empress Dowager Liu was sharply berating several ministers kneeling before her, among them Zhang Ban.

The men were murmuring their assent when they heard someone announced from behind them. They turned and, seeing a eunuch leading Xie Changgeng in, each of them quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Xie Changgeng strode in and knelt in obeisance before Empress Dowager Liu.

Empress Dowager Liu watched him complete his bow, then, contrary to her usual manner, she did not immediately bid him to rise. She said, “Minister Xie, you have rendered great meritorious service in defending Pucheng at great cost. Two days ago, His Majesty asked me how you ought to be rewarded for this, and I found myself at a loss for an answer.”

As her words fell, Zhang Ban and the others immediately grasped her insinuation, and they cast furtive glances toward Xie Changgeng.

Xie Changgeng remained kneeling, yet slowly straightened his back.

His expression was composed as he met Empress Dowager Liu’s gaze and replied, “This minister would not presume to accept such praise. The loss of Pucheng would leave Longpass as vulnerable as a house stripped of its gate, and so this minister took it upon himself to act. I have come to accept whatever punishment I deserve.”

Silence fell over the hall. Zhang Ban held his breath and did not dare raise his head. A moment later, the sound of Empress Dowager Liu’s scoff reached his ears.

“I have long known that the Kingdom of Changsha harbored treacherous designs. Had Zhang Ban not misled me before, I would have eliminated this threat long ago, and the Mu clan would not be so brazen today!”

Zhang Ban immediately cried out his innocence. “The Mu clan always appeared honest on the surface — it was this minister’s foolishness that allowed himself to be deceived at the time. Every word spoken on their behalf then was uttered solely out of consideration for the greater situation, with not a shred of personal motive. Take Prince Qi himself — had this matter not been exposed, which among all the civil and military officials could have imagined he was the one pulling the strings behind those rebel princes?”

Empress Dowager Liu’s expression darkened. She ordered the others to withdraw, leaving only Xie Changgeng kneeling in the hall.

“You deployed troops to Pucheng without authorization — you should be punished by rights. But in consideration of your unwavering loyalty and valor, this time I shall pardon you. Should there be a next occasion, there will be no leniency!”

Xie Changgeng said, “This minister is grateful for the Empress Dowager’s grace.”

Empress Dowager Liu still did not bid him to rise. She fixed her gaze on him and continued, “From the very start of the rebellion by the Prince of Pingyang and the Prince of Lu, I became aware that the Kingdom of Changsha had prior dealings with the rebel princes’ envoys. At the time, that treacherous Prince Qi came forward to vouch for them, and I was momentarily taken in by him. Now that Prince Qi has been confirmed as the chief rebel, the Kingdom of Changsha naturally cannot escape implication — they must have been in league with the rebels. This minister intends to strip the Mu clan of their princely title and pacify the Kingdom of Changsha. Do you have anything to say?”

Xie Changgeng said, “This minister has nothing to say.”

Empress Dowager Liu glanced behind her at Eunuch Yang.

The eunuch stepped forward.

“In that case, the Military Governor must sever all ties with the Kingdom of Changsha and issue a repudiation letter to the Mu woman. Only then will the world know that the Military Governor’s loyalty to the court is unambiguous — that he stands wholly apart from the traitors.”

Xie Changgeng replied, “This minister has already done so. Before entering the capital, the repudiation letter was sent to the Kingdom of Changsha. From this day forward, this minister has no further connection whatsoever with the Mu clan of Changsha.”

The color of Empress Dowager Liu’s face finally softened. A faint smile appeared, and she nodded. “You have truly not disappointed my expectations of you.”

She glanced again at Eunuch Yang.

The eunuch smiled broadly. “The Empress Dowager has shown the Military Governor great favor and indulgence. Now that you have repudiated the Mu woman of Changsha, she feared there would be no one to attend upon your esteemed mother. The Empress Dowager has a sister of the National Uncle — the Princess of Anyang — who is both beautiful and accomplished. The Empress Dowager intends to bestow her upon the Military Governor in marriage, so that the Princess may serve your mother in your stead. Why do you not quickly give thanks for this grace?”

Xie Changgeng’s eyes did not so much as flicker.

“The Princess is of imperial blood — this minister is unworthy of such an honor. My mother is nothing but a country woman of humble origins; she would not be worthy of having a Princess condescend to attend upon her. I humbly request that the Empress Dowager withdraw this grace. This minister is grateful for the sentiment.”

As his words fell, a moment of silence settled over the hall.

The expression that had just begun to clear on Empress Dowager Liu’s face darkened once more.

Eunuch Yang, too, was caught off guard.

Though Empress Dowager Liu was greatly displeased with Xie Changgeng for deploying troops to Pucheng without authorization, with Prince Qi now coordinating the various princes in open defiance, there was truly no one the court could count on besides Xie Changgeng. And so she had first reproached him, then extended this favor. She had not expected him to refuse so bluntly and directly — which was, for her, nothing short of a slap to the face.

Eunuch Yang hastily said, “Military Governor, it is only with a settled family that one can establish a firm foundation — and moreover, this is the Empress Dowager’s kind intention. You need only give thanks!”

Xie Changgeng replied calmly, “Such trivial private household matters need not trouble the Empress Dowager’s concern. With turmoil afoot, the Empress Dowager must have summoned this minister to the capital for another urgent matter. This minister is all ears.”

Empress Dowager Liu was silent for a moment. She pressed down the swell of affronted fury rising in her eyes and forced a smile. “Very well — your thinking is also not without merit. State affairs are in disarray; other matters can be discussed at a later time.”

She paused.

“The reason I summoned you here is to discuss a strategy for suppressing the rebellion. Surely you are also aware of the current situation. Hedong, Henan, and Shannan — many places have already fallen into the hands of the rebel forces. Set aside the matter of Hexi for now. Enter the passes first, and assist the court in bringing all your strength to bear on pacifying the rebellion and reclaiming the lost territories. Whatever support you require, say it outright — this minister will refuse you nothing!”

“At present, this minister cannot afford to be away from Hexi for an extended period. The northern cavalry may strike at any time. Should they come, it will be a great battle. This minister’s foremost duty right now is to ensure that Hexi does not fall.”

“As for the lost territories in the passes — Jizhou, Chuzhou, and their like — these border directly on the enfeoffed lands of various princes, and the Empress Dowager need not be overly anxious.”

Xie Changgeng produced a memorandum and presented it.

“In this memorandum, this minister has listed those currently in the court who may be put to use. Furthermore, this minister will select capable and able generals from the Hexi army to enter the passes in this minister’s stead to suppress the rebellion. Whom to send, and to where — it is all set out clearly, one by one.”

“The princes who have participated in this rebellion may appear formidable in number, but in truth, save for Prince Qi and the Prince of Pingyang, the rest — the Prince of Lu, the Prince of Runan, the Prince of Zhao, and their kind — have always had limited forces to begin with, and have been weakened by years of mutual strife and internal friction. Their participation in this rebellion is nothing more than following the tide. They are outwardly strong but inwardly hollow, and utterly incapable of withstanding a real assault. Before this minister returns to Hexi, I will first crush the wing of the rebel forces under the Prince of Pingyang. With that eliminated, Prince Qi’s remaining faction will be left standing alone. As long as the court follows this minister’s arrangements, it will be sufficient to hold on, and the rebel forces will not be able to approach the capital. Once this minister has concluded the matter in Hexi, the troops can then return through the passes.”

“Absolutely not!” Empress Dowager Liu shook her head decisively.

“You would defy my command?” she said, her voice sharp.

“Hexi is beyond the passes — it holds no bearing on the greater situation. Even if it were lost, it could be retaken afterward. But Hedong and Henan bear directly on the court’s livelihood and the security of the realm. How can you invert priorities and confound what is fundamental with what is peripheral?”

“Say no more. Take command of the troops at once and devote your full strength to suppressing the rebellion. As for the rest, we shall discuss it later!”

Xie Changgeng had been kneeling all this while. Suddenly, he raised his eyes — and of his own accord, slowly rose from the ground.

He stood tall and straight, facing Empress Dowager Liu across the room as her eyes widened in degrees, and said, “The Empress Dowager summoned this minister and sought this minister’s counsel. What I have just offered is this minister’s counsel. If the Empress Dowager does not approve, this minister shall withdraw the proposal.”

His gaze was cold and penetrating. Having said this, he stepped directly forward to retrieve the memorandum that had been passed to the table.

“Very well — proceed according to your counsel. Make the arrangements yourself. If you manage to utterly uproot the threat of the princely rebellion for the court in this campaign, you will have rendered a service unparalleled in our age. Even were we to erect a monument and engrave your deeds upon it, it would not begin to match one ten-thousandth of your merit.”

Empress Dowager Liu pressed down the sudden chill that had swept through her heart, and smiled once more.

Xie Changgeng gave her a glance. He made no reply. The fierce, dangerous light in his brow slowly faded. He smiled faintly and gradually set down the memorandum.

“This minister thanks the Empress Dowager. In that case, please allow this minister to withdraw first and summon men to deliberate.”

He resumed his deferential manner, took a few steps back, paid his respects to Empress Dowager Liu, and withdrew.

Empress Dowager Liu’s eyes remained fixed upon the departing figure with an unblinking stare. The nails of her clenched palms had dug in so deeply she was nearly drawing blood. She recalled the face of this minister a moment ago, brows darkened with lethal intent — and the whole of her, beyond all control, began to tremble.

Fiends and demons, no longer bound by their chains, crawled up from beneath the earth — unrestrained, brazen, trampling upon what was dignified and sacred.

She understood: from this moment forward, everything would be different from how it once was.

Could this be the portent of the dynasty’s dying breath?

Once that figure had disappeared, she swept her sleeve violently, sending everything on the table before her crashing to the floor.

“Has there been no word yet from the men sent to Xie County?” She turned her head, gritting her teeth as she demanded.

Eunuch Yang had already sunk to his knees, and said in a great hurry, “This servant will go and press for an update at once! Please do not worry, Empress Dowager! Our people have long since set out — they will certainly accomplish the task!”

The letter of repudiation had arrived at the Kingdom of Changsha before Mu Fulan herself.

When Lu Shi handed over the letter of repudiation, her expression was complicated.

The Kingdom of Changsha had been declared by the court to be a faction of Prince Qi’s rebellion, and Xie Changgeng — a high minister of the court — had repudiated his wife and severed ties with the rebel faction. This was known throughout the realm.

She looked upon the composed face of her young sister-in-law — from which not the faintest hint of feeling could be read — and recalled the day when, at thirteen years of age, she had quietly hidden her behind a curtain to steal a glance at a suitor.

The moment the girl had laid eyes on that young man, it was as though starlight had scattered through her eyes, and the face of the young girl had bloomed with a beautiful flush of joy and shy sweetness.

It all felt like only yesterday.

Mu Fulan tucked away the letter. She took her already visibly pregnant sister-in-law by the arm, helped her to sit, and said with a smile, “To have what one wished for — that is the best outcome there could be. Please don’t worry about me, Sister. I am well. You must take care of yourself, and wait for Brother to return in triumph.”

The month before, the Jiang Rong had dispatched troops and attacked the lands of the Three Clans. The Three Clans, unable to hold their own, had appealed once again to the Kingdom of Changsha for aid.

At that time, the Kingdom of Changsha had been quietly expanding its army and drilling its troops with great discipline. After Mu Xuanqing received the letter Mu Fulan had sent from Hexi, saying she would soon be returning, he had dispatched Yuan Handing to escort her back, while he personally led troops to aid in the war — taking it as an opportunity to test his army in battle.

Just a few days before, good news had arrived from the south.

Mu Xuanqing had inflicted a decisive defeat on the Jiang Rong, and with the assistance of the Three Clans’ soldiers, was pressing forward in pursuit of victory, determined to utterly eliminate the Jiang Rong and bring the lands of the Three Miao peoples under the Kingdom of Changsha’s dominion, thereby pacifying the south.

Lu Shi gently touched her faintly swelling belly, her feelings a mixture of joy and worry. She smiled and nodded, inwardly hoping that her husband might return safely, and soon.

In the fifth month of that year, one month after Mu Fulan had returned to the Kingdom of Changsha, news arrived that set the people of Changsha rejoicing with great excitement.

Their King had led his army to pacify the Three Miao uprising. The chieftains of the Three Clans led their people to Yue City, bringing with them many gifts in tribute.

First there had been last year’s grace — when the Princess had saved their lives — and now there was the campaign that had brought peace. The Three Clans swore their fealty to the Mu clan, vowing an eternal and unwavering allegiance.

Two months later, in the seventh month of that year, good news continued to arrive in succession.

The army of the Kingdom of Changsha, on the northern fronts of Shishou, Huarong, and Fuzhou, had successively defeated the military campaigns launched by the local governors of those regions — who, under the guise of assisting the court in suppressing the rebellion, were in truth seizing upon the chaos to grab territory. Most notably, in the Battle of Fuzhou, the Governor of Fuzhou had deployed thirty thousand troops with overwhelming momentum, believing victory to be a near certainty. Yet to his astonishment, the forces of the Kingdom of Changsha came in wave after wave, fierce and battle-hardened, and his troops were routed and sent fleeing in utter disarray.

The Battle of Fuzhou not only filled the people of the Kingdom of Changsha with pride and exhilaration — the military reputation of the Kingdom of Changsha spread far and wide, drawing the gaze of all.

In the eighth month, in the fourth month since Mu Fulan’s return, the Kingdom of Changsha received an unusual visitor.

Zhao Xitai, son of Prince Qi, led an envoy delegation bearing many precious gifts and came in person to Yue City to seek the hand of Mu Fulan, Princess of the Kingdom of Changsha.