Silence permeated the room, broken only by the clear voice of young Master Yuan, who peeked out from his grandmother’s embrace and called out, “Uncle Gu!”
Gu Yu raised his head, his eyes red and slightly moist. “Young Master Yuan!” He forced a smile. “It’s Uncle Gu who has let you down…” As he spoke, tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.
Dou Zhao exchanged a glance with Duan Gongyi and said, “What are you saying? We’re already grateful that you rushed here from Tianjin. This matter wasn’t under your control, so why take all the responsibility upon yourself? Stand up quickly! If you keep crouching like this, your nephew will laugh at you.”
Duan Gongyi and Chen Xiaofeng moved to help him up, one on each side. Duan Gongyi spoke directly, “Since Master Gu knows about our situation here, has he notified the Crown Prince? Is it true that the King of Liao has entered the palace as they say?”
Gu Yu let them pull him up, seeming a bit dazed. He addressed Dou Zhao, “It was the two scoundrels Aunt assigned to accompany me who gave themselves away. I only learned about Cousin’s situation yesterday. I immediately found a reason to detain them and rushed towards the capital, but I was too late—the city gates were closed. Even with the imperial token the Emperor gave me, I couldn’t enter. Remembering that my Sister-in-law and my nephew were staying at the summer villa in Xiangshan, I decided to come and check on them, but I didn’t expect…”
He lowered his head in anguish.
This meant that Gu Yu hadn’t had the chance to warn Song Mo at all!
Everyone’s hearts sank.
Young Master Yuan called out “Mother” uneasily.
Dou Zhao went over and picked up her son.
Chen Xiaofeng pressed his lips together and stepped forward to bow to her. “Madam, please entrust the young master to us without worry! As long as we draw breath, we won’t let anyone harm a hair on the young master’s head.”
Dawn was approaching. If they could delay until daybreak, they might have a chance to break through the encirclement and find a way to enter the city to contact Song Mo.
Only by contacting Song Mo could they lift the siege on the Xiangshan villa.
But the thought of separating from her son filled Dou Zhao with pain.
She hesitated for a moment before kissing her son’s little face with tears in her eyes and handing Yuan over to Chen Xiaofeng.
Gu Yu immediately understood what they planned to do.
He stood up straight and stepped forward. “Sister-in-law, let me escort Yuan into the city?”
“No!” Dou Zhao shook her head without thinking. “You’re too conspicuous! You should find a way to escape from the villa quickly and send a message to your cousin instead.”
Even sending a message might be too late now, Gu Yu thought to himself, but he dared not say it to Dou Zhao.
“Then I’ll stay here with Sister-in-law!” he said, his eyes flashing with anger. “If they want to take Sister-in-law to the King of Liao’s mansion, they’ll have to step over my dead body first.”
“Things aren’t as bad as you think!” Dou Zhao felt a surge of emotion and gently tried to persuade him. “They just want to capture me and Yuan to threaten your cousin…”
Before she could finish her sentence, screams and roars suddenly erupted outside.
Everyone looked at each other in confusion.
Young Master Yuan twisted in fear, wanting Dou Zhao to hold him.
As Dou Zhao took her son, Gu Yu had already lifted the curtain to look outside.
“Sister-in-law,” he exclaimed with joy, “someone has come to rescue us!”
Who could be rescuing them at this time?
“Ah!” Dou Zhao ran over to look, half doubting, half hopeful.
They saw that all the bows and crossbows that had been aimed at them were now pointing in a different direction. Arrows were flying towards their attackers, and occasionally one of the King of Liao’s men would fall from the roof, landing motionless in the courtyard.
“This…” Dou Zhao was both surprised and delighted.
“I don’t know who it is,” Gu Yu’s eyes shone, “but it must be someone sent by Cousin to save us… No, it might even be Cousin himself!”
Dou Zhao hoped for the same.
Someone called out to the courtyard: “Sister-in-law, I am Chen Zanzi, here on the Crown Prince’s orders to suppress these rebels. Don’t worry, I’ve brought men from the Divine Machine Battalion with me, and we have firearms too.”
“Amitabha!” Dou Zhao couldn’t help but utter a Buddhist prayer.
Although she didn’t know how Chen Jia had learned of their predicament, the fact that he had brought the Divine Machine Battalion meant that the situation was still under Song Mo’s control.
A loud explosion rang out in the air, accompanied by flashes of light. Several men fell from the rooftops.
Gu Yu’s spirits lifted. He ran back to pick up his sword, eager for action. “Sister-in-law, you and Yuan should hide quickly. They’ll surely make a desperate last stand and attack us fiercely…”
Before he could finish, Duan Gongyi, Chen Xiaofeng, and the other guards stepped forward, saying, “We’ll go with you!”
Gu Yu nodded and resolutely opened the door.
Dou Zhao hurried after them: “Uncle, two fists can’t match four hands. You’d better use the side rooms for cover. As long as we don’t go out, they can’t do anything to us…”
“Without their bows and crossbows, it’s anyone’s game!” Gu Yu’s gaze was determined. “Hiding in the room is too stifling!”
Duan Gongyi, who usually didn’t think much of Gu Yu, now looked at him with newfound respect.
He patted Gu Yu’s shoulder with his large hand. “Well said! That’s the talk of a man with true spirit. There’s no reason for the son-in-law to be fighting outside while we hide indoors. Young Master, I’ll go with you. Even if we die, they won’t take a single step into this side room!”
By staying outside, they could form a line of defense. If they were to face the enemy inside the side room, once the King of Liao’s men broke in, Dou Zhao and Yuan would be directly confronted by the traitors.
Gu Yu laughed heartily and led the few remaining guards out of the side room with Duan Gongyi, carefully closing the door behind them, and leaving Dou Zhao, Yuan, and Grandmother inside.
Grandmother’s eyes were filled with tears.
Yuan anxiously asked his mother in a small voice, “Why didn’t Uncle Gu hug me?”
Dou Zhao couldn’t help but shed tears, choking as she said, “Uncle Gu needs to drive away those bandits for Yuan. When Uncle Gu has chased away the bandits, he’ll come and play with Yuan.”
Yuan nodded obediently, saying, “I’ll be good and not disturb Uncle Gu!”
Dou Zhao held Yuan tightly.
In front of Kunning Palace, the Crown Prince stepped forward and grasped Song Mo’s hand tightly. His lips quivered as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing, only sighing softly.
“Your Highness!” Cui Yijun glanced at Song Mo with a complex expression and softly reminded the Crown Prince, “Shouldn’t we send someone from the Cabinet to try and persuade the King of Liao?”
The implication was to find a Cabinet minister to serve as a witness.
“No need!” Ji Yong said angrily. “I just went to the duty room earlier. Our Minister Dai was fast asleep and couldn’t be woken… They’re all a bunch of cunning cowards with no regard for the state!”
The Crown Prince’s face turned ashen.
The fighting outside Qianqing Palace was intensifying.
Cui Yijun finally couldn’t hide the anxiety in his brow.
Song Mo said in a low voice, “Your Highness, why don’t you try to persuade the King of Liao? It would set the Emperor’s mind at ease.”
Or rather, it would let the Emperor see the King of Liao’s wild ambitions.
The Crown Prince was an intelligent person, but due to his status and position, he couldn’t make decisions on anything, and gradually, he lost his ability to form opinions.
Hearing Song Mo’s words now, he pondered carefully in his heart before stepping forward to push aside the Golden Guards blocking his way. He called out loudly, “Fifth Brother, among all the brothers, Father loves you the most. He even issued an edict summoning you to the palace because Mother said she hadn’t seen you in a long time and missed you dearly. If you have any grievances, why not speak to Father properly instead of holding him hostage? Father is advanced in years; how can he withstand such turmoil from you? Release Father at once!”
The Crown Prince’s words were passed into the palace layer by layer. After a while, the King of Liao’s voice came from inside Kunning Palace: “How can Big Brother say that I’m troubling Father? It’s you who’s troubling Father—preventing him from entrusting state affairs to you even to this day! There’s no need for you to put on an act of filial piety here. If you were truly filial, you should surrender yourself and use your life to exchange for Father’s safety.”
The Crown Prince was stunned.
Cui Yijun was sweating profusely.
The King of Liao, as if guessing the Crown Prince’s reaction, laughed loudly, “Big Brother, you must be in quite a dilemma now, right? But I’m not like you, who can only put on a show and is useless otherwise! The Five Armies and the Embroidered Uniform Guard are all under my command. Now I have the Five Armies outside and the Embroidered Uniform Guard inside. Even if Song Yantan stands on your side, what use is it?
Don’t forget, the Divine Machine Battalion is far away in the Western Mountains! You’ve been controlling the inner palace, poisoning the Emperor, making him confused time and again. When the Empress found out, she feared you would secretly harm her to cover up your evil deeds and frame the Emperor. She had no choice but to secretly send death squads to deliver a message to me, asking me to enter the capital to protect the Emperor…”
This was indeed a good excuse!
Ji Yong couldn’t help but curse inwardly.
If it weren’t for his concern for Dou Zhao and her son, why would he have shown his hand so early to pick a side?
Now things had gone awry. He had thought that with Song Mo’s abilities, there would surely be a backup plan, but it turned out Song Mo was just a paper tiger. He seemed formidable usually, but at the critical moment, he was at a loss and even dragged Dou Zhao and her son into the mess.
He glared fiercely at Song Mo.
Song Mo pretended not to see, standing silently and listening to the war of words between the Crown Prince and the King of Liao.
A blood-covered Golden Guard came running over: “Your Highness, Lord Song, Deputy Commander Ma Youming of the Divine Machine Battalion has led his troops to rescue the Emperor!”
Song Mo looked up, his eyes as bright as the morning stars.
Ji Yong’s heart skipped a beat.
“What did you say?” Cui Yijun grabbed the messenger. “The Divine Machine Battalion? How did they know about the disturbance in the palace?”
The Crown Prince also stopped worrying about the King of Liao and hurried over.
The messenger, panting, said, “This lowly one doesn’t know either. We were in a fierce battle with the Five Armies when Commander Jiang Yi of the South City Command of the Five Cities Military Commission led Commander Ma and his men to us. The Divine Machine Battalion brought firearms, and the Five Armies caught between two forces, have been routed…”
The Crown Prince was overjoyed and called out to Kunning Palace, “Fifth Brother, did you hear that? The Divine Machine Battalion has come to rescue the Emperor, and they’ve brought firearms! I suggest you release Father quickly, lest you find it difficult to extricate yourself when Father reprimands you!”
There was a commotion in Kunning Palace, followed by silence.
The Crown Prince asked Song Mo in a low voice, “What should we do now?”
Song Mo respectfully replied, “This subject believes that to secure internal stability, we must first repel external threats. As long as the Five Armies and the Embroidered Uniform Guard are not eliminated, His Majesty’s safety cannot be guaranteed.”
The Crown Prince nodded in agreement, saying, “Then let’s clear out the Five Armies first, and then negotiate terms with the King of Liao.”
Song Mo complied and gave the orders.
However, Cui Yijun suddenly seemed to remember something and exclaimed, “Oh!” He whispered, “Your Highness, do you think we should invite Minister Dai over?”
“Minister Dai…” The Crown Prince’s previously joyful face immediately turned sour. He said in a deep voice, “Of course, we should invite him over. I don’t think he’ll still be in a deep sleep at this time, will he?”
Song Mo glanced at Cui Yijun, suddenly feeling that all crows under the sky were equally black, and all crown princes were alike in their love for scheming against others.