The sky was clear and bright in the early morning, but by noon, the heavens grew overcast. Dark clouds gathered, and the north wind howled furiously, sweeping up dead leaves that spun through the long streets.

It was as if Heaven itself at this moment wanted to proclaim to the world that the times had changed.

The Chong’an Gate, the southern main gate of the Imperial City connecting to the South City Gate via Imperial Street, had closed at the second watch yesterday. After a night passed without incident, it suddenly opened today only at noon. Hundreds of palace guard cavalry in gleaming armor were seen slowly filing out of the Imperial City in a procession, escorting two prison carts.

More than ten blue-robed eunuch attendants rushed ahead of this military unit, swiftly posting notices along the streets.

“Which official are they dragging to the Eastern Market for execution?” A crowd of onlookers pressed around a notice posted on Imperial Street.

Never mind that the Imperial City and the nine gates had undergone tense comprehensive garrison changes yesterday—even though today the streets and alleys were filled with rumors that Emperor Tianyou had been imprisoned by the Empress Dowager and Crown Prince, for the common people whose reactions were slow and who could only passively accept whatever fate brought them, besides feeling alarmed and helpless, they mostly felt indifferent after their initial bewilderment.

Now seeing an official being escorted directly from the Imperial City to the Eastern Market for punishment actually stirred the naturally entertainment-seeking nature buried deep within their cold, numb hearts.

Many people, disregarding the military chaos outside, braving the bitter cold wind, pushed open their doors and surged into the streets, urging educated young men who could read to read aloud the contents of the posted notices.

“Hey, the one being dragged to the Eastern Market for punishment is truly an important figure. This dog official originally thought the disaster victims outside the city were an eyesore and wanted to drive them all away. Who would have thought this dog official would actually harm His Majesty to death today!”

“What happened? Has His Majesty passed away? When I went out this morning, didn’t I hear that His Majesty was imprisoned by the Empress Dowager and Crown Prince…”

“Li Dadan, what nonsense did you hear that you dare spout here? The notice clearly states that His Majesty was conspired against and killed by Capital Prefect Han Daoxun, together with Consort Wang of Cishou Palace, Senior Palace Attendant Zhong Yuli, and Marquis Xinchang Li Pu—let me read the notice to you…”

“…His Majesty elevated Capital Prefect Han Daoxun from humble origins, yet Han Daoxun disregarded the Emperor’s grace, his nature cold and heartless, not thinking of serving His Majesty loyally. Together with his son, he instigated the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu to command troops for his own power, and colluded with the treacherous Consort Wang Chan’er of Cishou Palace, Marquis Xinchang Li Pu, Internal Affairs Bureau Director and Senior Palace Attendant Zhong Yuli and other traitors. On the twelfth day of the twelfth month, they infiltrated Chongwen Hall and suffocated him with pillows, harming His Majesty—this notice clearly and plainly describes all of dog official Han Daoxun’s crimes…”

“Ah, ‘suffocated with pillows’—what does that mean?”

“You fool, so uneducated! It means pressing a pillow over the mouth and nose to smother someone to death.”

“That’s truly audacious! Are they going to behead them publicly?”

“Public beheading would be letting them off easy… By the Empress Dowager’s decree, Han Daoxun and Zhong Yuli will be torn apart by chariots in the Eastern Market, to proclaim this to the world and serve as a warning—torn apart by chariots, that’s dismemberment by five horses…”

……

……

“Yang Tai, you old fool! Han Daoxun served the nation and people with utter loyalty. If not to stem the tide, to eliminate the calamity of war, to prevent the clan members from killing each other, for Jinling, for the billions of people throughout Jianghuai, why would he walk into a trap? That woman surnamed Xu has gone mad, but we cannot let Han Daoxun die so miserably! If we sit by and do nothing, Heaven will strike us down!”

Yang En, disheveled and held down in the grand tutor’s chair in the main hall of the Imperial Clan Court’s official residence by several people, had struggled until he had no strength left. Yet he still pointed at Imperial Clan Minister Yang Tai’s nose and cursed furiously, his roaring voice hoarse from his throat.

“Yang En, Empress Dowager Xu has with difficulty spared your life—why must you debase yourself like this? Listen to my advice. Stay properly in my residence these two days. If you want to curse, I’ll listen to your curses. If you want to hit me, I’ll let you hit me. Will that work?”

Duke Yingguo Yang Tai was over seventy years old, his hair now completely white. He was the common cousin of Emperor Tianyou and Marquis Liyang Yang En. His father and the grandfather of Emperor Tianyou and Yang En were blood brothers. He could be said to be the sole surviving figure of the previous generation of the Yang clan, and he had always served as Imperial Clan Minister, presiding over clan affairs.

Although His Majesty’s death was suspicious, as a pragmatic man, Yang Tai had no interest in investigating what had actually happened inside Chongwen Hall. He only knew that protecting the Yang imperial clan and ensuring the Great Chu throne didn’t fall into other surnames’ hands was Yang Tai’s greatest duty.

No matter how Yang En cursed, Yang Tai just sat steadily in his grand tutor’s chair while ordering his household to hold Yang En down, not letting him rush out of the residence to speak recklessly.

“You old fool, if you don’t have the courage to petition that woman surnamed Xu to spare Han Daoxun’s life, then let me go!” Yang En was nearly driven mad with rage, roaring.

“You’re weak and alone. What could you accomplish by forcing your way into the palace by yourself?” Yang Tai urged bitterly.

“The world is occupied by cowardly traitors like you, which is why treacherous people hold power and evil runs rampant. I, Yang En, may be weak and alone, overestimating my abilities, like a tiny mayfly trying to shake a giant tree, but I can at least die to prove that under these bright heavens, not everyone is a cowardly traitor like you. I expect that woman surnamed Xu won’t mind beheading one more person!” Yang En roared.

“Even if you want to seek death it’s useless. Han Daoxun obtained the Dragon Sparrow Army for the Third Prince, and obtained Tanzhou. Empress Dowager Xu hates him to the bone. Unless Han Daoxun submits now and is willing to serve Empress Dowager Xu, how could she possibly spare his life?” No matter how Yang En shouted, Yang Tai remained unmoved, sitting with his chair blocking the doorway, having people hold Yang En down firmly.

“Han Daoxun obtained the Dragon Sparrow Army and Tanzhou—who said that?” Yang En demanded.

“Isn’t it so?” Yang Tai asked in return.

“Because of this, that woman surnamed Xu must kill him?” The veins on Yang En’s forehead throbbed and jumped. He rebuked furiously, “That woman surnamed Xu should fear his son Han Qian, not Han Daoxun—leaving Han Daoxun alive is the only way both sides have room for reconciliation. If that woman surnamed Xu kills Han Daoxun, she will die without a burial place! You old fool, today you aid a tyrant in her cruelty—your day will also come!”

Where would Yang Tai believe Yang En?

How old was Han Qian? Even if he was skilled at using ingenious strategies, even though his reputation was now rising and he was showing his talents, this was ultimately due to his family’s scholarly tradition—it still had to be attributed to Han Daoxun. Only as long as Han Daoxun lived would he truly make Anning Palace and the Crown Prince unable to sit or sleep peacefully.

For such a figure to walk into a trap—how could Anning Palace be merciful? How could they not fear that once he escaped, he would bring them endless troubles?

So many things had happened in just one short day—Heaven had been pierced with a huge hole. Yang Tai was also exhausted. He had his household bring rope to bind Yang En, saving them from carelessly letting him escape the residence. Stroking his white beard, he said, “I’m already this old, half-buried in the ground. If I don’t die well, then so be it! You still need to live well for the Yang imperial clan!”

“If Jinling is killed until blood flows like rivers, you old fool, how will you still plan for the Yang imperial clan?” Yang En wanted to cry but had no tears. He just couldn’t understand why not a single person would believe his words.

“Yang Jian has already sent his family back into the city. As long as we can restrain the Second and Third Princes to hold their forces back, this old man will risk his life to petition Empress Dowager Xu to properly enfeoff the Second and Third Princes to garrison Chu and Tan regions, to share the realm together and jointly resist Shu and Liang!” Yang Tai said.

Yang En’s hands were bound. He stamped the ground anxiously, his pupils red, his eyes bloodshot with furious hatred as he cursed, “Han Daoxun walked into a trap—for what purpose? You’re all hopelessly stupid! You will all die without burial places!”

Yang En closed his eyes in despair. It was as if a river of blood lay before him: Now both sides had torn off their masks. This old fool Yang Tai actually didn’t know that Han Daoxun’s death meant that even the last shred of possibility to eliminate the calamity of war would vanish with him.

……

……

Zhao Kuo and Zhao Wuji, leading several young men from the Xi clan, arrived beneath the city at dawn. But the commanders of all nine gates had been replaced with people from Anning Palace and the Crown Prince’s faction. After daybreak, the city gates remained tightly closed, strictly prohibiting people from entering or leaving.

Fortunately, although the weather was cold, the streams and rivers had only formed thin ice. Rivers with larger waves hadn’t been sealed by river ice.

They felt their way to the water gate of North Victory Gate. Taking advantage of the garrison’s lack of vigilance, at noon they finally endured the bone-piercing cold and successfully dove underwater, passing through the gaps in the iron grating of North Victory Gate’s water gate, swimming into the city and entering a secret safe house near North Victory Gate.

Armored soldiers patrolled the streets throughout the city. Anyone daring to wander in groups of two or three was extremely likely to be intercepted and questioned.

Zhao Kuo and Zhao Wuji’s plan was to first send people to contact Shadow Sparrow and gather intelligence, then lie low for several days. Once the garrison troops in the city relaxed, they would find an opportunity to rescue Han Daoxun from his imprisonment.

The north wind howled. At some point, goose-feather snow began falling from the leaden sky. In a moment, a shallow layer of white accumulated in the courtyard.

The two people sent out to gather intelligence returned in less than half an incense stick’s time, covered in snow, their expressions alarmed, each bringing back a notice they had risked their lives to tear down from the streets and alleys.

Reading what the notices said, both Zhao Kuo and Zhao Wuji felt as if struck by a thunderbolt from a clear sky. They never imagined Anning Palace would be so impatient to kill their master, even dragging him to the Eastern Market to use the most cruel and brutal punishment of the age—dismemberment by five horses!

They could no longer care about carefully concealing their movements, nor about summoning more people. They hastily changed into common people’s clothes, hid their weapons and crossbows in a firewood cart, and rushed through the snow toward the Eastern Market.

However, by the time they reached the Eastern Market, everything was too late.

The crowd filling the street felt both a trace of fear about the execution just carried out, along with an irrepressible curiosity and excitement.

“His Majesty treated him with grace as heavy as mountains, yet this dog official actually colluded with treacherous people to harm His Majesty. Truly, only the punishment of being torn apart by chariots could resolve such hatred—but you know, the Imperial Guards used ropes tied around that dog official’s armpits and crotch, driving horses to pull him apart, yet this dog official didn’t wail in anguish. It somehow lacked that certain something…”

“His guts spilled all over the ground—what more do you want?”

“You can’t talk like that either. Not to mention that Han Daoxun had a reputation in Chuzhou and Xuzhou for loving the people. Although he served as Capital Prefect for only a short time, several aristocratic young masters had already been dragged to the yamen for punishment by him for being arrogant and overbearing, making the city considerably more peaceful. It’s truly hard to imagine he would conspire to harm His Majesty…”

“You must have forgotten—who was the dog official who suggested in court several years ago that the court should drive away the disaster victims outside the city to cleanse our eyes and ears? This dog official receiving the punishment of being torn apart by five horses today is truly what he deserves!”

“The Han father and son helped the Third Prince quell the Tanzhou rebellion—shouldn’t that be a great merit? If not for this, why would His Majesty possibly transfer him to such an important position as Capital Prefect?”

“What do you know? They say great treachery resembles loyalty, great falsehood resembles truth. If His Majesty hadn’t been deceived by this dog official’s false appearance, how could he have been so easily harmed by this dog official and those treacherous thieves? It’s a pity the palace guards tore this dog official’s body into two pieces with one pull. Four or five months ago when they executed rebel leader Ma Yin and his son, they tormented them for a full day before finally tearing their bodies apart! What a pity, what a pity—today we didn’t get to see the spectacular parts!”

The veins on Zhao Wuji’s forehead throbbed violently. He wanted nothing more than to pull out his blade from the firewood cart and chop these common people spouting nonsense all over the street into mincemeat, to tell them that their master had been unwilling to see them suffer the miseries of war and chaos, which was why he risked himself and walked into the trap to negotiate with the treacherous Empress Dowager!

“…” Zhao Kuo grasped Zhao Wuji’s impulsive shoulder, signaling him not to stoop to these ignorant people’s level. After passing through the crowd, from an alley entrance with few people, he saw four sections of unrecognizable corpse remains. Zhao Kuo couldn’t help trembling all over. He fiercely slammed his hand against the mud wall—with a muffled thud, the rammed earth of the wall crumbled and fell away. His right hand immediately became a bloody mess, yet the pain and fury in his heart had already made him unable to feel even half a trace of physical pain.

Heavy snow drifted down. Those several palace guard cavalry each dragged half a corpse around the vast Eastern Market in a procession. The blood still flowing mixed into the snow. Zhao Wuji and the young men under him, hot-blooded to their heads, walked back near the firewood cart and were about to draw out their weapons to rush over and seize their master’s corpse.

“Stop!” Zhao Kuo shouted in a stern voice to stop Zhao Wuji, ordering them to hide their weapons back in the firewood cart. Forcefully suppressing the sorrow in his heart, he lowered his voice and said, “Zhao Wuji, immediately take people and rush to Shu’s capital. Report to the Young Master—you must inform the Young Master of our master’s death before the official postal relay does. I’ll remain here waiting for a chance to collect our master’s body.”

“Today is our master’s fiftieth birthday! Are we still going to be stingy with our lives and sit by watching these beasts desecrate our master’s body?” Zhao Wuji’s hand gripping the bow handle trembled. His eyes, just shed of their childish look, were covered with tears.

“If the Shu Kingdom learns first of the news that our master was falsely accused, how do you know they definitely won’t detain the Young Master to trade with the treacherous Empress Dowager?” Zhao Kuo grasped Zhao Wuji’s wrist, glaring at him furiously, wanting him to calm down first.

Zhao Wuji dejectedly hid his longbow back in the firewood cart. The trace of reason remaining amidst his grief and fury told him Zhao Kuo was right. Great Chu had already fallen apart—no one could be certain that when news reached the Shu Kingdom, the Shu people would definitely choose to cooperate with the Third Prince rather than create difficulties for the Young Master who was currently on a mission to Shu to escort the bride!

No matter how grief-stricken and furious he felt in his heart, he had to first get the news to the Young Master’s ears.

Heavy snow fell across Heaven and Earth, and the north wind wailed mournfully…