When Xie Yanfang arrived at the imperial city, he saw even more troops than before, with tighter security. But due to the constant stream of officials rushing in, the atmosphere was tense yet not frightening.

Xie Yanfang immediately spotted Xie Yanlai standing at the city gate in armor with weapons, as if watching these officials yet also seeming to see no one. But every official who passed by him couldn’t help but quicken their steps.

“Why are you guarding here?” Seventh Master Xie walked over and stopped, speaking in a low voice.

This time entering the palace, Xie Yanfang hadn’t come alone. In the capital, Seventh Master Xie was an elder after all.

Xie Yanlai’s long eyes glanced sideways: “Then where should I be?”

At the Emperor’s side, of course! At a time like this, how could the Xie clan be absent from His Majesty’s presence? Seventh Master Xie gritted his teeth. Xie Yanfang patted his arm: “Seventh Uncle, let’s go in quickly. Don’t delay. Yanlai has official duties—don’t disturb him.”

Seventh Master Xie withdrew his gaze, flicked his sleeve, and walked past Xie Yanlai toward the interior.

Xie Yanfang nodded at Xie Yanlai and walked past.

“What an attitude! What’s he so proud of!” Seventh Master Xie muttered angrily in a low voice, looking back at Xie Yanlai. “So what if he guards the imperial city? So what if he has merit? Does he think he can overturn heaven?”

Xie Yanfang said, “Seventh Uncle, since he can’t overturn heaven, why fear sending him to heaven? I know everyone’s dissatisfied with his good fortune, but he truly has such good fortune. This is heaven’s gift. We’re one family. What we should do is share this fortune together, not drive him away.”

Seventh Master Xie was stunned, then smiled bitterly: “Yes, I was wrong. I lost my composure.”

Xie Yanfang said, “Those with good fortune can be arrogant and presumptuous. In the future, Seventh Uncle can be too.”

Seventh Master Xie laughed: “Hearing you put it that way, I suddenly find the boy more pleasing to the eye.” He looked back again.

The officials bustling behind blocked his view.

Xie Yanfang hushed him, indicating this wasn’t the time to smile. Though the summoning eunuch hadn’t stated the reason for entering the palace, before the summoning eunuch arrived, Xie Yanfang had already received word that the Emperor was dying.

Even without the Crown Prince, the Xie clan wasn’t blind or deaf in the imperial city.

Seventh Master Xie stopped smiling and assumed a solemn expression. The two followed the crowd toward the deep palace.

The inner palace was also lined with soldiers and guards, and not all officials could enter. A eunuch held a roster and called names one by one, but this summoning didn’t follow official rank.

Several important ministers and high officials were stopped outside, each with extremely ugly expressions.

“We cannot have an audience with His Majesty?”

“Who made this roster?”

“In the past, even without a summons, we could see His Majesty!”

Though they said this, on this side, the soldiers and guards standing in rows immediately half-drew the blades they held, revealing flashing cold light.

Now was not like the past.

The Third Prince had committed treason, the Crown Prince had died violently. A new Grand Tutor had emerged from who knows where, hunting down remaining rebels and criminals everywhere. The Zhao clan had been exterminated to the ninth degree of kinship, and still he didn’t stop. Every day he was arresting people here and there. Many officials had their homes raided in the middle of the night while sleeping.

“I think he’s not hunting down the Third Prince’s remnants—he’s acting with impunity, settling personal scores, framing people at will.”

Someone muttered quietly, but only dared to mutter quietly. What could they do? The new Grand Tutor held the imperial seal in one hand and the tiger tally in the other. With the Emperor clearly dying and the Young Highness only six years old, in this Great Xia, he truly had complete control.

So even if angry and dissatisfied, they could only temporarily restrain their tempers.

Fortunately, the eunuchs called the Xie clan’s name. Otherwise, Seventh Master Xie truly didn’t know what he would do, though only one person was allowed to enter.

Under the many dark, ambiguous, and complex gazes at the palace gate, Xie Yanfang strode inside.

Inside the rear palace, there were even more soldiers and guards, and the atmosphere was even more chilling.

Xie Yanfang arrived at the Emperor’s sleeping quarters. The officials who had been summoned inside still only stood outside the hall, their expressions anxious and sorrowful.

Xie Yanfang was about to stand there when a eunuch hurried over.

“Third Young Master,” he said. “His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Highness the Crown Princess said that when you arrived, they ask you to enter immediately.”

Xie Yanfang nodded to the eunuch and went inside.

Inside the hall, there were quite a few people—imperial physicians, Deng Yi—all gathered around the Emperor’s dragon bed. The girl and the child were actually at the back. Hearing the sound, they turned their heads.

“Third Young Master,” Chu Zhao said, leading Xiao Yu by the hand to greet him.

Xie Yanfang saluted them: “Greetings to Your Highness.”

Chu Zhao said, “No need for formalities—we’re family.” She shook the child’s hand.

The child standing beside her looked at Xie Yanfang and said, “Third Uncle.”

Xie Yanfang knelt down on one knee and nodded to him: “I’m here.”

The child, whose expression was dazed and wooden, lowered his gaze and made a sound of acknowledgment.

Xie Yanfang reached out and gently patted the child’s shoulder, then stood up. Looking at Chu Zhao, he asked quietly, “His Majesty—”

Chu Zhao shook her head and said softly, “The Noble Consort poisoned His Majesty for many years.”

Xie Yanfang lowered his eyes: “The Zhao clan deserves extermination to the ninth degree.”

Chu Zhao sighed softly.

The two spoke quietly in the back. Deng Yi at the dragon bed turned around.

“Let everyone come in,” he said.

The eunuchs acknowledged and immediately went outside to relay the message. Chu Zhao and Xie Yanfang also stopped talking and stood near the dragon bed. The officials outside swarmed in, each with sorrowful expressions. Many already had tears streaming down their faces.

“Your Majesty—” Their voices choked. “We subjects are incompetent—”

The Emperor sat half-upright on the dragon bed, leaning against thick cushions, his face flushed with color. He looked energetic and spirited, just like many years ago during court sessions.

The officials present, seeing the Emperor like this, felt the past surge into their hearts. For a moment, their feelings were mixed. Those who had been crying falsely began to cry truly, and those crying truly wept even more sorrowfully.

“Enough, stop crying,” the Emperor stopped the officials. “I don’t have time. There are some matters I must instruct you on.”

Everyone in the room knelt down.

What the Emperor wanted to instruct was also simple. He pointed at Xiao Yu and said the Crown Prince should ascend the throne immediately. He pointed at Chu Zhao and said the Emperor and Empress’s wedding should proceed simultaneously. Then he pointed at Deng Yi—the Grand Tutor would protect the nation and provide assistance.

“I know you have many dissatisfactions, many subjects have memorials to present, but today I speak with absolute authority and will not tolerate objections,” the Emperor said word by word. “I will be a foolish ruler one last time.”

The officials knelt on the ground crying, “Your Majesty is wise and sagacious.”

The Emperor laughed heartily. As he laughed, he slid down. The eunuchs and imperial physicians cried out in alarm and surged forward, laying the Emperor properly on the bed. In just this brief instant, the Emperor no longer had his previous energy. He visibly withered before their eyes.

“All of you, withdraw,” the Emperor said in a hoarse, gasping voice. “I don’t want you watching—”

The officials cried and couldn’t rise. It was Deng Yi who had everyone withdraw.

“Your Majesty, let His Highness the Crown Prince remain here—” Deng Yi said again.

The Emperor seemed to lack the strength to speak and shook his head.

Deng Yi immediately said no more and asked Chu Zhao and Xiao Yu to also withdraw.

The Emperor suddenly raised his hand: “Come, come—”

Deng Yi quickly stepped forward.

“Zhong, Zhong—” the Emperor said. Whether from lack of strength or not knowing the person’s name, he spoke with some difficulty.

Deng Yi didn’t quite understand for a moment.

Chu Zhao was startled and blurted out, “Does Your Majesty want to see Vice General Zhong?”

The Emperor slowly nodded, a trace of a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

The officials were somewhat puzzled. Who was Vice General Zhong?

Deng Yi didn’t hesitate in the slightest. He turned and instructed a eunuch: “Summon Vice General Zhong.”

……

……

Those who had withdrawn to outside the hall watched an unfamiliar military officer with a scarred face walk inside. Their expressions were puzzled as they looked at each other.

Most people didn’t know who this person was.

No matter who he was, on His Majesty’s deathbed, he wouldn’t even let the Young Highness remain by his side, wouldn’t even look at him one more time, but instead wanted to see this person.

It was truly strange.

Chu Zhao watched Vice General Zhong’s figure. She roughly understood why—what His Majesty wanted to see was her father.

……

……

Vice General Zhong stood dazed before the dragon bed. He seemed to have many thoughts, yet also had none at all. He had no idea what he should do or say here.

The Emperor looked at him and said, “I won’t be able to see Chu Ling one last time.”

Looking at the Emperor’s scattered expression, Vice General Zhong’s eyes stung. He knelt on one knee, his voice choked: “Your Majesty, don’t be anxious. The General will soon follow Your Majesty.”

The Emperor laughed: “That’s right. He’s also going to die.”

The Emperor’s gaze passed over the kneeling Vice General Zhong, through the spacious and deep great hall, toward the outside.

“I want to see the Flame Command once.”

The Flame Command?

Vice General Zhong raised his head, moved his lips, and blurted out: “Your Majesty, the General said the Flame Command is not for playing.”

The Emperor laughed again. Because of the laughter, he became even more breathless.

“Don’t be afraid,” he said. “When he dies and I see him, I won’t let him punish you. If he wants to scold, let him scold me.”