How did Xie Yanfang get here?

The Third Prince’s expression was very grim.

Of course, he had always known that Xie Yanfang was not to be underestimated, which is why the Xie family was treated the same as the Yang family and surrounded at the first opportunity.

The city gates were also sealed, cutting off all news—not that he expected to keep everything completely secret, but just to have enough time to kill the Crown Prince.

But not only had the Xie family not been surrounded and killed, they had even broken out.

This damned Xie family.

Uncle Zhao hatefully said: “The Xie family hoarded so many men and horses in secret. They truly have wild ambitions.”

The Third Prince wanted to capture Xie Yanfang and tear him apart alive.

“Xie Yanfang!” he shouted. “How bold! You kept private troops—are you planning to rebel?”

His voice carried across the wall of men on both sides. Xie Yanfang heard it and laughed.

“I’m not planning to rebel,” he said, gesturing for his guards in front to make way. He spurred his horse forward a few steps to get a clearer view of the Third Prince.

His eyes were covered with frost but tinged with red, like a piece of blood jade, bursting with undisguised hatred.

Hatred for the Third Prince, who truly had wild ambitions; hatred for himself, for not being by the Crown Prince’s side, even though that Miss Chu had repeatedly warned him—

Hatred because, despite the early warnings, he was still one step too late.

Hatred for the merciless heavens, hatred for his powerlessness—

“I’m going to kill you,” Xie Yanfang said as he put away his bow and took the long sword from his back, his voice calm.

His soft voice also carried across the human wall to the Third Prince’s ears. Combined with his blood-red gaze, even the bloodthirsty Third Prince couldn’t help but feel a slight tremor in his heart.

He was a scholar in the eyes of the world, and Xie Yanfang was also a scholar in the eyes of the world. And scholars knew best how terrifying such scholars could be.

“Xie Yanfang is a madman,” Uncle Zhao whispered beside him. “If we don’t eliminate him this time, he’ll be trouble in the future.”

“I know that, of course,” the Third Prince said hatefully, his gaze fixed fiercely on the white-robed, sword-bearing man opposite.

But fighting Xie Yanfang to the death now would do him no good either.

The Crown Prince might be dead, but the Crown Prince’s dog of a son was still alive—an endless trouble.

What’s worse, if something happened to him—

“Xie Yanfang—” the Third Prince laughed loudly and called out, “Although I haven’t reached the hunting grounds yet, the Crown Prince has already been killed by my men.”

Whether they were his men or not didn’t matter. What mattered was that he wanted the Crown Prince dead and needed Xie Yanfang to know that the Crown Prince was already dead.

Lord Zhao didn’t know if Xie Yanfang across from them was startled, but he certainly was. Wouldn’t this just provoke Xie Yanfang further?

“A-Zhu,” he couldn’t help calling the Third Prince by his childhood name.

The Third Prince gestured for him not to worry and laughed loudly again toward the other side.

“You’re opposing me because I’m the Crown Prince’s enemy. Now that the Crown Prince is dead, there’s no need for you to kill me.”

Lord Zhao suddenly realized something and began to understand. Not bad, not bad, this was a good approach. He smiled silently.

Xie Yanfang stood silently in the distance.

“You oppose me just because you want to be the National Uncle, right?” the Third Prince continued. “That’s easy to fix. Have another of your family’s sisters marry me, and everything will be as before.”

Another sister to marry the Third Prince? Xie Yanfang still said nothing, listening as the Third Prince continued.

“Xie Yanfang, the reason you arranged for your sister to marry the Crown Prince was only because he was the Crown Prince, wasn’t it?” the Third Prince asked with a half-smile. “Could it be that you admired him for his character?”

Hearing this, Xie Yanfang smiled and answered: “Of course not.”

As long as he was willing to speak, that was good. The Third Prince called out, “Good! Third Young Master Xie is honest. We are born as humans to pursue fame and fortune.”

At this point, his expression turned emotional.

“Third Young Master, you and I are kindred spirits. His Majesty now has only one son left. I am the Crown Prince. So, marry your sister to me. Your sister will be the Crown Prince Consort, and you will still be the National Uncle. What’s wrong with that? Isn’t this a win-win? Why must we fight to the death?”

He spoke earnestly.

“Third Young Master Xie, the Crown Prince, is already dead. It’s over.”

The Xie family had countless sisters. No matter who it was, as long as she became the Crown Prince Consort, the Xie family would still be related to the imperial family by marriage.

The Crown Prince was already dead. Nothing could be changed. People must move forward and find a new path.

Xie Yanfang looked at the Third Prince, his gaze suddenly falling to the side, where Lord Zhao quietly stood beside the Third Prince.

When Xie Yanfang’s gaze turned to him, Lord Zhao felt as if he had been stared at by a venomous snake, instantly going numb.

“Since Your Highness has goodwill toward me, then kill Lord Zhao,” Xie Yanfang said with a smile. “Let this world have only one National Uncle.”

Xie Yanfang, you son of a bitch, what kind of creature are you? Lord Zhao cursed in his heart. He knew this young man was no good. He—

He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could make a sound, there was a pain in his abdomen as a sharp weapon pierced him.

What was happening?

Lord Zhao turned his head in disbelief to see the Third Prince’s fair face—

This face he had watched grow from childhood, so similar to his own. As the old saying went, the nephew resembles the uncle, and he was proud of it.

He cared for this nephew more attentively than his son.

He had gathered men for him, sought wealth for him, schemed for him, committed evil deeds for him, and even risked his life to protect him.

Just now, when those arrows came flying, he didn’t think twice before shielding the Third Prince.

He cherished the Third Prince like his own life.

But it seemed the Third Prince didn’t cherish him the same way—

That Xie Yanfang had only said one sentence! Just one sentence! And you didn’t even question it, didn’t even pretend to hesitate, didn’t even try to bargain—

Uncle Zhao pressed his hand against his chest, staring hard at the Third Prince.

“A-Zhu—” he said through clenched teeth, calling the Third Prince’s childhood name.

The Third Prince withdrew his hand, pulling out the long sword, and kicked him.

Uncle Zhao instantly died, falling from his horse. The rest of his words—”A-Zhu, beware of him—”had no chance to be uttered.

This sudden turn of events startled everyone around, especially Lord Zhao’s men, who all retreated.

The Third Prince’s expression remained unchanged as he wiped the blade on Uncle Zhao’s corpse and said: “Uncle cherished me and was willing to sacrifice his life for the success of my great plan.”

Then he looked at Xie Yanfang.

“Third Young Master Xie, this way, my future son and I will have only you as an uncle. Are you satisfied?”

Xie Yanfang laughed heartily and sheathed his long sword: “Satisfied!”

He put away his sword, and the Third Prince’s smile deepened. Now that he had convinced Xie Yanfang, even if the Crown Prince’s dog of a son was still alive, it wasn’t so important.

Perhaps, to show sincerity and to be a good National Uncle in the future, Xie Yanfang would even personally eliminate the former Crown Prince’s son.

The former Crown Prince.

That Crown Prince had already become part of the past.

The Third Prince said: “Third Young Master—”

He was about to make more generous promises, but across from him, Xie Yanfang, who had put down his sword, suddenly took up his bow and aimed it at the Third Prince—

“Xie Yanfang!” The Third Prince’s face suddenly contorted as he shouted, “You dare—”

The response was a buzzing sound as three arrows flew along with Xie Yanfang’s cold gaze.

This sudden turn of events caught many people off guard. First, National Uncle Zhao had been killed, which had already confused the guards’ minds, so when Xie Yanfang suddenly attacked, they couldn’t react in time.

By the time the guards reacted, the Third Prince had already been hit by three arrows and fallen from his horse, crashing onto the recently deceased National Uncle Zhao’s corpse.

Xie Yanfang sat on his horse with his hands lowered and said coldly: “Kill!”

Leave no one alive!

Third Prince, only with your death will this world truly have only one National Uncle from the Xie family.

There will never be a new National Uncle.

……

……

At the hunting grounds, hooves clattered chaotically amidst the rising flames, but the sounds of killing had stopped.

People no longer ran wildly but crouched or lay on the ground to avoid being trampled by the incoming horses and men.

“Young Master, Young Master—”

A palace maid stumbled about, watching the white-robed young master galloping toward her, waving her hands in heart-wrenching desperation.

“Miss, save the Miss—”

Xie Yanfang rushed toward the palace maid and urgently asked: “Where’s Yuér? Is Yuér all right?”