Fireworks suddenly exploded in the air. In the capital city, dark with night and filled with fighting and chaos, they drew the attention of many people.

A commoner hiding in his home, tables, chairs, benches, and stools piled behind the door to block it, stared blankly when he saw the fireworks burst open in the sky.

“Why would anyone set off fireworks at a time like this? Is this a celebration?” his wife said in surprise.

These fireworks were truly beautiful. Even during the bustling capital’s most lively Lantern Festival, she had never seen anything so beautiful.

Thinking of this, she felt sorrowful again, wondering if she would even live to see this year’s Lantern Festival.

“Husband—” She reached out to pull the commoner. “Let’s go inside quickly.”

But the commoner didn’t follow his wife to hide. The terror had also disappeared from his face, replaced by calm. He reached out to grasp his wife and brought her to the cellar entrance in the courtyard.

“A’Lan, you hide here,” he said, opening the cellar.

His wife was startled. She hadn’t even known their home had a cellar. She chided her husband, “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

The husband first threw a lantern down to illuminate the cellar, then lowered his wife into it.

As the wife looked around, she found it was actually quite spacious.

“When did you dig this cellar?” she asked, then looked up waiting for her husband to come down.

But her husband wasn’t coming down. He stood above, looking down at his wife.

“A’Lan, I have something to do and need to go out for a bit. You hide here. Inside there’s food, drink, and a lot of money. There’s also a passage leading outside the house. If I don’t come back, take the money and return to your parents’ home to remarry.”

Hearing her husband’s words, the wife was more shocked than when she heard chaos had broken out in the capital. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Where would he go at a time like this? And the meaning behind his words suggested he was going to seek death.

“Come down quickly!” The wife stamped her feet anxiously. “No matter how chaotic it is outside, if they haven’t broken into our home, we’ll be fine. Don’t meddle in other people’s business.”

The husband shook his head. “A’Lan, there’s no time. I must leave urgently. Military orders are like a mountain collapsing. If there’s anything you don’t understand, I’ve hidden something in the box. Look at it and you’ll understand.”

Having said this, he lowered the cellar door, cutting off his wife’s shouts.

The wife stood in the cellar, both angry and afraid. What military orders like a mountain collapsing? Her husband was just a mason who went to work half the month. His skills were exceptional, he earned good money, and though he was an orphan, he had acquired land and property through his own efforts. After marrying her, she hadn’t suffered at all and could even help support her parents’ family—

Money. The wife thought of what her husband had said—a lot of money. What did he mean?

Her husband was a taciturn, honest man. She had thought she understood him well, but today she discovered he was very strange. Especially the man standing above the cellar in that dimness earlier—that was definitely not the aura of the husband she knew.

She picked up the lantern from the ground and walked deeper into the cellar. Passing through a narrow passage, she came to a spacious area. Many boxes were placed here. She opened them one by one and saw dried food and water. This water was from the past two days, very fresh. When she opened the final box, her lantern dropped to the ground.

Money. White gleaming silver.

Though their household didn’t lack for food or clothing, she had never seen this much money!

Even being the most skilled mason in the capital couldn’t earn this much money!

The wife picked up the lantern and saw a letter in the box—look, the mason could even write.

She had learned to read as a child from her scholar father. Could her father-in-law, also a mason, have taught her husband to write?

Her hands trembling, she opened the letter and saw crude handwriting.

“I am not a mason. I am a scout of the Dragon Authority Army. Every month when I go out, I’m not working as a mason but attending training.”

“For over ten years, I have never fulfilled my mission, but for over ten years, I have never interrupted my training, and General Chu has never stopped our military pay.”

“A’Lan, if you see this letter, it means I have received military orders to go kill the enemy. This journey’s outcome of life or death is uncertain, but my heart is very joyful.”

“My heart is very joyful.” The wife’s tears fell like rain as she looked at the letter.

This heartless man could actually leave just like that and even say his heart was joyful.

But thinking of that last glimpse of her husband in the dimness, fire had blazed in the eyes of that wooden, honest man.

She looked at those repeated words in the letter—over ten years.

Over ten years of waiting. He could finally fulfill his mission, finally had meaning for his existence. So, his heart was very joyful.

……

……

The magnificent Yang family residence burned with raging flames. There weren’t many living people left fleeing within.

A squad of soldiers were like wolves. Whenever they discovered anyone still breathing, they went up to finish them off with a blade.

The slaughter had already reddened their eyes. The more they killed, the greater the merit. Each competed to push forward. Among them, one moved slowly, whether from fear or reluctance, appearing somewhat cowardly.

Someone beside him urged in a low voice, “Old Bai, what are you afraid of? The Crown Prince is already dead. Even if His Majesty is angry, the Crown Prince can’t come back to life. This imperial throne and world all belong to the Third Prince. Why aren’t you clinging to this powerful leg? Do you want to remain a common soldier your whole life? You’re already over thirty.”

He spoke with an excited expression.

“Good thing our leader was shrewd and chose the Third Prince. We can also rise in rank and get rich with him. Those fools who stood in place lost their lives or got injured and gained nothing good.”

As he spoke, he stopped, wanting to give this old brother a hand. This old brother had always been honest in the military, neither competing nor fighting, doing nothing except doggedly practicing martial arts—what use was practicing martial arts here in the capital? Now it was finally useful, yet he was still timid and hesitant.

He pointed ahead at a fat man crawling toward the flower bushes. From his clothing, he might be one of the Yang family masters or a steward. “Go, kill him.”

The soldier called Old Bai didn’t hesitate, but wasn’t very enthusiastic either. He walked over woodenly. Just as he was about to raise his blade, someone charging over from the side pushed him away. The blade rose and fell, and the fat man’s head separated from his body.

“Haha!” That soldier laughed wildly and even kicked Old Bai aside. “Get lost! All the credit is Grandpa’s!”

Old Bai actually wasn’t kicked. He stepped back to avoid it.

That soldier ran off laughing wildly. His companion came forward with pained indignation to scold, “How can you be so useless? Even this was stolen from you.”

“Whoever kills him, it’s all the same. It’s all credit for the commander,” Old Bai said dully. Just then, he raised his head to look at the sky, his wooden expression full of shock.

His companion, grumbling complaints, also raised his head and saw the fireworks in the sky.

“Who is it, still sending signals?” As a soldier, seeing fireworks naturally made him think of this. He sneered, “What use is it at this time? The Crown Prince is dead, the Capital Guard is blocked outside the city, the palace side also has the Third Prince’s people. Who are they sending it to?”

He spoke with amusement again.

“These fireworks are made so gaudily.”

“Old Bai, listen to me. Soon in the inner courtyard there will definitely be more people, all women, much easier—”

He turned his head to continue speaking, but saw Old Bai beside him turn and run outside. The tall man ran extremely fast.

“Hey! Old Bai! Why are you running!”

Being a deserter at this time—wasn’t that foolish?

Sure enough, the running Old Bai was quickly discovered. Someone shouted, “Stop! Go back!”

Old Bai seemed unable to hear. He only ran outward like flying.

“Cut him down,” the leader said irritably.

The overall situation was already decided. Losing one worthless soldier didn’t matter.

Four soldiers answered in unison. Everyone also recognized this Old Bai. Usually inconspicuous, no one took notice. Grinning savagely, they stepped forward.

“Don’t kill him in one blow. Each person cut off one of his legs.”

With savage grins, the four pounced, raising their long blades at Old Bai. In the next moment, blade light flashed, flesh and blood flew, and screams rang out continuously—

The soldier who had been about to chase closed his eyes in despair. It was over, all over. He slowly backed away. Old Bai had already sought his own death—he shouldn’t be implicated—

But when he opened his eyes, what he saw was Old Bai leaping onto a horse. The four soldiers who were going to cut off Old Bai’s legs already lay on the ground. Their legs and feet were intact, but their heads had separated from their bodies.

The soldier was stunned. Others were also stunned. That leader was even more furious.

“Kill him!” he shouted.

More soldiers surrounded him, but Old Bai with his long blade in hand cut down one with each strike, flesh and blood flying.

He killed until everyone didn’t know whether to surround him or flee.

Fortunately, Old Bai didn’t want to kill everyone. He only carved open a path, leaving behind scattered flesh and blood as he galloped away, disappearing into the darkness.

The surrounding clamor and commotion—the soldier couldn’t hear any of it. He only stared blankly at the place where Old Bai had disappeared.

Was that really Old Bai?

That was definitely not Old Bai!

That was a god of slaughter!

……

……

People like the mason and soldiers like Old Bai rushed through the dark night toward where the fireworks bloomed. The street outside the Chu residence, originally cleared by Xiao Man and the others, slowly filled with human figures. Finally, even people emerged on the walls and rooftops.

Eunuch Qi watched this scene and lowered his head to wipe away tears.

Xiao Man pursed her lips.

Chu Zhao clenched her hands, then felt a pair of small hands grasp hers. She was startled and looked down to see the child in her arms.

Zhong Changrong’s scarred face flickered between light and shadow under the leaping firelight. He said, “Where are the scouts?”

Seven or eight people stepped forward. “Scouts await orders.”

Zhong Changrong said, “Which city gate in the capital can be seized and broken through?”

The scouts were about to speak when a female voice rang out first.

“Wait.”

All eyes looked toward the source of the sound. Under the torchlight was a girl on horseback holding a child.

Chu Zhao said, “Uncle Zhong, since we now have forces, we don’t need to break through.”

Not break through? Right now the capital was full of the Third Prince’s forces. The Capital Guard was outside the city. Although the Capital Guard must also have been seized by the Third Prince, not all of them could have become the Third Prince’s men. There must be His Majesty’s and the Crown Prince’s forces. Only by opening the city gates could the rebellion be quelled and the young Your Highness be safe.

Zhong Changrong looked at Chu Zhao and frowned slightly, but said nothing, listening for her to continue.

“We will force our way into the imperial city,” Chu Zhao said, looking toward where the imperial city lay.