A Xie family face, flowing with Xie family blood, just like a person of the Xie family—

Xie Yanlai’s hand hanging at his side clenched into a fist.

Xiao Yu moved closer to Chu Zhao. This person was his uncle? The uncle his mother spoke of, who loved him dearly—why in this moment did he only sense killing intent?

A warm hand embraced him.

“Look,” Chu Zhao said with a gentle laugh, “you two look very much alike.”

Xie Yanlai lowered his gaze and stepped back.

Just then, another group of riders galloped over from the direction of the arrow tower. Someone among them shouted, “I am Qi Xuan from His Majesty’s side, quickly open the city gate.”

It was an elderly eunuch, dressed extremely strangely. The imperial guards behind Xie Yanlai were startled.

Xie Yanlai didn’t even glance at the old eunuch and said: “Open the gate.”

…

…

“Is His Majesty well?”

Although he didn’t recognize the young officer guarding the gate—if he was an officer at all—Eunuch Qi didn’t recognize these imperial guards either, nor could he see any familiar officers—those familiar officers might have already become corpses.

In any case, the others at the city gate deferred to him, so Eunuch Qi asked him directly.

The young officer glanced over and said: “I don’t know.”

Don’t know? Eunuch Qi was taken aback. What did that mean?

“We are imperial guards at the city gate. We must guard the gate and prevent bandits from outside from breaking in. As for the situation inside, we are not clear about it. Without summons, we would not go in either,” Xie Yanlai said.

Eunuch Qi understood. This young officer’s meaning could also be interpreted as: the inside was already under martial law, and outside observation was forbidden.

If that was the case, it was either very dangerous inside or very safe.

Eunuch Qi hesitated.

He hadn’t originally agreed to come to the imperial city. The Third Prince’s revolt was sudden, but the preparations behind it must have been going on for more than a day or two. His mother, the Noble Consort, had long been the sole favorite in the inner palace. No matter how careful His Majesty was, it would be difficult to prevent—

Perhaps His Majesty was already gone.

They should leave the capital and wait for troops from all directions to come and suppress the rebellion, preferably with General Chu leading troops back.

But Miss Chu insisted on entering the imperial city, and Deputy Commander Zhong and the others all listened to her. They had already fought once, expending their strength. Fighting their way out again would certainly be more difficult.

“We’ll know once we go in and see,” Chu Zhao said from the side.

Eunuch Qi turned to look at her. Since meeting this girl at the Chu residence, since she had declared herself Chu Wei’s daughter, he had believed every word she said without doubt, going when told to go and stopping when told to stop. But at this moment, he couldn’t help expressing his concern: “Isn’t it too dangerous?”

Chu Zhao could understand his worries and said softly: “Eunuch Qi, whether it’s safe or dangerous, we must take the risk to find out.”

Risk—

Eunuch Qi looked at the child in front of Chu Zhao. After being identified by the young officer, the child had turned away again, hiding his face. Now, as Eunuch Qi and Chu Zhao spoke, others couldn’t hear clearly, but every word fell on the child’s head. Yet the child showed no reaction, as if he couldn’t hear.

The Little Prince must be in shock.

The night’s upheaval had shattered the souls of adults, let alone a child.

“Miss Chu,” he said, “the Little Prince cannot withstand any more risk.”

Getting to the Chu residence had already been a great risk, and it almost didn’t end well. If Miss Chu hadn’t fought her way out—

Chu Zhao looked at Eunuch Qi: “I could bring you back from the brink of death when we risked entering the Chu residence. I can do the same within the imperial city.”

In the torchlight, the girl’s gaze was calm, as if nothing in the world frightened her.

Was it the fearlessness of youth’s ignorance? Eunuch Qi didn’t know what to say. What could he say now? He had no way to say anything. The Longwei Army all obeyed Chu Zhao, and that girl from who-knows-what army was already impatiently urging, “Are we going or not? Why are you still dawdling?”

Eunuch Qi bowed his head: “This old servant listens to you, Miss.”

Chu Zhao reassured him: “Don’t worry, His Majesty is certainly still alive.”

In that lifetime, His Majesty had lived long enough to execute the Noble Consort, demote the Third Prince to a commoner and confine him at the imperial tomb, enfeoff Xiao Xun as Crown Prince, and even after the Prince of Zhongshan suddenly died from illness, the Emperor had lingered on the dragon bed for another half month before passing away.

In this lifetime, the Crown Prince had not changed his fate of death, so the Emperor surely would not change his fate of staying alive.

“There are quite a few imperial guards in the inner palace.”

Xie Yanlai, who had been silent since saying “open the gate,” suddenly spoke.

Chu Zhao looked at him: “I’m not afraid. If they won’t let me in, I’ll fight my way in.”

She had brought the Longwei Army precisely to assault the city.

She would fight the Third Prince’s forces, and she dared to fight the Emperor’s too.

Today, this palace, this Emperor—she was determined to see him!

Xie Yanlai looked at the girl’s eyes burning like ghostly fire and inwardly snorted. See? This was the girl’s true face. Hosting a literary gathering at Chu Garden and provoking the Third Prince was nothing; she would brave blade mountains and fire seas.

It had nothing to do with him. She could do whatever she wanted.

Xie Yanlai stepped back again, clearing the path.

But Chu Zhao did not spur her horse forward. Instead, she lowered her head and softly called to the child in her arms: “Little Prince.”

The child, who had appeared stunned with fear in Eunuch Qi’s eyes, immediately raised his head.

He looked up at Chu Zhao.

Chu Zhao said to him softly: “Little Prince, this is your uncle. His name is Xie Yanlai.”

The child turned his head and looked at Xie Yanlai again.

“Don’t be afraid,” Chu Zhao said, bending her head slightly, looking at Xie Yanlai together with the child. “Your uncle will block the bandits from breaking in. If there are bandits ahead, he will also come with us to kill them. In this imperial city, your uncle will guard you with his life.”

The girl on horseback looked at him with bright, sparkling eyes, a faint smile on her lips, pure, lovely, and gentle. But in that instant, Xie Yanlai felt his hair stand on end.

Chu Zhao! How venomous you are!

In the entire Xie family, only one person could be called “uncle” by the Little Prince, and that was Xie Yanfang.

Others might perhaps see the Little Prince once, but to be called uncle and recognized as such was impossible.

It was even more impossible for him, Xie Yanlai.

Now, Chu Zhao had pushed him in front of the Little Prince at this critical moment, this life-or-death juncture!

She didn’t need to say these words!

This was bribery with benefits!

As Chu Zhao’s words fell, the child who had never spoken opened his mouth.

“Uncle,” his voice trembled slightly as he looked at the young officer before him, staring intently at his face as if to engrave it in his heart, “thank you.”

Xie Yanlai lowered his hand, gripping his sword tightly, and withdrew his gaze. He said: “Go!”

At this command, Chu Zhao did not linger. She secured the child with one arm and spurred her horse forward, flying like an arrow toward the inner city.

The troops following her transformed into a shower of arrows.

Xie Yanlai stood before the city gate, feeling the fierce wind and the scent of blood slide past.

“Yanlai,” the other imperial guards now approached Xie Yanlai’s side.

Earlier, when they had followed Xie Yanlai outside, they had deliberately fallen back a few steps at first, giving the young lovers space to talk. But later they couldn’t approach—the people around Miss Chu had blocked them.

These people wore no military uniforms, but their aura was terrifying.

Now they had finally left.

“This Miss Chu—” fear had not yet dispersed from a guard’s eyes, “actually has so many troops—”

Xie Yanlai glanced at them. Unexpected, wasn’t it?

“Still thinking she’s my fiancée, that she came to find me out of concern, out of attachment?” he said with a cold laugh.

Could this girl be viewed through ordinary eyes? Romance, huh—

From ahead came the urgent sound of hoofbeats as another group of riders galloped up, like those who had passed before, wearing no military uniforms.

“Miss—” someone called out, a deep voice resounding at the city gate.

Chu Zhao’s voice carried back from the inner city: “Uncle Zhong, guard the city gate well.”

Hearing this, Zhong Changrong was about to rein in his horse when his gaze fell on the young officer standing at the city gate. He was taken aback, and then the scar on his face twitched.

“You!” he shouted, his eyes fierce, “What are you doing here?!”

Xie Yanlai raised an eyebrow, his gaze unwavering: “Why shouldn’t I be here?” Then he laughed coldly, “I should be asking you that.”

This brat, what attitude! Zhong Changrong cracked his whip, not landing it on Xie Yanlai but making a loud snap in the air.

I’ll deal with you later!

“Since you’re here,” he said irritably, pointing outside, “the arrow tower and this place are yours. I’m going inside.”

As he spoke, he made a gesture to divide the troops. The forces instantly split into two groups: one following Zhong Changrong as he galloped through the city gate without pausing, the other standing at attention in front of Xie Yanlai.

All this happened in an instant. Zhong Changrong didn’t even slow down before charging through.

Xie Yanlai was furious and only managed to shout: “Who do you think I am?!”

But it was useless; Zhong Changrong had already passed through the city gate and was out of sight.

“Yanlai, you’re so familiar with Miss Chu’s uncle,” the guards beside him were surprised. “Are you—”

“We have no relationship whatsoever!” Xie Yanlai snapped, raising his eyebrows. “And I’m not familiar with him!”

The guards made a sound of acknowledgment. If you don’t want to talk about it, we won’t ask. After all, it’s your private matter.

Xie Yanlai was about to say something in annoyance when the guards changed the subject, pointing at the troops standing at attention and asking in a low voice: “What should we do?”

Xie Yanlai looked at the troops before him and swung his sword, venting his frustration.

“Follow me to the arrow tower!” he commanded. “Defend the city!”