Du Qi thought he was seeing things.

But with his ability to hit a target from a hundred paces, no matter how high and thick the city gate was, he wouldn’t mistake a person’s face.

Especially not Xie Yanlai’s face.

Who could forget that face once they’d seen it?

On top of the gate, the young man’s long eyes tilted slightly as he called out, “Third Brother.”

Xie Yanfang’s surprise faded, and he nodded at him.

“Xie Yanlai,” Du Qi shouted. “Quickly open the city gate!”

Hearing this, the corners of the young man’s mouth on the gate curved up. He folded his arms and leaned forward. “Du Qi, are you ordering me?”

Du Qi’s expression instantly darkened. Whether or not he was ordering Xie Yanlai aside, Xie Yanlai was deliberately being provocative.

Xie Yanlai was currently guarding the Son of Heaven’s city gate—only the Son of Heaven could give him orders.

This was cursing Du Qi for being insubordinate and arrogant, and it was also questioning Xie Yanfang.

This bastard! Du Qi gripped his crossbow. Did he think he wouldn’t dare shoot an arrow straight through him?

So what if you’re guarding the city gate under the Son of Heaven’s command? You’re still a son of the Xie family!

Xie Yanfang patted Du Qi. “Don’t you know his temperament? Fighting with him will only anger you to death.” After speaking, he looked up at the gate. Rather than mention entering the city, he only asked, “Yanlai, is the city safe?”

Xie Yanlai nodded and made a sound of affirmation. “It’s already safe.”

Xie Yanfang said, “That’s good then.” After speaking, he turned his horse around.

Though Du Qi was displeased, he followed his young master and turned as well.

Xie Yanlai’s shout came from atop the gate wall. “Hey, Third Brother—”

Xie Yanfang turned back on his horse.

“Come in,” the young man on the gate said. “The palace also wants to know what happened outside the city.”

After saying this, he raised his hand toward the officer beside him.

Du Qi watched as that officer, without saying another word, turned and personally went down to open the city gate.

This little brat—how did it look like he was already in charge?

One night outside the city, heaven and earth had been turned upside down. One night inside the city—it seemed extraordinary things had happened there as well.

…

…

The city gate slowly opened. Xie Yanfang dismounted and walked over with Du Qi. Casually glancing around, he saw that the imperial guards here were all unfamiliar. Unfamiliar didn’t mean their faces—they wouldn’t remember what every gate guard looked like. What was unfamiliar was their aura.

These people were not the original imperial guards and gate sentries.

Xie Yanlai also came down from atop the gate. The young man walked leisurely, his manner still the same as before.

His clothes and face were very clean, unlike Xie Yanfang and the others who were covered in blood. But the young man, who had always been sharp, now seemed like a sword that had been tempered and honed, gleaming with light.

Moreover, that officer who had been blocking them from atop the gate now followed behind Xie Yanlai with a respectful demeanor.

“How is His Majesty?” Xie Yanfang put away his scrutiny and asked.

Xie Yanlai didn’t say “no comment” but answered readily, “His Majesty already knows the Crown Prince met with disaster and also knows the Third Prince caused the rebellion.”

Xie Yanfang glanced ahead. In the hazy morning light, inside the gate was a scene of chaos, though cleanup had already begun. Soldiers and officers were putting out fires and moving corpses.

“The Crown Princess—” he said.

“Third Brother, you should enter the palace to see His Majesty,” Xie Yanlai interrupted him. “Tell His Majesty about the matter in detail.”

Xie Yanfang thought that just like opening the city gate, he had very easily and casually said to enter the palace.

“However,” Xie Yanlai pointed at Xie Yanfang, “you must leave your weapons behind. The Grand Tutor has ordered that aside from soldiers, no one may carry weapons while moving about the city.”

“Alright.” Xie Yanfang nodded without the slightest hesitation and handed over his crossbow and swords to the soldiers nearby.

Though Du Qi was somewhat unwilling, he didn’t say anything and handed over his weapons.

Even without weapons, in a moment of danger he could still protect his young master.

Xie Yanlai added, “I’ll accompany you. It’s not so easy to get through the palace gates.” After speaking, he turned to the officer and said, “I’m going to the palace.”

The officer nodded. “You go, Yanlai. I’ve got things here.”

They were already calling each other by name, as if they were familiar old friends and companions. Du Qi glanced at that officer, and the burly officer was extremely sharp, immediately returning his gaze with keen and fierce eyes.

Du Qi withdrew his gaze.

Xie Yanfang remounted his horse. Xie Yanlai also took the reins of a horse led over by a soldier nearby. The two brothers, one in front and one behind, along with Du Qi, galloped forward.

All along the way, the once-prosperous streets were in a terrible state. Many residences were still burning, the ground was covered in blood stains, and corpses were constantly being collected. However, there were quite a few people on the streets. Besides soldiers and officers cleaning up and putting out fires, there were also many officials patrolling.

Almost every street had an official leading a team.

Seeing the officials, civilians gradually emerged in greater numbers, running out from their homes and hiding places, crying to the officials and following them, unwilling to leave.

The officials comforted them one by one.

So although the streets looked terrifying, the atmosphere wasn’t so panicked.

The court had already mobilized. It truly was safe now. Xie Yanfang withdrew his gaze and galloped forward.

Approaching the palace, there were even more troops, standing dense as a forest. This area had also been cleaned up—there were no corpses, fires, or chaos, only occasional traces of blood stains visible on the ground.

Seeing the three approaching, the guards signaled for them to identify themselves. Xie Yanlai raised his token and also said, “Xie Yanlai.”

Those guards then let them through without questioning the other two.

This of course wasn’t because they recognized Xie Yanfang, but because they trusted Xie Yanlai.

Xie Yanfang looked at Xie Yanlai again. This was probably the most he’d looked at this younger brother since he’d entered the family.

Xie Yanlai sensed his gaze and looked back.

Xie Yanfang smiled at him. He didn’t ask why, though from the moment they’d met at the gate, he’d had many questions. He only said, “Yanlai has truly impressed everyone this time.”

Xie Yanlai also smiled. He didn’t say much, nor did he avoid the topic. His phoenix eyes tilted up, and he only said, “This palace—last night—I was the one who defended it.”

One sentence was enough to answer everything. One sentence was also enough to summarize everything.

Defended the palace? Really? Du Qi frowned. This palace couldn’t be defended by one person alone.

Xie Yanlai was brave and fierce, but among the palace gate guards, because of his status and the Xie family’s deliberate arrangements, he was just an ordinary person. How could it be his turn to command a response from everyone?

Even if there were many of the Crown Prince’s people among the palace gate guards, when the Third Prince seized the city, the first thing he would have done was eliminate these people.

Honestly, Du Qi was somewhat surprised that Xie Yanlai was even alive.

Sons of the Xie family would have been the first to be eliminated.

Xie Yanfang showed not the slightest doubt and praised him, “Yanlai is formidable. Just as you said yourself, you can do more important things.”

When he’d refused the marriage alliance with the Liang family, his stated reason was that he was very capable and could do more important things for the family. Xie Yanlai smiled but didn’t take up this topic, only saying, “Let’s go.”

Relying on the token and Xie Yanlai’s name, they passed through without obstruction, entering the palace and proceeding directly to the inner palace.

“Third Young Master has arrived!”

Upon entering the inner palace, Xie Yanfang finally felt a sense of familiarity, because many people recognized him, calling out his name with excited expressions, though he didn’t recognize any of these people.

This eunuch was nearly in tears. However, he didn’t lead them to see His Majesty.

“His Majesty is resting. The imperial physicians have instructed that he must not be disturbed.”

“Then we’ll wait until His Majesty awakens to speak with him,” Xie Yanfang said quickly.

What he had to say wasn’t good news anyway. His Majesty would inevitably be upset.

So next—

Xie Yanlai said from the side, “Third Brother should go see the Grand Tutor first. The matter concerning the Crown Prince is also a great matter of state. You should tell him in detail.”

The Grand Tutor? This was the second time the title of Grand Tutor had been mentioned. Xie Yanfang naturally knew of the Grand Tutor, but the Grand Tutor was practically nonexistent. With the Yang family present, the Grand Tutor was just an appendage.

The Crown Prince was gone, the Yang family was gone—could the Grand Tutor now issue orders?

Xie Yanfang asked, “Has Minister Liao already arrived?”

Xie Yanlai looked at him, smiled, and said, “Not Minister Liao. It’s Minister Deng.”

Deng? The Grand Tutor had been changed? But that wasn’t strange either. After such chaos, His Majesty would inevitably replace many people. Xie Yanfang nodded and said “Good,” then asked, “Which Minister Deng?”

He knew all the high-ranking officials and important ministers in the court, knew their dispositions and temperaments. When he met with them shortly, he could respond appropriately.

Xie Yanlai smiled. “Deng Yi, Minister Deng.”

Deng Yi? Xie Yanfang’s expression showed slight surprise. He had naturally heard this name, and recently at that, but this person wasn’t any important minister or high official.

That minor official who had climbed up through gift-giving had actually become the Grand Tutor?

The hall fell quiet for a moment, but the next moment the quiet was broken by chaotic footsteps coming from within.

“Young Highness, Young Highness, please don’t run!” The eunuchs’ anxious shouts followed.

Young Highness!

Xie Yanfang quickly looked ahead.

After he’d entered the city, Xie Yanlai hadn’t voluntarily mentioned it, and he hadn’t brought up the Young Highness either. The palace maid had said Eunuch Qi had taken the Young Highness to the Chu family. He’d thought that either Eunuch Qi had successfully reached the Chu family—in which case, unless the situation became completely stable, Eunuch Qi wouldn’t rashly emerge, and he would go directly there to search later—or Eunuch Qi hadn’t been able to successfully reach the Chu family—in which case, he would need to consider matters more carefully.

He hadn’t expected that the Young Highness had already returned to the palace.

He couldn’t help but step forward and saw a child running out from within the hall.

The child wore only an inner robe, his hair was loose, and he clutched a bamboo tube tightly in his arms. His small face was pale, his eyes full of terror, but even so, he was a beautiful child, delicately carved like jade.

He looked more like someone from the Xie family.

“A’Yu,” he called.

The child stopped and looked at the person before him.

This was his first time seeing the Imperial Grandson, and he hadn’t expected it to be under such circumstances. Life was truly so unpredictable. Xie Yanfang said gently, “A’Yu, I am Xie Yanfang.”

Xiao Yu looked at him and suddenly said, “Uncle.”

After calling out, he rushed over.

Xie Yanfang quickly reached out, preparing to lift him up, but the child rushed past him and threw himself into another person’s embrace.

Xie Yanfang turned his head.

“Uncle.” Xiao Yu hugged that young man, not at all minding his cold, piercing armor.

Uncle. Xie Yanfang looked at this scene. This night, heaven and earth had been turned upside down inside the city as well.