Urgent hoofbeats sounded on the bustling streets, but what poured through the city gates were no longer fine horses and carriages, but squads of armored soldiers with weapons.

The soldiers headed toward the King’s residence, spreading throughout the city, rushing up to the walls on all four sides, while the city gates slowly closed.

The joyful citizens in the streets fell into panic. What was happening?

“Has Western Liang invaded?”

“Has the imperial court attacked?”

The panic in the streets was blocked from the King’s residence by layers of troops. Inside the residence, the panic was even greater than in the streets, because everyone had witnessed a horrifying scene.

The tidal wave of terror was quickly isolated outside the hall by the palace guards. Inside remained only the King of Zhongshan’s trusted officials, his sons, the physicians who had just arrived, and the King’s consort. The King of Zhongshan lay on the ground, blood still slowly flowing from his mouth, nose, and eyes. Xiao Xun knelt beside him, banging his head on the ground.

“Father, I came too late, I came too late,” he sobbed, repeating these words.

“Xun’er, what exactly happened?” the King’s consort cried, about to rush forward and fall upon the King of Zhongshan.

“Mother, don’t come closer,” Xiao Xun shouted.

The King’s consort halted her steps and looked at Xiao Xun.

“It’s poisoned,” Xiao Xun pointed at the scroll that had fallen on the King of Zhongshan. When blood flowed from the King’s mouth, nose, and eyes, he was still holding the scroll, so quite a bit of blood had dripped onto it. Now the densely packed “longevity” characters looked eerily jarring. “The poison is in the characters, colorless and odorless, extremely virulent. Inhaling it attacks the internal organs.”

Hearing this, the people who had gathered around immediately stepped back, instinctively covering their mouths and noses.

Ning Kun rushed over and used his clothes to wrap up the scroll with the “longevity” characters.

“Physician, physician,” he called out.

Someone took it away to test for poison, while others rushed to the King of Zhongshan’s side to check his pulse and examine him—but their expressions were grim, clearly unable to save him.

The King’s consort knelt beside the King of Zhongshan, weeping bitterly.

The King of Zhongshan was still conscious but unable to speak, breathing rapidly.

“Crown Prince, what exactly happened?” the palace officials urgently asked. Their gazes fell on Xiao Xun, and after much hesitation, they still asked, “How did you return?”

Although everyone knew the Crown Prince was a hostage in the capital and wouldn’t be mistreated, leaving the capital should have been impossible.

There was another question they hesitated to ask.

How could your birthday gift be poisoned?

Xiao Xun appeared dazed, kneeling there in shock, seemingly hearing the officials’ questions yet not hearing them.

“When the palace said they would send my birthday gift for me, I didn’t think much of it,” his hoarse voice echoed in the hall. “I thought they were concerned I might smuggle messages to my father. I didn’t mind. As a hostage, I knew that being calm and proper was the greatest help to my father. I wasn’t trying to send my father anything, so I followed their suggestion and wrote a thousand ‘longevity’ characters, respectfully entrusting it to the palace. But—”

At this point, his hands clenched tightly, and hearing this, the hearts of everyone in the hall suddenly felt gripped.

But what?

“But someone suddenly told me that my gift to my father would cost him his life.”

“He said my thousand ‘longevity’ characters had been impregnated with poison. Because they knew Father would ignore the court’s gifts, but would certainly look carefully at my gift, and would examine it closely, leaning in—”

Why? Because the thousand characters were written so small that one had to get close to see them. Everyone in the hall thought to themselves, having just witnessed the King of Zhongshan examining it this way.

“As long as he was close enough to inhale the poison in the characters, then—”

“That person helped me escape from the capital, and I traveled day and night to stop my father, but—”

Still one step too late, just one step.

Xiao Xun let out a wail and struck his head against the ground.

The people around listened in shock and bewilderment. Everything happened too suddenly, and everyone’s minds were in chaos. They stared at the King of Zhongshan. No matter how the physicians tried to use acupuncture needles or wipe away the blood, it wouldn’t stop flowing from his mouth, nose, and eyes. Not only that, a physician who had been wiping the King’s blood suddenly collapsed.

“The King’s blood… is also poisoned—” he said in a hoarse voice, then vomited blood after speaking.

This frightened everyone even more. Their first instinct was to back away, though they couldn’t do so too obviously.

“Protect the King’s consort—”

“Protect the Crown Prince—”

With these shouts, everyone surged forward to drag the King’s consort, Xiao Xun, and the other princes away from the King of Zhongshan.

The King’s consort and princes were both grief-stricken and terrified.

“What should we do?” the King’s consort wept. “How can they be so vicious? They want all of us dead!”

“Crown Prince, since you know about this, do you know how to save the King?” the officials urgently asked.

These words seemed to remind Xiao Xun, who suddenly stood up and staggered toward the door, shouting: “Grand Tutor, Grand Tutor, save my father! Grand Tutor, please save my father!”

This statement once again shocked those in the hall. Grand Tutor? What did he mean by Grand Tutor? Had the Crown Prince found a divine physician surnamed Tai with the given name Fu?

That must be it, surely.

It couldn’t possibly mean that Grand Tutor.

While everyone was stunned, Xiao Xun had already rushed out. Because it was he who rushed out, the guards outside didn’t stop him but made way. The people who had been held back in the courtyard also stopped their clamor, their gazes following Xiao Xun.

Among the densely stationed guards outside the hall were two men dressed in ordinary robes. Because the guards hadn’t driven them away, no one had paid attention to them, assuming they were part of the palace staff.

One of them indeed was from the King’s residence—Tie Ying, Xiao Xun’s bodyguard, whom almost all officials and noble families in Zhongshan County recognized.

The other was in his early thirties, with a travel-worn face, wearing a shabby blue robe. At first glance, he seemed unremarkable, but when one’s gaze fell on him, one could sense a sharp aura that made it difficult to look longer.

Xiao Xun stopped before him, staggered and knelt, grasping his hands: “Grand Tutor, please save my father—”

Grand Tutor? The people in the courtyard were stunned. Did he mean that Grand Tutor?

Officials and nobles from Zhongshan County rarely went to the capital, and almost none had seen the Grand Tutor. They didn’t recognize him; the Grand Tutor wasn’t from a noble family background and had neither reputation nor connections.

At this moment, someone who rushed out from the hall answered everyone’s question.

“Deng Yi!” Ning Kun shouted. “Why are you here?”

Deng Yi! Everyone could no longer hide their shock. So it was that Grand Tutor!

What was going on? How could Deng Yi be here?

This wasn’t the court, nor the capital. The gazes directed at him contained no flattery or fear, only shock and, after the shock, hatred and indifference.

Of course, Deng Yi didn’t care. He never even looked at these people; he only looked at Xiao Xun.

“Seize him—” Ning Kun was still shouting.

Xiao Xun turned back and shouted: “Do not misunderstand! The Grand Tutor helped me return.”

Ning Kun froze, as did the palace officials who had followed him out. Did this mean—

“Crown Prince,” Ning Kun stepped forward. “Are you saying that person was him?”

Xiao Xun nodded: “Yes, it was him, it was the Grand Tutor who helped me—” At this point, he ignored them and looked up at Deng Yi, his deep dimples filled with pleading. “Grand Tutor, save my father.”

Deng Yi’s expression remained indifferent as he looked toward the front hall.

“Grand… Tutor, please hurry and save the King,” Ning Kun quickly changed his form of address, bowing deeply in supplication.

Following his lead, the other officials also began to speak up, and even the King’s consort rushed out and knelt: “Grand Tutor, Grand Tutor, please save the King.”

Deng Yi glanced at them, then returned his gaze to Xiao Xun and said: “Crown Prince, please rise.”

Xiao Xun held onto his hands for support, trying to stand, but he weakly staggered and fell against Deng Yi.

Tie Ying called out “Crown Prince” and reached out to support him, his voice and movement blocking the view of others.

Xiao Xun leaned close to Deng Yi and whispered: “I have done as the Grand Tutor wished. The Grand Tutor must keep his promise.”

Without waiting for Deng Yi to respond, he straightened up with Tie Ying’s support and stepped aside.

Deng Yi felt a scroll being slipped into his sleeve. Without looking, he knew what it was, and couldn’t help but smile.

Good.

Well played, Xiao Xun.

What filial devotion between father and son.

Like father, like son.

Without saying a word, he walked past Xiao Xun, stepped up the stairs, and passed through the hall door.

…

…

Although he already knew, when Deng Yi stood in the hall and saw the King of Zhongshan lying on the ground, ignored by everyone, he still felt somewhat dazed.

The scene from three years ago when he met the King of Zhongshan appeared in his mind.

That was the first time he had seen the King of Zhongshan in person. Their previous dealings had all been through subordinates.

Back then, even a cane and a limping leg couldn’t hide the pride and arrogance in that King.

And now? The magnificent royal robe was still on his body, but he looked like a fish thrown ashore, waiting to die.

People, in the hands of fate, truly amount to nothing.

As he drifted in thought, he heard the chaotic questions around him: “Deng Yi, was it you who told the Crown Prince the King was in danger?” “Did you escort the Crown Prince back?” “What exactly is going on?” “Who wants to harm the King?” “Grand Tutor, quickly save the King.”

Deng Yi gathered his thoughts and said coolly: “I cannot save him.”

“Who wants to kill the King?” Ning Kun asked again.

Everyone’s gaze was on Deng Yi.

Deng Yi looked at them without speaking, then smiled slightly.

“Since you told the Crown Prince and helped him escape, you must know something,” Ning Kun’s voice was pleading. “Grand Tutor, who exactly wants to kill the King?”

“The King has already sent the Crown Prince to the capital as a hostage and dispatched a hundred thousand troops. Now that the border army has achieved a great victory, who would want to harm the King?” An official in the hall beat his chest and stamped his feet.

This wasn’t a question anymore; it was practically naming names.

Deng Yi couldn’t be bothered to listen to their clamor anymore and said: “The late Emperor.”

The late Emperor?

This answer stunned everyone, as it was unexpected.

Ning Kun frowned, then his expression turned angry and disbelieving: “I don’t believe it! Impossible!”

“If the late Emperor had wanted the King dead, why would he have waited until now?” an official also shouted.

Deng Yi said: “What I mean is, because of the late Emperor, the King’s death today was inevitable.”

Without waiting for more questions from those in the hall, he continued.

“Do you know who the late Emperor designated as Crown Prince to succeed the throne when the incident happened in the capital three years ago?”

“It was the young grandson, of course,” an official blurted out.

Everyone knew this—the Crown Prince’s only son.

Deng Yi looked at the various faces and expressions in the hall, and strangely thought again of that night when he looked down from the inner palace gate, but this time the girl was no longer in his vision.

Perhaps it should be this way. He had originally intended to open the door for someone else.

Deng Yi’s gaze turned to Xiao Xun.

“No,” he shook his head and gently pointed. “It was Crown Prince Xiao Xun.”