On the noisy streets, hoofbeats thundered urgently, but what poured in through the city gate was no longer fine horses and fragrant carriages, but squadron after squadron of armored soldiers bearing weapons.

The soldiers headed toward the Prince’s residence, spreading throughout the city, rushing up to the four walls. The city gate was also slowly closing.

The joyful people on the streets fell into panic. What was happening?

“Has Xi Liang attacked?”

“Has the court come?”

The panic on the streets was blocked outside the Prince’s residence by heavy troops, but the panic inside the residence was even greater, because everyone had witnessed a horrifying scene with their own eyes.

The mountain-roaring, sea-calling terror was quickly surrounded and isolated outside the hall by the residence guards. Only Prince Zhongshan’s trusted confidants, his sons, and the physicians, Princess Consort who had just rushed over remained in the hall. Prince Zhongshan lay on the ground, blood still slowly flowing from his mouth, nose, and eyes. Xiao Xun knelt beside him, striking his head against the floor.

“Father Prince, I came too late, I came too late,” he sobbed, repeating this phrase.

“Ah Xun, what on earth is happening?” the Princess Consort cried out, wanting to rush forward and throw herself on Prince Zhongshan.

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

The Princess Consort’s steps halted as she looked at Xiao Xun.

“It’s poison,” Xiao Xun pointed at the scroll that had fallen on Prince Zhongshan. When blood had flowed from Prince Zhongshan’s mouth, nose, and eyes, he was still holding the scroll, so quite a bit of blood had dripped on it. At this moment, the densely packed longevity characters looked eerily piercing. “The poison is on the characters—colorless, odorless, extremely vicious. Inhaling it enters the internal organs.”

Hearing this, the people who had originally gathered closer all stepped back immediately and instinctively covered their mouths and noses.

Ning Kun rushed over and removed his outer garment to wrap up the longevity scroll.

“Physician, physician,” he called.

Someone took it away to test for poison, while others crowded around Prince Zhongshan, checking his pulse, examining him—but their expressions were all poor, clearly beyond saving.

The Princess Consort collapsed beside Prince Zhongshan, weeping bitterly.

Prince Zhongshan still had consciousness, but couldn’t speak, only breathing rapidly.

“Young Master, what on earth is happening?” the palace officials asked urgently. Their gazes fell on Xiao Xun. After repeated hesitation, they still asked, “How did you return?”

Though everyone knew the Young Master was held as hostage in the capital and his life wouldn’t be treated harshly, leaving the capital was impossible.

There was another question they hesitated repeatedly but didn’t ask.

Why would your birthday gift be poisoned?

Xiao Xun’s expression was blank, his soul seemingly lost as he knelt collapsed, as if hearing the officials’ questions, yet also as if not hearing them.

“When the palace said they would deliver the birthday gift for me, I didn’t think much of it,” his hoarse voice echoed in the hall. “I thought they were worried I would send hidden messages to Father Prince. I didn’t mind. As a hostage, I knew that being secure and dutiful was the greatest help to Father Prince. I also wasn’t passing any messages to Father Prince, so I wrote a thousand longevity characters as they suggested and respectfully entrusted it to the palace, but—”

He said this, his hands clenching tightly, and hearing this, everyone in the hall felt their hearts suddenly seized as well.

But what?

“But someone suddenly told me that the birthday gift I sent Father Prince would take Father Prince’s life.”

“He said my thousand longevity characters had been soaked in poison, because they knew Father Prince wouldn’t pay attention to the court’s birthday gifts, but would definitely look carefully at the gift I sent, and would look very carefully, leaning close, pressing near—”

Why? Because the thousand characters were written very small, and to see them clearly one would need to lean close. Everyone in the hall answered in their hearts, having just witnessed Prince Zhongshan examining it in this way.

“As long as he was close enough and inhaled the poison on the characters, then—”

“That person helped me escape the capital. I rushed here day and night without stopping to prevent Father Prince, but—”

Still one step too late, just one step late.

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

The people around listened in shock and bewilderment. Everything had come too suddenly. Everyone’s minds were in chaos. They stared blankly at Prince Zhongshan. Even though the physicians tried using needles and wiping, the blood from his mouth, nose, and eyes couldn’t be stopped. Not only that, one physician who had been wiping Prince Zhongshan’s blood suddenly collapsed.

“The Prince’s blood is also poisoned—” he said in a hoarse voice. Having said this, he vomited a mouthful of blood.

This startled the surrounding people even more. Their first thought was to retreat, but they couldn’t be so obvious about it.

“Protect the Princess Consort—”

“Protect the Young Master—”

Accompanied by shouts, everyone surged forward to separately drag the Princess Consort, Xiao Xun, and the other young masters away from Prince Zhongshan’s side.

The Princess Consort and the young masters were both pained and frightened.

“What can we do?” the Princess Consort cried. “How can they be so vicious? They want to kill us all completely.”

“Young Master, since you knew, do you know how to save the Prince?” officials nearby asked urgently.

These words seemed to remind Xiao Xun. He suddenly scrambled up and stumbled toward the door, shouting, “Grand Tutor, Grand Tutor, save my Father Prince. Grand Tutor, please save my Father Prince—”

These words shocked everyone in the hall once again. Grand Tutor? What did Grand Tutor mean? Had the Young Master found a divine physician surnamed Tai named Fu?

That must be it, it should be.

It couldn’t possibly mean that Grand Tutor, could it?

In everyone’s bewilderment, Xiao Xun had already rushed out. Because it was him rushing out, the guards outside the door didn’t stop him but made way. The people blocked in the courtyard also stopped their commotion, their gazes following Xiao Xun.

Among the densely stationed guards outside the hall stood two men wearing ordinary robes. Because the guards hadn’t expelled them, no one noticed, assuming they were palace people.

One was indeed a palace person—Xiao Xun’s guard Tie Ying, whom almost all the officials and aristocratic families of Zhongshan Commandery recognized.

The other man, in his early thirties, dusty-faced, wearing old blue robes, looked unremarkable at first glance. But when one’s gaze fell on him, one could feel a sharp aura that made people dare not look too long.

Xiao Xun stopped before him, stumbling to kneel on the ground, grasping his hands: “Grand Tutor, save my Father Prince—”

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

Officials and aristocratic families within Zhongshan Commandery rarely went to the capital and had almost never seen the Grand Tutor, didn’t recognize him. That Grand Tutor also didn’t come from an aristocratic or famous family background, had no reputation and no connections.

At this moment, someone rushing out from the hall answered everyone’s questions.

“Deng Yi!” Ning Kun shouted loudly. “What are you doing here!”

Deng Yi! Everyone could no longer hide their shock. It really was that Grand Tutor!

What was happening? How could Deng Yi come here?

This wasn’t the court, nor was it the capital. The gazes looking at him held no flattery or fear, only shock and, after the shock, resentment and coldness.

Of course, Deng Yi didn’t care. He hadn’t even looked at these people. He only looked at Xiao Xun.

“Seize him—” Ning Kun was still shouting.

Xiao Xun turned and shouted loudly, “Don’t misunderstand. It was the Grand Tutor who helped me return.”

Ning Kun froze. The palace officials who had followed out also all paused. Did these words mean—

“Young Master,” Ning Kun stepped forward. “Do you mean that person was him!”

Xiao Xun nodded: “It was him. It was the Grand Tutor who helped me—” At this point he paid them no more attention, only looking up at Deng Yi, his deep dimples full of pleading. “Grand Tutor, save my Father Prince.”

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

“Deng, Grand Tutor, please quickly save the Prince,” Ning Kun changed his address first, bowing and pleading.

Led by him, other officials also spoke up one after another. Even the Princess Consort rushed out and knelt: “Grand Tutor, Grand Tutor, save the Prince.”

Deng Yi glanced at them, then his gaze fell back on Xiao Xun as he said, “Young Master, please rise.”

Xiao Xun held his hands and borrowed strength to stand, then weakly swayed and leaned against Deng Yi.

Tie Ying called out to the Young Master and reached out to support him, his voice and movements blocking others’ view.

Xiao Xun leaned close to Deng Yi and said quietly, “I’ve done as the Grand Tutor wished. The Grand Tutor must keep his promise.”

Having said this, without waiting for Deng Yi to speak, he straightened with Tie Ying’s support and made way.

Deng Yi felt something rolled up being stuffed into his sleeve. Without looking, he knew what it was, and couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

Good.

What a Xiao Xun.

What filial piety between father and son.

What a son inheriting his father’s ambitions.

Without a word, he passed by Xiao Xun, lifted his foot forward, climbed the steps and passed through the hall entrance.

…

…

Though he already knew, when Deng Yi stood in the hall and saw Prince Zhongshan lying on the ground with no one attending to him, he still felt somewhat dazed.

The scene of meeting Prince Zhongshan three years ago involuntarily surfaced again.

Actually, that was also the first time he’d seen Prince Zhongshan in person. Previous dealings had all been through subordinates.

That Prince’s spirited arrogance couldn’t be concealed even by his cane and limping, crippled leg.

And now? Though still wearing magnificent princely robes, he was like a fish thrown ashore waiting to die.

People—in the hands of fate, they truly were nothing.

As his mind wandered, in his ears was chaotic questioning: “Deng Yi, was it you who told the Young Master the Prince was in danger?” “Did you escort the Young Master back?” “What on earth is happening?” “Who wants to harm the Prince?” “Grand Tutor, quickly save the Prince.”

Deng Yi collected his thoughts and said flatly, “I cannot save him.”

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

Everyone’s gazes looked at Deng Yi.

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

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

“The Prince has already sent the Young Master to the capital as hostage and sent out a hundred thousand troops. Now the border army has achieved great victory—why would anyone want to harm the Prince?” an official in the hall beat his chest and stamped his feet.

These words weren’t really a question, but practically naming names.

Deng Yi was too lazy to listen to their noise anymore and said, “The Late Emperor.”

The Late Emperor?

These words startled everyone, completely unexpected.

Ning Kun’s brows furrowed, then his expression became angry and incredulous: “I don’t believe it! Impossible!”

“If the Late Emperor wanted the Prince dead, why would he wait until now?” another official also shouted.

Deng Yi said, “What I mean is, because of the Late Emperor, today the Prince dies.”

Having said this, without waiting for people in the hall to ask more, he continued.

“Do you know who the Late Emperor designated as Crown Prince to inherit the throne in those final moments three years ago when the incident occurred in the capital?”

“The young imperial grandson,” an official blurted out.

Everyone knew—the Crown Prince’s only son.

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

Perhaps it should have been this way all along. He had originally meant to open the door for another person.

Deng Yi’s gaze turned to Xiao Xun.

“No,” he shook his head, extending his hand to point lightly. “It was the Young Master, Xiao Xun.”