The imperial edict burned in the fire basin, rising black smoke that darkened the faces of those in the tent like the bottom of a cooking pot.
The quiet tent contained not only Xiao Xun but also three court officials standing across from him.
They knew Xiao Xun’s intentions were not benevolent, but they hadn’t expected him to burn the imperial edict right in front of them.
This left no face-saving pretense—he had completely torn away the facade.
“Young Prince,” the lead official shouted sternly, “how dare you!”
Xiao Xun smiled, his dimples deepening: “My lord, if I weren’t daring, could I have come this far? Do you think I, Xiao Xun, am timid? You know very well why I’m here, and you know very well why you’re here too.”
He pointed at the burning edict.
“Did you think this piece of paper could stop me?”
One court official said gravely: “Xiao Xun, so you and your father truly defy the imperial decree and commit treasonous acts?”
Xiao Xun sighed lightly: “What is an imperial decree? What is treason? Have you forgotten that I, too, bear the surname Xiao? My father also has imperial blood. The late Emperor was dissolute and immoral, failed to teach his son properly, and committed evil deeds against human relationships. The throne should rightfully go to a worthy and capable person. Letting a child sit on the throne, letting a lowborn clerk and imperial in-laws control the court—that is the true treason.”
“Would worthy men do what you’re doing? Bullying an orphaned child who lost both parents before ascending the throne?” the official said coldly. “Would worthy men use commoners as shields to intimidate the court?”
Another official spoke somberly: “This edict was meant to save face for you and your father, to persuade you to turn back from your mistaken path. It’s not too late.”
Xiao Xun laughed loudly. Tie Ying stepped forward, his blade pointing at the official.
The official’s face changed slightly, but he straightened his back without retreating.
“Don’t kill him yet,” Xiao Xun said. “It’s not time.”
Tie Ying withdrew his blade and stepped back.
“Bullying a child,” Xiao Xun said softly. “Wasn’t my father also a child in those days?”
He looked at the three officials.
“Using commoners as shields—it’s not just me, but you as well.”
“Who was this edict meant for? Not for me, but to deceive the people.”
“One hundred thousand troops from the capital garrison are already in formation ahead. Over a hundred thousand provincial troops from all directions have gathered, just waiting for me to reject the edict, to disobey it, so they can start a war on the grounds of my disobedience. Then when swords show no mercy and iron hooves trample the common people, it won’t be the court’s fault.”
At this point, Xiao Xun smiled.
“But don’t worry, I won’t let the court’s intentions go to waste.”
“I accept the edict and obey the orders to protect the capital.”
“But don’t forget one thing.”
“A general in the field may reject some imperial orders.”
With that, he signaled to Tie Ying.
“Let the three lords rest.”
Before the three could react, Tie Ying stepped forward, drew his blade, and with three swift movements knocked them unconscious. They collapsed to the ground.
Xiao Xun walked out, stepping over them without a glance.
“Everyone, these three lords will also stay with us to protect the capital,” he announced to the crowd gathered outside the camp. “Even without Defender-General Chu Wei, Western Liang will never set foot in our Great Xia, never harm a single one of our Great Xia’s people.”
The crowd cheered loudly.
Amid the cheers, Xiao Xun said to the officer behind him: “Break camp tomorrow, divide into four routes and continue toward the capital.”
The officer acknowledged.
Xiao Xun turned to look northwest again. Pity, that girl wouldn’t get to witness how he conquered the capital.
……
……
Deep in the night, the capital’s troops remained active.
Zhang Gu stood outside the camp, lost in thought.
“Chief,” a fellow courier ran over and asked quietly, “something’s not right, is it?”
“Of course it’s not right,” Zhang Gu glared at him. “Are you stupid? Did you think everything was fine?”
Suddenly, large numbers of capital troops were mobilizing, supposedly under court orders to defend the capital alongside the Prince of Zhongshan’s forces—such talk might fool the common people, but where did the Prince of Zhongshan get his troops? A feudal prince raising an army was a capital offense.
And such a large troop movement, eight hundred li from the capital, yet the courier station had received no word.
The Prince of Zhongshan’s forces had evaded court surveillance.
What were these troops intending to do? Was there any need to guess?
The courier said softly: “Chief, I mean the court isn’t right either.”
Zhang Gu looked at him: “The court can only do this for now—try to stop it if possible. If not—aren’t troops already deployed outside the capital?”
Provincial forces were also awaiting orders, having long prepared for internal threats.
“No,” the courier said urgently. “I mean, the court still hasn’t sent word to Empress Chu. They’re hiding this from her.”
The messages had been intercepted by the Prince of Zhongshan’s side, but the court should have restored communications. The Empress was still at the border—how could they not tell her about such a major event?
Zhang Gu said: “The situation is also critical where Empress Chu is. What good would telling her do? Ask her to send troops to help? What about the border then?”
The courier fell silent for a moment. It made sense—with General Chu Wei gone and Empress Chu facing the Western Liang King, she must be exhausted. She truly couldn’t spare attention for the capital’s affairs.
Zhang Gu looked northwest and said: “I hope the Empress won’t worry too much when she hears the news.”
The courier nodded, then sighed: “I hope Old Wang and Er Xi can make it through safely. It’s Er Xi’s first time going to the border region. That country boy doesn’t understand much.”
Zhang Gu said quietly: “He’s young, but he’s worked at the rural courier station for many years. He’s not as ignorant as he seems. Besides, being less experienced might help—with so many checkpoints along the way, someone who doesn’t look like a proper courier might have a better chance of getting through.”
Although the court wasn’t sending word to Empress Chu about the capital’s danger, and although they worried this news might distress her, before leaving, both Empress Chu and Xie Yanlai had instructed Zhang Gu to relay any news from the capital immediately, regardless of whether the court had sent an official message.
So when he sensed something was wrong, before the edict-bearing officials departed, and with messages being cut off, Zhang Gu had secretly dispatched two couriers who had already left the capital.
Given the current situation, with war about to break out, the journey would certainly not be smooth.
Zhang Gu and the courier fell silent, gazing northwest with worry and hope.
The New Year had dispelled no chill. The further northwest one went, the more biting the early spring winds felt compared to deep winter.
But even the coldest wind couldn’t freeze the flowing blood.
The young soldier sobbed with muffled cries, his entire body trembling. He wanted to remove all his clothes to wrap his companion’s wounds.
His companion’s body was riddled with arrows; he didn’t know where to start binding the wounds.
When they had rushed through the checkpoint, his companion had held him tightly, shielding him from the rain of arrows behind them.
“Er Xi,” his companion grabbed his hand. “You’re a country boy. Haven’t you seen death before? Why are you crying?”
How could a rural courier station see death? They barely saw people at all. Young soldier Er Xi whimpered: “Brother Wang, Brother Wang, don’t die. What will I do if you die?”
Courier Wang cursed, but without strength, his voice lacking any force.
He took several deep breaths and said: “Never mind whether I die. Hurry and go, or they’ll catch up and neither of us will escape.”
Er Xi continued desperately bandaging the wounds, shaking his head vigorously: “I can’t, I can’t do it alone.”
Old Wang cursed again: “You’ll be the death of me.” He grabbed Er Xi’s hand. “Listen, kid, don’t forget what kind of couriers we are. We’re the Empress’s most trusted. If you could join us, you must be capable.”
Er Xi kept shaking his head: “No, when I joined, you weren’t trusted by the Empress yet. The Empress doesn’t even know me.”
Old Wang laughed despite his anger: “Then prove to the Empress how capable you are!” With that, he pressed down hard on the arrow in his chest. “Now get going!”
With that shout, his breath ceased, and he fell silent.
Er Xi let out a cry, covering his face with his hands and sobbing loudly. But the next moment, he stumbled to his feet and disappeared into the dense forest in the biting wind.
Er Xi couldn’t remember clearly what happened after that.
In his dreams, he only relived his past days.
Crouching at the rural courier station, watching passing couriers look impressive and imposing—though to others, couriers were always dust-covered, exhausted, and miserable.
Or his joy at joining the capital courier corps himself.
He had followed Chief Zhang to explore the capital, seeing so many people, so many delicious foods, and even watching someone being paraded through the streets and beaten, a man whipping a young person.
Chief Zhang pushed him, telling him to go quickly.
Go where? Forward? Impossible—he would be whipped too.
He didn’t want to watch anymore; he wanted to go home. He tried desperately to back away, but Chief Zhang pushed him. He stumbled forward, and the man with the whip swung it down at him—
Er Xi shouted, covering his head with both hands. The pain was bone-deep. Someone held his hands down as chaotic voices surrounded him.
“—He’s awake.”
“He’s alive.”
“Quick, tell the Empress.”
The Empress? Er Xi’s mind gradually cleared. Yes, Chief Zhang had told him to find the Empress. What was it about? Er Xi fumbled at his clothes—the message, where was the message?
Someone else grabbed his hand.
“I have the message,” a clear female voice said. “Don’t worry.”
She had it?
Did she have it?
Brother Wang is dead! Brother Wang is dead! He couldn’t do it. How could he deliver it alone?
Seeing the courier becoming agitated again, Chu Zhao held his hand and said to the physicians: “Let him rest more.”
The physicians came forward to administer medicine, watching as the courier slowly fell into deep sleep.
“Young lady, A-Jiu has returned,” A-Le said softly at the door.
Chu Zhao looked once more at the sleeping courier, then walked out.
Xie Yanlai was already striding over. He said: “From Zhongshan County to the capital, all courier stations are controlled.”
He glanced at the inner room.
“This young man making it through wasn’t easy.”
This was the first time she’d heard him praise someone else. Chu Zhao looked at him and then heard his next words.
“If it were me, I wouldn’t have been so slow.”
Chu Zhao both sighed and felt annoyed, interrupting him: “How’s the situation in the capital?”
Xie Yanlai said: “Don’t worry. No matter how sudden the Prince of Zhongshan’s move, wasn’t the court already on guard?”
It could be said that from the moment Western Liang attacked, the border region faced Western Liang while the court prepared to face the Prince of Zhongshan.
Although the Prince of Zhongshan’s methods proved more formidable than expected, breaking through the military cordon, cutting off messages, and marching toward the capital, the court was not caught unprepared.
Zhong Fujiang looked at the sand table and said: “No need to worry. The capital garrison has one hundred thousand troops, and other provincial forces can send another two hundred thousand at the fastest. It won’t be easy for the Prince of Zhongshan to take the capital.”
Chu Zhao remained silent.
Xie Yanlai smirked and said: “No need to worry about the little Emperor. If you can’t trust others, can’t you trust Xie Yanfang? With him in the capital, who could breach it?” He chuckled. “He’s probably been looking forward to this battle.”
During the previous capital unrest, Xie Yanfang had suffered greatly—the world-renowned young master ended up empty-handed. This time, the young master would surely want to redeem his reputation.
Chu Zhao said: “I’m not worried.”
Back then, with time, terrain, and popular support all on Xiao Xun’s side, even with Xie Yanfang branded a rebel, he had still pushed Xiao Xun back step by step. Now, with Xie Yanfang defending the capital, having the advantages of time, terrain, and people, it was even less likely that Xiao Xun could defeat him.
Only—
This was war.
Fighting Western Liang at least happened at the border, where the population was sparse.
If the Prince of Zhongshan and the court fought, it would be in the central heartland, in flourishing populated areas—
Attacking cities and seizing territory, with iron hooves and blades—how brutal would it be?
And there was another danger—
Chu Zhao suddenly raised her voice: “Xiao Man!”
No one answered from outside. Chu Zhao didn’t call again. Soon, Xiao Man entered reluctantly.
“What is it?” she asked irritably, her head turned away.
“The messenger routes between the capital and here have been cut off,” Chu Zhao said.
Xiao Man snorted: “Your official troops are that useless?”
Zhong Fujiang glared at her angrily, while Xie Yanlai agreed: “They are quite useless.”
Chu Zhao, unconcerned with these remarks, said: “I’d like to ask you to establish contact with the capital.”
Xiao Man turned her head away, saying nothing.
Zhong Fujiang said coldly: “We don’t need others. We’ll reestablish contact ourselves. It’s not like we lack manpower.”
Chu Zhao said to Zhong Fujiang: “Our people will certainly do their part, but Xiao Man and her people are more capable at certain things.” She lowered her head in thought for a moment, then wrote a short note, sealed it with the phoenix seal, and handed it to Xiao Man. “Let’s set other matters aside for now. Deliver this message to Chu Tang.”
Although Xiao Man kept her head turned away and said nothing, she reached out to take the message and left.
Zhong Fujiang ignored the girl and asked Chu Zhao: “Are you worried about the Elder Master’s family being in danger?”
Surely not? Chu Lan’s family was in the capital. If the capital was secure, what could happen to them?
Beside them, Xie Yanlai made two “oh” sounds.
“Righteous army,” he said, looking at Chu Zhao with raised eyebrows and a smile. “You’re in trouble.”