“Bandits in the capital.”

“Bandits along the routes outside the capital.”

“Bandits in Yunzhong County.”

At this point, Xie Yanfang looked at Chu Zhao.

“Bandits not yet fully eliminated by General Chu.”

When she heard him begin to speak of suppressing bandits, Xiao Man’s face turned ashen. After hearing the entire list, especially the last statement, she could no longer contain herself: “Have you gone mad?!”

Her first thought was to cleave the man before her with a single stroke of her blade.

But although this man had entered alone, carrying no weapons, he was not weak or easily struck down.

More importantly, she needed to protect the person behind her.

The person behind her laughed.

“You wanted to kill Zhong Changrong before and gave many reasons,” Chu Zhao said with a smile. “Now you want to kill my mother. What’s your justification?”

Xie Yanfang replied: “I’m very angry.”

He stepped forward again, ignoring Xiao Man who stood before him with daggers drawn, looking only at Chu Zhao.

“After all you’ve done, after coming so far, it turns out you don’t want to be Empress but rather to leave.”

Chu Zhao said: “After all I’ve done, after coming so far, with such power and prestige, dominating the court – if I leave now, it should be good news for you all. One less formidable opponent. You should be happy.”

Xie Yanfang said: “This is the sorrow of the world—”

“This is not the sorrow of the world,” Chu Zhao interrupted him, looking into Xie Yanfang’s eyes. “It’s simply that things aren’t going according to your wishes.”

Is that so? Xie Yanfang’s eyes showed a slight melancholy, but he was truly angry and sorrowful.

Not everything in this world had gone according to his wishes, such as when the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were killed.

He had been angry then, too.

But he hadn’t been sorrowful.

Xie Yanfang placed his hand over his heart. Anger and sorrow were different sensations, though he rarely experienced sorrow.

“Neither of us can convince the other now,” he said, lowering his gaze. “We’ll talk later.”

Later, after those attachments were removed.

Having said this, he turned to leave.

At that moment, Xiao Man could no longer restrain herself and made her move.

The short dagger flashed in the blue-green light, thrusting toward Xie Yanfang’s back.

“Don’t move—” Chu Zhao shouted.

But it was too late. She couldn’t stop Xiao Man’s attack, nor could she prevent Xie Yanfang from turning and lifting his sleeve slightly.

The short dagger flashed again in the blue-green light, flying away. Xiao Man tumbled toward the entrance, rolling out entangled with the tent curtain. Chu Zhao followed immediately, lunging forward to embrace Xiao Man.

“Don’t move,” she called out again, pinning Xiao Man firmly to the ground.

Although she didn’t have Xiao Man’s martial skills, she was strong enough. Xiao Man couldn’t get up immediately and cursed in frustration, “I’ll kill him!”

Chu Zhao said helplessly: “You can’t.”

Although she had never seen Xie Yanfang fight, and he appeared to be merely a refined gentleman, he already knew that her mother was a mountain bandit and that Xiao Man had been sent by her mother to protect her. Yet he dared to come alone and plainly stated what he intended to do, showing that he didn’t consider Xiao Man a threat at all.

Now she was holding Xiao Man down while also shielding her from Xie Yanfang behind her.

She looked back and saw Xie Yanfang still standing in the tent, looking through the entrance where the curtain had been removed.

“If that’s the case, let’s begin suppressing the bandits with those around Lady A-Zhao,” he said.

Arrows came like rain.

Chu Zhao froze for a moment but still forcefully pressed the struggling Xiao Man beneath her. She was destined to die, and Xiao Man – alas, even if she died, Xiao Man might not survive, but delaying even a moment was worth it.

The arrow rain, however, passed over her, striking the tent behind them. The sound of the tent being torn apart filled the air with a series of popping noises.

Xie Yanfang had disappeared, the torn tent blocking the rain of arrows.

“Your Highness—” came shouts from ahead. “Quickly, run—”

Chu Zhao looked forward to seeing dozens of Gongwei Department guards rushing toward them, led by Ding Dahui.

“Ding Dahui, where have you been?!” Xiao Man shouted, struggling to her feet and pulling Chu Zhao toward him. “Quickly, kill Xie Yanfang—”

Accompanied by a buzzing sound, arrows flew wildly again, but this time not toward Xie Yanfang’s position but toward Ding Dahui and his men.

Gongwei Department guards fell in droves.

“Be careful, Empress!” Ding Dahui and more than a dozen men raised shields to protect them.

“The guards at the hunting grounds have been replaced,” Ding Dahui said urgently. “They’re still fighting for the perimeter. I gave warning in time, and there’s fighting outside too.”

Xiao Man said: “Stop wasting words, let’s break through quickly.”

Ding Dahui acknowledged: “The east is still under our control—” The gathered guards changed formation to protect Chu Zhao as they rushed eastward.

Pulled along by Xiao Man, Chu Zhao looked through the shields and saw troops converging from all directions. They wore no armor or military uniforms, but they were fully equipped with bows, crossbows, knives, and spears, advancing and retreating in strict formation, with a bearing that didn’t belong to ordinary guards.

They were everywhere – on the ground, in the forest, on the hillsides.

This was the first time she had seen Xie Yanfang’s private military force.

Chu Zhao looked back to see the arrow-pierced tent being lifted, with Xie Yanfang surrounded by a group of men in black. He took a bow and arrow from one of them, then looked in her direction—

Without the slightest hesitation, the moment her gaze met his, he drew the bow and shot—

Chu Zhao seemed to hear the bowstring hum beside her ear. The arrow came like a meteor, penetrating through the barely visible gap in the shields, piercing the shoulder of one guard, and heading straight for her throat—

A great force yanked her forward.

Chu Zhao felt warmth on her face as blood splattered there.

She saw an arrow quivering as it penetrated Xiao Man’s shoulder.

Xiao Man fell toward her.

Chu Zhao caught her.

“Lady Xiao Man—” Ding Dahui called out.

“Ignore me,” Xiao Man said, her face deathly pale, shouting even louder than Ding Dahui. “Quickly, take her away—”

Ding Dahui reached out to shield Chu Zhao, but she pushed Xiao Man into his arms.

“Go,” Chu Zhao said. “Spread the news.”

With those words, she pushed past the guards and rushed toward Xie Yanfang.

“Chu Zhao!” Xiao Man called out, but a moment later she collapsed softly, no longer having the strength to stand.

Ding Dahui caught her, watching as Chu Zhao rushed toward Xie Yanfang in the blink of an eye.

“I know you don’t want to kill me,” Chu Zhao shouted. “Let them go—”

Did she know? Xie Yanfang held the bow and arrow but didn’t speak, nor did he shoot again. The bright morning light was dazzling, blurring his features.

Ding Dahui watched Chu Zhao shield those behind her and felt Xiao Man clutch his clothing.

“Send… send news,” Xiao Man murmured, already unconscious, but her hand still gripping him tightly. “Auntie, auntie—”

She remembered Chu Zhao’s words – being able to send a message was enough. If there was no chance to send out news, then no matter how many people came, it would be useless.

Spread the news, spread the news, and there would still be hope.

Ding Dahui thought that, rather than Chu Zhao, his true superior was Mu Mian Hong. Now that his superior wasn’t present, he would listen to Xiao Man.

Ding Dahui lifted Xiao Man and shouted: “Charge—”

Dozens of guards took advantage of this moment when the arrow rain had ceased and rushed forward.

But no arrows came from behind, though troops from other areas continued to converge, advancing step by step, surrounding them, and arrows began to fly again.

Ding Dahui didn’t hesitate for a moment, his eyes bloodshot as he fixed on what lay ahead. If they could reach the dense forest ahead, they could escape the arrows.

He had surveyed this area for half a month and knew it very well. There was a steep slope beyond that dense forest. If they could rush down it, they would have a chance to escape their pursuers.

The shields sounded as if being struck by heavy rain.

People continued to fall.

Ding Dahui looked at the dense forest ahead; it seemed just before his eyes yet felt so distant.

“Put down your weapons—” a young voice shouted hoarsely. “I command you, put down your weapons—”

The sounds of hoofbeats and crossbows seemed to stop instantly.

Ding Dahui saw a small figure rush out diagonally from the front, looking different from when he had seen it not long ago. The young Emperor was now covered in dirt, appearing utterly disheveled.

A thought flashed through Ding Dahui’s mind: wasn’t the wild boar hunt a lie? Why did the Emperor look like he had been rooted up by a wild boar?

The thought passed quickly as he continued forward, passing the young Emperor without stopping.

Taking advantage of the troops halting their arrows due to the Emperor’s appearance, he finally approached the dense forest.

From behind came a loud voice:

“Take His Majesty away.”

Then came the sound of galloping hooves again as riders rushed up, accompanied by the young Emperor’s screams.

“Don’t hurt my sister— All of you, withdraw— Let me go—”

Chu Zhao looked back to see Xiao Yu being grabbed and lifted onto horseback.

Seeing her look his way, Xiao Yu reached out and shouted:

“Sister, I was wrong! Sister, I was wrong! Xie Yanfang, stop this at once—”

But the next moment, a hand covered his mouth, silencing him. He saw his Sister Chu’s gaze, saw her lips move slightly, as if saying something.

That look in her eyes was something he had never seen before, something unfamiliar.

He seemed to have heard clearly what she said.

His sister said: From now on, your life and mine are no longer connected.

Tears welled up in Xiao Yu’s eyes, falling in large drops.

He had always remembered that night when he hovered between life and death. Even standing before the familiar imperial city, his soul had been scattered and confused. Then Sister Chu had held his hand, pulling him back, saying that their lives were bound together – if he died, she would die.

Now his sister no longer wanted him.

Tears blurred his vision.

From all around came the sound of arrows cutting through the air.

Ding Dahui plunged into the dense forest, which cut off everything behind them.

…

…

Sharp birdcalls echoed through the forest one after another, startling countless birds into flight.

The sound of bows and arrows resumed in the dense forest, interspersed with the frantic barking of hunting dogs.

The birds seemed to have all been frightened away, and the forest returned to silence.

The silence was soon broken by the clamor of footsteps. A group of people wielding swords and knives stopped, looking at the rolling stones at their feet, the obvious landslide, and the remaining bloodstains.

“They escaped from here.”

With soil and stones sliding down, they quickly reached the bottom of the valley, but there were only traces of people having rolled down, no people themselves.

The sounds of footsteps and hunting dogs scattered in all directions once more.

“Pursue them—”

…

…

While the forests within the capital’s boundaries were unsettled, so too were the distant forests outside the capital.

Great fires blazed in the night, their ferocity felt even several mountain ridges away.

The ground trembled as if troops were galloping, mixed with the sounds of battle.

“Is this… suppressing bandits?” Mu Mian Hong said softly, surprise in her eyes. “So quickly.”

Xie Yanlai looked at the night scene before them, with no surprise in his eyes, only deep concern.

Yes, so quickly.

Chu Zhao was already in trouble.