Ci’er had indeed given him countless surprises – gaining natural talents, bringing in He Zi, winning the hearts of scholars, now even obtaining military authority and subduing Di Yiwei. He was truly proud of her.
But ultimately, it was all useless.
Being so outstanding at this time had instead become a death warrant.
After despondency came endless anger – if he had always been content being a puppet, it would be one thing, but for Ci’er to risk life and limb, endure countless hardships, only to end up with such a result – how could he bear it!
“You’re going to take Ci’er’s life!”
The Empress Dowager looked at him coldly.
“So what if I am?”
“Look how spirited you are, still having the strength to argue with me. It seems you won’t be delayed from attending court.”
She waved her hand, and eunuchs stepped forward, unceremoniously coming to “escort” Tie Yan.
Tie Yan fiercely slapped away the eunuch’s hand.
Court robes and the imperial crown were brought up on trays.
“Everyone be dignified, and I can still give Tie Ci a dignified ending,” the Empress Dowager said. “Mother and son, grandmother and granddaughter – one should treasure such bonds.”
Tie Yan remained silent for a long time.
Consort Jing snuggled beside him, panic and fear swirling like mist in her eyes.
Tie Yan glanced at her and silently accepted the court robes.
Consort Jing immediately stepped forward to dress him.
The Empress Dowager lowered her eyelids, satisfaction and mockery flashing briefly in her eyes.
When two cowardly people were together, their cowardice would compound, killing all courage.
She turned around. The black-robed figure extended a withered hand from within the robes to support her. The coldness on her face immediately melted away as she affectionately grasped that hand. The two walked slowly together, and from behind, one couldn’t tell who was supporting whom.
The Empress Dowager’s gaze fell on the hand she held. There were some age spot-like things on it, but she knew these weren’t age spots. She knew this skin was actually still young.
Just as she knew the owner of this hand would never betray her, would forever be her final pillar and trump card.
Thinking of this, she smiled with pleasure.
The Crown Princess was accomplished in both civil and military arts, with outstanding abilities?
The Crown Princess was benevolent and brave, worthy of being a sovereign to guard the realm and continue the lineage?
How naive!
In the face of absolute power and authority, she would be nothing but a loser!
…
When dawn fully broke, several clusters of fireworks lit up in the city.
At this time, the square before Chengqian Hall was open, with ceremonial fireworks also lighting up. Those few ordinary fireworks weren’t conspicuous.
Governor Qi had to attend court. After he left, the back gate of his residence opened, and Qi Yuansi led family retainers hurrying out.
When officials lined up, queues began forming at Tian shops.
The official calling roll wasn’t surprised not to see the Minister of Rites – recently a batch of Ministry officials had been stationed outside the city.
If the Crown Princess returned, there would be movement at the city gates, and relay messengers arranged by the Three Great Camps would transmit news at the fastest speed.
There were also Capital Prefecture officials and citizens blocking the road, making that person’s progress difficult.
Ceremonial Director Li Gui glanced at the motionless far end of the square and felt relieved.
Three cracks of the whip, the Emperor held court, pearl curtains swayed, and the Empress Dowager sat behind them.
Officials stood in formation bowing, while the officials’ relatives and gentry who had entered filled the space in a dark mass.
Prince Zhao stood with his son at the front of the crowd, jaw tense, expressionless.
Grand Tutor He stood at the front of the civil officials’ queue, his expression calm.
Li Gui drew out his voice: “The Grand Court Assembly begins—”
At Tian shop entrances, crowds gathered increasingly. Pushing began, and more citizens came upon hearing the news, flowing like currents through the city’s veins into those seventy-two small points.
One of these points blocked Xiao Wenliu’s carriage returning home.
Before the Eastern Victory Gate, Ministry of Rites officials had assembled but didn’t exit the city in time. They looked back anxiously toward the end of the road – why hadn’t Minister Yang arrived yet?
In the Yang residence, physicians filled the hall but were helpless against Minister Yang, who simply wouldn’t wake from sleep.
Lady Yang cried until her eyes were red, sending people to the palace to report and request imperial physicians, but they were stopped at the square. Today the square was under martial law, requiring multiple levels of clearance to enter.
Outside the city gates, the Kuiniu Camp that had slept rough overnight wearily struck their tents, discussing how dark and windy it was today – surely there would be thunderstorms.
The speaker was immediately mocked.
Where would thunderstorms come from in early spring?
When the fireworks lit up, Tie Ci had already appeared at the very front of Eastern Victory Gate, looking at the tightly closed city gates ahead.
Before the square, the Grand Court Assembly should have proceeded through a series of ceremonies, but today the Empress Dowager waved her hand, saying the weather was poor and they shouldn’t tire the elderly – simplify everything.
Thus a full hour of Grand Court Assembly ceremonies was compressed to just one item – taking turns kowtowing became everyone kowtowing to Chengqian Hall together.
A slight smile appeared in Prince Zhao’s eyes.
Shortening the ceremony meant that even if Tie Ci entered the city now, she couldn’t arrive in time even with wings!
The people before the city gates weren’t as numerous as imagined. Ministry of Rites officials hadn’t appeared in time, so the clerks handling miscellaneous duties under the pavilion dozed off lazily.
Something like a huge shadow seemed to flash across the sky, but Tie Ci didn’t notice. She saw the gates half-open, a cavalry unit galloping over. A Kuiniu Camp leader went to meet them and said something. Moments later, half the Kuiniu Camp soldiers withdrew into the city.
This was the moment.
Tie Ci was about to move forward when suddenly fireworks exploded behind her again.
Countless times more ostentatious than those earlier in the city, like setting off ten thousand firecrackers, magnificent and deafening.
In the tremendous noise, a cavalry unit in red clothes and red armor galloped over, bright yellow banners fluttering with large “Tie” characters written on them. The cavalry surrounded a rider in brilliant golden armor, shouting in unison: “The Crown Princess returns from inspection – all idle personnel stand aside!”
Immediately the area erupted like a disturbed beehive.
Clerks jumped up with drool hanging from their mouths, frantically wiping sleep from their eyes. Merchants waiting to exit the city howled and pushed forward, while the Kuiniu Camp fell into confusion – should they raise weapons or lower them in welcome?
In the original drills, the Crown Princess’s return to the capital required advance documentation, then the Minister of Rites would lead officials and soldiers ten li out to welcome her. Citizens would also be released at this time, with songs, dances, and music all arranged. They only needed to surround the Crown Princess’s welcoming pavilion.
But now, where was the Minister of Rites? Where were the citizens? Where were the song and dance troupes? Even their own patrol leader responsible for defense today wasn’t here!
Currently, only a Kuiniu Camp captain led at the city gates. In his panic, he shouted: “The Crown Princess arrives! All firearms ready—”
Citizens and merchants around looked at him in amazement.
The man froze, realizing he’d made a terrible mistake. Before he could react, a fire-like shadow crashed into him, and with a flash of whip shadow, he was thrown three zhang away. “What nonsense! The Crown Princess fought for the country at the border without regard for life and death, returning to the capital injured, yet you block her with firearms and armies? Are you trying to assassinate the heir apparent?!”
Immediately discussions erupted all around. Without eloquent civil officials to gloss over things, without song and dance troupes to create atmosphere, without crowds of citizens welcoming and cheering, just the army guarding the gates as “welcome” revealed killing intent and strangeness. Even ordinary citizens sensed something wrong.
The Kuiniu Camp panicked, not daring to let them pass but unable to stop them. They wanted to negotiate, but the other side was so aggressive they gave no chance for explanation or obstruction. With a long, resonant command, thundering hooves like torrential rain, red clothes like burning fire, the world-famous Blood Cavalry escorted the golden-armored Crown Princess in a charge that began right at Eastern Victory Gate.
Instantly people and horses tumbled everywhere. Roadside pavilions and shade shelters were knocked down, clerks fled with heads covered, citizens scattered to avoid them. The Kuiniu Camp shouted continuously but dared not actually use firearms. They rushed forward with long spears to block but were pushed and swayed by the crowd. The frontmost soldiers had just raised their spears when they were kicked and broken by the hooves of the charging Blood Cavalry horses. Seeing he couldn’t match the fierce Blood Cavalry, the captain shouted: “Is the Crown Princess trying to crash the gates in rebellion!”
Seeing countless people streaming in and out through the half-open gates, the gate commander hurriedly yelled: “Close the gates! Close the gates! Raise the drawbridge!”
Kuiniu Camp soldiers ignored the citizens still on the moat drawbridge and frantically turned the winches, barely managing to raise the bridge just before the foremost Blood Cavalry horse stepped onto it.
The Kuiniu Camp captain and gate commander both wiped cold sweat – that was close, how fierce.
At least they’d managed to stop them.
He turned back and saw the city gates slowly closing. The last batch of citizens who hadn’t managed to exit were driven back inside the gates. Walking last was a white-robed youth with steady steps and composed demeanor, a silver-blue sash swaying with a lustrous jade brush ornament. He stood at the boundary between sunlight and shadow as the gates slowly closed, turning back to smile at him.
That smile was extremely beautiful, yet the Kuiniu Camp captain felt a strange sensation in his heart.
Like seeing clouds fly and wind move, moon hide and stars sink, rolling thunder plowing through the depths of the sky, about to summon a descending storm the next moment.
This feeling passed in an instant.
The next moment, that outstanding youth had disappeared into the crowd, and that brief moment seemed like an illusion.
…
Tie Ci followed the crowd into the city, with Dan Shuang and Xia Houchun beside her.
In the chaos just now, the three with the best martial arts had entered the gates, but the others still couldn’t get in.
But the road was still long.
The capital was divided into outer city, inner city, imperial city, and palace city. Each level had gates, each level had soldiers standing guard. They had just entered the outer city.
The Tian family could mainly influence the outer city, and could create tremendous momentum for moral coercion in the outer city, since most citizens lived in the outer city while dignitaries and imperial relatives lived within the inner city and beyond. So each pass was difficult, but each had to be passed.
After entering the gates, Tie Ci found guards posted every few steps, especially on roads leading to the inner city, where they encountered inspections from time to time.
Not far ahead was a Tian family shop with many citizens queuing, attracting patrolling soldiers to join the excitement. Tie Ci looked gratefully and walked past the crowd.
Somehow, she felt there were particularly many women on the streets today. There were young ladies from great families out for pleasure wearing veils, as well as respectable women selling needlework on the streets. There were singing girls performing on the streets, and female entertainers performing tricks. There were even groups of young ladies out for spring outings and social gatherings, as well as heavily made-up women who were obviously courtesans, walking and laughing on the streets in broad daylight without hiding.
These women all shared one thing – while enjoying themselves, their eyes constantly looked around as if searching for something. Sometimes two completely unrelated groups would meet, exchange glances, shake their heads slightly, then pass by each other.
To some extent, these girls all over the streets, with their eyes constantly scanning, looked very much like the city patrol soldiers trying to find the Crown Princess.
Tie Ci found this secretly strange – what were they looking for?
Dan Shuang had already asked aloud: “What are they looking for?”
Xia Houchun said: “Surely not looking for the Crown Princess?”
All three laughed.
The women all over the streets also made the city patrol soldiers’ work more difficult. The authorities had already ordered strict searches of crowds today, and just now the outer city had sent orders to intensify patrols, especially requiring individual inspections at inner city gates without relaxing for anyone, including women. But examining women was troublesome to begin with – they chattered and dawdled, and there were only a few matrons specially brought in to examine women. With so many women, they couldn’t examine them all. The crowd was obviously backing up at the gates, forming long queues.
Even worse, the queue at Tian shops was too crowded, and because queuing led to constant fights, several waves of city patrol soldiers had already gone to mediate and maintain order, making the inner city gates even more chaotic.
Tie Ci looked at the long line with worry. Never mind how to pass inspection – just waiting would waste enough time.
The Grand Court Assembly should have already begun.
Beside her, a troupe was performing tightrope walking.
Behind her, a convoy of precious horses and fragrant carriages that obviously belonged to young ladies on spring outings was approaching.
From the side front, suddenly came cat calls.
Tie Ci looked up and saw a cat had jumped onto the flagpole of the performing troupe ahead – calico with a black heart-shaped marking on its body.
Tie Ci rubbed her eyes, almost thinking she was seeing things.
Wasn’t this her Rong Yi?
A scholar rushed over, hugging the troupe’s flagpole and calling upward: “Rong Yi! Rong Yi! Come down quickly!”
Tie Ci froze.
Wasn’t that Shen Mi?
He had come to the capital? And brought Rong Yi.
Seeing this cat now, she couldn’t help but think of her academy days and remember how this cat got its name.
For a moment she felt mixed emotions.
This little cat had been raised well – sleek and plump, with a belly so big it looked like a pregnant female.
Rong Yi paced on the flagpole – elegant, arrogant, looking down on all living beings, attracting the attention of people around.
Tie Ci couldn’t help but think of that person.
Her eyes inexplicably grew slightly moist.
After Shen Mi called a few times hugging the flagpole, he suddenly turned back, scanning through the crowd, meeting her gaze directly.
Tie Ci narrowed her eyes, suddenly understanding why Shen Mi was here.
Joy flashed in Shen Mi’s eyes as he suddenly shouted up at the flagpole: “I found you! Come down, Rong Yi!”
With this shout, Tie Ci felt the air around them seem to tremble slightly.
The queuing women all turned around. People in the spring outing carriages all lifted curtains. The laughing and frolicking courtesans suddenly quieted. The woman doing flips on the rope nearly fell.
This eerie atmosphere made Tie Ci step back.
Then the tightrope-walking performer flipped down from the rope onto the flagpole, caught the meowing Rong Yi, who struggled fiercely in her hands, extending claws to scratch viciously. Only now did Tie Ci realize it wasn’t as relaxed as it appeared – both hind legs were trembling slightly.
This cat was actually afraid of heights.
Watching it scratch the performer with such vigor, Tie Ci wanted to laugh but pursed her lips.
Where are you running off to scratch people now?
The woman handed the cat to Shen Mi. Shen Mi thanked her repeatedly and casually stuffed Rong Yi into a basket behind him. Having completed its role as tool cat, Rong Yi meowed pitifully in the basket.
It hadn’t wanted to go up there – which bastard had thrown it up there?
Suddenly someone in the convoy behind called out: “Hey, you performers, you look quite skilled. Tomorrow our household’s aunt celebrates her birthday – how about performing at our residence for a couple days?”
The speaker was a maid who got down from a carriage and approached the troupe, though her eyes secretly glanced around.
Tie Ci remained unmoved.
Wealthy families hiring performers wasn’t usually this casual.
The female troupe leader smiled and agreed. In a few words they settled terms, and with a wave of her hand, the mainly female troupe quickly packed up.
The nearby gate guards and city patrol soldiers watched with smiles.
As people came and went, Tie Ci’s back was suddenly poked. Someone passed in front of her, someone hurriedly came to pull her and Dan Shuang, saying: “Hurry up and get ready! What are you standing there for!”
She and Dan Shuang were pulled behind the platform. Someone quickly took off performing clothes and handed them to her. Tie Ci had already disguised her face today, so no additional makeup was needed. She didn’t ask questions, just accepted and put them on. The woman who gave her the clothes put on Tie Ci’s clothes instead, smiled charmingly at her, and said: “Take care of yourself,” then turned and melted into the crowd.
Dan Shuang and Xia Houchun also changed clothes. Commander Xia wore laborer’s clothes, showing his arms and heavy chest muscles. Without special disguise, his rough man quality was completely natural.
The troupe leader urged everyone to follow the convoy. Tie Ci picked up a box, and immediately a woman came over, taking most of the weight, whispering: “You’re injured – don’t strain yourself.”
Tie Ci looked at her sideways. The girl appeared fifteen or sixteen, her face flushed red, not daring to look at her, eyes fixed on the ground, beads of sweat on her nose tip.
Tie Ci wondered – how did they know?
They had calluses on their hands, were travel-worn, and moved skillfully – obviously a real traveling troupe.
Such a troupe, and that convoy of young ladies… why would they suddenly come to her aid?