In the envoys’ residence, in an upper room overlooking the street, Chu Tiange watched the column of troops galloping toward the western city gate, a satisfied smile curving at the corner of his mouth.
Suddenly, Chu Feiyan came storming in, bandaged up like some kind of mummy, ignoring the pain on her face entirely, demanding furiously, “Chu Tiange, this was all orchestrated by you, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. So what?” Chu Tiange shot back.
Who would ever suspect him?
Who would ever imagine that the true mastermind behind all this was being so well looked after right there in their own envoys’ residence?
General Ouyang wasn’t just secretly colluding with Western Jing—he was colluding with Western Chu as well. It was only after Chu Tiange learned that General Ouyang had been bought off by Western Jing’s Dugu Xianyun that he’d inserted himself into the scheme.
Dugu Xianyun wanted to elevate General Ouyang to power, to strip Jun Beiyue of his military authority—and hadn’t Chu Tiange wanted exactly the same thing all along?
He was simply the mantis lurking behind, waiting his turn. He’d only promised General Ouyang that he wouldn’t move his own troops for these three years—let Western Jing and General Ouyang wear each other down in the meantime.
All he wanted was for Jun Beiyue to vanish from Great Zhou entirely. Three years from now, whoever ended up ruling Great Zhou, his cavalry would show absolutely no mercy beneath their hooves.
Chu Feiyan slammed her hand down on the table, roaring in fury, “You! You knew perfectly well I came here for a marriage alliance, and you still tried to kill Jun Beiyue!”
“Sister, you should be grateful you lost to Han Ziqing—otherwise, you’d have been left a grass widow from here on out,” Chu Tiange teased, clearly in high spirits enough to joke about it.
“You! Jun Beiyue absolutely will not die! He won’t!” Chu Feiyan shouted, her feelings for that man having long since transcended any concern for status or position.
She understood perfectly well that their father intended to go through Great Zhou to attack Eastern Qin, and Jun Beiyue was the single greatest obstacle standing in their father’s path.
Opposing their father directly would never end well, for public reasons and private ones alike—which was precisely why she’d come up with this plan of a marriage alliance in the first place.
She never could have imagined that Chu Tiange, traveling alongside her, hadn’t come to help her at all, but had his own separate agenda entirely.
Ignoring Chu Feiyan’s furious shouting, Chu Tiange simply smiled. “Sister, Great Zhou is about to descend into chaos. Go get ready—we should be heading back too.”
“I’m going to tell Father! You deceived me!” Chu Feiyan strode forward to chase after him, but the movement jolted her injured leg, and the pain stopped her cold.
“Father only cares about one outcome—Eastern Qin!” Chu Tiange said with a laugh, walking away, but after only a few steps he turned back. “Oh, I nearly forgot to mention—those wild wolves from Western Jing all had venomous fangs.”
With that, he strode off, leaving Chu Feiyan standing there stunned, and before long, tears began streaming down her face…
At the imperial horse ranch in the western suburbs, Ouyang Chi had already gathered his fellow Thirteen Riders brothers, trying every means to locate their lord.
Yingzi had raced off in urgent pursuit that very night and still had no news; none of the Glass Pavilion’s shadow guards had returned yet either.
It had to be admitted—this was the first time the Thirteen Riders had ever found themselves this thoroughly rattled and at a loss.
That such a meticulously orchestrated assassination attempt could occur right in the capital of Great Zhou—no one could have imagined it.
Everyone was still out searching; nearly three days had passed with no news at all, and every one of them was growing more anxious and restless by the hour, barely returning through the night.
Ouyang Chi had just gotten back and received word from the Xuanwu Hall, and was about to leave again when the door suddenly burst open with a kick!
There stood General Ouyang, striding in first, insufferably arrogant and full of himself, with the Second Prince right behind him. The moment they entered, guards flooded in after them, surrounding Ouyang Chi entirely.
“Second Prince, what’s the meaning of this?” Ouyang Chi scoffed coldly—in his eyes, generals meant nothing, let alone princes.
“Commander Ouyang, His Majesty has issued an order—you’re to accompany me to the northern frontier, to assist in mobilizing the White Tiger Legion,” General Ouyang said coldly.
“The White Tiger Legion?” Ouyang Chi burst out laughing, standing a full head taller than General Ouyang, looking down at him with open contempt. “Ouyang Yibo, you think you’re fit to command the White Tiger Legion? Feh!”
He spat squarely in General Ouyang’s face, and General Ouyang, enraged, drew his sword and pointed it straight at him. “If you don’t come with this old man today, I’ll take your head north with me instead!”
Ouyang Chi drew his own sword as well, ready to fight it out to the end, but at that moment Jun Beichen suddenly called for a halt. “Is this really the time for this? Commander Ouyang, General Ouyang respects you as a man of honor—out of consideration for you being one of Prince Yao’s old subordinates, he specifically recommended you to the Emperor. Once Western Jing’s forces are repelled, the northern frontier will be handed over to you. Given your attitude right now, are you truly defying the imperial edict?”
Using the edict to pressure him, and dressing it up so nicely besides?
Ouyang Chi sneered with open contempt. “I’m a soldier—I obey military orders alone. Without Prince Yao’s tiger tally, I answer to no one, and neither will the three northern armies. The two of you might as well give up on this idea right now.”
“You!” General Ouyang snapped furiously—how could he possibly tolerate a mere commander like Jun Beiyue climbing above him? He immediately gave the order. “Someone, kill him!”
Ouyang Chi wouldn’t budge, and there were still twelve other riders besides him—he refused to believe none of them feared death.
General Ouyang moved to storm off, but the Second Prince stopped him, sneering coldly, “Ouyang Chi, as head of the Thirteen Riders, don’t you hold a tiger tally of your own as well?”
Each of Jun Beiyue’s Thirteen Riders commanded their own cavalry unit, stationed at the four gates of the capital—that tiger tally had to be in Ouyang Chi’s possession without question!
“Don’t even think about it!” Ouyang Chi roared furiously, gripping his spear tight, bracing himself.
To his surprise, Jun Beichen and General Ouyang immediately stepped back, and the guards surrounding him raised their crossbows all at once, dozens of sharp arrows all aimed squarely at him!
Jun Beichen faced the crowd, a flash of malice crossing his eyes, and gave the cold command, “Save your sentiments for me… fire!”
The sharp order rang out, and a hail of arrows followed!
Ouyang Chi had no way to defend against it all—in an instant, he was struck full of arrows like a hedgehog, blood streaming from every wound.
He couldn’t even stay standing, collapsing to his knees with a heavy thud.
These crossbowmen had clearly been specially trained, their aim calculated with great precision—even though every part of his body except his head and chest bristled with arrows, none of the wounds were fatal.
Jun Beichen had come prepared, certain Ouyang Chi wouldn’t surrender—he’d been after his tiger tally all along. He wanted control of the capital!
Jun Beichen then turned and kicked him hard, sending him sprawling to the ground, planting a pristine white boot squarely on his chest, drawing his crossbow and taking aim.
“Ouyang Chi, hand over your tiger tally, or else—”
Before he could finish, Ouyang Chi spat viciously in his face. “You’re all afraid to die—well, this commander isn’t!”
“Very good, very good indeed—truly a soldier trained personally by Jun Beiyue!” Jun Beichen laughed viciously, then swept his hand, and a wailing infant was carried in by a trembling wet nurse.
Ouyang Chi was struck with horror—that was his own newborn son!
“Commander Ouyang, tell me—is he afraid to die?” Jun Beichen smiled, all pleasant menace, slowly shifting his crossbow’s aim toward the child.
Ouyang Chi cursed furiously, “Jun Beichen, you shameless, despicable wretch, you’ll come to a horrible end! You’ll never measure up to Prince Yao—you’re nothing but a rat skulking in some filthy gutter, keeping company with vermin!”
The words struck straight at Jun Beichen’s heart—his eyes flickered with a moment’s shock, and he swung the crossbow back around, aiming straight at Ouyang Chi’s chest and firing—only for a sharp “clang” to ring out as the short bolt was suddenly knocked off course by a silver needle, clattering to the ground!
Everyone froze in shock, all turning at once to look toward the door…