The sun rose in the east, painting the mountain base in deepening shades of purple. Xia Jingshi’s brow furrowed even more. The difference in numbers between the two sides was too great. Although they had the Holy Emperor as a bargaining chip, the chances of escaping unscathed were extremely slim…
Suddenly, someone lightly patted his shoulder. He turned instinctively and was greeted by a cheerful, refreshed smile. “Your Highness, go rest. I can keep watch here.”
“I’ll go in a moment,” Xia Jingshi responded, shifting his gaze back to the mountain base. “Look, more and more Imperial Guards are gathering down there.”
Yi Xiao peered for a while, then scoffed disdainfully, “No matter how many there are, it’s useless. As long as we have the Holy Emperor, they absolutely won’t dare to launch a full-scale attack.”
“It seems that way for now,” Xia Jingshi sighed lightly. “But if this turns into a standoff, we have no chance of winning.”
“That’s what I said too, but Feng Suige said not to worry,” Yi Xiao shook her head in dissatisfaction. “When I asked him why, he wouldn’t say. Then I turned around for a moment and couldn’t find him. Who knows what tricks he’s up to, always being so mysterious…”
Xia Jingshi watched her silently. Even while complaining, her eyes were still filled with laughter. What he couldn’t achieve, that man had accomplished. What he could give, he naturally wouldn’t withhold.
So he smiled too. In the golden morning light, the two stood side by side, each lost in their thoughts, yet both smiling with happiness and contentment.
Feng Xiyang stood dazed in the distance, feeling a chill from the depths of his heart to the tips of his toes.
“…Scout again. Tell the reconnaissance unit to report immediately, even if it’s just a rumor,” Xiao Weiran issued the order decisively. He took the medicine cup from a young officer’s hand and drained it in one gulp.
Putting down the cup, he couldn’t help but cough lightly a few times. The officer beside him hurriedly stepped forward to pat his back. “Commander, please rest for a while.”
“No need,” Xiao Weiran pushed away the officer’s hand and began to review the various reports that had just been submitted. The officer could only step back with his hands at his sides.
The wheels of the carriage rumbled dully as they rolled over the rugged mountain path. The swaying curtains couldn’t keep out the dust stirred up by the horses’ hooves in front, and soon a thick layer of grime covered the remnants of medicine at the bottom of the cup.
“Commander Xiao,” the military officer accompanying the carriage suddenly exclaimed in surprise, “There’s thick smoke rising over there!”
Xiao Weiran’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly lifted the side curtain and looked ahead. Among the continuous mountain ridges, a thick line of black smoke rose straight into the sky, piercing the clouds and refusing to dissipate. Against the blue sky and white clouds, it looked extremely abrupt and eerie.
Yi Xiao crouched upwind, watching with mixed amusement at the group below coughing and gasping. Feng Suige initially managed to lend a hand nearby, but eventually couldn’t withstand the choking smoke. He rubbed his reddened eyes and retreated to Yi Xiao’s side. “Hey, this place is too small. If it were bigger, it should be much better.”
Yi Xiao covered her nose and stepped back, “You smell terrible… You’d better go change your clothes.”
Feng Suige glared at her, “You’re disgusted by me? If it weren’t for you, why would I, the noble Regent Prince, come to this remote mountain to suffer like this?”
He had expected Yi Xiao to jump up and retort, but she only quietly lowered her head. After a while, she said softly, “I understand. Thank you…”
A moment of silence fell, and the commotion below suddenly seemed much louder.
Feng Suige was only silent for a moment before returning to his usual nonchalant manner. “Forget it, whenever you’re polite, it usually doesn’t mean anything good…”
Before he could finish speaking, Feng Suige jumped up, avoiding the handful of dirt thrown at his head. He glared at Yi Xiao, “What are you doing!”
Yi Xiao stood up, brushing the soil from her hands. Seeing his gritted teeth, she proudly raised her chin at him, “I’m proving how right you are, Your Highness!”
Feng Suige stomped his foot and lunged at her. Yi Xiao yelped and turned to run, but after a few steps, she crashed headlong into Xia Jingshi, who had hurried over. Looking up dizzily, she asked, “Your Highness? Why aren’t you resting?”
Xia Jingshi’s lips twitched slightly. “If you’re not busy, go to the front and keep watch for me. I have something to discuss with Prince Feng.”
Yi Xiao agreed, stuck her tongue out at Feng Suige, and bounded off towards the lookout post.
“What’s wrong?” Feng Suige had already noticed the unusual expression on Xia Jingshi’s face and asked in a low voice.
Xia Jingshi pressed his lips tightly together, his eyes concealing storms. “Something’s happened. Come with me.”
“Didn’t I instruct that he was not to be left alone for even a moment? How could he have escaped?” Feng Suige growled. Before him knelt two Xu Sha guards, their faces ashen. On the other side, the thick hemp rope that had bound the Holy Emperor to the tree trunk had been cut, lying on the ground like a dead snake.
“Now is not the time for anger,” Xia Jingshi said gravely. “I’ve already sent out a few men to track him down. If they can bring him back, that’s best. If not…” He paused, slowly exhaling, “If not, we must quickly gather our forces and break through forcefully.”
Feng Suige angrily punched the tree trunk. “It was my oversight. I should have assigned more men to guard him.”
One of the silent guards suddenly kowtowed, choking out, “It was this subordinate’s negligence. Now the Prince is in danger because of me. I only ask for death to atone for my crime.”
The other guard also shuffled forward on his knees, kowtowing as he said, “This subordinate also bears responsibility…”
“You think death comes so easily?” Feng Suige sneered coldly. “If killing you could undo everything, would you still be alive to speak to me? Stop dawdling and go find him!”
“Wait,” Xia Jingshi kicked at the broken rope with his toe, raising his eyes to the two guards. “Tell me what happened again, in detail.”
One guard lowered his head and said, “I’ve been having stomach issues these past few days. Just now, I really couldn’t hold it any longer, so I left for a moment. When I returned, the Holy Emperor was gone.”
Xia Jingshi nodded and looked at the other guard. Meeting the gazes of Xia Jingshi and Feng Suige, he hesitated for a moment before stammering, “I was just too tired and dozed off for a bit. When I opened my eyes again…”
“Lies,” Xia Jingshi coldly spat out the word. The guard’s whole body immediately trembled. Even Feng Suige sharply raised his head.
Xia Jingshi bent down to pick up the rope and held it in front of Feng Suige. “If the Holy Emperor had worn through the rope himself to escape, this break would be far too clean. If someone had rescued him, setting aside the fact that there’s been no movement from the foot of the mountain, consider this: would someone capable of sneaking in here undetected need to saw back and forth to cut this rope? They could have sliced through it effortlessly.”
Feng Suige’s gaze returned to the guard’s face, staring at him for a long moment. His eyes darkened as he said softly, “I want to hear the truth—who was it?”