Standing on horseback outside the Tianbo Tower perimeter, Feng Zhiwei observed the situation. Though the Crown Prince held hostages in desperate resistance, with the military force Ning Yi controlled, taking down Tianbo Tower was truly a very easy matter. However, using the excuse of being wary of harming the hostages, he didn’t attack fiercely, only slowly simmering with gentle heat, deliberately draining the Crown Prince’s confidence, extracting his final madness, forcing him to stake everything on one throw—best if he perished together with Shaoning.
If she hadn’t guessed wrong, among the Crown Prince’s close confidants, there must be Ning Yi’s ears and eyes. Ning Yi’s backup plans were endless and continuous. The earlier negotiation was merely to prevent her from bringing Gu Nanyi to cause trouble.
If not for Tianbo Tower’s windows being wide open on all sides, with everyone able to clearly see the movements inside, the Crown Prince and Shaoning would likely already be corpses on the ground.
Rescuing people was actually very simple—it’s just that she couldn’t go rescue them.
Faintly, she heard the Crown Prince’s fierce laughter from the tower top, his voice like a sharp blade: “Where is Father Emperor! Why won’t Father Emperor come see me! Can he bear to not see his son? If he won’t see me—”
“Bang!” A person was thrown down from the tower, heavily hitting the ground, brains instantly splattering. Everyone was shocked and rode their horses to look. After watching for a long time, they discovered it wasn’t Princess Shaoning, but a palace maid.
The Crown Prince’s laughter became increasingly ghost-like and demonic. “Father Emperor won’t come? Then every quarter hour, I’ll throw down one person. This is Shaoning’s palace servant. The next one… the one after that… might just be his most beloved young daughter. If he doesn’t come, I’ll send Shaoning’s soul to see him!”
All around fell silent for a moment. The innocent victim’s blood slowly flowed. Then Shaoning’s voice suddenly rang out like a silver bottle shattering, filled with rage: “Elder Brother, you’ve gone mad!”
“I’ve gone mad! Yes, I’ve gone mad!” The Crown Prince laughed loudly. “Everyone’s gone mad! This filthy imperial clan! This sordid emperor’s family! All gone mad!”
Feng Zhiwei turned her head, speaking quietly with Yan Huaishi for a few sentences. Yan Huaishi left. Then Feng Zhiwei suddenly stepped forward, saying quietly: “Your Highness.”
The laughter from the tower ceased. The Crown Prince stuck his head out. Seeing Feng Zhiwei, his gaze flashed, then filled with hope: “Master Wei, you’re here?… Is Father Emperor coming? I want to meet Father Emperor face to face and clarify my grievances!”
Shaoning’s voice was even more joyful than his, struggling and shouting loudly: “Wei Zhi! Wei Zhi! You’ve come to rescue me! I knew you would definitely come!”
A gaudily decorated head shot out, but in the blink of an eye was dragged back by the Crown Prince’s subordinates.
“His Majesty is currently en route, only slightly indisposed. Wait a moment and he’ll arrive.” Feng Zhiwei didn’t even glance at Shaoning from the corner of her eye, lying without changing expression. “Crown Prince, why such madness? Leaving no room like this—when you see His Majesty later, how will you speak?”
“Where are the prime ministers?” The Crown Prince didn’t take up the topic, looking around in all directions. “Why did they only send you to talk with me? Your qualifications are still insufficient.”
Feng Zhiwei didn’t get angry, smiling faintly: “I am the Crown Prince’s subordinate. His Majesty sent me to come—does the Crown Prince still not understand the intention within?”
The Crown Prince froze, a flash of delighted light bursting in his eyes, then said suspiciously: “My subordinate… then why does His Majesty still have heavy troops surrounding me?”
Feng Zhiwei raised her head, smiling: “That’s because Crown Prince, you’re stupid!”
These earth-shattering words—not to mention everyone being shocked, even the Crown Prince was so stunned he nearly leaned out. After a long while, realizing what she said, he flew into a rage: “How dare you, youngster! You actually insult this prince!”
“How would I not dare?” Feng Zhiwei sneered coldly. “There are no irreconcilable feuds between father and son in the world. Just some minor grievances—lay bare your heart before the throne and clarify, that’s all. How does it come to armed confrontation, deploying military weapons? His Majesty waited bitterly at Huwei main camp for Your Highness to come intimately and speak candidly, henceforth father and son would be sincere with no more barriers. Never expecting the Crown Prince would walk the path of death himself, actually taking younger siblings hostage and causing chaos in the palace! His Majesty yielded again and again, yet the Crown Prince didn’t understand the paternal heart. Not walking the smooth road but drilling into a dead end—how is that not stupid!”
This speech was viciously scolding, yet hope flashed in the Crown Prince’s eyes as he probed: “…This is Father Emperor’s meaning?”
Feng Zhiwei said sternly: “How would this subject dare fabricate the sacred intention!”
“This prince is not a deranged person.” The Crown Prince froze for a long while, saying dejectedly: “If Father Emperor is willing to hear my defense, then…”
He turned his head, looking at Shaoning and Ning Ji, hesitating whether to first release his younger siblings to show reconciliation sincerity.
“Your Highness recognizes your errors and reins in at the cliff’s edge—truly the best outcome.” Suddenly someone rode over on horseback, smile gratified, raising his head and saying clearly: “If so, this subject-brother will immediately send someone to ride swiftly to report to Huwei main camp.”
Feng Zhiwei sighed silently.
Ning Yi, oh Ning Yi.
In this lifetime, you specialize in undermining me…
The Crown Prince on the tower froze—ride swiftly to report to Huwei main camp? His Majesty is still at the camp? Then just now Wei Zhi was lying?
“Shameless! Outrageous!” The Crown Prince flew into a rage, kicking down an inner attendant. “Bang!”—amidst dust and blood splattering everywhere, he said fiercely: “You are unkind, I am unrighteous! Kill!”
Ning Yi on horseback smiled coldly.
Finally waited for you to say this.
His fingers in his sleeve moved silently.
Dark blue arrow rain like a thick rain cloud, with a buzzing sound tearing through the air, swept over people’s heads, heading straight for Tianbo Tower.
“Pa pa pa pa!”
The wide-open windows instantly all closed. The arrows missed their targets, thudding as they embedded in the window frames.
Faintly, the Crown Prince’s wild laughter could be heard, then no more sound.
“Whoosh whoosh”—several sounds as several objects were thrown down from the tower, cutting brilliant red and deep yellow trajectories through the night sky before landing. Upon landing, they “poof!” burst into flames.
Several blazing fire basins.
The wooden structure of the tower corner immediately caught fire. A fire dragon climbed up the pillars, instantly engulfing half the tower.
The Crown Prince wanted to self-immolate!
The firelight was brilliant red, everyone’s faces deathly pale. Following the Third Prince’s military rebellion and suicide many years ago, this was the Ning imperial family’s second prince to walk the desperate path using tragic means.
And not just one, but three, with His Majesty’s most beloved young princess among them.
Everyone watched helplessly as that fire soared and raged. Thinking of the consequences of this matter, in an instant their hands and feet turned ice-cold, forgetting all movements.
In the firelight, only Ning Yi, the corners of his eyes slanting upward, his gaze indifferent.
Huwei Army Commander Xu Yuanliang felt anxious in his heart, not knowing what plan the Prince had, yet also didn’t dare issue orders on his behalf. He could only turn his gaze pleadingly toward Gu Nanyi at the side. But Feng Zhiwei suddenly cried “Aiya!” and hurriedly brushed her clothes, saying: “Fire!”
Everyone’s gazes turned, only then discovering that because they were too close to the tower, some sparks had splashed onto the hems of Feng Zhiwei’s and Gu Nanyi’s robes. Feng Zhiwei frantically brushed at them. In the midst of the chaos, turning her head, she saw that Young Master Gu was completely unconcerned about the fire on his body, only raising his head to look at that fire, as if feeling that fire burning over there was more interesting than the fire on himself.
Attendant Feng had to also pat the sparks on his body, busy to the point of being overwhelmed.
Ning Yi had been watching indifferently the whole time. Seeing Feng Zhiwei diligently extinguishing fire for Gu Nanyi, his gaze deepened further. He sat high on his horse, slightly raising his head to look at Tianbo Tower surrounded by great fire. In the waves of his eyes, red light reflected, also like a cluster of demonic fire twisting and surging.
His subordinates anxiously waited for his instructions, yet he only remained lost in thought. Only when the fire势 completely surrounded Tianbo Tower and rescue was impossible did he slowly say: “Idiots! Don’t you know to fight the fire and rescue people?”
The Huwei Army received the Prince’s order and hurried to “fight the fire and rescue people.” Meanwhile, Feng Zhiwei smiled bitterly, tugging at her robe that had burned to only half remaining, saying: “This subject will go change clothes.”
Ning Yi glanced at her, saying: “Master Wei has worked hard. The fire is so fierce, even Master Gu likely cannot rescue people. Better to first go change clothes.”
Feng Zhiwei smiled sincerely: “The Prince has worked hard. Trouble the Prince to continue working hard.”
She bowed properly and withdrew. After passing through the crowd, she walked to a secluded palace chamber. Yan Huaishi came around from behind some flowers and trees at a corner.
“Indeed, no mistake!” This youngster was quite excited. “Openly repair the plank road while secretly crossing Chen Cang! Tianbo Tower has another exit!”
Feng Zhiwei smiled as if expecting this—everyone else thought the Crown Prince was cornered with no way out, defending the tower trapped, only seeking to see the Emperor once more to clarify his heart’s intent. But she, from the entire way here, felt that the Crown Prince’s path of fighting while retreating seemed very methodical, not like being forced into panicked accidental intrusion.
So before negotiating with the Crown Prince, she had arranged for Yan Huaishi to bring her retainers to thoroughly investigate the surrounding routes. Among the Yan family retainers were some with unusual talents. Sure enough, they found the Crown Prince’s escape route.
“Tianbo Tower has no underground passage. Behind the tower is an artificial lake.” Yan Huaishi said. “Prince Chu is meticulous and has already sent people to investigate, but among my retainers is a founding-master-level figure of the Whistle Faction who said this Tianbo Tower was inherited from the Great Cheng palace. The building itself is a wondrous structure—tower within tower, with an extremely thin interlayer. It’s not for hiding people, but conceals a rising and descending staircase. From that staircase to Tianbo Tower’s back face—this kind of staircase, that Whistle Faction founding master said only ancient tombs would have. The mechanisms inside and out are extremely precise. The first use raises it up, the second use lowers it… look.”
Feng Zhiwei raised her eyes, seeing a stretch of artificial rockery by the artificial lake, pressed tight against Tianbo Tower’s back.
“That mountain…”
“That mountain is hollow inside, with hidden mysteries.” Yan Huaishi’s eyes were full of admiration. “Pass through the mountain, enter the lake bottom—that’s the underground passage. The passage emerges at the easternmost Jingzhai, near Donghua Gate!”
This underground passage actually went through mid-air!
No wonder with Ning Yi’s meticulousness, investigating the surrounding escape routes he still hadn’t discovered it. There simply was no underground passage on Tianbo Tower’s side. Ning Yi must have also investigated the lake bottom, but the lake bottom initially had nothing either. Who would think to investigate across the lake?
Feng Zhiwei narrowed her eyes—Tianbo Tower stood alone in a corner, backed against the lake water. However one looked, it was a dead end. Yet she had seen in that omnipotent booklet someone boasting about how to create optical illusions, seen someone proudly bragging about various marvelous mechanisms in tomb chambers…
“Heaven’s will let me discover that secret passage.” Feng Zhiwei raised her head. Shaoning’s delighted face flashed in her mind.
After a long while, she said: “Let’s go look.”
Yan Huaishi’s expression became stern, knowing this decision was critically important, perhaps meaning going contrary to Ning Yi. Yet he said nothing, calling over retainers to lead the way. That Whistle Faction expert praised the Tianbo Tower design in a low voice endlessly all the way, also puzzled about which generation of Great Cheng or Tiansheng produced such a grandmaster-level Whistle expert.
“What faction is the Whistle Faction?” Suddenly remembering something, Feng Zhiwei asked.
Yan Huaishi answered: “Tomb raiding.”
Feng Zhiwei immediately understood—so that booklet’s owner was an old hand at tomb raiding…