After Wang Yanhui left, A’Luo said coldly to Xiao Yu, “Xiao Yu, how have I treated you?”
Xiao Yu was stunned to hear this, and dropped to her knees before A’Luo with a thud, saying aggrievedly, “Miss, this — this still needs to be asked? Xiao Yu would gladly die for Miss.”
A’Luo sighed. “I don’t want you to die for me. I’m afraid Wang Yanhui’s words just now will endanger your life, but,” resolve showed in her eyes, “I will never sacrifice you! I want you to promise me — even facing your future husband, even the person you trust most, you must never breathe a word of what you heard tonight.”
“Xiao Yu understands. Xiao Yu swears here and now — if I reveal even half a word of what I heard today, let me die a bad death and be abandoned by my own family.” A’Luo helped her up, then suddenly embraced her, breathing hard. “Xiao Yu, my heart is in turmoil. I’ve had murderous thoughts. To protect our lives, I actually thought about killing Wang Yanhui. Xiao Yu, I’m frightened. Killing someone — I never once imagined it. There would be a sentence, possibly even execution. It’s terrifying.”
Xiao Yu gently stroked A’Luo’s back. “Whatever Miss decides to do, Xiao Yu will stand by Miss’s side.”
That night, A’Luo barely closed her eyes until dawn. Zili — how long had he been keeping this secret? Why would Wang Yanhui tell her? Would Zili really marry Wang Yanhui? Would Wang Yanhui really use her as a bargaining chip? Would Zili’s heart grow deep and unfathomable from now on? Would he move against Prince Anqing and his son, seizing their military authority or even harming them? A’Luo’s head ached from thinking. She closed her eyes, wanting to doze for a while — no matter what, she had to escape.
The sky was faintly brightening. Liu Jue led thirty thousand Southern Army troops to surround the royal palace. Zili also arrived at the palace gates with five thousand troops of the Right Flank Army. The two men exchanged a glance, and one of their generals stepped forward to shout at the palace: “The Crown Prince led troops to slaughter his own brothers — an act condemned by heaven and earth. He has already surrendered and confessed his crime. Open the palace gates at once and receive Prince Li into the palace!”
Above the palace walls, Grand Commandant Wang appeared. He barked in a deep voice, “The Crown Prince is the rightful heir to the throne. How am I to know this isn’t rebellion, a forced coup against the palace?”
Prince Anqing rode forward unhurriedly. Chancellor Gu and Chancellor Li, leading the civil and military officials, had already assembled before the palace gates. He slowly raised an imperial edict wrapped in yellow silk and called out loudly, “The late Emperor’s final decree! All officials kneel to receive it!”
Outside the gates, the crowd knelt as one. Grand Commandant Wang and the Imperial Guards atop the wall knelt to receive it as well. Prince Anqing read out the decree in a solemn, grave voice: “…The Fourth Prince, Fei, is capable and magnanimous, worthy of bearing the great responsibility of kingship… Queen Wang conspired to murder the late virtuous Empress; she is stripped of rank to commoner status and granted white silk… the Crown Prince is demoted and confined to the eastern suburb estate… Grand Commandant Wang, being advanced in years, is granted permission to retire and return home… By imperial decree!”
When the reading finished, Chancellor Gu, Chancellor Li, and the assembled officials passed the decree among themselves to read it, then knelt before Zili’s horse, calling out together, “Long live our king!”
Prince Anqing and his son, along with the assembled generals, echoed in succession: “Long live our king!”
Zili laughed heartily. “Rise, all my loyal officials!” His words already carried the bearing of one who considered himself Prince Ning. He called up to the wall, “Does Grand Commandant Wang still have doubts?”
Grand Commandant Wang repeatedly professed he would not dare. “This subject knew nothing of the late king’s decree — I beg the king’s forgiveness!”
“Those who did not know are not at fault! This lone king promises here and now — there will be no settling of scores afterward! Not one finger will be laid against anyone who once followed the former Crown Prince!” Zili declared solemnly, drawing his sword and lightly wiping his finger across the blade, letting a drop of blood fall. “Should I break this vow, may I be denied entry to the imperial mausoleum atop Yuxiang Mountain after death!”
This vow put many officials’ minds at ease — after all, many had not known of Prince Ning’s decree, and had long served the Crown Prince loyally. Prince Anqing, too, breathed a sigh of relief. With the throne newly secured, purging dissenters now would shake the foundations of the court — after all, the Crown Prince had committed no major transgression; the only real charge was that his birth mother, Queen Wang, had poisoned the late Empress, and even that rested on Prince Ning’s word, without solid evidence in hand.
The palace gates slowly opened. Zili walked in slowly. This was the place where he had grown up — after all these years, today, he was finally its master.
A takeover of the palace that had been planned and prepared for extensively instead unfolded peacefully. Prince Anqing stood silent. Liu Jue’s heart was anxious, desperate to find A’Luo. Once the gates opened, he forced himself to wait patiently while Zili, the officials, and Zili’s five thousand elite guards entered first, intending to rush in himself the moment he could. Prince Anqing, seeing through his son’s intentions, grabbed his arm. “You are not to go!”
“Father! Why not!” Liu Jue was frantic.
“You will go obediently to the main hall and wait. I have my own arrangements for A’Luo — not a single hair on her head will be harmed! There’s something suspicious about this matter, son. Listen to your old father, just this once!” Prince Anqing said in a low, firm voice.
Liu Jue, both furious and anxious, found his mind turning over the situation — why had this gone so easily? He’d expected the people inside to defend the palace to the death. His fist had struck empty air; something was wrong. He glanced at his father — and chose to trust him.
Once through the gates, the five thousand elite guards swiftly replaced the Imperial Guards, beginning an orderly sweep of the palace. Everything proceeded smoothly.
Wang Yanhui sat composed in full formal dress in the main hall of the Eastern Palace, her makeup immaculate, letting the elite guards surround the Eastern Palace outside. All the attendants of the Eastern Palace knelt before its gates.
In the Golden Hall, Zili stood beside the throne and addressed the assembled officials in a clear voice: “There are still two days before the enthronement ceremony. This lone king dares not sit upon the throne yet. All of you should continue in your duties — state affairs have piled up these past days, and I must trouble Chancellor Gu and Chancellor Li to handle the burden a while longer.” He bowed to the officials as he finished.
The officials, flustered, knelt to return the courtesy. Chancellor Li spoke first: “Though the ceremony is still two days off, our new king of Ning is already decided. Your Majesty need not stand on such ceremony.” The others voiced agreement in turn.
Zili still declined. Finally, helplessly, he said, “The palace has just been secured, and the city has been disturbed for many days already. All of you, go first and reassure the people…” He then issued a series of orders arranging government affairs, security patrols within the city, and palace guard duties.
Liu Jue was assigned to oversee security within and beyond Feng City, and had no choice but to thank the king and leave the palace first. Prince Anqing, looking utterly exhausted, kept complaining of a headache and returned home to rest. Outside the palace gates, Liu Jue was waiting: “Father, A’Luo, she—”
Prince Anqing glared at him irritably. “She’ll be fine!”
Liu Jue was consumed with frustration — not seeing her made him all the more anxious, yet his father simply refused to say more. Furious, he spurred his horse and galloped off. Prince Anqing glanced back at the palace, a smile already forming in his eyes. He shook his head and turned to go home as well.
After finishing his affairs, Zili was led by a palace attendant into the Eastern Palace. The moment the door opened, Wang Yanhui seemed to lose herself for a moment, sitting frozen, unmoving.
Only when he was standing right before her did Wang Yanhui come back to herself, and she knelt gently before Zili. Zili gazed at her for a long moment, and finally said softly, “Thank you.”
Wang Yanhui wanted to smile. She did not raise her head, nor did she answer. She was waiting — waiting for Zili to help her up, waiting for him to make good on his promise.
“If not for you, I could not have taken control of the military — at least not this quickly. I would not have had three years to secretly train troops. Even fighting against the Crown Prince, even with the support of Prince Anqing and his son, even with the backing of Chancellor Gu and his officials, it would not have gone this smoothly, this fast!” Zili said with complete candor. “You even preserved the palace intact, without costing me a single soldier.”
Wang Yanhui still said nothing.
Zili sighed. “With your intelligence, you must have foreseen this long ago?”
Wang Yanhui finally raised her head, her face utterly calm. She slowly rose to her feet and straightened her robes. “Even for the sake of the one in your heart, you still wouldn’t?” She watched with satisfaction as Zili’s pupils suddenly contracted. Inwardly she sighed. Her eyes turned to the window — spring had truly arrived; the new green on the branches was full of life.
Zili asked in a low voice, “Where is A’Luo?”
Wang Yanhui smiled seductively. “Is it because I am too strong? Qingluo says that when a woman is too strong, a man feels inferior by comparison and shrinks from loving her instead. I always believed you would be the one person who truly understood my heart.”
“Yes, I admit it — including the forty thousand Northern Army troops you sent, which will become my Northern Army. That gift is so weighty it shames me! You are an extraordinary woman, a truly extraordinary woman! Worthy enough to match me! Tianlin is like an orchid — proud, pure, and gentle in temperament, entirely worthy of being mother of the nation! You harbor great ambition and could help me dominate the realm, proud as a pine, standing shoulder to shoulder with me — for me, that would be the best choice!”
“But still, none of it compares to Qingluo. She isn’t suited to being mother of the nation, nor does she have the ability to stand beside you on the battlefield and help unify the realm — yet she is the one you love most in your heart,” Wang Yanhui finished for him.
“Since you understand this, why still use her as leverage against me?” Zili said flatly.
“If I truly used her as leverage against you, would you honor your promise?” The corner of Wang Yanhui’s mouth curved into a smile.
Zili smiled. “Try it and you’ll find out.”
“Very well! Follow me.” Wang Yanhui answered, turning toward the sleeping chambers.
She pressed her fingers against a painting on the wall, made several motions, and the stone slabs on the floor shifted aside, revealing a staircase. She descended the steps slowly. “Early this morning, I moved her into the underground palace. It took me three years to build this place — countless mechanisms lie within. Are you prepared?”
“Lead the way.” Zili said calmly, following her into the underground chambers. The passage wound like a maze; Zili silently memorized the path. Wang Yanhui laughed softly. “Why is Zili so bold? Not afraid I might kill you here?”
“You won’t.”
“Oh? So certain?” Wang Yanhui turned back, staring intently at Zili. His face carried a faint smile — such composure; the Crown Prince truly paled in comparison. She sighed, turned, and walked on without another word.
After several more turns, a stone chamber came into view ahead. A’Luo hung suspended in the air, and from hanging so long, her head lolled weakly, having already fainted. Zili’s heart ached; he glanced at Wang Yanhui. “You’ve won!”
At these words, the last of Wang Yanhui’s defenses collapsed within her. She gazed at A’Luo, closed her eyes, and two lines of clear tears fell. Without turning back, she said softly, “Why, then? Knowing full well she loves Prince Pingnan!”
“She doesn’t understand what love is!” Zili cut her off.
“Do you understand? What exactly do you love about her? Tell me?”
“She is sunlight, enough to sweep away every shadow in my heart. I don’t need her to achieve great things for me, don’t need her to be dignified and composed — that alone is enough.”
Wang Yanhui laughed. “Would you trade your throne for her life?”
“Even my life would do!” Zili answered without a moment’s hesitation.
“Ha ha, you… are you serious? Or are you just teasing me? A man like you, so single-mindedly plotting for the realm — ha ha — you’d give up your throne, your very life, for a woman?” Wang Yanhui laughed until tears came to her eyes. Then her voice suddenly turned cold. “If I can’t have you, no one shall! I won’t kill you — I want you to spend the rest of your life unable to forget the sight of her dying before your eyes!”
Zili’s body moved, and Wang Yanhui barked, “Don’t move! I’m already standing on the trigger mechanism — no matter how formidable your martial skill, you’re not faster than a thousand crossbow bolts aimed straight at her!”
Zili looked at her, his voice softening. “Why do this to yourself? I’ve already agreed to honor my promise — what more do you want?”
“Zili, from the very beginning I never expected you to honor your promise. From the very beginning, I only wanted you to watch her die.” Wang Yanhui’s voice turned desolate. Her hand trembled, and a dagger slid from her sleeve, pointed at herself. “The moment I fall, it will trigger the mechanism, and she’ll be shot full of arrows like a hedgehog — no one will be able to save her.” She plunged it into her abdomen. Blood gushed out.
Zili stepped forward and caught her in his arms, but his eyes darted toward A’Luo, anxiety plain on his face.
“That’s right… only like this — hold… holding me — not one step away… only then will the mechanism not trigger.” Wang Yanhui forced the words out, a smile that wasn’t quite a smile on her face.
At that moment, a figure flashed swiftly through the entrance of the stone chamber, leaping up to cut the rope and quickly retreating with A’Luo in his arms to the chamber entrance. Zili and Wang Yanhui stared in shock. The newcomer bowed slightly. “Your Majesty, this subject Cheng Shiyue arrives late to save you. Forgive me for not observing full courtesy at this time.”
Zili’s heart eased, and his grip loosened. Wang Yanhui collapsed to the ground with a thud. All that could be heard was the sharp whoosh of force from the walls — yet no arrows flew out. Wang Yanhui’s eyes showed shock as she looked toward Cheng Shiyue. “You, you—” Unable to draw breath, she strained to glance once more at Zili, then her strength gave out and she died.
Zili stepped back twice, stunned for a moment. Then he sighed softly and turned to Cheng Shiyue. “How long have you been here?”
“Forgive this subject, Your Majesty. I found this entrance and wandered inside for who knows how long before finding my way to the stone chamber. I arrived just as I saw the Crown Princess covered in blood and Qingluo hanging above — I had no time to pay proper respects and saved her first.” Cheng Shiyue answered respectfully.
“Aren’t you a loyal subject of the Eastern Palace?” Zili asked flatly.
Cheng Shiyue looked at Zili. “This subject serves only the king of Ning!”
Zili smiled. “Go on out, then.”
“Yes!” Cheng Shiyue led the way out of the underground chamber, carrying A’Luo.
Zili did not take A’Luo from his arms. Cheng Shiyue was A’Luo’s brother-in-law; he himself was a sovereign of a nation.
Once out of the underground chamber, Zili said quietly, “Destroy it.”