At the Hour of the Snake, the wild winds showed no sign of stopping, instead growing more ferocious. Dust and sand were whipped into the air, obscuring the daylight.
Nanny Li pushed the door open, rubbing her eyes as she complained, “Today’s weather is really strange, such a sudden gale like some spirit has come. I just stepped outside and already got sand in my eyes.”
Yuan Xi was sitting with Xiao Zhixuan, passing the time by making tassels, but her mind was elsewhere. She listened absentmindedly to Nanny Li’s complaints, her thoughts firmly fixed on one person: the sacrificial rites should have started by now, but she wondered if A’Du was safe.
Xiao Zhixuan noticed her worry and quickly tried to comfort her. “Sister-in-law, don’t worry. Eldest Brother is so clever, no matter what happens, he will have a way to handle it.”
Yuan Xi forced a smile, but her eyes remained filled with deep anxiety. Nanny Li, intending to distract her, sat down and began gossiping. “When I went out to buy materials today, guess what I saw? That girl who used to sell rouge and powder at the alley has been replaced by a young man. I asked him about it, and he was too shy to answer. Do you think that girl has found a new lover?”
As she spoke, she chuckled, but Yuan Xi’s hands stilled, her brow furrowing as she asked, “You said the stall in the alley has a new person?”
Nanny Li, seeing Yuan Xi’s sudden serious expression, felt uneasy and quickly nodded.
Yuan Xi’s heart pounded. She felt increasingly uneasy. After pondering for a moment, she stood up abruptly and said, “I need to go out for a while. You all stay inside and do not go out.”
She hurried to the courtyard and used the method taught by Xiao Du to call out softly toward the roof. As expected, an undercover guard in black clothing and soft boots soon appeared, kneeling before her. “What are your orders, Madam?”
Yuan Xi anxiously instructed, “Go out and check if there are many unfamiliar faces outside. I suspect someone is watching the Marquis’ Mansion.”
The guard’s expression changed, revealing a hint of hesitation.
“You already know something. What is it?” Yuan Xi pressed.
The guard sighed heavily, looking guilty. “Before His Highness left, he specifically instructed us to watch the mansion closely. I noticed something was wrong this morning. There are many unfamiliar vendors outside, and their movements suggest they are trained. I even suspect there are soldiers hidden in nearby shops. We tried to send for help, but no one we sent out has returned. Fearing an incident, we’ve stayed on high alert here, ready to act if necessary.”
Yuan Xi’s body trembled, a wave of dizziness washing over her. Today’s events were part of a premeditated trap, but what about A’Du… what could he do?
Clasping her hands tightly, she dug her nails into her palms to calm herself. No matter what happened to Xiao Du, she had to protect those in the mansion. Given the current situation, waiting passively was not an option. After much deliberation, she looked up resolutely. “Listen to me. I’m going to leave the mansion shortly, and none of you are to follow me. Stay here and guard the mansion. If anything happens, you must ensure the safety of the Marquis and the young masters and mistress, even at the cost of your lives.”
The guard hesitated, realizing her intent to act as a decoy to draw away some of the enemies, giving them a better chance to deal with the rest. He raised his hand to protest. “Madam, you mustn’t!”
But Yuan Xi straightened her back, her gaze firm. “With His Highness absent, you must obey my orders. As the Marquis’ wife, personally appointed by the Emperor, they won’t dare harm me. You must protect those within the mansion. If they come to any harm, it will be on you!”
The guard, seeing her determined expression, could only clench his teeth and nod heavily, holding back the grief and frustration in his chest.
Yuan Xi breathed a slight sigh of relief, then returned to her room to tell Xiao Zhixuan and Nanny Li she had an urgent matter to attend to and insisted they stay behind. She packed a small bundle and slipped out through a side door, intentionally lingering in the alley to observe before hurrying away.
As she reached the main street, she felt the subtle presence of footsteps following her. Clenching her bundle tightly, she tried to suppress her rising anxiety. She wasn’t sure how many would follow, but she knew they were unsure of her intentions and wouldn’t risk letting her go easily. They wouldn’t harm her outright, but…
Biting her lip to push away the fleeting panic and weakness, she silently prayed, “A’Du… you must be safe and return quickly.”
Meanwhile, on the stone steps before the ancestral hall at the imperial mausoleum, Xiao Du twisted and leaped, narrowly avoiding a dagger aimed at his chest. The situation around him grew increasingly dire as the black-clad assassins, highly trained and methodical, pressed through the Imperial Guard’s defenses. Xiao Du could tell these were no ordinary bandits, but their true allegiance and motives remained a mystery, keeping him from making any rash moves.
Amid his strategic retreat and contemplation, a sudden thrust from an unseen angle almost caught him off guard. Relying on his battlefield instincts, he sprang into the air, narrowly dodging the lethal strike. Mid-air, he delivered a powerful kick, knocking back an approaching assailant.
However, just as he landed and barely steadied himself, another dagger came stabbing from behind. Xiao Du’s heart tightened. He was about to turn and defend when he heard a metallic “ding.” The hand holding the dagger was severed at the wrist by someone, and its owner cried out in pain before being stabbed through the heart, dying instantly.
Xiao Du turned to see Xia Qing, his long blade stained with blood, his hair whipped wildly by the wind. Xia Qing raised an eyebrow provocatively and said, “Marquis Xuan Yuan, you’re not as formidable as they say.”
Xiao Du ignored him, letting out a cold snort. He picked up the dagger from the ground and began retreating toward Zhao Yan’s position. He had already seen that the Imperial Guards were panicked and fighting desperately. They had not been forewarned about this ambush. Therefore, whether to protect the Emperor or to save his own life, staying close to Zhao Yan was the safest choice.
By this time, Zhao Yan was pale with fear, drenched in cold sweat. The ceremonial crown he wore for the rites had fallen in the chaos, rolling who knows where. As Xiao Du fended off the advancing black-clad assailants, he turned and asked Zhao Yan, “Your Majesty, what should we do now?”
Zhao Yan’s eyes were still unfocused, his entire being in shock. Xiao Du tried to gauge how genuine this reaction was when suddenly, a high-pitched whistling sound came from above. Years of battlefield experience allowed him to recognize it instantly as the sound of an arrow slicing through the air.
Alarmed, Xiao Du looked ahead and saw an arrow speeding straight towards Zhao Yan. He shouted, “Your Majesty, look out!” But Zhao Yan, still in shock, stood frozen. With no time to think, Xiao Du instinctively leaped forward, knocking Zhao Yan aside as the arrow pierced his shoulder. He took the blow meant for the Emperor.
Warm blood splashed onto Zhao Yan’s face, snapping him back to awareness. He quickly grabbed the staggering Xiao Du, memories of a similar moment years ago flooding back—when Xiao Du had saved him from a bear’s claw. Enduring the excruciating pain in his shoulder, Xiao Du gritted his teeth and uttered, “Run!”
Xia Qing, seeing this from a distance, was filled with urgency. Worried for the Emperor’s safety, he immediately summoned a few elite soldiers. “Quick! Escort His Majesty to the dense forest. We’ll handle things here.”
The soldiers responded promptly, fighting their way to Zhao Yan and shielding him as they moved toward the forest. Zhao Yan, however, clung tightly to Xiao Du’s arm, shouting, “Carry him too.” One of the Imperial Guards hoisted Xiao Du onto his back, and the group retreated step by step until they finally escaped into the forest.
Once Zhao Yan was temporarily safe, Xia Qing had no more reservations. He directed the remaining Imperial Guards to form ranks and eliminate the rebels. The battle cries echoed, and the sound of weapons piercing flesh filled the air around the shrine, the heavy scent of blood lingering. When the last of the black-clad assailants fell, Xia Qing sighed deeply, removing his battered armor and sitting on the steps. He pointed to one relatively intact corpse and ordered, “Investigate thoroughly who they are.”
A guard quickly complied, searching the body until he found a hard token, which he presented to Xia Qing. Xia Qing took the bronze token and saw a large “Xiao” character engraved on it…
Meanwhile, the group of Imperial Guards protecting Zhao Yan and Xiao Du continued to flee deeper into the forest. They lost several men to the relentless pursuit of black-clad assailants. Eventually, when they reached the forest’s depths and confirmed there were no more pursuers, only two guards remained.
One of the guards, gasping for breath, carefully placed Xiao Du on the ground, his body covered in wounds from protecting Xiao Du. The other guard helped Zhao Yan sit against a tree and then knelt before him. “Your Majesty, I failed to protect you. Are you hurt?”
Leaning against the tree and panting heavily, Zhao Yan suddenly spoke to the two guards, “I have something important to tell you. Come closer.”
The guards, suspecting nothing, leaned in respectfully. They suddenly smelled a strange fragrance and felt a numbing sensation spread through their heads. Before they could react, a cold blade slid across their throats, and they fell dead instantly.
Xiao Du leaned against a large rock, clutching his shoulder, his eyes coldly observing the scene before him. Zhao Yan pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from his hands, then cast a meaningful glance in Xiao Du’s direction.
Just as Xiao Du was about to speak, a surge of blood rose within him, and he couldn’t suppress a violent cough. Zhao Yan approached, sympathy evident in his eyes, and carefully extracted the arrow from Xiao Du’s shoulder, tearing a piece of cloth to bandage the wound.
Xiao Du watched him with a face full of irony and finally spoke, “Ming Cheng, you’re even more ruthless than I imagined.”
Zhao Yan sighed, “I suppose you understand everything now. There’s no need for further explanation.”
Xiao Du looked up at the darkening sky, the last bit of light fading. “I’m sure by now Xia Qing has discovered evidence linking the assassins to me and is rushing to your rescue.” His expression was calm as if discussing something unrelated to himself. “When they see the bodies of the Imperial Guards, for your safety, they won’t hesitate to kill me first. Then, Your Majesty will uncover that the assassins were merely disguised as Xiao family soldiers, accusing Xia Qing of framing the loyal and having him executed.
This way, you reclaim control of the Imperial Guards and seize the opportunity to deal with the Xia family, ideally dragging the Prime Minister down as well. Since I’ll be killed by the Xia family, and you will have avenged me, the Xiao family army will have no reason to rebel against the capital. Truly, Your Majesty’s plan to kill two birds with one stone is quite brilliant.”
After saying this in one breath, he couldn’t help but cough again. Zhao Yan gently patted his back, helping him to breathe easier, and sighed, “The arrow was meant to reassure you and convince Xia Qing that someone truly intended to harm me. But…”
Xiao Du’s eyes filled with even more mockery. “But you didn’t expect me to be foolish enough to take the arrow for you.”
Zhao Yan, unable to meet his gaze, felt a pang of guilt and lowered his head, speaking softly, “They’re almost here. If you have any last wishes, I can fulfill them.”
Xiao Du exhaled slowly, then suddenly said, “Ming Cheng, do you remember what I told you the last day in the capital before I went to the army for training?”
Zhao Yan was momentarily stunned but quickly recalled. It was dusk, they sat side by side atop Zhongshan, Xiao Du was still a young noble with lofty ambitions but no experience of the battlefield’s brutality. He gazed at the setting sun and suddenly said, “Ming Cheng, do you think I will die on the battlefield, my bones buried in a foreign land?”
The young man beside him, saddened by the impending farewell, had immediately replied, “No! Chongjiang, don’t worry. If you die for your country, I’ll find your body no matter where it is and bring it back myself!”
Time leaped back to the present. As the last rays of the setting sun were swallowed by the horizon, Xiao Du’s eyes grew dim. He whispered, “In the end, it seems you really will have to collect my body.”
Zhao Yan felt as if he’d been struck heavily in the chest. He clenched his fists, finally closing his eyes tightly, and said, “Go. Escape before they find you, and you might still have a chance to live.”
Xiao Du’s eyes flashed, and then he wore a bitter smile. Given his severe injuries, how could he possibly escape the pursuit of the Imperial Guards?
At that moment, rustling sounds came from the nearby underbrush, and a voice called out loudly, “His Majesty should be here! Hurry!”