Just after the Hour of the Goat (1-3 PM), Madam Fang and Madam Xiao’s informants brought news that the Song household was already saddling horses to prepare for their descent from the mountain. Master Yuanhui had indeed delayed them far too long—either Old Madam Song and her party had grown impatient waiting, or that disguised palace lady had aroused their suspicions, prompting their urgent desire to return home.
Madam Fang sent people to investigate repeatedly, inquiring carefully with the guest monk attending them, and learned that the Old Madam had indeed gone ahead to donate incense money to the abbot, lit perpetual lamps, and then requested to descend the mountain early, unable to continue waiting for Master Yuankong.
Fortunately, news arrived from Marquis Pingyang Xiao Ding that everything was ready—his forces were all lying in ambush along the treacherous Ten-Li Slope. Vice Commander Fang Deng had also deployed a hundred men along the route, all waiting for the Song household to descend so they could catch them all in one net.
It was finally happening. Madam Xiao trembled slightly with excitement, glancing back at Madam Fang and asking somewhat uncertainly, “Should we head down the mountain immediately?”
Neither woman had really considered the aftermath—as long as Song Chuyi was captured and Song Jue dead, the Song household would naturally descend into chaos. By then, Prince Duan would have already erased all traces.
“Too early to go now,” Madam Fang said, looking at her before turning toward the guest quarters where the Song household was staying. “Let’s go see if they’re truly leaving.”
Better to see things through to the end—otherwise, if the Song people didn’t descend the mountain, wouldn’t their ambush be for nothing?
When Madam Fang and Madam Xiao arrived, Song household servants were carrying out the young ladies’ bedding and luggage. Seeing them, the servants gave perfunctory bows. A more capable matron came forward somewhat apologetically, “The Old Madam just boarded the carriage with Second Madam and the young ladies. I’m afraid she won’t be able to receive you two madams.”
Madam Fang smiled and shook her head, leaning against the doorframe to look outside. She caught a flash of luxurious robes as the Old Madam entered her carriage. Her smile deepened as she turned back, “What are you saying? We came to bid farewell as well. Master Yuankong still hasn’t found time for us, and we have urgent matters at home requiring our return. We didn’t expect Madam Song would leave first—it’s our fault for not sending word earlier.”
The matron exchanged a few more words with her before hurrying to urge people to finish loading the carriages. She led several other matrons to board their respective vehicles, and the entire procession descended the mountain in grand fashion.
Madam Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, her heart finally settling back into her chest. Xiao Ding commanded at least three to five hundred men, plus the hundred led by Fang Deng—nearly six hundred men total. Even if they just trampled the Song household’s mere dozens of people, they could crush them to death.
When the disparity in strength was this overwhelming, certain worries became unnecessary.
She exhaled a breath of stale air, imagining the scene after the Song household’s defeat, then picturing Xiao Ding’s further promotions afterward, perhaps even becoming Prince Duan’s right-hand man with limitless prospects ahead. Her heart filled with satisfaction.
When that time came, Xiao Siniang wouldn’t need to marry far away, and they could humiliate Song Chuxuan however they pleased—why would they need to run to the Song household only to be slapped in the face like last time?!
The two women rode together back to the capital, deciding after discussion to gather at Marquis Pingyang’s residence to await news.
The weather in early April was gradually warming. A crescent moon hung high in the night sky, illuminating the rugged mountain road like daylight.
Marquis Pingyang Xiao Ding waited patiently for those eye-catching lanterns to gradually enter his encirclement before raising his torch and leading his men in a surge forward.
He fully expected the Song people to be wailing in terror and scattering in all directions. Instead, what greeted him was Song Jue’s cold laugh.
“I’ve been waiting for you a long time, father-in-law,” Song Jue said with a cold smile, looking at him as if viewing prey long anticipated and about to be captured.
Xiao Ding’s heart jolted with alarm, but he had no time to think further. He didn’t even dare meet Song Jue’s eyes again, shouting orders to capture the fugitives.
He had no path of retreat left—he could only desperately take down everyone from the Song household.
Who knew that at this moment, the situation would suddenly change? At a slight wave from Song Jue’s hand, fully armed soldiers emerged from all fifteen of the Song household’s carriages.
According to the intelligence Xiao Ding had originally received, these carriages were supposed to contain nothing but helpless Song household women and girls!
His eyes widened in disbelief. For a moment, he stood frozen in panic, not daring to advance further.
What shattered his soul even more was that the lead carriage door opened, and out stepped Song Chengru and the Prince of Zhennan!
Song Chengru, hale and hearty despite his age, leaped down from the carriage without assistance, stroking his beard as he looked at Xiao Ding. Emotions surged in his eyes, and after a long moment, he let out a sigh.
That single sigh turned Xiao Ding’s face deathly pale.
The Song household had been prepared all along!
“Stop throwing eggs at rocks,” the Prince of Zhennan said slowly, his gaze sweeping over their encirclement before finally settling on Xiao Ding. “His Majesty has issued an edict, dispatching me to capture Xiao Ding, Commander of the Five Cities Military Commission, for abandoning his post and abusing his authority!”
His Majesty has issued an edict?! Song Chengru had actually escalated this matter all the way to the current Emperor!
How dare he?! How dare he?!
Xiao Ding’s face turned ashen, his expression twisted to the extreme. His hand slowly tightened around his blade as he looked again at the mass of figures before him—not many, perhaps two to three hundred at most.
While his own side had a full six hundred men. If it came to a direct confrontation, victory wasn’t necessarily impossible. But if he truly surrendered, what awaited him would be either the Shuntian Prefecture prison or the Imperial Guard’s dungeons.
He gritted his teeth and made his decision, turning to look at his subordinates whose eyes flickered in the fading light. Using all his strength to raise his voice to its maximum, “Don’t listen to their nonsense! We were ordered to capture fugitives! They’re all fugitives! Brothers, take them down—rich rewards await!”
Still stubbornly resisting at this point—Xiao Ding must be too deeply entangled to extricate himself.
Song Chengru and the Prince of Zhennan exchanged glances, reaching a consensus.
Fight!
The Prince of Zhennan had inherited his grandfather’s and father’s martial prowess. His soldiers had extremely strong combat capabilities and were all well-trained, basically striking wherever directed.
Meanwhile, the Five Cities Military Commission forces were after all poorly trained in peacetime, and quickly began showing signs of defeat.
Xiao Ding charged at the front, leading the assault and cutting down two men. His eyes red with bloodlust, he stared at Song Chengru and the Prince of Zhennan. He couldn’t surrender, couldn’t admit defeat. If he won, he could freely frame these people with any charges he pleased. They had been guarding here for most of the day without seeing any other carriages pass—the Song household women must still be at the temple. All they needed to do was return to the temple and capture those women as well, and everything would be settled.
But if he failed, only death awaited him, and the Marquis Pingyang household would be finished.
The Prince of Zhennan watched the scene coldly, waving his large hand. The soldiers in the field immediately retreated, replaced by archers from the back ranks who raised their bows and coldly aimed at Xiao Ding and his men.
“Release!” At the Prince of Zhennan’s command, ten thousand arrows were immediately unleashed.
People continuously fell in response to the arrows. In the short span of a tea’s brewing time, Xiao Ding’s side had already suffered nearly a hundred casualties.