Boom! Boom! Thunderous sounds came from the palace gate on the west side of the Star-Chen Palace.
Xiao Mingrou was too alarmed to remain seated and asked Mo Zi, “What’s that sound?” At this moment, besides the one eunuch and two palace maids by her side, only Mo Zi’s two people remained.
Mo Zi listened to the hurried footsteps, knowing that Xu Jiu’s ten thousand brothers from the boat gang had already taken down the west gate and successfully broken through. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She only hoped that the three hundred Left Guards led by Geng Wo, along with Xiao Wei, Wei Jia, and Ding Gou who were killing their way in through the main gate, could hold out. Though their numbers weren’t many, they were fortunately elite enough, with no shortage of experts who could take on ten enemies each.
“That’s the reinforcements coming to rescue His Majesty.” Mo Zi had been standing in the middle of the garden since earlier, and her feet showed signs of edging closer and closer toward the entrance.
“Needing reinforcements means my second brother and the others can’t handle the Empress?” The resolute wisdom Xiao Mingrou displayed in this critical moment was truly impressive.
“The Empress controls the Right Division of the Qianniu Guard. The Wang family controls two thousand Nanya Guards and eight thousand Metropolitan Protectorate troops on the outside. In other words, they’ve already seized military authority over the capital, surrounded the imperial palace completely, and concentrated their forces before the Golden Throne Hall to pressure His Majesty.” Mo Zi first reported the bad news, then the good. “However, the west gate has been breached by our people. The Empress’s forces definitely can’t reach here, so we can hold out. Moreover, your third brother should be arriving outside the city gates with the naval garrison troops by now.” After finishing, Mo Zi realized she’d miscounted one person.
What was the King of Daqiu doing? Was his purpose in coming this time merely to disrupt the harmony between the Great Zhou and the Song territories, and to mobilize people from the Northern Region Divine Sect to secretly help Empress Wang? Without direct benefits, with the peace talks already aborted, was he willing to play the supporting role?
Xiao Mingrou saw Mo Zi frowning. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
Something was wrong! When she and Yuan Cheng concentrated all their attention on dealing with Empress Wang, Wu Yanqie’s movements became unclear, which made her somewhat flustered. But at this moment, she had no time to think further.
“I want to go to the Golden Throne Hall.” Xiao Mingrou carefully read Mo Zi’s expression and reached an ominous conclusion, which led her to make a shocking decision.
“Absolutely not!” Mo Zi’s attention flickered, then quickly refocused. “Never mind that we don’t know who’s winning or losing in the current standoff—if you go, you can’t help and will only distract His Majesty.” She said this for Xiao Mingrou to hear, but also for herself to hear.
How could she not worry about Yuan Cheng? In palace seizures and quelling rebellions, when both sides had equivalent military strength, it came down to strategy and luck.
“If we lose, His Majesty won’t abdicate—he’d rather die. I want to die together with him and this child in my womb. If we win, even if I can only watch victory from afar, I’ll be satisfied.” Xiao Mingrou was ultimately a daughter of a military family, with her father’s and brothers’ fierce uprightness in her bones.
“You absolutely must go?” Mo Zi herself was wavering.
“Rather than wait for others to announce the result, I’d rather hear it with my own ears and see it with my own eyes.” She would go no matter what. Xiao Mingrou didn’t even wait for Mo Zi’s reply anymore, calling the last three people from her palace to walk toward the gate.
Mo Zi took a step, but Zan Jin blocked half a step. Lan Yi blocked half a step.
“Brother Mo, the eldest young master instructed you not to leave the Star-Chen Palace.”
Zan Jin was a great mountain Mo Zi relied on. Now this mountain stood blocking her path.
Lan Yi remained silent.
“This place is already deserted. Should I chase butterflies for fun? The mistress is about to walk out the door—I’m helpless, being forced by circumstances.” When Mo Zi wanted to find reasons, no one but Yuan Cheng could withstand her. “If anything happens to Consort Chen, even if we help His Majesty keep his throne, it’ll all be for nothing.”
Zan Jin stepped back. Lan Yi didn’t yield.
“I promise to only observe, not participate. I absolutely won’t let Consort Chen act rashly.” This was her task.
Lan Yi raised both eyebrows and yielded.
Mo Zi hurriedly caught up with Xiao Mingrou. “Don’t forget you’re pregnant. You can only walk quickly, not run urgently.” This woman—from the time of the bell-shooting incident, she’d felt she was troublesome. She even dared to commit suicide to prove her resolve, so how could she be too cowardly?
Xiao Mingrou listened to Mo Zi’s words and stopped running, taking long strides instead.
Mei Shan pressed at the tail of the group, maintaining strict discipline, but discovered Mo Zi and was quite shocked. “Didn’t the Grand Minister tell you to stay at the Star-Chen Palace?”
Mo Zi used Xiao Mingrou as a shield as usual. “Consort Chen wants to confirm His Majesty’s safety.”
Just like that, she pushed back the scolding about recklessness that Mei Shan was about to utter.
All the way to the Golden Throne Hall, the eunuchs and palace maids who normally came and went had hidden themselves away in the vast palace grounds. Passing by Consort Hui’s Rainbow Cloud Palace, the main gate was tightly shut, with several shadows moving beneath the door crack, clearly observing the situation.
Mo Zi thought for a moment and instructed Mei Shan, “Consort Hui is in league with Empress Wang. Send some brothers to guard outside the Rainbow Cloud Palace—don’t go in, but don’t let anyone come out either.”
Mei Shan immediately assigned a small squad to surround the Rainbow Cloud Palace.
Mo Zi heard continuous waves of alarmed cries coming from inside, but her footsteps didn’t stop.
Walking further forward, the group could hear chaotic sounds of battle cries.
Xiao Mingrou’s face turned bloodless, and she was about to run again.
Mo Zi grabbed her, her expression grave. “I told you, you can’t run urgently. The more critical the moment, the calmer you must be. If you’re this impulsive, I’ll have someone carry you back to the Star-Chen Palace.”
Xiao Mingrou saw that Mo Zi would do as she said, bit her lip, and made no further moves.
“To see the situation at the Golden Throne Hall clearly while maintaining a safe distance, only the main south gate of the Heavenly Gate will work. The boat gang will occupy that location, cutting off Wang He and their retreat route, facing the Golden Throne Hall.” Mei Shan suggested.
“No, I want to go to the Golden Throne Hall.” Xiao Mingrou didn’t want to be separated north and south.
Mo Zi agreed with Mei Shan’s words and pulled Xiao Mingrou along. “You want to go to the Golden Throne Hall and die together with His Majesty—that’s if we lose. Right now, our chances of winning are better, so just watch from afar.” Prepare for the worst, but maintain the strongest confidence. The closer to the battlefield, the calmer she became.
Before the Golden Throne Hall were two factions.
One centered on Empress Wang and Wang He, protected by Northern Region Divine Sect experts. The other centered on the Emperor and Yuan Cheng, with the Southern Hua Sword Sect and Thunder Shake Gate experts all deployed, their swords drawn in opposition. The pitiful young prince was being carried on the back of that pigeon-toed eunuch, looking utterly confused, unable to figure out what was happening.
Fresh blood spread across the white jade stone steps into dozens of small streams, gathering in pools at the lowest points. This solemn and dignified place of imperial audience now resembled a battlefield of carnage. Everyone was fighting desperately, wanting the opponent’s life while trying to preserve their own, so they fought with reddened eyes, willing to transform into fierce demons. Hacking at weapons, hacking at human flesh, flashing light everywhere, blood splattering everywhere—human lives weren’t worth as much as a handy weapon.
Xiao Wei’s Chanting Moon Sword had drunk its fill of blood. Under the torchlight, it emitted an eerie color. His expression was cold, his eyes sharp as blades—killing whoever came at him. His chest was seeping red, an arrow embedded in his arm. Even with superior martial skills, in this chaotic battle it was impossible to remain completely unscathed.
Wei Jia, this archer who hit every target, could no longer take advantage of long-distance fighting. He shot arrows at enemies rushing toward him, but with heart-stopping danger. Less than half his men remained, but they had successfully scattered the enemy’s arrow formation, gaining precious time.
Whoosh—whoosh—another two lives lost.
Wei Jia felt behind him and found no arrows left, while a great blade swung toward him. His heart hardened, prepared to fight desperately. He glared furiously, only to discover the enemy’s head was gone. Looking back—
“Ding Gou, thanks!” He shrank his neck and stamped his feet. “Damn it. Close combat isn’t my strength. Are there really reinforcements? Yuan Cheng isn’t tricking us, is he?”
Ding Gou had no time to speak and plunged back into the enemy circle.
Xiao Wei quickly glanced back at Yuan Cheng beside the Emperor. “If he’s tricking us, he’ll die too. Besides, my third brother will definitely bring troops. You must hold on!”
“Hold! I’ll hold! If I die here, I can’t rest in peace. There’s one more person I absolutely must see before I die.” Everyone thought he’d given up. Who was he, Wei Jia? Three days and three nights, lying in wait watching one target without moving. Once this battle is over, he’d resign from this general position and do his own thing—no one could stop him!
Wei Jia slung his bow and arrows on his back and picked up a blade at random. He also practiced martial arts, just not as formidably as Xiao Wei and Zhong An and the others.
Just then, earth-shaking battle cries broke through the scattered shouts. Ten thousand people suddenly charged out from the Heavenly Gate, all with red strips tied on their sleeves, the same as Wei Jia and the others.
Wei Jia’s spirits soared. “It’s our reinforcements!”
Xiao Wei’s heart relaxed—he hadn’t trusted Yuan Cheng wrongly.
“Kill the rebel soldiers! Capture the Empress alive! Execute her according to national law!” Xu Jiu raised his arm and shouted.
“Kill! Kill! Kill!” The boat gang men brandished their blades and charged into the battlefield of carnage.
Soon, the situation changed. More and more Nanya Guard uniforms and Metropolitan Protectorate helmets fell. The red strips grew denser and denser, fluttering abundantly in the wind.
Yuan Cheng listened to the resounding battle cries and saw his wife on the gate tower of the Heavenly Gate. He couldn’t help but feel helpless. “I knew she couldn’t wait.”
Following his gaze, the Emperor also saw and was greatly alarmed. “How did Consort Chen come out too?”
Yuan Cheng’s expression didn’t change. “Consort Chen was worried about you and forcibly dragged Mo Zi along.”
The Emperor laughed despite his anger. “Why don’t I see that it was Mo Zi worrying about you and forcibly dragging Consort Chen?”
“Consort Chen is pregnant. Mo Zi wouldn’t drag her forcibly.” Either way, it wasn’t his wife’s fault—Yuan Cheng stood firmly by her.
Fearing the Emperor would go on and on regardless of the situation, he loudly urged the Empress, “Your Majesty the Empress, give up. You’ve exhausted all your schemes with no further moves, and the Xiao family’s naval garrison of thirty thousand will soon reach the palace gates.”
Wang He’s face turned ashen as death. Hearing this, he trembled. “Sister, they still have reinforcements, but we can’t hold out any longer.”
Empress Wang remained stubborn. “Why panic? He’s just trying to scare us! These newly added ten thousand are just a rabble, not soldiers or generals, and they don’t wear armor. Stay calm—we may not necessarily lose.”
She then ordered the Northern Region Divine Sect protecting her, “Kill the Emperor, and I’ll give Daqiu two more cities!”
The Northern Region Divine Sect made their move.
They either didn’t move, or when they did, they used poison and hidden weapons, throwing the opponents into disarray and creating gaps in the protective circle. A middle-aged man wearing iron mesh gloves leaped directly toward the Emperor.
Empress Wang was delighted and shouted again, “Kill him!”
The middle-aged man released two palms of poisonous wind, but suddenly an old man with a grinning face appeared before him, meeting his palms with bare hands as if unaware the gloves were poisoned.
“You’re dead for sure!” the middle-aged man laughed viciously.
Lei Ting opened both hands—very clean. “Having confidence is good, but excessive confidence is stupid.” With that, his feet spun like wind wheels, circling behind the middle-aged man and slapping him heavily without warning.
The middle-aged man’s blood and energy surged, and he nearly couldn’t stand.
“Grand Minister, these Northern Region Divine Sect types have quite a few tricks but few real skills. This old man disdains playing with them. May we end this quickly?” Lei Ting silently circulated his energy technique, and a soft sword appeared in his hand.
“Elder Lei, please do as you wish.” Yuan Cheng stood before the Emperor.
The slaughter unfolded right before the eyes of the king and those vying to be king.