“Xu’er.”

Before Cheng Ye could withdraw, a soft voice suddenly called out from nearby.

Emperor Zhaoyuan had apparently woken at some point, and was now being supported out from the inner hall by the eunuch Wu Mao.

Tian Ze hurried forward to support him: “Father, it’s only the hour of the Rat — why haven’t you rested a while longer?”

Emperor Zhaoyuan said: “With rebels stirring up trouble in the mountains, and you bearing this burden alone, I could not rest easy.” He then turned to Xuan Zhi, who stood in the hall. “I hear that Mingwei and Pei Lan have brought troops to aid the crown?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, that is correct. The two generals crushed Zhang Yue and Xuanwu’s forces at Mingyin Temple, and now command over forty thousand troops,” Xuan Zhi said.

Tian Ze said: “Father, please consider — the situation in the mountains is critical. The enemy forces have already regrouped and are advancing toward Chuien Palace, and will likely counterattack soon. Though Mingwei and Pei Lan command forty thousand men, their numbers fall far short of Prince Ling’s forces. For now, the best course would be to summon the two generals to Chuien Palace at once, to coordinate with the Palace Front Command in repelling the enemy.”

“Your Majesty, this must not be allowed!” Before Emperor Zhaoyuan could respond, the same perceptive old official spoke up again. “Pei Lan was originally under Prince Ling’s command, and his father Pei Ming was Prince Ling’s trusted confidant. Though he now claims openly to have abandoned darkness for the light, who can say what he truly intends in private? If this is merely an act, and once he enters the grounds of Chuien Palace he colludes secretly with Prince Ling’s forces from within, the safety of Your Majesty and His Highness cannot possibly be guaranteed!”

“Nonsense!” Tian Ze snapped. “If it were merely an act, why would Pei Lan and Mingwei have fought so fiercely alongside each other against Huaiji and Xuanwu?”

“As far as this old servant understands, though General Pei and General Mingwei clashed with the enemy, once they gained the advantage, they did not press their pursuit. Were they not supposedly here to aid the crown? With the enemy’s morale already shattered, why would they not pursue? Could it be they wished to help preserve the enemy’s remaining strength instead?”

The old official continued, bowing with folded sleeves toward the throne. “Your Majesty, precisely because General Pei sent no one in pursuit, Huaiji and Xuanwu’s forces suffered only about a thousand casualties in that clash, and the remainder have already regrouped with Zhang Yue and are advancing toward Chuien Palace. If Pei Lan truly is a traitor, then allowing him into the grounds of Chuien Palace now would be no different from inviting a wolf into the house. Moreover, with the road from Jinling to Mount Pingnan already severed by the gunpowder explosion, reinforcements loyal to the crown cannot arrive anytime soon. Should the Palace Front Command and Prince Ling’s forces clash here at Chuien Palace, they would have to both protect the imperial clan and fend off over a hundred thousand rebel troops at once — an extremely difficult task. We must not take such a risk!”

“Father! General Mingwei is of the Marquis of Zhongyong’s household — how could she possibly—” Tian Ze was about to argue against the old official when a scout hurried into the hall, bowing low. “Your Majesty, terrible news — the rebel forces have closed in near the ravine by Chuien Palace! General Mingwei and General Pei Lan’s troops have engaged them head-on and are already locked in fierce combat! General Mingwei urgently requests reinforcements from the Palace Front Command!”

Hearing this, Tian Ze lifted the hem of his robe and hurried down from the dais, kneeling before it: “Father, General Yun has only forty thousand troops at her command, while Prince Ling’s forces number nearly eighty thousand — almost twice as many. Your son begs Father to send reinforcements to General Yun’s aid immediately!”

“Your Majesty, this cannot be done! General Mingwei is currently together with General Pei — who’s to say this urgent message isn’t a ruse? What’s more… what’s more, the Third Young Master is among their troops as well!”

Though the old official’s words were vague, everyone present understood his meaning clearly.

Yun Xi herself might not be Prince Ling’s ally, but she and her troops were highly likely loyal to Cheng Chang. With the imperial succession about to change hands, and Prince Ling and Cheng Chang bound together in mutual ruin, now that Prince Ling had rebelled, would Cheng Chang — the powerful heir apparent — not also feel his own position threatened? Would he not also harbor thoughts of rebellion? If he did, it was not impossible that he had joined forces with Prince Ling.

If the two of them had indeed joined forces, it would explain perfectly why Yun Xi and Pei Lan’s troops had appeared together in the same place.

So even though Yun Xi belonged to the Marquis of Zhongyong’s household, she too could not be trusted.

Hearing this, Tian Ze found it utterly absurd — Cheng Chang and Prince Ling had long since reached a point of mutual destruction; how could they possibly cooperate now?

But he also understood that the reason Emperor Zhaoyuan was reluctant to send reinforcements to Yun Xi was that he hoped to use this very opportunity to eliminate Cheng Chang. No matter how he pleaded, the Palace Front Command would not be sent out immediately.

Realizing this, Tian Ze cast a glance toward the corner of the hall. Tian Si, standing there, understood at once, gave a slight nod, and slipped quietly away.

Another scout entered to report: “Reporting to Your Majesty, the County Mistress of Pingyang, the son of the Grand Master of Splendid Happiness, and several other clan members have been captured and bound by General Zhang Yue’s men. They are currently being held on the mountainside south of Chuien Palace. They request that the Palace Front Command send troops to rescue them.”

Outside, the sounds of close combat had already begun echoing through the mountains, horns blaring in the darkness — one didn’t need to see it to know the wilderness outside had already become a battlefield.

If the Palace Front Command split its forces at this moment to rescue those on the southern mountain, they would inevitably fall into enemy territory. Several officials in the hall, hearing the scout’s report, wished to speak up against it — but since most of those present were members of the imperial clan, if the emperor so easily abandoned his own kin to their fate, it would surely provoke resentment.

After some hesitation, several officials conferred, and one stepped forward: “Your Majesty, this subject has an idea.”

“Since Your Majesty doubts the loyalty of Generals Pei Lan and Mingwei, why not order them to split their forces to rescue the hostages? As long as they can bring the clan members on the nearby mountain back safely, it would not be too late to send the Palace Front Command to reinforce them afterward.”

“This cannot be!” Tian Ze said. “General Yun’s forces are already far fewer than Prince Ling’s — if she splits her troops further to rescue hostages, she may not be able to hold the front line at all! Father—”

But before he could finish, Emperor Zhaoyuan raised a hand to cut him off, and said slowly: “Both Xu’er and this official make valid points. In my view, there’s no need to wait until Mingwei has rescued the hostages from the mountain. As long as she and Pei Lan are willing to split their forces, Xuan Zhi, you shall gather your men at the foot of the mountain and prepare to reinforce them at any moment.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

…

Near the hour of the Tiger, the night had thickened to the color of ink, and the falling rain seemed almost to be swallowed up by the darkness, dissolving into nothingness.

Fortunately, the torches were coated in oil, and as long as the rain wasn’t too heavy, they would not easily be extinguished.

By the light of the torches, Yun Xi looked ahead — her soldiers were already locked in combat with Prince Ling’s forces.

Just four hours earlier, she had crushed the combined forces of Huaiji and Xuanwu. Yet in the span of half a day, Prince Ling’s army had somehow regrouped and become unstoppable once more.

The Zhongyong forces boasted many fierce warriors. Seeing the guard she had sent to relay messages return, Yun Xi handed over command of the front line to Cui Yu and asked urgently: “Well? When will the Palace Front Command’s troops arrive?”

The guard’s face was clouded with worry. “General Guide says the Palace Front Command’s troops must remain responsible for guarding Chuien Palace, and may not be able to send reinforcements in time.”

Hearing this, Pei Lan understood at once: “His Majesty suspects us — he’s worried we might have allied with Prince Ling, and that’s why he’s reluctant to release the Palace Front Command’s troops to reinforce us?”

“That must be it,” the guard said. “This subject was not permitted to enter the hall to see His Majesty personally — these words were relayed by soldiers under General Guide’s command. His Majesty also said that Prince Ling has taken several clan members hostage on the mountainside south of Chuien Palace, and hopes the two generals might spare some troops to rescue them. Once the clan members are safe and the pressure on the Palace Front Command eases, he will send reinforcements to the generals immediately.”

Hearing this, Luo Fu said indignantly: “We’re already outnumbered as it is — not only will they not reinforce us, but they want us to split our forces to rescue hostages on top of that? Do they think our men aren’t dying fast enough?!”

Yun Xi gripped her crimson-tasseled spear tightly. Though she had very much hoped the Palace Front Command would come to their aid, having already seen Emperor Zhaoyuan’s attitude toward Cheng Chang, his reluctance to send troops now came as no real surprise.

But she was not afraid. Having grown up in the military since childhood, she had faced situations far more dire than this before.

Just moments ago, she had faced tens of thousands with a mere two thousand men without fear — what was one more battle now, in comparison?

The front line could not go long without its commander. Without a word, Yun Xi raised her crimson-tasseled spear and strode back toward the front of the formation.

Cheng Chang watched her retreating figure and asked Luo Fu: “When will Wei Jie arrive?”

Emperor Zhaoyuan was not the only one who had foreseen Prince Ling’s rebellion. Wei Jie and Cheng Chang had been exchanging information all along and had already made preparations in advance, setting out with troops toward Mount Pingnan since the previous afternoon — only to be delayed halfway by the gunpowder explosion.

“Though the explosion caused a rockslide, the road from the Western Hills Camp to Mount Pingnan wasn’t completely blocked. His men are making their way through, bit by bit, along the mountain trails — at the very latest, they should arrive by dawn.”

Cheng Chang nodded and was about to send someone to coordinate with Wei Jie, when he noticed Pei Lan already gathering men on the other side, apparently preparing to head toward the mountainside south of Chuien Palace.

Cheng Chang couldn’t help but ask: “General Pei intends to split off troops to rescue the hostages nearby?”

Pei Lan said: “I must go.”

He paused, aware that splitting his forces this way was selfish, and unfair to the soldiers ahead, and explained: “A’Ting… Yun Xi has the Marquis of Zhongyong’s household, the Fifth Prince, and Your Highness to protect her — but my father’s crime is one that implicates his entire clan to the ninth degree. The only way I can atone and preserve the Pei household is to make amends through service.”

Cheng Chang asked: “Does General Pei know how much gunpowder Prince Ling had prepared in total, and where it’s all buried?”

Pei Lan shook his head: “Prince Ling trusts Huaiji most of all — all matters concerning the gunpowder were arranged by him.”

He continued: “I know Your Highness is trying to warn me that Prince Ling might have buried gunpowder on the mountain south of here, forcing us to go rescue the hostages, likely intending to use the tactic of dividing our forces to wipe out part of our army first. I’ve led troops for many years — I can see through such tricks well enough. But I have no other choice. Rescuing the hostages is my best chance to prove my loyalty. As long as the Pei household can be kept safe in the future, even if it means risking my own life, I have no choice but to accept that risk. Rest assured, Your Highness — I’ll only take three thousand men with me. I’ll leave the rest of my forces under Yun Xi’s command.”

Yun Xi was already outnumbered as it was — never mind three thousand men, even losing a thousand would be like pulling the rug out from under her.

But since half the army consisted of Pei Lan’s own men, if he insisted on taking troops with him, there would be no way to forcibly stop him.

Cheng Chang looked at Pei Lan and suddenly said: “In truth, General, rescuing the hostages isn’t the only path open to you.”

He gazed out at the soldiers locked in combat across the mountainside, at Prince Ling’s army gleaming like a sea of silver armor. “You could also prove your loyalty by wiping them out.”

But Prince Ling commanded nearly eighty thousand men, all of them now cornered and desperate, fighting like men with nothing left to lose — how could they possibly be wiped out?

Pei Lan shook his head: “That’s far too difficult.”

Cheng Chang asked instead: “General, you’ve formed an alliance with A’Ting — do you trust her?”

Before Pei Lan could answer, Cheng Chang went on: “I trust her.”

“I have the ability to do this — trust me, Third Young Master.”

Hours earlier, amid the raging fire at Mingyin Temple, she had led two thousand soldiers, and, resolved to keep him safe, had said exactly those words to him.

Their circumstances now were entirely different, and yet those words echoed once more in his ears.

From childhood, she had learned nothing else but martial skill — all she knew was how to lead troops into battle.

She had the ability. He trusted her.

“If General Pei doesn’t trust A’Ting either, that’s fine too.” Cheng Chang’s gaze swept over the thick darkness of the night, over the armor of the soldiers, and finally over the exhausted horses that had run all day across the wilderness. “General, you may go rescue the hostages if you wish. I have a plan that can help ensure your survival — but in return, I ask that if you make it through safely, you bring your troops back to lend A’Ting a hand.”