The bright moon illuminated the accumulated snow, and the harsh north wind gradually weakened.
When the first frost and snow fell silently in Shu, the soldiers in the camp finally divided into small groups and silently withdrew from the mountains, quietly approaching the borders of Tongzhou. As Huo Xian had anticipated, they did not launch a major attack but prepared for a surprise assault from behind. Therefore, Xiao Cheng led only three thousand soldiers, pretending to be mountain bandits heading north.
Just as they were only one city away from Tongzhou, a letter first arrived at Prince Ning’s mansion.
The charcoal fire in the warm pavilion crackled loudly.
After reading the letter, Prince Ning handed it to Xu He and said, “Distant water cannot quench a nearby fire. If the situation weren’t so dire, Zhe’an wouldn’t lead people to Tongzhou. It seems this battle will be hard to fight.”
Xu He, who had suffered severe injuries in the imperial prison and had been trampled on the chest by Huo Xian’s horse, barely clung to life. His old bones had not healed well even after a year of recovery. Upon hearing about the impending attack of the rebels, he was incensed and said, “Your Highness must prepare early. This time, we must ensure they come but never return!”
After speaking, he started coughing heavily.
His hand formed a fist against the table, his face flushed from the coughing.
“Grand Tutor.” Prince Ning hurried to his side, gently holding his hand, and said, “Grand Tutor need not worry. Xiao Cheng has taken a great risk coming here with only three thousand men. Our mansion’s soldiers alone can take them down without needing the garrison troops.”
It was not mere bragging. The soldiers of Prince Ning’s mansion had been carefully selected by Huo Xian, trained even more rigorously than the Jinyiwei special forces. Each one could fight ten men and were not inferior to the capital’s imperial guards. Even without this urgent letter, not a fly could enter this place.
Otherwise, how would Huo Xian dare?
Seeing the relieved expression on the old Grand Tutor’s face, Prince Ning sighed and said, “Grand Tutor, actually, you can go back now. The new emperor is not Emperor Shun’an. He would respect you.”
However, Xu He shook his head and said, “I am now the tutor of the heir. I cannot leave until I have imparted the principles of governing the country to him.”
The Grand Tutor was the Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor, and the person he taught could only be the future heir. Prince Ning understood the implications of this statement.
After a long silence, he stood up and bowed deeply to the Grand Tutor, saying, “I thank the Grand Tutor on behalf of Zhu’er.”
Xu He waved his hand, wanting to say something, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he started coughing incessantly. Prince Ning, concerned about his health, said, “Grand Tutor, please do not speak further. I understand everything. What you do is for the world, and I will not fail the people.”
He then quickly had someone help Xu He back to his room to rest.
Afterward, he went to consult with his advisors about the night’s defensive arrangements.
Xu He refused help and slowly strolled in the courtyard by himself.
The cold wind wrinkled his face, and his aged eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed at the surrounding mountains and the rolling clouds in the distance, his heart filled with boundless sorrow.
The rise and fall of a nation always bring suffering to the people. The prosperous era of Dayong seemed to have ended with Emperor Xianzhen’s old age. Xu He had witnessed this flourishing dynasty, which made him deeply grieve over its later decay.
Seeing that prosperity cannot last forever, he wondered how long the current stability, achieved through much hardship, could be maintained in the future.
Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but feel a bit melancholic.
Like a mayfly living briefly in the vast world, human power is always too insignificant. How many innocent lives must be sacrificed to seize a chance to turn the tide? Yet, a single wrong thought from the ruler can cause mountains and rivers to collapse, and the beauty of the land to vanish.
“Grand Tutor, are you watching the clouds?” Suddenly, a young voice came from beside him. The young heir of Prince Ning’s mansion was holding a book and looking up at the sky, “Is it going to rain?”
Xu He looked down at him, dazed for a moment, then smiled and said, “It’s going to clear up.”
…
That night, the sky was clear for miles.
After the curfew, the entire Tongzhou was as silent as a slumbering giant beast. The loose patrols gave the enemy an opportunity to exploit. The military defenses of Tongzhou seemed as fragile as outsiders had speculated, utterly defenseless.
Upon seeing this, people might think: After all, Prince Ning is just a cultured scholar, military affairs are not his forte.
Given this situation, as long as they acted quickly, taking down Prince Ning’s mansion wouldn’t be difficult. Every military officer understood that when the leader is absent, the entire team would face disintegration.
By then, the vast Tongzhou would become an ungoverned land, free for anyone to come and go.
A group of soldiers divided into small units, coordinating seamlessly, silently taking out the patrolling soldiers and surrounding Prince Ning’s mansion tightly, raising their blades to strike down at the side gate.
The lock fell to the ground with a clang.
The entire mansion was eerily silent, the echo of the iron lock particularly haunting. Shadows lay atop the roofs of the houses around Prince Ning’s mansion, and that sound seemed like a command.
The mansion soldiers leaped down, only to find that there weren’t three thousand men here, at most only three hundred!
–
The moon hung cold in the empty mountains. For several days, heavy snow had been falling continuously in Shu, covering the barren forests with a thick layer of white, making the night appear brighter than usual.
There was an eerie tranquility here. Xiao Cheng taking away three thousand men seemed to cause little commotion. The soldiers continued their training and patrols as usual, indifferent to the few missing men in the camp.
Everything proceeded in an orderly manner, even Huo Xian was quiet and didn’t stir up any trouble.
“You don’t need to worry, Young Master. Once the Duke has Prince Ning’s head, our situation will only improve,” a servant said, standing on a hillside and looking at Xiao Yuanjing, who had his hands behind his back. “The Duke treats you like a son. He isn’t suspicious of you, but given the tense situation, he has to be more cautious. Once everything is settled, he won’t treat you unfairly. Please understand the Duke’s difficulties.”
Xiao Yuanjing remained silent. Although Xiao Cheng had left, he left a servant behind with Xiao Yuanjing, making it unclear whether it was for surveillance or protection. Zhao Yong had always been ambivalent towards Xiao Yuanjing, trusting Huo Xian more. He often invited Huo Xian to play chess, treating him almost like a real son.
In this situation, Huo Xian was safe, while Xiao Yuanjing had to guard against Zhao Yong’s covert moves.
It was truly ridiculous and laughable.
Xiao Yuanjing still couldn’t understand why Zhao Yong, who was usually so perceptive, held Huo Xian in such high regard despite his obvious cunning. Although Zhao Yong didn’t fully trust Huo Xian, he seemed to be quite indulgent towards him.
Xiao Yuanjing closed his eyes, feeling a twinge of regret for bringing a wolf into his home, but his thoughts quickly turned to Chang’an.
He was tormented by this constant internal struggle, unable to sleep peacefully at night.
Now, a different kind of overwhelming fear enveloped him. Looking at the snow-covered mountains, he felt as if countless eyes were staring at him, giving him a terrible premonition.
He clenched his fist and said, “Do you feel it?”
The servant was puzzled, “Feel what?”
Xiao Yuanjing’s heart raced faster. In the moment he unclenched his fist, he made a decision and abruptly turned to leave.
The servant couldn’t stop him. Xiao Yuanjing walked faster and eventually broke into a run, heading straight for the inner camp. This inevitably aroused suspicion, and he was quickly pinned to the ground by soldiers.
The soldiers didn’t care about Xiao Yuanjing’s identity; they strictly followed orders, shouting, “No entry without a summons!”
Xiao Yuanjing struggled, “Let go! I need to see Zhao Yong. Who will take responsibility if you delay urgent military matters?”
Hearing this, the soldiers hesitated. One of them said, “I’ll go ask.”
However, just as he turned, Huo Xian approached from a distance. Huo Xian had just come from Zhao Yong’s tent, accompanied by an inner servant who served as both a guide and a monitor. The soldiers were more respectful towards Huo Xian, as he was treated as an honored guest by Zhao Yong. They slightly bowed and said, “Lord Huo.”
Huo Xian nodded. Xiao Yuanjing was still pinned to the ground, glaring coldly up at Huo Xian. Huo Xian barely suppressed a smirk and pretended not to notice. He said, “The foster father is already asleep. Whatever it is, report it tomorrow. Besides, if it’s truly urgent, how did Lord Xiao come to know of it? Could it be that you are in contact with outsiders?”
The soldiers’ expressions changed slightly, as they were highly sensitive to such implications.
Xiao Yuanjing struggled violently, furious. “Huo Xian!”
Huo Xian suddenly laughed. “Just a joke. This place is heavily fortified. How could Lord Xiao communicate with the outside? Be careful not to harm Lord Xiao too much, or how will you explain it to the Duke?”
Hesitant, the soldiers finally released Xiao Yuanjing.
Xiao Yuanjing dusted off his robe and calmed his breathing. He gave Huo Xian a deep, silent glare before turning and walking away.
Huo Xian said nothing and simply followed.
The bright moon in the sky cast long shadows on the snow-covered ground.
Their tents were separated by two watchtowers, so they inevitably shared the same path. Xiao Yuanjing walked ahead, his heart in his throat, watching the shadows on the snow, trying to maintain a distance from Huo Xian. But no matter how he adjusted his pace, Huo Xian remained steadily behind him, like an unshakeable tail.
Xiao Yuanjing kept a wary eye on him, not allowing him to get too close.
Just then, there was a sudden thud. The servant who had been following them fell straight into the snow, a broken tree branch lodged in his neck. Blood foamed from his mouth, and his eyes bulged wide open.
Xiao Yuanjing reacted swiftly. Instead of checking on the servant, he turned and ran. This was the blind spot between the tents and watchtowers; he needed to reach an open area.
As he ran, he shouted, “Someone, come—”
With a grunt, he abruptly stopped, clutching his bleeding neck in disbelief. He turned back stiffly, “You, you—”
Huo Xian approached expressionlessly. Xiao Yuanjing’s eyes were filled with shock and anger, as if condemning Huo Xian’s betrayal.
Seeing those eyes, Huo Xian mercilessly pulled out the branch lodged in Xiao Yuanjing’s neck, causing blood to gush out and rendering him unable to speak.
Huo Xian then slowly said, “All these years you served Xiao Cheng. This kind of death isn’t unworthy of you.”
“By the way, did you know? Your little servant was very loyal to you. To avoid dragging you down, he tried to commit suicide several times. The last time, no one stopped him, and he succeeded.”
Xiao Yuanjing paused, then struggled violently, his voice rasping as he forced out, “Huo Xian, Huo Xian!”
Blood pooled on the ground until the long night ended.
In the darkness, it was invisible, but a bead of sweat trickled down Huo Xian’s temple. Killing Xiao Yuanjing tonight was unplanned. Now with two corpses lying there, he would inevitably be implicated.
He was out of time.
Over there, after sending off Huo Xian, the inner servant hurried back to the tent. Zhao Yong was still seated, his hawk-like eyes fixed on the disordered chessboard. Huo Xian’s last black piece blocked the center, trapping both the black and white pieces, making the game seem like it had reached a deadlock, with no need to continue.
Yet Zhao Yong still held a white piece, not rising from his seat.
The inner servant watched for a moment and said, “This game seems unsolvable.”
Zhao Yong did not respond. He rubbed the white piece between his fingers and, without looking up, asked, “Is he gone?”
The inner servant replied, “Yes, he’s gone. On the way, we encountered Lord Xiao. He wanted to see you, but Lord Huo persuaded him otherwise.”
At the mention of “persuaded,” the inner servant chuckled softly. Their Lord Huo not only had a sharp tongue but was also particularly adept at borrowing power to assert authority.
Finally, the inner servant asked, “Would you like to see Lord Xiao?”
Zhao Yong’s face remained expressionless. He simply said, “What for? I’ve given him chances, but he didn’t take them. A person shouldn’t be too greedy, trying to have it both ways. Hesitation only leads to loss.”
However—
He paused, looking at the howling wind outside the window.
Given what he knew about Huo Xian…
“Master!” Urgent footsteps sounded outside the tent. A soldier rushed in, “Master, the outer camp is on fire!”
Zhao Yong was not surprised. He almost laughed through his nose, and with a “tap,” the white piece fell into place on the board. He said, “Isn’t this how the game breaks open?”
The inner servant was momentarily stunned, glancing at the chessboard. Then he quickly smiled and said, “As expected, the Master is a step ahead. Even a dead end can turn into a way out.”
—
Shen Qingli had been lying in this damned place all day, covered in snow, as if he were about to be buried in the mountains. He spat out the grass stem from his mouth and said, “Damn it, if this keeps up, I’ll become an ice sculpture! When are they going to change the guard?”
Ji Yuluo frowned, “They’ve changed the guard schedule.”
Shen Qingli cursed, “That dog Xiao Cheng, his cautious nature must be ingrained in his bones.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a plume of black smoke rose from the central mountain, blocking Ji Yuluo’s view. She frowned at first, then quickly jumped to her feet, shaking off the snow. “No more waiting. Let’s go!”
Shen Qingli winced as her sudden movement crushed his frozen hand. “Ow, Ji Yuluo!”
But he quickly disregarded the pain, scrambled to his feet, and ran after her, shouting, “Nanyue!”
In the distance, Nanyue blew a whistle. Three thousand black-clad figures stood up in the frost-covered forest. From afar, they looked like dead trees embedded in the mountains. As they began to move, they charged towards the night in unison.
