Chapter 1: Gradual Dawn
Fireworks exploded in the night sky, and naturally Xiao Xun at the postal station also saw them.
He looked up, staring at the fireworks, and after they disappeared, he lowered his head again—his vision had become blurred.
“Who could this be?”
“Has the Third Prince sent additional forces?”
“Have the Crown Prince’s people attacked?”
“Perhaps it’s the Xie family—they’ve been secretly harboring troops.”
The people in the room also discussed in low voices, watching the night sky return to quiet while listening to what seemed like more hoofbeats galloping through the streets.
Before long, news arrived that fierce fighting had broken out at the palace gates.
Ning Kun’s expression shifted as he looked at Xiao Xun again. “Your Highness, we cannot wait any longer.”
From the looks of it, the fighting outside the city was about to end. If both the Third Prince and the Crown Prince’s forces from the Xie family surrounded the imperial palace, it would not be easy for them to get inside.
“We don’t necessarily have to go in,” Xiao Xun said. “We can also remain outside the palace walls to protect His Majesty.”
After all, it wasn’t for His Majesty to see—it was for the world to see.
Ning Kun grabbed him. “We don’t have enough men. That would be too dangerous.”
Here, Tie Ying lifted his foot to step forward. “Allow me to scout the way for Your Highness.”
But this time he still didn’t manage to leave—someone came rushing in urgently from outside the door.
“Your Highness, something’s not right with the Chu family’s side.”
Something’s not right with the Chu family’s side? The people in the room all stopped in their tracks. What could be wrong?
What could that group of old, weak women and children at the Chu household possibly do?
Because they had laid an inescapable net around the Chu household, they hadn’t been continuously monitoring that side, only waiting for reports to come.
If Chu Lan didn’t make his move by dawn, they would make the move for Chu Lan.
Of course, they weren’t completely ignoring that side either.
“We’ve been checking on them all along,” the messenger said. “The code signals have all matched up.”
So then, what was the problem?
The messenger looked at Xiao Xun. “But just now when we tried to approach, we couldn’t.”
What did “couldn’t” mean?
“When we went forward, that side—” the messenger said, “attacked us.”
He pointed to himself—his body was covered in bloodstains, and one arm was still bleeding. Looking closely, there was a small flying knife embedded in it.
“We questioned them again,” he said. “They could still give the correct code signals, but they just wouldn’t let us approach. Isn’t this suspicious—”
Before he could finish, Tie Ying kicked him to the ground.
“Isn’t this suspicious?” he cursed. “Are your brains broken? Do you even need to ask?”
Of course this was suspicious!
Something had happened at the Chu household.
“I’ll go take a look,” Tie Ying said, lifting his foot to leave.
Xiao Xun stopped him. “No need.” He looked toward the receding night outside, then looked up at the sky. “We miscalculated. The Chu family is not under our control.”
Those fireworks—
Perhaps that was the real reason Father had always believed Chu Ling was worth befriending.
Ning Kun’s expression also changed. “Your Highness, now—”
Xiao Xun said, “Now we immediately leave the capital and return to Zhongshan Commandery.”
After speaking, he moved to leave, then thought of something and picked up the imperial edict he had thrown on the ground, striding out of the room with large steps.
The originally quiet postal station became chaotic, countless footsteps creating a clamor, but everyone moved very quickly. In almost the blink of an eye, they clustered around Xiao Xun and rushed through the night, their dark mass causing the night that had been about to clear to become murky once again.
Xiao Xun galloped on horseback, and as he left this street, he turned to look toward the imperial palace.
The fighting at the palace just now—was that her?
He had thought of many people who might go to the imperial palace: the Third Prince, Zhao family followers, remnants of the Crown Prince’s faction, the Xie family, and of course, himself. He just hadn’t thought of that girl.
What would happen next?
He couldn’t guess, but this time he had no chance to enter the palace.
His hand clenched, and he lowered his head to see the imperial edict scroll in his arms.
At least he no longer needed to be conflicted.
Should he feel relieved? Or regretful?
…