…
As the night gradually dispersed, the people hiding under a bridge could finally see each other’s faces.
Qi Leyun couldn’t help but lean out to look, and the next moment she was pressed down by her elders.
“Mother,” she said in a low voice, “there doesn’t seem to be much commotion outside anymore.”
Lady Qi pressed her daughter to her side. “You’re not allowed to go.”
Qi Leyun still insisted on poking her head out to look, murmuring, “Our house has burned to the ground.”
Hearing this, Lady Qi’s body began trembling again. She had been trembling all night, but thinking of the earlier danger, she felt she might tremble until she fainted.
It had erupted suddenly, without warning. Heavy hoofbeats sounded outside the door, and torches were thrown in. The household guards had just opened the door and hadn’t even finished shouting their challenge when they were cut down by oncoming blades.
The household immediately fell into chaos, everyone fleeing and hiding, but the Qi family estate was small—where could they hide? Old Master Qi gritted his teeth and led the old and young, along with servants, charging straight out.
Fortunately, these fierce people seemed to be in a hurry. After setting fires throughout the Qi household, they didn’t pursue to kill everyone, leaving in a clamor.
The streets were filled with back-and-forth fighting, and the entire capital had fallen into a sea of flames.
Their family had hidden under the bridge, soaked in water all night, but their lives were preserved.
Qi Leyun stared blankly at the dim blue sky. She had never woken this early before. So this was what it looked like when night receded and dawn broke—the sky looked like this before the morning light appeared.
“I wonder how many people will be able to wake up as usual today,” she murmured.
How were her young lady friends?
Especially Chu Zhao—
“Father,” Qi Leyun couldn’t help but turn and call out, searching for her father among the crowded family members. “Do you think these people were the Third Prince—”
Before she could finish, her family members covered her mouth amid a chorus of shushing sounds.
“Whoever these bandits were, the authorities and the court will make their judgment,” Old Master Qi also scolded his daughter in a low voice. “Don’t talk nonsense.”
Qi Leyun pursed her lips. What were they all pretending for? Throughout the night’s back-and-forth fighting and chaos, everything had been shouted out. First a group of people shouted that the Crown Prince had been assassinated and killed, that bandits were causing chaos, and that the Third Prince was catching the bandits. Later, shouts arose that the Third Prince was rebelling—
It was so obvious.
She didn’t necessarily need to know who was causing the chaos, she was just worried about Chu Zhao. The Third Prince resented Chu Zhao—would he take advantage of this opportunity to eliminate Chu Zhao’s entire family?
She poked her head out to look again. Their house had burned to the ground—she didn’t know what had happened to Chu Zhao’s home.
In the dim blue light, horse hoofbeats suddenly rang out again on the streets that had only held the crackling sounds of burning fires. The sound was as dense as raindrops, and it also pounded on the hearts of the Qi family members under the bridge.
Bodies that had been soaked in river water all night were ice cold, and faces turned deathly pale.
Were they coming again?
Night had already receded. Without needing to deliberately search, it would be easy to find them—
“Imperial City Bureau on duty! The bandits have been executed!”
Imperial City Bureau?
The Qi family’s old and young were stunned. Was this real or fake? Qi Leyun leaned out to look again, and indeed saw teams of soldiers galloping past, followed by groups of officers carrying buckets and pulling carts, splashing water onto the fires burning by the roadside.
At the same time, similar commotion came from streets in all directions, accompanied by sounds of fighting.
“Those who surrender will not be killed!”
“The bandits have been executed!”
The sounds of fighting were frightening, but the words being shouted brought peace of mind.
…
…
As daylight broke, hoofbeats thundered along the main road amid flying dust. Xie Yanfang galloped among them, carrying a sword on his back and gripping a crossbow in his hand. His body was covered in bloodstains—at first glance quite frightening, but looking carefully, he was still an elegant young gentleman.
“Third Young Master.”
Someone came galloping from ahead, calling out loudly.
Du Qi at Xie Yanfang’s side signaled, and the person was allowed to approach.
“How is the capital?” Xie Yanfang asked.
The Third Prince and the Zhao family had raised quite a few troops. The roads leading to the capital were blocked tight, and the rear capital garrison was also unstable. Caught between front and rear attacks, they had fought bitterly all night before managing to break through.
But the more formidable obstacle was the city gate.
The Third Prince would certainly have heavy troops guarding the city gate to the death.
And they couldn’t shout that the Third Prince was dead to break the enemy’s morale—otherwise they would be even less able to restrain Prince Zhongshan’s heir’s ambitions.
“Attacking the city was extremely difficult,” the messenger said. “But later, fighting suddenly broke out on top of the city gate.”
On top of the gate? Du Qi asked, “Did Seventh Master make arrangements inside the city?”
Xie Yanfang shook his head. “We don’t have that many people in the city.” He looked at the messenger. “What about now?”
“It’s quiet now,” the messenger said. “But we still can’t approach.”
Du Qi looked at Xie Yanfang and asked, “Is it Xiao Xun?”