The clan families crouching beneath the rockery in the courtyard trembled uncontrollably.
There were no more screams, no more fighting, not even anyone speaking. Only heavy footsteps echoed from outside the courtyard as guards continuously poured in.
This government office had originally been quite spacious, but at this moment, looking up, there were people everywhere. Layer upon layer surrounded the hall, shields, armor, bows, crossbows, and long blades gleaming.
“Sir.” A young man from one of the clans couldn’t help pleading again. “So we don’t get in the way, please let us leave first.”
Hearing the plea from this side, a general looked over, his gaze fierce.
“Sir, this has nothing to do with us.” An elder hastily explained. “We know nothing. The Crown Prince said he wanted to see us, but we hadn’t seen him yet when these people—”
They truly weren’t accomplices!
“Shut up.” The general rebuked. “Right now, no one can leave here.” Saying this, he sneered coldly. “Don’t worry, we won’t let you get in the way.”
The clan families naturally understood the threat in those words. Their faces turned deathly pale, their hearts cold. Too late—once fighting started, they’d be the first to die.
If they’d known that coming to pledge allegiance to Xiao Xun meant death, they might as well have not pledged and stayed hidden at home instead.
“You people inside, listen!” The general stepped forward, gripping his blade and shouting sternly. “Surrender now and you still have a slim chance at survival.”
Inside was silent as death, but figures could be seen at the doors and windows. Earlier, the criminals in the courtyard had killed the soldiers, seized their weapons, and flipped into the hall, sealing the doors and windows shut. They’d announced that anyone who dared approach would have a piece of flesh carved from Xiao Xun—piece by piece. If they didn’t want their crown prince to suffer the torture of death by a thousand cuts, they should back off.
A soldier hurried forward and whispered a few words to the general.
The general’s expression showed surprise, then he sneered coldly: “So they’re Empress Chu’s family. I see—no wonder they’re so bold—Chu Lan!” He raised his voice, the vibration making the doors and windows rattle. “Surrender immediately!”
……
……
Chu Lan sat on the ground. This shout was like thunder, nearly making him jump up. He wanted to cry but had no tears.
Heavens, why were they shouting at him!
He hadn’t done anything!
Even if he wanted to surrender, he couldn’t!
“Father, don’t be afraid.” A female voice came from behind. “They don’t dare come in. They can’t hurt us.”
Don’t be afraid? Chu Lan slowly turned his head, looking at the girl seated at the desk behind him—he almost didn’t recognize her. Was this his daughter Chu Tang?
A’Tang, what was she doing?
And these people—Chu Lan looked at the servants in the hall—he didn’t manage household affairs; all household matters were decided by his daughter. But even a fool would know their family didn’t have such formidable servants.
Even a ten-year-old child could kill?
That child sat on a corpse.
The corpse was the general who’d led them in. After being struck down, he’d pretended to be unconscious, then tried to attack. The moment his hand moved, that child casually flicked their wrist and a throwing knife slit his throat. He no longer needed to pretend unconsciousness and would never move again.
Then that child had retrieved their throwing knife and sat on the corpse, wiping the blade clean.
Was this human!
What on earth was happening? Hadn’t they come to seek refuge with Xiao Xun? A’Tang had explained it to him clearly and plainly, even envisioning what kind of good life everyone would have.
“This trip of ours is called turning back from the wrong path—our future is bright.”
How was it that after arriving, his daughter had directly severed that future?
Chu Lan didn’t dare shift his gaze further. If he did, he’d see that Prince Zhongshan’s crown prince who was approaching the capital and about to become crown prince, bound hand and foot to a chair with a rag stuffed in his mouth.
His daughter, Chu Tang, had done it.
He wanted to ask but didn’t dare. The deed was done—what use was asking now? Should he kill his daughter to apologize to the Crown Prince?
He’d traveled here through a thousand hardships precisely to secure a good future for his children.
How bitter—all his heartfelt intentions—
What on earth was happening?
……
……
“There, finished writing.” Chu Tang put down her brush, breathed a sigh of relief, and came over with the paper slip. She pulled the rag from Xiao Xun’s mouth and asked, “Crown Prince, where is your personal seal?”
Xiao Xun looked at her—not startled, not panicked, not angry. He said gently: “On my belt, in the auspicious pouch.”
Chu Tang reached out and pulled off the auspicious pouch from Xiao Xun’s belt. She poured out a small seal from within, not forgetting to smile at Xiao Xun: “The Crown Prince’s seal is very beautiful.”
Xiao Xun smiled and nodded, accepting her praise.
“Miss A’Tang, I underestimated you,” he said. “I thought you’d planned for your parents to come seek refuge with me. I didn’t expect you came to kidnap me. You even kept it from your parents and used them. I truly admire you.”
Hearing this, the bound Ning Kun struck his head against the ground in frustration—he didn’t have Xiao Xun’s good treatment of being bound to a chair. He was tied up and thrown on the ground. Tie Ying was even worse off—not only securely bound, but still unconscious from some kind of drug—they had been so careless precisely because they’d seen how naive, sincere, and candid the Chu Lan couple appeared.
If the Chu Lan couple had shown even a hint of anything unusual, he wouldn’t have let them enter.
Chu Tang only said: “My parents are honest people and timid too. I was afraid of frightening them.”
Xiao Xun’s expression was somewhere between a smile and not, watching Chu Tang stamp the seal on the paper slip.
“What did Chu Zhao promise you?” he asked.