When the fireworks burst open in the air, Deng Yi was just walking out of the Emperor’s bedchamber.
He had intended to remain in the bedchamber, but the Emperor drove him away.
“Though I’ve been poisoned, I won’t die for a while yet,” the Emperor said, reclining with his bloodstained face full of smiles. “I will definitely wait until my good brother dies first.”
He pointed at Deng Yi.
“Right now, I only need you to do this one thing. Accomplish this, and you will be my best Grand Tutor.”
Deng Yi bowed cleanly and efficiently, then took his leave and departed.
This time as he walked out, the eunuchs were even more respectful and fearful. One eunuch also stepped forward with concern to curry favor.
“Grand Tutor,” he said softly. “Is this really good?”
The Emperor was poisoned and didn’t have long to live. The Crown Prince was dead. The Third Prince was destined to become a废person or a dead person. The heir of Prince Zhongshan becoming Crown Prince and ascending as Emperor was already a foregone conclusion.
That would be the Emperor! Even if Deng Yi didn’t curry favor with him, there was no need to kill his father, right?
This was the enmity of patricide—irreconcilable until death.
This was no longer a question of whether Deng Yi wanted to continue as Grand Tutor. This was a question of whether Deng Yi wanted to live at all.
Deng Yi walked at a leisurely pace. Eunuchs carried lanterns, imperial guards held torches, illuminating his location as bright as day.
“What I want to be is Grand Tutor of Great Xia,” he said. “Not Xiao Xun’s Grand Tutor.”
He glanced at this eunuch.
“Moreover, it’s not that I have the enmity of killing his father against him—he brought it on himself.”
Whether it was the Emperor or his father the Prince—that was the heir of Prince Zhongshan’s own choice. What right did he have to blame others?
Just then, fireworks exploded in the night sky.
Everyone looked up. The imperial guards and eunuchs wore guarded expressions. They certainly wouldn’t think this was for entertainment. At a time like this, it must be some faction transmitting secret messages.
Deng Yi said, “If not the Third Prince’s people, then the Crown Prince’s people. Oh, now we should say the Xie clan, and also Prince Zhongshan’s people.”
What were they planning to do?
Were they going to attack the city?
Were they going to commit regicide?
The eunuchs and imperial guards wore tense expressions. Deng Yi’s expression remained calm, and he even watched the fireworks with interest.
They were made quite beautifully.
No matter how beautiful the fireworks, if anyone dared come to the imperial city, he would make them look ugly before all the people under heaven.
……
……
After Deng Yi left, the Emperor closed his eyes. Though the bedchamber was filled with imperial physicians, eunuchs, and imperial guards, it was as if not a single living person was present—deathly silent.
Suddenly the Emperor opened his eyes, his gaze somewhat confused as he looked toward the window.
“Your Majesty?” The people standing around also came to life. Eunuchs and imperial physicians all hurried forward.
The Emperor raised his hand to wave them away, pointing at the window. “Something outside has brightened.”
Brightened?
The eunuchs and imperial physicians looked over. Throughout this night, outside had been very bright. The entire capital was burning. Of course, all that clamor and firelight was blocked by high walls and the deep palace.
Deep night was about to pass. Indeed, it was somewhat brighter than before.
Was His Majesty hoping for dawn to come quickly, for all this troubling mess to pass?
“Yes, Your Majesty, dawn is coming soon,” they said hastily.
But the Emperor was not consoled. Instead, he got up. Weak and powerless, he nearly fell from the dragon bed. The eunuchs hurried to support him, urging His Majesty to lie down. The Emperor wouldn’t listen and threw a tantrum, insisting on going outside. The eunuchs didn’t dare disobey and helped the Emperor to the doorway.
The Emperor no longer had the strength to step over the threshold. Propped up by the eunuchs, he barely managed to stand, looking toward the night sky.
The eunuchs and imperial physicians also saw it. In the distant night sky were fireworks. At this moment, the sparks were already dissipating. The dying embers were like blinking stars, vaguely forming an outline.
What was it?
“Flames,” the Emperor said.
His voice was weak. The eunuchs didn’t hear clearly at first.
“Your Majesty, what do you want?” they asked hastily.
The Emperor looked at the sky and suddenly smiled. He raised his voice, “Flames!”
Flames? The eunuchs were puzzled. What did that mean? Did His Majesty want to light fires? To make the surroundings brighter?
……
……
“Flames!”
Xie Yanlai stood on the city gate wall, looking up at the distant night sky, and let out a mocking laugh.