Chapter 187 |
When they arrived before the gates of the Imperial City, the heavy gates suddenly swung open. The Imperial Guard surged out, bows drawn and arrows notched.
Zuo Tianlang unsheathed his longsword and stood at the front. "We have reached the Imperial City! Halt, all those without orders!"
His voice was exceptionally cold and harsh.
Qu Dubian felt a faint sense of dissonance. Having spent time with Commander Zuo while suppressing bandits in Qingzhou and Jizhou, he knew the man was somewhat blunt and simple-minded. No matter the circumstances, Zuo Tianlang rarely spoke in such a frigid tone.
Qu Dubian called out, "Commander Zuo, the men behind me can stop here."
Xu Jin had only one thought now: "We don't even have to enter, but Consort Yi must come out."
Commander Zuo replied, "You have already reached the palace gates; what is there left to discuss? I say again, withdraw from the capital! You have two chances. If you do not retreat, you will be executed without mercy."
"First signal!"
The deputy commander beside him pulled an empty bowstring, letting out a sharp twang.
Zuo Tianlang’s voice grew even colder. "Second warning shot."
the deputy commander fired a second arrow, landing it right before the horses' hooves.
Qu Dubian suddenly shouted, "Are you truly Zuo Tianlang?!"
The man before the palace gates paused for a single second before declaring without hesitation:
"Third strike—kill!"
The Imperial Guard released their arrows without a moment's delay.
Xia Fuyang spun his spear like a fan, leaping into the air. "This level of attack isn't even enough to pick one's teeth on the battlefield!"
Qu Dubian drew the flexible sword from Liuliu at his waist and flew to Xia Fuyang's side. "Capture Zuo Tianlang. Let’s see who he really is."
Seeing him use his internal energy still made Xia Fuyang’s heart leap into his throat. After all, the sight of Qu Dubian with his martial arts completely crippled had been terrifying; the image of him as a fragile "glass man" was deeply rooted in Xia Fuyang's mind.
He felt that when this was over, he would have to prostrate himself before Imperial Physician Yang. A true miracle worker! To be able to mitigate a poison that crushed tendons and broke bones to this extent...
His mind wandered for a split second before he snapped back to attention. "Right!"
There were three thousand Imperial Guards in total, and two thousand eight hundred were stationed here. The Prince’s loyalist army also numbered three thousand. The two forces clashed violently before the palace gates.
Xia Hong, who was responsible for the Imperial City's defense, had supposedly suffered an accidental injury due to his overwhelming concern for the court and did not appear from beginning to end.
In all the government offices near the Thousand-Step Bridge, the officials on duty hid inside, listening to the cries of battle outside. Their hearts hammered against their ribs.
Is this a coup? This must be a coup!
Everyone had read about the bloody palace coups recorded in history books, but no one ever thought they would live through one.
*
The residence of Imperial Physician Yang.
A carriage quietly departed from the back door.
Inside the carriage sat Xie Lishan.
Imperial Physician Yang clutched his medicine box, shrinking into the corner of the carriage. He surreptitiously wiped the sweat from his forehead, casting nervous glances at the future husband of Princess Zhiyi. "Where... where exactly are we going?"
Xie Lishan said gently, "Do not be afraid."
Imperial Physician Yang: "..."
Wooo.
The life of an Imperial Physician was truly bitter.
Today was his day off!
The carriage took a low-profile route through the streets and alleys, eventually reaching a deserted area. Xie Lishan invited the physician to step down and led him to a high wall.
The wall looked somewhat familiar.
Princess Zhiyi was crouching by the wall, waving at them. "Come here."
"Princess? You are here too?" Imperial Physician Yang felt slightly more at ease. "Where exactly do you want me to go?"
Zhiyi hadn't expected this either. She and Xie Lishan had just finished their travels and returned from the Xiang River when they received a message from her younger brother on the road, telling them to enter the capital quietly and ahead of schedule.
She said, "I'm not entirely sure either. Anyway, crawl through here first."
"Crawl through where?"
Zhiyi moved aside and pointed to a hole at the base of the wall.
Originally, it was just a small hole. But when Qu Dubian was young and often stayed at his grandmother’s house, Da Hei missed him and dug a pit there. Over time, it became a dog hole.
She had just enlarged the hole a bit. It bypassed the Cold Palace and led directly to Shunning Palace.
Imperial Physician Yang: "..."
Zhiyi: "Do you think it's dirty? It’s fine. Little Xie, you go first and wipe the path clean."
Xie Lishan sighed. "As you command, Princess."
*
The Imperial Palace.
Consort Yi finally stepped out of Fu'an Palace.
Accompanied by two hundred Imperial Guards, she arrived before the Palace of Purple Serenity.
Hearing the commotion, Eunuch Yu emerged from the hall, blocking Consort Yi’s path with a beaming smile. "Your Ladyship, the Emperor's bedchamber may not be entered without permission."
He glanced at the deputy guard behind Consort Yi—a man who had been newly promoted in recent months.
Holding the Crown Prince's token, Consort Yi said calmly, "Rest assured, I will not enter. However, there are rebels causing chaos outside. The Crown Prince has gone to guard the palace gates, and before he left, he told me to guard this place."
She raised her hand, and the hundred or so guards behind her immediately surrounded the Palace of Purple Serenity.
Consort Yi declared, "From this moment on, no one is permitted to leave the Palace of Purple Serenity."
Eunuch Yu’s heart raced. He wiped his sweat and retreated a few steps back into the hall. He gripped his horsetail whisk tightly, pacing back and forth. Having spent so many years in the palace, how could he not see that something was wrong with Consort Yi?
But the Emperor had not woken up, and the Fourth Prince, as the heir apparent, was naturally the one to succeed the throne.
Consort Yi was the Crown Prince's birth mother and held his command token in her hand. Aside from the Crown Prince and Prince Ming, she was currently the most influential person in the entire palace. If she wanted to guard Zichen Hall, no one would dare stop her.
Eunuch Yu walked to the bedside, his throat burning with anxiety. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please wake up..."
On the dragon bed, Emperor Chongzhao remained in a deep slumber.
Eunuch Yu whispered for a while, but there was no reaction. He turned his head to look around, only for a flash of silver light to fly past his crown and thud into the floor two meters in front of him.
Eunuch Yu instantly squeezed his eyes shut. "Master in the shadows, this servant knows you are there. If you want to take His Majesty away, then hurry and do it."
He finished his whisper, but there was no movement. When Eunuch Yu opened his eyes, he saw two men in black inside the hall.
One wore a mask, and the other was Yi Shier.
Yi Shier spoke softly, "Commander, it has been a long time."
The Secret Guard Commander searched his memory for a long while before identifying the man. "Are you the Yi Shier who was supposed to have died from the 'Three Days of Drunkenness' poison?"
Yi Shier replied, "I am called Liuliu now."
The Secret Guard Commander grew wary. "You aren't dead. What do you intend to do?"
Yi Shier said, "I am here to work with you to take His Majesty away. Only if His Majesty wakes up can this chaos be truly ended."
The Secret Guard Commander countered, "Without the Emperor's command, the Secret Guards cannot act without authorization."
Yi Shier paused. "And what if we do?"
"According to the Shadow Laws, if the Emperor passes away, the Secret Guards who have always protected him must follow him in death," he pointed at the Emperor on the bed. "Judging by his breathing and state, His Majesty is likely nearing the end. Even if the Commander violates the Shadow Laws and is ordered to death by His Majesty, it is merely a matter of dying a few days earlier or later."
The Secret Guard Commander fell silent.
Yi Shier continued, "If we don't leave, you might even die today, and His Majesty will die as well."
The Secret Guard Commander said, "Yi Shier, do not forget that you were once a Secret Guard. You should be loyal to His Majesty."
Yi Shier replied, "I know I was once a Secret Guard, which is why I know that there is a secret passage beneath the bed in Zichen Hall for the Emperor to escape in an emergency."
The necessity of keeping Secret Guards under strict control was vividly demonstrated at this moment.
The Secret Guard Commander said nothing.
Yi Shier completely ignored the words "should be loyal to His Majesty." He knew exactly who he was loyal to.
"Commander, there are two choices now. One, we fight, which will draw the people outside, and they will take the opportunity to kill us all as assassins. Two, we take His Majesty away together."
Eunuch Yu lay prostrate on the ground, looking back and forth between them.
He swallowed hard and added a quiet plea, "Master, please take His Majesty away. This servant has followed His Majesty since childhood. If he were awake right now, he would surely be willing to go."
The Secret Guard Commander remained silent for a long time.
Finally, he turned and felt around the sides of the dragon bed. A faint clicking sound of a mechanism echoed, and as he moved the footstool, a square opening to a small staircase appeared beneath the bed.
The Secret Guard Commander said, "After this matter is resolved, I will take my own life to atone for my sins."
Eunuch Yu worried, "Don't talk about that yet. How are we going to get His Majesty down there?"
There was a secret passage under the bed, but someone had to climb down. The person who designed this passage clearly hadn't considered how to move the Emperor if he was unconscious.
Moving the bed was unrealistic; it was too heavy for even four or five people to budge, and it would make too much noise.
Yi Shier stepped forward, bending down to wrap the sleeping Emperor Chongzhao in a quilt. He used a technique for swaddled infants, leaving a corner of the quilt to cover the head.
He had secretly learned this back then to take care of the Little Prince when he was just a tiny bundle, but he never had the chance to use it.
He hadn't used it on the son, but he was using it on the father.
Once he finished wrapping him, he said to the Secret Guard Commander, "Drag him away."
The Secret Guard Commander was stunned for two seconds before he stiffly reached out to move Emperor Chongzhao to the floor. He climbed into the space under the bed first, then grabbed a corner of the quilt to pull the man down safely.
After they descended, only Yi Shier and Eunuch Yu remained in the hall.
Eunuch Yu said sheepishly, "Um, can this servant follow you down as well?"
Yi Shier replied, "The bed is still missing a person."
Eunuch Yu: "?"
With a swift chop of his hand, Yi Shier knocked him unconscious and placed him on the dragon bed. He pulled another quilt from the inner side of the bed and covered Eunuch Yu tightly.
Once finished, he slipped under the bed and reached out to restore the footstool to its original position.
-
Shunning Palace.
The Secret Guard Commander, carrying Emperor Chongzhao wrapped in the quilt on his back, pushed open the door to the room where the Seventh Prince had previously stayed.
Inside, Imperial Physician Yang stood up instantly. "Someone really came."
Zhiyi asked, "Liuliu?"
Yi Shier nodded. "Everything is in order."
Only then did Zhiyi feel at ease.
They quickly laid Emperor Chongzhao flat on the bed and then turned in unison to look at Imperial Physician Yang.
Imperial Physician Yang resignedly began his overtime work. He first applied acupuncture, exerting a great deal of effort before finally pulling Emperor Chongzhao out of his heavy, muddled slumber.
He sighed. His Majesty's body was truly depleted to an extreme degree.
Emperor Chongzhao opened his eyes, his gaze still somewhat vacant. This was not Zichen Hall, yet he felt the surroundings were faintly familiar.
He turned his head but did not see Eunuch Yu guarding the bedside. Instead, he saw his own Secret Guard, and...
Emperor Chongzhao regained his clarity. "You... you... how..."
His stroke had left him in such a state; his speech was labored, and he could barely finish a sentence after half a day of trying.
Zhiyi spoke quickly, "Father, the situation is this: Little Seven discovered that Consort Yi is a descendant of the former dynasty's royal family. She is behind many of these atrocities. Little Seven submitted three memorials requesting to enter the capital, but there was no response. Forced by circumstances, he entered the capital to protect the throne. However, the Zichen Palace has already been seized by Consort Yi using the Crown Prince's seal. Fighting has broken out outside. For your safety, we had no choice but to transport you out like this."
She laid out the sequence of events clearly and concisely. Emperor Chongzhao was stunned for a long while by the explosive amount of information.
He grew faintly agitated. "No... don't... believe..."
Emperor Chongzhao opened his mouth and suddenly struck the edge of the bed, once again consumed by fury at his own helplessness. He looked toward Imperial Physician Yang. "Let... let me."
Physician Yang guessed, "Are you asking me to find a way for you to speak properly?"
Emperor Chongzhao nodded. "You... speak..." A few seconds later, he added, "The... price."
Physician Yang’s face was clouded with worry, while Zhiyi was utterly confused. "What does Father mean?"
Physician Yang explained, "Wasn't Prince Yong's vitality and meridians severed? While I was researching an antidote, I developed a pill that can stimulate the potential of a person's life force. However, all the gravely ill animals I tested it on only became energetic for a short period before dying shortly after. Your Majesty, do you wish to take that?"
He had mentioned it to the Emperor before, but the Emperor hadn't expressed a desire to take it then.
Emperor Chongzhao nodded heavily.
"This..."
Zhiyi and Xie Lishan looked at each other in dismay.
Emperor Chongzhao reached out his hand. "Give... to me."
*
Outside the palace gates.
The air was thick with the scent of blood.
Qu Dubian held his breath as he captured Zuo Tianlang, whose body was riddled with bloody wounds. He flicked his flexible sword in disgust, tossing Zuo Tianlang aside. "Lao Xia, go feel his face."
"You got it," Xia Fuyang replied.
He ordered men to pin Zuo Tianlang down, then hurried over to feel the man's face. "Eh?"
Real skin?
He carefully felt along Zuo Tianlang's jawline and behind his ears two or three times. He felt a faint, uneven texture under his fingertips, but he wasn't sure if the Commander's face was naturally rough or if there were hidden bumps.
Zuo Tianlang spat, "Touching another man's face—have you no shame!"
"You're the one who's sick!" Xia Fuyang retorted.
"Let this old man try," Xu Jing said.
He stared at Zuo Tianlang's face for a moment, then suddenly reached out, grabbed the man's hair, and forcibly tore it away along with the skin and flesh.
A thin layer of skin peeled up from the neck, coming off with the hair.
The man posing as 'Zuo Tianlang' changed appearance; the burn scars on his face were now glaringly obvious. Because Xu Jing had used too much force, most of the man's original hair had been ripped out as well, leaving his scalp a bloody mess.
Xia Fuyang sighed with admiration. "The Marquis is indeed well-traveled." He then raised his voice, "Brothers of the Imperial Guard, stop fighting! Your commander was replaced long ago!"
The guards still locked in combat turned to look.
A deputy general's pupils shrank. "Where is our commander?!" he barked. "Everyone, stop!"
The chaos before the palace gate gradually subsided.
Qu Dubian said to Leng Yue, "I recognize you. You are a guard by the Fourth Brother's side. How dare you impersonate Commander Zuo."
Leng Yue's mouth moved slightly, but Xu Jing let out a sharp crack as he dislocated the man's jaw. "If you want to commit suicide, wait a moment."
Qu Dubian addressed the deputy general, "As one of the two deputy generals of the Imperial Guard, you should recognize that this is not your commander. This proves that the palace has already been compromised. Step aside immediately!"
Xu Jing added, "If you're still worried, come with us."
The deputy general gritted his teeth. "Fine."
Without the Imperial Guard's resistance, Xu Jing hoisted the bound Leng Yue and dragged him through the palace gates.
After passing the offices of the Six Ministries and reaching the Qianji Gate, they encountered Prince Ming, Grand Tutor Fang, Lin Zongping, and Xi Shiu.
Xi Shiu spotted Xi Zihang standing next to Qu Dubian at once. His expression twisted for a second before he looked away, adhering to the principle of 'out of sight, out of mind.'
Qu Dubian felt as if they were playing a game, clearing one level after another. "Uncle Ming, and you three gentlemen—do you intend to stop us as well?"
The deputy general of the Imperial Guard cupped his hands and said, "Prince Ming, this man who impersonated Commander Zuo is a guard belonging to the Crown Prince! We have seen him several times from a distance; there is no mistake. Prince Yong is right—something may have happened to His Majesty."
Grand Tutor Fang smiled. "Your Highness, have your eyes and body recovered?"
Qu Dubian replied, "Only half-recovered."
"That is still good," Grand Tutor Fang said.
Xu Jing said, "Brother Fang, we have been friends since our prime. Today, do you truly intend to block my path?" His voice sank. "Consort Yi is a remnant of the former dynasty and the one responsible for my blood feud. Today, she must die. Step aside, and we remain brothers."
Lin Zongping flicked his sleeve. "The four of us cannot stop you, nor do we intend to. If you truly turn out to be rebels, we will protect His Majesty to the death and live up to the trust he placed in us to manage the government!"
Xi Zihang shouted, "Dad, are you moving or not?"
Xi Shiu snapped angrily, "Don't call me 'Dad'!"
Xi Zihang immediately followed the lead. "Minister Xi, are you moving or not?"
Xi Shiqiu indignantly cleared a path.
He glanced at Xia Fuyang again.
Damn it, why hadn't Xia Hong come? The spectacle of a father-son confrontation shouldn't be something he had to endure alone.
-
In front of the Hall of Purple Brilliance.
Consort Yi stood at the top of the steps, looking down coldly as the rear gates of the Qianji Gate swung open.
Qu Dubian, Xu Jin, Xia Fuyang, Xi Zihang, and even Prince Ming and the three Regent Ministers, along with the Northern Frontier soldiers and the Imperial Guard, all appeared in the vast open space before the Hall of Purple Brilliance.
The autumn sun was not blinding.
The glazed tiles atop the Hall of Purple Brilliance still shimmered with light.
Consort Yi eyed them with disdain. "His Majesty is still in peaceful slumber. For you all to gather here, do you intend to join the Prince of Yong in rebellion?"
Qu Dubian took half a step forward. "The hidden script method of the former dynasty is quite impressive. Consort Yi, do you remember when you gifted me those paper slips? I suppose you didn't expect that decades later, there would still be craftsmen of the former dynasty alive who could decipher it."
He was deeply concerned about the final sentence hidden by Consort Yi: 'Mark this as the first.'
He was the first person Consort Yi had targeted. Who was the second? Had they, like him, received paper slips with similar hidden messages?
The paper slips sent by Consort Yi were much like the marks left by a killer on their prey after the deed was done.
She was clearly satisfied with the outcome she had orchestrated.
Consort Yi replied, "I have no idea what you are talking about. Some random craftsman fooled you with a few tricks, and you believed him? This is nothing more than an excuse for you to bring soldiers to the palace gates."
Her gaze swept over the three Regent Ministers and Prince Ming standing beside Qu Dubian. "You are the people His Majesty trusts most. Are you now going to follow the Prince of Yong in rebellion?"
"I am standing right here," she declared. "Anyone who wishes to go past and disturb His Majesty will have to step over my corpse."
Xu Jin stepped forward, blade in hand. "This old man will do the killing."
The Imperial Guards surrounding Consort Yi moved to block him. Qu Dubian scanned the surroundings. "Where is Fourth Brother?"
Xia Fuyang whispered, "I haven't seen him at all."
Consort Yi smiled. "As the Crown Prince, he is naturally away executing rebels."
As soon as she spoke, the sound of marching troops echoed from behind the Qianji Gate once more. The garrison troops from the North and East Gates rushed in, surrounding Qu Dubian and his party.
They roared, "Defend His Majesty! Execute the rebels!"
The situation reversed in an instant.
A figure emerged from the back. The Fourth Prince, sword in hand, walked forward step by step.
Qu Dubian turned around, his tone complex. "Fourth Brother..."
The Fourth Prince stopped in his tracks. "Little Seven."
The slight roundness of his face had vanished, and the natural, indolent scholarly air about his brow had faded until it was nearly gone. All that remained was a visible exhaustion and detachment.
Once brothers, they now stood against each other with weapons drawn.
"Fourth Brother," Qu Dubian reached out a hand. "I know none of this has anything to do with you. Brother, come over here. No one will implicate you for the mistakes Consort Yi has made."
The Fourth Prince’s lips moved, his throat tight.
Qu Dubian took two steps forward, his eyes fixed on the Fourth Prince’s. In them, he saw a flash of near-desperate struggle. "Fourth Brother, you withheld those memorials to warn me, didn't you?"
"No one will blame you. Only those who have done wrong will be punished. Do not take upon yourself what you are not meant to carry. You don't want to be the heir, you want to rest, you don't want to be so tired—all of that is fine," he said, echoing the small complaints the Fourth Prince had shared in their previous correspondence. "Brother, do not make the wrong choice. I can protect you."
The Fourth Prince looked at the hand reaching out toward him. An almost imperceptible glint of moisture flickered in his eyes.
Qu Dubian almost thought he was going to take it.
Consort Yi called out, "Ze'er, come up here."
The Fourth Prince’s gaze returned to a dull calm. He strode forward, ignoring the outstretched hand, and walked up the steps of the Hall of Purple Brilliance to stand by Consort Yi’s side.
Qu Dubian lowered his hand and turned back.
Consort Yi whispered, "Good child. You did not betray me."
The Fourth Prince asked, "Mother, how can this end?"
Consort Yi raised her voice. "By killing the Prince of Yong and his rebel faction!"
She descended a few steps, the Imperial Guards following her. "Attack!"
The garrison troops from the North and East Gates surged forward.
The Fourth Prince watched Consort Yi’s back and the chaos below, then looked up at the sky.
No one knew what the Fourth Prince was thinking at that moment. They only saw him refocus his gaze on Consort Yi and suddenly cry out, "Mother! Stop this! Don't take any more lives!"
Consort Yi’s back stiffened.
Qu Dubian’s expression changed instantly. His internal energy erupted as he lunged up the steps. "Fourth Brother—!"
The Fourth Prince reversed the grip on his longsword and drove it ruthlessly into his own chest.
A sickening squelch followed.
The blade pierced through his body.
Drip. Drip, drip.
Beads of blood rolled off the tip of the sword.
The Fourth Prince sank to his knees, his eyes fixed stubbornly on Consort Yi’s back.
Qu Dubian moved like a blur, catching him before he collapsed. His fingers moved rapidly, tapping the Fourth Prince’s acupoints to staunch the bleeding.
Qu Dubian's eyes burned, stung by the sight of his brother's blood.
"Fourth Brother, I’ll take you away."
The Fourth Prince gripped his arm and shook his head.
He looked toward Consort Yi. "Mother, I'm sorry. I... I can't bear it anymore..."
“I gave you the Crown Prince’s seal, and I followed your orders to mobilize the city guards, but... I couldn't do it. I couldn't truly strike.”
Below, the clashing soldiers ground to a halt. Because of his suicidal act, both sides finally ceased their fighting.
Behind Zichen Hall, Emperor Chongzhao, the Empress, Zhiyi, and the others finally arrived. They were met with a scene of absolute chaos.
Emperor Chongzhao shouted, “I am here! Everyone, lay down your weapons!”
The man capable of fully stabilizing the situation had arrived. Prince Ming and his companions breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Both sides dropped their weapons.
Consort Yi suddenly let out a soft chuckle. She turned around, not looking at the Fourth Prince, but at Emperor Chongzhao. “His Majesty is awake.”
Emperor Chongzhao said, “You truly are a remnant of the former dynasty.”
Consort Yi replied, “Your Majesty, don't you think asking that question now is a bit redundant?”
Emperor Chongzhao still found it hard to believe what he had heard from Zhiyi: “Zhang Fanming of the Star Gazing Department was acting under your orders, and Tang Yisu was also one of your people.”
Consort Yi didn't bother to answer. “Since Prince Yong has craftsmen capable of deciphering the hidden script, go find them yourselves and see how much you can uncover.”
After brushing him off with those few words, she finally looked toward the Fourth Prince.
The dripping blood had stained the ground red. As Consort Yi slowly walked over, Qu Dubian shouted, “Stay back!”
Consort Yi said, “With this single stroke of the blade, you have severed the hopes of everyone hiding in the shadows who dreamed of restoring the kingdom.”
If the Fourth Prince had lived after this incident and his identity as a member of the former imperial family became known, there was no telling if the old clans, who had already peacefully submitted to the Great Zhou, would have begun to stir with ambition once more.
In Consort Yi’s eyes, this strike of his was both cowardly and decisive.
The Fourth Prince was still apologizing: “I’m sorry, Mother.”
Consort Yi said, “There is nothing to be sorry for.”
It was simply that there was no longer any hope for restoration. The Ling imperial family had not truly perished before, but now, they were gone.
Consort Yi walked past the Fourth Prince. He instinctively reached out to grab her hem, but he missed.
The fabric slipped past him and came to a stop before Zichen Hall.
She dropped something from her hand, and a faint flame ignited outside the hall.
Almost instantly, a circle of swirling, scorching fire formed around her.
Wood catches when it meets fire, and fire thrives when it meets wood.
Emperor Chongzhao, who had originally wanted to ask her many more questions, was quickly pulled away to the bottom of the steps.
Inside Zichen Hall, Eunuch Yu was dragged out of a side door by Yi Shier, scrambling on all fours.
Amidst the flames, Consort Yi danced the Guoshang, the dance for those who died for the state.
The fire was reflected in the Fourth Prince’s eyes, and the light within them gradually began to fade.
He collapsed completely into Qu Dubian’s arms, his eyes slowly closing as tears rolled past his temples.
“It’s over...”
“I’m sorry.” This last sentence was meant for Qu Dubian.
Qu Dubian said over and over, “Brother, you were never wrong. I never blamed you.”
The Fourth Prince murmured, “Little Seven, Brother is so sleepy. Let me use you as a pillow for a while.”
Qu Dubian’s tears fell onto the Fourth Prince’s forehead. He pressed one hand against the Fourth Prince’s pulse, slowly channeling his inner energy into him, while his other hand reached up to wipe the blood from the side of the Fourth Prince’s face. “...Alright. Go to sleep, Fourth Brother. When you wake up from this sleep, you won't remember any of this.”
The fire at Zichen Hall was extinguished.
Gray smoke dissipated into the sky.
The fire of restoration, which had spanned decades, left nothing but cold ashes in the wake of the Guoshang.
The high walls of red brick and yellow tile once again bore witness to a struggle for imperial power that would be recorded in the annals of history.
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