Blossom

Cui Yijun's words visibly startled the Crown Prince.

Indeed, Ji Yong was not on duty today. However, since the afternoon, he had been at the Eastern Palace discussing flood control measures for the Yellow River with the Crown Prince. Given the severity of this year's flooding, the Crown Prince listened with particular attentiveness. Even after the palace gates were locked for the night, the two remained engrossed in their conversation. Cui Yijun had even arranged for a chamber in the side rooms to be prepared for Ji Yong. When the commotion erupted at the Palace of Heavenly Purity in the dead of night, it was Ji Yong who urged the Crown Prince to come to the Emperor's rescue.

Ji Yong, unusually, showed a hint of embarrassment as he admitted, "This waist token is fake! I had skilled craftsmen replicate Song Mo's token."

The Crown Prince and Cui Yijun were dumbfounded.

As if afraid they wouldn’t believe him, Ji Yong handed the token to Cui Yijun.

Cui Yijun had only seen Song Mo’s token before and had no idea how to distinguish its authenticity, let alone under such circumstances. With a smile, he returned the token to Ji Yong, saying, "It looks identical to the real one—even the Golden Guard was fooled." Yet inwardly, his wariness grew. "Why did you replicate Song Mo’s token?"

Ji Yong gave an awkward chuckle. "I have some personal grievances with Song Mo. I originally intended to cause him trouble, so naturally, I couldn’t let anyone detect anything amiss with the token."

The Crown Prince and Cui Yijun exchanged a glance.

Ji Yong repeatedly referred to Song Mo by name, clearly indicating their hostility. Yet now, they were relying on Song Mo for protection.

Cui Yijun smiled and asked, "What kind of grievances? Would you like me to mediate?"

"No need, no need," Ji Yong replied sheepishly. "It’s just a trivial matter."

Cui Yijun didn’t press further.

The Crown Prince said sternly, "The Golden Guard is responsible for protecting the imperial palace—a duty of utmost importance. Jianming, how could you do such a thing?"

Ji Yong quickly bowed his head. "This official admits his guilt! I will never dare again."

Seeing this, the Crown Prince softened his tone. "Still, today we owe you our thanks. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have known about the incident at the Palace of Heavenly Purity."

Whether Ji Yong was aligned with Liao Wang or whether this was a trap awaiting them, the moment he decided to come to the Emperor’s rescue, he was already entangled. Merely standing outside the Palace of Heavenly Purity wouldn’t have spared him!

Taking a deep breath, the Crown Prince strode resolutely into the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

The fake eunuchs had retreated to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, leaving the Palace of Heavenly Purity strewn with corpses. Song Mo, drenched in blood, stood at the palace gates, his expression fraught with anxiety. Upon seeing the Crown Prince enter, he hurried forward to bow and said remorsefully, "Your Highness, it was my negligence that allowed imposters disguised as eunuchs to infiltrate..."

The gruesome scene and the thick scent of blood clinging to Song Mo nearly made the Crown Prince retch.

Wang Yuan scrambled over, tears and snot streaming down his face as he wailed, "Your Highness, please save the Emperor! Liao Wang has taken him hostage!"

Though the Crown Prince had already guessed as much, hearing Wang Yuan voice the name lurking in his heart left him momentarily stunned.

Cui Yijun whispered, "Your Highness."

The Crown Prince snapped back to attention.

This was his chance to assert his authority!

Suppressing the churning in his chest, he gently reassured Song Mo, "Though you oversee the Golden Guard, this incident is not your fault. Are you injured? Cui Yijun has excellent wound medicine. Let him tend to you."Song Mo did not stand on ceremony. He thanked the Crown Prince respectfully, removed his clothes to reveal a lacerated wound on his back, and allowed Cui Junyi to apply medicine while addressing the Crown Prince:

"Now that the palace gates are locked, the advantage is that outsiders cannot enter for the time being. The disadvantage is also that outsiders cannot enter. At present, both the Emperor and Liao Wang are in the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. Liao Wang would not dare harm the Emperor, for even if he somehow managed to ascend the throne, the regional princes guarding the borders would never let it stand. The real danger lies outside. Liao Wang is no reckless man—if he dares to take such a risk alone, he must have already secured foolproof arrangements. My fear is that the Divine Machine Battalion and the Five Armies Battalion may be deceived by Liao Wang and storm the palace under the pretense of 'cleansing the court of evil ministers.' The immediate priority is to send scouts to gather intelligence and mobilize the Five Cities Garrison to defend the city. Next, we must contact Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet, Liang. Your Highness and Liang can then deliberate on the best course of action. I will remain here with the Golden Guard and find a way to rescue the Emperor. If we hesitate and conceal the truth, not only will it sow panic among outsiders and invite chaos, but it will also allow Liao Wang to distort the facts, casting Your Highness as disloyal and unjust, shaking the very foundation of the state!"

His words were tactful, but the underlying message was clear: the Crown Prince should no longer concern himself with the Emperor’s survival. Instead, he must quickly summon the Grand Secretaries to denounce Liao Wang’s treachery before Liao Wang could kill the Emperor and falsely accuse the Crown Prince of rebellion. With the Grand Secretaries’ endorsement, even if Liao Wang produced a forged imperial decree, he would still be branded a usurper and a traitor, condemned by all. As for the Emperor’s safety—Song Mo would shoulder that responsibility himself.

Ji Yong inwardly scoffed.

Song Mo, this black-hearted schemer, was urging the Crown Prince to use others to eliminate his enemies while posing as a righteous patriot. No wonder this man, several years his junior, had already risen to command the Golden Guard.

It seemed his own face was still too thin.

The Crown Prince, however, was deeply moved.

If Song Mo stayed behind and Liao Wang, in desperation, truly harmed the Emperor, then as the Metropolitan Commander of the Golden Guard responsible for the Emperor’s protection, Song Mo would at best lose his position and be imprisoned—at worst, he would forfeit his life!

Yet, he had to admit that in this critical situation, only by following Song Mo’s advice could he contend against Liao Wang.

Gritting his teeth, he declared, "Yantang, rest assured—as long as I live, so shall you!"

Song Mo’s expression darkened. "Your Highness, in the Five Cities Garrison, there is a man named Jiang Yi, transferred from the Divine Machine Battalion. You might send him with your edict to the Divine Machine Battalion—at the very least, he could sow division and immobilize them. If the Five Armies Battalion revolts, the Five Cities Garrison can hold the gates shut for three to five days. By then, news will have spread, and the Western Hills Camp and other garrisons will surely march to the capital’s defense."

The Crown Prince nodded repeatedly. "I will send someone to find Jiang Yi at once!"

Song Mo solemnly fastened his robes, took up his blade, and led the Golden Guard toward the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.

Ji Yong quickly added, "I will notify the Grand Secretaries on duty."

The Crown Prince responded gravely, "Yes, you must find Grand Secretary Liang without fail!"

Though movement within the inner palace was restricted at night, urgent messages could still be relayed through the gates.

Ji Yong took the Crown Prince’s edict and hurried to the Longzong Gate.

The guards had already sensed the disturbance, and upon seeing Ji Yong with Song Mo’s token, they swiftly ordered messengers outside to deliver word to Liang Jifang’s residence.Ji Yong, feeling uneasy, stepped onto a guard's shoulders to peer over the wall and saw several gatekeepers gathered outside, chatting and laughing in low voices. No one had been sent to deliver any message.

His heart sank. He quietly asked a Golden Guard inside the gate, "Is there any way to send a message out without alerting the Five Armies Battalion?"

The Golden Guard shook his head, troubled. "The gates are locked. Even with an imperial decree from the Emperor, we’d have to wait until dawn to open them."

Ji Yong pondered for a moment and headed to the duty room of the Grand Secretariat.

Dai Jian was on duty.

A young eunuch in the duty room informed Ji Yong that Dai Jian was asleep.

The commotion had been loud enough for Ji Yong to hear it all the way from the Eastern Palace, yet Dai Jian remained oblivious...

Ji Yong left the duty room without a word.

For the first time in his life, he realized this was not a game he could simply call "stop" whenever he pleased.

Ji Yong hurried back to the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

The Crown Prince stood under the veranda, surrounded by a few loyal eunuchs.

"Your Highness!" Ji Yong approached quickly. "We can't get a message out!"

The Crown Prince's expression darkened momentarily before he said, "Let’s go find Song Mo!"

Bound by his status, the Crown Prince sometimes had less influence than Song Mo.

Ji Yong supported the Crown Prince as they passed through the Hall of Union.

Outside the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, the two sides were locked in a standoff.

Song Mo reassured the Crown Prince in a low voice, "I’ve already surrounded the palace. Unless Liao Wang uses the Emperor as a shield, he won’t escape."

"But the Five Armies Battalion outside has betrayed the Emperor," the Crown Prince worried. "I fear they might coordinate from within and without..."

"We just need to hold out until dawn," Song Mo reassured him again.

No sooner had he spoken than a clamor erupted outside the palace.

A Golden Guard rushed over, drenched in sweat. "Commander Song! The Five Armies Battalion is attacking the gates!"

Before Song Mo could respond, the gates of the Palace of Earthly Tranquility swung open. The disguised eunuchs who had just fought fiercely against Song Mo and his men charged out again, heedless of their lives.

"Quick, protect His Highness and take shelter in the side chamber!" Song Mo shouted, drawing his sword to meet the enemy.

The group half-dragged, half-pushed the Crown Prince into the chamber, while Song Mo and the Golden Guard formed a tight perimeter around it. Song Mo fought like a tiger descending a mountain, cutting down several men with ruthless precision.

Someone taunted, "Song Yantang, aren’t you afraid your wife and child will be killed?"

Song Mo’s hand faltered at the words, nearly leaving him vulnerable to a fatal strike.

Seeing the threat had an effect, the attackers pressed on. "The Palace of Earthly Tranquility keeps messenger pigeons. With a single order, your wife and child will lose their heads. We’ll hang them on the city walls, leaving them without a proper burial..."

Song Mo’s eyes burned with fury, his strikes becoming faster, sharper, and deadlier.

His assailants had no choice but to retreat from his onslaught.

Behind him, the chamber door creaked open, and Ji Yong slipped out.

"What the hell is going on?" He lunged recklessly for Song Mo’s collar, nearly getting struck by his own allies in the process.

Song Mo was furious. "Get back inside the chamber and stay there!"

Ji Yong sneered. "Where are Shou Gu and Yuan Ge'er?"

Song Mo pressed his lips together and remained silent.

Their attackers burst into laughter. "Commander Song’s wife and child are guests at Prince Liao’s Residence!"

Ji Yong, eyes blazing with rage, threw himself at Song Mo. "You bastard! How could Shou Gu have married you? You’d sacrifice your own family for power and wealth—"

Song Mo hesitated just long enough for Ji Yong to land a solid punch.

Someone pulled Ji Yong away.

The Crown Prince stepped forward.He asked in surprise, "What happened?"

"Lord Song's wife and children have been abducted by Prince Liao, trying to threaten Lord Song..." a guard murmured.

"Yantang!" Both the Crown Prince and Cui Yijun, who had followed closely behind, looked utterly shocked.

Song Mo smiled bitterly.

That hairpin was part of Dou Zhao's dowry.

It was said there wasn't another sapphire of the same size in the entire world.

He had recognized his wife's possession at a glance.

Shou Gu, where are you now?

Had she truly been taken to Prince Liao's Residence? Or was she hiding somewhere with the children?

A tiny flicker of hope still lingered in his heart.

Yet he understood all too well—if Prince Liao wanted to deal with Dou Zhao, he would surely send Military garrison troops.

Though Dou Zhao's attendants were skilled, they couldn't compare to battle-hardened, well-trained soldiers.

But if he were to submit to Prince Liao and establish a master-servant relationship, Dou Zhao's situation would become even more perilous.

The only thing he could do now was keep Prince Liao within the palace.