Coroner's Diary

Anyang Marquis had come with great enthusiasm to welcome Yan Chi, but he never expected to be met with such a scene the moment he laid eyes on him.

Yue Qiong’s expression immediately darkened. He had rushed out in such haste that he hadn’t even brought his sword. With a single command from Yan Chi, a troop of light cavalry charged forward, surrounding him before he even had time to turn his horse around and retreat to the city. Multiple swords were pointed at him in an instant!

Frowning, Yue Qiong demanded, “Yan Chi, what is the meaning of this?!”

Yan Chi stared expressionlessly at Yue Qiong. “My apologies, but I must ask the Marquis to dismount.”

Yue Qiong grew even more bewildered and turned to look at Qin Guan beside him. Qin Guan hesitated, wanting to speak, but as the princess consort of Prince Rui, she knew she must not utter a single word at this moment.

As the standoff continued, Yue Ning, unable to hold back any longer, urged her horse forward. She fixed her gaze on Yue Qiong and said, “Father… what exactly happened? Why did someone launch a surprise attack on the Northern Garrison Army camp last night? Why did someone set fire behind the Northwest Frontier Army? Father, do you know that ten thousand vanguard soldiers and several officers of the Northwest Frontier Army perished on the Green Grass Plains? In the Northern Garrison Army, the Empress and the Crown Prince were ambushed in the middle of the night. The Empress was severely injured and sought help at the Northwest Frontier Army camp. Her fate is still uncertain…”

Yue Ning’s eyes reddened. “Father, tell me, you had nothing to do with these events, right?”

Yue Qiong stared in disbelief, his eyes darting between Yue Ning, Yan Chi, and Qin Guan. Finally, understanding dawned on him—this was the reason Yan Chi had led his troops here!

“How could this be… Last night, the Jinzhou Army set a fire on the southern side of Fallen Phoenix Slope. As planned, I led my men to ambush the enemy by the ravine. The Rong barbarians emerged from their main camp, and the first clash was with the Jinzhou Army. We fought the Rong barbarians all night, killing at least ten thousand of them. Later, heavy rain extinguished the mountain fire. I then led my men to inspect the Rong barbarians’ main camp and remained there until dawn. When I sent scouts to the Green Grass Plains, I discovered your forces had already withdrawn. Seeing traces of the Rong barbarians’ retreat heading north, I assumed they had been routed and fled in panic to Cangzhou. Only then did I lead my troops back—”

Yue Qiong spoke in one breath and continued, “I had just returned and was arranging for the wounded when I learned of your arrival. I thought everyone was exhausted today and that we needed to clear the battlefield. I planned to send a message to you and the Empress tonight and hold a meeting tomorrow to celebrate this great victory. But I never expected…”

Yue Qiong spoke rapidly, clearly shaken by the events. Even after explaining his whereabouts throughout the night, he still hadn’t fully recovered from the shock!

Last night… How could so many unexpected events have occurred?!

It was certain that he had nothing to do with it—so who else could it be?!

With this thought, Yue Qiong’s eyes darkened, a faint suspicion forming in his heart.

Yan Chi’s hawk-like gaze bore into Yue Qiong, sending a chill down his spine.

After a moment, Yan Chi said, “It seems the Marquis is not involved in this matter. In that case, I must ask you to stand aside. Into the city—”

With Yan Chi’s command, he spurred his horse into the city first. Qin Guan followed closely by his side, and the Northwest Frontier Army marched in a grand procession through the city gates. The main road in the city was wide, but the civilian houses on either side were rather low and humble. Yan Chi had previously sent scouts to survey Wei County and was now well-acquainted with the Jinzhou Army’s defensive arrangements!Behind them, Yue Qiong bit her lip. "Father, someone must have deliberately harmed them and tried to frame you! No matter what happens today, you must not get involved... The Northwest Frontier Army lost over ten thousand soldiers, over ten thousand..."

Yue Qiong pressed her lips tightly together, landed a heavy whip on her horse's back, and hurried to catch up.

Yue Qiong hesitated as if wanting to speak but stopped, sighing as she looked at the dozen swords pointed at her. "Your Highness has already given the order, and I will follow it. Since the matter hasn't been clarified yet, there's no need to treat me like this—"

The soldiers exchanged glances before sheathing their swords, but they continued to guard Yue Qiong closely on both sides as if escorting a prisoner.

Helpless yet anxious, Yue Qiong had no choice but to follow the Northwest Frontier Army into Wei County town.

The town was now garrisoned with even more troops than the Northwest Frontier Army. Having learned earlier that Yan Chi was leading his forces here, these soldiers were deeply curious. After several major battles, many in the camp had come to admire Yan Chi. Their first reaction upon hearing of his arrival was confusion rather than assuming he came to attack them!

Soon, a crowd gathered to watch, most without weapons. Only when they saw Yan Chi approaching with fierce determination did they sense something amiss, yet no one stepped forward to stop him. Soldiers lined both sides of the main Path, crowding around as the Northwest Frontier Army advanced toward the central camp.

At the same time, Yan Qi received news of Yan Chi's arrival in Wei County town.

Lu Xiao panicked. "Your Highness, what should we do? I heard Yan Chi has already taken the Anyang Marquis hostage! He didn't even spare the Anyang Marquis any face, this..."

Below in the hall, Qi Cen began wiping cold sweat from his forehead. "Your Highness, I... I followed your orders exactly. Last night, because I wasn't familiar with the terrain, the fire was set in the wrong place. Otherwise..."

Yan Qi glared venomously at Qi Cen. "You useless fool! How dare you say that! If you had set the fire correctly, would Yan Chi still be alive to come after us today?! It's all because you're incompetent!"

Qi Cen's face turned pale. "Your Highness! Please don't expose me..."

Yan Qi gritted his teeth, his palms slightly sweaty. Not wanting others to notice, he wiped the sweat on his robe and asked, "Where are He Lin and Xu Huai?!"

Lu Xiao hurriedly replied, "They're both outside!"

Yan Qi clenched his fist tightly. "They brought many troops; we can't hide it. We'll admit to the Northern Garrison Army affair! As for the Northwest Frontier Army matter..."

Yan Qi sneered. "We won't admit to it. What can he do? At this point, they are all rebels! I doubt he'd dare do anything in the Jinzhou Army camp! I am Prince Cheng. If Yue Qiong doesn't intervene, does that mean she wants to be a rebel too?! She'd better not forget her entire family is still in the capital!"

Thinking of this, Yan Qi felt more confident. He stood up, brushed his robes, and said, "Let's go out and see what our Prince Rui is here for."

Qi Cen kept wiping sweat. Though Yan Qi appeared composed, Qi Cen remained terrified. Yet, at this stage, he had no choice but to follow fearfully behind Yan Qi.

As soon as Yan Qi stepped out, he saw Yan Chi leading the Northwest Frontier Army, marching imposingly through the gates of the Jinzhou Army camp!The Jinzhou Army soldiers guarding the camp sensed something amiss and wanted to step forward to intervene, but the moment they moved, Northwest Frontier Army soldiers drew their blades in response.

Thus, the tense standoff was laid bare.

The Jinzhou troops were certain Yan Chi meant trouble, yet seeing Yue Qiong riding silently alongside him, they dared not act recklessly. And so, Yan Chi galloped unimpeded to the center of the camp before the Jinzhou Army's central command tent—

Yan Qi stood before his own tent, feigning surprise with an exaggerated "Oh?" before stepping forward with a laugh. "Yan Chi, what is the meaning of this?"

When Yan Chi remained silent, only fixing him with a gloomy stare, Yan Qi's heart wavered, but he still advanced several steps, maintaining a facade of clear conscience.

"Though our three armies are now allied and you've temporarily ceased hostilities with us, given your... particular status, it's highly inappropriate for you to march into our Northern Expedition camp with the Northwest Frontier Army like this..."

Yan Qi's words sounded perfectly reasonable, and coupled with his sanctimonious demeanor, they drew murmurs of agreement from other Jinzhou soldiers. The troops confronting the Northwest Frontier Army at the camp entrance grew increasingly agitated.

Pleased with the reaction, Yan Qi smiled. "If you have something to say, speak properly. Why are you holding Anyang Marquis hostage? He is the commander of our Northern Expedition forces. How can you make everyone's blood run cold like this? In recent days, Anyang Marquis has shown your side nothing but respect."

Even after Yan Qi finished speaking, Yan Chi offered no retort. Yan Qi's smile began to falter, sweat once again dampening his palms.

Yan Chi's gaze was like a frigid blade, scrutinizing him up and down as if intent on flaying him alive.

Yan Qi grew increasingly nervous, the cracks in his earlier composure beginning to show.

Yan Chi continued staring at him. "Last night, the Northwest Frontier Army was ambushed. Over ten thousand casualties. Did you know?"

Everyone had been curious about Yan Chi's sudden appearance, but these words stunned them all. Yan Qi put on an exaggerated expression of shock. "What?! Ambushed? By the barbarians? Ten thousand dead... Ah, accept our condolences. In war, there are always losses... Don't worry, when we resume fighting later, we'll wipe out every last Rong barbarian to avenge your Northwest Frontier Army—"

As Yan Qi spouted these shameless words, Lu Xiao and Qi Cen—lacking his thick-skinned audacity—remained hidden in the crowd, desperate to avoid Yan Chi's notice. But the more they avoided his gaze, the more their guilt showed. Yan Chi's eyes sharpened like lightning, and he spotted them both.

Though he saw them, Yan Chi did not react. Instead, his eyes fell upon the Jinzhou Army banner behind Yan Qi.

A thick log stood tall, the military flag bearing the character "Zhou" fluttering in the wind.

Yan Chi withdrew his gaze, looking down at Yan Qi from horseback. "Yan Qi, I'll give you one more chance."

Despite being a prince, Yan Qi felt humiliated at being addressed so bluntly before so many. Impatiently, he retorted, "I don't know what you're talking about. Your Northwest Frontier Army suffers losses, and you come causing trouble here as if you're the only ones who've taken hits. Our Northern Expedition army has lost countless soldiers too. Are you trying to tear up our alliance? Do you want to start a war with us right now—"

His words were pure provocation, stirring unease and vigilance among the surrounding Jinzhou troops.Yan Chi watched him thus, then suddenly let out a cold laugh. "You won't admit it until you're faced with the grim reality!"

With these words, Yan Chi gave Yan Qi no further chance to spout nonsense. He abruptly slapped his horse's back, and the steed shot forth like an arrow released from its bow. Simultaneously, Yan Chi twirled his spear and charged straight at Yan Qi. Yan Qi's eyes widened in shock as he hastily retreated, but he had only managed half a step back when the spear tip was already before his eyes!

"You dar—"

Yan Qi only had time to utter two words before his face contorted in agony. The steel-forged spear tip plunged deep below his left collarbone. With a sharp twist of his wrist, Yan Chi actually lifted the over-hundred-pound man into the air with the spear. Without slowing his horse's pace, Yan Chi charged directly toward the military flagpole. With a resounding thud, he drove the spear into the wooden pole, pinning Yan Qi against the cylindrical column. This entire upheaval occurred in the blink of an eye—no one had expected Yan Chi to take action against Yan Qi!

All murmuring ceased instantly. Across the crowded clearing, one could have heard a pin drop.

Drip, drip, drip—

Blood trickled down the length of the spear.

The spear had pierced through Yan Qi's shoulder blade to embed itself firmly in the wooden pole. Combined with the force of his body's weight dragging downward, the pain was so excruciating he felt he might die at any moment.

The smile that had been on his face mere moments ago vanished, replaced by a deathly pallor. He could not suppress a groan of agony.

Gripping the spear with one hand and clutching his wound with the other, his expression turned ferocious. Yet he managed to stammer out, "You... you dare... I am... Prince Cheng... How dare you... Are you rebelling..."

The bloodstains on Yan Chi's body had not yet faded. His face was as cold as a demon's, his eyes utterly devoid of warmth.

With a sudden twist of the spear, Yan Qi let out a sharp cry of pain—

The bleeding intensified. Yan Qi's veins bulged on his neck from the agony, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

Yan Chi had no patience for further nonsense from Yan Qi. "Last night, you gave the order, didn't you?"

Yan Qi was drenched in sweat, his throat producing guttural sounds but no coherent words. He cast a pleading glance toward Yue Qiong in the distance, but Yue Qiong wore only a pained expression, willingly restrained and refusing to speak a word. Yan Qi's eyes strained to shift toward the other military officers present. Yet among the dozen or so generals gathered, and the tens of thousands of soldiers surrounding them from all directions, not a single soul dared to speak up on his behalf. Some doubted him, others feared Yan Chi, and many were simply paralyzed by Yan Chi's murderous aura...

In short, Yan Qi despairingly realized that if Yan Chi wanted him dead, no one here could save him.

"If I... speak... will you... release me..."

A faint curve touched Yan Chi's lips—a smile in form, yet it only made him appear more cruel and bloodthirsty.

"You have no right to bargain with me."

Hearing this, Yan Qi closed his eyes in despair. He coughed violently, blood-flecked foam spilling from the corners of his mouth.

Suddenly, terror seized him. He could not die—the Crown Prince had already been deposed, and he was on the verge of becoming the new heir. How could he die now?

"It was... Father Emperor... You... you and the Northern Garrison Army... are all traitors..."

"Must not... must not... be spared... I was merely... following imperial orders..."

Yan Chi listened without a trace of surprise. Yet upon hearing these words, his gaze deepened slightly, as if some resolve within him had grown even firmer.He straightened his slightly leaning frame. "So it was the Emperor!"

"First, he secretly harmed Prince Rui who guarded the Northwest Frontier for over a decade in his stead. Now, with enemies at our gates, he seeks to slaughter these very soldiers defending our nation's borders. What a fine Emperor of Great Zhou!" Yan Chi let out an indignant laugh. "If such an unrighteous and dishonorable man remains seated upon Great Zhou's throne, not only would the fallen heroes of my Northwest Frontier Army protest, but even this spear in my hand would never consent!"

As his words faded, Yan Chi's wrist twitched. With a sharp crack, Yan Qi suddenly vomited blood while the wooden pillar behind him snapped simultaneously.

Retracting his spear, Yan Chi watched as Yan Qi collapsed to the ground, the high-hanging "Zhou" character banner following suit.

A bowl-sized wound near Yan Qi's left chest gushed with bloody froth. Yan Chi regarded him as one would a lifeless object. Clutching the gaping wound, Yan Qi stammered, "I... I've told you everything... save... save me..."

Yan Qi then cast a pleading look toward Qin Guan—with her medical skills, she could certainly save him!

Yet Qin Guan's eyes held only frost. She remained where she had entered the camp, her gaze soft and pained as it rested on Yan Chi.

She knew Yan Chi had now donned thick armor—impervious to Yan Qi's pleas, Yue Qiong's presence, lofty ideals of nation, or pity for innocent lives. But beneath that armor, his flesh-and-blood body was already riddled with wounds and bleeding profusely.

Yan Chi paid Yan Qi no mind. His eyes shifted to Lu Xiao and Qi Cen standing nearby. Under his gaze, Lu Xiao managed to hold firm, but Qi Cen's knees buckled, and he knelt stammering, "It wasn't me... It was Prince Cheng... He said it was the Emperor's will... I..."

Yan Chi's icy stare lingered on them for a moment before he spun his spear and turned his horse.

"I give the Marquis half a day. If the remaining culprits aren't delivered before nightfall, I will assault Wei County at dusk." He paused slightly, speaking without turning back. "As for Prince Cheng, I'll take him with me first. The lonely souls of my ten thousand brothers demand someone to answer for their sacrifice."

Spurring his horse out of the camp, Yan Chi departed with Qin Guan and the others. Several Northwest Frontier Army soldiers dragged Yan Qi from the camp like a dead dog.

Fresh blood streamed from Yan Qi's chest, painting a gruesome trail along the ground.

Yue Qiong remained motionless astride his horse at the camp entrance. Only after a long while did he release a heavy, weary sigh.