Destined

Gu Jiusi hurried towards the city gate. Upon arrival, he noticed the defensive garrison had been replaced by his own men, led by Liu Sheng and Wang Chang—both promoted by him. They bowed respectfully upon seeing Gu Jiusi.

Though puzzled by his eunuch’s attire, they dared not question it. Gu Jiusi scanned them and asked, "How did you manage the temporary shift in positions tonight?"

"The officer in charge of camp defense is my friend," Liu Sheng replied promptly. "I mentioned it to him, and since it was nearly shift change anyway, he reassigned us here."

"Notify him later that no one should know of this. Act as if your stationing here was routine. Also, swear you never saw me leave the city."

"My lord," Liu Sheng frowned anxiously, "are you aware the palace has been locked down?"

Gu Jiusi’s expression tightened. "Who’s in charge of palace security tonight?"

"Commander Guo Shun of the Cavalry Army," Wang Chang answered swiftly, adding, "Just moments ago, I heard Infantry Commander Li Hong was dispatched to the Ye residence."

Gu Jiusi fell silent briefly before asking, "Will you lead troops with me to the Ye mansion now?"

Liu Sheng and Wang Chang exchanged startled glances. Gu Jiusi leaned in, lowering his voice. "You’re my trusted aides. After tomorrow, the Grand Secretariat will cease to exist. The Eastern Capital will likely be ruled by His Majesty and Luo Zishang. Will you follow me to join Lord Zhou, or remain here?"

As his confidants, even if they beheaded Gu Jiusi for Fan Yu now, they’d still face suspicion later. Moreover, Zhou Gaolang already held immense authority. With Gu Jiusi and other key ministers, the core of Great Xia’s power would effectively rest with Zhou Gaolang. If Zhou returned, the Eastern Capital would be defenseless.

After a moment’s deliberation, Liu Sheng declared, "Wang Chang, fetch our families. I’ll take men to the Ye mansion with Lord Gu immediately."

"No. We split four ways," Gu Jiusi decided firmly. "You rescue the Ye family and meet my wife three li outside the city under the large tree—signal with three cuckoo calls. Give me another squad for Zhou Manor. Send one more reliable person to the prison to inform my uncle."

"Shouldn’t we rescue Lord Jiang?" Liu Sheng worried. Gu Jiusi shook his head. "He has his own methods. If he fails, we’ll send word."

Having operated in the Eastern Capital for years, Jiang Cheng was deeply entrenched there. While eliminating Fan Yu might be difficult for him, Fan Yu would struggle to kill him too.

After dividing tasks, Liu Sheng and Wang Chang immediately led their men to separate destinations with Gu Jiusi.

When Liu Sheng arrived at the Ye residence, Ye Shi’an and Ye Yun were already engaged in combat with Li Hong’s forces. Liu Sheng’s timely arrival brought reinforcements as he shouted, "Young Master Ye! Lord Gu sent us to retrieve you!"

His troops surged forward, holding off Li Hong’s men. Grabbing Ye Shi’an, Liu Sheng urged, "We’re outnumbered. We must flee the Eastern Capital at once."

"But my uncle—"

"Discuss it after we escape!"

Clenching his jaw, Ye Shi’an glanced back at his other family members before seizing Ye Yun’s arm. "Let’s go!" he said urgently.Liu Chang fought while protecting the Liu family as they retreated. Gu Jiusi led his men rushing toward the Zhou residence, but halfway there, he heard a faint voice call out, "Lord Gu."

Hearing the voice, Gu Jiusi quickly reined in his horse, dismounted, and hurried into an alley. There, he saw a maidservant half-lying on the ground, covered in blood and utterly exhausted, leaning against the wall.

Gu Jiusi recognized her as Qin Wan Zhi’s personal maid. He urgently asked, "Why are you here? Where is your mistress?"

"Mistress... mistress..."

Gasping for breath, the maid trembled as she opened her coat. Gu Jiusi looked down and saw a child sleeping soundly with closed eyes. The child was stained with blood. The maid looked at Gu Jiusi and struggled to speak: "Young master... entrust... entrust to..."

"I understand," Gu Jiusi immediately interrupted, hurriedly taking the child into his arms. "This is Si Gui, isn’t it?"

The maid seemed to be at her limit. With great difficulty, she nodded, then lifted her hand to point toward the Zhou residence and whispered hoarsely, "Mistress said... don’t go... hurry... leave..."

As soon as she finished speaking, the maid could hold on no longer. She closed her eyes and breathed her last.

Gu Jiusi was stunned for a moment, then quickly realized that since Luo Zishang had laid his plans for tonight, his primary target must be Zhou Gaolang’s family. The heaviest forces were likely concentrated around the Zhou residence, and this child was probably the only one the Zhou family had managed to send out at great cost. With his own limited forces, attempting to rescue the Zhou family now would likely result in failure and his own demise.

Yet, he couldn’t resign himself to it. Holding the child close, he ordered his men to hide the infant, then took a small group and hurried toward the Zhou residence.

He stopped in a dark alley not far from the Zhou residence. Peering out, he could see the area outside the Zhou residence densely packed with soldiers. Zhou Madam and Qin Wan Zhi stood at the entrance, swords in hand, leading their people. Qin Wan Zhi’s face was still stained with blood, while Zhou Madam stood at the forefront, wearing the robes of an Imperial decree bestowing an honorific title on a woman, confronting the soldiers.

"You rebels defy authority and violate the natural order! Instead of stopping this madness, you aid the wicked and commit atrocities—are you not afraid of divine retribution?"

Listening to Zhou Madam’s words, Gu Jiusi counted the number of people at the Zhou residence. Meanwhile, the soldier beside him quietly retrieved an arrow from the quiver, nocked it on his bowstring, and waited for Gu Jiusi’s command.

Gu Jiusi remained silent. He scanned the surroundings, then frowned, tugged at the soldier’s sleeve, and gestured with his chin toward the distant rooftops, shaking his head. The soldier looked up and spotted several figures emerging along the surrounding eaves.

After a moment’s thought, Gu Jiusi circled to another side and tossed out a small stone.

Even this minor disturbance was immediately noticed. The soldier leading the troops at the front raised his voice sharply: "Zhou Madam, do not refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. If you do not hand over the two young masters, we will raze the Zhou residence to the ground today."

Hearing this, Qin Wan Zhi seemed agitated. She stepped forward and declared loudly, "How dare you? You intend to use the Zhou residence to threaten Lord Zhou? If you think you can destroy this place, see if you have the capability! Your so-called Net of Heaven and Earth is nothing but an empty threat!"Upon hearing this, Gu Jiusi took a deep breath. As he gazed at Qin Wanzhi and Zhou Madam in the distance, he realized that Luo Zishang had likely anticipated his return for a rescue and had prepared an ambush here specifically for him.

At this moment, Qin Wanzhi was warning him to leave immediately.

Gu Jiusi hesitated briefly. If he were alone, he might have risked a fight, but now he had a child with him...

This child absolutely must not come to harm.

Qin Wanzhi had risked her life to send this child out, entrusting him with its protection.

Gritting his teeth, Gu Jiusi turned around, waved to everyone, and quietly retreated into the distance.

But the moment they withdrew, a sudden rain of arrows erupted from the side. Gu Jiusi and his group had not yet entered the firing range and hurriedly retreated without looking back. Luo Zishang's soldiers immediately gave chase. Seeing this, Zhou Madam shouted sharply, "Stop them!"

Zhou Manor's soldiers poured out in full force, instantly clashing with Luo Zishang's men. Gu Jiusi, clutching the child, dashed out of the dark alley, mounted his horse, and galloped straight for the city gates.

Meanwhile, within the inner palace, a scene of revelry and peace prevailed.

Zhang Yu and Ye Qingwen sat in the main hall. Ye Qingwen's crown was askew, his hair disheveled, while Zhang Yu had cold sweat beading on his forehead but still feigned composure.

Fan Yu sat on the high throne, flirting with the beauties beside him and laughing heartily at the dancers performing in the hall. Luo Zishang sat to the side, silently drinking wine with a smile.

Outside came the urgent footsteps of soldiers. Soon, commotion erupted, and a man in armor entered, carrying a severed head. He knelt on one knee before Fan Yu and reported, "Your Majesty, as commanded tonight, Ye Shiming, Zhang Cheng, and others were lured into the palace and ambushed in the alleys, where they were shot and killed."

Hearing this, Ye Qingwen sprang to his feet and roared, "What did you say?!"

Ye Shiming was Ye Qingwen's only remaining heir, serving as the Commander of the Southern City Army. Zhang Cheng was a scion of the Zhang family under Zhang Yu, holding the position of Palace Guard Commander.

Ye Qingwen's furious shout went unanswered. Staring fixedly at the man kneeling on the ground, he trembled and said, "Guo Shun, do you realize what you are doing?"

Guo Shun remained silent. Zhang Yu rose shakily to his feet, looked up at Fan Yu on the throne, and chuckled bitterly, "Your Majesty, I understand now. Tonight, you are determined to see us dead."

The music and dance continued, but Zhang Yu's words clearly reached the throne. Fan Yu raised his hand to halt the performance, held his cup, and smiled at Zhang Yu. "Uncle Zhang, you've always been eloquent. Among my uncles, you're the only one I can tolerate. Had you not joined the cabinet, I might have spared your life. Now, if you have any last words, speak them."

"I have nothing to say about my own fate," Zhang Yu replied with a bitter smile. "But I have a few questions, for Your Majesty's own concern."

"Oh? What questions?"

"Tonight, Your Majesty used Minister Ye and me to lure our direct subordinates into the palace, where they were ambushed and murdered. May I ask, were these troops from the Eastern Capital's own army?"

Fan Yu remained silent, twirling his cup. Zhang Yu understood the answer. "I suspect these were Yangzhou troops secretly brought into the city by Lord Luo, weren't they? To station so many men quietly in the Eastern Capital—was this a scheme conceived overnight?""What do you want to say?" Fan Yu sounded somewhat impatient. Zhang Yu looked at Fan Yu and quickened his speech, "Your Majesty, don't you understand yet? How could Luo Zishang's gradual scheming be solely to help you? His heart is completely set on making plans for himself!"

"Aren't you also making plans for yourself?" Fan Yu scoffed, "Every single one of you is only looking out for yourselves!"

"Then you should at least choose the right path!" Zhang Yu shouted sharply, "Think for yourself! Even if you kill Minister Ye and me tonight, what about our remaining factions? Our former subordinates? I know your plans. Tonight, you intend to trap Jiang He, then lure Minister Ye, Minister Gu, and me into the palace to eliminate us all at once. After seizing control of the court, you'll use the Luo family case to interrogate Jiang He, link him with Prince Liang, pin a treason charge on him, and then purge his followers. Without us, Jiang He would be isolated in court. Once you completely control the Eastern Capital, you'll use the cabinet's name to send messages to Youzhou, luring Zhou Gaolang and Zhou Ye into the Eastern Capital. After both of them are dead, the remaining cabinet members would be scattered. Even if they organize, you'd have Yangzhou as your backup, isn't that right?"

"But what about now? Gu Jiusi didn't come, which means he escaped. Since he got away, Zhou Gaolang must know what's happening here. Even if you kill us today, once Zhou Gaolang raises his army, our people will surely respond to seek revenge. At that time, your military strength won't match Zhou Gaolang's, there will be traitors within the court, and Luo Zishang would become your only reliance. You would truly become a puppet emperor, manipulated for your entire life..."

"What entire life?!"

Hearing this, Fan Yu laughed heartily, "If I'm a puppet emperor in his hands, wouldn't I be the same in yours? Do you think I don't know your plans? You just want to keep me around until I produce a crown prince. Do you think I'd survive after that?"

"Xiao Yu!" Zhang Yu took an anxious step forward upon hearing this, but soldiers drew their swords to block him. He looked at Fan Yu urgently, "We watched you grow up! No matter what, we would never put you in mortal danger!"

"Silence!"

Fan Yu suddenly drew his sword and pointed it at Zhang Yu, "Don't try to deceive me! You, my father—all of you use lofty words to disguise yourselves as honorable men. In your hearts, what am I compared to the empire? I'm worthless. Today, I want you, my father, and all of you to witness how I'll destroy this empire you sacrificed your lives for! The empire is mine now, it's mine!"

"You madman!"

Even Zhang Yu, usually mild-tempered, couldn't help but curse. Hearing this, Fan Yu actually smiled, clapping his hands happily, "Good, good, excellent! I love hearing you curse like that."

"Your Majesty," Luo Zishang set down his teacup and said calmly, "Dawn is approaching. It's time to prepare to meet Minister Jiang in court."

Hearing this, Fan Yu looked dispirited, tossed his sword aside, and said, "How boring."After speaking, Fan Yu turned around to leave. At that very moment, Ye Qingwen suddenly snatched a sword from a nearby guard and charged toward Fan Yu. Shouts of alarm erupted around them as all the soldiers rushed toward Ye Qingwen. Dozens of arrows pierced through Ye Qingwen's body. Zhang Yu's eyes widened in fury as he cried out, "Qingzhan!"

With that, Zhang Yu threw himself in front of Ye Qingwen, catching him as he fell. Ye Qingwen stared at Fan Yu, his mouth full of dark blood, and muttered indistinctly, "Beast..."

"Qingzhan... Qingzhan, are you alright...?"

Zhang Yu was panicked and distraught. But at that moment, a sharp blade suddenly pierced through his body. Zhang Yu turned his head with difficulty and saw a guard, who looked at him calmly and said respectfully, "My apologies."

Everything fell silent. Fan Yu stared at Zhang Yu lying on the ground, watching the blood spread across the floor.

"Is the path to becoming emperor always like this?" Fan Yu suddenly spoke, his eyes fixed on the blood on the ground, his brow tightly furrowed.

Luo Zishang stood up, his expression composed, and said, "All paths to power in this world are like this."

As he spoke, Luo Zishang slightly bowed and extended his hand toward Fan Yu, saying respectfully, "Your Majesty, it is time for you to attend the court session."

Fan Yu did not speak. He stared at the blood on the ground for a long time before finally stepping over Luo Zishang and descending the stairs. In a daze, he stepped onto the blood and murmured, "You are right. I should attend the court session."

Luo Zishang and Fan Yu walked outward together, while Gu Jiusi had already rushed out of the city gate earlier.

Not long after leaving the city, he encountered Liu Yusheng, who had been sent to assist the Ye Family. As soon as Ye Shi'an saw Gu Jiusi approaching, he rushed over anxiously and asked, "How is my uncle?"

"The situation is still unclear," Gu Jiusi shook his head, then added, "I still have people inside. By dawn at the latest, we will know the situation."

Hearing this, Ye Shi'an composed himself and then noticed the child in Gu Jiusi's arms. He asked curiously, "Who is this?"

"Brother Zhou's child," Gu Jiusi pursed his lips. "I originally intended to bring everyone from the Zhou family back, but..."

There was no need to say more; everyone understood. He then quickly asked, "Have you seen my wife?"

"I am here," Liu Yuru called out from the crowd.

Gu Jiusi quickly looked over and saw Liu Yuru stepping out from the group. He examined her from head to toe and asked, "Is everyone alright?"

"We are fine," Liu Yuru shook her head. "We came out through the secret passage and have been waiting for you here."

Gu Jiusi nodded. Ye Shi'an scanned the people around them and gritted his teeth, saying, "Jiusi, now that we are all here, why don't we fight our way back?"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Liu Yuru interjected. "Since Luo Zishang has made his move, it is not a rash decision. He must have prepared for this. By now, Yangzhou's troops are likely already in the city. He caught us off guard, and our forces in the city have probably been scattered and defeated one by one. Returning to the city now would not be about saving people but about throwing our lives away."

"But my uncle and my cousin..." Before he could finish speaking, they saw a person galloping toward them from afar, imitating the call of a cuckoo in sets of three. Upon hearing this, Gu Jiusi said to everyone, "Hide. I will go over."Everyone immediately concealed themselves. Gu Jiusi drew his sword and walked to the center of the road, calmly watching the figure approaching on horseback.

Gu Jiusi instantly recognized the man as Jiang He’s attendant, Wang Lai. Spotting Gu Jiusi from afar, Wang Lai promptly dismounted and bowed respectfully. "Young Master."

"Where is Uncle?" Gu Jiusi asked with a frown.

Wang Lai replied at once, "The city gates are now under new guard. Lord Jiang finds it inconvenient to leave the city. He said he will remain hidden inside, awaiting your return, and asks that you not worry."

As he spoke, Wang Lai presented a box and a sword with both hands, offering them respectfully to Gu Jiusi. "Lord Jiang said that Ye Shiming and Zhang Cheng have been lured into the palace by Luo Zishang and executed. The main forces the cabinet could mobilize are gone. You must hurry to Youzhou to inform Lord Zhou. Take the Son of Heaven's Sword and this box with you. Keep the box hidden and only reveal it at the critical moment."

Hearing this, Gu Jiusi felt a chill in his heart, understanding what the box contained. He took the sword and hung it at his waist, then concealed the box in his sleeve. "Return and protect Uncle," he said. "I will go to Youzhou as quickly as possible to deliver the message to Lord Zhou and bring back reinforcements to rescue him."

"Lord Jiang said rescuing him is not important," Wang Lai stated calmly. "What matters is preventing Luo Zishang from consolidating power in the Eastern Capital. I cannot locate Lord Jiang even if I return to the city now, so I shall follow you, Young Master."

Gu Jiusi nodded, hesitating for a moment before asking, "Lord Ye and Lord Zhang…"

"The news I received upon leaving the city," Wang Lai replied without any change in tone, "is that they have passed."

Gu Jiusi was stunned. His heart shook violently. After a moment, he opened his mouth but found no words.

He turned and led Wang Lai back to the group. The moment Ye Shi'an saw Wang Lai, he rushed forward. "Do you know about my uncle—"

"Young Master Ye," Wang Lai interrupted, bowing respectfully, "please accept my condolences."

At these words, Ye Shi'an's face turned deathly pale. Gu Jiusi steadied him, preventing him from stumbling. Hearing the news, Ye Yun clenched her fists, her voice trembling as she asked, "And my cousin…"

"Gone as well."

Upon hearing this, the Ye family fell silent.

Gu Jiusi glanced at Ye Shi'an and Ye Yun, hesitating as he said, "The situation is urgent now…"

"I understand," Ye Shi'an said through gritted teeth, his fists clenched. He turned his head, staring fixedly at the Eastern Capital.

After a moment, he tore a strip from the hem of his robe and tied it around his forehead. Gu Jiusi said in a muffled voice, "Let's go."

Gu Jiusi remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.

Everyone watched him as the sky gradually brightened. With his hands tucked into his sleeves and his robes fluttering in the wind, he pondered for a moment before turning to Liu Yu Ru. "Might I trouble you, Madam, to go to Yangzhou for me?"

Liu Yu Ru was taken aback by his request. After a moment, she turned to face him, straightening her posture and folding her hands in front of her. Meeting his gaze calmly, she asked, "For what purpose, my husband?"

Seeing Liu Yu Ru respond so earnestly, Gu Jiusi unconsciously revealed a faint, subtle smile. Gazing at the woman bathed in the morning light, he stepped closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Find Madam Ji—"

"To pull the rug out from under them."