Chapter 108
Xia Jingshi remained silent. Seeing his silence, Feng Suige's brows gradually knitted into a frown. "What, you're unwilling?"
"I'm weary of these struggles," Xia Jingshi finally spoke. "I only wish to live an ordinary life."
"Do you plan to have Xiyang follow you into the deep mountains and become a peasant woman in the wilderness?" Feng Suige couldn't help but feel irritated, raising his hand to point vaguely in the direction of the flower hall. "Have you considered whether that person would ever let you go?"
"Him?" Xia Jingshi smiled faintly. "As long as I’m no longer a threat to him, what reason would he have to pursue me? At worst, I can leave Brocade and go elsewhere."
"Naïve," Feng Suige snorted coldly. "If I were him, after all these upheavals—old grudges and fresh humiliations—I would tear you to pieces without hesitation..."
Xia Jingshi merely smiled slightly, offering no rebuttal. At that moment, a guard pushed open the door and entered. "Imperial Son, the Holy Emperor has awakened." Before Feng Suige could speak, Xia Jingshi stood up. "It’s not convenient for you to appear. I’ll go alone."
Feng Suige paused mid-step and chuckled softly. "Do you think keeping him from seeing me will allow you to stay out of this?"
As if deaf to his words, Xia Jingshi quickened his pace and walked out.
The Holy Emperor awoke groggily to find himself bound in an unfamiliar small hall. He immediately began struggling, and the burly men guarding him swiftly subdued him with ease. After the scuffle, the Holy Emperor’s robes were disheveled, his hair loosened from its knot, leaving him in a wretched state. When he saw Xia Jingshi enter, he stopped struggling and glared at him with venomous hatred.
Xia Jingshi stood at the door for a while before slowly taking a seat in a chair at the corner of the room. "We could have coexisted peacefully. Why did you insist on stirring up so much trouble?"
The Holy Emperor spat in his direction. "Spare me your hypocritical act. I’ve long seen through the schemes in your heart all these years. If not for underestimating Feng Suige, your head would already be rolling on the ground. How dare you stand here spouting such sanctimonious lies!"
"I’ve never had any intention of competing with you. This time, I was truly left with no choice," Xia Jingshi frowned. "Believe it or not, as long as no further complications arise, I’ll leave Brocade and set you free."
The Holy Emperor stared at him fixedly for a moment before letting out a derisive snort and turning his head away.
As Xia Jingshi stepped out, he nearly collided with Feng Suige, who was leaning against the doorframe.
Seeing him emerge, Feng Suige curled his lips slightly. "I’ve never understood why you’ve willingly remained subordinate all these years. If I were you, I would never make the mistake of releasing a tiger back into the mountains."
Xia Jingshi turned his head slightly to glance at the gradually closing door and said softly, "You’re not me. So, you’ll never understand."
Feng Suige met his gaze and chuckled lowly. "Perhaps you haven’t realized it yet, but this time—apart from taking his place—you have absolutely no other choice!"
"Emperor, be careful!!" A shrill scream tore through the brocade curtains. The Empress Dowager, who had been lying in bed, jolted awake from her nightmare. Panting, she pushed away the palace maids who rushed to her side. "The Emperor... where is the Emperor? I dreamed he was assassinated..."A leading maid stepped forward to shoo away the curious palace attendants, soothing softly, "Empress Dowager, please be at ease. It was merely a nightmare. His Majesty the Holy Emperor is blessed by the heavens, and the gods will surely protect him—shall this servant light some calming incense for you…?" "No," the Empress Dowager steadied herself and rose. "This old woman's heart still races with unease. What if something truly has happened? Send someone to check on the Emperor at once. Quickly, go now!"
The maid had no choice but to summon two eunuchs and order them to inquire at the Holy Emperor’s palace. Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager sat for only a short while before urgently urging the maid to wait at the front hall for news.
Before even the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the maid returned with one of the eunuchs in hurried steps. As soon as they entered the front hall, the eunuch knelt and reported, "Your Majesty, the Holy Emperor is not in his palace at the moment. The guards there said that after receiving a secret memorial, His Majesty summoned Xingling and seemed to have gone to the imperial prison—perhaps to conduct an overnight trial. We have already sent men to investigate and will report back shortly..."
"The imperial prison…? At this late hour, why would he be holding a trial?" The Empress Dowager rose restlessly, pacing a few steps before turning to command, "Continue waiting at the front. If there is no news within a quarter of an hour, send someone to press for answers." The eunuch bowed repeatedly and retreated.
Seeing the Empress Dowager staring blankly at the flickering lamp, the maid couldn’t help but step forward to advise, "Your Majesty, the night is cold. Please return to the inner chamber to rest. As soon as news arrives, this servant will inform you immediately—there will be no delay." But the Empress Dowager only shook her head, refusing to leave the front hall even a step.
"Report—!" Before long, a guard from the outer hall stumbled in frantically. "Y-Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!" The Empress Dowager jolted in shock, and the maid standing nearby rushed to steady her, turning to scold the guard, "Speak properly! Do not startle Her Majesty!"
"Y-yes, yes!" The guard knelt crookedly, knocking his head haphazardly before stammering, "J-just received word—the imperial prison’s gates have been locked from the inside! The guards on duty and all the night watchmen are trapped within. Without the key, the doors cannot be opened anytime soon..."
"Who cares about that?!" the Empress Dowager snapped sharply. "This old woman wants to know where the Emperor is!!"
"T-the Emperor, yes, the Emperor!" The guard blurted out in panic, "His Majesty has been abducted by the King Who Pacifies the South and Princess Xingping—they joined forces to seize him!!"
Gasps erupted from the maids and eunuchs in the hall.
The Empress Dowager stood frozen, her face deathly pale, before murmuring faintly, "Fetch this old woman’s command token at once. Seal all city gates immediately. Summon the Imperial Guard Barracks—they must enter the city to protect the Emperor..."
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