The slaughter continued from night until dawn.
Standing on high ground and looking out under the sunlight, the devastation was horrifying.
Prince Zhongshan’s troops, who had initially withdrawn and avoided battle, had resumed their assault—no one would abandon resistance when faced with a frenzied, blade-wielding enemy.
Outside the city walls, corpses piled up—soldiers and civilians alike.
Amidst the scattered bodies and severed limbs, the Capital Garrison charged toward the city. From the walls, arrows rained down, and civilians hurled logs and stones. Unlike the soldiers shielded by battlements and armor, the civilians were like lambs to the slaughter. Many were struck down by arrows from outside the moment they stood to throw stones.
Yet they had no choice but to stand—if they retreated, they would be shot by arrows from within the city.
Bodies continuously plummeted to the ground below.
"Your Majesty," an officer galloped over, "scouts report that Prince Zhongshan’s reinforcements have arrived again."
After speaking, the officer glanced at the child seated in front of Xie Yanfang. The Little Emperor held a sword but seemed oblivious to his surroundings, his eyes vacant and unresponsive.
"Dispatch troops to engage them," Xie Yanfang said. "We must take this city at any cost."
Xie Yanfang’s words were as good as the Emperor’s decree—an imperial command. The officer acknowledged the order and was about to signal the war drums to divide the forces when retreat horns sounded in the distance.
The ground rumbled with the approach of distant reinforcements, once again blowing the retreat call.
Simultaneously, retreat horns echoed from within the city walls.
The officer froze in surprise. Again? He couldn’t help but look at Xie Yanfang.
Xie Yanfang acted as if he hadn’t heard and simply commanded, "Advance."
This time, not only did he issue the order, but he also urged his horse forward, bringing the Emperor with him.
"Your Majesty, accompany me to lead the assault personally. Let Your Majesty capture Xiao Xun with your own hands."
The officer hurried to follow, but then another horn blast rang out—this time not for retreat, but for disarming.
Disarming.
This was not merely a withdrawal but a surrender.
Could it be? They were surrendering?
As the horns sounded, the clatter of weapons and armor being discarded by soldiers on the walls echoed clearly.
Now that they had surrendered, they could no longer beat the war drums and continue the slaughter.
The officer stood stunned, while Xie Yanfang, gazing at the enemy forces and city so close at hand, tightened his grip on the reins.
Amid the horn blasts, shouts rolled toward them like thunder.
"Your Majesty—Your Majesty—the Crown Prince of Zhongshan has acted arrogantly and brought disaster upon us—"
"Your Majesty—Prince Zhongshan admits his failure in disciplining his son. He removes his crown and royal robes, shedding tears of blood to beg for forgiveness. We implore Your Majesty to pardon him—"
……
……
Daylight broke, and the spring scenery in the capital was at its peak. The streets bustled with activity, yet the usual joy of spring was absent. Many among the crowds appeared disheveled, dragging their families along with worried expressions, and the number of beggars had noticeably increased.
"These are all refugees."
"The Crown Prince of Zhongshan has clashed with the Capital Garrison, reducing towns and villages to ashes. It’s truly tragic."
"Heavens, does that mean the fighting will reach the capital?"
This question unsettled those in the taverns and teahouses, but soon, new updates circulated.
"Don’t worry, His Majesty has personally taken charge. Prince Zhongshan’s forces have been repelled twice and are now holed up, refusing to emerge."
"But I’ve heard the situation isn’t favorable—that Prince Zhongshan is using retreat as a strategy, luring His Majesty step by step into a trap?"
"You’re underestimating Young Master Xie the Third. Would he easily fall for such a trick?"
"I’m not underestimating Lord Xie. It’s just that we don’t know how many troops Prince Zhongshan still has hidden—"
Amid the noisy arguments, soldiers galloped through the streets—Couriers. The crowds automatically made way, while those in the taverns and teahouses leaned out to watch, their hearts filled with tension, anxiety, and hope—was this good news?This time the courier left no room for speculation, raising the military dispatch high as he shouted, "The Empress has achieved a great victory—Prince Zhongshan has submitted a letter of surrender and relinquished his royal seal!"
The streets fell silent for a moment before erupting into chaos. Prince Zhongshan had surrendered! The fighting would cease!
Some clapped their hands, some laughed heartily, while others wept openly.
"His Majesty's might is unmatched!"
"Lord Xie's strategy proved brilliant indeed. Once His Majesty reached the front lines, they became unstoppable."
"Though His Majesty is young, his imperial majesty cannot be overlooked. The late Emperor may rest in peace now."
Amid the joyous confusion, some regained their composure and recalled the earlier words—
"Wait, did he say the Empress achieved the great victory?"
The Empress.
Previously, groups of women in the city had daily praised the Empress's bravery, until Chu Lan's family fled and their voices gradually faded.
But when taverns and tea houses condemned Chu Lan's crimes while implicating the Empress—this was inevitable, as Chu Lan was after all the Empress's uncle, how could the family be separated?—a few young women still rushed out to declare, "Just you wait, things are definitely not as they seem."
At the time, they had said, "The Empress leads troops from the Border Commandery to besiege Zhongshan Commandery, and will surely quell Prince Zhongshan's rebellion."
No one took it seriously, with some even mocking, "The Empress should focus on defending the Border Commandery before concerning herself with other matters."
Then when Lord Xie led the Emperor on the royal campaign, the Empress was mentioned even less.
Who would have thought—
Could the Empress have captured Zhongshan Commandery and forced Prince Zhongshan to surrender?
......
......
At the front lines, officials knelt one after another. They identified themselves as magistrates of Zhongshan Commandery, while the soldiers behind them removed their armor and knelt, raising the royal crown and robes high.
But Xie Yanfang remained silent, the Capital Garrison standing dense as a forest to block their approach.
These officials could only repeatedly plead guilty and request an audience with His Majesty.
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense. The kneeling officers exchanged grave looks, their hands resting on the ground subtly reaching toward their sides—
Earlier when they ceased fighting and retreated, the other side had continued pursuing and attacking. Now that they had disarmed and surrendered, if they were to be executed anyway, they would not truly resign themselves to capture.
Amid the tension, another officer galloped rapidly from the distance.
"Here is Prince Zhongshan's letter of surrender," he announced loudly, holding up a scroll. "The Empress has reviewed it and requests His Majesty's inspection."
The Empress! The commander was stunned, before a child's voice suddenly shouted beside him.
"Sister Chu!"
"It's Sister Chu!"
The commander turned to see the previously dazed Little Emperor suddenly come to life.
The Emperor even raised his hand to point at the officer, exclaiming loudly, "We recognize you! You are Captain Bai!"
There weren't many people around Sister Chu, but he had committed every one of them firmly to memory.
Xiao Yu threw down his long blade, grabbed the reins, and without consulting Xie Yanfang, urgently spurred his horse forward. The horse whinnied and charged ahead.
The officer no longer hesitated, loudly ordering the military formation to make way.
Xie Yanfang said nothing more, sheathing his long blade. Only Xiao Yu's voice echoed incessantly in his ears.
"Captain Bai, did Sister Chu defeat Prince Zhongshan?"
"Captain Bai, did Sister Chu send you?"
"Where is Sister Chu now?"
"Sister Chu—was she injured?"
"Is she alright?"
......
......
Xiao Xun walked out from the hall. He didn't want to show weakness, but his vision momentarily froze, as if he had been imprisoned in sunless darkness for a lifetime and suddenly beheld the outside world, unaccustomed to the sight.
He hadn't been imprisoned for a lifetime, nor was it sunless darkness. He had merely suffered a temporary defeat, not a permanent one!"Where is Chu Zhao?" Xiao Xun raised his eyes to ask.
The government office courtyard was filled with many people, just as he had sensed from inside the hall, though the atmosphere had completely changed.
The officers were no longer angry, the soldiers had lost their ferocity, and all wore expressions of bewilderment, as if they had been imprisoned for so long they had lost touch with current affairs.
At the mention of Chu Zhao's name, another group of people in the courtyard approached, led by a young woman.
"How dare you address the Empress by her personal name?" she snorted.
Xiao Xun looked at her. He had never met this girl before, yet she seemed familiar—likely because her face bore some resemblance to Chu Zhao's.
Someone came running over and threw themselves at the girl. "Sister Xiao Man!"
It was that wicked child Xiao Tu—the one who had killed his general and subdued Tie Ying.
The wicked child failed to leap onto the girl, as she lifted her foot and kicked him away. He landed nearby, giggling.
They were all Chu Zhao's people.
Xiao Xun asked coldly, "What has the Empress done to my father?"
Xiao Man replied lazily, "Don't worry, Heir Apparent. Prince Zhongshan is perfectly fine."
Just as he had been perfectly fine tied up in the flower hall—merely gagged with a rag and slapped by that wretched maid Chu Tang. Xiao Xun glared coldly at these people—aside from the riffraff, there were also some from Zhongshan Prince's Mansion and officials from Zhongshan Commandery.
Seeing his gaze upon them, they hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Heir Apparent. His Highness is completely safe."
Xiao Xun didn't question them further, turning to leave.
"Hey, Heir Apparent—" Xiao Man called out, "Where are you going?"
Xiao Xun looked at her. "Since the Empress has achieved her wish, I'm naturally returning home to see my father."
Xiao Man smiled at him. "That won't do. You can't return to Zhongshan Commandery. You're going to the capital."
The capital! Xiao Xun froze momentarily, then stepped backward—but it was too late.
"Tie him up!" Xiao Man ordered.
With these words, Xiao Tu who had been standing beside her, along with an old servant who leaped out from the flower hall, pounced on him almost instantly. Xiao Xun only saw a blur before he was pinned down, a rope coiling around him like a snake.
This rope was familiar too—it had been removed from him not long ago.
"You—" Xiao Xun shouted.
The officers and soldiers in the courtyard grew restless. They shouted and clamored but hesitated, none rushing forward to cut down these scoundrels.
"What are you doing?" Xiao Man shouted loudly, her expression displeased. "It's not me who wants to tie him up—this is your Prince's order."
The Prince's order?
Father?
Xiao Xun looked at Xiao Man, then at the officials and officers standing in the courtyard. No, he couldn't believe it!
Ning Kun stepped forward. He too had just been released and now held an unfolded letter in his hand, the bright red imperial seal visible even through the back.
"Heir Apparent," he said with a complicated expression, "The Prince has ordered you to go to the capital and await—disposition."
Send him to the capital? His father was sending him to the capital? Was his father... abandoning him?
Xiao Xun looked at Ning Kun, then at the officials and generals in the courtyard. He stopped struggling and straightened up.
"As it should be," he said. "I brought disaster upon my father. I should go and offer myself to His Majesty to receive my punishment."
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