"Bandits in the capital."
"Bandits along the roads outside the capital."
"Bandits in Yunzhong County."
When he reached this point, Xie Yanfang looked at Chu Zhao.
"The bandits General Chu failed to eradicate completely."
Upon hearing him mention bandit suppression, Xiao Man's face turned ashen. After listening to this series of statements, especially the last one, she could no longer restrain herself: "Have you gone mad?"
Her first instinct was to cut down the man before her with a single stroke of her blade.
But though this man had entered alone without any weapons, he was far from weak and vulnerable.
Her more pressing duty was to protect the person behind her.
The person behind her laughed.
"Earlier, when you wanted to kill Zhong Changrong, you gave so many reasons," Chu Zhao said with a smile. "Now that you intend to kill my mother, what explanation do you plan to offer?"
Xie Yanfang replied, "I'll say—I am furious."
He took another step forward, ignoring Xiao Man who stood guard with her blade drawn, his gaze fixed solely on Chu Zhao.
"You've done so much, come so far, yet it turns out your goal wasn't to become Empress, but to leave."
Chu Zhao said, "I've done so much, reached this point of prestige and dominance in the court. If I leave now, it should be good news for all of you—one less formidable rival. You ought to be pleased."
Xie Yanfang said, "This is the tragedy of the world—"
"This is not the tragedy of the world," Chu Zhao interrupted him, meeting his eyes. "This is merely the world not conforming to your wishes."
Is that so? A faint melancholy flickered in Xie Yanfang's eyes, but he truly was furious, deeply sorrowful.
Not everything in this world went as he wished—like the previous deaths of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.
He had been furious then too.
But there had been no sorrow.
Xie Yanfang raised a hand to touch his chest. Fury and sorrow were different sensations, though he seldom experienced sorrow.
"Neither of us can convince the other now," he said, lowering his gaze. "We'll speak of this later."
Later—after those entanglements were removed.
Having said this, he turned to leave.
At that moment, Xiao Man could no longer restrain herself and struck.
Her dagger flashed with a blue gleam, thrusting toward Xie Yanfang's back.
"Don't move—" Chu Zhao shouted.
But it was too late. She could neither stop Xiao Man from attacking nor prevent Xie Yanfang from turning and flicking his sleeve.
The dagger flashed blue once more and flew out of Xiao Man's hand. Xiao Man herself was thrown toward the entrance, tumbling out through the tent flap. Close behind her was Chu Zhao, who lunged forward and caught Xiao Man.
"Don't move," she shouted again, pinning Xiao Man firmly to the ground.
Though she lacked Xiao Man's martial skills, Chu Zhao was strong enough to keep her restrained for the moment. Furious, Xiao Man cursed, "I'm going to kill him!"
Chu Zhao sighed helplessly, "You can't kill him."
She had never seen Xie Yanfang engage in combat—he appeared to be nothing more than an elegant nobleman. But knowing that her mother was a bandit leader, aware that Xiao Man had been sent by her mother to protect her, and yet daring to come alone while openly declaring his intentions—it was clear he held Xiao Man in no regard.
By restraining Xiao Man now, she was also shielding her from Xie Yanfang behind them.
She glanced back. Xie Yanfang still stood inside the tent, watching through the now-open entrance.
"Since that's the case," he said, "let us begin eliminating the bandits from Miss Azhao's side."
Arrows descended like rain.
For a moment, Chu Zhao froze, but she still pressed the struggling Xiao Man firmly beneath her. She was fated to die—Xiao Man, alas, might not survive even if she died, but even a moment's delay was better than nothing.The rain of arrows soared past her, hurtling toward the tents behind. The sounds of tearing canvas and muffled thuds erupted chaotically.
Xie Yanfang had vanished, having torn through the tents to block the arrows.
"Empress—" a shout came from ahead, "Run—"
Chu Zhao looked forward and saw dozens of Garrison Guard imperial guards rushing over, led by Ding Dachui.
"Ding Dachui, where have you been hiding!" Xiao Man yelled, struggling to her feet and pulling Chu Zhao as they ran toward him. "Kill Xie Yanfang now—"
With a buzzing hum, arrows flew wildly again, but this time they weren’t aimed at Xie Yanfang’s position—they targeted Ding Dachui and his men instead.
Garrison Guard imperial guards fell in droves.
"Empress, be careful." Ding Dachui and over a dozen others raised their shields, forming a protective barrier around them.
"The hunting grounds' guards have been replaced," Ding Dachui urgently reported. "They're still fighting for control of the perimeter. I managed to sound the alarm in time, and the fighting has broken out outside as well."
Xie Man snapped, "Enough talk! Break through now!"
Ding Dachui acknowledged, "The east is still under our control—" The gathered guards shifted formation, shielding Chu Zhao as they rushed eastward.
Pulled along by Xiao Man, Chu Zhao glimpsed through the shield gaps the swarming figures surrounding them. They wore no armor or military uniforms, yet were fully equipped with bows, crossbows, blades, and spears. Their disciplined advance and retreat carried an imposing aura unlike ordinary soldiers.
They were everywhere—dense clusters covered the ground, filled the woods, and crowded the hillsides.
This was her first glimpse of Xie Yanfang’s private military force.
Chu Zhao glanced back and saw the arrow-riddled tent flap thrown open. Xie Yanfang, surrounded by black-clad figures, took a bow from one of them and looked directly at her—
Without the slightest hesitation, the moment their eyes met, he drew and released—
Chu Zhao seemed to hear the bowstring twang by her ear as the arrow shot forth like a meteor, piercing through an almost invisible gap in the shields, tearing through one guard’s shoulder, and streaking straight for her throat—
A powerful force yanked and spun her forward.
Warmth splashed across Chu Zhao’s face—blood.
She saw an arrow quivering where it had pierced Xiao Man’s shoulder.
Xiao Man staggered toward her.
Chu Zhao caught her in her arms.
"Miss Xiao Man—" Ding Dachui cried out.
"Don’t mind me!" Xiao Man’s face was deathly pale, but her voice roared louder than Ding Dachui’s. "Get her out of here—"
Ding Dachui reached to pull Chu Zhao behind him, but Chu Zhao pushed Xiao Man into his arms instead.
"Go," Chu Zhao said. "Get the message out."
Then she squeezed past the guards and charged straight toward Xie Yanfang.
"Chu Zhao!" Xiao Man shouted, before collapsing weakly, unconscious.
Ding Dachui caught her, watching as Chu Zhao closed the distance to Xie Yanfang in the blink of an eye.
"I know you don’t mean to kill me," Chu Zhao shouted. "Let them go—"
Did she truly know? Xie Yanfang gripped his bow, silent. He didn’t loose another arrow. The brilliant morning light dazzled harshly, blurring his features.
Ding Dachui watched Chu Zhao shielding them from behind, feeling Xiao Man’s hand clutch his lapel tightly.
"Deliver... the message," Xiao Man murmured, already unconscious, her fingers still clinging desperately. "Aunt... Aunt—"
She remembered Chu Zhao’s words: getting the message out was what mattered. If even that chance was lost, no amount of reinforcements would help.
Get the message out. As long as the message got through, there was still hope.
Ding Dachui thought, truth be told, compared to Chu Zhao, his true leader was Mu Mianhong. With the leader absent, he would follow Xiao Man’s orders.
Scooping Xiao Man into his arms, Ding Dachui bellowed, "Charge—"Dozens of imperial guards seized the moment the arrow rain ceased to charge forward.
But no arrows came from behind, while troops from other directions continued to surge closer, step by step tightening their encirclement as feathered arrows once again filled the air.
Ding Dachui’s steps never faltered, his eyes bloodshot as he stared ahead. If they could just reach the dense forest up ahead, they could evade the arrows.
He had surveyed this area for half a month and knew it well. That dense forest had a steep slope—once they plunged down it, they’d have a chance to escape the pursuit.
Their shields rattled like rain drumming incessantly.
Men kept falling.
Ding Dachui gazed at the forest ahead, so close it seemed within reach, yet feeling agonizingly distant.
"Lay down your weapons—" a young voice screamed hoarsely. "We command you to lay down your weapons—"
The sounds of galloping horses and crossbows seemed to halt abruptly.
Ding Dachui saw a young boy dart out diagonally from ahead. Unlike when he’d last seen him, the Little Emperor was now covered in mud, looking utterly disheveled.
A thought flashed through Ding Dachui’s mind: Wasn’t the wild boar hunt supposed to be a ruse? Why does he look like he’s been trampled by one?
The thought vanished as quickly as it came, his feet carrying him past the Little Emperor without pause.
Taking advantage of the momentary ceasefire triggered by the Little Emperor’s appearance, he finally reached the dense forest.
A clear voice rang out behind him.
"Take His Majesty away."
Then came the renewed thunder of hooves as troops charged forward, accompanied by the Little Emperor’s screams.
"Don’t hurt Sister—all of you retreat—let me go—"
Chu Zhao glanced back and saw Xiao Yu being grabbed and hauled onto a horse by someone.
Noticing her gaze, Xiao Yu stretched out his hands and shouted.
"Sister, I was wrong! Sister, I was wrong! Xie Yanfang, stop this—"
But the next moment, a hand clamped over his mouth, silencing him. He still saw Sister Chu’s eyes, saw her lips move as if saying something.
That glance held a strangeness he’d never seen before.
He seemed to hear her words clearly too.
Sister said: From now on, your life and mine are no longer connected.
Tears welled in Xiao Yu’s eyes, falling in heavy drops.
He remembered vividly—that night when he hovered between life and death, even standing before the familiar Imperial City left him disoriented and scattered. Then Sister Chu took his hand, pulling him back, saying: Your life and mine are bound together. If you die, I die.
Now Sister had abandoned him.
Tears blurred his vision.
The whistling of arrows resumed around them.
Ding Dachui plunged into the dense forest, the woods cutting off what lay behind.
......
......
Sharp bird cries echoed through the woods, startling countless birds into flight.
The sounds of bows and arrows rose again in the dense forest, mingled with the frantic barking of hounds.
The birds seemed to have all been frightened away, leaving the woods in silence.
This quiet was soon broken by chaotic footsteps as a group of armed men stopped, observing the rolling stones at their feet, the obvious landslide traces, and residual bloodstains.
"They escaped through here."
Following the tumbling rocks, they quickly reached the valley floor—but found only signs of people tumbling down, no actual persons.
Footsteps and hound barks again scattered chaotically.
"After them—"
......
......
While the mountains near the capital grew restless, distant forests far beyond the city also descended into turmoil.
A great fire leaped into the night sky, its ferocity palpable even across several ridges.
The ground trembled as if under cavalry charge, interspersed with clashing weapons and battle cries.
"Is this... a bandit suppression?" Mu Mianhong murmured softly, surprise in her eyes. "So quickly."Xie Yanlai gazed into the night ahead, his eyes showing no trace of surprise, only deep concern.
Yes, it happened so quickly.
Chu Zhao was already in trouble.
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