Ashes to Crown

Chapter 161: Chapter 115: Gazing From Afar

As fireworks exploded in the sky, Deng Yi was walking out of the Emperor’s bedchamber.

He had intended to remain in the bedchamber, but the Emperor sent him away.

”Though I am poisoned, I won’t be dying just yet,” the Emperor said, reclining with a grin on his bloodstained face. ”I will make sure to see my dear brother die before I do.”

He pointed at Deng Yi.

”Right now, I need you to do only this. Succeed, and you will be the best Grand Tutor I’ve ever had.”

Deng Yi gave a crisp bow and departed without another word.

As he emerged this time, the eunuchs were even more respectful and fearful. One of them, looking worried, approached in a tentative gesture of goodwill.

”Grand Tutor,” he said softly. ”Is this truly wise?”

’The Emperor is poisoned and won’t live long. The Crown Prince is dead. The Third Prince is doomed to be crippled, if not killed. The Heir of the King of Zhongshan will become the new Crown Prince, and his ascension to the throne is now a foregone conclusion.’

’That man will be the Emperor. Even if Deng Yi doesn’t want to curry favor with him, surely there’s no need to kill his father.’

’This creates a blood feud over a father’s murder—an irreconcilable hatred.’

’This is no longer a question of whether Deng Yi can remain the Grand Tutor. It’s a question of whether he’ll be allowed to live at all.’

Deng Yi walked at a leisurely pace. A eunuch carried a lantern and Imperial Guards held torches, illuminating his path as if it were day.

”My duty is to be the Grand Tutor of Great Xia,” he said. ”Not the Grand Tutor of Xiao Xun.”

He glanced at the eunuch.

”Besides, I am not the one creating this blood feud. He is doing it to himself.”

Emperor or father—the Heir of the King of Zhongshan made his own choice. What right does he have to blame anyone else?

Just then, fireworks exploded in the night sky.

Everyone looked up. The Imperial Guards and eunuchs were instantly on high alert; they knew this was no celebration. At a time like this, it had to be a secret signal from one faction or another.

Deng Yi said, ”It’s either the Third Prince’s men or the Crown Prince’s. Oh, that is to say, the Xie family now. And, of course, the King of Zhongshan’s forces.”

’What are they planning?’

’Are they going to storm the city?’

’Are they planning regicide?’

The eunuchs and Imperial Guards grew tense, but Deng Yi remained calm, even watching the fireworks with a flicker of interest.

’They’re actually quite beautiful.’

But no matter how beautiful the fireworks, if anyone dared to march on the Imperial City, he would make them suffer a very ugly fate in front of the entire world.

...

...

After Deng Yi left, the Emperor closed his eyes. Though the bedchamber was filled with Imperial Physicians, eunuchs, and Imperial Guards, it was as if there wasn’t a living soul in the room—deathly still.

Suddenly, the Emperor’s eyes snapped open. He stared blankly toward the window.

”Your Majesty?” The attendants standing by seemed to spring back to life, and the eunuchs and Imperial Physicians rushed forward.

The Emperor waved them away with a lift of his hand and pointed to the window. ”There’s a light outside.”

’A light?’

The eunuchs and Imperial Physicians looked, but the night outside had been bright for a long time. The entire Capital City was burning, though the clamor and the worst of the glow were blocked by the high walls of the deep palace.

The dead of night was nearly past, so it was indeed a little brighter than before.

’Is His Majesty hoping for dawn to come, for this whole wretched affair to be over soon?’

”Yes, Your Majesty, the sky will brighten soon,” they said quickly.

But the Emperor was not comforted. Instead, he struggled to his feet, so weak he nearly fell off the dragon bed. The eunuchs rushed to support him, urging him to lie back down, but he refused to listen. Growing angry, he insisted on going outside, so the eunuchs, not daring to disobey, helped him to the doorway.

The Emperor no longer had the strength to step over the threshold and could only stand with the eunuchs propping him up as he stared into the night sky.

The eunuchs and Imperial Physicians saw them too—fireworks in the distant night sky. The sparks were already fading, the embers twinkling like stars, leaving behind a faint, discernible shape.

’What is it?’

”A flame,” the Emperor said.

His voice was so weak that the eunuchs didn’t quite catch it.

”What is it you require, Your Majesty?” they asked hastily.

The Emperor looked at the sky and suddenly laughed. He raised his voice, crying out, ”A flame!”

’A flame?’ The eunuchs were confused. ’What does he mean? Does His Majesty want us to light torches? To make it brighter?’

...

...

”A flame!”

Xie Yanlai stood atop the city gate, looked up at the distant night sky, and sneered.

”I wonder which idiot came up with such a ridiculous display.”

”It’s nothing but murder, arson, and a bunch of villains working together.”

The Imperial Guards on the wall watched the fireworks fade. They saw nothing beautiful or ridiculous, only a terror that made their hearts pound.

”What’s this now?” ”Who is it?” ”The Third Prince must have gotten more troops, right?” ”Yanlai, they’re about to storm the gates!”

With a long blade strapped to his back and a crossbow in hand, Xie Yanlai’s face was a mask of mockery in the torchlight.

”Storm the gates. They should have stormed the gates long ago,” he said. ”That should have been the first thing they did. ’To catch the rebels, you must first capture their leader.’ Since they’re so determined to be traitors and animals, why bother killing brothers? Just take out the old man, and the job’s done.”

He let out a cold laugh.

”A pack of cowards.”

”All they can think to do is lay siege to keep people out. They don’t have the guts to charge in and cut down the Emperor.”

The Imperial Guards listened, utterly dumbfounded.

’What is Xie Yanlai saying? It’s terrifying!’

”Yanlai, forget about who’s a coward and who isn’t!” they shouted. ”If they attack, we’re the ones who are finished!”

The words had barely left their mouths when a clamor erupted from the arrow tower ahead, like a bucket of oil thrown onto a smoldering bonfire.

The sounds of battle—clashing weapons and agonized screams—rose in a deafening wave, rolling over them like a suffocating gale.

The surviving Imperial Guards poured out onto the wall, watching and listening to the fierce battle with a mixture of fear and uncertainty.

’Why doesn’t it sound like they’re massing for an assault? It sounds more like a chaotic melee... a fight among themselves?’

One Imperial Guard said, ”Could it be the Crown Prince’s men, fighting their way through?”

At these words, everyone turned to Xie Yanlai, their expressions suddenly eager.

”Yanlai—”

’Can we go out and fight now? We can coordinate with them from the inside and wipe out the Third Prince’s men—’

Xie Yanlai remained standing on the crenellations, his expression frigid. ”I don’t care who it is. Anyone who leads armed troops to storm the Imperial City at night without a decree is a traitor to the throne and will be cut down.”

One of the guards froze.

”Yanlai,” he reminded him in a low voice, ”that could be your family.”

’The Crown Prince’s largest and most reliable force is the Xie family.’

’Has Xie Yanlai forgotten his own name?’

Xie Yanlai laughed. ”And so what? We are His Majesty’s Imperial Guard. Unless the Emperor himself is at the head of that army, they are traitors—”

His voice rose, drawn out and carried away on the howling wind.

The Imperial Guards stared up at the young man on the crenellations, at his smile that revealed stark white teeth. In that instant, he looked just like a—wolf.

’What did Xie Yanlai mean? Did he mean that he wouldn’t just fire on the Xie family’s troops, but that he would shoot his crossbow even if Xie Yanfang himself were leading them?’

’That he would kill his own brother.’

’Xie Yanlai has gone mad!’

No matter who it was, he would kill anyone who approached tonight. He would kill them all.

The young man’s phoenix eyes glittered with a manic light. He could smell blood in the air—some of it his own, some of it from others.

’Just die!’

’Everyone, just die together!’

At last, a breach appeared in the storm of battle ahead. The gates of the arrow tower swung open, and riders galloped toward them, drawing closer and closer.

The thundering of hooves beat like a drum against the hearts of the Imperial Guards at the gate.

”Face the enemy—” Xie Yanlai roared.

As if transformed into wooden puppets, the unsettled Imperial Guards snapped back to their positions, aiming their crossbows at the foot of the gate.

”Halt, or be slain without mercy!” Xie Yanlai shouted from his perch on the crenellations, his voice carrying far.

...

...

Galloping hard, Chu Zhao pulled her cloak tighter, securing the child in front of her.

”Your Highness,” she said. ”Hold on tight to me. Don’t be afraid.”

Although the Dragon Power Army was protecting them, charging the gate was still incredibly dangerous. She needed both hands free to ride, hold her shield, and wield her blade.

The young prince could only rely on his own strength to cling to Chu Zhao and avoid being thrown from the horse.

Hearing Chu Zhao’s words, the child took the initiative, using the cloak to bind himself to her. She was actually quite small and slender herself, and he managed to wrap the fabric around them several times—

’Even death would not separate them now.’

He pressed against her, tilting his head back to look at her face. In the flickering firelight, he saw her small chin, and on it, a streak of red. He couldn’t tell if it was a splash of someone else’s blood or a cut leaking her own.

He fought the urge to reach up and wipe it away. But just as he started to lift his hand, the girl, still at a gallop, pulled back on the reins. She raised her head, and her chin vanished from his line of sight.

Chu Zhao looked up toward the city gate ahead. A lone figure stood on the crenellations. It was too dark to make out his face, but that voice from moments ago—

”Ah Jiu—” she couldn’t stop herself from crying out.

...

...

The murderous glint in Xie Yanlai’s eyes froze. ’Damn it all to hell,’ he thought.