Ashes to Crown

Chapter 169: Chapter 2: Entering the City

Du Qi thought he was seeing things.

But with his marksman’s eyes, he wouldn’t mistake a face, no matter how high and thick the city gate.

Especially not Xie Yanlai’s face.

Who could ever forget a face like that?

Atop the city gate, the young man with long, narrow eyes quirked a brow and called out, ”Third Brother.”

Xie Yanfang’s surprise faded, and he nodded at him.

”Xie Yanlai,” Du Qi shouted. ”Open the city gate! Now!”

Hearing this, the young man on the gate curled his lips into a slight smile. He folded his arms and leaned forward. ”Du Qi, are you... ordering me?”

Du Qi’s face darkened instantly. Whether or not he was actually ordering Xie Yanlai was beside the point; Xie Yanlai was deliberately provoking him.

Xie Yanlai was currently guarding the Emperor’s city gate. Only the Emperor could command him.

He was not only calling Du Qi treasonous and insolent, but also questioning Xie Yanfang.

’That bastard!’ Du Qi gripped the crossbow in his hands. ’Does he think I wouldn’t dare put an arrow through him?’

’So what if you’re guarding the city gate on the Emperor’s orders? You’re still a Xie Family’s son!’

Xie Yanfang clapped Du Qi on the shoulder. ”You know his temper. Picking a fight with him will only drive you mad.” He then looked up at the city gate, not mentioning entry, and simply asked, ”Yanlai, is the city secure?”

Xie Yanlai nodded with a grunt of affirmation. ”It’s secure now.”

Xie Yanfang said, ”That’s good to hear.” With that, he turned his horse around.

Although Du Qi was displeased, he followed his lord’s lead and turned as well.

Xie Yanlai’s voice called out from the top of the city wall, ”Hey, Third Brother—”

Xie Yanfang looked back from his horse.

”You can come in,” the young man on the gate said. ”The palace also wants to know what happened outside the city.”

After saying this, he gestured to the General beside him.

Du Qi watched as the General, without another word, turned and personally went down to open the city gate.

’This kid... how did he already become the one in charge?’

’One night outside the city, and the world was turned upside down. Looks like one night inside the city was just as eventful.’

...

...

The city gate slowly creaked open. Xie Yanfang dismounted and walked over with Du Qi. He gave the area a casual glance and noticed that the Imperial Guards here were all unfamiliar. It wasn’t their faces—he wouldn’t remember what every gate guard looked like anyway—but their aura that was strange.

These were not the original Imperial Guards assigned to the gate.

Xie Yanlai also came down from the city gate, the young man’s swagger as nonchalant as ever.

His clothes and face were clean, unlike Xie Yanfang and the others who were covered in blood. But the already sharp youth now seemed like a newly-forged blade, honed and gleaming.

Moreover, the General who had initially stopped them on the gate was now following behind Xie Yanlai, his expression respectful.

”How is His Majesty?” Xie Yanfang asked, hiding his scrutiny.

Xie Yanlai didn’t refuse to answer. Instead, he replied readily, ”His Majesty already knows that the Crown Prince has met with disaster and that the Third Prince has started a rebellion.”

Xie Yanfang looked ahead. In the dim morning light, the area inside the city gate was a complete mess. The cleanup had already begun, with soldiers and constables extinguishing fires and carrying away corpses.

”The Crown Princess Consort—” he started.

”Third Brother, you should enter the palace and see His Majesty,” Xie Yanlai interrupted. ”Tell him everything that happened.”

’Just like with opening the gate, he’s telling me to enter the palace with such casual ease.’

”However,” Xie Yanlai said, pointing at Xie Yanfang, ”you’ll have to leave your weapons. The Grand Tutor has given an order: aside from soldiers on duty, no one is to carry weapons while moving through the city.”

”Alright.” Xie Yanfang nodded without the slightest hesitation and handed his crossbow and sword to a nearby soldier.

Though Du Qi was reluctant, he didn’t say anything and handed over his weapons as well.

’Even without weapons, I can still protect my lord in a moment of crisis.’

Xie Yanlai added, ”I’ll go with you. The Imperial City Gate is a bit difficult to get through.” He then turned to the General and said, ”I’m heading to the Imperial City.”

The General nodded. ”Go on, Yanlai. I’ve got things covered here.”

’He’s already calling him by his first name, like they’re old friends.’ Du Qi glanced at the General. The burly officer was extremely sharp and immediately met his gaze, his eyes fierce and piercing.

Du Qi averted his gaze.

Xie Yanfang remounted his horse, and Xie Yanlai took the reins of a horse brought over by a soldier. The two brothers, one in front of the other, rode forward at a gallop, with Du Qi joining them.

The once-bustling streets they rode through were now in shambles. Many houses were still burning, the ground was spattered with blood, and corpses were continuously being collected. However, there were quite a few people on the streets. Besides the soldiers and constables clearing debris and extinguishing fires, many officials were also out on patrol.

Almost every street had an official leading a team.

Seeing the officials, more and more citizens began to emerge, running out from their homes and hiding places. They cried to the officials, clinging to them and refusing to leave.

The officials went about soothing them one by one.

So, although the streets looked horrifying, the atmosphere wasn’t as panicked as one might expect.

’The court is already in motion. The city really is secure now.’ Xie Yanfang withdrew his gaze and urged his horse forward.

As they neared the Imperial City, the number of soldiers increased until they stood as dense as a forest. This area had also been cleaned up; there were no corpses or burning chaos, only the occasional trace of blood on the ground.

When the soldiers saw the three riders approach, they signaled for them to state their identities. Xie Yanlai simply held up a Token and said, ”Xie Yanlai.”

The soldiers immediately made way, not even questioning the other two.

This was, of course, not because they recognized Xie Yanfang, but because they trusted Xie Yanlai.

Xie Yanfang glanced at Xie Yanlai again. This was probably the most he had ever looked at his younger brother since the day he had joined their family.

Xie Yanlai sensed his gaze and looked back.

Xie Yanfang smiled at him. He didn’t ask why, though he’d had many questions since seeing him at the city gate. He only said, ”Yanlai, you’ve been truly impressive this time.”

Xie Yanlai smiled back. He neither said more nor shied away. With a flick of his phoenix eyes, he stated simply, ”I was the one who defended the Imperial City last night.”

One sentence was enough to ask everything, and one sentence was enough to explain it all.

’Defended the Imperial City? Really?’ Du Qi frowned. ’The Imperial City isn’t something one person can defend.’

Xie Yanlai was brave and skilled, but among the Imperial Guards, his status—by the Xie family’s deliberate arrangement—was that of an ordinary man. It wasn’t his place to command a hundred men with a single call.

Even if many of the Imperial Guards were loyal to the Crown Prince, the first thing the Third Prince would have done when seizing the city was eliminate them.

’To be honest, I’m a little surprised that Xie Yanlai is even alive.’

’A son of the Xie family would have been one of the first to be eliminated.’

Xie Yanfang showed no trace of doubt. He said with admiration, ”Yanlai, you are truly capable. It’s just as you said yourself: you can do more important things.”

That was the reason he had given for refusing the marriage alliance with the Liang Family—that he was very capable and could do more important things for the family. Xie Yanlai just smiled, didn’t pursue the topic, and said, ”Let’s go.”

Relying on the Token and Xie Yanlai’s name, they entered the Imperial City without obstruction and went straight to the Inner Palace.

”The Third Young Master is here!”

Once inside the Inner Palace, Xie Yanfang finally felt a sense of familiarity, because many people recognized him and called out his name with excitement, even though he didn’t recognize any of them.

The eunuch who greeted them was on the verge of tears, but he didn’t lead him to see His Majesty.

”His Majesty is resting. The Imperial Physician has ordered that he not be disturbed.”

”Then we’ll wait until His Majesty awakens,” Xie Yanfang said quickly.

The news he had to report wasn’t good, and it would surely upset His Majesty.

’So, what now—’

Xie Yanlai said from the side, ”Third Brother, you should go see the Grand Tutor first. The matter concerning the Crown Prince is a major affair of the court. You should explain the details to him.”

’The Grand Tutor?’ This was the second time the title had been mentioned. Of course Xie Yanfang knew of the Grand Tutor, but the position was practically nonexistent. As long as the Yang Family was in power, the Grand Tutor was merely a subordinate.

’Now that the Crown Prince is gone and the Yang Family is gone, the Grand Tutor can issue commands?’

Xie Yanfang asked, ”Has Lord Liao arrived?”

Xie Yanlai looked at him, smiled, and said, ”Not Lord Liao. It’s Lord Deng.”

’Deng? The Grand Tutor has been replaced?’ But it wasn’t surprising. After such a chaotic event, His Majesty was bound to replace many people. Xie Yanfang nodded and said, ”Alright.” Then he asked, ”Which Lord Deng?”

He knew all the high-ranking ministers and important officials of the court, their personalities and tempers, so he would be able to handle himself accordingly when he met them.

Xie Yanlai smiled. ”Deng Yi. Lord Deng.”

’Deng Yi?’ Xie Yanfang looked slightly surprised. He had, of course, heard the name before, and not long ago at that. But this person was no high-ranking minister or important official.

’That Clerk who bribed his way to the top has actually become the Grand Tutor?’

A moment of silence fell before the hall, but it was shattered in the next instant by the sound of frantic footsteps from within.

”Your Little Highness, Your Little Highness, please don’t run!” The urgent shouts of eunuchs followed.

’His Little Highness!’

Xie Yanfang quickly looked forward.

Since entering the city, Xie Yanlai hadn’t mentioned His Little Highness, and he hadn’t brought him up either. A Palace Maid had said Eunuch Qi was taking the boy to the Chu Family. He had figured that either Eunuch Qi made it there safely, and wouldn’t dare emerge until the situation was completely stable—he would go there to find them later—or, Eunuch Qi didn’t make it to the Chu Family, which would require careful deliberation.

He never expected that His Little Highness was already back in the Imperial Palace.

He couldn’t help but take a step forward as he saw a child run out from the hall.

The child was wearing only his under-robes, his hair was disheveled, and he was clutching a bamboo tube tightly to his chest. His small face was pale, his eyes filled with terror, but he was still a beautiful, exquisitely carved child.

He looked more like a member of the Xie Family.

”Yu,” he called.

The child stopped in his tracks and looked at the man before him.

This was the first time he had seen the Imperial Grandson. To think it would be under such circumstances... life was truly just that unpredictable. Xie Yanfang said softly, ”Yu, I am... Xie Yanfang.”

Xiao Yu looked at him and suddenly said, ”Uncle.”

After calling out, he rushed forward.

Xie Yanfang quickly reached out, ready to lift him into his arms, but the child rushed past him and threw himself into another’s embrace.

Xie Yanfang turned his head.

”Uncle,” Xiao Yu cried, hugging the young man, not at all bothered by the chilling, sharp edges of his armor.

’Uncle...’ Xie Yanfang watched the scene unfold. ’This past night, the city really was turned upside down.’