The worst outcome Qin Zhiwei had imagined was that some flaw in her plan might leave both the young emperor and Xie Yun alive. Even then, after those two sworn enemies had fought each other, they would at least have to spend some time on the run. That would give her ample opportunity to announce the emperor’s death and establish Xie Yun’s treason as an indisputable fact.
Once the Black Armor Guard rose in rebellion, the whole realm would be all the more convinced of Xie Yun’s guilt. Even if he survived, he would never be able to return to Yanjing.
As for the young emperor, Chen Min, she felt that devising such an elaborate trap for him was already more than enough acknowledgment of his worth. Beyond that, he scarcely merited her concern. The threat he posed was nothing compared with Xie Yun.
Yet she had never imagined that the one to return safely would be the young emperor. Not only had he evaded her repeated attempts to hunt him down and kill him, he had even brought Qingyang’s prefectural troops to escort him, appearing before her with the bearing of a victor.
She sneered inwardly. A victor? That remained to be seen.
Looking up at Song Liang on horseback, she said without a change of expression, “The ancestors of the Chen dynasty have watched over you. Blessed with Heaven’s favor, Your Majesty has returned unharmed.”
Song Liang looked down at her, his voice level.
“Even the protection of the Chen ancestors is no match for the Grand Empress Dowager’s meticulous planning and tireless efforts to have me killed.”
Silence fell over the camp. Even the stench of blood rising from the ground seemed to thicken.
“What does Your Majesty mean by that?” the Grand Empress Dowager asked.
“I have no patience for arguing with you.” Song Liang raised his riding whip and pointed it at her. “You, your Hongzhu assassins, and that nephew of yours, the Marquis of Wuying—I will spare none of you.”
The Grand Empress Dowager fell silent for a moment. Seemingly aware that denial would serve no purpose now, she abandoned it and asked another question instead.
“It was plainly the Prince Regent who attacked Your Majesty. Why do you insist on targeting me alone?”
Then, as though something had just occurred to her, she smiled at Song Liang and the prefectural troops behind him.
“Speaking of which, where is the Prince Regent?”
The atmosphere in the camp froze once more.
From the moment Song Liang had appeared, everyone had instinctively assumed that this sudden upheaval was finally coming to an end. Whether the Grand Empress Dowager or the young emperor won today, at least the rest of them would be safe.
But her words, calculated to sow discord, sent their hearts sinking again.
“I would like to ask the same question. Where is our prince, Your Majesty?”
Cen Huan watched him from a distance. He wore his usual teasing smile, but it did not reach his eyes. The blood still smeared across his face made it look all the more sinister.
“Don’t tell me you don’t know. I saw you both fall.”
“Your prince is in the carriage,” Song Liang replied calmly. “Go and see for yourself if you don’t believe me.”
“…”
Cen Huan said nothing for a moment. He studied Song Liang from afar, then asked, “You wouldn’t be luring us over there to surround and kill us, would you, Your Majesty?”
His suspicions were well founded. For one thing, he had already experienced the young emperor’s methods firsthand.
For another, he had only a dozen or so Black Armor Guards with him. Had they charged straight into battle a moment ago, he would not have worried; he trusted both their fighting strength and their loyalty. But the young emperor’s sudden appearance had interrupted them, dissipating much of their momentum. If he now split off several men and sent them to the rear, they could easily fall into a trap and be surrounded and killed in separate groups.
Only a few of those present were court ministers. Most were young nobles. They could not help marveling that the fearsome warrior who had just been willing to pit a dozen riders against three thousand Golden Plume Guards should now be so wary of this supposedly powerless puppet emperor.
Song Liang seemed unsurprised by his suspicion. He simply took an object from inside his robe and had someone carry it over.
Cen Huan took one look and immediately ordered, “Withdraw!”
Without looking back, he led the Black Armor Guard at a gallop toward the rear, where Song Liang had indicated. His departure was so swift and decisive that not only the young nobles, but even the Grand Empress Dowager herself, stood stunned.
Song Liang had no desire to waste further words on her. Before the assembled crowd, he ordered his men to “escort” Lady Qin to her tent. Every maid and guard at her side was taken into custody as well.
As for the three thousand Golden Plume Guards, their commander remained silent, and so did they.
Song Liang dismounted and beckoned to Xuan Seven, who stood nearby. The youth in his guard’s uniform walked toward him in a daze, his face still a little pale.
He was about to speak when Song Liang pulled him into an embrace and patted his back.
“Well done! Once we’re back, I’m promoting you to deputy commander! Deputy Commander Song—how does that sound?”
Xuan Seven continued staring at him blankly. “…Who is Deputy Commander Song?”
“You, of course.” Song Liang released him and looked at him with evident satisfaction. “I’ve chosen a new name for you. Song Chuyang—the rising sun. A wonderful meaning, isn’t it? Or would you rather be Song Chusheng?”
Xuan Seven: “…”
“Song Chuyang,” he answered meekly.
3085: 【He didn’t even ask why his surname is Song.】
Song Liang: 【The prospect of being called Song Chusheng probably scared him out of it.】
3085: 【…】
So it had been deliberate after all.
Having reassured the boy, Song Liang ordered the bodies cleared away. Then he picked up a bow and arrows and headed toward the tents, his expression cold.
Everyone who saw him felt a jolt of alarm.
Was he going to… kill the Grand Empress Dowager?!
Meanwhile, Cen Huan had recognized the dagger Song Liang sent over the instant he saw it. It was the one their prince always carried. Though ordinary in appearance, it concealed secrets of its own. Anyone who truly killed their prince would hardly go out of their way to take such an unassuming weapon, much less send it to Cen Huan as a token—unless the prince himself had instructed them to do so.
Their prince had to be alive!
Buoyed by that certainty, he hurried down the mountain and soon found the carriage the young emperor had mentioned. Beside Xu Qingye on the driver’s seat was an unfamiliar young man of unremarkable appearance, speaking to someone inside. The curtain was raised, revealing their prince seated within.
Overcome with excitement, Cen Huan leaped from his horse and dropped to one knee.
“This subordinate pays his respects to Your Highness!”
Behind him, Ruan Chong and the Black Armor Guards knelt in unison, their voices thundering. Xu Qingye felt his blood stir at the sight. No wonder even the Northern Garrison Army praised the Black Armor Guard. They were truly an imposing force!
Rong Jing, still wearing his disguise mask, said nothing. He simply stepped aside, leaving the man in the carriage in full view.
“Rise,” Xie Yun said.
They stood. Still visibly excited, Cen Huan looked Xie Yun over from head to toe, only to notice something wrong. Their prince was not merely pale—something about his eyes was wrong as well.
His heart tightened. Realizing what had happened, he hurried to the carriage and took a medicine bottle from his waist, offering it to Xie Yun.
“Your Highness.”
With practiced movements, Xie Yun felt his way to pouring out the pills and swallowed them.
“Where is he?” he asked casually.
Somehow, Cen Huan knew at once who he meant.
“Probably teaching Lady Qin a lesson. Things were more or less settled when I left. She wouldn’t dare openly rebel before everyone. Those three thousand Golden Plume Guards only dared attack us; faced with the young emperor himself, they wouldn’t lift a hand. Given his temper, Lady Qin probably won’t live—”
His expression changed abruptly as realization struck.
“Oh, no.”
Xie Yun reacted even faster.
“Stop him.”
Cen Huan did not even have time to answer. In a few swift strides, he vaulted onto his horse, brought his whip down hard, and raced desperately back up the mountain, praying the young emperor had not yet struck.
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