Chapter 274: Triumphant Return
The Mid-Autumn Festival had passed, its lingering warmth still palpable.
Outside Chengtian Gate, banners fluttered, and armor gleamed.
Before dawn had fully broken, the sides of the imperial street were already packed, teeming with crowds gathered to witness the ceremony.
Prime seats in teahouses and taverns facing the street were priceless, their windows opened to reveal figures in fine silks and magnificent robes. Peddlers weaved through the throng, their calls drowned out by the din. The aroma of sesame cakes and almond tea mingled with the scent of sweat and cosmetics, rising into the air. Pinwheels on the hawkers’ poles spun with a whirring sound, while clay figurines, sugar paintings, and newly made rabbit lanterns delighted the children, who shrieked and jumped before being firmly pulled back by their parents.
“Hurry, old man, or we won’t get a good spot.”
“What’s the rush? You’re stepping on my new embroidered shoes…”
“Oh, madam, I’m so sorry! Truly, I am.”
“It’s alright, it’s alright. Today is a grand day for the Crown Prince’s return to the capital. I’ve lived most of my life and never seen such a spectacle…”
“They say His Highness is like a god descended to earth in Chishui City, single-handedly taking down Ashina’s wolf banner with his spear…”
“Isn’t that the truth?” someone immediately chimed in, spitting as they spoke. “My cousin’s brother-in-law’s nephew is in the Western Frontier Camp. He wrote in a letter that when His Highness launched his night raid on Chishui City, it was like divine soldiers descended from the heavens… The Ashina wolves were so scared they wet their pants…”
The street market was a scene of lively clamor.
The guards on duty listened with smiles on their faces, their posture straightening a little more.
After all, they were part of a victorious army, and a sense of glory shone on their faces.
“They’re here, they’re here! Look! The palace gates are opening!”
“It’s Prince Duan leading the imperial clan and civil and military officials to welcome them…”
The heavy vermilion gates rumbled open in the morning light, revealing the solemn imperial procession.
Golden axes, halberds, and banners unfurled, and the ceremonial canopy flowed with dazzling golden light under the rising sun.
The Feathered Forest Guards’ armor shone brightly, their horses’ hooves striking the blue stone slabs, washed clean with water, with a uniform clatter that drowned out the roaring crowd.
Led by Prince Duan, Li Huan, the imperial clan, nobles, and civil and military officials, all in court attire, proceeded down the long street according to their rank, waiting outside the majestic city gates to welcome the victorious army.
Li Huan stood at the very front.
Dressed in casual clothes befitting a prince, with a purple robe and jade belt, he exuded an air of grace, his face adorned with an impeccable smile.
Duke of Zheng, Guo Pi, was among the officials. He tried to stand tall and maintain his dignity, but the weariness in his eyes was hard to conceal.
His son was imprisoned, and his grandson was a disgrace.
The Guo family was already in turmoil.
He could only hope that the great joy of the Crown Prince’s triumphant return would somehow alleviate the criticism against the Guo family, even if only to grant him a temporary respite.
Guo Zhaohuai stood behind the officials, his fingers repeatedly rubbing his jade thumb ring.
Amidst the crowd’s murmurs, he subconsciously glanced towards the east.
—
On the east side of the Imperial Street stood an inconspicuous teahouse.
The bamboo curtain on the second floor, facing the street, was half-rolled.
Behind the curtain, Xue Sui, dressed in an ordinary fine cloth shirt and skirt, wore a light gauze veiled hat that concealed most of her face, revealing only her elegantly sculpted jawline and a hint of pale lips.
She stood quietly by the railing.
The magnificent scene below, with its sea of people, seemed to pass unnoticed.
Jinshu and Xiao Zhao stood behind her, holding their breath.
Ru Yi, however, nervously clutched the hem of her clothes, peering down.
“Young Lady,” Jinshu’s voice was so low it was almost swallowed by the din from outside the window.
“Everything is arranged. Once the Crown Prince’s procession reaches the Jishan Archway, Seventh Young Master’s men will ‘deliver’ a grand gift.”
Xue Sui nodded slightly.
The thin veil of her hat swayed gently with the movement, her gaze piercing through the gauze and the crowd…
“Young Lady,” Xiao Zhao’s voice held a trace of nervousness, “The Crown Prince is here. Look…”
Xue Sui slowly raised her hand, her fingers brushing over the prayer beads on her wrist.
“Long live the Crown Prince! We welcome His Highness!”
“We welcome His Highness!”
Someone below shouted, and countless eyes snapped towards the direction of the palace gates.
On the horizon, dust clouds gradually approached.
The first things to catch the eye were the fluttering dragon flags and the “Li” commander’s flag.
Following closely was a torrent of advancing black-armored cavalry.
The sound of hooves grew from distant to near, like thunder shaking the earth.
The man at the forefront, mounted on the magnificent Wuzhui horse, clad in black armor and a dark cloak, was none other than Crown Prince Li Zhao!
He wore no helmet, his deep-set brow and gaunt face appearing even more stern and etched than before his departure. Sunlight fell upon his face, clearly outlining the taut line of his jaw and his tightly pressed thin lips, as if chiseled by a blade, exuding a chilling aura of battle and an invisible pressure.
This was the Crown Prince of Liang, who had returned from a sea of corpses.
His former cold aloofness had been tempered into hardness and composure.
He reined in his horse, slowly advancing, his eyes sweeping over the cheering crowds and the welcoming officials, his gaze unwavering.
Waves of cheers surged like a tidal wave.
“Long live the Crown Prince!”
“Heaven bless Daliang!”
The roar reached its peak, deafening.
Xue Sui’s gaze pierced through the veil, falling upon the approaching black armor.
Across the surging heads and waving arms, unexpectedly, her eyes met the stern figure on horseback…
In that instant, time seemed to stretch and freeze.
Li Zhao paused ever so slightly.
His cloak billowed behind him, caught by the morning breeze.
His gaze, looking across the tumultuous crowd, held a deep, unreadable glint.
It was too heavy, too sharp; though he couldn’t see her, it felt as if he could pierce through the thin veil on her face…
Xue Sui’s hand within her sleeve clenched tightly.
“Snap…”
The sandalwood prayer beads on her wrist snapped without warning.
The smooth beads scattered, rolling onto the teahouse floor.
Almost simultaneously, the Wuzhui horse beneath Li Zhao seemed startled by something, whinnying uneasily and raising its front hooves slightly.
He immediately pulled back on the reins, but his gaze did not waver.
“Long live Your Highness!”
“Long, long live the Crown Prince!”
Li Huan led the officials forward to greet him according to protocol.
“Your subject, on His Majesty’s decree, respectfully welcomes the Crown Prince’s triumphant return. Your Highness’s campaign in the west has defeated the barbarians and enhanced our nation’s prestige, a service to the state and a blessing to the people. This is the good fortune of Daliang and the happiness of its citizens…”
Li Zhao raised his right arm slightly, his voice cold: “Thank you, Imperial Brother.”
He then swept his gaze over the imperial clan and civil and military officials, nodding in acknowledgment.
“All officials may rise. I was ordered to quell the rebellion and, thankfully, did not fail. This is all thanks to the former Emperor’s protection, His Majesty’s wisdom, the soldiers’ loyalty, and the unity of the court and country.”
The civil and military officials stood solemnly, bowing in unison, shouting “Long live!”
“We respectfully invite the Crown Prince to enter the city—”
The female members of the imperial clan and nobility were on the west side of the viewing platform.
Xue Yuechen held a silk handkerchief, watching Li Huan and Li Zhao engage in polite pretense. She curled her lips, clearly distracted.
Beside her, her wet nurse held A Ning, a baby a few months old.
The little girl clutched the wet nurse’s clothes, wearing a soft cap adorned with pearls. She was as delicate as a carved jade, but for some reason, her lower lip quivered, and she began to cry loudly.
“There, there, good girl, don’t cry, don’t cry…” the wet nurse soothed her, flustered.
Xue Yuechen cast a cold glance at the wet nurse, her exquisitely made-up face unable to hide her fatigue and irritation.
“Perhaps the crowd startled her. Take her further away!”
Her words carried an undeniable distance.
The child seemed to sense her mother’s impatience and the oppressive atmosphere around them, her cries suddenly escalating, becoming so sharp they almost pierced the eardrums!
The infant’s piercing wail was like a sudden signal.
At this moment of universal celebration and public attention—
Disaster struck!
From the chaotic crowd, several masked figures in black suddenly darted out like vipers.
Their targets were extremely precise; the poisoned crossbow bolts they held were not aimed at the much-watched Crown Prince Li Zhao, but directly at the gray figure in the teahouse’s private room window—Xue Sui!
“Bewitching woman who corrupts the nation… Avenge Consort Xiao and Princess Ping Le.”
A hoarse voice rang out amidst the chaos.
“Brothers, follow me, kill this woman who brings disaster to the nation and its people.”
“Attack!”
Simultaneously, hidden weapons tore through the air, shooting towards Xue Sui with a deadly hiss.
“Young Lady, be careful!” Xiao Zhao cried out sharply. The cold glint in her hand flashed, deflecting three incoming projectiles. They whizzed and embedded themselves in the window frame, their fletching still trembling.
Jinshu also quickly threw the teacup in her hand, spinning to shield Xue Sui.
A thin arrow silently grazed Xue Sui’s arm, drawing a bloody streak.
Jinshu was both shocked and furious.
“Ping Le’s remnants would dare to make a move at this time?”
Xiao Zhao’s pupils widened.
“How did she know we were here?”
Xue Sui clutched her wound, her face pale, but her voice was terrifyingly calm.
“It may not be her.”
Amidst the surging crowd, a haggard woman dressed as a servant from the Princess’s Mansion, her eyes bloodshot, rushed into the teahouse like a madwoman. She held a gleaming dagger, her voice filled with a destructive frenzy.
“Xue Liu! You wretched woman, you caused my entire family to die unjustly in prison. Today, I will die with you…”
“Stop her! Protect the people!” roared the Imperial Guard Commander.
But the woman, like a cornered beast, unleashed astonishing strength.
In the extreme chaos, she managed to break through the outer cordon…
“Young Lady!” Xiao Zhao moved to intervene.
Xue Sui raised her hand, stopping her.
She let out a cold laugh, her eyes chilling to the bone.
Ten years of blood feud were condensed in her gaze.
Just as the woman shrieked and lunged forward, dagger raised high.
Xue Sui moved…
Her right hand emerged from her wide sleeve, holding a green jade hairpin.
“Whoosh—”
The silver hairpin cut through the air! Swift as lightning…
It precisely entered an acupoint on the woman’s neck.
The woman stiffened abruptly, and the dagger she had raised fell to the ground with a clang.
The madness on her face froze instantly, replaced by extreme terror and disbelief.
Xue Sui calmly withdrew her hand. “This is an old acquaintance, Ping Le’s attendant. She’s been by her mistress’s side since childhood. I wonder why, at her age, she’s still so foolish and being used.”
The woman tried to roar, to curse, but only a wheezing sound came from her throat; not a single word could be uttered.
Several Imperial Guards rushed forward and apprehended her.
“Assassin! Protect His Highness!”
The Imperial Street descended into immediate chaos.
The Imperial Guards, as if facing a great enemy, drew their swords and formed a protective formation.
The common people screamed in terror, pushing and trampling each other.
Amidst the confusion, no one noticed a disheveled man, looking like a beggar, being swept along by the panicked crowd, heading directly towards the Feathered Forest Guards in front of the Crown Prince’s procession.
“Ah—”
“Stop him! Madman! Don’t bump into His Highness!”
The man stumbled and fell to the ground, letting out a hoarse, distorted cry.
“Injustice! Crown Prince! This humble subject is a courier from the supply camp transporting grain to the Western Frontier. I was fortunate to survive and have a great injustice to report.”
“The Duke of Zheng’s household is a den of jackals, drinking the soldiers’ blood and eating the people’s flesh. They disregard human life! They deserve death—”
His roaring voice was like a mournful cry.
Before his voice faded, on the tall stone archway of the “Jishan Archway” in the middle of the Imperial Street, three red silk banners suddenly fell, unfurling in the wind like bloody waterfalls before everyone’s eyes.
Large characters were written on the silk in thick ink, arranged in rows.
“Guo Mingyuan, Minister of Agriculture, embezzled military grain and resold military supplies, causing soldiers in the Western Frontier to freeze and starve to death…”
“Guo Zhaohuai, Assistant Director of the Ministry of War, privately withheld military pay and lined his own pockets…”
“The Duke of Zheng’s household, a generation of parasites, sucking the people’s blood and gnawing on the soldiers’ bones…”
Every word was like a red-hot branding iron, searing the eyes of the onlookers.
The crowd suddenly erupted with an even louder, more surging wave of sound.
“Heavens! My nephew froze to death.”
An old woman with white hair suddenly rushed out of the crowd, falling at the base of the archway, kowtowing and weeping towards the red silk.
“My grandson was only seventeen! He wrote that he was so hungry he was eating tree bark… It turns out these corrupt officials stole the life-saving grain…”
“My son contracted a plague at Chishui Pass, coughing blood until he died…”
“You corrupt officials, give me back my son’s life!”
More people surged forward, most of them wearing patched clothes, their faces etched with hardship.
Some carried spirit tablets wrapped in rags, others held up the names and military ranks of their sons and grandsons, kneeling in unison in the center of the Imperial Street, kowtowing towards Li Zhao, their foreheads striking the stone slabs with dull thuds.
“Crown Prince! Avenge my son.”
“Kill these jackals who drink the soldiers’ blood! Avenge the fallen warriors.”
