Rong Yue glanced back at Xie Yin, who stood under the eaves. The flickering lantern light obscured his expression, but he had stood by his father’s side the entire time. Even when Xie Tianyu had shown murderous intent toward her, Xie Yin had done nothing to intervene, merely watching silently.
Then, turning to Gu Helian, who was dragging her forward in a disheveled state, she noticed the injured Gu family retainers, some seriously wounded.
She tried to pull away. “Gu Helian, leave me behind. Don’t worry about me anymore.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?!” Gu Helian tightened his grip on her arm. “I came back to the capital for you! If you die here, how am I supposed to explain this to Little Haitang and your sister-in-law?!”
Seeing her pale face and dazed expression, Gu Helian shouted angrily:
“Don’t you dare pull this on me! If you die here, Xie Tianyu will pin all the blame on me. Even if I had 800 mouths, I wouldn’t be able to clear my name!”
He hadn’t even held Rong Yue yet, hadn’t confessed his feelings, and now he was being falsely accused of fathering her child. He wasn’t about to accept this absurdity.
“Think about the Grand Tutor, think about the Rong family. They’ve spent years building their reputation. Are you planning to destroy it all? If you die here, the Rong family ancestors will be rolling in their graves, drowned in the spit of gossiping tongues. Do you want them to die with unresolved grievances?”
He cursed with venomous words, but his hands held her firmly, pulling her close as he shielded her with his body. Despite their desperate retreat, his mouth never stopped grumbling:
“You better live! Keep your eyes wide open and watch! If Xie Tianyu doesn’t kill me today, I’ll skin him alive when I get out of this!”
Rong Yue’s eyes brimmed with tears. “Gu Helian…”
“Master, look out!”
A sharp cry from Mufeng snapped Gu Helian into action. He shoved Rong Yue forward and shielded her with his own body. A searing pain shot through his back, forcing a muffled grunt from him as he staggered but remained upright.
“Gu Helian!”
“Shut up and keep moving!” He pushed her forward and hurried to follow.
“Aunt! Uncle!”
Song Tang Ning, tightly protected by Xiao Yan, could barely hear the sounds of chaos around her. Turning, she saw Gu Helian bleeding and her fingers turned white with panic. “Brother…”
“Don’t be afraid.”
Xiao Yan’s umbrella had become a weapon, deflecting crossbow bolts with ease. The once-luxurious umbrella was now reduced to bare spokes, yet Xiao Yan himself remained pristine, untouched by blood. His rain-soaked hair was still impeccably groomed, and rivulets of water ran down his face.
He glanced toward the outer courtyard.
“They should be here by now…”
Bang!
A thunderous explosion ripped through the night. The Cheng Prince, who had been watching the chaos with satisfaction, snapped his head up. Firelight tore through the rain-soaked darkness, arrows streaking into the courtyard.
Screams erupted from the Star Gazing Tower. The crossbowmen who had been raining bolts on Xiao Yan’s group began falling, crashing to the ground one by one.
Arrows ignited fires as they struck. The Cheng Prince and Xie Yin were pulled aside just in time to avoid being pinned by a flaming arrow that lodged itself into a nearby beam.
The gates of the Cheng Prince’s residence burst open, ironclad riders storming through. The clamor of armor and the flickering glow of torches illuminated the courtyard, the Dowager Consort’s residence, and the Star Gazing Tower.
“Father?!” Xie Yin’s voice trembled with panic.
The Cheng Prince’s face turned ashen. This scale of mobilization… where had the ironclad cavalry come from?
“Retreat!”
Realizing the situation had turned against him, the Cheng Prince grabbed Xie Yin and tried to flee. But before they could escape, a sharp metallic object whizzed past, embedding itself in the ground ahead of them.
“Where do you think you’re going, Prince?”
Xiao Yan hurled the remains of his umbrella, the pointed frame lodging itself into a handrail. As it struck, the open spokes whipped across the Cheng Prince and Xie Yin’s faces.
The Cheng Prince cried out in pain, and blood streamed from Xie Yin’s nose.
Before they could recover, the Shadow Guards who had been retreating suddenly turned back, cutting off their escape. Meanwhile, the sound of armor and footsteps grew louder, and soon soldiers poured into the courtyard.
The tide had turned. Xiao Yan, holding Song Tang Ning’s hand, stopped walking. Gu Helian, dragging Rong Yue along, also paused. They all looked toward the advancing soldiers.
“When did you prepare reinforcements?” Gu Helian asked quietly.
Xiao Yan gave him a glance and replied calmly, “When we arrived.”
Without complete confidence, he wouldn’t have brought Song Tang Ning along.
The approaching soldiers moved quickly. Spotting Xiao Yan, one of them called out, “Commander Xiao, are you all right?”
Xiao Yan nodded and turned to the man leading the soldiers. “Second Prince, you’re just in time.”
The Second Prince’s eyes briefly rested on Xiao Yan before shifting to Song Tang Ning, recognizing her as the young lady who frequently visited the Empress’s palace. His gaze lingered only a moment before moving on to the scene before him.
When his eyes landed on the Cheng Prince and Xie Yin, the Second Prince’s expression hardened.
The Cheng Prince was stunned to see the Second Prince and the soldiers who now filled his residence. His voice cracked as he yelled, “Xie Pingjia, you’re colluding with Xiao Yan?!”
“Uncle, don’t slander me,” the Second Prince replied calmly. “I happened to leave the palace late tonight and encountered Lord Wu of the Capital Prefecture, who seemed quite distressed. He told me there had been a murder at your residence, and I feared for your safety. So I borrowed troops from Marquis Wenxin’s city patrol to investigate.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the blood-soaked courtyard, the bodies littering the ground, and the crossbows scattered among them.
“Who would have thought…”
Marquis Wenxin, standing beside him in a raincoat, coldly surveyed the scene. “At the request of the Second Prince and Lord Wu, I came to apprehend criminals causing trouble in the prince’s residence. But what a spectacle I’ve stumbled upon.”
“The law is clear: no prince may raise private armies or store military-grade weapons. Prince, where did these men and forbidden arms come from?”
The Cheng Prince’s face turned ghostly pale. “You’ve all conspired with Xiao Yan to frame me!”
Xiao Yan turned back, his expression calm. “Your Highness, surely you jest. I merely suspected you of murdering your mother and framing the princess. That’s why I reported the incident to the Capital Prefecture. I never expected to uncover so much more.”
“You—!”
The Cheng Prince, once full of confidence, now stood trembling. Cold sweat drenched his back as he glanced at the Second Prince and the overwhelming number of soldiers surrounding him.
Xiao Yan’s calm voice cut through his despair. “As a royal prince, you’re protected by law, and I have no authority to kill you. But private armies and treason? Resisting arrest would make your death a justifiable consequence.”
“I have no qualms about spilling more blood.”
The Cheng Prince froze as if doused with ice water. His trembling gaze darted between the soldiers and Xiao Yan’s emotionless face. His knees buckled, and he nearly collapsed.
Xiao Yan gave a cold command. “Arrest the Cheng Prince and his son.”
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T/N: The next few chapters are going to be a bit gory
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You can read ahead to chapterr 234 (100+ extra chapters) here
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