In the grand hall, the silence was so profound that one could hear a pin drop.
Tang Shi, the Grand Chancellor of the Central Secretariat, had become the most senior official in the Chu court after Sun Xiji closed his eyes for the last time. This elder had chosen to remain aloof during the earlier farce. The Tang Clan of Huaiyin was not one of the Ten Great Noble Houses of the Spring and Autumn period. It rose with the founding of Great Chu, flourished during its zenith, and declined in its twilight years. One could say the Tang Clan of Huaiyin was the true family that shared both prosperity and adversity with the Jiang Clan of Great Chu. After the fall of Great Chu, not a single member of the Tang Clan entered the officialdom of Liyang. When Western Chu was restored, the Tang Clan was among the first to respond to Cao Changqing’s call. Though Tang Shi and Sun Xiji’s political disagreements were common knowledge, their rivalry was one of true gentlemen—each had their factions, but there was never any underhanded scheming. Tang Shi was likely the first in the court to notice the flickering light of Sun Xiji’s life. At that moment, Tang Shi felt no joy. Instead, it was as if a lifelong neighbor with whom he had quarreled but never fought had suddenly moved away, leaving him with an inexplicable loneliness.
The old man did not look at the emperor but fixed his gaze on the legendary young prince. He asked calmly, “Did the Prince of Northern Liang not leave our Great Chu capital yesterday? What brings Your Highness here today—to kill and claim the first merit in quelling the rebellion?”
Without waiting for Xu Fengnian’s reply, the old man raised his jade tablet and pointed at his own head, smiling. “If that’s the case, why not start with me, Tang Shi? Grand Chancellor of the Central Secretariat of Great Chu, rank one. I suppose my head carries some weight.”
Almost immediately, a military officer strode forward—the same burly man who had earlier asked, “Dare I ask where Cao Changqing is?” He laughed heartily. “The world says the Prince of Northern Liang’s martial prowess is peerless. Then let this Great Chu general, Zhao Yunhao, be the first to test it! I hope Your Highness won’t disdain this mere Zhennan General of Great Chu for his humble rank!”
Great Chu may perish, but let it be at the hands of Liyang’s armies. Never again at the hands of the Xu family!
Xu Fengnian’s hand on Jiang Ni’s head pressed slightly harder, signaling her to remain silent. He glanced at the civil and military officials before him, then lifted his gaze further, smiling. “Very well. Tang Shi, Zhao Yunhao, I’ll remember you two. Wait a moment. Two is too few. If I’m to kill, I’ll kill them all at once. So, who else is willing to offer their heads as gifts for the guest? Step forward together. As General Zhao rightly said, Cao Changqing isn’t in the capital, so I can’t think of anyone who could stop me from killing whomever I wish. Minister of Personnel Gu Yang, Hanlin Academician Li Changji, Right Imperial Advisor Cheng Wen Yu of the Chancellery, Vice Minister of Rites Su Yang—why haven’t you stepped forward? Or have you already secured your escape routes and can’t bear to die? If I recall correctly, your families all had members who died for the country after the Battle of Xileibi.”
Of the four, only the elderly Gu Yang silently stepped forward to stand beside Tang Shi. The other three remained rooted, especially the two literary giants, Cheng Wen Yu and Li Changji, whose faces had turned ashen with fear.
Following Gu Yang’s resolute march to death, officials of all ranks—some in their prime, others in their twilight years—gradually stepped out from the ranks to the center of the hall.
Out of the fifty-some high-ranking officials in the hall—the pillars of Great Chu, revered by the common folk as the nation’s backbone—half had chosen to stand as loyal ministers, ready to die. The other half, naturally, were the fence-sitters, bending with the wind.
Noble folly and clever cowardice.
At this moment, the line between them was starkly drawn.
Jiang Ni turned her head away, no longer allowing his hand to rest on it.
Xu Fengnian didn’t fuss over it, nor did he seem the least bit inclined to start slaughtering in the hall. He smiled. “Whether my Northern Liang cavalry’s march south to Guangling is truly to quell the rebellion depends on your attitudes. Your emperor is at the front lines, leading the charge. The one standing beside me now is just a foolish girl who ran away from home. If you’re willing to take a step back, I’ll pretend nothing happened. The Western Chu emperor at Xileibi can continue to inspire the troops, and you officials can continue to govern—or seek your own paths. How about it? If even one of you refuses to step back, I’ll have no choice but to start killing today, tossing all your heads to Wu Chongxuan or Xu Gong. Whether you believe me is up to you. I’ll give you the time it takes for half an incense stick to weigh your options.”
When he mentioned “half an incense stick,” Xu Fengnian’s gaze flickered unconsciously toward the long imperial path outside the hall, prompting him to amend his words.
His thumb pressed lightly against his saber, pushing it an inch out of its sheath. The glint of steel was blinding.
Xu Fengnian continued, “Great Chu doesn’t need Jiang Ni. As long as there’s a Jiang Xi at the western front, ‘the Son of Heaven guarding the gates,’ that’s enough. Right?”
He fixed his gaze on Hanlin Academician Li Changji, who no longer held his jade tablet, and emphasized, “Academician Li, am I right?!”
Li Changji, his earlier dignity gone, nodded like a chicken pecking at rice. “Yes, yes! Your Highness is absolutely right.”
In the hall, officials who hadn’t stepped forward began exchanging glances, whispering to colleagues, trying to persuade them with reason and emotion. Some even darted over to pull those standing in the center back to their ranks.
Meanwhile, others turned a blind eye, ignored the pleas, or outright rebuked them. Only a handful of officials, shamefaced, returned to their original positions.
Watching this, Xu Fengnian’s expression remained calm, but his heart was a storm of emotions.
Great Chu of old was the backbone of the Central Plains!
Thus, the fall of Great Chu meant the sinking of the Central Plains.
One could only imagine how brutal the legendary Battle of Xileibi had been.
When someone noticed Xu Fengnian’s expression growing increasingly grave, Vice Minister of Rites Su Yang—who had secretly colluded with Liyang’s military—suddenly shuddered, as if struck by inspiration. He strode to a position just behind Grand Chancellor Tang Shi and obsequiously smiled at Xu Fengnian. “Your Highness, I am Su Yang of Western Chu’s Ministry of Rites. Might I ask when your border cavalry will arrive outside the Western Chu capital?”
Rather than be dragged to death by a bunch of fools, Su Yang decided to choose the lesser evil. Allying with Northern Liang might bring future troubles, but it was better than dying today.
A minister of Great Chu’s rites, yet he referred to it as “Western Chu.”
Xu Fengnian clicked his tongue. “It seems Vice Minister Su’s rank isn’t high, but he’s the smartest in this grand hall. A mere vice minister is too low for you. If I were the Liyang emperor, I’d make you Minister of Rites, overseeing the court’s cultural heritage.”
Su Yang, sweating profusely, wasn’t so stupid as to miss the mockery in the prince’s words. He forced a smile. “Your Highness flatters me.”
Xu Fengnian removed his thumb, and the drawn saber slid back into its sheath with a click.
Su Yang secretly rejoiced.
Xu Fengnian turned to Jiang Ni, his voice softening teasingly. “Yesterday, I didn’t force you to leave the capital immediately because I feared you might act rashly, your stubbornness getting the better of you. Today is different. If you still haven’t come to your senses, I’ll have to knock you out and carry you away.”
Her eyelashes fluttered as she blinked.
Without turning, Xu Fengnian casually pointed at the officials. “The presence of Tang Shi, Gu Yang, Zhao Yunhao, and others proves your journey to Western Chu wasn’t in vain. But the likes of Su Yang, Li Changji, and Cheng Wen Yu also show there’s no point in staying here to die. You’re just a silly girl. Don’t let playing emperor for a few days go to your head. The subjects of Great Chu in today’s Western Chu, as I told you yesterday, have choices. Most aren’t doomed to die. Their situation now is this: those who wish to die may die; those who wish to live may live. So tell me, when will you leave with me?”
Instinctively, she turned to flee—her first reaction to trouble was always to hide!
But he caught her shoulders, both amused and exasperated. “Still hiding?!”
Xu Fengnian gazed at her, then suddenly lowered his voice to a whisper. “This time, I’m not scaring you. If we don’t leave now, I’ll be in real trouble—big trouble.”
Her face paled. “Wait for me,” she said, then dashed toward a side door of the hall. But she suddenly turned back, flashing him a radiant smile.
Two tiny dimples.
At the same moment, Xu Fengnian flicked his sleeves. A gust of wind swept through the hall, forcing all officials to step back, shielding their faces.
Thus, none witnessed the breathtaking sight that followed.
Xu Fengnian called after the figure sprinting away, her dragon robes clutched in her hands. “If it’s just the river-crossing pawn, you don’t need to take it. I can bring it with me effortlessly.”
Without turning, she tossed back two crisp words: “Copper coins!”
Xu Fengnian laughed helplessly. “I’ll wait for you at the palace gates. Besides the coins, don’t forget to bring the Great Liang Dragon Sparrow. We might need it.”
With that, he vanished from the hall in a single step, reappearing just outside the palace gates.
The Chief Eunuch of the Ceremonial Directorate, momentarily stunned, hurried after him, trying to catch up to the emperor’s departing figure.
If luck wasn’t on their side, if a life-or-death battle was imminent, then before she could reach him, he would have to face that opponent alone.
The danger might rival his past encounter with the Cat Killer, Han Shengxuan.
The one blocking the imperial path was none other than Tantai Pingjing, with whom he had conversed amicably on the city walls the night before.
After Hong Xixiang and Xie Guanying either relinquished or lost their qualifications, she had unwittingly become the person in this world most entitled to act as heaven’s executioner.
Last night, this last remaining grandmaster of Qi-refining in the mortal realm had casually mentioned her “midnight snack”—the fortune of Western Chu!
Originally, the remaining fate of the Western Chu capital could still “bar the door” to a grandmaster of martial arts who had reached the Land God Realm. But in truth, it could only block one person.
Xu Fengnian’s ability to fight his way from the southern gate into the palace was largely due to Jiang Ni, the sovereign of Western Chu’s fortune. More precisely, it was her indecision that allowed his “leisurely stroll.” But if it had been someone hostile to Western Chu and Jiang Xi—even someone like Tuoba Pusa or Deng Tai’a—entering the palace wouldn’t have been difficult, and killing two gatekeepers would’ve been manageable. Yet facing Jiang Ni’s lake of a hundred thousand swords, the odds would’ve favored her. This subtle advantage of timing was something only those who had touched the Heavenly Phenomena Realm could comprehend.
Xu Fengnian had thought his luck couldn’t be so bad as to force Tantai Pingjing to confront him now.
But.
He looked up at the sky, then into the distance.
His gaze grew distant.
In an instant, heaven and earth inverted.
Not celestial beings descending, but countless true immortals manifesting in the mortal realm.
Xu Fengnian closed his eyes and exhaled softly.
A single step forward bridged the divide between yin and yang, heaven and earth. His figure vanished as if stepping through a watery curtain.
Back in the grand hall, the atmosphere was tense.
After the young prince’s departure, the court was in disarray. At the emperor’s behest, the Chief Eunuch had Sun Xiji’s body carefully removed. Only Grand Chancellor Tang Shi followed silently, as if bearing a coffin. The other ministers remained, some muttering curses like “Northern Liang barbarians.” Vice Minister Su Yang, now the center of attention, remained unruffled even as General Zhao Yunhao berated him for lacking the dignity of a Chu official. Su Yang merely smirked. With the Central Secretariat and Chancellery leaderless and Cao Changqing absent, Minister of Personnel Gu Yang became the most influential figure in the hall. Surveying the chaos, Gu Yang steadied his own turbulent heart and declared, “From this moment onward, not a word of His Majesty’s departure leaves this hall. Remember, His Majesty remains at the Xileibi front, leading our forces. Should anyone dare speak otherwise, I will spare no effort to punish them—even at the cost of being accused of factionalism. You have been warned!”
Zhao Yunhao, from a rival faction, growled, “This time, I’ll gladly be Minister Gu’s attack dog!”
The elderly Minister of Revenue, known in the previous dynasty as a master of equivocation, now spoke with unprecedented firmness. “Gentlemen! Hear me. In times of crisis, we must unite. Do not sink the boat we all share. Great Chu is gravely ill. We must choose our words and actions carefully.”
Gu Yang fixed his gaze on Su Yang. “What does Vice Minister Su think?”
Su Yang smiled. “If others said such things, I’d dismiss them. But coming from Minister Gu, it’s different.”
His implication was clear: *I’ve nearly secured my escape. Ordinary attempts to stop me are futile. But since you, Minister Gu, are also cozying up to Liyang, let’s both tread carefully. If we’re both selling ourselves to the Zhao family, let’s not undercut each other and drive down our prices.*
Gu Yang nodded, though Su Yang caught the disdain in his eyes. *Hypocrite*, Su Yang sneered inwardly. *We’re both courtesans selling ourselves. Your price is just higher. The only difference is I showed less spine today. Yet you dare look down on me?*
The only general currently in the capital, Cavalry General Chen Kunshan, declared, “From this moment, the city is under lockdown. No one leaves!”
This caused some murmurs, but his next words turned faces pale. “If my guards or spies spot any carrier pigeons, the household will be executed for treason—immediately!”
Outside the hall, a eunuch in python robes carried a silk-wrapped corpse toward a carriage.
Tang Shi, patriarch of the Huaiyin Tang Clan and Grand Chancellor of Great Chu, followed behind, murmuring mournfully, “Sun Xiji, the world says men should climb ever higher. Why did you descend from Liyang’s court to this one?”
Tears streaming down his face, Tang Shi quickened his pace. “Let me carry him,” he called to the eunuch.
The eunuch stared in surprise at the elderly man. Tang Shi smiled bitterly. “An old man carrying a dead man—what does it matter if we’re slow?”
Hoisting Sun Xiji onto his back, Tang Shi walked on.
Amid the spring breeze filling the city, a man once known as one of Great Chu’s most illustrious figures, Sun Xiji, rested silently on the back of another old man, Tang Shi, returning to his roots like a falling leaf.
※※※
As the court slowly dispersed, a brilliant sword light soared from the palace, landing outside the gates.
Jiang Ni, standing on her sword, looked around in confusion. Where had he gone? She couldn’t sense his presence at all.
Closing her eyes, she calmed herself. Instantly, countless swords flew from the lake, scattering across the capital like the petals of a giant lotus blooming over Guangling.
She sought to connect with the world’s sword intent, hoping to trace Xu Fengnian’s whereabouts.
*Wait for me*, she pleaded silently.
Her eyes snapped open—shocked, puzzled, fearful.
Her sword heart told her he was nearby.
She summoned thousands of swords back to the palace.
Then she noticed a few swords veering oddly, as if avoiding something.
She rode her sword upward, hovering in the air, and looked up.
Had a grandmaster like Tantai Pingjing been present, they would’ve seen a colossal white dragon coiled over the capital, holding a crumbling pearl in its maw.
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