Rescuing the Emperor (Part 1)

The moon was hazy, its soft light like gauze or mist, quietly enveloping the silent night.

Wild birds in the mountains and forests occasionally let out a sudden cry, and the torches wrapped with wooden branches crackled softly, their flickering light reflecting on the sand table in the center of the tent, clearly illuminating the flags on it.

Beneath a massive map depicting the defenses of the capital, stood a person.

As weapons clashed, a corner of the leather tent was torn open.

Liang Zhi led Zhou Yanzhi inside and bowed to the person standing under the defense map: "Your Highness, Prince An has arrived."

The man did not turn around, but gently instructed, "Thank you for your trouble, Minister Liang. Also, order the generals in the camp to come here to discuss matters after half a cup of tea."

Liang Zhi acknowledged and left. Only then did the man turn around, the flickering firelight illuminating his handsome face.

The young man had delicate features, his hair was tied up with a jade crown, and a pearl-colored robe with silver thread and dragon patterns made him stand tall and straight like a pine tree. He was truly a refined and elegant man, gentle and gentle as jade.

This is the current crown prince, Zhou Shouji.

...

Light footsteps sounded in front of him, and the next moment, Zhou Yanzhi felt his arm being lifted slightly, followed by a gentle voice in front of him.

"Ce'an."

Zhou Yanzhi looked up and saw Zhou Shouji's eyes, which held a faint smile.

"Didn't I already say that?" Zhou Shouji said with a smile as he helped Zhou Yanzhi up. "We are blood relatives, so there's no need for such formalities between us."

"Your Highness is too kind." A faint smile appeared on Zhou Yanzhi's lips, but as he said this, he subtly removed his arm from Zhou Shouji's hand and instead made the ceremony even more formal: "However, etiquette must not be neglected."

“…Never mind.” Zhou Shouji’s hand froze, a hint of helplessness appearing on his face. His gaze fell on Zhou Yanzhi’s impeccable etiquette, and he said helplessly, “You really are a rigid person. You were a little rigid when you were young, and you’ve become a big rigid now. You haven’t changed at all.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yanzhi simply blinked without saying a word.

"Never mind."

Zhou Shouji then took two steps back to accept Zhou Yanzhi's bow, and then said, "Get up."

Zhou Yanzhi responded and then slowly straightened up.

At the same time, some rustling sounds came from outside the tent, and then a voice rang out from outside the tent—"Your Highness, the generals are waiting outside the tent."

It was Liang Zhi.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shouji slightly turned his head and called out to the outside of the tent, "Please, generals, enter the tent."

After saying that, he turned his head and smiled slightly at Zhou Yanzhi, who was standing in front of him. His gaze lingered for a moment on the front of Zhou Yanzhi's clothes before he raised his eyes and looked at him with a smile.

The implications are self-evident.

The leather tent was lifted again, letting in a cool mountain breeze. As the footsteps grew clearer, Zhou Yanzhi lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes fluttering to conceal the expression in them.

After a moment of silence, he forced a emotionless smile onto his lips, then raised his eyes and, under Zhou Shouji's still gentle gaze, raised his hand to touch his robe and slowly took out a scroll of bright yellow silk.

Looking at Zhou Shouji, he slowly spoke:

"His Majesty has ordered me to bring this imperial edict. Please, Your Highness, receive the decree."

...

Outside the tent, the wind whistled.

Inside the tent, the firelight flickered.

The moment Zhou Yanzhi took out the bright yellow silk book, those who had entered the tent earlier immediately knelt down. The heavy armor striking the ground resounded with a clanging sound, each beat echoing in everyone's hearts.

A moment later, you could hear a pin drop inside the tent.

Everyone had their heads down, but they couldn't help but raise their eyes slightly to look at the only two people standing in the tent.

In the center of the light and shadow, the indigo figure and the white-clad figure stood facing each other.

Looking at the dragon pattern embroidered in vermilion thread on the bright yellow background of the silk book in Zhou Yanzhi's hand, Zhou Shouji raised his eyebrows slightly without making a sound, and the smile on his lips deepened. Then he looked away from the silk book and raised his hand to straighten his clothes.

Immediately afterwards—

He lifted his robe and knelt down, raising his hands in a gesture of respect, looking down as if awaiting an imperial decree.

With a slight shift in his gaze, Zhou Yanzhi's eyes lingered for a moment on the gleaming armor of the generals before quietly moving away, his long eyelashes drooping as his gaze fell upon the silk scroll in his hand.

He then gripped the edge of the bright yellow silk book tightly with both hands and slowly unfolded it. His gaze fell on the black characters on the yellow background. After a moment of silence, he spoke in a deep voice, each word spoken with great solemnity.

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees..."

"I believe that the foundation of the nation is of utmost importance, and the lineage of the ancestors is of paramount importance. Crown Prince Ji is naturally intelligent, virtuous, and possesses both benevolence and filial piety. His capacity is as vast as the sea and mountains. Entrusting him with the imperial regalia is unanimously agreed to be appropriate."

As soon as he finished speaking, a soft, barely suppressed gasp of surprise rang out.

Upon reading the last few sentences, Zhou Yanzhi sighed inwardly, but showed no surprise, his face remaining calm and composed.

But when he spoke again, his tone was somewhat heavy.

"The empire is not yet secure, and the fourth prince, An, intends to undermine the foundation of the nation. The country is in dire straits, and I am imprisoned and fear I will be unable to control him. Therefore, I hereby order the crown prince to lead troops into the palace to rescue me."

"By imperial decree, I am afflicted with a serious illness, therefore, I hereby establish the Great Zhao Dynasty."

"It is appropriate to order Crown Prince Ji to immediately ascend the throne as Emperor, and I shall be known as the Retired Emperor."

"So be it."

After speaking, Zhou Yanzhi put away the silk book, took two steps forward, bowed slightly, and placed it steadily in Zhou Shouji's raised hand.

Then, he took three steps back, lifted his robe, and knelt down on both knees.

Zhou Shouji, who had stood up, kowtowed and said, "Your subject greets Your Majesty!"

Then came more sounds, a cacophony of voices.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects!"

One sound after another, one sound after another...

On an ordinary night, in an ordinary valley on the outskirts of Beijing, the crown prince of Dazhao became the new emperor of Dazhao.

...

The bright moon hangs high in the sky; it's the dead of night.

The soldiers on duty stood on the city wall, their gazes fixed on a dark void, unable to find anything in sight. Behind them, their colleagues were playing dominoes in small groups.

"Thump—!"

Suddenly, the glass oil lamp placed on the city bricks wobbled and fell to the ground, then rolled over and shattered into several pieces the moment it touched the hard stone bricks.

Glass splattered everywhere, and lamp oil spilled out.

The soft wick, soaked in lamp oil, swayed incessantly, illuminating the broken glass shards with a soft, shimmering light, iridescent in color, like the inner shells of sea clams in the East China Sea—it was incredibly beautiful.

The person scalded by the boiling lamp oil couldn't help but shout, "Who knocked this over?!"

"It wasn't me!"

"It wasn't me! Don't look at me, I didn't move at all!"

"Who?! Who is it?!"

"..."

"Don't speak!"

Amidst the chaos, someone shouted, and the disorderly sounds on the city wall suddenly receded like a receding tide. Immediately afterwards, Zhou Yu'an, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, climbed onto the city wall.

The mixed group of soldiers scattered instantly, revealing a narrow path, all of them showing fear.

This evening, after Zhou Daliqing left the city, the Fourth Prince's confidants arrived at the city gate with an imperial edict, ordering them to stop Zhou Yanzhi and anyone related to him from leaving the city.

The soldiers on duty at the time did not suspect anything amiss, and simply told them honestly that Zhou Yanzhi had just left the city. Little did they know that this one sentence would almost cost them their lives.

Only after they repeatedly assured each other that they would never allow anyone related to Zhou Yanzhi to leave the city did the two men let them go.

It was then that they learned what had happened in the palace that day.

...

Night fell, and a gentle breeze blew.

Under the watchful, fearful gaze of the crowd, Zhou Yu'an strode to the front, gripping the stone brick beside him with one hand, his fingertips turning almost white from the force.

Perhaps startled by his appearance, or perhaps sensing the unusual atmosphere, everyone subconsciously tensed up in the quiet night, staring solemnly into the dark distance.

A heavy, oppressive silence.

The slight tremor grew more and more pronounced...

In the distance, the sound of rapid hoofbeats could be heard. Then, in the misty distance, a black banner embroidered with a flying eagle pierced the dark night sky, tearing through the veil of mist, and rapidly approached this place.

Logically, the flag's background was jet black, which should have blended perfectly into the night. However, the eagle embroidered on the flag was made of gold thread—

The combination of black and gold, two very different colors, is particularly eye-catching.

Not to mention that at this moment, as the spirited horse galloped forward, the banner was whipped up by the strong wind, and it fluttered and undulated in the air with the pace of the cavalry, radiating a dazzling golden light under the bright moonlight.

The dazzling golden light stung Zhou Yu'an's eyes, and he stared at the black-gold flying eagle flag without blinking, almost as if he wanted to stare a hole through it.

U-shaped flag, golden eagle...

Black Feather Camp!

This is the Black Feather Camp!

The Black Feather Battalion, which followed the late emperor and empress dowager in their campaigns across the north and south!

The invincible Black Feather Camp!

The Black Feather Camp is even more powerful than the Xiao Family Army!

Zhou Yu's fingertip, which was digging into the city brick, had been pierced, and a sharp pain shot through him, but he had no time to care. All he could see, think, and contemplate was one sentence—

Zhou Shouji actually has the Black Feather Camp?!

Before he could finish his shock, shouts came from afar on the wind.

The roar was incessant, overwhelming and deafening.

Zhou Yu'an's eyes narrowed, and he turned around, sternly ordering, "Prepare for battle!"

...

Amidst the thick fog, an arrow pierced the clouds with a piercing whistle, flying straight towards the city wall. Before the people on the wall could react, it pierced the wooden eaves of the wall with a "whoosh."

Having narrowly escaped death, everyone looked up in lingering fear.

In the firelight, it could be seen that the arrow had sunk two-thirds of its length into the wooden eaves, while the exposed fletching was still trembling, demonstrating the immense strength of the archer.

This arrow didn't draw blood, but no one would be foolish enough to think that the archer hadn't aimed at the target.

With so many people standing on the city wall, even the slightest shift in his direction would drastically change the trajectory of the arrows. With that kind of force, it would be enough to pierce a person's head and cause them to bleed on the spot.

Therefore, the purpose of this arrow was not to kill, but only to—

Deterrence!