Great Zhou World
The chill wind whipped up gravel, whipping the heavy canvas of the makeshift tent with a muffled whimper. Nangong Xiang tightened her slightly loose, luxurious mink coat, her fingertips cold. This outfit, this identity of "the crown prince's favorite concubine" and "negotiator," still felt like a stolen costume to her, a sense of unseemly tension everywhere. She took a deep breath, trying to suppress the frantic throbbing in her chest.
It has been a month. Nangong Xiang has not seen her elder sister for a whole month. Xiao Ziyi told her that her elder sister is doing well now, and they love each other and their friendship is at its peak. But she still feels it is a bit ridiculous that she has never even seen her. But she also has to take over her elder sister's responsibility to clear the name of the Nangong family. Xiao Ziyi is right. The person who benefited the most after the imperial concubine gave birth prematurely is the culprit - Xiao Yuhuan. She will definitely kill him! Nangong Xiang looked at the enemy every day, and lived every day with gritted teeth. Every time she met him, the dagger in her sleeve never left her body.
Fortunately, Xiao Yuhuan only treated her as an exquisite decoration and kept a safe distance. This subtle alienation was her only breathing space. In order to wait for the opportunity of the fatal blow, she was willing to swallow all the humiliation, and walked alone in this hell, carrying the cold poison blade and burning hatred. Sister, Xiang'er must kill the enemy with her own hands.
However, it is impossible to verify whether it was a natural disaster or a man-made disaster.
Stupid! This thought flashed through her mind again before she stepped into Xiao Ziyi's central army tent. The old emperor Xiao Wufan was still dreaming of wiping out the "rebels fleeing west" in the deep palace, unaware that the two rebel forces in his eyes - his adopted son Xiao Ziyi and his own son Xiao Yuhuan - had already pointed their blades at his rotten neck under the undercurrent. Which rebellion could be so devastating? If the core of the court had not been hollowed out long ago, how could Xiao Ziyi's army have entered the empty land like a rocket? This old fool couldn't even guess the secret! Nangong Xiang sneered in his heart, with a hint of sadness.
The curtains were respectfully drawn aside by a maid, and a complex aroma of leather, rust, charcoal, and sweat filled the air. The lights within the tent were brightly lit, illuminating several weathered faces with hawk-like gazes—all of them core generals under Xiao Ziyi's command. Their gazes instantly focused on Nangong Xiang, scrutinizing him with a subtle, instinctive hostility toward this "imperial envoy."
The air seemed to be stagnant.
Nangong Xiang forced himself to remain calm, ignoring the oppressive gazes. With graceful steps, he walked directly towards the mountain-like figure standing behind the commander's desk. Xiao Ziyi wore no armor, his dark uniform accentuating his deep features and a stern demeanor. He was looking down at a map, as if Nangong Xiang's arrival were merely an insignificant incident.
"Greetings, General Ning." Nangong Xiang bent her knees slightly, her posture respectful, her voice clear and melodious, carrying the perfect amount of distance and courtesy befitting an "envoy." She presented a sealed, unassuming wax pellet with both hands. "Your Highness... has ordered me to present this."
Inside the tent, you could hear a pin drop. All the generals' eyes were fixed on the tiny wax pellet, their breath subconsciously held. Xiao Ziyi finally raised his eyelids, his gaze calm and unwavering, passing over Nangong Xiang's downcast brows before settling on the wax pellet. He reached out a hand, his fingers long and powerful, with distinct joints, and gently picked up the wax pellet. With a slight pressure from his fingertips, the wax shell shattered, revealing a tightly rolled, thin silk scroll within.
He unfolded the thin silk and quickly scanned the writing on it. A sharp gleam of determination suddenly flashed across his deep eyes.
"Okay." Xiao Ziyi's voice was low, but clear to everyone's ears. He placed a thin piece of silk over the candle flame, and the flame instantly devoured the few words that would determine the dynasty's fate, leaving only a wisp of smoke. He abruptly stood up, his dark robes fluttering without a breeze, and a chilling pressure instantly enveloped the entire tent.
"Generals, listen to my orders!" Xiao Ziyi's voice was decisive and carried an unquestionable thunderous momentum. "The opportunity for battle has arrived! Pass on my military orders:"
"First Battalion, lower your flags and disperse immediately. Move stealthily along the Black Stone Valley. Reach Shilipu, east of Shangrao City, before midnight. Raise a fire as a signal!"
"Second and Third Battalions, prepare your heavy equipment. At three quarters past midnight, launch a feint attack on Shangrao's South Gate! Make sure to create as much momentum as possible to draw out the main defenders!"
"Fourth Battalion, lightly armed and with a small following, follow this commander's personal guards and march straight through the secret passage to the Shangrao West Gate Water Gate! At the first quarter of the morning hour, we must seize control of the Water Gate!"
"The rest of the troops, follow Plan A-3. Follow the main force into the city and attack the government office, granary, and armory! Take control of the entire city!"
He spoke rapidly, yet his commands were crystal clear, each word resonating like a hammer to the commanders' hearts. A frenzy of fighting spirit instantly filled their faces, and they roared in agreement, "We will obey your orders!" The roar threatened to lift the roof of the tent.
Nangong Xiang knew the contents of the secret letter, and knew that behind this thunderous deployment was the final step that Xiao Ziyi and Xiao Yuhuan had carefully planned for several months, or even longer - to cooperate inside and outside and attack Huanglong directly!
Shangrao, the last barrier guarding the western gate of the capital, will be the final scene of this thrilling chess game! Success or failure depends on this one move!
As night fell, flames erupted from the south of Shangrao City, and cries of battle shook the fields. Xiao Ziyi's second and third battalions launched a feint attack, pinning the main defenders at the south gate. The city's defenders were utterly exhausted, leaving the defenses of the east and west gates suddenly vulnerable.
On the deadly silent Shilipu slope east of the city, a few faint flames flickered like ghosts. Xiao Ziyi's elite First Battalion, long in hiding, pounced on the city walls like a pack of wolves in the dark night. Behind the battlements, the fires of an internal signal responded! Thick ropes were quietly lowered—Xiao Yuhuan's death squad had secured the area! Elite rebels scaled the walls, slashing the throats of the defenders before they could react. The east gate was wide open! Xiao Yuhuan's death squad and elite troops surged in like a black torrent!
At the same time, at the West Gate Watergate, Xiao Ziyi personally led the Fourth Battalion, appearing like a ghost. His gaze piercing, he plunged without hesitation into the abandoned, stinking waterway. The soldiers followed closely behind, navigating the suffocating darkness. At the exit, the insider silently removed his disguise.
When Xiao Ziyi, covered in mud and brimming with murderous intent, suddenly appeared at the watergate like a demon from hell, the few defenders were horrified! A flash of swords crushed all resistance. The winch came under control! The iron gates pierced the air! The small warships lurking in the river rushed in like sharks scenting blood!
As Xiao Ziyi led his troops out of the Water Gate Tunnel, they saw a torrent of soldiers approaching from the East Gate! Leading the charge was none other than Xiao Yuhuan, blood-soaked yet piercing in his gaze! Amidst the flames and the cries of battle, their gazes met, their words unspoken. Xiao Ziyi pointed his blood-stained longsword towards the heart of the city, and the two streams of force merged instantly, transforming into an unstoppable spear!
This combined might of the extraordinary forces outside the city and the resolute warriors within struck fiercely at the heart of Shangrao! The government office fell, the granaries and arsenals changed hands, and the stubborn defenders were divided and annihilated. Internal forces launched simultaneous attacks, guiding the direction. Under Xiao Ziyi's precise command, fearless charge, and the perfect coordination with Xiao Yuhuan, the fortified city of Shangrao was rendered as fragile as paper, under attack from within and without. In less than two hours, the fortress was completely overthrown by a thunderous blow!
In this battle, the defenders and the rebels have long been indistinguishable. Who is defending and who is rebelling?
"Report--!!! Urgent message from eight hundred miles away! Shangrao... Shangrao City has been broken! The rebels... the rebels are... are at the gates of the city! And His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is also at the gates of the city!" The messenger almost crawled into the hall, his voice filled with tears and extreme fear, and collapsed to the ground.
Sitting on the dragon throne, Xiao Wufan seemed drained of all his energy overnight. His face was pale, his eyes unfocused, and his robe hung loosely around him, like a forsaken, worn puppet. News of Shangrao's fall was the final straw, crushing him completely. "The city... the city's fallen? Ziyi... Yu Huan... them..." he muttered incoherently, his cloudy old eyes filled with disbelief and a sense of the absurd.
"Your Majesty! The enemy army is powerful, and the capital... the capital may be difficult to defend for long! Your Majesty, please move away quickly..." A minister knelt on the ground and begged with tears in his eyes.
"Move?" Xiao Wufan let out a strange "ho ho" sound as if he had heard a ridiculous joke, and suddenly he swept all the memorials and imperial seals on the table to the ground! "I am the Son of Heaven! I am the true dragon! I am not going anywhere! Xiao Ziyi! Xiao Yuhuan! Two traitors! Traitors and traitors! I will kill your entire clans!" He roared like a madman, waving his skinny arms and spitting. He also tore the collar of his dragon robe open, revealing the equally withered skin underneath. He couldn't accept that the chess game he had controlled his entire life was finally overturned by two chess pieces!
At the center of this maelstrom of madness and despair, a figure stood silently in the shadow of the dragon throne. It was Consort Yang. It was also Yang, his childhood sweetheart. This throne was a shared ambition between the two of them, and it should be their shared responsibility.
The struggle for the throne had defined their lives, but were they truly wrong? This was the fate of their country, their family, and even their children. Yang Guifei couldn't understand the real reason for this rebellion, or who else would inherit the crown prince's throne. All they wanted was to turn the country upside down, to keep them both from peace.
"Afan, did we really do something wrong?" Xiao Wufan questioned the woman he loved most, and at the same time, he was also questioning himself.
"But that was a life-and-death war."
"I survived so I did nothing wrong!" He never felt that he had done anything wrong. His son, legitimate son, adopted son, and nephew were all ungrateful people he raised.
Yang Guifei didn't tremble like the other palace maids, nor did she kneel and plead like the ministers. Her makeup remained exquisite, but its former brilliance had faded, leaving only a paleness that was almost transparent. Those eyes, once filled with countless emotions, were now as calm as an ancient well in late autumn, reflecting the furiously roaring emperor on the dragon throne and the crumbling dome of the Golden Palace. There was no panic, no calculation, only a perceptive calmness tinged with compassion.
As Xiao Wufan stumbled, visibly overwhelmed by the intense emotional turmoil and exhaustion, on the verge of collapse, Yang Guifei moved. Her movements were gentle and natural, as if she were merely brushing away nonexistent dust from his shoulders. She stepped forward, extending those delicate hands that had once played the zither and the flute, and had once been the recipient of the emperor's favor, to steadily and silently support the emperor's shaky body.
Xiao Wufan's weight almost completely rested on her. He stopped roaring, only broken sobs and intermittent murmurs remained: "...Nine clans... Kill all nine clans... They're... so cruel..." Turbid tears rolled from his eyes, soaking the front of his loose dragon robe and dripping onto Yang Guifei's arm as she supported him. The tears were scalding, but they couldn't melt the icy calm in her eyes.
Yang Guifei adjusted her posture slightly, allowing the emperor to lean more comfortably. Her gaze passed over his graying temples, darting to the sky outside the palace, stained by the blood-red dawn. There was no fear of the future, no hatred for the rebels, no struggle with her own fate. Only a complete, almost sacred acceptance. It was as if she had foreseen this moment, already mentally writing the final chapter for this magnificent palace, for the man on the throne, and for herself.
The blast of a trumpet outside the city, carrying a chilling irony, pierced through the palace walls, resonating clearly in everyone's eardrums. That sound heralded the end of an era. And beside the throne, symbolizing its end, Yang Guifei silently supported her crumbling king. With her silence and composure, she offered a final, silent elegy for the empire's impending end. Her fate had long been bound to this throne, to this man, and to these palace walls, soon to be reduced to ash. She chose not to flee, not to resent, but to accompany him until the end.
Xiao Ziyi and Xiao Yuhuan, riding side by side, passed through the shattered palace gates and slowly entered this center of supreme power. Their armor was stained dark red with blood, and though dusty and exhausted, they couldn't conceal their unwavering aura. Xiao Ziyi's gaze, as serene as the abyss, scanned the familiar yet unfamiliar palace. There was no emotion in his eyes, only a cold scrutiny and a settled indifference. Xiao Yuhuan's chest rose and fell as he gazed upon the prison that had held him captive for half his life, the one he would soon dominate. His eyes were a complex mixture of hatred, relief, and a resolute resolve, akin to a rebirth from a cocoon.
Behind them were a forest of swords and guns and a silent and murderous army.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
