Nightfall

Ning Que and the Empress didn’t react much when encountering the sudden ambush.

They were bold, but that was not because they were powerful. It was because they trusted the general in the Northern Military Camp since they had chosen to be here instead of going back to Tang with another group of the Tang Army.

The podao swords clashed, and the flying arrows screeched. The cavalries escorting the Empress had already prepared their defenses and striking-back as soon as they heard the crowd panic.

Archers had been long ambushing on both sides of the street, so the Tang army was captured as soon as they were about to ambush the convoy of the Empress.

During the conflict, the Empress remained expressionless. She was cuddling the Sixth Prince, lowering her head to look into the Prince’s eyes when talking to him.

Ning Que kept his head down till the conflict was over. Two generals of Tang were shot by arrows and they refused to surrender. Ning Que raised his head and looked out of the window when the two generals pulled out their swords and killed themselves.

Finally the carriage arrived at the gate of the General’s mansion.

The Defender-General of the Wilderness of Tang Empire Xu Chi was welcoming the Empress with his subordinates, and all of them were on their knees waiting beside the stairs at the gate of the Mansion.

Before General Xu Chi had the time to apologize, the Empress had come out of the carriage with her hands holding the Sixth Prince’s. She said calmly, “The General’s mansion is really a place hard to reach.”

Xu Chi didn’t explain, and neither had he tried to apologize. He respectfully settled the coffin of His Majesty in his mansion, and then invited the Empress and the Prince to have a rest in the residence at the back.

Ning Que was no longer around the pine coffin. He was in the study, drinking tea.

Moments later, Xu Chi opened the door and came in.

Ning Que had met three of the Four Great Generals of Tang, and Xu Chi was the one he hadn’t met so far. Judging by the descriptions of the Empress and Han Qing, Ning Que had basically pictured Xu Chi’s temperament.

“The two rebelling generals, they have nothing to do with Gushan Commandery. They were once my subordinates in the Northern Military Camp.”

Xu Chi admitted it straightforwardly.

Ning Que said, “It had nothing to do with Gushan Commandery, but that doesn’t mean it had nothing to do with Hua Shanyue or the Pricess, unless you insist that it was all about you.”

Xu Chi kept silent for a moment and then he said, “I was told that the Her Highness and Mr. Thirteen were closely related.”

Ning Que said, “And I heard that General Xu Chi was the most loyal subordinate of the late Emperor.”

“The rescript of the West-Hill Devine Palace has spread over the world, and Mr. Thirteen must’ve seen it. The morale of the army was thus influenced, and that was why the conflicting and killing happened today.”

Xu Chi said, “I knew you were trying to make a point, but since Her Majesty was a believer of the Devil’s Dorctrine, then the Sixth Prince could no longer succeed the throne, or even go back to Chang’an.”

Ning Que asked, “Why?”

Xu Chi said, “Because the West-Hill Divine Palace won’t allow a descendant of the Devil’s Doctrine to rule the Tang Empire.”

Ning Que said, “You idiot, the West-Hill Devine Palace has already been prepared to overthrow Tang.”

Xu Chi was silenced. Then he suddenly asked, “There’s one thing I’m trying to figure out.”

“What is it?” Asked Ning Que.

Xu Chi said, “It’s said that His Majesty’s death has something to do with Her Majesty.”

Ning Que said, “What kind of idiotic rumor is this? His Majesty had been suffering from a chronic disease for many years, and I’m sure you knew that because you were his most trusted general. Should it have anything to do with Her Majesty, that must’ve happened many years ago. Since His Majesty didn’t mind it, how dare you resent Her Majesty in his stead?”

Xu Chi might have frowned lightly but he looked more relaxed.

He thought about it for long and then spoke to Ning Que seriously, “You should suggest Her Majesty and the Six Prince to stay in the Northern Military Camp. I swear I’ll protect them with my life.”

Ning Que looked him in the eyes and remained silent.

Xu Chi responded to this with calm eyes and expressionless face.

Then Ning Que suddenly said, “I’m going to ask you one more time, and I want to make sure if it is true—are you really loyal to His Majesty?”

“I’d like to prove it with my life.” Answered Xu Chi.

Ning Que said, “I don’t need your life. Swords and spears are enough. I’m sure you know clearly that the Edict in Chang’an is a fake one because the late Emperor had passed the throne to the Sixth Prince.”

“And what are we going to do now, Mr. Thirteen?”

Xu Chi answered coldly, “To bring Her Majesty and the Six Prince back to Chang’an for the fight over the throne with the new Emperor? Or to divide the military forces of Tang and let them fight each other?”

“I’ll follow the Edict without hesitation, even at the cost of a civil war in the Empire, but not now. And I’ll help the Sixth Prince to get on the throne, regardless of Her Majesty being a believer of the Devil’s Doctrine, but not now.”

Xu Chi looked extremely severe and continued, “Now all other countries are coming after Tang. The cavalries of the Golden Palace are coming south. The West-Hill Divine Palace is coming north. Qinghe County is rebelling. The Northeast Border Army has been extinguished. Enemies are storming Tang from all directions, and the thousand-year foundation of the empire is shaking in the coming storm. The empire can’t afford any civil war at this very moment.”

Ning Que said after a short moment of silence, “So what’s your plan?”

“We have to be united when facing enemies. I won’t allow you and Her Majesty to take thousands of soldiers of the Northern Army to go south to Chang’an. They are supposed to fight bloody battles on the Northern Frontier instead of wasting their lives on civil wars. So I want you to persuade Her Majesty to stay in the Northern Camp with the Sixth Prince.”

Xu Chi stared Ning Que in the eyes and said, “If you still insist that this was a betrayal of His Majesty, then I can promise that the Northern Army will support the Sixth Prince after Tang has overcome these difficulties.”

Ning Que frowned lightly. He had to admit that Xu Chi had made a point. The Empire of Tang did need the thousands of soldiers to go back south to fight the invasion, but…

The door of the study was squeaking, and someone had just opened it.

The Empress came in and looked at the other two. She said peacefully, “I am going back to Chang’an.”

Without any hesitation Xu Chi knelt before her, and he kowtowed again and again, till his forehead became bloody.

He said with his pained and shaking voice, “Your Majesty! I’ve been loyal to His Majesty throughout my entire life. Now I have to reject the Edict, I am so guilty and I’m afraid I’ll be regretful for the rest of my life, but the empire can’t afford a civil war now. Your Majesty! Please think twice!”

The Empress smiled and said, “You overestimated the influence of me and the Prince. The turmoils in Chang’an or in Tang won’t start or cease just because of us.”

Ning Que was dumbfounded, and he couldn’t understand what that meant.

“The thousands of soldiers going back south originally belong to the Northern Army. They were led temporarily by the Emperor himself to carry out the mission. There’s no way I would take them back to Chang’an.”

The Empress said, “I’ll leave you these cavalries I brought back here. Me and the Sixth Prince, we’ll go back to Chang’an by ourselves. I’m sure that will allay your worries.”

Xu Chi was shocked and speechless. He thought to himself that since the new Emperor had succeeded to the throne and the Princess Her Highness was in charge of national affairs, Her Majesty’s taking the Sixth Prince back to Chang’an would definitely cost their lives for nothing.

Ning Que looked at the Empress and said, “I’ll go with you.”