Chapter 391: My Apologies (3000)

Chapter 391: My Apologies (3000)

Emperor Zhaode's raised hand hesitated slightly at Xianjin's words: "Someone coming? What do you mean by someone coming? You've been held in the cellar—how could you possibly be in cahoots with anyone?"

Emperor Zhaode turned his head in panic, scanning the surroundings for any clue.

The shadow behind him hurriedly bowed and replied, "Since she was taken to the cellar, except for Aunt Sun, who delivers meals and cleans, no one else has come."

Emperor Zhaode felt relieved. Aunt Sun was his wet nurse. Even his own mother might betray him, but Aunt Sun would never—he had always been cautious, just like when he was an overlooked prince born to a seventh-rank consort, and when he was sixteen, he went to great lengths to marry the only daughter of the Jinzhou Prefecture Garrison commander, traveling between Beijing and Tianjin every two days, and when he timidly and cautiously maneuvered his high and mighty elder brother into a den of refugees.

Timid, scheming, he appeared honest and reticent but was steady and gentle.

Completely different from his arrogant and noble elder brother.

During the White Fall Rebellion, over ten thousand refugees broke through from Jinzhou Prefecture and flooded into the Capital City—his father-in-law, the commander of the Jinzhou Prefecture Garrison, clutched his chest in agony and died atop the high tower defending the city.

Everyone, including his main wife, thought his father-in-law had died suddenly from prolonged battle.

Only he knew that a small bottle of concentrated monkshood root juice could stop someone's breath in just half an hour.

His father-in-law died like a hero—this death nearly erased all suspicions of his usurpation, washed away all stains of his conspiracy with his father-in-law, and successfully avoided his elder sister's suspicion and interrogation.

On the city wall at the garrison entrance, Emperor Zhaode secretly hid in the shadows, only half of his right shoulder unavoidably exposed to the firelight. His grip on Xianjin's jaw tightened: "Speak clearly! What do you mean by someone coming! What have you done!"

Looking up, he met Xianjin's calm, upward stare.

For some reason, those eyes infuriated Emperor Zhaode.

Just like his elder sister!

Damn it!

Not like that useless brother!

Like his elder sister!

Calmly and equally disdainful of all the dark, crawling insects!—Yes! The children born to the Empress, beautiful and noble, always expected to be superior, born to be dragons and phoenixes soaring through the clouds!

And his birth mother was just a candle-lighting maid who sneaked onto the Emperor's bed while he was drunk in the palace!

His mother's appearance was proof of the Emperor's betrayal! A dirty thing that shattered the deep love between the Emperor and the Empress! And his appearance was a carefully planned dirty product! The best evidence of social climbing! Just a tool for his mother to save her life!

Emperor Zhaode dared not look directly into those eyes, hurriedly avoiding them, then immediately shouted: "Gouge out her eyes! Hang her on the city wall!—Give her some anesthetic first! She's a Xu, after all, one of our family, don't make her suffer too much!"

Yes, he crawled in the dark, he cowered, he was used to hiding behind others to do bad things—first his ambitious father-in-law, then Grand Secretary Li, who was determined to leave a mark in history... but he was also a Xu, of noble blood, a dark crawling insect from the royal family!

Being a Xu was the proudest thing in his life.

The shadow behind him responded, just stepping forward, when a fierce commotion was heard not far away.

"Attack—attack—"

"Enemy attack—"

Three hundred meters away, the beacon tower was smoking!

Emperor Zhaode's pupils dilated and then suddenly contracted. Coming to his senses, he immediately pulled Xianjin over, his left arm tightly across her shoulders, his right hand pulling out a sharp dagger and pressing it against Xianjin's neck. His back was tightly pressed against the cold stone bricks of the fortress, with no retreat behind him.

"Attack—" The alarm suddenly stopped, followed by the rumbling of horse hooves and the blazing flames rushing towards them!

Emperor Zhaode's eyes burned with blazing fury!

The gate of Tunkou had been breached!

Cavalry clad in black armor stood like a dark cloud looming over the fortress!

Under the blazing firelight, the cold gleam of the leader's helmet was unmistakable, and beneath the armor, his gaze was as sharp as a sword, calm yet piercing—his older sister had come in person.

Behind the older sister, two figures stood on either side, one with a broad face, narrow eyes, and a long sword on his back, the other strikingly handsome, holding a bow in his right hand and reins in his left, his horse pacing restlessly, as if unsettled.

Emperor Zhaode sought to blend into the shadows, his right hand clenching tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hand.

Xianjin tilted her chin slightly, trying to ease the pressure on her airway.

A guard who had hurriedly climbed the fortress gasped for breath: "...Bad...bad news! Our hidden Qianbinggang dock has also been surrounded by ships! The palace ladies, the three princes, and the four princesses are all hiding in the bushes, too terrified to come out..."

Emperor Zhaode's mouth twitched involuntarily, his grip tightening, his voice low and guttural: "How...how did they find this place!"

Xianjin strained to rise on her toes, twisting her neck: "The sachet."

Emperor Zhaode frowned in panic.

"In the sachet...glow stones...when I got off the carriage...I dropped one in each direction...north, south, east, west..."

Xianjin tilted her head back, her voice gradually changing tone: "From the beginning, Grand Princess Bai'an...knew...otherwise...why do you think...you escaped so easily...from the Chengde Palace..."

Emperor Zhaode suddenly remembered the briny, earthy odor of what seemed like mud and stone in that sachet!

Emperor Zhaode took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, his mind filled with terror, his hand involuntarily loosening slightly.

Xianjin seized the opportunity to take a deep breath.

"——Brother Xian!"

A shout came from below the fortress.

It was the voice of Grand Princess Bai'an.

"Long time no see!"

Grand Princess Bai'an's voice was loud and clear, her head tilted back, revealing a flawless face and a gaze that scorned everything: "Defeated to this extent, why are you still holding onto Xianjin? Let her go, and we can talk properly—you know, before our father died, he forced us to swear an oath, that those surnamed Xu do not kill those surnamed Xu.

"——I won't kill you!"

Emperor Zhaode laughed heartily: "You won't kill me! You won't kill me, but there are plenty behind you who will!—That! That Lord Zhongwu! His eyes are glaring with fury!"

While struggling to breathe, Xianjin glanced downstairs.

Not bad.

Where's the green?

His eyes are a bit red, though.

Emperor Zhaode's words were not denied by Grand Princess Bai'an.

The black horse beneath her took half a step forward.

Grand Princess Bai'an's voice remained loud and clear: "Defeat is like a mountain collapsing, one must accept fate. If one's skills are inferior, then accept it with grace, and in the next life, rise again as a hero."

Emperor Zhaode spat fiercely, "Resign to fate!? Resigning to fate would mean I wouldn't be where I am today! Resign to fate!? I would still be a worm in the mud, not even worthy of a glance from you and the Crown Prince! Resign to fate!? Why don't you resign to fate? Why didn't you stay in the northern frontier to grow old alone, but rushed back to the Capital City as soon as you saw me gradually taking over the court?!"

"To advise others, you must first advise yourself! You've been so high and mighty for so long that you now advise others to resign to fate! Accept lowliness! Accept humiliation! Accept a lifetime of never being able to lift your head!"

Emperor Zhaode was emotionally agitated, unable to control the strength in his hands.

Xianjin was pressed so hard that she rolled her eyes ungracefully.

"Let her go!" Another angry voice rang out from below the fortress.

It was Qiao Hui.

Emperor Zhaode became excited, "Alright! I can let her go!"

Qiao Hui, holding a bow with one hand, rode forward without orders, "As long as you let her go, everything can be negotiated!"

Hidden in the darkness, the towering fortress protected him well, his voice passing through the stone walls, "Can your words be trusted?"

From below the fortress came a loud reply, "Of course they can!"

Emperor Zhaode laughed heartily, "Good! Alright!"

Xianjin clearly felt the hand gripping her throat hesitate, as if after some deliberation, finally seeing the situation clearly, deciding to burn one's bridges.

Emperor Zhaode shouted again, "Let my empress and the third and fourth princes board a ship to sail overseas! I can see the entire sea from here! Eldest sister, issue an edict now to pass the throne to my third son, Ying Tang, upon your death!"

Xianjin was slightly taken aback, unseen.

She thought Emperor Zhaode would demand his own escape...

"I know you will surely kill me! At this point, I have no way to escape! Once I see the ship set sail, I will commit suicide!" Emperor Zhaode laughed, "This young lady will also be released to you, honoring the late emperor's decree that 'the Xu clan does not harm its own.'"

Grand Princess shouted loudly, "Is this true?!"

Emperor Zhaode shouted back, "It is true!"

Sometimes, after living like a worm for too long, one might wish to be a hero. The third and fourth princes were his only legitimate heirs, of noble blood. The other children, though he felt sorry for them, could only blame their own misfortune in birth, not being born from the womb of his principal wife, just like him!

"My arrogant brother, to save his own skin, ditched his concubines and daughters!"

Emperor Zhaode's tone was wild, "In this life, there must be at least one thing I'm better at than him!"

Grand Princess was silent for a long time.

Only the sounds of the night wind and sea waves broke the silence; no one dared to speak.

"Alright!" Grand Princess said!

Emperor Zhaode involuntarily loosened his right arm!

At this moment!

Right now!

In a flash!

A piercing arrow, shot by Qiao Hui, broke through the sky, ambushing, with a dull "thud," extremely accurately piercing through Emperor Zhaode's right shoulder exposed in the firelight!

Emperor Zhaode, caught off balance, released his grip and was thrown backward by the impact!

The glint of steel fell swiftly!

In that split second, Xianjin dropped into a crouch, breaking free from Emperor Zhaode's hold. In the blinding light, as bright as daylight, Xianjin spotted the fallen dagger, snatched it up, sprang to her feet, pivoted, and slashed in one seamless motion!

"Gah! Gah! Gah!"

Emperor Zhaode's eyes bulged in shock as he clawed at his throat, but the blood kept spurting uncontrollably!

Blood sprayed across Xianjin's face. She gasped for breath: "...The angle was off—I couldn't keep the blade steady..."

Emperor Zhaode's hands spasmed, reaching out weakly.

Xianjin batted his hands aside.

"'The Xus don't kill their own'—"

Xianjin gripped the dagger tightly, her eyes steely, her tone even: "Sorry—"

"My name is He."