Chapter 157: Ambush

Chapter 157: Ambushed

The young woman was clearly distraught. Her anguish stabbed at Wei Xun’s heart, and he took her hand in his, squeezing it tight. “Don’t worry—I’ll get him back safe and sound!”

He trusted Xie Zheng—the same man who’d once stormed an enemy camp single-handed and walked away without a scratch. There was no way Prince Jing’s men could have captured him. Something else must have happened.

Wei Xun’s promise only made A Yuan’s eyes well up again. “Thank you, my lord.”

Wei Xun had always hated seeing her cry. Bending down from his saddle, he brushed the tears from the corner of her eye with his thumb.

“You’re a mother now—mind those tears, unless you want two little weepers for children?”

He deliberately lightened the mood with playful words, but with her beloved brother missing and his fate unknown, A Yuan couldn’t summon any joy.

She murmured softly, “I know… The children and I… we’ll be waiting for you.”

Her lowered gaze and the unguarded vulnerability in her heart at this moment said everything. Gripping the reins tightly with one hand, Wei Xun understood the weight of her words.

He nodded solemnly. “Wait for me.”

......

Xie Zheng’s vanishing act rocked the court, and Emperor Chengyuan flew into a rage.

Though the borders were stable, the new year was approaching, and the barbarians were rallying for another attack. Neighboring kingdoms, too, were circling like vultures.

Marquis Wei had never lost a battle, but at his age, Xie Zheng was now the linchpin of the frontier’s defense.

Yet now, he had vanished near the imperial mausoleum. No wonder Emperor Chengyuan was beside himself.

But the worst part? This could only mean Prince Jing had revolted!

Noble Consort Su and the little princess, trapped in the cold palace, listened to the whispers outside until they were half-mad with desperation.

“My Jing’er will save us! He’s the one who should be emperor!”

“Mother…”

Terrified, the little princess huddled in a corner, shaking. Once delicate and lovely, her face was now smudged with dirt, and her fine robes had long been stripped away by the palace maids.

The cold palace had beaten all the pride out of her, and her own mother, who’d once spoiled her rotten, now lashed out at her constantly.

“Don’t be afraid, Sheng’er. Your brother is coming to save us. Soon, you’ll be a princess again, and I—the Empress Dowager!”

Emperor Chengyuan had cast her aside without a second thought. Once free, she would repay him tenfold.

The maids exchanged glances at the crazed laughter and sobs inside. “Should we tell the emperor that Noble Consort Su has gone mad?”

“Ha! Noble Consort Su? She’s nothing but a lunatic now. With Prince Jing rebelling, why would the emperor care? Don’t go making waves.”

They dismissed her ravings as the ramblings of a madwoman. Prince Jing might dream of rebellion, but without weapons or supplies, he stood no chance if the emperor decided to crush him.

The real problem now was finding Xie Zheng.

Meanwhile, the man everyone believed to be missing was hiding in a village near the imperial mausoleum.

“General, Prince Jing’s men have withdrawn. Should we move out?”

“Not yet. Hold position.”

Xie Zheng ordered his subordinates in a low voice, "First, tend to the wounded. Xie Yi must have reached the capital by now, so reinforcements should be en route."

"Yes," the subordinate saluted and left.

Xie Zheng's gaze was icy as he tore a clean strip of white cloth from his undergarment and bandaged the wound on his leg.

Three months ago, he had been ordered to escort Prince Jing to the imperial mausoleum. Though the journey had its challenges, it had been relatively smooth.

But at the border of the mausoleum, a group of bandits suddenly appeared, wielding razor-sharp blades. Each carried powder that, when scattered by the wind, sapped the soldiers' strength.

The bandits struck too quickly, leaving no time for preparation.

If not for his troops' valor, they would have been slaughtered.

Still, Xie Zheng wasn't spared.

Prince Jing, watching the Xie family's army falter, taunted with a sneer, "Hahaha! So this is the famed General of the Valiant Cavalry—*is this all you've got?*"

With a dismissive wave, the prince signaled, and the bandit leader knelt respectfully behind him. "Master."

"My training wasn't wasted on you."

Prince Jing was smug. If his men could defeat Xie Zheng, the throne would be his for the taking.

But he forgot—Xie Zheng's soldiers had fought bloody battles at the border. Each was a hardened killer who pushed through even under the influence of drugs.

"General?"

Swords in hand, they awaited Xie Zheng's command.

Prince Jing had secretly forged weapons and amassed troops—treasonous acts. But since this had not yet been reported to Emperor Chengyuan, they hesitated to strike.

Xie Zheng had also been drugged, but being closer to Prince Jing, he had inhaled less. Seeing the hesitation in his men's eyes, his face hardened. "Fight your way out!"

At his words, the soldiers surged forward like berserkers. As the drug took effect, they cut themselves to fight off the haze. Pain drove out the numbness, and the bandits—pampered with feasts but lacking real combat skills—were no match for these battle-hardened warriors.

"Charge!"

With fierce cries, the soldiers raised their swords and struck, lopping off heads.

Prince Jing, who had been gloating moments ago, went pale at the sudden reversal.

"Xie Zheng! How dare you kill my men!"

Clenching his fists in fury, he glared. Xie Zheng cast him a disdainful glance.

No surprise that even when Su Quan held immense power and Noble Consort Su enjoyed imperial favor, the throne had eluded him. A fool and a coward like him—how could Emperor Chengyuan ever entrust him with the empire?

"Your Highness already sought my life—did you think I'd just roll over and die?" He scoffed, then seized the bandit leader standing before Prince Jing.

"Order your men to retreat, or this man dies!"

His men were running out of time. He had to break the stalemate quickly.

"You—!" Prince Jing was livid, but seeing the terrified leader in Xie Zheng's grip, he caved.

"Fall back! All of you, fall back!"

He wanted Xie Zheng dead, but he feared these fearless warriors even more.

They're drugged anyway, so they can't get far—they'll come crawling back eventually.

Prince Jing glared furiously as Xie Zheng led his men away. He turned and slapped the leader across the face. "Useless! All of you are useless!"

"My lord," Shen Qiuyu said, "I have a way to subdue Xie Zheng."

She lifted the carriage curtain and stepped down. Despite the blazing sun, she wore a fox fur over her shoulders. Her once-rounded face had grown thin and angular, and her eyes seemed to bulge unnaturally.

Prince Jing looked at her with disgust. "What could *you* possibly do?"

He had always felt nothing but contempt for Shen Qiuyu. He had taken her in only because she was Wei Xun's fiancée—keeping her around as a plaything. Her plain and unremarkable appearance had never interested him.

Now that she was no longer useful, Prince Jing disliked her even more.

Shen Qiuyu knew this well, but she had nowhere left to retreat.

She pulled her fox fur tighter around her shoulders, wincing as her whip scars throbbed with every movement.

"Xie Zheng cares most about his sister. If we capture A Yuan, he'll have to give in!" she said.