Chapter 162: Critical Moment

Chapter 162: Critical Moment

"Yes!"

The two maids nodded, opening the main gate. Before leaving, Shen Qiuyu gave A Yuan one last lingering look.

"You should’ve died years ago."

If she had truly drowned five years ago, perhaps she wouldn’t have to endure the pain of burning alive now.

Too bad.

Though regret lingered in Shen Qiuyu’s heart, her expression was triumphant.

She had waited five years to get her revenge herself.

Now, all that remained was for A Yuan and the child in her womb to be burned to ashes. She would then deliver their remains to Wei Xun.

She couldn’t help but wonder how completely broken Wei Xun would be upon receiving them.

Just the thought of it filled Shen Qiuyu with a thrill.

The maids escorted her out before heaving the gates shut with a crash.

Chun Tao lunged for the gates, yanking at them, but the massive bronze doors, weighing hundreds of pounds, were far beyond her strength. Worse still, they had been locked from the outside, leaving the two of them trapped inside to die.

"Young Master, what should we do now?"

The little maid was frantic, her eyes red. She didn’t want to die—and she certainly didn’t want her mistress to die either.

The two little ones were due to arrive soon—they shouldn’t have to face such a fate.

Clutching her sleeves, A Yuan forced herself to stay calm.

Shen Qiuyu wanted her dead, which meant the guards outside would be everywhere. Escaping through the gate was impossible, especially since Shen Qiuyu had ordered the maids to set the fire.

"Check the windows first—see if there’s any way out. Hurry!"

Smoke was already creeping in under the door, leaving them with no time to spare.

Rather than waiting helplessly for death, they had to search for any chance of survival.

"Yes!"

Seeing that A Yuan hadn’t given up, Chun Tao wiped her tears fiercely with her sleeve. "I’ll look!"

The side hall had long fallen into disrepair, its beams and window frames half-rotten.

Smoke billowed in, and the decaying wood caught fire rapidly.

"Cough! Young Master, I can’t see!"

The fire spread like lightning. Before either of them could react, A Yuan, weakened by her pregnancy, inhaled a few mouthfuls of thick smoke, her head spinning.

"Stay low—cover your nose and mouth!"

She had learned how to survive a fire back in the Brocade Pavilion.

The two tore strips from their underclothes, pressing them tight over their faces as they huddled together in the corner, clinging to each other.

They'd avoided the smoke, but there was no way to find an exit now.

The flames in the hall roared higher—they’d all be dead in minutes.

Chun Tao held her mistress up, seeing A Yuan’s face twist in pain before gritting her teeth.

"Wait here, mistress. I’ll find a way!"

Even if it cost her life, she’d save her mistress.

"Chun Tao!"

A Yuan struggled to rise, only to feel dizzy again.

But Chun Tao had already made up her mind, charging straight into the inferno.

......

"Sir, the royal tombs are burning!"

Wei Xun and his men had raced to the edge of the tombs, and at the sight of the thick smoke in the distance, Zhang Feng shouted.

"Has Young General Xie already led his men in?"

But Wei Xun wasn’t buying it. His chest tightened like he was losing something.

The last time he’d felt this way was five years ago, when A Yuan drowned.

He yanked the reins hard. "Speed up!"

Prince Jing might be an idiot, but he hadn’t won over Xie Zheng yet—he wouldn’t dare touch A Yuan.

It was Shen Qiuyu he was worried about.

......

The courtyard of the side hall had been soaked in tung oil, and once the fire started, it wouldn’t stop till nothing was left.

Shen Qiuyu stood outside, watching the raging flames, her face, lit by flames, twisted into something monstrous.

An elderly maid approached to urge her to leave. "My lady, the fire’s getting worse. Your health is delicate—inhaling too much smoke could harm your lungs."

"Hmm."

Shen Qiuyu gave a soft hum, casting a few reluctant glances before following the maid away.

The fire didn’t scare her, but the chaos in the side hall would eventually draw Prince Jing’s attention.

He actually thought he could use A Yuan to threaten Xie Zheng, unaware that Shen Qiuyu had never intended to let A Yuan live.

But Prince Jing was now too preoccupied—Xie Zheng had led his men in an attack.

"The knockout powder! Hurry, spread it!"

Though Prince Jing had many men, they were all worthless idiots. Xie Zheng, desperate to save his sister, moved fast and merciless.

Watching his forces fall one after another, Prince Jing hastily ordered his commander.

The knockout powder was brewed by a sorcerer from the Western Regions—its effects were brutal. The moment it was scattered, the tide of battle turned against the Xie family’s forces.

"They’re drugged! Kill them now!"

No matter how strong Xie Zheng was, he couldn’t withstand the drug—especially since the dose just unleashed was a hundred times stronger than last time.

The leader rubbed his hands together, his expression turning arrogant and smug once more.

"They can’t hold out much longer. Today, we’ll take Young General Xie’s head for His Highness!"

Prince Jing slapped him across the face. "Who said anything about taking heads? I want them all alive!"

Xie Zheng was key to securing the throne—he couldn’t be killed.

"Yes, yes!"

The leader cowered, trembling as he hastily apologized.

Xie Zheng exchanged glances with his soldiers. They’d come prepared this time, holding their breath to avoid inhaling the drug, but its potency was far stronger than before, still affecting them.

They could only hold their breath for so long—they had to end this quickly.

Just as Xie Zheng swung his sword to strike the leader, a voice from Prince Jing’s ranks shouted, "Your Highness, the side palace seems to be on fire!"

Black smoke roiled into the sky in the distance. Others might not know, but they recognized the location—the armory—where Lady Xie was imprisoned.

Prince Jing’s stomach dropped. "Go check, now!"

Xie Zheng was already feeling the drug’s effects, and just when they could have used A Yuan to negotiate, the side palace caught fire.

Prince Jing gritted his teeth. "I knew that snake couldn’t be trusted! Gods damn it!"

It hit him why Shen Qiuyu had been so insistent on taking A Yuan away—she had wanted her dead from the start.

Prince Jing hurriedly led his men away. Xie Zheng tracked their retreat, his eyes narrowing to slits. Though no one had said who was in the side palace, his instincts told him it was A Yuan.

As the flames grew fiercer, Xie Zheng felt powerless.

No longer giving a damn about the drug, he tightened his grip on his sword and charged forward.

If anything happened to his sister, what was the point of living without her?

"X-Xie Zheng, stand down, or I’ll use the drug again!"

The leader was stunned by Xie Zheng and his men’s ferocity. These men fought like hellspawn, enduring the drug’s effects far longer than expected.

As his men dropped like flies, the leader panicked. Ignoring Prince Jing’s orders, he went to toss another handful of powder.

But this time, he failed. Wei Xun’s troops finally caught up.

They threw black masks to the nearest soldiers.

"General Xie, catch!"

With the masks, they no longer feared inhaling the powder. Combined with the reinforcements from the Wei army, their numbers now matched Prince Jing’s forces.

Xie Zheng and his men cut through the enemy like a scythe through wheat. The leader fled, whimpering like a whipped dog, utterly terrified.

"Retreat! Retreat now!"

"General, should we pursue?"

The soldiers burned for vengeance, having never felt such humiliation before. They itched to cut down every last one of them.

But Xie Zheng had no mind for pursuit. Flexing his sore hand, he ordered, "To the fire!"

Side Palace.

......

Chun Tao finally found the exit. Staggering back, she cried, "My lady, we’re saved!"