The night in Jinling was an endless night, a place where day and night seemed to indistinguishable. By day, Jinling was dignified and elegant; by night, it was enchanting and captivating.
Orioles sang and dancers twirled amidst fiery blossoms and silver lights, mingled with laughter and cheers, as if Jinling's nights were eternally tireless.
Suddenly, a brilliant Red Spider Lily bloomed in the night sky, as crimson as blood, and as magnificent as could be. Those who noticed the fireworks blooming in the night sky immediately called out to their friends.
“Quick, come see! They’re setting off fireworks outside.”
Everyone gathered by the windows, gazing at the fireworks exploding in the sky, their eyes filled with astonishment. “Such large fireworks, I wonder whose house is setting them off. It must be expensive.”
“Can ordinary people afford to set off fireworks?” someone immediately chuckled. “Those who can afford fireworks wouldn’t care about a little money.”
Moments later, fireworks rose everywhere in the sky, as if responding to that colossal bloom. On the canvas of the heavens, one bloomed, then another, forming a resplendent ocean of fireworks, akin to the sea of Higanbana beside the Sanzu River.
Xiahou Ying leaped onto the rooftop, watching the dazzling fireworks ignite the sky, his face ashen. “It’s starting, it’s starting!”
Elder General Xiahou stood under the eaves, gazing at the blooming fireworks with a solemn expression. After a long pause, he slowly said, “What must come will come; it cannot be avoided.”
Xiahou Ying turned and leaped down from the rooftop, standing before the old general. “Father, what should I do?”
“The Xiahou family is loyal to the imperial family, loyal to His Majesty. There are no cowards among the sons of the Xiahou family,” Elder General Xiahou said, his eyelids drooping. “But you are not among them.”
“Father, am I not a member of the Xiahou family?”
“The one you swore allegiance to from the very beginning was not the imperial family, nor His Majesty, but Du Gu Man.” General Xiahou turned away. “Tomorrow, pack your belongings and leave Jinling.”
“Father, do you think your son can escape?” Xiahou Ying asked, looking at the old general’s retreating back. “Will His Majesty allow me to leave? Will the Empress Dowager allow me to leave the city of Jinling? Even if I were alone, I could not abandon this entire family and flee Jinling to live a life of shame.”
The old general sighed. Was the Xiahou family destined to be extinguished?
“Young man, if the Empress Dowager intends to kill His Majesty, what will you do?”
Xiahou Ying remained silent. The old general knew his son’s disposition. Now that Empress Dowager Du Gu had returned, those hidden forces were responding, like stones being thrown to shake the mountains. Their purpose was to make His Majesty tremble, and to instill fear in those who had betrayed her in the past.
“If you can’t make up your mind, then leave, lest you become a burden to me,” the old general snorted. “When it comes to Du Gu Man, you’ll probably go weak in the knees.”
“Father, I have met her. My legs did not go weak. If she had intended to kill me, I would be dead already.”
Elder General Xiahou paused his steps, then continued to walk away. Du Gu Man was a complex person, ruthless, yet not entirely so. If she were truly a malevolent individual, the Du Gu family would not have met such a fate of complete annihilation.
“A strong wind blows the ancient moon, stealing the glory of Zhanghua Terrace. The North Star moves with radiance, and southern war generals are like clouds and thunder…” General Xiahou chanted a poem, gradually walking away.
Xiahou Ying hung his head, silent. The Xiahou family had been loyal generations; would it truly end in his hands alone?
“Yin Feng.”
Xiahou Ying turned sharply, but saw no one. Cold sweat immediately beaded on his forehead, his heart pounding like a drum. He searched everywhere, but found no trace of anyone.
“Who’s there? Come out!”
Yet the night was cool and thin, and besides the gentle rustling of leaves, there was nothing. It was as if it were just his imagination.
“Yin Feng.”
This time, Xiahou Ying clearly heard someone calling his name. He quickly turned around, still seeing no figure, but he knew this was not his imagination. Someone was indeed calling his name.
Unable to find anyone, Xiahou Ying closed his eyes, concentrating on sensing his surroundings. But he found nothing. Besides himself, there was no one else in this courtyard.
“Your Majesty, is it you?”
Besides the sound of the wind rustling the leaves, there was no other sound, and no one responded to Xiahou Ying. He couldn’t help but frown. Could it really be his imagination?
“Yin Feng.”
“Your Majesty!” Xiahou Ying turned around excitedly and saw Qu Yang looking at him with a bewildered expression.
“Yin Feng, did you see her?”
“No.” Xiahou Ying continued to look around, as if truly searching for Du Gu Man’s whereabouts. Qu Yang couldn’t help but look around too. “What, are you seeing ghosts?”
“Why are you here at this time?” Xiahou Ying withdrew his gaze and asked casually.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t see the Red Spider Lily blooming in the night sky.” Qu Yang was filled with worry. He was still concerned about Xiao Man taking advantage of the situation, and now the remnants of Empress Dowager Du Gu’s faction were becoming increasingly active. His Majesty had also been attacked and was in a coma. All these matters seemed to be piling up. Even he felt uneasy.
“I saw it.”
“Any thoughts?” Qu Yang inquired.
“The creditors have arrived. It’s time to pay the debts,” Xiahou Ying said unhurriedly. “You pay money for money owed. For a life taken, how does one repay it?”
“Xiahou Ying, at a time like this, you still have the mood to joke.”
“Do I look like I’m joking?” Xiahou Ying asked earnestly.
Qu Yang was both amused and exasperated. “Xiahou Ying, don’t forget, the Xiahou clan consists of loyal martyrs. Are you, Xiahou Ying, going to be the disloyal and unrighteous one?”
“What is disloyalty and unrighteousness?” Xiahou Ying asked softly. “When the birds are gone, the good bow is put away. When the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked. After using someone, they are cast aside, their entire family exterminated. Is that not disloyalty?”
“Xiahou, you…”
“Persecuting loyal and brave soldiers, is that unrighteous?”
“Xiahou, let the past be the past.”
“Is it past?” Xiahou Ying sneered. “In my eyes, those events are as vivid as if they happened yesterday. They were loyal and brave warriors of Yun Qi. For Yun Qi, they spilled their blood and sacrificed their lives, only to end up with their heads severed from their bodies. Qu Yang, tell me, when will I suffer the same fate as them?” Su Dan Novel Network
“You are different from them,” Qu Yang said calmly. “We were His Majesty’s companions in study, growing up together since childhood, with an extraordinary bond.”
“Qu Yang, weren’t Yi Han and Bai Li also His Majesty’s companions in study? Yet they died without so much as a ripple. Xiahou Ying turned away, his back to Qu Yang. “My heart is cold. I know that one day, I will meet the same end as them, but I can only walk this path to the bitter end.”
Qu Yang fell silent. Accompanying a ruler is like accompanying a tiger. No one knows when they might anger that slumbering beast. An emperor’s wrath can lead to a million deaths. Before imperial power, they were nothing!