Inside Di Jing City, a mansion of high status, its gates were tightly shut. Inside, lamps burned brightly, and household guards armed with weapons stood ready. Upon hearing footsteps outside, they perked up their ears, gripping their weapons tighter, their palms sweating from sheer exertion. Yet, none dared to lower their arms; tonight was destined to be a turbulent one. If they dropped their weapons, they might not see the sun rise tomorrow.
"Knock, knock, knock." A rapping sound came from outside the gate. Those inside the mansion flinched.
"Who is it?"
"Her Majesty the Empress has an order, commanding Duke Chen and his wife to enter the palace for the New Year banquet."
The Duchess of Chen swallowed hard and looked at the old servant beside her. The servant stepped forward quickly, "My young lady has unfortunately met her demise. His Lordship, overcome with grief, has fallen ill and is bedridden. Her Ladyship has also refused food for several days and is in extremely poor health, unable to attend the banquet. Please convey our apologies to Her Majesty the Empress. Once His Lordship and Her Ladyship have recovered, they will personally call upon the palace to confess their fault."
The guard outside the gate frowned, "Duke Chen and his wife are both ill?"
"Indeed, they are. The physician visits daily. They have taken their medicine and are asleep. We beg for your understanding, sir."
"Open the gate. I must see for myself before I report back to Her Majesty the Empress."
The old servant looked to the Duchess of Chen, awaiting her instructions. Seeing the Duchess shake her head, the servant immediately said, "Our masters are all ill in the household. We, the servants, have no authority. It is late, sir, please return. We can discuss matters tomorrow."
"Are you defying an order?"
The old servant understood that today's matter could not be resolved peacefully. She immediately advised the Duchess of Chen to return to her chambers, to avoid being harmed in any potential conflict. After all, with the Duke absent, any harm befalling the Duchess would be difficult to explain.
"It is not that we are defying orders, it is truly that our masters have commanded that no one be disturbed. Sir, please return."
"Those who defy orders shall be killed without mercy. Guards, break down the gate!" Seeing that Duke Chen's mansion refused to open, the guards outside immediately ordered their men to ram the gate. The household guards inside held the gate, doing their utmost to prevent the intruders from entering.
Such scenes were unfolding one after another outside the mansions of court officials who had not attended the palace banquet. Some, unaware of the situation, opened their gates and were immediately apprehended. Others, having received word, kept their gates shut. However, with their households depleted, they were no match for the guards and their gates were quickly breached, leading them to become prisoners.
Fires flared throughout the city, and sounds of slaughter were incessant. Outside the mansions of Prince Qin, Prince Chu, Prince Qi, and Prince Zhao, guards were especially numerous. However, these guards merely surrounded the mansions, preventing anyone from leaving, but dared not charge in. After all, royal residences were not like ordinary mansions; every prince had his own life-saving trump cards. Charging in rashly would be suicidal!
"Father, will this farce be over before dawn?" Princess He An, Nan Gong Xue, asked with deep concern.
The Duke of Zhao and his wife sat motionlessly on the main seats. If the Empress won, they would certainly not fare well. After all, he had unhesitatingly betrayed the Crown Prince. Now, they could only pray for the Crown Prince's downfall. Whichever of the other princes ascended the throne, the Duke of Zhao's mansion would not face annihilation.
"We wait. The outcome will likely be revealed soon."
The Empress's people were searching the palace for the Emperor and Xiao Man's whereabouts. Unexpectedly, their own ranks erupted into infighting. No one knew who had struck down the person beside them. The once united guards suddenly descended into chaos, as no one dared to trust those around them, for no one knew if the person beside them was truly an ally!
The red ribbons tied to their left arms could no longer help them distinguish friend from foe. Their only recourse was to kill anyone who intended to approach them!
An army, powerful as it may be, is not easily broken from the outside. However, if attacked from within, even the strongest army can quickly disintegrate.
The Imperial Guards had, without anyone noticing, infiltrated the Empress's retinue. At an opportune moment, they instigated infighting. Even though the Empress's forces were numerous, they could not withstand such attrition.
Jiang Yao, hidden among the guards, directed his men, launching one surprise attack after another. They had to dismantle the Empress's forces in the shortest possible time, open the palace gates, and allow the army outside to enter and reinforce the Emperor!
A small, slender figure approached Jiang Yao stealthily, dispatching the Empress's guards near him one by one. Jiang Yao merely glanced at the slender guard before continuing to command his men.
When the slender guard reached Jiang Yao's side, fighting back-to-back with him, a flicker of admiration crossed Jiang Yao's eyes, "Young brother, what is your name? Which detachment do you belong to?"
"My name is Luo Yan, and I belong to the Fourth Detachment," the slender guard replied swiftly.
"When this is over, I'll promote you to the First Detachment."
"Thank you, Commander." Following the incident involving Consort Xian, the commander of the Imperial Guards resigned in self-reproach. Jiang Yao rose from deputy commander to commander, now in charge of the Imperial Guards.
"You have the makings of a soldier," Jiang Yao praised. "You show no mercy to the enemy."
"Thank you for your praise, Commander." The slender guard's left hand produced a dagger, which he suddenly thrust behind him. The dagger, incredibly sharp, pierced Jiang Yao's armor and struck him precisely in the heart!
Blood trickled from Jiang Yao's lips. He seemed incredulous that he had been ambushed by a small, slender guard, "You... Who exactly are you?"
"When the cicadas sing, the setting sun descends; when Tian Gan emerges, Yama claims his due!"
Jiang Yao's eyes widened in terror. He tried desperately to turn his head to look at the person behind him, to verify his inner suspicions. However, he could no longer do so. His body stood rigid in place, his eyes wide open, showing only the whites, a horrifying sight.
The slender figure had vanished at some point. The battle was not yet over, and no one noticed that their commander had already breathed his last.
The slender figure disappeared behind a rockery. A mask was torn off and tossed to the ground. Xiao Man changed into a eunuch's robe, disguised herself as a young eunuch, and vanished into the crowd of fleeing eunuchs, leaving no trace.
Chaos erupted within the palace. The Empress and the Crown Prince were like ants on a hot pan. They decided to take all the noble ladies and daughters from Xing Qing Palace to Gan Qing Hall, forcing the ministers in Gan Qing Hall to yield and acknowledge the Crown Prince as the legitimate new emperor!
Civil and military officials, some cried and begged for mercy, some were fearless in the face of death, some spilled blood on the spot, and some knelt for their lives. In the face of death, even those who appeared most dignified in normal times tore off their false masks and prostrated themselves at the feet of the Crown Prince, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"
The Emperor, hidden by Xiao Man in the great cauldron in the rear hall, watched the farce unfold through the intricate patterns of the cauldron. He watched as those who claimed to be loyal subjects knelt before the Empress and the Crown Prince, proclaiming "Long live our Emperor." The Emperor felt as if he had swallowed a dead mouse, a lump stuck in his throat.