Chapter 70
Queen at day, concubine at night
Flashbacks from the war...
The drums began to roll, the sound of death rumbling from the ground, making everyone's heart surrender to either fear or courage.
Wei's Battalion Army ground commander calmly shouted into the air to release the flaming arrows to the far side. Like a million-fire rain, they landed and burned down their own shields, setting ablaze the uniforms of Wei's frontlines.
After millions of flaming arrows reached the far side, the archers stepped back and exchanged positions to bring forth ancient explosives and blasting weapons, aiming to annihilate at least thirty percent of Prince Yuan Yang's troops. The flammable fireballs and gun-like weapons were set like artillery to destroy the deserted defenders of the Great Summer Empire.
Like a large-scale landmine, the dramatic artillery sent their own troops to hell. Once ignited with a fuse, they immediately exploded, sounding like thunder, deafening the soldiers, and filling the air with smoke as their front liners collapsed.
Yuan Che, determined to uproot the King termite of Wei's empire, gave the signal to release the fireballs, causing massive damage to his troops on the west wing.
More than 9,000 soldiers were killed.
Afterward, Prince Yuan Yang, knowing his brother's tactics and strategies, found that Prince Yuan Che did not expect his brother's latest weapon of war.
Looking at Yuan Yang's frontlines swept with black smoke and dead bodies, another round of archers fired small cannons, reminiscent of Judas firecrackers, which were thick and thin and contained in jars. Yuan Yang's troops mounted a fuse at the jar's mouth and lit the bow. When the other side's line of defense was hit, the canisters exploded.
The fierce fire spread, and the sizzling sound sent the Seventh Prince into a panic, watching as their first line of defense was blown away.
Many bodies flew into the air, creating several massive holes in the defensive lines. Confused troops clustered together, withdrawing from their positions, while some dropped dead in an instant.
The estimated death toll was between 5,000 and 8,000 soldiers killed instantly.
Marching sounds were heard from a distance. Bones trembled as the Qinghai troops' silver iron uniforms clanged with every step they took.
They walked valiantly in a reversed U-shaped formation and quickly captured the Qinghai Prince and the Yan Queen as prisoners.
Yue Qi tapped Zuo and passed him a wooden piece as a sign of authority. They moved away from the battlefield, with Xiao Yu looking at the distant figure of the Yan King. Her hands were tied, and she pleaded, "Mercy, spare some mercy."
For some reason, Yan Xun paralyzed his powerful army while the allied Wei troops destroyed their own uniforms and shields. Endless black smoke spread in the air, and from afar, the sound of blasts echoed, while the heavy smell of sulfur and charcoal filled the muddy battlefield.
Yan Xun, holding the dying face of Chu Qiao, whispered, "Say a word, and I will surrender this thousand-strong army for you..." His hands were covered in blood, and Chu Qiao, barely able to breathe, murmured, "You don't have to do anything. It all ends here."
From a distance, Viper shed a single tear, which fell to the ground and violently shook the earth, as the blood of Xia Chong continued to spill.
There was nothing she could do to save one of the Jianghu underworld spies. Viper took something from her pocket and blew it into the wind, saying, "This is not the end, it is just the beginning. Thank you for your life, sister. May we meet again in another life."
Yan Xun shouted and cried hard in the rain. Just as when he had lost his family in a day, he now lost everything once again, holding the lifeless body of Chu Qiao.
For a long time, he cried until his tears ran dry, his body trembling from blood loss. No one dared to approach him without his command.
Zhong Yu, understanding the world's anguish, defied battlefield protocols and bravely stepped in front of the devastated Yan King, who suddenly passed out on the battlefield.
Other Yan generals gathered around their King and carried the two bodies from the muddy earth, while the Qinghai troops watched them wave white flags of withdrawal and sounded their gongs.
The Seventh Prince heard the gongs from afar and thought they had won the battle, believing victory was theirs. But then a Wei scout foot soldier reported:
"The Wei crown princess died in the battle, and the Yan King has withdrawn his troops. Your Highness, what is your next command?"
Prince Yuan Yang, after receiving the ground report, said, "I can smell the split of an empire. Everyone should retreat and await my command!"
All Wei troops under Yuan Yang followed the Yanbei military, seen marching, packing their saddles, and retreating to the far north.
Viper raced through secret paths as though competing with the Blackguard leader, Princess Zama, and reached Yanbei's capital.
With the Yan King and Queen away from their kingdom, dread had fallen upon their land.
Many people suffered as the five strongest Blackguard spies were deployed, turning the landmass into a minefield of human flesh. The smell of poison filled the air, emanating from cobra snakes slithering across the ground. Strangled bodies hung from every tree and building, blind people wandered the empty streets, and slumbering children never woke up. Cicadas filled the air with a deafening sound, confusing the few survivors. But one spy was missing the honey spy was nowhere to be found.
Like a doomed stretch of land, Yanbei could no longer be called the land of freedom.
Viper had defended and spared the remaining cities like Beisuo and Hong Chuan, saving the few populations that remained. She battled four of the five Blackguard onslaughts, standing as the only underworld spy looking after the welfare of the people.
Suddenly, a man in a divine Hanfu dress, with long black hair like ink and calm, compassionate eyes, came to her aid. He uttered, "I cannot let you do this alone." Wu Dao Ya sliced through the necks of the cobras flying over the damned place.
Viper said, "You're welcome, Master Wu. This isn't your first time!"
Wu Dao Ya replied, "I missed the last time!"
While chopping off another cobra's head, Viper said, "Then we'll work twice as hard as yesterday!"
Wu Dao Ya smiled. "I guess so. See you later; we've got work to do!"
Viper nodded, and Wu Dao Ya disappeared from sight.
Princess Zama, possessing some kind of mortal corruptness, said, "I can sense some stench of resistance in this place."
A man in dark blue, with long sleeves, hair, and a white Hanfu dress, said, "The last time I checked, you turned this place to ashes. What is a little resistance against your strong abilities and doomsday powers?"
Princess Zama replied, "The problem with a grass dynasty is that after you uproot it and burn it, it grows back again."
The man responded, "You must understand, the blade of grass is the work of the stars."
Meanwhile, Viper, with her head bowed, stood drenched in the rain, raindrops dripping from her fingers. Standing in the middle of a grassy, snowy road, she suddenly sensed two warm bodies crossing her path.
Her whip began to glow steadily, lighting up the dark. Her eyes turned black, a mask seemed to paint itself over her face, her pupils magnified. At first glance, one couldn't tell if she was an angel of death or an angel of light.
On the far side, a woman, dressed in pitch-black clothes with bloodstained hands holding a long sickle, sprinkled blood on the ground as her eyes flashed. The man beside her looked familiar as he attacked Viper's meridians. Viper suddenly lost her balance and was forced to take a knee.
Viper's knees, soft like the grass, buckled as she saw the man staring at her with disgust. Exhausting her last bit of strength and coughing blood, she softly but coldly whispered, "Sand Drizzle Master…"
Viper gasped for breath as her meridians slowed down.
Princess Zama watched Viper's strength decline, her weakness controlled by Dong Fangyi, who was dressed in a dark wizard costume. Uncovering his dark blue hood, he revealed his face and said, "You never forget."
Viper, coughing more blood, exclaimed, "And you never learn!"
"Yanbei is doomed. Why do you fight so hard?" Dong Fangyi spoke calmly as he doubled his powers to control Viper.
Suddenly, snakes slithered onto the snowy, grassy road, ready to strike, but Viper cracked her whip. A blast of light flipped the ground, and the snakes melted like ice.
Princess Zama was impressed, but Dong Fangyi reassured her, "Do not worry. It is a desperate act of an underworld spy."
Zama scratched the ground with her nails, summoning more snakes to attack. She sneered, "You're human after all. Where is your master now?"
Just when Viper was about to die, Wu Dao Yao, like a midnight raven, fierce, protective, sacred, and wise, swooped in to purge the old and filthy, attacking Dong Fangyi.
Sounds of swords clashing and extraordinary martial arts swept the area as dust filled the air. A man was pinned to the ground.
Meanwhile, Viper regained her strength, her meridians flowing once again, and she stopped coughing blood. Zama, watching her closely, came to attack her with her spear sickle.
Viper leaped twice, and without warning, a cold presence engulfed her, eyes and lips like hell, ready to send Zama back to where she belonged.
Zama turned around and quickly grabbed Viper's whip, but her long fingernails burned as the whip changed form and ignited with fire.
Both men looked at the spreading flames. Wu Dao Ya, calm and composed, was about to finish Dong Fangyi when the latter countered his sword strike.
As Viper's power intensified, the two men felt the fire slowly consume them. Their mortal bodies burned, and the last thing they wanted to witness was their own bodies engulfed in hellfire.
Wu Dao Yao broke off his fight with Dong Fangyi, who fled with Zama from the advancing flames.
Wu Dao Ya knew that after such a display of power, the underworld spy would lose control and potentially her life in the fight. He sat in a Zen position, called for rain to douse the fire, and hummed in peace.
The only untouched spots were where Viper stood and where Wu Dao Ya sat. Meanwhile, Dong Fangyi and Zama vanished into secret paths.
The grasslands of Yanbei burned fiercely. From a distance, black smoke rose into the air, turning the land into a desolate place.
Viper's whip extinguished like a blown-out candle. Like a leaf, her body collapsed onto the ground just as the thin raindrops began to fall.
Recap of the Liang Empire…
While Northern Yan was engulfed in flames, Wei sat comfortably in their courts, and the Qinghai Empire sharpened their blades, Southern Liang experienced several nights of coups.
Empress Yuan, leading the sudden overthrow of the imperial government, executed her plan by ordering General Sui, the Duke of Liang, and Prince Lou's cavalrymen to attack the seventh and eighth prefectures, forcing Governor Sun Di to withdraw and abandon his strongholds.
However, Sun Di, anticipating this outcome, had already planned a counter-attack. With the help of Interim Emperor Xiao Ce, Sun Di wiped out the sixth stronghold prefecture and seized the rebellious armies.
As they advanced towards the fifth prefecture, General Sui did not expect Sun Di's reinforcements, brought by thousands of Xuili soldiers under his command. The fifth prefecture was ransacked and set ablaze, leaving only ruins. Some soldiers who surrendered were spared.
Continuing their push toward the fourth prefecture, Sun Di's strategy slowed down the cavalry. He Xiao, temporarily taking command, ordered the forces to press on to avoid losing their progress.
He commanded both the Xuili and Tang armies to attack and lay siege to the fourth prefecture, rescuing over 10,000 civilians caught in the middle of the fighting.
A pontoon bridge, the only link between the fourth and third prefectures, was set on fire by General Sui's finest archers, delaying the Xuili and Tang armies' entry into Daoming Palace, the capital of Southern Liang.
Many Xuili soldiers pursuing the enemy drowned, marking another casualty for the renowned Firefox soldiers. The first prefecture was closed off, leaving the second and third prefectures isolated in the middle.
The situation in Daoming Palace worsened following the attempted assassination of the interim Emperor. Chu Qiao saved him but remained in a coma for nearly a month. Amid Southern Liang's civil unrest, Xiao Ce uncovered the truth about his mother, the first Empress Lu Zhi.
With Empress Yuan struggling to retain power, she challenged the capital's ministers, scholars, and scribes, demanding that the imperial law be amended to support Prince Lou's enthronement and to abandon Xiao Ce.
Empress Yuan even attempted to kill Xiao Ce's two royal sons, and Zhan Ziming, pregnant with the third heir, was imprisoned on fabricated charges.
Zhan Ziming became the suspect in the interim Emperor's failed assassination. However, Sun Di uncovered the truth: it was Empress Yuan who had conspired to assassinate the Emperor.
Empress Lu Zhi, the true grandmother of Xiao Ce's two sons, intervened and took custody of the royal children. Master Xie Tai Shan was recalled to his royal position as their protector and defender while Xiao Ce sought to punish their mother and step-grandmother.
Years passed, and the first Empress Lu Zhi, who had remained in a precarious position, eventually returned to Liang's palace courts to wear the Fengguan Dowager crown once more.
This marked the end of Empress Yuan's reign. Xiao Ce, out of love and mercy for the woman who had raised him, spared her from public execution. Instead, he decreed her exile to the royal Tan Jing temple, forbidding her from returning to the capital for the rest of her days.
This was the second time Empress Yuan was exiled to the same place, where she had once been ordered to live as a nun before Emperor Tang took her as his concubine.
She could not accept her fate, one that had been written in the stars long ago, and so she began plotting new coups and attempted to escape the palace with the help of General Sui and her son, Prince Lou.
However, Prince Lou had no intention of harming the brother he cherished and loved.
As events unfolded, Empress Yuan revealed to Prince Lou that Xiao Ce was not his real brother but his enemy for the Liang throne.
Adding further injury, she claimed that the late King of Liang had assassinated their brothers and forced their father to abdicate the throne, seizing power for himself and becoming Emperor by force.
At first, Prince Lou didn't believe these stories. He went to General Sui for confirmation. When he still couldn't accept it, he ran away and traveled far.
At the Tanjing temple, he visited A'Fu's grave and spoke with some of his father's concubines, who had been forced to live there as nuns. They confirmed Empress Yuan's story.
The truth was that King Tang and Prince Lou were equals if seen as brothers, not as father and son.
However, due to Empress Yuan's vicious ways, Prince Lou was now caught in a difficult position. Whether his mother intervened or not, his status should have remained equal to the late King Tang. But as long as Prince Lou remained a threat to the throne, his life would always be at risk if Empress Yuan hadn't seized her golden opportunity to rise to power.
Later, Empress Yuan said, "The gates of empires cannot be knocked with faint hearts. They must be knocked with bold hearts."
After some time, Sun Di sent word to Xiao Ce via a bird courier that, out of eight prefectures, only two remained as hostile territory.
Xiao Ce also learned that his deposed stepmother, Empress Yuan, was the primary source of strength and support for these hostile territories, providing them with food and military supplies.
Together with Prince Lou and his uncle, General Sui, they continued to pose a fierce and threatening rebellion, immersing themselves in the pot of insurrection.
Outside Liang's First Prefecture
Sharp Watcher-Archers stand ready to shoot anything that moves or creeps across the surface of the soil. This became the first line of defense against defectors and renegade troop leaders.
Xiao Ce implemented a strict policy: no one leaves to tell, and no one dies without first giving up useful information for military strategy and tactics.
He ordered the royal guards to close the borders, making it harder for the trapped military battalions inside the second and third prefectures.
Despite numerous attempts to send spies to gather information or supplies for their camps, the enemy's efforts always failed.
Xiao Ce, ever cunning, built traps around the walls to ensure that everything was deadly and unforgiving.
This applied equally to assassins who dared to approach the Emperor's gate. The order was simple: shoot to kill. Whether it was animal or human, it was considered already dead.
Meanwhile, Sun Di, recovering from his wounds, did not rest or sleep.
Instead, he gathered a group of builders and ordered them to scout the mountainous terrain and construct another pontoon bridge, hidden from sight.
The bridge was meant to provide an alternative route across the rocky river that divided the two territories.
It took six months to complete the project, but it proved to be a dangerous passage. Every time Sun Di ordered his soldiers to cross it, some fell from the cliffs, making it almost impossible for anyone to pass due to the steep trails and rocky landscape.
Sun Di later concluded that the route could not guarantee safe passage for thousands of troops.
On Yuwen Yue's Recovery…
"Master, please wake up, it's time for your medicine."
Yuwen Yue, recovering from a severe back wound, leaned against his bed and drank the concoction prepared by Zao Baoccung.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his back, causing Yuwen Yue to cry out quietly. Yue Qi, looking concerned, asked, "Master, are you alright?"
"Yue Qi, do you have anything to do? I'm fine," Yuwen Yue replied.
After drinking his medicine, Yuwen Yue gazed out the window at the beautiful wetland terraces. It had been two months since he escaped the bloody battle.
"Can you please call Zuo?" Yuwen Yue asked.
Yue Qi nodded. "Sure, Master, please rest."
Yuwen Yue, now regaining more of his strength, was able to stand and walk straight. He took something from his table and sat on a chair, waiting for Zuo.
Zuo entered, bowed, and said, "Master brother, what can I do for you?"
Yuwen Yue asked, "What is the situation? How bad is it?"
Yuwen Yue knew that Xia Chong had died at the hands of Xiao Yu while defending him. It was both sad and enlightening, he thought.
Although Yuwen Yue managed to save Prince Zaru, he couldn't stop the war between Yanbei and Wei, nor could Xiao Ce, who had agreed to help but failed. However, Yuwen Yue did manage to stop Princess Zama by sending a message via arrow to Wu Dao Ya and Longyi Guan Mountains to assist Viper in her mission to stop the Black Seal.
Yuwen Yue had met Wu Dao Ya on his way to the Woolong Mountains after the ice lake tragedy. They both studied under the same Master, gaining wisdom in their shared journey.
While they enjoyed each other's company, they had different views regarding Yan Xun.
Zuo Zong replied, "Prince Yuan Yang and Prince Yuan Che have split Wei's military strength, while Crown Prince Yuan Song grieves Xia Chong's death."
Viper visited Yuan Song, restoring his senses as he remembered Xia Chong's last words. He knew Xia Chong wasn't Chu Qiao, but he still mourned without the proper royal burial after Yan Xun took Xia Chong's body and buried it somewhere in the Xui Xui Mountains. Both empires grieved her untimely death, while everyone believed she was Chu Qiao, the Queen of Yanbei, who is still waiting for your Highness to speak with her.
Back in Wei, after the palace protocols took effect, the first concubine replaced Xia Chong to comfort Yuan Song. But problems surfaced when Prince Ra Zheng noticed the Imperial Concubine Xiao Ba...
Zuo paused.
Yuwen Yue then asked, "What about my brothers? How are they?"
Zuo responded, "While the Wei Empire grieved the sudden death of their crown princess, Ra Zhun and Ra Zheng paid their respects at the empty coffin. A royal envoy from the East sent their condolences and inquired about your Highness. The Emperor explained that you had left earlier, while the two princes remained behind to enjoy their vacation in Beijing, where wine and women abound."
Yuan Song's Rebellion
Yuan Song, in denial and anger over Xia Chong's death, began plotting a rebellion against the Emperor.
The Wei Emperor, expecting this, had already planned for the consequences. He said to Wei Guang, "Chu Qiao is dead by their hands. I have won. It is beyond repair and will bring eternal agony."
Wei Guang immediately summoned the Wei valve elders and palace ministers, who voted for Xiao Ba to become the next Imperial Concubine, attending to the needs of the 13th Prince and attempting to stabilize the empire, which had descended into depression and political strife.
The repercussions weren't fully realized until the 13th Prince began to display hostility toward Shen Jin Gong. He no longer believed in the values he had been taught, instead seeking to kill anyone involved in Xia Chong's death, suspecting that Xiao Ba was complicit.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ba, followed by hundreds of palace maids, walked through the halls. Though she didn't hold the same status as Chu Qiao in the Wei Empire, she became the most revered concubine in Wei, destined to produce an heir for the crown prince.
Yuan Song, with a smirk, said, "So, you've finally reached your dreams?"
Xiao Ba, head bowed before the crown prince, remained silent and innocent, offering no response.
Her heart ached deeply, tears welling in her eyes as she understood Yuan Song's grief.
Yuan Song, his eyes cold and uninviting, took Xiao Ba by force and threw her onto the Imperial bed. "Don't expect me to treat you like I treated the crown princess. After all, you were just a slave, a woman who warmed filthy beds in the brothels!"
Xiao Ba was stunned by Yuan Song's words. She hadn't expected him to bring up her painful past as a prostitute in the streets of Liang.
Yuan Song didn't understand what had happened to her after Chu Qiao's ice lake tragedy and her sister Xiao Qi. They had been living in Yanbei's camps when unknown men, disguised as Prince Xiao Ce's royal guards, kidnapped them to save them from Prince Yan Xun's threat.
Without Chu Qiao's sisters' consent, they were violently kidnapped, tricked, and sold to a group of bandits running a brothel in Liang.
Xiao Qi had fallen ill for nearly a year, leaving Xiao Ba to care for both herself and her sister. Starting as a waitress at the brothel, Xiao Ba worked tirelessly, day and night, without pay.
Over time, men began to notice her fair skin and beauty.
They started offering money in exchange for her company and pleasure. At first, Xiao Ba struggled against her fate, bearing daily whippings from the bandits. She had no other options and no way to save her ailing sister.
One day, in despair but with a strong mind, she accepted her fate. Xiao Ba could still remember those dark days as she recalled her memories.
The bandit leader entered the darkroom and snarled, "Get out! Clean yourself up! If you don't treat this customer well, I'll make sure your sister doesn't live to see another day!"
With no words left, Xiao Ba stepped into the light.
The bandit leader was stunned by her seductive appearance, the way she exuded confidence and allure. She pushed him aside and gave him a lustful stare, running her fingers from his chest to his pants.
Curious and aroused, the bandit leader swallowed nervously. But Xiao Ba meant to torture him. She whispered softly in his ear, "Where's the customer's room?"
After her first experience, she became the most sought-after woman in the brothel.
How Xiao Ba endured didn't matter; what mattered was that every man who left her bed was a satisfied customer by morning.
The bandits' guilty-pleasure business flourished, eventually turning into a renowned courtesan house, where nobles and royal guards alike flocked to seek the fleeting pleasure of "the fallen snowflake."
The Fallen snow flake
The bandit leader knew they had secretly left the palace, and Tie You, extremely drunk and seduced by other women, ended up in bed with Xiao Ba, unaware of where he was.
The next morning, Tie You awoke startled by the beautiful woman lying beside him. He peeked at her for a moment, captivated by her smooth skin, and felt an immediate attraction.
Consumed by lustful thoughts, he hurriedly covered her body but couldn't take his eyes off her graceful neck. He waited for her to wake up, but he didn't expect the woman to be dangerous.
"Easy, easy..." Tie You said calmly. He then asked, "What do you want?"
Xiao Ba, using her manipulative charm, pressed a sharp dagger to his neck and replied, "I want your jade pass in exchange for your life." She stared directly into his eyes.
Tie You, a skilled royal guard, knew how to reverse the situation, but as he gazed at the flawless, undressed woman before him, he thought to himself:
She's not in her thirties; she has the body of a delicate girl, so tempting, so beautiful...
His mind raced with lustful thoughts, lost in the sight of her.
Seeing him distracted, Xiao Ba demanded again, "The jade pass!"
By this time, Tie You, completely bewitched by her angry eyes, began to undress. The jade pass, something forbidden to give to anyone else, was now being handed over. He reasoned to himself,My life is in danger, and my manhood was provoked.
He slowly removed his Hanfu, keeping his eyes fixed on Xiao Ba's, while her dagger remained steady at his throat.
Finally, only his undergarments remained as he took something out from inside.
His royal jade pass, containing all his authority and duty to the Liang Empire, was tossed to the floor. "There you go. Do you have anything else to ask?"
Xiao Ba bent down to pick up the jade pass and quickly grabbed something from a nearby table. Without hesitation, she threatened, "I want you to deliver this to the royal crown prince, Xiao Ce."
"A letter in exchange for the jade pass? How cruel! Is this it?" Tie You chuckled, glancing at the letter. Xiao Ba shot back, "Is there a problem if I set this on fire?"
Tie You's expression stiffened, his voice dropping low. "No, don't do it, Fallen Snowflake."
Xiao Ba smirked. "Wrong answer. You men don't feel threatened unless your livelihood is at stake…"
She was about to drop the jade pass when Tie You shouted in anger, "Fine! I don't take orders from anyone but the crown prince! But I swear I will deliver your letter to His Highness!"
Pleased, Xiao Ba pushed him further. "Really? How can I be sure?"
Tie You, now serious, responded with a steady voice, "If you don't see His Royal Highness arrive here in three days, then I'm dead. Keep the jade pass, and buy yourself a free life…"
Tie You's voice carried a hint of sadness. For the first time in his life, despite his attraction to Xiao Ba, he willingly gave up his jade pass, even if it meant digging his own grave.
As Tie You and his group of royal guards left the courtesan house, he felt an unusual lightness in his heart. Instead of anxiety, he smiled, knowing that without his jade pass, he wouldn't be able to enter Daoming Palace again.
This situation would soon lead Crown Prince Xiao Ce into a serious imperial meeting with Liang's dreaded prosecutor and investigator of the royal house, with Tie You's neck on the line.
After enduring tense conversations with bureaucrats, prosecutors, and investigators, Xiao Ce finally lost his temper with Tie You. "What on earth did you do with your jade pass?" he demanded.
Tie You, with his head bowed, asked for forgiveness. "Forgive me, Your Majesty. I was momentarily lost in a paradise with a fallen snowflake, and she gave me this."
Speaking in coded terms, Tie You handed the letter to Xiao Ce.
Curious, Xiao Ce opened the letter and read:
Your Majesty, unless you want a scandal, you may want to redeem one of your treasured possessions at the courtesan house. Your escorts snuck out of your palace in secret. I am sure he is your person.
Until then, your escort knows where to find a former maid from the Yuwen household.
"The Fallen Snowflake."*
Xiao Ce threw the letter to the floor, deep in thought. "Fallen snowflake, scandal, redeem, treasure, courtesan, Yuwen household... coincidence." He whispered the words, decoding the message. He realized that the courtesan was asking for desperate help.
Suddenly, Xiao Ce's eyes widened, and he grabbed the collar of Tie You's uniform. "Take me to this brothel in secret, or I'll be the one to cut off your head!"
"Also, bring all the treasures and load them into the palanquin. This is an urgent order!" Xiao Ce commanded.
A short while later, the excited prince stood by the palace windows and said to himself, "If my guess is correct, this could be my lucky day."
Tie You, still baffled by the prince's behavior, scratched his head.One moment he's furious, the next he's like an excited child wanting to buy a brothel!
Xiao Ce disguised himself in his usual getaway attire, choosing a crimson hood to cover his face. He walked beside Tie You at night. Since Tie You no longer had his jade pass, Xiao Ce used his own. When the royal palace guards saw it, they immediately knew it was the crown prince.
They quickly straightened their backs and avoided eye contact as one of them spoke: "The crown prince of Liang is forbidden to be outside at night by order of the Emperor."
Irritated, Xiao Ce threw off his hood and replied, "Seriously, are you blocking my way?"
Silence fell as the royal guards recognized his face. Xiao Ce, blinking his foxy eyes and maintaining a calm yet angry expression, raised his brows and stepped closer to them. "Who dared to look at my face?"
No one moved. Xiao Ce struck each one with his palms, one by one, saying, "Who dared to look at my face?"
His voice remained calm, almost like the waters, as he examined his palms. "Look what you've done to these hands. Looks like they hurt and want to kill someone today."
The royal guards trembled in fear, quickly opening the doors with their heads bowed low.
Behind him, Tie You chuckled quietly. It was the first time he had seen his master intimidate fellow royal guards. Xiao Ce caught it and asked, "Why are you laughing?"
Tie You, startled, replied, "Pardon me, Your Highness!" He glanced over his shoulder, looking for someone else to blame.
Xiao Ce put his crimson hood back on and walked tall and proud, free to roam the night.
Instead of his usual club-hopping, Xiao Ce visited the brothel and ordered a round of drinks.
With Tie You and the toothless Afterlife Camp spy sitting at one of the empty tables, they observed the brothel's floor show, ancient Chinese drums, bells, percussion, and gongs filled the air. The crown prince came unarmed, but the perimeter of the brothel was surrounded by Liang's hired killers, the Afterlife Camp snipers.
Lotus Flower, the bandit leader, was now ready to talk. Xiao Ce, with his head slightly bowed, raised it just enough to reveal his eyes from under the crimson hood and said, "Did you make sure he would accept the taels of gold?"
"Yes, Lotus Flower, it's guaranteed," replied the toothless spy.
The bandit leader and his group entered arrogantly, their presence threatening. He sat before the regular guest, unaware of his royal title, but knowing it was forbidden to look at his face.
The bandit leader suddenly felt a chill creep over his skin. He started to shiver, but then the man in front of him grabbed his hand, sending a shock of static electricity through him. Startled, the bandit leader jumped up.
"Sit," Xiao Ce commanded, his voice laced with authority. The bandit leader obeyed instantly.
"Who are you?" the bandit leader asked in a trembling voice.
Xiao Ce replied calmly, "Does it matter if I tell you I'm the head of the palace eunuchs?"
The bandit's group behind him chuckled, but Tie You swiftly punched one of them in the gut, causing the man to gasp in pain and spit up blood.
"Behave," Tie You warned, showing his metal punch ring, thorns glinting at the top. The rest of the group fell silent, like tamed dogs, obeying his command.
Xiao Ce chuckled briefly, then resumed his poker-faced expression. Leaning closer to the bandit leader, he said, "Is this how I should be treated? I'm wasting time here."
Xiao Ce's fingers tapped impatiently on the table, signaling his boredom as he waited for the negotiation to begin.
The bandit leader cleared his throat and started, "The Fallen Snowflake is forbidden to render external services. She's confined to this brothel because she's our golden egg."
Still tapping his fingers, Xiao Ce looked at him as though he hadn't heard a word and casually said, "Double the asking price." The toothless spy tossed another bag of gold onto the table.
The bandit leader inspected the bag, then looked back at Xiao Ce. "Not enough."
Xiao Ce leaned back in his chair, laughing. "Toothless spy, what else can you offer?"
The toothless spy responded, "Come and see for yourself."
One of the bandits followed the spy outside and was stunned by what he saw. Moments later, he returned and whispered to the bandit leader.
The bandit leader raised his eyebrow. "Go ahead. It's a deal. I'll allow the Fallen Snowflake to perform at your Li (pear) Garden."
Xiao Ce clapped his hands, his voice firm. "Since you've entered into a do-or-die negotiation, those dark forces won't leave this place until the Fallen Snowflake is out of here."
Before leaving, Xiao Ce gave one final instruction to the bandit leader. "Oh, and I need the sister of the Fallen Snowflake to perform as well, by special request. She must go with her, or this place will be known as 'Ashfall.'"
"It will be done, Your Grace. I'll make sure both sisters attend tomorrow night at your Li Garden," the bandit leader promised, as everyone bowed to Xiao Ce.
The bandit leader twitched nervously, glancing outside at the dark forces continuing to encircle the brothel.
The brothel's women, noticing the lack of customers, started gossiping that a royal palace eunuch had visited. Xiao Ba overheard and knew it was a secret visit from Xiao Ce.
Later, the bandit leader knocked loudly on the Fallen Snowflake's dark room door. Xiao-Qi, terrified, stayed silent, but Xiao Ba did not open the door.
Frustrated, the bandit member handed the leader the keys. Just as he was about to open it, the door swung open.
Xiao Ba, in her off-shoulder Hanfu dress, exposed her bare, luscious skin as she stepped out, her fragrance filling the air. The men, unable to hide their lustful gazes, were immediately disarmed by her beauty.
Xiao Ba, without shame, began to play with her fingers on the bandit leader's chest, letting her hand wander below his waist. The bandit leader swallowed hard, ordering his men to leave.
As he enjoyed his moment of dirty pleasure, groaning in satisfaction, Xiao Ba suddenly stopped, turning her usual manipulation into torment. She insulted him, saying, "You cannot make anyone happy with this."
Her emotionless face further enraged the bandit leader, who grabbed her and tore her clothes. But Xiao Ba remained unmoved, allowing him to try his best, knowing he would fail.
Finally, she whispered into his ear, "You will never have me." This was her way of revenge, slowly chipping away at the bandit leader's confidence.
Frustrated and emasculated, the bandit leader composed himself. "Tomorrow night, you are summoned to perform at Li Garden, and your sister will join you. If you don't comply, I'll chop off your heads and feed your bodies to the dogs."
Xiao Ba, unbothered, hugged her sick sister. But Xiao-Qi pushed her away, saying, "I am not your sister!"
Understanding Xiao-Qi's reaction, Xiao Ba stood up, straightened herself, and turned away. Fighting back tears, she wiped her face and faced Xiao-Qi again. "I don't need to explain myself," she said, her face a mask of cold determination. Xiao Ba closed her eyes and whispered a prayer to the heavens.
Above, gray clouds drifted across the crescent moon as the stillness of the lake painted a picture-perfect scene beneath Daoming Palace's skies.
Xiao Ba and the ailing Xiao-Qi were fetched by the palace convoy and arrived at the grand palace.
The grandeur of the place left Xiao Ba in awe as she admired the lantern lights and sculptures around the courtyard. For the first time, she dared to dream of becoming part of Li's courtyards, perhaps even a royal princess. Xiao-Qi, however, looked pale and agitated in her revealing dress.
Xiao Ba took a deep breath. After almost a year of living in the dark, underground brothel, she finally saw a glimmer of moonlight in her life.
The handsome, foxy prince turned around as palace maids draped him in his royal robes, preparing to meet the sisters of Chu Qiao. Tonight, everything was planned.
A fragrant and romantic stage stood before Xiao Ba and Xiao-Qi, illuminated by moonlight. Xiao Ba touched the sculptures, admiring the poetic details scattered around the ground.
On the west wing, musicians gathered around the ancient Chinese instruments, Guqin, Zither, percussion, drums, bells, and gongs. They began fine-tuning their instruments as they waited.
Xiao Ce, dressed in his grandest robes and exuding a fragrant presence, arrived. Xiao Ba and Xiao-Qi rose and bowed to His Highness.
Without looking at them, Xiao Ce took the long sleeves of his robe and seated himself on a throne-like chair. The musical maestro signaled the beginning of the performance.
The air filled with calm, inviting music as the two sisters, their faces half-covered by masks, began their dance. Xiao-Qi mirrored her younger sister's movements with grace.
Xiao Ce, impressed, had never seen such a graceful mirror dance before.
After a few elegant hand and body strokes, Xiao Ba approached the crown prince, ready to remove her mask. But Tie You quickly intervened, placing a dagger at her neck. "It is forbidden to approach the crown prince."
Xiao Ba looks daring, gently pushed Tie You's hand aside and removed her mask, revealing her face. Tie You stood in stunned silence, captivated by her beauty.
Xiao Ce rebuked Tie You, "Step aside! I want to see her face."
As Tie You obeyed, Xiao Ba's angelic face met Xiao Ce's gaze. For a moment, Xiao Ce thought he was seeing Chu Qiao. The resemblance was uncanny, casting a magical spell over him. But just as Xiao Ce was about to speak...
Peng!
A loud sound echoed through the air as Xiao-Qi collapsed, unconscious.
The performance turned into an emergency. Xiao Ce calmly walked over and removed Xiao-Qi's mask. He then ordered his servants to prepare accommodations for both sisters at Jinwu Palace, ready to defend his decision before the Liang ministers when morning came.
He also commanded the Afterlife Camp spies to burn down the brothel as an act of vengeance for the two sisters, balancing the scales of justice.
Meanwhile, the beautiful Imperial Concubine sat on the edge of the bed, tears welling in her eyes. She couldn't hold them back any longer. Silently crying, she whispered, "I cannot undo the past…"
Stars twinkled above as Yuan Song, still bitter and broken, coldly said, "You may be Wei's future Queen by day, but you will always be its concubine at night."
Bang!
The door slammed shut as Yuan Song stormed out of the room, angry and full of rage. He had made sure Xiao Ba would feel rejected forever.
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