Chapter 251: Chapter 251: Son (1)
Guizhou can indeed be described as mountainous and impoverished, a remote and desolate place. Once gone, the Second Prince may never return in this lifetime.
The Second Prince, holding the Imperial Decree, knelt outside the palace gates with the Princess Consort, who was about to give birth. They knelt for hours while the gates remained closed, and the Emperor avoided meeting them. The two remained kneeling until the Princess Consort suddenly began to experience abdominal pain, her water broke, and she cried uncontrollably outside the palace gates. The Second Prince was also flustered. Only then did the guards at the gate arrange a soft sedan chair to have the eunuchs carry her back to the Prince Mansion. After a day and night of labor pains, the Princess Consort still had not given birth to a prince. The Third Prince believed that the Second Prince was deliberately stalling for time, so he led three thousand Yulin Guards to completely besiege the Second Prince Mansion on charges of defying the Imperial Decree and deceiving the Emperor! If the Second Prince could not leave the city immediately, he would execute everyone in the Prince Mansion.
The Second Prince naturally could not leave immediately; the Princess Consort was in labor. Neither side would yield as the Third Prince refused to withdraw his troops, leading to a standoff around the Second Prince Mansion.
The city was under martial law, and the Tong Mansion’s gates were tightly closed. Lady dispatched every servant to guard every major entrance, and no one was allowed to leave without orders!
Was it out of fear that brigands might take advantage and loot? Tong Xiyan dismissed it when he heard, saying, "Isn’t it just a conflict between two princes? How could there be brigands entering the city?!" Tong Shenzhi frowned and said, "In the first year of Emperor Dezong, according to historical records, brigand chaos broke out in the Capital. Many official families, due to inadequate precautions, were massacred overnight, with everyone in their houses becoming victims to the brigands’ blades. It was a time of political turmoil, and no one addressed the crimes until Emperor Dezong ascended the throne and began investigating. Yet, no culprit was found, remaining an unsolved mystery to this day."
Tong Xiyan clicked his tongue in disbelief. Lady hurriedly ordered Daijuan and Daiju to move Fourth Miss’s clothes to the main courtyard and kept Tong Xiyan by her side. The atmosphere inside the Tong Mansion was tense, as was the Capital. Nobles and officials closed their doors to visitors, businesses shut down, and the streets were deserted, with no one daring to venture outside.
The Second Prince was inside the Prince Mansion, while the Third Prince surrounded it. Amidst the standoff, finally, on the night of the second day, a new development occurred. The Princess Consort did not successfully give birth, but rather... she passed away, taking two lives with her!
It was like a taut string that finally snapped!
The Second Prince held the blood-stained body of the Princess Consort, opened the mansion gates, and stood on the steps, coldly staring at the Third Prince... The Third Prince was also startled, having never thought that the Princess Consort would truly die taking two lives. His gaze lingered on the still-swollen belly of the Princess Consort before he clasped his hands and said, "Second Brother, please!"
The Second Prince said nothing, took his lone servant, mounted a carriage, and headed for the city gates under the "escort" of nearly a thousand men. Suddenly, a hundred death-defying individuals, all top martial artists, appeared from nowhere, scattering the Yulin Guards escorting him, battling fiercely to rescue the Second Prince. The two forces clashed swords and blades on Long Street, with the sounds of clashing weapons echoing through several streets, and the scent of blood pervading the sky above the Capital.
Everyone was terrified. At the entrance to the courtyards of several young ladies at the Tong Mansion, Lady had dispatched three or four servant women to stand guard day and night. Xiqiu frowned deeply. Her courtyard was in the far west of the Tong Mansion. Beyond the bamboo grove was the back building, and across the back building was the outside Heng Street. If brigands truly broke in, this would be one of the most dangerous spots.
At midnight, even the Tong Mansion, located in the north of the city, could distinctly hear faint cries of battle from outside.
Chunyan and Sixing sat with Xiqiu in the bedroom. The wind stirred the bamboo branches in the courtyard with a crashing sound. Sixing was on edge, her face turning pale with fright. Yet, at this very moment, in the shadowy bamboo grove, a black figure gracefully leaped down from the yard wall, striding with tiger-like steps toward Zhiqu Courtyard, slowly advancing through the dense night...
"You should go get some sleep." Xiqiu massaged her temples, her nerves on edge for two consecutive nights. "This battle will likely last until dawn, and staying up like this isn’t good." She felt the battle was bizarre. The Emperor had sentenced the Second Prince to exile in his land. Anyone with a bit of sense would either plead for the Emperor’s mercy or bide their time quietly until the opportunity arose. It made no sense to mount such a desperate and futile resistance just before leaving.
Why would the Second Prince, despite having many choices, opt for the worst course?
"Miss, you should go to bed! We’ll stand guard here. If any brigands really break in, we have enough people to deal with them, right?!" Their statement was hardly convincing. Xiqiu smiled and replied, "If brigands really come, not even the entire Tong Mansion might be able to resist. Your staying here won’t help... You’ve all kept watch for two nights, you should get some rest." With the Second Prince leaving, the Third Prince becomes the biggest heir to the throne. One day, he’ll be the one governing the kingdom, with the Capital as his capital city. At such a crucial time, he would have to present himself as the rightful Crown Prince, enact comprehensive safety measures, and ensure the safety of the Capital’s people to win more popular support. This line of reasoning made Xiqiu calm down.
Sixing, Chunyan, Chunliu, and Xi’er hesitated to leave. Xiqiu turned and headed for her bedroom, "If you aren’t leaving, I’m going to sleep!" Saying this, she entered her room. Sixing followed, hesitantly saying, "Then we’ll sleep. The four of us will take turns on night watch. Just give us a shout if something happens, Miss."
Xiqiu nodded and said, "Go ahead!" She watched as Sixing and Xi’er left the room to sleep, leaving Chunyan and Chunliu guarding outside. The two sat on chairs, feigning calmness, and embroidered with embroidery frames, while Xiqiu rested on her bed with the door slightly ajar, seemingly hearing the sharp clashing of metal in the distant night...
The courtyard gradually quieted down. In her half-sleep state, Xiqiu felt as if a pair of eyes were watching her. She opened her eyes to see what had been a closed window now only half shut, and a long shadow on the dark wall, unmoving, standing right beside her bed... Startled, she let out a gasp, bolting upright and knocking over the stool beside the bed. As she swayed, she began to fall to the ground.
In a flash, a large hand caught her, pulling her up. Her back collided with his solid, wide chest, inundated by his overwhelming masculine presence. She tried to run, but he chuckled lightly, seemingly mocking her futile efforts.
Indeed, she barely moved before finding herself enveloped once more, her face hitting his chest, and her nose tingled with pain. Her vision turned dark as his deep voice resonated above her, "Don’t make a sound."
Restrained and unable to struggle, all she saw was a pale blue color and the strong aroma of blood. He held her with one hand, while his right hand steadily carried a bundle, maintaining an air of calm composure.
"Miss, are you alright?" The door was open, and Chunyan heard the sounds from inside clearly. She called out, placing her hands on the door. Xiqiu furrowed her brow, only for her waist to be tightly gripped, as if it could be crushed at any moment, "Make her leave!"