With Xu Jiwu dead, the rebel army was left without a leader. They fell into disarray and were quickly defeated.
Prince Dongyang fled with all his might but was still run down by Chen Wangbei and ultimately captured.
The rebellion, which had lasted for the better part of a year, was thus brought to an end.
It was just dawn. General Xuanwei, having fought for days on end, was utterly exhausted. He splashed some water on his face, planning to get some proper sleep before a jubilant victory banquet the following night.
However, Li Ji was already fully dressed and was mustering his men, preparing to set off for Shangjing.
The sight jolted General Xuanwei wide awake.
He hurried after Prince Zhao.
"The Emperor may be unconscious, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Prince Wu Zhang is behind it. We shouldn’t act rashly until we know the truth. What if this is a trap set by someone else? If Prince Wu Zhang is innocent and Your Highness marches back with a large army, you could be accused of high treason and plotting a rebellion. Once that happens, you won’t be able to clear your name even if you jump into the Yellow River!"
Li Ji didn’t break his stride as he replied coldly.
"I know what I’m doing."
’If anyone else had told him this, he would have been skeptical. But this came from Manman, which was an entirely different matter.’
’Manman would never lie to him.’
’Especially on a matter of life and death. If Manman wasn’t absolutely certain, she never would have told him.’
’The fact that she sent a letter meant the situation had reached a critical juncture. He had to get back to Shangjing immediately.’
Seeing that he couldn’t be persuaded, General Xuanwei grew frantic.
With no one else around, General Xuanwei lowered his voice.
"Let’s take a step back. Even if the Emperor really has been assassinated, what does that have to do with you?"
"The court is in chaos. Those people have their hands full just looking out for themselves; they certainly don’t have time to bother you."
"You could take this opportunity to remain in Lingnan and focus on building your own power base."
"By the time Prince Wu Zhang gets around to dealing with you, you’ll already have the whole of Lingnan in your grasp."
"You’ll be the ruler here, a hegemon controlling your own territory, just like Rong King."
"Who could touch you then? Wouldn’t that be magnificent!"
Li Ji turned a deaf ear to his words and kept walking.
The training ground was just ahead. The soldiers were already assembled in formation, waiting only for Prince Zhao’s arrival to depart.
General Xuanwei did not want Prince Zhao to miss such a golden opportunity.
He reached out and blocked Prince Zhao’s path.
"I know you’re concerned for the safety of the Princess Consort and your unborn child. We can dispatch a team to go back and secretly escort them to Lingnan."
Li Ji laughed coldly, as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke.
"The Princess Consort is with child, and you want her to endure a thousand-mile journey in her condition? What if something were to happen? Could you bear that responsibility?"
General Xuanwei gritted his teeth.
"Even if something did happen to the Princess Consort, what of it?"
"To be blunt, a great man need never worry about finding a wife."
"As long as you hold power, beautiful women will flock to you."
"If it comes to it, I have an unmarried daughter..."
Before he could finish, Li Ji kicked him viciously.
The kick landed squarely in General Xuanwei’s abdomen, and his face contorted in agony.
He clutched his stomach and doubled over in pain, unable to take another step.
Li Ji stared at him coldly, his gaze like that on a dead man.
"I don’t want to hear those words a second time. If you dare entertain such a thought again, I will kill you myself."
His tone was calm and measured, almost emotionless, but his eyes blazed with a chilling killing intent.
General Xuanwei looked up and met those deep, dark eyes, a jolt of pure terror shooting through him.
General Xuanwei knew perfectly well that Prince Zhao was not making an empty threat.
Prince Zhao genuinely intended to kill him.
’He didn’t understand. Prince Zhao was a man who showed no mercy, with the blood of countless people on his hands.’
’How could such a man, who always did as he pleased and never spared a thought for others, fly into such a rage over a woman?’
’It was unbelievable.’
But Li Ji paid no mind to the turmoil raging in General Xuanwei’s heart.
Right now, Li Ji had only one thought—
Get back to Shangjing as fast as humanly possible.
No one could be allowed to stop him.
He would kill anyone who stood in his way.
Just then, Chen Wangbei came rushing over.
"Your Highness, an urgent report has arrived from the court."
He presented a sealed letter with both hands.
Li Ji took the letter, tore it open roughly, and pulled out a sheet of paper.
The paper was filled with effusive script, almost entirely dedicated to praising Prince Zhao as a heroic and masterful warrior who had rendered meritorious service to Great Zhou, a true pillar of the nation.
After unanimous deliberation, the Empress Dowager and the Central Secretariat had decided to grant West Gate County to Prince Zhao.
Henceforth, West Gate County would be Prince Zhao’s fiefdom. All the officials and citizens within its borders would become his vassals and subjects. The letter concluded by requesting that Prince Zhao return to the capital at his earliest convenience to formally receive the decree and offer his thanks.
An indescribable emotion swelled in Li Ji’s chest.
He knew. Manman must have been the one who found a way to secure this fiefdom for him.
Before leaving Shangjing, he and Manman had made a promise: after the war, they would ask the Emperor for a fiefdom far from the capital, where the three of them could live a happy and peaceful life together.
Now, they had their fiefdom. But Manman was still in grave danger.
Li Ji casually folded the letter, tucked it into his sleeve, and quickened his pace toward the training ground.
He had to get back as quickly as possible.
He could not let Manman face this danger alone.
...
Hua Manman was still dutifully playing the part of a sick patient.
Her performance was superb; she portrayed a frail, pregnant woman with convincing realism. This, combined with the fact that Li Ying’s judgment was clouded by his concern for her, meant he had yet to notice anything was amiss.
After the Empress Dowager decided to grant West Gate County to Prince Zhao, Li Ying knew the prince would be rushing back to Shangjing.
He had to prepare in advance, lest he be caught off guard.
Recently, Li Ying and Wu Wang had been swamped with court affairs, and Li Ying’s visits to Chaoyang Palace were happening later and later.
More than half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Tonight, Li Ying did not arrive at Chaoyang Palace until the middle of the night.
The moment he walked in, he saw Hua Manman clutching her stomach, her body trembling uncontrollably. Her face was drained of all color, a frightening shade of pale.
Li Ying was so frightened his heart nearly stopped beating.
He roared, "Summon the Imperial Physician! Now!"
But Hua Manman adamantly refused to let the Imperial Physician examine her.
Not daring to force the issue, the Imperial Physician could only look to Prince Wu Zhang for help.
Worried something would happen to Manman, Li Ying rushed forward in desperation to grab her hand, trying to hold her still.
Hua Manman feigned a struggle, and as she raised her arm, she "accidentally" knocked over the bowl of chicken soup she had placed at the head of the bed.
The warm chicken soup splashed onto Li Ying, drenching his sleeves and the hem of his robes.
Everyone in the room jumped, terrified that Prince Wu Zhang would fly into a rage.
...
Hey everyone, a little announcement. Tomorrow I have to go out of town with a friend for a doctor’s visit, and then I also need to build up a stockpile of Chapters for next month’s mass release. So, starting today, I can only do two Chapters a day. After the mass release is over, I’ll go back to three a day. Mwah~