The Emperor set out with a light entourage—only a hundred elite guards—and made his way to Yu Wang’s residence.
Upon hearing the imperial arrival, the residence Changshi Cui Ti, rushed out and fell to his knees in welcome. But when the Emperor entered the front courtyard, Yu Wang was nowhere in sight.
The Emperor asked coldly, “Is Yu Wang so gravely ill that he cannot even rise to greet me?”
Cui Ti was drenched in sweat. “Your Majesty… His Highness is not in the residence.”
The Emperor chuckled. “So he’s not too sick to go out. That’s a relief. Where did he go?”
Cui Ti’s vision swam. He kowtowed and said, “Forgive me, Your Majesty! His Highness didn’t say where he was going. I truly don’t know!”
“How long has he been out?”
“Today is the… the third day.”
The Emperor did some mental calculations, then summoned Chu Yuan and quietly gave him instructions. Chu Yuan took a squad of Embroidered Uniform Guard and departed. The Emperor then sat in the main hall and addressed the kneeling officials and servants of the household: “If I can’t see Yu Wang for myself, I won’t be at ease. I’ll wait here until nightfall and see when he decides to return.”
Palace servants brought tea and refreshments. Lan Xi hauled in a crate of memorials. The Emperor leisurely reviewed and annotated them, calm and unhurried as the sun drifted westward.
The Embroidered Uniform Guard came and went several times, murmuring reports to the Emperor:
“Not there.”
“Couldn’t find him.”
“Still missing.”
As dusk fell, lanterns were lit across the courtyard, their glow dancing like drifting lights on a dark sea, casting shadows of people too afraid to move.
Lan Xi glanced at the sky and gently reminded the Emperor, “Your Majesty, the palace gates will be locked soon.”
The Emperor gave a slight nod, still flipping through memorials—clearly set on waiting no matter what.
Suddenly, a servant stumbled into the courtyard, shouting, “Wangye is back! He’s back! He’s asleep in the rear hall—I just went in to sweep and found him passed out drunk!”
Cui Ti barked at him to shut up and immediately bowed to the Emperor. “Your Majesty, I’ll wake Wangye at once so he can greet you.”
The Emperor put down his documents and rose. “Yu Wang used to be able to drink a thousand cups without falling. How much did he drink to forget even his illness? I’ll go see him myself.”
Surrounded by attendants and guards, the Emperor walked down the corridor and finally spoke to the people kneeling behind him: “You may all rise.”
Cui Ti, who had been kneeling for more than an hour, forced himself upright despite the stabbing pain in his knees and led the way.
As they approached the rear hall, a strong smell of alcohol wafted out from the cracks in the doors.
Cui Changshi pushed the door, but it was bolted from inside.
The Emperor raised his hand to stop the Embroidered Uniform Guards from breaking it down. Gathering strength in his palm, he forcefully shoved the hall doors open.
The bolt broke loose. The doors slammed against the side panels with a loud bang.
—
With a loud bang, the wooden doors were pushed open. A messenger soldier, panting heavily, knelt down and reported: “General! A mutiny in Ganzhou!”
In Zhujin City — due to his elder brother Zhu Jintang ascending the throne, he had, following custom, changed his name. He was now called “Zhu Xujing.” Turning away from a map of the frontier hanging on the wall, Zhu Xujing’s face was illuminated by the dim glow of an oil lamp. Though only fifteen, he was already a prince renowned for his military prowess.
It was a strikingly handsome face — bold and sharp, all traces of youthful innocence had been burned away by the flames of war.
Stationed at his fief in Great Tong, Zhu Xujing had recently formed the Jingbei Army, merging his former Black Cloud Cavalry into it and reorganizing the forces.
Within the army, he disliked being called “Your Highness” or “Wangye,” and demanded that soldiers and officers alike address him as “General.”
Returning from an inspection of the frontier forts earlier that day, he had not even removed his armor. Upon hearing the report, he frowned and asked: “Why the mutiny? What’s the current situation?”
The messenger caught his breath and gave a concise reply: “The newly appointed governor, Xu Long, saw that rice prices had dropped after a good harvest and lowered the soldiers’ pay without authorization. This caused General Li Ming, who had been hoarding grain, to find no buyers. General Li incited the soldiers to petition the governor. The governor had the petitioners flogged, sparking outrage. The army mutinied. The eunuch Dong Jie failed to mediate and fled. General Li could unleash them but couldn’t control them. The soldiers killed Governor Xu, looted the city, burned down the government offices, raided the armory and treasury, and released the prisoners. Ganzhou is now in complete chaos, totally out of control!”
Zhu Xujing cursed: “Xu Long, Li Ming, Dong Jie — all three should be executed! Take my command token. Send Wei Hai to lead the Right Army to Ganzhou at once to suppress the rebellion.”
After taking the command, the messenger pulled out a small cylindrical seal from his robe and handed it over: “This was entrusted to me by one of General Li’s men. He said the General would understand immediately upon seeing it.”
Zhu Xujing took the seal and, upon seeing the inscription, his face changed dramatically:
“It’s Imperial Brother’s private seal! The Emperor… is in Ganzhou?!”
Both Zhu Xujing and Zhu Jintang had once campaigned with the late Emperor on the northern frontier. After ascending the throne, Zhu Jintang had reduced personal campaigns at the ministers’ urging, but would still occasionally inspect major border towns in secret. Who would have thought that during this secret inspection, he’d run straight into a mutiny?
“You should have said that earlier!” Furious and panicked that his Royal Brother was trapped amidst rebels, Zhu Xujing kicked the messenger and shouted: “Quick! Full mobilization! Rescue His Majesty!”
A river of torches lit up the autumn night of the Gengchen year.
Leading the Jingbei Army, Zhu Xujing rode hard through the night, charging first through Ganzhou’s gates — one man, one black horse, one long spear!
Ganzhou was a sea of fire.
The frenzied soldiers, no longer discerning friend from foe, attacked everyone, launching a brutal street battle against the Jingbei Army.
Tatar spies hidden within the city took the opportunity to assassinate border guards, preparing to open the gates for Tatar cavalry. The frontier defenses were on the verge of collapse.
Amidst the chaos, Zhu Xujing both commanded the battle and searched for the Emperor. Finally, near a frontier fortress, he spotted traces of the Embroidered Uniform Guards.
“Where’s the Emperor?!”
Sweeping an enemy cavalryman off his horse and shaking blood from his spear, he roared the question.
A Embroidered Uniform Guard clutching a wound answered: “At the South Tower!”
The South Tower was built atop the fortress’s moon gate. Beyond the moon gate stretched the Hetao Desert, where Tatar cavalry roamed freely.
If the walls were breached, Ganzhou would fall.
On the South Tower, the young Emperor — on the throne only three years — personally commanded the last line of defense, fighting the Tatar infiltration squad alongside the Embroidered Uniform Guards amidst the smoke of rebellion.
Zhu Xujing’s eyes burned with emotion.
He leapt from his horse and rushed toward the South Tower, his long spear whirling death — blocking arrows, cutting down foes!
Enemy lines fell like paper under his assault.
Through showers of blood and severed limbs, Zhu Xujing carved a path like a dragon splitting the sea — unstoppable!
Through the bloody chaos, he saw the Emperor — Zhu Jintang — clad in a gold-woven robe and black lacquered iron armor.
The Emperor’s goose-feather saber flashed coldly; an enemy head rolled down the tower steps.
“Second Brother!” Zhu Xujing shouted at the top of his lungs.
Zhu Jintang turned at the sound. Upon recognizing him, a slight smile flickered across his face.
“Royal Brother…” Zhu Xujing’s nose stung; he nearly wept.
“Your humble brother has come with the army to rescue Your Majesty!”
Zhu Jintang said something, but over the din of battle and the distance between them, Zhu Xujing couldn’t hear clearly.
Through the firelight, he suddenly spotted a rebel climbing up the tower’s outer wall, aiming a bow at Zhu Jintang’s back!
Zhu Xujing’s eyes nearly split with rage.
He roared: “Behind you!”
And shot forward like an arrow.
His warning was just in time.
Zhu Jintang twisted, slicing the incoming arrow mid-flight and knocking the assassin from the tower.
Zhu Xujing finally reached his brother.
The long spear was useless in the cramped space, so he drove it into the floor and drew his waist-knife.
“Royal Brother, let me escort you down!”
As he spoke, the floor shuddered violently — the entire tower was tilting.
Its supports had been blasted apart!
Everyone atop the tower lost their balance, tumbling and screaming over the railings.
Zhu Xujing grabbed Zhu Jintang’s arm with one hand and clung to a pillar with the other, shouting: “Hold on tight!”
Zhu Jintang heard the joints in his brother’s arm popping under the strain and said sternly: “Let go. A fall from four or five stories won’t kill me.”
Zhu Xujing gritted his teeth and joked through the strain: “Not necessarily! Now that Second Brother’s an Emperor, your body is too precious —”
Before he could finish, a long halberd suddenly thrust from the side — aiming viciously at Zhu Jintang’s chest!
Hanging in mid-air, Zhu Jintang couldn’t dodge. He had no choice but to tear free from Zhu Xujing’s grip and fall downward.
The spearhead glittered as it pursued him relentlessly, determined to kill the sovereign.
Without hesitation, Zhu Xujing released the pillar and dove downward, clutching Zhu Jintang tightly. At the same time, without even turning, he hurled his waist-blade backward with all his strength!
The blade pinned the enemy general, who was wielding a halberd, to a collapsed wooden pillar. At the same time, the halberd tip pierced through Zhu Xujing’s back and exited through his chest.
Zhu Jintang held Zhu Xujing tightly as his own back slammed heavily onto the ground.
When he regained consciousness from the shock and dizziness, he felt a warm liquid soaking his chest—it was blood, gushing from Zhu Xujing’s wound.
All around was pitch black. Zhu Jintang reached out and felt around, his hand landing on the crooked shaft of the halberd lodged in Zhu Xujing’s back. His face instantly turned pale, and he called out in a trembling voice, “Jin… Jincheng?”
Zhu Xujing, as if returning to life, took a deep breath and answered softly, “Royal Brother… Second Brother, I won’t make it.”
—
The emperor stepped into the sleeping quarters. Empty wine jars lay scattered everywhere, and the stench of alcohol was so strong it seemed like a spark would set the place ablaze. He kicked aside one fallen jar and walked slowly to the bed.
Yu Wang was slumped on the step in front of the bed, legs stretched out, an arm propped under his head, resting on the bed’s edge—deep in a drunken stupor.
The emperor stopped beside him, bent down, and lifted his chin. Yu Wang’s face was pale, lips tinged blue, his brow tightly furrowed, and his eye sockets sunken, the shadows under the candlelight making his face look haggard and lifeless.
As the emperor moved him, Yu Wang’s brow furrowed even more, his expression anxious and uneasy. Beneath his thin eyelids, his eyes darted around, as if trapped in a nightmare and struggling to break free.
—What is he dreaming of? The emperor wondered indifferently.
Then he heard a slurred and pained whisper from the dream: “…Second Brother, I won’t make it.”
The words were hauntingly familiar. The emperor froze. Through the haze of thirteen years past, still stained with the smell of blood and gunpowder, the memories came flooding back like a suffocating mist.
—
“Your Majesty!” “Sire!”
The imperial guards rushed over, trying to help the emperor to his feet. Zhu Jintang pushed their hands away and sat among the ruins, cradling the unconscious Zhu Xujing in his arms, shouting in a panicked, desperate tone never heard from him before, “Where is the imperial physician? Hurry, summon the physician!”
Zhu Xujing was half-kneeling, upper body slumped in Zhu Jintang’s arms, his head heavy against his brother’s shoulder, arms limp, blood soaking through his battle robe.
A physician came running over, drenched in sweat. After examining the wounds on Zhu Xujing’s chest and back, he shook his head helplessly. “The halberd pierced his heart… I’m useless. I cannot save His Highness Dai Wang.”
“Nonsense! He can still be saved. Imperial physician, I command you to save him!” The young emperor, only twenty-two years old, lost his usual composure in the face of losing his brother. “If you can’t save my Fourth Brother, I will hold you personally responsible!”
The physician dropped to the ground and kowtowed repeatedly. “Forgive me, Your Majesty. I truly am powerless…”
With trembling fingers, Zhu Jintang gripped the shaft of the halberd in Zhu Xujing’s back. Leaning close to his cold ear, he whispered, “Jincheng, Jincheng, I know you won’t die… You’ve won so many battles and survived so much, how could you fall here… I don’t need you to save anyone, I just want you to live! Jincheng, wake up…”
Tears streamed from the physician’s eyes. “Your Majesty, please don’t pull out the halberd. If left in, he may hold on a little longer…”
Zhu Xujing slowly opened his eyes and remained resting on Zhu Jintang’s shoulder. In a voice as faint as silk, he said, “Second Brother… On the day you ascended the throne, I said… this vast and beautiful land, I would help you protect it. I’ve done my best…”
“I know… I know you couldn’t let go of Royal Mother, of me, or this country…” Zhu Jintang tightly gripped his bloodied hand, eyes brimming with tears, choking out, “Please, I beg you, don’t die. As long as you live, we can rule this empire together…”
“Yu Weng is here!” Deputy General Weihai rushed over, leading a frail white-haired elder, shouting as he ran.
The soldiers of the Jingbei Army lit up with hope. “It’s Miracle Doctor Chen!” “Master Yingxu has come, the general can be saved!”
Zhu Jintang felt a surge of hope in his despair. As he watched Chen Shiyu inspect the wounds, he asked urgently, “Well?”
Chen Shiyu looked grave. “Fortunately, it missed the heart slightly, but the injury is extremely dangerous. I have no absolute confidence. If… I fail to save him…”
“I won’t blame you!” Zhu Jintang said at once. “I only ask that Master Yingxu do his utmost. If you can save Jincheng, I’ll owe you my life. Any reward—so long as it does not harm the state—you may ask!”
Chen Shiyu bowed. “Your Majesty overpraises. A physician’s heart is like a parent’s. I will do all I can.”
—
Yu Wang suddenly cried out and jolted awake from his nightmare.
The emperor snapped out of his trance, looking down to find his hand still gripping the stubbled chin of the man before him.
The moment Yu Wang awoke and sensed someone near, he instinctively rolled to the side and threw a punch.
The emperor released his grip just in time and turned his head to avoid the blow, though the rush of air stung his cheek. He barked, “Zhu Xujing!”
Yu Wang froze, then withdrew his force and lazily slumped back onto the bed, scoffing, “With the imperial presence here, your humble brother is overwhelmed with fear. Alas, this broken and sickly body cannot rise to pay respects — I beg Imperial Brother’s forgiveness.”
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