Chapter 12：The Dying Plan and Huoyang

Back to the night royal princess Gao Le was conferred her new title, a falcon was soaring through the night sky.

It didn't lose its majesty even without anyone watching it.

The carnivorous bird flew hundreds of miles from the imperial city northward only to stop in a small valley of an unknown mountain.

The sky was turning rosy, indicating the rising sun.

Seeing the bird, an arm shot out and became its landing spot.

The person took the small parchment tied near the bird's sharp claws. Then didn't forget to feed the avian its favorite meat.

"Highness! A message came from the capital!"

An aide ran to a well built man. He stood with a heroic bearing, inspiring awe to those who'd look.

He was wearing a fit leather armor over his dark robes, his long hair was pulled by a golden jade coronet at the top of his head.

Long, sword like eyebrows, thunderous eyes, a slightly crooked nose and lips that always looked to be sneering.

He was a healthy man in his early thirties.

The man ordered for the letter. And he swiped his eyes over the contents. It was written in code and he instantly knew of its validity.

Upon reading the message, the man crumpled the parchment in contempt.

Seeing his agitated mood, his right hand man immediately knelt.

"Third highness, your orders?"

The third prince, Xia Yu Sheng almost growled.

"We'll immediately move! This mission is considered failed."

The right hand man lowered himself further. The prince was mad.

The contents of the letter, he also knew.

Xia Yu Sheng turned around in a huff, entering his large tent, following closely behind was his attendant.

"Sudden changes happened at the capital. That Yin girl regained her favor, even promoted to be a royal princess. Tell this prince, did word get out of our camping here today?"

The attendant looked to the ground as his master paced about.

"Your Highness, this servant personally took care of this matter. Our plans are certainly without leak-"

"Then why is this prince's sister suddenly being held outside at some Gao Le palace?!"

Xia Yu Sheng's mood was really sour. Don't tell him he came all the way here to this wilderness to catch some puny bugs?

The right hand man was quaking in fear but forced himself to stand still.

"This... Your Highness, quell your anger... You know very well his Majesty's whims. This doesn't necessarily mean that it's premeditated...."

The third prince harshly glared at this stupid person.

Would his imperial mother be so anxious as to even risk being caught just to send him word? The fact was the tenth princess was suddenly living outside the imperial palace while he was supposedly delivering disaster relief to the people of the northwest.

If his tenth sister wasn't being held hostage then what was this?

His imperial father might be slow sometimes but he sure wasn't the emperor for nothing.

Whether he suspected the third prince's real aim or not, the Emperor still made sure that he wouldn't do something outrageous by holding Xia Luyoung.

"This Yin family is too hateful if they're not allies." Xia Yu Sheng spat out.

"What else than dropping the matters here and go to the northwest to properly deliver the relief?!" The third prince looked like a rabid dog now, smothering his rather good appearance.

"Out! Prepare to leave at once! That imperial uncle, we will still have plenty opportunities in the capital."

A short way from this valley and further north...

"Master, the third prince has left." A man that could only be described by the word pretty was kneeling outside a lavish carriage.

He had dark skin; his hooded eyes hid deep and unfathomable pupils. A look and one would know that he wasn't a native of Da Xia or at least had some foreign blood. His exoticness was eye-catching but he fit well with the surrounding entourage.

Today, he was slightly apprehensive while delivering this news but nothing hinted of his true feelings.

On both sides of the carriage was endless wilderness. A path was still visible but obviously only few travelled here.

A fair and subtly masculine hand from inside, rapped the windowsill of the carriage randomly.

Tap.. Tap.... Tap. Tap..

Every time the person's nails met the windowsill, the soldiers outside who could hear it felt their hearts thumping.

They were doing their usual chores. Some were feeding the horses, and making sure they were still mountable. Some checked if the supplies were adequate, others checked the goods and properties held inside the other carriages while a few soldiers would be seen giving provisions as breakfast.

Amidst all these, they were still mindful of the person's mood inside the most decorated carriage.

"The old man prepared for us well. Not giving a chance of escaping." For a while, the velvety voice didn't continue as though the person was thinking.

"Shai, we shall wait here for the troops to catch up and then continue the journey to the capital. Since we won't die here anyways."

The man called Shai bowed reverently and went on to follow orders. Telling the others to prepare to settle for the rest of the day until the army was in sight.

Shai didn't know why his master was so insistent in dying. Even carefully and diligently planning how he would die by the third prince's hands.

Master insisted on travelling without the Huoyang army and keeping their weakest soldiers in this entourage.

Of course, if master didn't order it, that third prince wouldn't even catch wind of the master returning to the capital.

But master badly wanted to die or more accurately, fake his own death.

A measly third prince wouldn't even be able to touch one follicle of master's hair if he willed it.

But the Emperor who was earlier nonchalantly called 'old man' seemed to know of master's plans and forced the third prince to retreat. Now, master was left with no choice but to return to the capital.

Normally, Shai knew that if master's plans were hindered, he'd go on a rampage. Shai didn't know if master's silence now was a good thing or a bad thing. Master wouldn't plan on retaliating against the Emperor right?

But the master seemed to start to change his mind mid-way through their journey and it seemed to be concerning the marriage of the ninth prince.

Shai's master was unpredictable. Usually, he wouldn't care about the princes but when he heard of Chang wang's marriage, he asked a few more questions then told them to hasten the journey.

Shai thought the master had already dropped the dying plan back then. But he seemed to be slightly angered with the Emperor now?

Aish, no one could read master's mind anyways. Shai decided to halt his over thinking.

***

A few more days later, the capital stirred with excitement once again.

Brigades of mighty soldiers numbering to thirty thousand stood dauntlessly outside the northern gates of the imperial city!

What's more, those leading the divisions, numbering up to three thousand elites, were all wearing white armor.

At first, the common citizens didn't know who they were but some retired veterans in the crowd recognized the army's insignia.

A white sun with eight curling snakes as its rays on a black flag.

They were the Huoyang army!

Only the top three hundred of the troops were allowed entrance to the capital.

After some fifty elites was a grand four-wheeled carriage pulled by eight snow white steeds.

Normally, this wouldn't be allowed in the capital for even nobles could only have two wheeled carriages pulled by one or two horses.

But this one could take your breath away. The corners and edges were gilded with silver while the body was made of black iron, carved with the mural of the insignia. The carvings were overlaid with latent gold!

The black roof was triangular in shape and had curving eaves. Each of the four corners of the carriage roof had a white cobra bearing its fangs. Their red eyes menacing.

Needless to say, the carriage was both majestic and terrifying at the same time.

Following that carriage were many more but didn't have the same design and were much simpler. Still, they looked better than the average noble's carriage.

Too bad, not one could take a peep inside.

The crowd gathered around the parade, making it much slower but the soldiers made sure no citizen could get near.

Most of the common citizens really didn't have any idea who the noble personage was inside the carriage but once there was something new in the capital, the people always gathered.

"It really is the Huoyang army!" An old man with good built exclaimed.

"What, old man you know them?"

"Tsk, youngsters nowadays! Eleven years ago, Huoyang made its debut to join the war up north. The decades old war was won after three years since Huoyang entered. But these brave soldiers didn't return to the capital after winning. Instead, their leader chose to conquer what lies beyond our border, Northern Chu!"

The old man paused to catch his breath.

"Now that they've come back, this only means one thing: Northern Chu has successfully been conquered by our Da Xia! They're our heroes, I say!"

There were loud cheering on all sides for surely, it wasn't just the old man who had some knowledge. Other people also put two in two together.

"But say, old man, you haven't told me about their leader. Shouldn't he be called general?"

The youngster was confused at this one point. When the old man who was red with excitement heard this, the blush on his wrinkled cheeks vanished in an instant.

"Hehe, young lad, be more mindful of your words in the future lest you accidentally lose your head." Then he continued in a whisper.

"The Huoyang army's general, you really don't know?! Alright this old one will tell ya. It's his Highness, Imperial Uncle, Feng wang!"

When the youth heard the last two words, his jaw slacked before he turned from left to right making sure nobody heard his blunder.

Feng wang's name was almost a taboo topic for the people especially when the person was most probably only several steps away from them!

That man was a living demon. If he decided that one's life was not needed, there was no room for negotiation for your head will probably be rolling only seconds later.

No one wanted to provoke this lord's ire but worse was one didn't even know what could and couldn't provoke him. His mood was unpredictable, ah!

How would you know if you're stepping on the tiger's tail?

Phew, the youngster thanked his ancestors he didn't say more. When it came to Feng wang, between positive and negative words, one should just choose to shut up.

The procession continued all the way to the imperial palace. All the windows were opened as people sent them with happy gazes and claps. There was an endless flow of handkerchiefs and silk flowers thrown by young maidens. The street vendors on the sides also enjoyed big profits today.

At some point, the smaller carriages were escorted by some soldiers to the direction of the Feng wangfu.

Only the biggest carriage entered the imperial palace area.

A quarter of a shichen later, a signal firework was set off to the sky. And the remaining regiments outside the palace and the capital kowtowed three times in unison.

Seeing the thousands of soldiers kowtowing at the same time made one shudder in its magnificence. Something about it was truly overwhelming!

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Huo means Fire; Yang is the opposite of yin.