Chapter 235

Chapter 235: Chapter 235

As the wind blew into the room, a piece of yellow paper was scattered on the ground. It was the paper in which emperors wrote their imperial decrees. Chu Qiao walked into the palace, stepping over that piece of paper. She looked at the shadow hiding behind the curtains calmly, saying in a heavy tone, “I’m here to take your life.”

Zhan Ziyu laughed and replied in a calm voice, “I didn’t expect it to be you.”

“I never thought that our next meeting would be like this. You were a fallen man back then. To get to where you were in five years, it must have not been easy.”

Chu Qiao continued calmly with an expressionless look.

Zhan Ziyu laughed again and retorted, “Are you trying to console me? It’s not bad either. It’s not easy to get praised by the famous General of Xiuli either.”

Chu Qiao maintained her calm demeanor and asked, “Do you have any last wishes?”

A look of sadness flashed across Zhan Ziyu’s face. He frowned and said indignantly, “I do not feel fulfilled if I don’t kill these hypocritical nobles of Tang.” He continued, “General Chu, why can the Li family rule over this country, but not me? Didn’t the Li family obtain this empire from the previous ruling family too? Why are they the righteous rulers of this country, while I am the rebel?” A proud look started to appear on Zhan Ziyu’s face. He looked up towards the rooftop slightly, a look of ambition appearing on his face. “Furthermore, I’m just taking back what the Li family owes me. What’s wrong with that?”

Chu Qiao was unmoved as she continued to say calmly, “That’s your personal feud. It’s none of my business.” She stepped forward slowly; the sound of her footsteps resembled the midnight drums striking as it reverberated around the walls of the palace.

“You killed someone that I treasure. I will kill you to avenge him.” As she withdrew her sword out of its sheath, it gave out a blinding silver glimmer which shone on Zhan Ziyu, projecting a white ray of light onto his face.

“What else do you have to say?”

“Let my sister go. She’s just a woman. She did everything for my sake.”

Chu Qiao looked at him and remained silent for a long while as she started to feel a tinge of sorrow within her heart. The winds blew towards them from afar, tugging at their sleeves.

“Sorry, I can’t do it.”

A gush of crimson-red blood splattered out onto Chu Qiao’s black colored clothes, losing its red color as it seeped into the cloth.

Chu Qiao bent down and picked up the man’s head on the ground. His jet-black hair was neatly combed; his complexion was fair. His expression was gentle, as if he had drifted off to sleep. Blood was everywhere near his neck, where his head had been severed. It was a gruesome sight.

Swoosh! Chu Qiao threw the head into the hands of another bodyguard and declared with a heavy tone, “Hang the head onto the palace gates and let those soldiers from the Central Army see it.” As she finished her sentence, she walked out of Lingxiao Palace, got onto her horse, and ordered to the people on her left and right, “To Roufu Palace.”

The moon had crept over the layer of clouds unknowingly, giving the landscape a desolate appearance. As Lingxiao Palace started to quiet down, the soldiers dressed in their body armor departed the palace, leaving only a heap of bodies behind. The crows in the sky let out their cries; their black wings appeared like the ensign of death. In that empty palace, the headless corpse sat upright on that golden chair, adding to the creepiness of the atmosphere.

The battle at Roufu Palace had ended by then. Tie You and Sun Di arrived together, bloodstains visible on their bodies, which showed the intensity of the battle earlier on. Chu Qiao jumped off her horse and said to Sun Di, “It’s been hard on you.”

Sun Di brushed it off with a laugh and replied, “It’s alright. It’s just that the food in the palace sucked. I lost quite a lot of weight.”

“Miss, we have captured Concubine Zhan,” Tie You declared in a heavy tone.

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows and questioned, “Is the emperor alright?”

Tie You mimicked her expression and replied, “Just a few shocks here and there.”

“That’s good.” Chu Qiao heaved a sigh of relief and continued, “Why are you so glum then?”

“Empress Yuan has killed herself. When we barged in, she thought that we were Concubine Zhan’s people. Before we spoke, she banged her head against the wall and died.”

Chu Qiao frowned tightly, not expecting the Yuan family to show such levels of cowardice. She had painstakingly paved an escape route for mother and son, but the mother had died just like that, without making a sound.

“Miss,” Sun Di stepped forward and declared with a heavy tone, “the Zhan siblings assassinated the late emperor and colluded with other syndicates to plot against him as they coveted the throne. The evidence against them is here. We can reveal this to the world tomorrow and expose them for their crimes.”

Chu Qiao received the papers from him. It was just a few pieces of paper, but it felt unbelievably heavy as she held it in her hands.

“Let me out! Bunch of slaves! Let me out!” A heart-rending series of cries suddenly echoed out from the palace not far out. The majestic Roufu Palace had been reduced to ruins as the fire continued to ravage the building, leaving dust and debris everywhere in its trail. Zhan Ziming was wearing a bright red outfit as she struggled to fight her way out of the palace, with two servants blocking her way. Her eyes were bloodshot; her royal demeanor had evaporated.

When she saw Chu Qiao, Sun Di and the rest, she froze. Looking at Chu Qiao, she asked, “Where’s my big brother?”

Chu Qiao replied emotionlessly, “Dead.”

It was almost as if Zhan Ziming had expected the arrival of this day. After a long while, she started to laugh bitterly. Her voice was resigned as the bright look in her eyes faded. She looked at Chu Qiao and asked calmly, “You killed him?”

“Yes.”

“Good, good. The person he liked is indeed capable. No wonder he’s only true to you.”

Chu Qiao looked at the beautiful lady who had been consumed by madness, with a sympathetic expression. Through her pretty face, she seemingly read the thoughts at the bottom of her heart.

“How do you intend to deal with Rong’er?”

“He’s not just your child. He is Li Ce’s child. I will treat him well.”

Zhan Ziming nodded and laughed bitterly. “Good. My hands are stained with blood. I killed him. If not for Big Brother, I wouldn’t have lived on either. Kill me.”

In that instant, Chu Qiao saw her fragmented heart through her resigned smile. Having admired her elder brother since her childhood, she listened to Zhan Ziyu and followed all of his arrangements. However, when she entered the palace, she could not help falling for Li Ce. Perhaps, she had not realized this, up until she carried out the plan to assassinate him. It was only then that she understood what she actually thought towards him. That day, outside Yixin Palace, the sorrow that she felt did not seem to be fake. Alas, out of the two men that she loved, one did not love her, while the other was unable to love her. Ultimately, she was made to be a fool by fate.

“Give Concubine Zhan the poisoned wine.” Chu Qiao turned around decisively and took big steps towards the outside of the palace. The winds blew as the darkness engulfed the landscape. It was brightly lit at the gates of Jinwu Palace, as the shouting became softer and softer. Sounds of a war siren pierced through the air. The smell of debris, blood and deceased souls welcomed her, and surrounded her from all directions.

She held her sword in her hand as she wore her blood-stained outfit. She stood upright, with the soldiers in black to her left and right, as the palace burnt to the ground behind her. Her gaze was cold as she looked towards the horizon. Over the horizon, the lonely regions of the north beckoned. She did not blink, as if she was looking at someone. However, the look in her eyes was empty.

“The demise of Concubine Zhan…” the eunuch declared loudly.

The sun rose, signalling the end to the long night. However, what did it take to dispel the darkness in her heart? Fate was like an unrestrained wildfire, burning her beyond recognition. Those wishes and expectations for the future were utterly destroyed by this fire, along with all her emotions of weakness, sorrow, benevolence, kindness, and her perceptions towards idealism. She would stand up and protect everything she treasured. If anyone dared to step across her boundaries, she would ensure that they paid a heavy price for it.

“Aunt!” the voice of a child sounded out as he leapt into Chu Qiao’s embrace. The emperor bawled his eyes out as his cheeks appeared red from all the crying.

“Mother is dead! Aunt, Yi’er’s mother is dead!” The child was still young, but he had inherited his handsome features from Li Ce.

She squatted down and embraced the child tightly. Her body was cold, but her heart felt warm. This was Li Ce’s child, his empire, his home. He had watched over her for so many years; it was time for her to reciprocate.

“Yi’er, don’t be scared. You still have Auntie.”

“Miss.” Meixiang stood at the side, holding another child in her arms.

Chu Qiao stood up and walked over slowly, realizing that the child was Zhan Ziming’s son, Li Qingrong. This child, who had been born as the king of Rong, was sleeping soundly, completely oblivious to the storm that his birth had caused. His parents had passed away in succession, leaving this piece of scarred land and a destabilized empire in his hands.

“Miss, look at how soundly Third Prince is sleeping.” Meixiang had taken an adoration to the child as she handed the child over to Chu Qiao, laughing.

Chu Qiao held him in her arms, waking him up. He yawned impatiently, squinting as he looked at Chu Qiao. He was like a carbon copy of Li Ce.

Tears started to well up in Chu Qiao’s eyes. She embraced the child tightly, pressing her cheeks against the child’s. A feeling of emptiness started to brew in her heart again.

“General, Elder Liu’s son, Liu Yuanzong, is standing outside Qinan Gates with a group of scholars and officials. They are asking about what happened. Is the emperor alright?”

Chu Qiao looked up as she reverted back to her cold expression. She said to He Xiao, “Inform all the elders that the king of Shezheng, Zhan Ziyu, colluded with Concubine Zhan to usurp the throne of the late emperor. Empress Yuan died amongst the chaos, while the emperor is alright. The evil people have been eliminated. Tell the elders not to worry as well.”

He Xiao went about his task swiftly. In a short while, shouts of “Long live!” started to resonate outside the palace gates.

A bodyguard returned with the following news, “Liu Yuanzong pledges allegiance to General Chu, along with the entire court of Tang. The conflicts at the southern, northern and Ganguang Gates have stopped. The rebels of the Central Army have been captured. We are awaiting General Chu to deal with them.”

As the palace gates opened, the entire court of Tang stood beneath the jade steps of the palace. As the sun rose high up in the sky, exemplifying Tang’s return to a bright future ahead, Chu Qiao held the emperor’s hand as they walked up the jade steps slowly.

“Long live the Emperor!”

The golden rays of the sun shone on her black outfit. The word “Xiuli” was faintly visible on a reddish-white ensign. As the winds blew, the landscape appeared desolate once again.

“Aunt,” the emperor called out crisply as he pointed to the golden chair, cowering in fear. Frowning, he continued, “I don’t want to sit there.”

Chu Qiao squatted and caressed his face gently. “Yi’er, that seat was made by the flesh and blood of thousands of people. You belong there. Your parents died for it. The Tang Empire lies in your hands now. Everyone here, including your ancestors above in the sky, is looking at you. You cannot refuse this responsibility.”

The emperor was visibly startled by her words. He tugged at her and asked, “What about Auntie. Don’t you want me anymore?”

Chu Qiao helped him up the throne as she said quietly, “Auntie will help you, but you have to shoulder some things yourself ultimately.”

Chu Qiao turned around as everyone present kowtowed to pay their respects, startling the birds who were circling above the sky. They did not know who they were paying their respects to. Was it the young prince on the throne, or the young lady who had command of the Wolf and Xiuli Armies? There was not a single moment of peace and calm, just like it had been all this while, amidst the mind games that were playing out on this joyous occasion.

As the dust behind this debacle settled, the next move of this game of chess had been made. There was no longer any more room to back out.

Li Ce, rest assured.