Chapter Thirty-Four: Only Blame Being Born in an Imperial Family

  In the twenty-fifth year of Shengwu, winter had descended, and all living things were hibernating. The mountains and rocks stood solemnly in the distance, and the weather was getting colder by the day. Inside the Forbidden City, an even deeper stillness and majesty reigned.

  In a few days, it will be New Year's Day. According to the rules of the palace, both New Year's Day and New Year's Eve are days for family banquets in the imperial household. Although New Year's Day is not as grand as New Year's Eve, it still has its own lively atmosphere. The Taisho Palace has been preparing early on, and each palace and hall has added a joyful and auspicious atmosphere, bustling with activity.

  But it was at this very moment that a great event occurred, stirring up a turbulent undercurrent in what had been a quiet and peaceful winter. From then on, for many years to come, countless people and events would be swept up in its vortex, all originating from this point.

  You dust off the memory, it was a quiet night, and things happened without warning. In fact, everything has more or less foreshadowing, but no one noticed, or even if they did, they couldn't predict anything from it.

  That night, she didn't sleep early. Qing Chen and Bi Yao Dan Qiong, the two sisters, chatted for a while before returning to their residence. One of them lay on the bed, staring blankly at the flickering candlelight.

  Time slowly passes by, and sometimes when I think back on past events, it feels like a lifetime ago.

  She raised her hand to gaze at the emerald, its seven-colored luster possessing a beauty that was quietly irresistible. Suddenly, an idea occurred to her - if one day she could really activate that forbidden technique and disappear from this place, would she still shed tears?

  This sudden thought was strange, as if the current self had really become itself, while the real one seemed like a dream. She closed her eyes, and the inverted reflection of the candle flames still lingering at the bottom of her eyes slowly disappeared.

  In the middle of the night, with the dew and the deep sound of the watch drum, Sun Shi, who should have been attending to his duties in Zhiyuan Hall, had instead come to Yaochun Pavilion.

  Under the dim light of the palace lanterns, Sun Shi's face, which usually looked dull and depressed, showed no expression. He simply lowered his eyes and said, "This old slave has come to invite the young mistress on behalf of His Majesty."

  Your eyebrows slightly furrowed, and you had a somewhat ominous premonition in your heart. You asked, "Do you know what this is about?"

  Sun Shidao said: "It's Feng Xiuyi who has gotten into trouble."

  "You're quite unexpected: 'Luan Fei? What's happened to her?' Luan Fei has been following Tian Di for many years, always being meticulous and careful in her actions, handling everything with ease. Such a person, how could anything happen to her?"

  "Please, Princess, add some clothes and follow me quickly. If we're late, it might be difficult to clean up."

  Qingchen took a cloak and followed Sun Shi out of the Yanxi Palace. Sun Shi seemed calm, but his feet didn't slow down at all as he rushed towards the Chengxuan Gate, whispering to Qingchen: "Feng Xiuyi and the Crown Prince secretly left the palace, the Emperor was furious when he heard the news, ordering the King of Qi to lead the capital guards to chase them back. Unexpectedly, the Imperial Guard who usually protected the Crown Prince arrived, now both sides are at a standoff outside the city."

  You were shocked in your heart and secretly left the palace. If you say it strongly, it's elopement. She looked at Sun Shi: "The two of them..."

  Sun Shiwu nodded slightly: "The Crown Prince has left a letter for His Majesty, asking to step down from the position of Crown Prince."

  According to the heavenly dynasty's rules, women from noble families who have not yet reached the age of 25 are strictly forbidden from discussing marriage. Only after reaching the age of 25 can they be married off by the Emperor's arrangement. However, in order to prevent any one imperial son from gaining too much power, they are usually only married off to powerful and wealthy families, and very rarely into the imperial family itself. The actions of Luan Fei and the Crown Prince are a blatant defiance of heavenly principles, abandoning ancestral rules and laws without regard. As people who are extremely close to and trusted by the Emperor, not only did they secretly leave the palace, but they also stirred up conflict between the Imperial Guards and the Metropolitan Prohibition Army. The Emperor's anger is now more than just shock.

  The sound of horseshoes striking the bluestone road in Upper Ninth Alley broke the stillness, making people's hearts feel especially uneasy.

  Torches stood in front, and the Gyeonggi Garrison and the Imperial Forest Army confronted each other within the city walls, with both sides having thousands of men.

  Ye Tianxi seemed to be saying something to the prince, presumably persuading the two of them. The prince and Luan Fei stood opposite him, their faces hidden in the dim light of the fire, their expressions unclear.

  The Gyeonggi and Wiyeo armies have never gotten along, and it's common for them to have small skirmishes on a daily basis. Now that they're taking sides, swords are being drawn, and it seems like things will erupt at any moment. The so-called protection of the Crown Prince may just be an excuse; this confrontation has been suppressed for a long time, but it's finally been triggered.

  Qing Chen and Sun Shi spurred their horses forward, and the Imperial Guards immediately cleared a path for them to ride ahead.

  Under the bright fire, the phoenix flew away, and the jade hairpin was gone. She simply tied up her cloud-like bun, wearing a simple green dress, looking like a small family's jade girl. The prince also wore an ordinary linen shirt, his pale face calm and serene as jade, the coarse cloth could not hide his noble bearing, with a kind of quietness that made people dare not offend him, and a detachment from the world.

  You dust yourself off and dismount, looking at the lovely couple before you with a mixture of surprise and suspicion. Having observed from afar in recent days, although Lian Fei has always been somewhat close to the Crown Prince, when did things progress to this point? Given Lian Fei's cunning, why would she make such an unwise move? The Crown Prince giving up his position as heir and eloping with her, even if they can leave Yi Ge, where in the world can they go? Even now, turning back, the palace is dark and foreboding, fearing that from this point on, there will be no more sunny days.

  The swan flew to see Qingdun and Sun Shi, a pair of bright apricot eyes floated with complex expressions, saying: "Sister, I'm afraid that if I don't obey my husband and am unfilial to my parents, I won't be able to fulfill my filial duties under their knees. From now on, it will be up to sister."

  You gazed at her deeply and advised, "Luan Fei, listen to your sister's words, quickly return to the palace with His Highness, we can still plead for mercy from the Heavenly Emperor, it's not too late yet."

  Sun Shi also said: "Your Highness, the Emperor is furious and cannot be consoled. This old slave dares to advise you, please think thrice."

  The crown prince smiled slightly: "You don't have to say anything more, since I've taken this step, I don't plan on returning to the imperial palace. Imperial guards and attendants, from now on I am no longer the crown prince of the heavenly dynasty, hurry back and do not make a fuss."

  You dust looked at the armor bright and shining protective of the prince's body by the Imperial Guard, a chill ran through his heart.

  "The night sky has already dried up the words: 'Your Highness, Father Emperor has ordered Fourth Brother to lead the Xuanjia Army to seal off the upper nine streets, and the inner city's nine gates are heavily guarded. Even if I let you go, it would be of no use. Things have come to this point, and the only option is to follow me back to see Father Emperor."

  Upon hearing that Ye Tianling had been ordered to deploy troops and block the escape route, the Crown Prince and Luan Fei exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with regret. Luan Fei let out a mournful laugh: "I didn't think I would ultimately bring harm to Your Highness."

  The crown prince, however, remained calm and composed, his gaze at Luan Fei even softer: "Everything was my own doing; how can you say you've wronged me?"

  "Your Highness, you go back with your sister and the others. As long as you apologize to the Emperor, he will forgive you."

  The crown prince smiled slightly at the corner of his lips and shook his head. He gazed at Rong Fei, speaking softly: "In spring there is wind and flowers, in autumn there is moonlight, year after year we'll be together."

  The swan flew lightly, and whispered: "Above the blue sky and below the yellow spring, everywhere with you together." She closed her eyes, raised her head, a faint smile on her face, and suddenly said: "Your Highness take care, Luanfei will leave first." After speaking, she covered something with her long sleeve and poured it into her mouth.

  "Jun Fei!" The crown prince's face changed, and he hastily stretched out his hand to grab him, but he could only watch as Jun Fei fell to the ground amidst the crowd's cries of surprise. He was only just in time to catch Jun Fei in his arms, and with a grief-stricken expression, he hoarsely shouted: "Jun Fei! Jun Fei!"

  You dust didn't think about flying with a swan and would rather poison herself to death. He walked forward a few steps: "Let me take a look at her!"

  The crown prince suddenly blocked her: "Don't come any closer!" The imperial guards followed the crown prince's order, and as one moved, a hundred responded. The capital garrison immediately reacted, and the surroundings suddenly became turbulent with dark undercurrents rising up.

  "Your Highness, let me take a look at Luan Fei, perhaps there's still hope."

  The crown prince lifted his head in despair, grasping the porcelain bottle he had snatched from Luan Fei's hand: "This is Crane Top Red, there's no hope for rescue now."

  You fixed your eyes on it, and that blue jade porcelain bottle was indeed from the palace, specially used to bestow death upon imperial concubines after they had passed away - a heart suddenly sank to the bottom of the valley.

  "Up to the blue sky and down to the yellow spring, everywhere with you together." The crown prince gazed at the jade face of Luan Fei, who was completely devoid of vitality, and suddenly looked up at the sky and burst out laughing: "Up to the blue sky and down to the yellow spring, everywhere with you together!" Before his laughter had faded away, he tilted his head back and poured the remaining Crane Top Red into his mouth.

  Ye Tianxiang's face changed greatly, and he flew over to save her, but it was already too late.

  At the critical moment, a black arrow with wolf-toothed and ink-feathered fletching broke through the air, hitting the ceramic bottle in the prince's hand before anyone else could react. With a loud "bang", the medicinal liquid splashed all over the prince's body, but he was unharmed.

  The long arrow flew past the crown prince's face and inserted into a stone seam not far away, stunning the Imperial Guards and the Forbidden Troops. They were quiet for a moment. Ye Tianhai and Sun Shili immediately rushed forward, half-supporting and half-pressing to stabilize the crown prince.

  You dust also stretched out his hand to take over the body of Swan Flying, raised his head to look, and the wind had already arrived in front of him. Ye Tianling was dressed in a black warrior suit, holding a golden longbow, flying off his horse, and walking several steps to the prince's side.

  The crown prince was unharmed, and at night, Tian Ling said in a low voice, "Elder brother, why are you so confused?" At this time, everyone's heart was filled with fear, thinking that if the arrow had been slightly off target, the crown prince would have already died from it. How could he explain to the Heavenly Emperor the crime of killing the crown prince? This move was actually more dangerous than the crown prince taking poison and dying.

  The crown prince was surrounded by a group of people, but he didn't hear anything around him, he just quietly watched the swallows fly. Qing Chen looked at the situation of the swallows flying, her slender eyebrows furrowed, and she remained silent.

  But unexpectedly, after a brief pause, there was suddenly a burst of shouting and scolding. The Gyeonggi Garrison and the Imperial Guard actually had someone who started fighting, with knives, guns, fists, and feet. As they watched, it became more and more intense, and the situation became even more chaotic.

  Ye Tianling turned his head back, his eyes suddenly cold, and his body slightly moved. He had already entered between the two arrays. A clear light flashed by, and several people who were about to make a move stumbled backward, opening up a large empty space.

  "Are you rebelling?" Ye Tianling coldly shouted, his long sword reflecting the moonlight, like a demon's shadow standing upright.

  Both sides fell silent at the same time. Ye Tianling had been leading troops for many years and had extremely high prestige in the military, with few people daring to be presumptuous in front of him. Moreover, who could bear the two words "rebellion"? He coldly looked at the still eager Imperial Guards: "Zhang Shu, control your guards well, if anyone else makes a rash move, don't blame this king for being ruthless." Putting away his sword, he said again: "Fifth brother." The Metropolitan Guard had always been led by Ye Tianxuan, and he did not want to overstep his authority. With just one hand raised, he turned around to look at the Crown Prince and Luan Fei.

  As Ye Tianling's hand gesture, Jingyiwei and the Imperial Guard suddenly found that the outer array was lined with black-clad iron guards, more than twice as many as both sides. Compared to the mighty momentum of the Shenwu Gate's army, these warriors appeared silently, hiding in the darkness of the night sky, making people's hearts suddenly feel a chill. It can be imagined that if both sides continue to make trouble, with Ye Tianling's means, I'm afraid no one will have a good end.

  "Yè tiān zhāo fāng cóng tài zǐ zhè lǐ tuō shēn chū lái, duì jīng xī wèi hè dào: 'tǒng tǒng guī duì, fǎn le nǐ men!'"

  Translation:

  "Night sky tide direction from the prince here extricate oneself, to the capital garrison shouted: 'All return to ranks, rebellion you all!'"

  General Zhang of the Imperial Forest Army was intimidated by Ye Tianling's majesty and also restrained the Forbidden Troops from causing any more trouble.

  Ye Tianling's face was pale as he said to the Crown Prince, "Please return to the palace, Father Emperor is uneasy at night, how can we, as his subjects and sons, bear it in our hearts?"

  The crown prince remained unmoved, merely watching as the swan flew away.

  Ye Tian Ling leaned down and asked Qing Chen: "How is it?"

  You furrowed your brow, seemingly having encountered something very difficult to understand, and said, "It's hard to say, perhaps there is still a way to save it."

  The crown prince's eyes flashed with a fierce light: "What did you say?"

  "You'd better return to the palace first and think of a plan later, Your Highness. If we're in time, we might still be able to save Luan's life."

  The crown prince sneered with a smile: "You just want to deceive me into returning to the palace, Luan Fei has drunk the crane's red top, who else can save her?"

  "Although Luan Fei's internal organs are severely damaged, there is still a glimmer of life left in her, and her chest still has some residual warmth. Whether or not Your Highness returns to the palace, I must save her. If Your Highness wishes to remain here, then I will take Luan Fei back first." This statement was both gentle and firm, leaving no room for doubt. Ye Tian Ling also knew that at this moment, only Luan Fei could move the Crown Prince, so he bent down to help Qing Chen carry Luan Fei: "I'll send you two back to the palace."

  The crown prince hastily asked: "Can you really save Lian Fei?"

  "You still care about Lian Fei's well-being, don't you? I am her sister, how could I possibly play with her life?"

  The crown prince furrowed his brow, closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. With a heart full of despair and indifference, he said: "Forget it, I'll go back with you."

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