Chapter 54

Translator: Aristophaneso

In truth, rescuing the hostages was very simple, but she was not able to make the move.

The vague sound of the Crown Prince’s harsh laughter could be heard from the roof of the building, his voice sharp as a blade. “Where is Father Emperor? Father Emperor did not come to see me? How heartless to his own son? Refusing to see me...”

With a dull thud, a figure fell from the pagoda roof and crunched against the ground, brain matter spilling every which way. All the onlookers turned in shock, and only after a long examination determined that the corpse was not the Shao Ning Princess, but an Imperial servant girl.

The Crown Prince’s laughter grew more and more ghastly. “Father Emperor will not come? Then every quarter of an hour I will toss another person; this servant girl was from Shao Ning’s palace, and the next one... the one following that ... perhaps it will be his beloved little daughter. If he does not come, I will send Shao Ning’s ghost to see him!”

All corners of the battlefield fell silent, the innocent girl’s slowing blood puddling on the ground. Shao Ning’s voice burst forward angrily, blasting like a silver cannon, “Big Brother you are insane!”

“I’m insane! I am insane!” The Crown Prince laughed uproariously. “Everyone is insane! This fitly empire! This disgusting Imperial Family! All of it is insane!”

Feng Zhiwei shifted and whispered to Yan Huaishi. After he had turned and left, she stepped forward, calmly calling out. “Your Highness.”

The laughter abruptly cut off, and the Crown Prince look out into the crowd, his eyes glittering as he focused on Feng Zhiwei. His voice cracked with hope, he said: “Mister Wei, you are here? ... Is Father Emperor coming? I wish to see Father Emperor, to explain my faithfulness and wash away these false grievances!”

Shao Ning’s voice was even more excited than his, and she yelled out loudly, “Wei Zhi! Wei Zhi! You are here to save me! I knew you would come!”

A tousled, beautiful face extended forth only to be immediately dragged back by the Crown Prince.

“His Majesty is en route, but is held up by some minor ailments. He will be here soon.” Feng Zhiwei said without a sidewise glance, lying without any shift in her expressions. “Crown Prince, why must you rage like this? Will you not leave any room to maneuver? When His Majesty arrives, how will you reason with him?”

“Where are the Secretary Ministers?” The Crown Prince continued, looking around wildly. “Why have you been sent alone to speak with me? You are not qualified.”

Feng Zhiwei showed no emotion, smiling faintly. “I was recognized while under the Crown Prince’s roof; for His Majesty to send me, does the Crown Prince not understand what this means?

The Crown Prince paused, and then a gleam of excitement filled his eyes, though still doubtful he asked: “Under my roof... then why has His Majesty ordered his armies to surround me?”

Feng Zhiwei lifted her head and smiled lightly: “Because, Crown Prince, you are stupid!”

The earth-shattering and heaven shocking words not only frightened the onlookers, even the Crown Prince was almost shocked to the point of fully showing himself. After a long while, the prince finally shouted out furiously, “Brat, you dare? You dare insult this prince?”

“Why would I not dare?” Feng Zhiwei smiled coldly. “Under heaven, no father and son become enemies forever, there are only grievances. Show the truth in your heart and clear your misunderstandings before His Majesty — why would you choose to meet on the battlefield and to use weapons of war? His Majesty has been bitterly waiting for your Highness in the Hu Wei Camp, wishing to sit knee to knee with you and speak frankly. After that, father and son would have complete cinerary with one another, and hold no grudges, but unexpectedly, the Crown Prince chose the path of death, daring to hold younger brother and sister hostage, and causing chaos in the Imperial Palace! His Majesty has let you off time and time again, but Your Highness has never tried to understands his fatherly heart. The easy road was in front of you, but you chose the road of death, how are you not stupid!”

Though her words were filled with insults, the light of hope gleamed from the Crown Prince’s eyes, and he asked hesitantly. “This is Father Emperor’s meaning?”

Feng Zhiwei replied seriously. “This minor minister does not dare falsify Imperial intensions.”

“How could I be so mad.” The Crown Prince was stunned, and he weakly continued. “If Father Emperor is willing to listen to my explanation, then...”

He turned, looking to Shao Ning and Ning Ji, unsure whether he should release his brother or his sister first to show his sincerity.

“Your Highness has become aware of his errors and is turning away from the wrong path. Pulling back from the brink is truly the best outcome.” A figure suddenly strode forward, a gratified smile on his face as he loudly called out. “Since that is the case, this minister brother will send a fast horse immediately to report to Hu Wei Camp.”

Feng Zhiwei silently sighed.

Ning Yi had to be Ning Yi.

His excellency was born to tear apart her work.

The Crown Prince was stunned — sending a fast horse to Hu Wei Camp meant His Majesty was still at camp? Then Wei Zhi had been lying all along?

“Shameless! Bastard!” The Crown Prince raged, kicking another servant off the roof, sending a body crashing to the ground in a cloud of dust and blood. He cried out harshly, “You are heartless, and I am disloyal! Die!”

Ning Yi began laughing.

He had been waiting for this line.

His hand gestured silently within his sleeve.

A thick and heavy cloud of arrows rained down from on high, tearing through the sky, leaping over the soldier’s heads and shooting straight for the Tian Bo Pagoda.

“PA PA PA PA!”

The wide opens all immediately slammed shut, the arrows missing their targets and slamming into the panels.

The Crown Prince’s mad laughter roared forth, muffled, and no more voices could be heard from within.

A crash broke forth, and objects fell forward from the upper floors, lighting trails of bright red and dark yellow as they dropped to the ground. When the shapes hit the ground, they shattered and burst out in flame.

Several burning braziers lay on the ground.

The wooden columns of the building immediately lit up, and snakes of fire climbed the pillars and soon grew to cover half of the pagoda.

The Crown Prince wanted to burn himself!

The fire glowed brilliantly, and every face turned ghastly pale. Many years ago, the Third Prince had also committed suicide after his failed mutiny, and today a second prince of the Ning Imperial Family had stepped on the road of death.

Ant it was not just one, but three siblings, including His Majesty’s favorite little princess.

As the onlookers stared into the furious heat of the dancing flames and though of the consequences that must follow, their hands and feet turned frozen, and they forgot all movement.

Only Ning Yi was indifferent in the glow of the flame, his eyes narrowed in the harsh light.

The Xu Yuanliang’s heart was in a mess, but though he was commander of the Hu Wei Army, he did not know Prince Chu’s mind and did not dare move without orders. He could only turn his begging gaze to Gu Nanyi, hoping for his help.

Feng Zhiwei suddenly cried out, hurriedly patting her clothes, calling out, “fire!”

Everyone turned, and evidently she has stood too close to the attic and some of the sparks had fallen on both Feng Zhiwei and Gu Nanyi’s clothes. Feng Zhiwei was busily patting the sparks out, not forgetting to take care of Young Master Gu who was apparently without fear, only staring up into the fire as if the fire up on the wooden beams was more interesting than the fire on his clothes.

The poor Feng servant girl had to pat away his sparks as well, and was kept terribly busy.

Ning Yi had stayed quiet the whole time, but as he saw Feng Zhiwei eagerly putting out the sparks on Gu Nanyi his eyes deepened a few degrees. Up high on his horse, he lifted his eyes to watch the Bo Tian Pagoda burn. The flickering red flames glowed in his eyes, like evil fire spirits dancing and running.

His attendants stood anxiously to his side, waiting for his order, but he sat in a trance. Only when the fire had fully encircled the building and it was impossible to save it did he slowly say: “Idiots! Do you not know to how fight fires and save people?”