If only the surroundings were quieter, Li Ce could hear the steady beat of his own heart. After all these years, he still found it impossible to quell the dread that welled up within him in confined, pitch-black spaces. He had once believed that the nightmares of the ancient tomb would fade forever, especially since a certain maiden now occupied his thoughts. Her soul burned bright and pure, like a golden light that pierced every dreadful shadow. Thinking of Ye Jiao, Li Ce clenched the peach-shaped golden pendant at his waist, forcing himself to steady his mind. His nostrils twitched; at last, he was able to breathe freely.
The refugees were chattering in chaotic disarray."How long will they keep us locked up?""How did we become traitors?""What's the reason? They won't execute us, will they?"
The noise was incessant until Yan Yun raised his voice to silence them."Do you not understand why you're labeled rebels?" he reprimanded. "You wear military uniforms, which conveniently provides Yan Jide with the perfect pretext to accuse my prince of treason!"
Apparently, most of the imperial guards were unaware of the refugees' existence. Today, following Li Ce's lead, with Yan Jide's staged performance on the platform, the guards had likely swallowed his slander whole. Such a tactic of falsely accusing the innocent was remarkably cunning.
"No, no!" the refugees hastened to reply. "Once we're free, we'll summon the official household registers and verify that we're from Ganzhou, strangers to Prince Chu."
The crowd brightened at this thought, but Qing Feng abruptly spoke:"What you think, Yan Jide has already considered. I now suspect that his outward confinement of us is merely a prelude to silencing us forever."
Qing Feng's insight threw the refugees into an uproar until a calm, steady voice cut through the clamor."Yan Yun," Li Ce said clearly, "fire."
Darkness demands fire. With fire comes light, and with light comes peace of mind. Yan Yun and Qing Feng both clutched candles and fire starters—habits formed during their time with Li Ce in the imperial tomb. The candle's flame flickered weakly as Li Ce took it and addressed the people.
"I have heard of a kind of wolf in Ganzhou. When they hunt alone, even wild boars and hyenas overpower them. Yet when they gather in packs, even the fiercest tiger must yield. Since I have come to Yangquan Mountain to rescue you, I will not allow you to perish here. You seventy-nine—will you cower like mice in a hole, or unite like wolves ready to fight?"
Holding the candle, Li Ce stood inside the cave; the faint light illuminated his jade crown, his cheeks, and his resolute, dark eyes. The crowd fell silent, their fearful eyes gradually brightening like bonfires lit across the fields.
"We obey you, Your Highness!" the refugees declared."We trust in you, Your Highness!" They rubbed their hands together eagerly, ready to act.
"Very well," Li Ce said. "You stay here with Yan Yun and find a way to pry open the stone door. Qing Feng will follow me deeper into the cave to scout ahead. There is a breeze here—perhaps it leads to a way out."
The refugees nodded in agreement. Li Ce, candle in hand, led the way forward. His pace was slow, his heart still haunted by lingering fear, but his steps were unyielding. This time, he was not alone—he bore the lives of dozens upon his shoulders. Whoever sought their deaths—be it heaven or traitorous ministers—he would fight with all he had to carve out a sliver of hope and lead the refugees home.
Yan Jide's face darkened. He stood inside his tent, his towering frame as immovable as a boulder, yet his fingers trembled. The plan was proceeding smoothly: lure Li Ce with the refugees, have him observe the military formations, then seize the moment to frame him for rebellion, imprisoning both him and the refugees in the mountain prison. Next, ignite the explosives hidden in the mountain and bury them alive. When the emperor inquired, they would feign ignorance about the cave's collapse. With so many soldiers dead and rebellion confirmed, even imperial reprimand would not condemn Yan Jide to death.
Li Ce must not live. He must never see the emperor.
Li Ce had uncovered the truth behind Shunpin's madness seven years ago. Only one between Yan Jide and Li Ce could survive. Yet Yan Jide's heart remained uneasy. If only Prince Jin were here—the young man who loved books and wielded unfathomable cunning.
A subordinate bandaged Yan Jide's wounds while another imperial soldier lay on a mat inside the tent, barely clinging to life. This was Lu Shuisheng, the soldier sent to assassinate Li Ce. His abdomen had been pierced by a dagger; he had barely made it back alive.
"General…" he struggled to rise, "let me go."
Someone needed to ignite the explosives. Only Yan Jide and Lu Shuisheng knew the two locations where the gunpowder was hidden.
Yan Jide shook his head heavily, a flicker of pity in his eyes as he gestured for the subordinate to leave. He stepped toward Lu Shuisheng, looming above him, and sighed, "This mission is perilous. If I fail, you will be subjected to cruel torture and endless suffering. Allow me to grant you release."
Lu Shuisheng's eyes flew open. He tried to rise, but Yan Jide's hand covered his mouth and nose, holding him firmly down. Lu Shuisheng struggled fiercely; his wound burst open, blood pooling beneath him. Finally, he was still.
Ye Jiao circled Yangquan Mountain for nearly an hour. Since the cave's entrance could not be pushed open, she sought other means. No matter what, she had to remain nearby—she would not allow that scoundrel Li Ce to perish so easily.
Was there another entrance?
There was no mountain path; many trails were goat tracks, leading up only to dead ends. Using hands and feet, she frightened away a rabbit and several squirrels before falling into a pile of leaves, no more than fifteen feet from a hunter's trap.
Lying there, Ye Jiao thought she heard faint voices beneath the rocks. She listened intently, confirming it was no illusion or animal call, and immediately grew excited.
"Is someone down there?" she called out.
The voices ceased. The cave must have led below her, but those people had moved elsewhere. Where? Where could they have gone?
Her gaze swept the surroundings. Once, a tributary of the Yellow River flowed here; the cave was dug by the people of Yangquan Mountain to divert water. But the river's course had changed, and the water dried up.
If water once flowed out, then water must have flowed in somewhere. Where? Near the old Yellow River tributary path!
Ye Jiao scrambled to the other side of the mountain and indeed found the ancient trail and a cave entrance blocked by several massive stones. The opening tilted upward; anyone inside wanting to escape would have to first move the stones and then climb upward.
As Ye Jiao prepared to shift a stone, a young man covered in dirt inside the cave pushed forcefully, sending a melon-sized rock tumbling down, dust billowing.
"Qing Feng!" Ye Jiao exclaimed.
"Commander Wu!" Qing Feng's face lit with joy as he turned and shouted, "Your Highness! Commander Wu is here!"
He was truly happy. This reunion made Qing Feng ready to cast aside all previous grievances against Ye Jiao—including the gate inspection and the stubborn demand to strip his lord. From now on, you are half my master!
Inside the cave, Li Ce's voice sounded tense, devoid of excitement or joy, only five simple words:
"What are you doing here?"
"I come and go as I please. What's it to you?" Ye Jiao stepped back, letting Qing Feng climb up, then glanced sideways into the cave.
"Heh, you've become a big mouse now." She laughed, removed her scabbard, and playfully poked Li Ce's head, teasing, "Come on, grab hold and climb out."
Li Ce, standing on a rock near the entrance, could have reached out to escape but was forced to dodge her teasing prods helplessly. Suddenly, a tremendous explosion shattered the silence.
A thunderous roar, shaking rocks and sending birds fleeing, stones tumbling and dust swirling. Ye Jiao lost her footing, crouching quickly to steady the cave's mouth.
"What happened?" she gasped in horror.
"Gunpowder!" Li Ce's face turned ashen as he looked up and listened carefully to the echoes within the cave. "The explosion came from the east side, not far from here. They won't stop at one blast—go stop the next!"
"Yes!" Qing Feng replied without hesitation, sprinting away.
"Get out now!" Ye Jiao ceased teasing Li Ce and knelt, extending her hand.
Li Ce turned and glanced inside the cave.
"I must go back," he said solemnly, "Now that we've found a way, I must lead them out."
As he stepped away from the entrance, about to leap down the stone steps, Ye Jiao grabbed his arm.
"What if…" her face waxen pale, "the cave collapses while you're inside?"
"There are still eighty people inside." Li Ce's anxiety burned. He struggled to free himself but feared hurting her.
"Go back quickly. Avoid falling rocks. Don't reveal yourself. No one must know you were at Yangquan Mountain today. Let go!"
His left hand was held tight; with his right, he pulled a sealed smoke signal from his chest and handed it to Ye Jiao.
"Light this for me. My people should be arriving soon."
Tears welled in Ye Jiao's eyes as she grasped his hand firmly, speaking each word with solemnity, "Their lives matter. Doesn't yours?"
Li Ce smiled weakly, a mix of loss and sorrow in his gaze.
"My life has but a few months left. For eighty lives, it's a worthy trade."
"Don't talk nonsense about months!" Ye Jiao snapped, furious. "I asked Wang Qianshan. He said your fate is ever-changing. I have your birth details—you were born in the Renwu year, Xinhai month, Dinghai day, Xu hour, correct?"
Surprise flickered in Li Ce's eyes, but he pried her hand away without a word and disappeared into the cave.
"Guard the entrance for me!" he called from a distance.
His voice faded, and he vanished....