The sky may be vast, the earth boundless, but nothing could rival the weight of this matter. Yet at this very moment, Yan Jide intended to silence witnesses by shedding blood. Li Ce's men would undoubtedly fight to the death. Refugees scattered in all directions—some, disoriented, circled the mountain only to stumble upon the Imperial Guards. And now, with the unexpected appearance of Ye Changgen, the situation spiraled even further beyond control.
All of this demanded Li Ce's immediate attention. Hence, Yan Yun, consumed with anxiety, spoke on his master's behalf.
"Lady," he bowed low, "may we first attend to the urgent matters at hand? All else can be addressed later."
"No," Ye Jiao answered with firm resolve. "The question I pose now requires the Prince of Chu's answer here and now."
Just as that night when they were surrounded at the Jingzhao Prefecture, no matter how dire the moment, Li Ce chose to allay Ye Jiao's doubts first.
"The birth record you mentioned," he replied solemnly, "does not match the one I have known."
"How so?" Ye Jiao asked. "I read it from the royal archives—each word exact."
"There's a discrepancy of one hour," Li Ce furrowed his brow. "The version I've always known described someone with a short life span. We must verify the truth upon our return."
Ye Jiao's eyes clouded with confusion. Seizing the moment before she could press further, Yan Yun interjected hastily.
"Your Highness, look! General Ye is about to attack Yan Jide!"
None could say what words passed between Ye Changgen and Yan Jide, but Ye Changgen had already leapt from his horse and, pushing through the crowd, moved to seize Yan Jide on the spot.
"In the presence of the Imperial Guard, how dare a mere cavalry general behave so brazenly?" Yan Jide stood his ground. Though wounded, his gaze only grew colder, more resolute. "Come! Slay these traitors where they stand!"
The Imperial Guard advanced at his command.
"Traitors?" Ye Changgen roared. "You soldiers of the court feast on imperial provisions, yet your eyes are as good as blind! Can't you see? It is Yan Jide who intends treason! The one on my steed is the Princess of Tibet herself. Will you shed your own people's blood and become a laughingstock to foreign lands? Or will you admit your fault and kneel to this general?"
At last, Li Ce finished speaking with Ye Jiao and stepped forward.
"Think carefully, generals," he called out. "I am unarmed, having just escaped a collapsing cave. If I stand accused of treason, then I surrender willingly and shall be taken to the capital for trial. What is Yan Jide afraid of, that he must kill me?"
His voice rang clear as he walked down the narrow mountain path. Refugees and hunters parted to make way. Clad in black, tall and composed, his cloak billowed in the wind—an imposing figure.
Yan Jide tightened his grip on his blade, eyes fixed on Li Ce's approach. Just a few more steps, and he could eliminate Li Ce himself. He spat out a weak protest:
"You claim I kill to silence you—where is your proof?"
But by now, victory tilted toward Li Ce. His men had arrived, Ye Changgen had arrived; even if battle broke out, Yan Jide could be captured alive and brought back to the capital.
Li Ce drew closer, seemingly intent on persuasion. But just as he stepped within ten feet of Yan Jide, the latter let out a roar and swung his blade in a sudden attack.
Today, only one of them could survive.
Yet before the blade could fall, Ye Changgen struck from the side—his own blade slashing in rapid succession: parrying the blow, striking down, then kicking Yan Jide to the ground.
He and Li Ce exchanged a knowing smile. One had drawn the prey from the Imperial Guard; the other struck unseen. Their coordination was flawless.
"Impressive skill, Brother Ye," Li Ce praised.
"And boldness worthy of a prince, Brother Jiu!" Ye Changgen laughed heartily.
The Imperial Guards surged forward. Ye Changgen held his blade to Yan Jide's throat and warned coldly, "If he dies, don't blame me."
Capture the leader, and the rest will fall. The Imperial Guards, already wavering in doubt, saw that seizing Yan Jide meant an end to this chaos.
Still, Yan Jide struggled. "You've murdered a loyal court official. This path leads only to death."
"No..." came a weak voice from the side. "General, it is you who walk the path of death."
A young guard emerged onto the mountain road. Bloodied, bruised, leaning on a makeshift crutch of tree branches, he limped forward, eyes full of hatred. Upon seeing Yan Jide captured, a cruel smile played on his lips.
One among the guards recognized him and cried out, "Lu Shuisheng! What happened to you?"
Lu Shuisheng fixed his gaze on Yan Jide.
"My injuries? All thanks to General Yan. He ordered me to assassinate the Prince of Chu on the highway. He told me to trick refugees into donning army uniforms. He commanded me to plant explosives in Mount Yangquan. When he feared I might reveal the truth, he tried to kill me. I can testify to it all."
Yan Jide stared in disbelief. Lying prostrate, he muttered, "You're... still alive?"
Lu Shuisheng leaned against a tree, panting, a bitter grin on his face.
"I was born by water. Learned to hold my breath since I was a boy. You covered my mouth and nose, but not long enough. Next time, use a blade."
Now the truth lay bare. The Imperial Guards dropped their weapons and fell to their knees.
"We submit to the Prince of Chu's judgment."
"There's no need for punishment," Li Ce said calmly. "Just bind Yan Jide and accompany me back to the capital."
He then found Qingfeng, who had been tied up, and loosened the ropes. Qingfeng, face swollen and battered, looked down in shame.
"He still managed to set off one more explosion."
"But you stopped the last one," Li Ce comforted him. Turning, he searched for Ye Jiao.
She was speaking with Ye Changgen. Brother and sister, reunited after half a year—one exuberant and full of life, the other calm and radiant with triumph.
Earlier that day, the Emperor had received a memorial from Yan Jide. It claimed that Prince Li Ce had seized the military tally by force and was now imprisoned in a mountain stronghold, awaiting imperial judgment.
The Emperor read the document twice, then looked up with a frown.
"I sent my ninth son to provide disaster relief—how did he end up in Mount Yangquan?"
Gao Fu, the eunuch, peeked at the memorial, looking even more puzzled than the Emperor himself.
"What do you make of it?" the Emperor asked him.
Such inquiries from the Son of Heaven to a eunuch were unheard of.
Terrified, Gao Fu dropped to his knees. "This servant dares not presume to speak."
"Say it," the Emperor waved his hand. "You are pardoned."
After much hesitation, Gao Fu murmured in confusion, "Given the Prince of Chu's frail health... even with the military tally in hand, could he truly lead an army into battle?"
"Exactly!" The Emperor tapped Gao Fu on the head. "I know my own son well."
He stood up again, reading the memorial once more.
"This Yan Jide... I suspected him before, when secret letters were uncovered in Jingzhao Prefecture. Now this?…"
He slammed the memorial onto his desk, voice low and commanding.
"Send a thousand Imperial Guards to Mount Yangquan. Escort the Prince of Chu and Yan Jide back to the capital for testimony."
With one hundred thousand soldiers still under Yan Jide's command, caution was essential until the full truth emerged.
News soon reached the Fifth Prince, King Zhao, Li Jing.
"Li Ce? Treason?" He leapt to his feet, storming toward the door.
The court steward tried to stop him, urging, "The Prince of Chu has long resided here. This alone stirs suspicion. Your Highness must not interfere—lest you invite disaster upon yourself."
"This is absurd!" Li Jing thumped his chest. "I'd sooner believe Li Ce's a woman than a traitor! He went to Mount Yangquan to rescue refugees. I'll testify for him myself!"
"You mustn't! You mustn't!" the steward cried again. "Throughout history, traitors have always cloaked their crimes in righteous cause. Besides, before leaving, the Prince of Jin specifically warned Your Highness not to grow too close to the Prince of Chu. Have you forgotten…"