Chapter 17: The silhouette beneath the palace

In a gloomy chamber, Song Ce held a foot-long copper pestle, intricately inscribed with runes, and hurried through the dark corridors of the palace.

Because the emperor had dismissed everyone when the pestle was retrieved, the commotion outside had not yet reached this area.

As he lacked imperial blood, the pestle had burned and swollen his palm, yet Song Ce still clutched it tightly, his expression almost dispassionately calm.

He recalled the emperor's shocked and flustered expression just moments ago, and couldn't help but smile.

"After more than a decade as monarch, he's only picked up some superficial imperial tricks, showing no real improvement."

A cold smile played on his lips; everything was proceeding quite smoothly, saving some unnecessary bloodshed.

He followed the route he had calculated countless times, heading towards the rear of the palace.

After walking several dozen steps, he pulled a circular ring from his robe, from which hung four keys; these keys could unlock the doors leading to the essential path at the rear of the palace.

This morning, under the pretext of welcoming an immortal, he had quietly received these keys from the dark guards in the outer city.

As he looked at the already duplicated keys, he realized this matter had been secretly planned for a long time.

Yet the young emperor remained utterly oblivious.

As long as no one stopped him, the path ahead would be unobstructed for him.

It wasn't until he had passed the first door that the sounds of chaos finally erupted from behind.

"Song Ce! You have no imperial blood, seizing this Blazing Pestle will only harm you, not help! Don't be mad!"

"The Emperor is benevolent; if you turn back now, there's still room for leniency."

A deep voice resounded from behind him; the speaker was still a considerable distance away, but their profound internal energy carried the words clearly to his ears.

Song Ce remained unmoved, walked through the secluded chamber, opened a door, and latched it shut behind him.

Many of those experts were imperial dark guards, but when it came to familiarity with the palace's layout, none were as knowledgeable as he was; many of the hidden doors and secret passages within the palace were ingeniously designed, likely unknown even to the emperor himself.

From beyond that great door, the sounds of pursuit echoed faintly.

Song Ce hurried along the corridor; at its end was a small chamber. He opened the door, then quickly and precisely counted the sequence of floorboards, and used the tip of the Blazing Pestle to pry up one particular board, entering the secret passage beneath.

Meanwhile, the emperor sat slumped in the rain, as several palace maids gathered around, helping him up from the ground and carefully assisting him into the hall.

His dragon robe was soaked through with rain, and the emperor's face was pale as he muttered to himself.

He had always trusted Song Ce implicitly. Why would he betray him? Could it be just because he had ordered him to retrieve the pestle once?

Impossible... Unless...

The emperor clutched his forehead, his head throbbing incessantly. He stumbled to his feet, pushing aside the palace maids, and shouted, "Guards! Bring Song Ce here! I will interrogate him myself!"

The maids quickly replied, "Your Majesty, the imperial guards and experts have already gone to apprehend him. That rebel possesses no martial arts, so he should be captured swiftly."

An expert guarding the emperor also spoke, "Could Song Ce be the illegitimate son of a prince? Otherwise, how could he wield that item without imperial blood?"

The emperor froze, then shook his head repeatedly. "No... no, Song Ce... Song Ce couldn't possibly be. He must be obeying someone..."

"Who could it be...?"

The emperor clutched his head in anguish. "Weren't those experts always boasting about how powerful they were? Now they're all useless, can't even catch one Song Ce after all this time?"

The emperor gasped for air, the pain of betrayal constricting his heart. His eyes were slightly red with extreme rage. "Useless! If you can't catch him, I'll go myself!"

The young emperor, his voice hoarse, stood up and walked out of the palace.

The palace maids tried to stop him, but a minister who had arrived upon hearing the commotion pressed his hand down, signaling them all to stand still.

The emperor once again stepped outside the palace gate. He turned around; behind him, those who had been watching him either lowered their heads or averted their gaze. Faint, almost imperceptible sighs seemed to echo throughout the entire palace.

The emperor finally regained some composure. He let out a cold laugh, his sleeves fluttering, and said, "Are you... going to betray me too?"

The minister sighed, "Your subjects merely hope Your Majesty can calm down. The imperial city now faces both internal and external threats; we must not throw ourselves into disarray. Although Song Ce has taken the Blazing Pestle, he surely cannot go far. Your Majesty should not be so alarmed."

The emperor looked at him and angrily said, "If that pestle falls into someone else's hands... if it falls into the hands of one of my brothers or uncles... *sigh*, I should have killed them all long ago."

The imperial guards replied, "Security is extremely tight today; there is absolutely no one else near the palace."

The emperor scoffed, "Then why would Song Ce do this? Is he a fool?"

No one in the palace responded again.

The emperor gazed at the heavy rain outside, the startled flash of lightning casting a ghastly white light upon his face. Amidst the ensuing thunder, the emperor's murmur was barely audible.

"Do you know what the Vermilion Bird Blazing Pestle truly signifies? Do you know... what lies beneath this imperial city? If you push me too far, I will unleash that thing! Then, what about the Jin and Rong Kingdoms? My Zhao... will perish along with Nanzhou!"

As the thunder faded, the latter half of his words echoed clearly throughout the palace.

He suddenly noticed that everyone was looking at him; even the palace maids had timidly raised their heads.

He realized he had misspoken.

Even a monarch, the supreme ruler, should not utter such words.

He wanted to say something to restore his dignity, but at that instant, a flash of insight struck his mind.

"Old monster... The palace is heavily guarded..." he suddenly shouted, "Who said it's heavily guarded? There, there are no guards at all!"

"Your Majesty means..."

"There's a well behind the main hall!" The emperor clenched his fists. "Is that place guarded?"

The others grew even more confused. "Your Majesty, are you referring to the well on the main imperial road?"

"That's the one!" the emperor stated emphatically.

The minister let out a hollow laugh. "That well is right in the middle of the road; countless people pass by it every day. What could be strange about it?"

The emperor regained his composure. He let out a deep breath and said gravely, "What do you know? Guards! Follow me to apprehend Song Ce."

The back gate of the palace opened. Two guards, standing with their halberds, initially adopted defensive stances, then relaxed, respectfully greeting, "Lord Song."

The chaos had not yet reached this area, and they were unaware that Song Ce was the criminal the palace was now frantically searching for.

Song Ce nodded and walked forward.

One of the guards looked at him and frowned. "Where are you going, Lord Song? Why are you coming from here?"

Song Ce replied casually, "The emperor has given me some instructions. Do not ask what you shouldn't."

"Lord Song, would you like an umbrella?"

Song Ce waved his hand. "No need. Continue your post and speak no more."

The guard quickly fell silent, but the other noticed his hand and whispered, "Look... what is Lord Song holding?"

The man lowered his voice. "It must be an important palace treasure..."

"No, that's not right. This gate hasn't been opened for many years. Our commander told us long ago that only His Majesty, bearing a supreme imperial artifact, can open it. How could Lord Song..."

"Could something be amiss?" The other's expression immediately changed.

Song Ce paid no heed to their hushed conversation. Within a few steps, he had walked far ahead, stopping only at the ancient well in the middle of the road.

To prevent palace maids from falling, the wellhead was very high and surrounded by a jade fence. As it was very close to Changxiang Palace, the palace consorts often came to draw water here, and for decades, nothing untoward had happened.

This well looked as ordinary as could be.

Lord Song, usually so amiable to everyone, now had an utterly solemn expression. He knelt by the well, his knees soaked by the rain, and offered the copper pestle with both hands.

The two guards finally realized something was amiss. Just as they were about to approach Song Ce to see what he was doing, horse hooves thundered from the side of the palace, startling like the pouring rain.

Song Ce looked up, his gaze passing through the vast autumn rain, slightly surprised at the approaching group of riders.

The emperor, in his dragon robe, led the group. Upon seeing Song Ce, he clapped his hands in delight, dismounted, and glared at Song Ce. "Good, you are indeed here!"

"Your Majesty is indeed supremely wise and decisive," someone echoed.

The emperor said sternly, "Enough talk, quickly seize him for me!"

The riders quickly surrounded him.

The emperor sneered as he looked at him. "Song Ce, who exactly are you taking orders from? Heh, let me guess. Zhao Shiqiu's martial arts are high, but he's currently far away in Mincheng. Though Zhao An is talented and intelligent, I've always had him watched, and no intelligence has come through. Zhao Shisong is my uncle; he's always treated me well since childhood and promised me he'd be a wealthy prince... I'm increasingly curious, who is it you are truly waiting for?"

Song Ce looked at him and smiled. "Your Majesty being able to guess my presence here indicates you're not entirely foolish."

The emperor frowned, anger flaring in his eyes. "Kill him! Retrieve the Vermilion Bird Blazing Pestle! As for the person you're waiting for, I'll wait for them on your behalf!"

No one moved.

The emperor turned to look at them, confused and angry. "What? Are you rebelling too?"

"Ah, Zhao Fu..."

The autumn rain, like scattered beans, pattered down, creating a noisy din.

A voice suddenly sounded, very clear and soft, but at that moment, the emperor felt he could no longer hear the rain. He turned around numbly and saw a beautiful young girl in a black dress sitting on the edge of the ancient well. She was gazing at him distantly, gently swinging a small section of her pale leg exposed beneath her skirt, a soft smile gracing her delicate features.

"Zhao Fu," she said, "I told you you were a fool when you were very young. It seems my words truly hurt you back then, for after all these years, you still love to act clever. Compared to your two younger brothers, what ability do you possess besides being born earlier?"

The young girl spoke calmly, her tone without much ripple, neither questioning nor scolding, merely a casual recounting.

The emperor looked at her, suddenly recalling many years ago when a girl ten years his junior had called him stupid with an innocent, naive tone.

He had always told himself that this sister, though rumored to be the daughter of a deity, was still young and ignorant, and how could childish words be taken seriously?

It was only at this moment that he realized he had, all these years, taken it seriously; he had always wanted to prove that he was no worse than his father or his two younger brothers, not by a single jot.

He looked at the young girl before him, still bewildered. "Zhao Xiang'er... Weren't you at the Imperial Advisor's residence? How...?"

He suddenly remembered the legend of that well, and cursed himself for being foolish. All these years, he had been skeptical of the secret his father told him on his deathbed, but now he realized those words must not have been mere delirium.

Zhao Xiang'er winked at him, as if to say, "Is there anywhere in this palace I cannot go?"

Song Ce looked up at the young girl before him and forced a wry smile. "Your Highness, holding this is quite a struggle for your servant."

Zhao Xiang'er snorted coldly. "You failed to save my mother twenty-odd days ago, so what's wrong with making you kneel a bit longer now?"

Song Ce sighed. "Yes, Your Highness."

The emperor still didn't understand. "When did Song Ce pledge allegiance to you? Was everything before this just an act?"

Song Ce replied, "Your Majesty, you are mistaken. For all these years, I have never betrayed the Empress. When you besieged Qianyu Palace before, I was merely willing but powerless. Now that Your Highness has returned, I naturally pledge my loyalty to you."

The emperor said, "I had people watching you, and the Witch Master had people watching you, yet you still couldn't be contained. This matter was so meticulously planned. When exactly did you begin to conspire?"

Song Ce replied, "Several days ago, at the Young General's Manor, Your Highness visited. As she was leaving, in full view of everyone, she adjusted my collar."

At that moment, she had slipped a note beneath his lapel.

Everything was understood without words.

Zhao Xiang'er looked at the drenched and dispirited emperor, and asked with a smile, "Do you have any more questions?"

The emperor looked at her and said, "Surely you know that only imperial blood can activate this pestle. Are you truly my father's illegitimate daughter?"

"Imperial blood, you say..." Zhao Xiang'er blinked. She finally took the Vermilion Bird Blazing Pestle from Song Ce's hands, grasping it in her palm, and gazing at its tip, asked, "Do you even know what imperial blood is?"

The emperor was startled; he hadn't expected Zhao Xiang'er to ask this. He replied, "Imperial blood is naturally the lineage passed down since the founding of my Zhao royal family."

Zhao Xiang'er gently shook her head, then traced the tip of the Blazing Pestle across her palm. Blood welled up and dripped onto the copper pestle. After the blood drops landed on the smooth surface of the pestle, they astonishingly seeped in. Then, the copper pestle lit up, every rune glowing with a crimson light, as if it were a miniature hollow copper furnace, its embers ignited by her blood.

The emperor was dumbfounded. "This... how is this possible? Who exactly are you?"

Zhao Xiang'er looked at the pestle in her hand and smiled with satisfaction. She then looked at the emperor and stated calmly, "Imperial blood is the blood bestowed upon your Zhao family by immortals. I am the daughter of an immortal, so imperial blood is, of course, my blood."

At these words, everyone present was shocked into silence. Only Song Ce prostrated himself, his last lingering doubts finally dispelled, completely convinced.

The emperor stumbled backward, pointing at her with a trembling finger. "You... The Empress, was she really... We killed..."

The emperor clutched his chest, speaking incoherently.

Zhao Xiang'er descended, holding the burning Blazing Pestle. Behind her, a pair of fiery wings was faintly outlined. The torrents of rain falling around her were all evaporated into vast white mist, not a single drop touching her.

"The late emperor had long intended to depose you, but he was too benevolent..." She walked past the emperor, casting a profound glance at him, and sighed calmly, "This Zhao kingdom was merely borrowed from my mother. Now that the nation faces peril and you are powerless to act, I shall reclaim it on her behalf. Zhao Fu, go rest well in your Changxiang Palace. Do not trouble me."

They passed each other in the heavy rain. The emperor stood rooted to the spot, utterly dispirited, his bright yellow robe appearing even more forlorn in the wind and rain.

Zhao Xiang'er stopped and looked at the people still standing in the rain, asking, "And you all?"

Almost everyone recalled the scene from three years ago.

This time there was no setting sun, only heavy rain, and no blood stained the young girl's dress.

But everyone instinctively parted, forming a path.

Zhao Xiang'er walked through the crowd, heading into the palace.

"Song Ce pledges eternal loyalty by Your Highness's side!" Song Ce shouted, prostrated himself with his forehead touching the ground, and bowed deeply.

That scene was like a frosty wind blighting all vegetation; the people, facing the young girl's retreating back, collectively bowed down like reeds.