Ashes to Crown

Chapter 145: Chapter 99: Earth Shakes

The night seemed to have been torn asunder.

The clamor was at once distant and near.

Then the night seemed to solidify, like a ubiquitous barrier, cutting off the deafening noise.

The Third Prince lifted his hood, asking the messenger in disbelief, ”What did you say?”

The man was the most cold-blooded assassin the Third Prince had kept for many years, but at this moment, his face was pale, as if he had seen a ghost.

”The Crown Prince,” he repeated, his voice trembling. ”Is dead.”

The Crown Prince’s death was something the Third Prince had fantasized about countless times. In fact, at this very moment, he was rushing through the night for the sole purpose of sending the Crown Prince to his death.

But—

”Who did it?” the Third Prince demanded. ”I haven’t given the order yet!”

”It wasn’t us. We didn’t make a move,” the man said hurriedly. ”It seems... it was an accident.”

’An accident?’ The Third Prince was stunned again.

”We didn’t dare get too close. The area suddenly descended into chaos. Some were mobilizing the Capital Camp, others were heading back to the Capital City. There were eunuchs and guards, and they arrested many people. They’ve imposed martial law—”

”We took a risk, slipped in, and grabbed a eunuch for questioning. He said the Crown Prince was crushed to death while trying to lift a ceremonial cauldron.”

The messenger explained that it had all been too sudden. It caught them completely off guard, and they didn’t know what to do.

Lifting a cauldron. The Third Prince and his uncle, Lord Zhao, exchanged a glance.

Uncle Zhao suddenly burst into laughter, the sound growing louder and louder—

”A prophecy fulfilled!” he roared with laughter. ”Your Highness, do you remember what Your Majesty said? That the Crown Prince was all brawn, that he had raised his own Young Master Dang?”

The Third Prince said, ”Of course, I remember.”

He more than remembered; he had cursed the Crown Prince more than once, wishing he would die just like Young Master Dang.

He never thought it would actually—

”Is this the will of Heaven?” the Third Prince said, then also burst into loud, unrestrained laughter.

It was the will of Heaven!

Heaven wanted him to be the Crown Prince!

This could only be described as the will of Heaven, a point Uncle Zhao couldn’t refute. Still, he asked cautiously, ”Are you sure it’s true? It’s not that our men were exposed and the Crown Prince is using a diversion?”

The Crown Prince might be a brute, but he wasn’t stupid. Moreover, he had so many supporters, like the Yang Family and the Xie family.

The Third Prince also calmed down.

The messenger hesitated. ”It’s unlikely. The chaos at the Hunting Ground didn’t seem staged. But... your subordinate didn’t see the Crown Prince’s body with his own eyes.”

The Third Prince and Lord Zhao looked at each other.

’What should we do then? Gamble on it and hold our position to see how things unfold, or proceed with the plan and kill our way in—’

’Who would have thought? A situation that offered no choices suddenly presents one.’

To become the Crown Prince as a matter of course, without having to be the villain who did the deed, would naturally be for the best.

But if they lost the gamble, there would be no second chances. Worse, it would trigger a backlash, and they would be the ones to die.

Lord Zhao made a swift decision. ”Kill them!”

He gazed into the inky blackness ahead, his fair, scholarly face a mask of cold cruelty.

”The Crown Prince must die, and so must his son. We must cut the weeds and pull out the roots.”

The Third Prince grunted in agreement and nodded.

”That’s right. That little bastard. Father-Emperor cherishes him beyond measure, teaching him to read at such a young age. But when I studied, Father-Emperor would only laugh heartily—” He gave a cold smirk. ”If the Crown Prince dies but that little brat is still around, Father-Emperor will never see me as worthy.”

With that, he pulled the hood back over his head.

”Leave no one alive in the Hunting Ground but the beasts!”

.....

......

The sounds of slaughter set the night ablaze, but eventually, a breach was torn open.

”It’s Your Majesty’s eunuchs.” Lord Zhao galloped back from the fray, reporting to the Third Prince who watched from a high vantage point. ”They’re returning to the palace to deliver the news to His Majesty. They used soldiers from the Capital Camp as escorts. We couldn’t intercept them in time, and they got away.”

The Third Prince’s expression was cold. ”So what if they escaped?”

He looked toward the Capital City.

”There’s no need to disturb Father-Emperor this late. The old man’s health can’t handle one shock after another.”

”Reporting now that the Crown Prince was crushed to death, and then reporting again in a little while that the Crown Princess Consort and the little Prince are dead... how troublesome. It’s better to wait until everyone is dead, until dawn comes, until Your Majesty has slept well and is refreshed. Then he can receive all the bad news at once, suffer a single shock. Much better, wouldn’t you say?”

Lord Zhao laughed. ”Your Highness is so filial and benevolent.” Looking toward the Capital City, he commanded the men, ”There’s no need to pursue them. Even if they make it into the Capital City, they will still die.”

Since they dared to make a move out here, arrangements had naturally been made inside as well. The Capital City, the Imperial City—both were dead ends.

He raised a hand, pointing toward the Hunting Ground.

Tonight was the night the Crown Prince and his entire family would die.

Tonight, the people at the Hunting Ground were the prey, and the Third Prince was the true hunter.

”Kill—”

....

....

When the sounds of fighting reached the tent, the Crown Princess Consort remained seated, motionless, not even lifting her head.

”Your Highness—” a Palace Maid stumbled in, her hair disheveled. ”Assassins are coming! They’re coming—”

The Crown Princess Consort seemed not to hear her, carefully wiping the Crown Prince’s face with a damp cloth.

The Crown Prince lay on the bed. His clothes had been changed, and he looked clean, no different from usual. But half his face had been crushed, a mangled, grotesque mess of flesh and blood that could never be wiped clean.

”We’ll need to have the coroners tidy up this face,” the Crown Princess Consort said.

The Palace Maid fell before the Crown Princess Consort, clinging to her legs. ”My Lady, please, snap out of it! Something has happened!”

The Crown Princess Consort looked down at the Palace Maid. ”I am perfectly lucid. Of course, I know something has happened.”

Her gaze fell back on the Crown Prince, and she suddenly smiled. ’This is probably the quietest he has ever been with me. No one to interrupt, and he hasn’t just gotten up to leave after a moment.’

’I had long given up hope for a day like this, but I never imagined it would actually come.’

She had also never imagined the Crown Prince would die. And yet, the Crown Prince... was dead.

”My Lady, the Crown Prince is already dead. You cannot let anything happen to you!” The Palace Maid stood up, grabbed the Crown Princess Consort, and began to pull her away without another word. ”We have to go, we have to go now!”

”We can’t escape,” the Crown Princess Consort said, her expression mournful. ”The moment the Crown Prince had his accident, assassins came for us. This is no coincidence. It’s a premeditated plot to wipe us out, root and stem—”

”We can get out of here!” the Palace Maid cried, grabbing the Crown Princess Consort’s arm and dragging her outside. ”We can escape!”

The Crown Princess Consort was pulled out of the tent. Outside, there were flames, screams, and cries everywhere. People were running in every direction, and corpses littered the ground—

Ahead, swords flashed. Amidst the firelight, black clouds seemed to roll in from the horizon, pressing in from all sides, leaving no escape.

”Save the Crown Princess Consort! Save her!” the Palace Maid screamed. ”Protect Her Highness! Protect Her Highness—”

But everyone was frantically running for their lives. No one paid her any attention.

Protect Her Highness? The Crown Prince has already ridden the crane to the west. There is no ”Highness” left to protect!

”Your Highness,” the Palace Maid said, turning back with tears in her eyes. ”Don’t be afraid. The Third Young Master... the Third Young Master will definitely come and save you.”

’Yanfang,’ a smile appeared on the Crown Princess Consort’s serene face.

”Yes. I’m not afraid. We still have Yanfang,” she said. Amidst the firelight and the clamor of An Ye, her previously wooden eyes began to shine brightly. ”I won’t—”

Before she could finish her sentence, a cold glint of light shot toward her from the darkness and flames.

The Palace Maid let out a piercing scream and threw her arms around the Crown Princess Consort.

.....

.....

Streaks of cold light pierced through the oppressive dark clouds. An Ye seemed to be torn asunder.

The dark clouds scattered, only to converge again a moment later.

”Protect the Third Prince!” Lord Zhao shouted.

The Third Prince was on his horse, splattered with blood. He had joined the killing himself, and it was exhilarating. But just as he was about to charge into the Hunting Ground to burn and slaughter at will, his rear flank was split open.

”Son of a bitch, who is it?” he cursed, wiping the blood from his face.

’Why does it feel like there are men and horses both in front and behind, fighting everywhere?’

’I can’t even tell who is killing whom anymore!’

The fighting ahead was chaotic, while the force at their rear drew ever closer—so close that an arrow pierced through ranks of men and horses, flying straight for him. Luckily, his uncle was right beside him. Uncle Zhao yanked him aside just in time, and the arrow grazed past his face.

Uncle Zhao was shaken, but his mind was crystal clear.

His gaze shifted to their rear, and a figure came into view.

”It’s... Xie Yanfang,” he said.

The man was on a black horse, his hair unbound, dressed in white—to be precise, in white inner robes, as if he had risen from sleep without even changing his clothes.

He held a crossbow in his hand, a long saber was strapped to his back, and a shield and armor hung from the side of his black horse.

He was disheveled, yet fully armed, charging out of An Ye.