Ashes to Crown

Chapter 218: Chapter 43: Invasion

The rough palm brushed across the tender cheek, sending a bone-deep chill.

The child’s body stiffened, and he didn’t move a muscle.

He stared straight at Xie Yanlai, his lips moving as if he wanted to say, ’Uncle, I don’t understand what you’re saying,’ but no words came out.

Xie Yanlai said nothing more. He withdrew his hand, took a step or two back, then bowed to the frozen child. ”Your servant takes his leave.”

Without waiting for permission, he turned and strode out.

When Eunuch Qi saw him emerge, he hurriedly bowed with a smile. ”Safe travels, Captain.”

Xie Yanlai walked straight past without a single glance.

Eunuch Qi paid no mind to his attitude. He rushed into the hall and immediately saw Xiao Yu standing by the table with a strange expression.

”Your Majesty,” he whispered, hurrying over. ”Are you all right?”

Xiao Yu turned to look at him. When Eunuch Qi saw that the child’s tender right cheek was slightly red, his heart skipped a beat. ’That Xie Yanlai... he didn’t hit His Majesty, did he?!’

Although Xie Yanlai had defended the palace that night and now commanded the Dragon Power Army to protect the Imperial Capital City, and though Miss Chu trusted him completely, Eunuch Qi couldn’t help but feel uneasy about him.

He was certain that Xie Yanfang was wholeheartedly devoted to His Majesty, but he couldn’t say the same for Xie Yanlai.

Even though they both shared the surname Xie, were both the Emperor’s uncles, and their future honor and disgrace were tied to the Emperor, this Xie Yanlai was still something of an enigma.

It was as if he cared about nothing at all—

Eunuch Qi knelt on one knee and asked cautiously, ”Your Majesty, what happened?”

’If that Xie Yanlai really was arrogant enough to strike His Majesty, I will definitely... tell Miss Chu Zhao.’

Xiao Yu looked at him, the rims of his eyes slightly red. ”Uncle said... Sister was attacked.”

Eunuch Qi was startled, but at the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief. ’So that’s what it was.’

Xie Yanlai really was too inconsiderate of others’ feelings and status, but his heart was honest. He must have said it with good intentions—’Even though His Majesty is a child, you can’t just coax him with pleasantries. Telling him the truth is what’s best for him.’

’Besides, the fact that he could even mention the danger must mean the danger has passed.’

”Ah!” Eunuch Qi put on a horrified expression, collapsing to his knees and grabbing Xiao Yu’s arm. His voice changed pitch. ”What do we do? What do we do! Your Majesty, quickly, have the Grand Tutor dispatch troops!”

Xiao Yu couldn’t help but laugh. He quickly helped Eunuch Qi up. ”Don’t be scared, don’t be scared. Sister is fine now. She wasn’t afraid at all and is continuing on her journey.”

Eunuch Qi still looked shaken. ”Is that really true? But what exactly happened?”

Xiao Yu said, ”I don’t know much either. Uncle just received the news as well. We’ll have to wait for more detailed reports.”

Eunuch Qi patted his chest. ”That scared me to death. This old servant said long ago that she shouldn’t have gone.”

He sighed and grumbled.

Xiao Yu comforted him, while also speaking up for Chu Zhao. ”How could Sister be the type of person to back down in the face of danger? If she were, she wouldn’t have saved me that day.”

That night, Miss Chu could have chosen not to save them. With the Dragon Power Army under Chu Ling’s command, if she had sided with Xiao Xun, he would have made her his Empress. As an adult, Eunuch Qi understood this very well.

”Yes.” He remained half-knelt on the ground, patting Xiao Yu’s arm. ”Miss Chu is a heroic person, and her heroism is for those she cares about. Your Majesty, you and Miss Chu’s father are the people she would protect and worry about, unafraid of any hardship.”

Xiao Yu nodded. ”I know. I am in Sister’s heart.” He pressed his hand to his chest. ”And Sister is in my heart, too.”

Eunuch Qi bowed. ”Your Majesty is wise.” With that, he stood up and took Xiao Yu’s hand. ”Your Majesty, please finish your meal, and then we can begin your studies.”

...

...

Xie Yanlai walked through the palace with a calm expression, not feeling in the least that his earlier actions toward the Emperor had been out of line.

’The Emperor? So what if he’s the Emperor? He’s just a little brat.’

’It’s not even certain he’ll survive.’

’Besides, plenty of people are dissatisfied with me. If the little brat wants revenge, he’ll have to get in line.’

A sneer touched the corners of Xie Yanlai’s mouth, and his eyes were cold.

’Also, that little brat is truly worthy of having the Xie family’s blood in his veins—so cunning at such a young age.’

’I wonder if Chu Zhao can see it? If I told her, that damn girl would probably just say to me again, ”What kind of life did you have in the Xie family, to be so suspicious of a child?”’

He sneered at the thought. ’It’s not my business anyway. Isn’t Chu Zhao also cunning despite her young age? Let the two schemers deal with each other.’

He strode forward quickly. Two figures came rushing toward him—an Imperial Guard and an officer. The guard seemed composed, but the officer was flustered, as if it were his first time in the palace. Though he was moving fast, his steps were unsteady—

”Mr. Zhang,” Xie Yanlai called out, stopping in his tracks.

Only then did the Imperial Guard and Zhang Gu see him. They hurried their steps even more. ”Captain Xie.”

’News already?’ The coldness in Xie Yanlai’s eyes dissipated. He looked at Zhang Gu. ”Let’s go inside and sit down to talk.”

’How she was attacked, how it was investigated, the attackers’ identities, the new guards, and so on... All of that would take half a day to explain in detail.’

But Zhang Gu didn’t follow him. Instead, he took a step forward and said urgently, ”Ah Jiu, something’s happened.”

That name, Ah Jiu, a name that shouldn’t have been used, made Xie Yanlai’s breath catch in his throat for a moment.

’What happened? How could something happen to her? Nothing is supposed to happen to her—’

”—The Western Liang Soldiers have invaded the border,” Zhang Gu continued.

The air rushed back into Xie Yanlai’s lungs. His feet felt solid on the ground again as he raised his brows and snapped, ”So they’ve invaded. What’s there to panic about!”

Zhang Gu was taken aback. ’This is a huge deal, and he’s not panicking?’

Looking again at the young general’s stoic face, he marveled. ’Ah Jiu really is extraordinary. So calm in a crisis, he wouldn’t flinch if Mount Tai collapsed on him.’

Zhang Gu quickly regained his composure and said loudly, ”The Captain’s lesson is well-received.”

Xie Yanlai glanced at him and asked in a low voice, ”What happened? Explain it in detail.”

...

...

”The Western Liang Envoy said they came to mourn the late Emperor and congratulate the new emperor on his ascension.”

”But they brought ten thousand troops with them.”

”General Wei, Chu Ling, beheaded the Western Liang Envoy on the spot, saying the man didn’t need to go, his head would suffice.”

Meanwhile, in the great hall, Xie Yanfang had also received the news. He immediately had the Grand Tutor and other court officials summoned. The young Emperor, who had been in the middle of a meal, was also urgently called to sit on the Dragon Throne.

Listening to the dispatch report, the officials were stunned.

”This—” one official couldn’t help but say, ”Isn’t General Chu being a bit too... rash? Shouldn’t he be more cautious? Isn’t this just provoking a war?”

Xie Yanfang said, ”General Chu acted decisively to create a deterrent, turning a passive situation into an active one. Since the Western Liang Envoy came with troops, they came for war. No amount of caution could have avoided it.”

That was true. If they had truly come to seek an audience, why would they need ten thousand troops?

”That King of Western Liang is truly unrepentant!” an official said angrily. ”After being beaten so badly he knelt and begged for mercy, he’s been hiding in his shell for so long. Now that he sees our Great Xia Dynasty is in turmoil, he immediately jumps out with ill intentions!”

The hall filled with the angry clamor of officials cursing the despicable Western Liang bandits.

Deng Yi silenced the crowd. ”There is no need for such anger. The King of Western Liang has always been this way, and we’ve always known he was unrepentant. That is why the Border County has always been heavily garrisoned. Since he dares to come now, we will simply teach him another harsh lesson.”

He turned and bowed to the Emperor on the Dragon Throne.

”Your servant requests that Your Majesty issue an imperial edict to the world, to meet Western Liang in battle.”

Xiao Yu sat on the Dragon Throne. He had shown no reaction, neither when he heard the dispatch report nor when the officials erupted in anger. The officials assumed the child either didn’t understand the gravity of the situation or was simply frightened.

Only when he heard Deng Yi’s words did Xiao Yu finally nod. ”We shall certainly meet them in battle. Great Xia has never feared a fight.”

The officials were somewhat surprised. ’The child understood after all, and he even knew what to say.’

A smile appeared on Xie Yanfang’s face. ’How could a child who has endured the brutal death of his parents and nearly been assassinated himself be afraid of something like this?’ He bowed low. ”We, your servants, do not fear death for the sake of Great Xia.”

The officials no longer hesitated. They all kowtowed in unison. ”We do not fear death for the sake of Great Xia.”