Chapter 51
Proofreader : Mim
The East City Gate was packed with people. A sea of civilians burdened with bags and bundles crowded together, desperate to flee the city with their families. The gates were utterly blocked.
“The soldiers are fighting—what does that have to do with us common folk? My wife, children, and elders are in the countryside—I need to go find them!”
“I’m not even Han—why are you stopping me?!”
The people shouting at the gate came from all walks of life—merchants who had passed through Mingyue Tower for trade, tribal people who had left their villages to exchange goods, and visitors who had come to see relatives. None of them had intended to be trapped here.
The soldiers guarding the gates barked orders at the crowd, but their shouts only intensified the conflict.
Similar scenes unfolded at all four city gates of Mingyue Tower.
“What’s going on here? Didn’t I order the news to be contained—how did this leak out?!”
Vice Commander Liang Yu stormed up the city walls, his brows tightly furrowed and his face dark as thunder. Behind him trailed several high-ranking military officers.
The men exchanged uneasy glances; no one dared meet Liang Yu’s fury head-on.
Everyone knew the real reason for Liang Yu’s anger—earlier that morning, a captain had deserted the military. No one knew what information the deserter had taken with him, and Liang Yu’s anxiety had turned to rage.
“Master Liang,” Yu Jingrong stepped forward, cupping his hands in respect. “The enemy army is at the border, and our troops are in a state of readiness. All four gates have been sealed, and the commoners are not fools. The news leaking out was inevitable—it was only a matter of time.”
Though Yu Jingrong spoke calmly, even he found the situation suspicious.
He was not surprised that news of war had caused panic in the city, but what did surprise him was how early the civilians had found out.
From the closed gates and the soldiers’ preparations, people might infer that war was coming—but how had they learned the exact number of 200,000 enemy troops?
If the people had not known about the size of the enemy army, the panic in the city would not have spread so quickly.
Liang Yu shot Yu Jingrong a cold look and snorted. “Then tell me, Yu Jingrong, what should we do with these civilians who are stirring up unrest and weakening our military morale?”
Yu Jingrong was about to respond when the situation below the city wall suddenly changed.
A soldier shoved an elderly man at the front of the crowd. The old man fell to the ground, his face contorted in pain.
The soldier looked stunned and at a loss, as though it hadn’t been intentional. But his action was like a spark falling into a pan of oil, instantly igniting the already agitated crowd.
“Everyone, let’s band together! We’re breaking through these gates today!”
Someone in the crowd shouted, and the gathered civilians surged forward like a wave, overwhelming the small number of soldiers guarding the gate.
“This… this is turning into a revolt!” Liang Yu roared, his fury boiling over. “Men, bring a team down there and suppress this rabble!”
“Master Liang, you must not!” Yu Jingrong’s face paled. “This will only escalate the conflict between the army and the people, and might even trigger a full-scale uprising. With the enemy at our doorstep, we must focus on calming the people, not crushing them!”
“What, so we should just let these rogues do as they please? If the enemy attacks while this chaos continues, Mingyue Tower will be like meat on a chopping block!” Liang Yu snapped back. “You scholars are always dithering and overthinking, ruining everything with your indecision! Zhang Cheng, take men down there and suppress them immediately!”
Caught between the authoritative Vice Commander and the respected Yu Jingrong, the general named Zhang Cheng looked conflicted but could only respond, “Yes, sir.”
At that moment, a series of thunderous drum beats shook the air, halting everyone in their tracks.
Outside a closed tea house, there stood a large drum typically used to attract customers.
Now, the sound of the drum resounded across the square, and the hand holding the drumstick lowered. Wide sleeves of light gray fabric fluttered against the crimson drum, and standing there was a composed young man exuding grace and poise. A silver hairpiece held up his long black hair, and an intricate silver ginkgo design clasped a luminous pearl at its center.
“I believe everyone here knows what happened yesterday. Could you spare a moment to hear me out?”
“Who are you, you brat? Why should we listen to you?!” someone shouted from the crowd.
Xie Lanxu stood alone, unwavering and calm, facing the hundreds of furious citizens.
“My father was once the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, and my mother was a princess of the previous dynasty. I am the Emperor’s eldest legitimate grandson, and the blood of the Xie imperial family flows in my veins. Yet like all of you here, I have lived my life tending fields, raising horses, and herding livestock.”
His clear and powerful voice rippled through the air, like waves spreading across a still pond.
“King Yi, Moqi Chuanmin, has raised the flag of rebellion and sent 200,000 troops marching swiftly to the borders of Mingyue Tower, threatening the peace of our homeland. Though the war has yet to break out, we are at a critical moment.”
“Some of you think that if you run far enough from Mingyue Tower, the war will not touch you. But under a fallen nest, how can any egg remain unbroken? Whether or not Mingyue Tower can withstand this rebellion will determine the life and death of every one of us. If Mingyue Tower falls, the gates to the Central Plains will be wide open. Moqi Chuanmin’s bloodthirsty iron cavalry will bring slaughter to every land they set their sights on.”
“Do you want your families to live in peace, or do you want to flee and hide, living every day in fear?”
Xie Lanxu’s calm face, steady voice, and logical argument gradually brought a portion of the agitated civilians back to reason.
Most reassuring of all was the mention of the Eastern Palace.
The deposed Crown Prince Xie Songzhao had been executed two years ago, but the memory of him remained deeply etched in the hearts of the people. Even after ten or twenty years, it would not fade.
“If we cannot defeat Moqi Chuanmin’s test of our resolve, the war will never end,” Xie Lanxu continued. “I am a descendant of the Xie family, but I am also one of the people of the Yan Dynasty. If war breaks out, I will lead from the front lines and fight until the last moment to protect every one of you.”
“As long as the flames of war burn, I will never give up.”
A strong wind swept through, and the wide gray sleeves of the young man flapped like banners in the gale. Though he stood alone, facing many, the weak against the strong, his expression remained steadfast and his voice calm.
He was like wind through pine trees or the moon reflected on water, as pure as morning dew or a gleaming pearl.
Every word Xie Lanxu uttered was concise and powerful. He met the eyes of the hundreds of civilians at the city gate, his gaze unwavering, until the expressions of those before him turned from anger to respect.
“If you trust me, please return to your homes and await the arrangements from the Duhu Office. I will remain in this city with all of you and will not act selfishly or flee alone.”
Following Xie Lanxu’s lead, the crowd at the city gate finally began to relent.
The civilians gradually dispersed, leaving behind stunned military officers on the city walls.
Yu Jingrong’s eyes lit up with inspiration, and he turned to Liang Yu. “Master Liang, when the hearts of the people are unstable, having someone from the royal family here to reassure them is undoubtedly a good thing. Why not let him participate in the war council? It would help stabilize the people’s morale.”
“Let him join the war council? He was sent here as punishment, not as a military inspector!” Liang Yu objected with a look of disapproval.
“It’s merely for him to sit in on the council. The actual military strategy will, of course, still be decided by the generals,” Yu Jingrong reasoned. “The enemy is upon us, and Mingyue Tower cannot afford further internal chaos. He is the son of the deposed Crown Prince and the Emperor’s legitimate grandson. His presence among the troops will serve as a strong statement of our resolve.”
Yu Jingrong’s logic was sound, and soon others chimed in to support the idea. Though Liang Yu was displeased at having someone of such lofty status seemingly overshadow him, he had no better solution. At last, he waved his hand dismissively and instructed his men to invite Xie Lanxu up to the city wall.
When the soldiers relayed the message, Xie Lanxu ascended the city wall with a steady stride.
As he had planned, he successfully secured a place in the war council.
As he had also anticipated, the arrogant Liang Yu harbored deep prejudices and hostility toward him, dismissing all of his suggestions outright.
The war council was held in the Duhu Office, and by the time it ended, night had already fallen.
Yu Jingrong invited Xie Lanxu to stay at the office, but Xie Lanxu politely declined, saying he needed to return to pack his belongings. He boarded a carriage and left for the horse ranch that same night.
“Does Your Highness have something important left at the ranch?” Yu Jingrong asked. “If it’s not significant, a clerk can retrieve it for you.”
Yu Jingrong’s suggestion was well-intentioned, but Xie Lanxu seemed momentarily stunned, as if the thought had not occurred to him, and he could not immediately find an answer.
“…Just some personal belongings,” Xie Lanxu said, recovering his composure and smiling faintly. “It’s better for me to make the trip myself.”
Yu Jingrong suppressed his curiosity and gave a respectful bow. “As you wish.”
After Xie Lanxu left, Yu Jingrong joined a trusted friend in the office. The two spoke late into the night, their candlelit conversation focused on how to repel the enemy. Inevitably, the topic of Xie Lanxu came up.
“…I never expected His Highness, at such a young age, to possess such wisdom and eloquence. Not only did he calm the unrest at the gates with a few simple words—much to everyone’s amazement—but he also has an impressive understanding of military strategy. Truly, he is a rare talent among men, like jade from Kunshan or a lone blossom in Guilin. Even we old men feel ashamed in comparison.”
Yu Jingrong sighed. “Most importantly, he is broad-minded and has a noble character.”
“Oh? You rarely praise anyone, Jingrong. I’m curious—what did His Highness do to earn such admiration?”
“Were it not for my repeated petitions, His Highness would not have been sent to the Xipeng Grasslands to herd horses. Yet he holds no resentment toward me for it.”
“That alone is enough to remind one of his father. It seems the rumors were true—His Highness does resemble his father.” Yu Jingrong’s friend sighed as well. “If the Crown Prince had never fallen, and had ascended the throne as planned, what kind of golden age might we be living in now…?”
“Be careful with your words!” Yu Jingrong’s expression darkened. “The Emperor has already ruled on that matter. Let us not discuss it further.”
The two men redirected their conversation to plans for suppressing the rebellion of Yizhou.
—-
Meanwhile, Xie Lanxu’s carriage had already arrived at the Xipeng Grasslands.
The carriage stopped in front of the small courtyard and remained there for a long time, so long that the driver couldn’t help but speak up. “Your Highness, we’ve arrived.”
After a brief pause, the carriage door finally opened, and Xie Lanxu stepped down slowly.
The driver needed to return to the city and, after offering his farewells, disappeared into the night.
Xie Lanxu stood still, staring at the small courtyard before him. His feet refused to move.
Yu Jingrong’s earlier question continued to echo in his mind. The entire ride, he had been searching for an answer.
What was the real reason he had felt such an urgent need to return to the Xipeng Grasslands?
His reason remained vague, but his instincts painted a clear image in his mind—a young girl wrapped in a fiery red fox fur, standing beneath a canopy of azaleas that seemed ready to burst into flames. Behind her, the snow-covered plains and mountains stretched out in their pristine whiteness, and she looked at him with an expression somewhere between joy and sorrow.
Once the answer became clear, Xie Lanxu turned and walked away.
Even when the desire of his heart lay just within reach.
Notes:
- Kunshan Jade, Guilin Flower (昆山片玉, 桂林一枝): These phrases describe someone of extraordinary talent or rare virtue. Kunshan jade is a metaphor for refinement, while Guilin’s flowers symbolize uniqueness and excellence.
- The Crown Prince’s Fall: The conversation alludes to a past political scandal involving the execution of Xie Lanxu’s father, the former Crown Prince. The lingering sentiment among officials highlights the complicated political undercurrents.
