Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 145

The long spear in Gu Yu Qi’s hands trembled slightly before surging forward like a silver dragon roaring in fury. In an instant, it struck like lightning, and two screams filled the air as the two enemies nearest to her were sent tumbling to the ground, writhing in pain.

The Eldest Princess’ face turned pale, but she still maintained her composure, holding herself with unwavering dignity. She was the Eldest Princess of the Qin dynasty and this was no time for her to show weakness or incompetence. Even Gu Yu Qi, a mere young girl, had demonstrated extraordinary resolve and decisiveness. How could she afford to falter?

With Gu Yu Qi’s spear in action, Du Xia and Wang Yan followed suit, their moves precise and deadly. Both of them were Yun Ke’s trusted elites. As soon as these elites came out, the difference was clear. Every strike they delivered was aimed to kill, utterly overwhelming the pampered and untrained soldiers of the city’s Five Military Departments!

Upon seeing the situation, Qu Li quickly realised he was outmatched. Who knew who the woman and the two men by that old widow’s side were, they were formidable beyond his expectations. He had pledged loyalty to the Crown Prince only to seize wealth and enjoy a life of luxury, not to lose his life here. The imperial token was something that would be good if he could get it, but if not, he would flee with his treasures to live a life of anonymity elsewhere. What did it matter who sat on the throne? He would just find another place to hide his identity, nobody could catch him! He had already thought of a way out. Returning to the command office earlier had been an effort to smuggle out the loot amidst the chaos and disappear without a trace. When the Eldest Princess appeared, he saw it as her foolishly delivering herself to him, so he thought it would be a waste if he did not take advantage of the opportunity. But to his dismay, the “fat prey” he thought had landed in his lap turned out to be an unyielding stone.

“To capture them all, first seize the leader!” Gu Yu Qi shouted, noticing Qu Li’s intent to flee. She swept aside a soldier with her spear and urged her horse to charge forward.

Du Xia, however, would never allow Gu Yu Qi to take such a risk. He surged ahead of her and roared, “There’s an ambush!” His keen eyes had caught the glint of cold steel reflecting from the shadows within the command office. As expected, the moment Du Xia entered the office before Gu Yu Qi, archers hidden on both sides unleashed a volley of arrows. Du Xia leapt into the air as his horse was riddled with arrows, letting out a pitiful cry before collapsing while convulsing.

Gu Yu Qi was incredibly shocked. She realised how reckless she had been. If not for Du Xia’s intervention, she would have been the one turned into a pincushion. Her Qinggong was no match for Du Xia’s, and she likely would have been unable to evade it. She shivered at the thought, cold sweat breaking out over her body.

In mid-air, Du Xia twisted and landed right in front of Qu Li, blocking his escape. With lightning speed, he grabbed Qu Li, struck two of his acupoints, and twisted his injured arm. Qu Li shrieked in agony like a pig being butchered.

“Hand over the command token!” Du Xia roared at Qu Li.

Qu Li had initially harboured thoughts of resistance, but Wang Yan and Gu Yu Qi had already scaled the walls and taken down six archers in a flash. Realising his game was up, he sighed in defeat, “Fine, fine. Take it.”

With the command token and the Princess’ handwritten decree, they now had the authority to mobilise all of the capital’s defence forces. Princess Ping Hu took the command token and dared not delay any longer. She instructed Wang Yan to deliver the token and decree to Yun Ke immediately.

Yun Ke was stationed at the main gate of the imperial palace, the Zheng Yang Gate. When he saw the Eldest Princess and Gu Yu Qi arriving together, a wave of warmth swept through his heart.

In his past life, he had viewed the world with a cold and desolate heart, believing that the only person who truly cared for him and could offer him warmth was Zhang Wan Yi. In this life, he realised just how outrageously mistaken he had been. True familial affection did not require words, it could be conveyed through a mere glance or a simple gesture, offering boundless strength and warmth.

He had ignored far too much, stumbling through life like a blind man with open eyes, shrouded in darkness and oblivious to the warmth and beauty within his grasp.

As Yun Ling had once said, if your heart is cold, everything you see will be cold. Yet, if your heart carries colour, the world will be vibrant.

With the Eldest Princess’ decree and the city’s Five Military Departments’ token in hand, Yun Ke mobilised every defensive force in the capital.

The Crown Prince’s attempted coup, which had plunged officials into chaos, now seemed futile and they now seemed to see a guiding light. 30,000 soldiers surrounded the imperial palace, leaving the Crown Prince, who was fighting hard inside, knew his time was up. He was still one step behind. He had not expected Yun Ke’s swift response as though he had foreseen everything from the start.

If he had just half a day more, he would have succeeded in taking the Qin Zheng Hall. He had been so close!

He listened to the unrelenting reports from his subordinates, saying that the Zheng Yang Gate had been breached, the Xi Hua Gate fallen, and so on. His Highness the Crown Prince slumped onto the white marble steps in defeat.

Even the heavens refused to help him!

When Yun Ke and his men appeared before him, the Crown Prince had already put down his sword and was sitting on the stone steps in a daze.

“It’s actually you,” Yun Xuan raised his face to look at his seventh brother, now standing tall in the morning light.His imposing figure cast a long shadow that stretched before him. It turned out that his seventh brother, who had always followed behind others, was so tall…

“It’s me, Brother,” Yun Ke replied, his voice tinged with emotion. There was an unprecedented pang of sorrow welling up within him. It was something he had never experienced in his past life.

In the previous life, he had been like a demon crawling out of hell. Even when his own family’s blood splattered across his face, staining his skin, he had felt nothing. He had only thought that they deserved to die! But how many people in this world truly deserved death?

The doors behind Yun Xuan were battered and splintered, bearing countless marks from axes and swords. The crumbling walls were adorned with the bodies of palace guards, their corpses strewn about in all directions. Beyond those gates lay the hiding place of their father, the Emperor.

The soft glow of dawn painted the imperial palace in a faint golden hue, bringing with it a subtle warmth.

“You came so quickly,” Yun Xuan remarked with emotion, “Very well, winners take all. Losing to you is far better than losing to Yun Yi.” With that, he reached for his sword and moved to slit his own throat.

His arm went numb and the sword clattered to the ground. Stunned, Yun Xuan looked at his younger brother, who stood tall before him, handsome and commanding, like a deity descended to earth.

“Am I not even allowed to die?” Yun Xuan laughed bitterly, shaking his head, “If you still consider me your elder brother, let me end my life here. At least I can retain a shred of dignity.” His gaze was bleak and lifeless.

“Perhaps Father the Emperor will forgive you,” Yun Ke said lightly.

“Forgive me?” Yun Xuan was startled for a moment before bursting into wild laughter. His laughter was manic and his eyes seemed ready to bleed tears! “If Father the Emperor still had me in his eyes, why would I have gone this far?!”

Yun Ke did not respond. Instead, he silently opened the palace gates, ushering in Emperor Jing, who had spent a night in anxiety.

Emperor Jing entered, surrounded by a phalanx of guards who watched Yun Xuan with extreme vigilance.

Yun Ke knelt down silently, laying his weapon on the ground, and kowtowed three times with respect, shouting, “Long live His Majesty!” Following Yun Ke’s lead, all the soldiers behind him disarmed and knelt. Everywhere within sight of the palace walls, soldiers were kneeling with their heads on the ground.

Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long, long live the Emperor!

The thunderous chant echoed through the palace, reverberating through the hearts of all who heard it, including Emperor Jing.

At last, Emperor Jing stepped past the guards shielding him, advancing towards Yun Ke. He reached out and helped his youngest son to his feet. The Emperor said nothing, only clapped on the shoulder of his son who was already half a head taller than him.

Yun Ke was deeply shaken. In his previous life, he had never experienced such affirmation or care from his father. Yet this simple gesture filled his heart with an indescribable surge of reverence and pride. He was, after all, his father’s flesh and blood. The bond of kinship was beyond words.

“Are you trying to force me to my death?” Emperor Jing asked gently, fixing Yun Xuan with a solemn gaze.

“Father the Emperor…” Yun Xuan, like a child caught in wrongdoing, collapsed at the Emperor’s feet, crying, “Father the Emperor, this son was wrong… This son never intended to harm Father the Emperor, never. This son only wished for Father the Emperor to pass the throne to this son. After all, this son is your Crown Prince! This son only wanted Father the Emperor to trust this son for once.”

Emperor Jing looked down at his eldest son, the Crown Prince. His lips twitched slightly, his gaze heavy with a complex mix of emotions. After a long silence, he finally let out a deep sigh, “Someone, issue my decree. Crown Prince Yun Xuan is afflicted with a grave illness and is unfit to inherit the throne. He is hereby stripped of his title as Crown Prince and shall recuperate in Wanxi Palace.”

Yun Xuan trembled violently all over. He curled into a ball as he clung desperately to his father’s legs. It was only when the guards came over and forcibly pried his hands away that the now limp Yun Xuan was dragged off. Yun Xuan watched as the figure in imperial yellow gradually disappeared from view. After this day, he would probably never see his Father the Emperor again.

Emperor Jing took a deep breath, then his gaze fell upon Yun Ke, whose tall frame stood humbly by his side. The sight brought a flicker of comfort to Emperor Jing’s weary heart.

Opening the palace doors had been a gamble, a desperate move. The Crown Prince leading a rebellion had already forced him into a desperate situation. If Yun Ke, arriving with his troops, had killed the Crown Prince and seized the opportunity to stage his own coup, Emperor Jing would have had no choice but to relinquish the throne to this child.

Yet, had laid down his blade and knelt so devoutly before him, calling out “Long live the Emperor” with heartfelt reverence three times. This had made Emperor Jing feel a glimmer of relief despite his sadness.

“You’ve done well,” Emperor Jing said slowly to Yun Ke, “I am weary. You can take the others and withdraw.” As the Emperor Jing finished speaking, the Virtuous Consort, who had been following behind him, paled in the face. Yun Ke had become her most formidable threat without her realising it.

What she had initially intended as a stepping stone for her son had now transformed into a sharp and gleaming sword. She had inadvertently created a powerful rival for her son.

Yun Ke bowed deeply to Emperor Jing, handing over the military token with both hands. This act made Emperor Jing glance at his youngest son in surprise again.

“Your intentions… I understand them,” Emperor Jing finally smiled, “Come and see me tomorrow at the southern study.”

“Yes,” Yun Ke replied. He watched his father’s retreating figure with respect and there were mixed feelings of sadness and joy in his heart.