DDT - Chapter 49
Chapter 49: General × Little Emperor (4)
Two days had passed since the palace coup. Due to the chaos in the Imperial City, the ministers had not attended morning court. The families of the officials were all gripped by anxiety, shutting their doors and refusing to venture out. Everyone was waiting for an outcome, to see which of the princes would emerge as the final victor.
Adopting the attitude of watching tigers fight from a mountaintop, the major powers within the Imperial City remained inactive, refusing to make a move until the time was right.
The Fourth Prince dared not make any rash decisions until he had the Imperial Jade Seal in his hands. That damned chair, the high and mighty dragon throne that symbolized supreme authority, was right there before his eyes, yet he couldn't sit on it. It was a damnable torment.
The Fourth Prince grew increasingly impatient. It had been two days since he'd heard from the men he'd sent out. On the day that dog emperor escaped, he had dispatched five skilled martial artists to pursue him. The dog emperor had been young when he ascended the throne and had never been favored by his father. Forget martial arts, even riding a horse was a struggle for him. The little emperor had only managed to learn some basic horsemanship and archery in the three years since his accession; he was completely inept at combat. Furthermore, he had no one to help him. The Fourth Prince was confident that five of his men were more than enough to hunt down and kill the dog emperor.
For the first two nights, one of the men would return to the Imperial City late at night to report on their progress to the Fourth Prince, who had already brazenly moved into Emperor Yi Han's Longmian Hall.
However, starting from the third day, no one returned to the Imperial City to report on the mission's status. The Fourth Prince optimistically speculated that his men had already captured the damned little emperor who had absconded with the Imperial Jade Seal. Perhaps they were already on their way back, carrying his severed head.
Yet, he waited until noon on the fourth day and saw not a single shadow of his subordinates.
A terrible thought flashed through the Fourth Prince's mind. His face darkened. With a wave of his hand, several shadowy figures emerged from the darkness. The Fourth Prince ordered them to search the mountain forests to the northwest and to return immediately if they discovered anything.
The shadowy subordinates acknowledged the order, turned, and darted out of the room.
Roughly six hours later, the Fourth Prince stared with a dark expression at the five corpses his men had brought back. In a fit of rage, he slammed his hand on a table in Longmian Hall, the force of the blow making the teacups jump.
"Absurd! Simply absurd!" The Fourth Prince panted, furious. He could never have imagined things would develop this way. "A bunch of useless trash! All of them! So many shadow guards, and they couldn't even capture a dog emperor who lacks the strength to truss a chicken—a mere brat! They just threw their lives away for nothing! And to think I went to such great lengths to train them!"
"How infuriating!" The Fourth Prince's tone was thick with bitter disappointment.
"Did you find anything else near the bodies?" the Fourth Prince asked, unwilling to give up.
The shadow guards knelt on the floor, not daring to even breathe.
"This prince is asking you a question!" The Fourth Prince's tone grew increasingly impatient.
"Reporting to Your Highness, your subordinates found nothing else…" Before the lead shadow guard could finish speaking, a teacup flew unerringly toward his head.
The shadow guard took the blow squarely on his head. The teacup fell and shattered on the floor. Blood began to trickle from his temple, but he seemed accustomed to such treatment and made no extraneous movements.
"A pack of animals! This prince has raised you for nothing!" The Fourth Prince stood up in a huff and commanded, "Continue searching the forest for me. Do not miss a single tree hollow or cave! Report back the instant you have news!"
"Yes, Your Highness." Receiving their new orders, the shadow guards hurried out the door to resume the search.
The Fourth Prince began to pace slowly in the grand hall, pondering the dog emperor's whereabouts. According to the testimony of the captured captain of the Imperial Guards, the young emperor Yi Han had not been on horseback when he fled. Having left the palace in the dead of night, he would have had no opportunity to buy, borrow, or steal a horse. Moreover, the little emperor had practically never left the Imperial City in his entire life. Fleeing on foot outside the city walls, he had likely gotten lost in the northwestern mountain forests. He couldn't have gone far!
But then another thought occurred to the Fourth Prince. What if someone—another prince—had secretly sent men to intercept his target? If they found the dog emperor first and obtained the Imperial Jade Seal before he did, wouldn't all his efforts have been for naught???
The Fourth Prince's brow furrowed as he began to mull over which of his brothers might have been the one to intercept him.
What the Fourth Prince failed to consider was that perhaps no one had intercepted his prize, but that someone had rescued the young emperor. He was supremely confident in his plan. For this coup, he had secretly contacted the Northern Kingdom and had them tie down the Zhenbei General. This would make it difficult for the fiercely loyal general to receive news of the coup, and even if he did, he would be unable to leave his post. After all, when weighing the lives of the common people against the emperor alone, the Fourth Prince was certain that General Chi Luo, who was known to love the populace as his own children, would never abandon the citizens at the border.
But for all his scheming, the Fourth Prince had never calculated that Zhenbei General Chi Luo had long since been replaced by a different core. This Zhenbei General was not the same person as before. In General Chi's eyes, who could possibly be more important than her emperor???
Regardless of how frantic the seal-less Fourth Prince became, Chi Junluo and the young emperor Yi Han were sleeping quite comfortably.
After hiding in the deep mountain forest for two days, the young emperor slept soundly. In his pleasant dream, a source of warmth enveloped him—so warm, so reliable, so encompassing. The young emperor Yi Han truly wished he could spend the rest of his life nestled in this warm place, never to wake again.
However, beautiful moments are always fleeting. Soon, the sky began to lighten. The sound of chirping birds came from the tree they were leaning against. Yi Han shook his head, trying to rid himself of the annoying noise, but the birds continued their chattering.
Left with no choice, Yi Han struggled to open his eyes. His vision was blurry. The sky was just beginning to dawn, and his body felt a little sore. He shifted slightly and realized he had been sleeping while leaning against something. Then he realized that the constant source of heat from his dream was pressed firmly against his back.
Yi Han: ???
There was a slight weight on his right shoulder. Yi Han glanced down and saw a large hand resting there, draped over his chest.
Yi Han: !!
With some difficulty, Yi Han twisted his head to look behind him. Sure enough, it was the Zhenbei General, Chi Luo, who had rescued him the day before.
Damn it! He had apparently slept in the Zhenbei General's arms all night!!!
No wonder he had slept so warmly last night, despite being outdoors! He turned his head and saw the remains of a campfire not far away, which had clearly been out for some time. Yi Han's heart filled with a complex mix of emotions.
General Chi was far too audacious, daring to press so close to the noble body of the Son of Heaven! In normal times, this would be an offense punishable by beheading!
Yi Han gently moved the general's right hand away, then carefully pushed himself to his feet. Picking up the longsword Chi Junluo had left beside her, he stood over her, silently watching as she slept soundly against the tree trunk. He reached up and touched his own chest. Upon feeling the firm, coarse texture beneath his robes, Yi Han's suspended heart finally settled. Very good. The great General Chi had avoided a catastrophe.
He was Yi Han. Even as a Son of Heaven in distress, even if his throne had already been lost and usurped, his true identity was the one secret that could never be revealed!
His mother-consort had told him long ago that he would likely face many life-threatening events, but as long as he was alive and his identity remained hidden, he would always have a chance to turn the tables and make a comeback!
This coup was no accident; he knew that in his heart. The princes were bound to make their move sooner or later. Without enough power in his hands, he was a lamb to the slaughter. That was why he handled all his affairs personally, even forcing himself to adopt an unusual daily schedule. This unconventional routine was a means of self-preservation, and this time, it had proven effective.
He had seized the initiative.
While fleeing through the forest, he'd had a premonition that he might not escape this time. He never expected that the great General Chi, who should have been defending the nation on the northwest border, would rush to the Imperial City to rescue him!
It would be a lie to say he wasn't moved. But having been born and raised in the imperial family, Yi Han couldn't help but be suspicious. The coup had been so sudden, with no prior warning. How could General Chi have seemingly known everything, rushing back to the Imperial City overnight? And how had she found him in the forest without even entering the city?
Yi Han had a nagging feeling that General Chi Luo knew something. This made the naturally suspicious young emperor question the general's true motives.
Yi Han tightened his grip on the longsword, slowly raising it until its tip pointed directly at the still-dreaming Chi Junluo.
This was an excellent opportunity! He, Yi Han, could kill this general who aroused his suspicions. Then he could take the general's command token, go to the northwest border, and claim that the Zhenbei General had died heroically while saving him. He could then use the Zhenbei Army's fury to march on the Imperial City and reclaim his throne!
As for the great General Chi, he would give him a proper burial!
Yi Han's gaze grew increasingly sinister. He tightened his grip on the sword, about to plunge it downward.
Just then, General Chi Luo, still leaning against the tree, must have been dreaming of something. A faint smile suddenly appeared on her usually stern, handsome face. The curve of her lips was slight, but it was incredibly warm, seeming to hold a world of tenderness within it.
The Zhenbei General was known for being serious, and was even stricter with her soldiers. In the past, when facing the young emperor Yi Han and the court officials, her face had always been stern and expressionless. He never thought that today, with only the two of them present, he would witness such an unbelievable scene.
The smile was simply too beautiful. As emperor, Yi Han had seen countless beauties, yet their so-called smiles were always stiff, as if painted on their faces by an artist, full of ulterior motives. But today, he had seen such an unguarded, genuine smile. Damn it, did he just see a hint of happiness in that smile???
What was he to do? He, a decisive emperor who never hesitated to kill, now found himself unable to strike…
Yi Han stared coldly at the gently smiling man. In the end, he slowly lowered the longsword. Forget it, he thought. No matter what, the great General Chi saved my life. I'll spare him today. Perhaps the great General Chi Luo could truly be of use to him.
Yi Han placed Chi Junluo's longsword back beside her and hung his own sword at his waist. He walked to an open patch of grass and began to stretch his limbs, waiting for the great general to awaken. He would never admit that he had spared the general because he wanted to see that smile a little longer! He could guess that the general was certainly hiding something from him, but he was willing to give her a chance. He could wait for her to tell him her secrets personally. This was a gift from the Son of Heaven, and he hoped General Chi Luo would not disappoint him.
Under the large tree behind Yi Han, both Chi Junluo and the Heavenly Dao in her sea of consciousness breathed a small sigh of relief. The cold sweat had already soaked the back of Chi Junluo's clothes.
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