CHAPTER 251: CHAPTER 251 REBELLION 2

After parting ways with Fengyu, Xie Xun headed to the Northern Iron Cavalry Camp in the western side of the city. Since the Xiyanshan hunting expedition, the Iron Cavalry had been stationed outside the city’s western gates, with camp affairs managed by Xie Zhang and co-managed by General Xu Zhou. Xu Zhou, Xie Zhang’s deputy general, was exceptionally capable and had been promoted; now twenty-six years old, his entire family resided in Ningzhou.

Upon returning to the Capital City, Xu Zhou did not accompany Xie Zhang back. Xie Zhang granted Xu Zhou leave to reunite with his family in Ningzhou, allowing him to enjoy time with his loved ones. Before the Xiyanshan hunt, Xie Zhang sent urgent correspondence to summon Xu Zhou secretly back to the Capital City. Among the eight young military generals accompanying the Iron Cavalry back, Xu Zhou’s return went unnoticed—he attracted no attention as Xie Zhang trained his focus on wedding preparations, temporarily entrusting the martial affairs of the Northern Iron Cavalry to Xu Zhou.

Tonight, the Iron Cavalry Camp was eerily silent, with flames illuminating the skies. The camp was heavily guarded. Fully armed, Xu Zhou sat cross-legged beneath a banyan tree by the camp gates, cradling his sword, with his eyes closed in quiet meditation—an unwavering sentinel for the camp.

The muffled sound of Zhuifeng’s hooves echoed as it galloped through the night. At the distant arrival, General Xu Zhou opened his eyes, shadowed by pain. As Xie Xun dismounted, Xu Zhou dropped to his knees. "Young Marquis, please allow this humble soldier to lead the army out of the city with you!"

"Prepare the entire army; follow me to the Marquis Mansion!" Xie Xun commanded solemnly. "Don’t waste time talking—this is an order!"

"Young Marquis, I am bound by an instruction from the Eldest Young Master: If there’s any disruption to the wedding, I am to lead you out of the city, back to Ningzhou," Xu Zhou said as he kowtowed. "Orders are orders; I regret that I cannot obey."

Xie Xun was frantic, his emotions teetering close to collapse. Grabbing Xu Zhou by the collar, his eyes burned red. "My father, my mother, my elder brother, my sister-in-law, my concubines—they are all trapped in the mansion, their lives uncertain! Our family’s guests and friends are being obliterated at the wedding feast—how many will escape alive? For every second you hesitate, you reduce the chance of survival for my father and brother! My father and elder brother are confined in the mansion, and with my Second Brother absent, I am the commander of the Northern Iron Cavalry! If you choose to obey their orders, then wait until they’re alive to give them. I’m saying this one last time: Arm the troops—we ride now!"

General Xu Zhou hesitated in turmoil. Xie Zhang had enforced strict commands upon him. At the time, Xu Zhou was alarmed and asked Xie Zhang, "Eldest Young Master, why such an arrangement?"

"A precaution against unforeseen circumstances. If everything goes smoothly, all will be well and good," Xie Zhang retorted. "But if something goes wrong, then spare no expense, protect Zhixu, and take her safely back to Ningzhou!"

The Emperor and Marquis had established mutual understanding, cementing a harmonious relationship between ruler and subject. After settling prior disagreements, the imperial family and Marquis Mansion had entered an era of newfound cordiality and warmth. Emperor Jianming was even expected to personally leave the palace to attend the wedding in celebration. Imperial goodwill could hardly be feigned. Xie Zhang didn’t truly believe anything dangerous would happen during the wedding; after all, Emperor Jianming and the Crown Prince hadn’t found any faults within the Marquis Mansion.

Without justification, how could there be treachery or rebellion?

No one could have anticipated that at the wedding, the Marquis would kill the Emperor, giving the Crown Prince the chance to execute the Marquis Mansion’s entire household. If disaster truly struck during the wedding, the Crown Prince would undoubtedly lay an inescapable trap throughout the city. Deploying the Iron Cavalry would be akin to sending sheep to the slaughter. Xie Zhang wanted to avoid meaningless sacrifices for his soldiers.

Now subdued by Xie Xun’s determination, Xu Zhou abruptly noticed three fireworks bloom over the horizon. Xie Xun’s face changed instantly. Both Xu Zhou and the soldiers in the camp saw the signal for their commander’s demise light up in the night sky.

The Northern Iron Cavalry had only one true commander.

Xie Yuan, Marquis Zhenbei!

"Father..." Xie Xun snarled, teeth clenched, before mounting his horse. "Arm the troops! Await my command!"

"Understood!" Xu Zhou no longer hesitated. Together with Xie Xun, he mounted up, as five thousand Iron Cavalry soldiers, ever vigilant through sleepless nights, readied for battle. At Xie Xun’s command, heavy cavalry and light cavalry took their positions like a black tide surging toward the serene, glittering Capital City, sweeping away its gilded corruption and decay!

Xie Zhang had strategically stationed three generals within the camp. As Xie Xun led his troops out, the topography of the Capital was already etched in his mind. He set his formation swiftly, assigning a thousand soldiers to each general, who dispersed in different directions like three black serpents slithering into the night. Xie Xun charged directly toward the Marquis Mansion with two thousand soldiers. En route, they encountered Lin Cheng leading eight thousand Forbidden Army troops.

"Young Marquis, the Marquis has assassinated the Emperor and rebelled. He has been executed. His Highness, out of past compassion, offers mercy, sparing the Marquis’s family from dismemberment and preserving their corpses. Young Marquis, do not add wrong upon wrong and implicate the Marchioness and the womenfolk further," Lin Cheng, garbed in the official uniform of the Forbidden Army commander, declared arrogantly with a hint of smug satisfaction, reveling in his newly acquired power.

Once oppressed and stifled by Xie Xun’s authority, Lin Cheng now relished his moment of vindication. The former prestige of Marquis Zhenbei Mansion had been smashed; its fall was inevitable!

The Emperor and the Marquis had perished together. With the Crown Prince consolidating power, Lin Cheng, having aligned himself with the rising dragon, felt invincible as he gripped his blade triumphantly. He was eager to see Xie Xun, high and mighty heir of Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, brought to his knees in the mud—this arrogant young lord’s complete destruction awaited him.

Upon hearing the word "executed," the veins bulged on Xie Xun’s forehead. He slowly drew his sword, its icy gleam slicing through the darkness. He knew there would be no turning back after this.

"The Marquis of Zhenbei Mansion has been loyal and virtuous for generations! The claims of assassination and rebellion are baseless lies, utter nonsense!" Xie Xun exclaimed, his sword pointing toward the Forbidden Army. "My goal is to save my father and brothers. Anyone who obstructs me—kill them!"

"Ignorant fool!" bellowed Lin Cheng. "Whoever kills the Young Marquis shall receive official rank and title, as well as a bounty of ten thousand taels of gold!"

The Forbidden Army erupted with renewed vigor. Rank, title, and wealth ignited the primal greed and bloodlust within every soldier.

Iron Cavalry and Forbidden Army simultaneously unsheathed their weapons. The black and blue forces clashed in a whirlwind of slaughter. A thousand heavy cavalry broke through the encirclement of the Forbidden Army with crushing force.

Despite their disparity in numbers—two thousand Iron Cavalry soldiers against eight thousand Forbidden Army—Xie Xun slashed his way through the enemy like a tempest, unleashing the power of an army tenfold. Nearby, Lin Cheng ordered his trusted aides, "Notify the Crown Prince: Xie Xun has been located."

"Understood!"

Lin Cheng had been at the Crown Prince’s side throughout the day. The Forbidden Army Camp remained under strict vigilance to avoid alarming the enemy prematurely. After Emperor Jianming left the Imperial Palace, a thousand Forbidden Army and Imperial Army soldiers accompanied him. The Forbidden Army Camp still held fifteen thousand troops under Lin Cheng and Zhang Bolan’s command.

As the bridal procession reached the Marquis Mansion, Lin Cheng sent personnel to notify the Forbidden Army Camp. Chen Mo led the Jinyi Guard to seal off city gates, while the Forbidden Army blockaded streets. The Crown Prince intended swift execution, ensuring all members of Marquis Zhenbei Mansion perished within its walls. Lin Cheng had previously aimed to infiltrate the Northern Iron Cavalry Camp. Regrettably, even amidst the frenzy of wedding preparations, Xie Zhang hadn’t neglected the Iron Cavalry’s affairs. He exercised oversight over every detail, his loyal deputy generals impervious to bribery.

The Crown Prince needed only the shortest window to eliminate Xie father and sons, rendering the Iron Cavalry leaderless. Once centralized power was restored to the Imperial Family, he could dismantle the Iron Cavalry, piece by piece. Each soldier had family, friends, and vulnerabilities. They could fight and die for the Marquis Mansion, but what of their loved ones?

As long as human weakness existed, it could be exploited.

Xie Zhang’s wedding brought the Marquis Mansion’s entire extended family together. They were perfect prey for the Crown Prince’s meticulous scheme. However, Xie Xun, who had initially accompanied Xie Zhang on the bridal ride and should have returned with him, ended up escorting Fengyu to her sister Feng Shu’s side. Distracted by sentimentality, he decided to accompany her, unmindful of his brother’s wedding, in a moment of foolish infatuation. This uncharacteristic detour spared Xie Xun from the massacre that erupted in the mansion.

The flawless trap had sprung with a critical flaw: the Young Marquis escaped the net. The Marquis Mansion’s relatives, wedding guests—even Elder Lin—had been detained. The Marquis had killed the Emperor, leaving the Crown Prince in total control, with the entire household encircled by soldiers within the mansion. All military personnel within were captured and bound. The Jinyi Guard encased the mansion in an impenetrable siege—not even a fly could escape. The Crown Prince maintained absolute governance, patiently awaiting the Young Marquis’s return. Xie Zhang’s wedding meant he would inevitably return to the mansion.

Xie Zhang made bold moves, directing trusted aides to breach the encirclement at all costs. Nuanyang narrowly escaped the siege to deliver urgent news, unraveling the Crown Prince’s vision of perfection.

Originally, the Marquis, Xie Zhang, and Xie Xun were all intended to perish at the wedding banquet. After stabilizing the situation, the Crown Prince ordered a manhunt for Xie Jue, as the Northern Iron Cavalry hinged upon the Marquis and Xie Zhang.

The Iron Cavalry’s allegiance to Xie Jue and Xie Xun—their trust in these two brothers—wasn’t as deep as their loyalty to the Marquis or Xie Zhang. Once enthroned, the Crown Prince would find ways to subdue and claim the Iron Cavalry for the Imperial Family.

With only the blind Xie Jue remaining, the Crown Prince feared nothing.

Lin Cheng understood the stakes intimately: kill Xie Xun, and the plan remained salvageable. If the Marquis Mansion wasn’t obliterated tonight, leaving no survivors, Xie Xun’s inevitable resurgence would be far more ferocious.

This was no battle of honor or disgrace.

It was a battle of life and death!

The Capital had twenty thousand Imperial Army troops and twenty thousand Forbidden Army soldiers—a combined forty thousand forces. Lin Cheng refused to believe that five thousand Iron Cavalry soldiers could avoid annihilation. Xie Xun—what hope did a reckless rebellion have against such overwhelming odds?