Chapter 339 The Outcome is Decided

Chapter 339: The Dust Has Settled

In the middle of the night, Song Tingzhou leaned against an old tree, dozing. Across from him, the Nie family's private army hadn't entered the city either—both sides were waiting.

The urgent pounding of hooves shattered the darkness, and then Qin Jiao rode in, carrying a severed head with white hair. Without so much as a word to his own father, he made a beeline for the enemy camp.

"The traitor Nie Chuan has been executed in the imperial city! His Majesty, in his mercy, says you haven't committed unforgivable crimes, so you'll all get a second chance. So do you yield, or not?" Qin Jiao hurled the head toward the Nie family's private troops. His arm was stained red with blood from carrying it the whole way, and the imperial edict tucked under his right arm went unread—he was paraphrasing it in his own words.

Nie Chuan was old, and in the end, Ge Quan got him. Once he was dead, the rest of them were nothing to worry about.

Ma Xin picked up Nie Chuan's head, his hands shaking like crazy. Nie Chuan had been his mentor and benefactor, but they couldn't rebel against the state to avenge him.

"This officer... thanks His Majesty for his mercy!"

He was the first to kneel, and his second-in-command let out a sigh of relief. He'd been terrified that General Ma would do something stupid out of grief for General Nie and get all their brothers killed.

Song Tingzhou couldn't see the front lines from where he was in the back, but he could hear the dull thud of weapons hitting the ground. The sound went on for a long time, only stopping when the exhausted Ministry of War officials showed up to re-register these private soldiers.

With the Ministry of War folks there, Song Tingzhou wasn't needed anymore. But Qin Xiaozhong still had to stay to keep Ma Xin and his men in line, so he couldn't leave yet.

"Lord Song!"

Qin Jiao came to find Song Tingzhou after wrapping things up at the front. "My dad and the Ministry of War guys can handle things here. It's a mess out there—there could still be Prince Lian's people lurking around. Come into the city with me; there's a lot more to handle."

Song Tingzhou got up off the ground. "Then let me go tell your father."

Qin Jiao casually brought a horse over and tried to haul him up. "What's there to tell him? He doesn't care about that kind of formal crap anyway."

The two of them rode back into the city together. At the city gate, the Five Army Camps troops had already pulled back, and the gate guards were on watch, drawing water to wash the blood off the ground. The weather was still cool, but in a few days, when it got hot, the blood would get sticky and draw flies.

Qin Jiao didn't even get off his horse—he flashed some random token and rode right in. Nobody was dumb enough to try and stop them.

The usually busy streets were eerily empty today. Even at this early hour, the hardworking breakfast stalls should've been smoking, but from the south gate all the way to the palace, there was nothing.

The streets were crawling with guards from the Twenty-Six Divisions, hunting down the leftovers of Prince Lian's faction. A few people recognized Qin Jiao and stopped to say hi.

"Nie Hongfei, where the hell are you going?" Qin Jiao called out, halting Nie Hongfei as he came galloping out of the palace. The three of them ended up face to face.

Nie Hongfei didn't even look back. By the time he'd answered Qin Jiao, he was already way down the road on horseback, his words trailing off, barely audible: "Going home. If I don't get back soon, the whole place will be torn apart."

Nie Hongfei's true allegiance wasn't as well-known as Qin Jiao's and the others'. On the surface, he'd always been one of Prince Lian's people—even Meng Wan and the others had only figured it out at the very last second. The Crown Prince had ordered a purge of Nie's remaining allies, and Nie Hongfei was afraid his family would get caught in the crossfire.

And he wasn't wrong. The Embroidered Uniform Guard had the Duke's mansion surrounded, and inside, it was total chaos. The Nie family was never short on martial arts experts, but their first priority was protecting the main bloodline.

Luo Jining and Nie Hongfei's bridal chamber was in a courtyard off in the corner of the Duke's mansion. Seeing things go south, Luo Jining quickly grabbed a few small valuables worth thirty or fifty taels from Nie Hongfei's study, grabbed his own stash of private money, and got ready to bolt.

"Sister Hua, Sister Xia, Old Eight, Old Nine... Xiao Shiliu, listen up. Don't say a word—just follow me. Those people outside kill without batting an eye. If anyone falls behind, it won't end well." Luo Jining had swapped his moon-white brocade robes for black ones, which showed off his slim waist and long legs. With his handsome face set in a serious expression, he looked remarkably dependable.

The courtyard was now filled with sixteen great beauties of every shape and description, and he didn't know where to look first. The youngest, Xiao Shiliu, was the most charming and adorable—she only came up to Luo Jining's shoulder, with big eyes and fair skin. She blinked her round eyes innocently and said, "Then why don't we just stay inside and wait for Hongfei to come home?"

Wait for him, my ass!

Luo Jining's lips curved into a slight smile. He pulled Xiao Shiliu into his arms, casually pinching the soft flesh at her waist. "Hongfei... alas, things might not be looking good for him. Before he left, he told me that if anything happened to him, I must take care of you all. Xiao Shiliu..."

"BANG!" A thunderous crash. The Embroidered Uniform Guard had moved swiftly, kicking open the tightly shut courtyard gate while Luo Jining was still wasting time being dramatic.

Luo Jining's pupils contracted. His heart was filled with despair—he was a Luo, who had never enjoyed a single good day, only suffering through one misfortune after another.

"Damn you, Meng Wan! You promised I wouldn't die!"

Countless Embroidered Uniform Guard soldiers flooded into the courtyard. Luo Jining had already begun preparing for death, even dreaming that maybe dying wouldn't be so bad—perhaps he'd transmigrate back home.

But just as the two leading guards were about to seize him, Luo Jining saw Xiao Shiliu—the one whose waist he'd just been holding, his favorite little wife—dart back into the house with lightning speed. She emerged wielding a massive blade taller than herself, swinging it straight at his face...

In that instant, Luo Jining could almost smell death. But then a pair of soft, boneless hands wrapped around his waist, and his eldest wife, Sister Hua, shielded him behind her. "Husband, get to the back. Don't distract us sisters."

Luo Jining was shoved to the rear, dumbfounded. The beauties before him each took to the air in their own way—one pulling an axe from the kitchen, another drawing a sword from the rooftop. The variety was astonishing. He had never imagined that his humble courtyard could conceal so many weapons.

Sixteen in total! Anyone would think his house was a blacksmith's shop.

And what about his adorable little Xiao Shiliu? Why was she playing with a sword?!

The legendary Embroidered Uniform Guard—the emperor's personal guard, second only to the Qianlong Guard—were all trained fighters over six feet tall. And they were evenly matched against his sixteen gorgeous women. Luo Jining was nearly dumbstruck.

But the Embroidered Uniform Guard had the advantage in numbers, and soon Sister Hua and the others began to fall one by one. When Nie Hongfei arrived home, he could hear his husband's anguished cries from a distance.

"Xiao Shiliu!"

"Everyone stop! I have the Crown Prince's decree!" Nie Hongfei charged into the crowd and dismounted in a rush, only to find Luo Jining—with that gentle, refined face of his—cradling Xiao Shiliu's arm with a pained expression over a scratch barely worth mentioning.

A faint green glow seemed to emanate from Nie Hongfei's head. His mouth twitched. "What are you doing?"

"You actually came back alive?" Luo Jining was rather surprised.

Nie Hongfei smiled without warmth. "Disappointed? Were you just waiting for me to die so you could run off with them?"

"No." Luo Jining felt a flicker of guilt, but his appearance was too deceptive, so his stubborn denial was hard to see through.

Nie Hongfei knew exactly what kind of person he was. Seeing that Luo Jining's hands were still wandering—first touching Shiliu's hand, then reaching for her waist—he finally lost his patience. "If not, then put Shiliu down right now! That wound of hers will heal on its own in a moment. Can't you see your husband was cut three times by swords?!"

From yesterday morning to this morning, a full day and night of chaos in the palace—not just physically exhausting, but mentally draining, afraid that one wrong step would ruin everything.

Prince Lian hadn't been without experts and loyal guards willing to die for him. Nie Hongfei had fought through the night, covered in countless minor wounds and three serious ones. He'd ridden home on sheer willpower alone.

Luo Jining furrowed his brow and said with complete confidence, "Can you compare to Xiao Shiliu? You're a big man—just go apply some ointment yourself, won't you?"

After Nie Chuan's death, Nie Hongfei had thought no one could ever make him feel this stifled again...

—

Nie Hongfei was able to protect Luo Jining of the Luo family for many reasons, but those connected to Prince Lian's Tingxiang Pavilion weren't so fortunate.

On the day of the coup, Fuyin at the Tingxiang Pavilion had prepared for two outcomes. Either Prince Lian ascended the throne—in which case, though their status was low, they might soar to greatness. They didn't dare hope to break free from Prince Lian and the Nie family entirely, but at least they could give up the brothel business and live respectably.

Or Prince Lian failed and was captured—in which case they would have to flee the city and plan their next move.

Fuyin had thought all her escape routes were prepared, but little did she know that Song Tingzhou had long since arranged for the Shuntian Prefecture to surround every street and alley within twenty li of the Tingxiang Pavilion. When Fuyin and her people emerged from a secret tunnel, they came face to face with a squad of soldiers holding torches.

Meanwhile, the advisors and retainers waiting at Prince Lian's residence met a similar fate.

In just one day and one night, the entire city of Shengjing had changed hands.

Song Tingzhou had entered the palace in the early hours of the morning and wasn't released until late at night. He needed to get home and rest quickly—Prince Lian's downfall had implicated countless officials both large and small, and until the Crown Prince was enthroned, he only trusted his own people. Tomorrow there would be much official business to attend to.

He wasn't alone in this—all the ministers who had been trapped in the palace that day were returning to their residences at this hour.

The Crown Prince had no intention of loudly publicizing the coup attempt by Nie Chuan and Prince Lian. He only produced evidence of Prince Lian's treasonous letters and proof of Nie Chuan's privately raised troops—those two pieces alone were enough to seal their fates.

Though Nie Chuan was dead, the vast military power under his command would still take time to fully reclaim.

Song Tingzhou came back to his cold, empty house. Gui Cheng and Gui Qian and the others had the good sense not to ask why he'd returned after leaving. The capital felt off today, eerily so—even the usual morning deliveries of firewood, veggies, and meat never showed up. Luckily, none of the family's masters were home.

Early the next morning, Song Tingzhou put on his court robes and left again before dawn. When he led his horse out, two carriages were already parked out front.

Wu Zhaoyuan stepped down from one, relieved to see he was okay, then gestured to the other carriage, hesitated, and said, "Ze Ning... unfortunately, he messed up."

A muffled sob came from inside the carriage. "Second Brother, I beg you, for the sake of your old friendship with him, save his life."

Lan Niang had no idea what Zhu Ze Ning had done—all she knew from Wu Zhaoyuan was that he'd nearly cost Song Tingzhou his job. Third Master Zhu and Fourth Master Zhu were both away from home, and her own family had no connections to the Ministry of Justice.

Lan Niang felt deeply ashamed before Song Tingzhou, yet she had no choice but to swallow her pride and beg.

"Ze Ning was taken to the Ministry of Justice?" Song Tingzhou's grip on the reins tightened.

Wu Zhaoyuan sighed. "The Tingxiang Pavilion on Yongle Street has dragged in a lot of Prince Lian's people, and Ze Ning is among them."

Song Tingzhou knew this—he'd personally dug up every official tied to the Tingxiang Pavilion. If Ze Ning hadn't stolen his seal back then, Song Tingzhou might've looked the other way for him once, but alas...

"You're his brothers—you know what kind of man he is." Lan Niang wept from inside the carriage. "Ze Ning may not be as steady as you, but he values brotherhood. He'd never hurt Second Brother over something so trivial."

Song Tingzhou was quiet for a long moment before he said, "Go back. He'll be fine."

Most of the officials caught up in the Tingxiang Pavilion were low-ranking, at worst just passing along info, so they wouldn't be executed—but they'd still face punishment and lose their posts.

But Ze Ning's case was different. What he'd done had gotten the Crown Prince's attention.

Mermaid pearls weren't inexhaustible. The batch of drugs the Tingxiang Pavilion put out was weak; those who endured it would recover and not fall under anyone's control.

Now that the Tingxiang Pavilion had been destroyed and Chi You, the alchemist, was dead, the ones who were too far gone couldn't be saved. The rest just had to tough it out, and after a few rounds of the drug wearing off, they'd be fine.

Two days later, Song Tingzhou took Lan Niang to the Ministry of Justice prison to see Ze Ning.

Ze Ning had lived a cushy life for over twenty years and had never been through anything like this. The dungeon was dim and gloomy. He'd been beaten with boards and endured two rounds of the drug's effects, lying in a pile of straw in tattered clothes, his carefully trimmed beard now a mess.

"Jingxing, I'm sorry, I truly didn't know..." He choked out as Song Tingzhou and Lan Niang approached. When he was being tortured, he'd feared he might die without ever being able to say those words to Song Tingzhou.

Since Ze Ning had been taken to the Ministry of Justice, Lan Niang's eyes hadn't stopped swelling. She crouched on the ground, sobbing.

Song Tingzhou's expression was complicated—pity mixed with frustration. "Do Zhaoyuan and I not know your character? If you'd truly schemed to frame me, I wouldn't be here to see you today."

Ze Ning had once risked himself to save Wu Zhaoyuan. Even under the drug's influence, he wouldn't have been so deranged as to deliberately harm Song Tingzhou. He'd genuinely believed someone was just trying to find leverage against Song Tingzhou, not that they wanted him dead.

Song Tingzhou tossed a packet of medicine to Ze Ning. "Ze Ning, your mistake was thinking you could handle it on your own when trouble came, and you sank deeper and deeper. Even if you'd confessed the truth the moment before you stole my seal, you wouldn't have ended up in this state."

Ze Ning wiped his eyes. "I'm not as clever as you, nor as learned as Zhaoyuan, but I've never been jealous of you. You both have bright futures. I didn't want to burden you with my troubles."

"Foolish!" Song Tingzhou rarely lost his composure, but he snapped in anger.

He closed his eyes, his chest heaving slightly. "The Crown Prince is about to ascend the throne and will surely grant a general amnesty. I'll plead for you. Take Lan Niang back to Changping and live out your days in peace. Never involve yourself in the affairs of Shengjing again."

He was furious, and with that, he swept his sleeve and left, waiting by the outer gate, leaving Lan Niang and Ze Ning to exchange a few private words.

Lan Niang had just learned that Ze Ning was connected to the Tingxiang Pavilion. She said bitterly, "Zhu Ze Ning, didn't Father travel far and wide all those years for your sake? Don't you know how First and Second Brother have treated you? They've both achieved success now. If you'd stayed in line, either of them could have pulled you up, and you'd have lived comfortably in Shengjing as a capital official for the rest of your life. Who have you let down by ending up like this?"

After venting, she felt a bit relieved, then wiped her eyes and asked, "Let me ask you one last thing: when you took that drug and went to the Tingxiang Pavilion behind my back, did you do what those others did—consort with prostitutes and cavort with courtesans? If you've become that kind of lowlife, we're getting a divorce!"

Ze Ning, tears in his eyes before his wife, heard her mention divorce and quickly swore to heaven, "It's my fault, but I swear I never did anything to betray you!"

"That day, when I instinctively shielded you in your bridal gown, I didn't think much of it. Later, I thought, what a beautiful bride, wasted on that scoundrel Chai Jun. When you were wronged, I cursed him for not knowing his fortune. Lan Niang, after all these years of marriage, have I ever told you—I've loved you in my heart?"

Lan Niang's freshly dried eyes welled up again, and the couple poured out their feelings to each other across the prison bars.