He didn’t mind dying in the darkness before dawn, but if given a chance to walk into the radiant sunlight, who would refuse?

“Right now…” he started to speak but felt it was ruining the moment and fell silent.

Right now, he felt a bit reluctant to die.

Yu Wanyin was puzzled, “What?”

“Nothing.” Xiahou Dan smiled and pulled her back to her seat. “Sister, your hair smells so nice.”

The capital had been overcast for seven days, the sky dark as a long night.

In just a few days, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor had passed away one after the other, and the Imperial Guards had fought among themselves, scaring the city’s residents into closing their doors and windows, living in constant fear.

Later, the killings seemed to stop, but the curfew in the city continued. No one knew how the chaos started or when it would end. However, from the final victor’s perspective, it was clear that Prince Duan had a hand in it.

Prince Duan’s recent actions completely destroyed the good reputation he had painstakingly built over the years. Dozens of ministers knelt without rest, unable to see the Emperor one last time before he died. Such a tragic event couldn’t be hidden by even the thickest palace walls; it spread throughout the streets the next day. Even an old woman in her eighties would ask, “Isn’t there some conspiracy?”

Moreover, with the Emperor’s body barely cold, Prince Duan aggressively hunted down the Empress. Anyone with half a brain could see that he intended to eradicate her entirely.

Public discussion surged.

Then the Imperial Guards arrived, and the newly appointed Commander Wen ordered that those spreading rumors be killed without mercy.

After a few families were dragged out and executed as an example, the city fell into a deathly silence. Passersby averted their eyes, and besides the sound of patrolling guards, the streets and alleys were silent, like a ghost town.

Li Yunxi and others sat by Cen Jintian’s sickbed.

After Prince Duan discovered Cen Jintian in the suburban villa, Xiahou Dan had moved him to a new hiding place, allowing him to quietly spend his remaining days.

On the day Xiahou Dan died, Prince Duan had told the ministers to go home and rest. Li Yunxi had a premonition that they wouldn’t be able to leave once they returned home. So, after consulting with his two friends, they decided to turn back and hide with Cen Jintian.

As expected, it wasn’t long before they received news that the ministers kneeling outside the sleeping palace were all confined to their homes by the Imperial Guards. It was only a matter of time before Prince Duan’s men found them here.

The group exchanged glances, all looking despondent.

Cen Jintian, wrapped in a quilt on his sickbed, was the first to speak, his voice calm, “Since things have come to this, we must make plans.”

After being treated by Xiao Tiancai for a while, his condition had improved significantly. Looking at him, he didn’t seem like someone with only a few months left to live. Having been ill for so long, he had come to terms with life and death, making him the calmest among them.

Cen Jintian analyzed their situation: “To survive now, there are only two options: resign or pledge allegiance to Prince Duan. But you don’t seem like the kind to pledge allegiance…”

“Of course not,” Li Yunxi said firmly.

Yang Duojie sighed, “Yes, I plan to resign.” There was no one left on the throne worth serving, and he couldn’t stay in the city any longer. He might as well go home and take care of his parents.

Li Yunxi hesitated. Resigning seemed like a bleak end, and he began to consider fulfilling his long-held wish to die heroically in the court and be remembered in history.

“I think I’ll try pledging allegiance,” Er Lan said lightly.

Li Yunxi: “…”

Li Yunxi: “What?”

Er Lan wasn’t joking: “Most of the loyalists will resign to save their lives, leaving many vacancies in the court. Prince Duan will need people to manage affairs and won’t immediately target those who remain.”

Li Yunxi was anxious and about to speak when Cen Jintian frowned, “Brother Er, you’re too smart not to know that Prince Duan will settle accounts later.”

“Take it one step at a time. When the time comes, it won’t be too late to die then,” Er Lan seemed unafraid of discussing life and death in front of the sick, “Besides, rather than blindly dying to be loyal, the Emperor would prefer to see us protect the common people, ensuring they aren’t burdened by this chaos.”

Li Yunxi: “…”

Was his wish so obvious?

Li Yunxi was torn. He was no longer the naive newcomer he once was and understood Er Lan’s concern. However, bowing to Prince Duan now felt like a huge humiliation.

Cen Jintian was silent for a moment before speaking slowly, “The building is collapsing, and one person’s strength is insignificant. Life is short, Brother Er, you’re still young and should live for yourself for once.”

Er Lan shook her head with a smile, looking at him with clear, unwavering eyes, “You don’t understand, Brother Cen. I’m staying not only for righteousness but also for personal reasons.”

Li Yunxi and Yang Duojie both choked.

Li Yunxi felt bitter, while Yang Duojie admired his friend’s honesty about his feelings.

After a long while, Cen Jintian smiled blankly, “So, Brother Er has found a good match here? That’s a happy event.”

“Yes, it is.” Er Lan stood up, “I’m going to check the situation outside.”

She left.

Li Yunxi and Yang Duojie sat uncomfortably in silence. Cen Jintian lowered his eyes and said nothing more.

After a while, Li Yunxi silently turned and left the room, kicking a pillar in frustration.

He took a few deep breaths, then returned, looking fierce, “Then I won’t leave either!”

Yang Duojie looked around, “…None of you are leaving? Then I will. Someone has to be around to bury you.”

As Yang Duojie wrote his resignation letter that night, Prince Duan, his face pale with fury, looked at the Emperor’s corpse in the coffin.

Around him, his confidants knelt in fear.

Xiahou Bo’s face was haggard, cold sweat constantly being wiped away. His confidants were terrified and advised, “Your Highness, your health is important. You should lie down and rest—”

Xiahou Bo interrupted, “This person was originally brought in by the Central Army?”

A confidant replied, “Yes, Your Highness, the Central Army escorted him, saying General Luo personally interrogated him.”

A flash of ferocity crossed Xiahou Bo’s eyes as he lifted a corner of the mask on the corpse’s face and muttered to himself, “Could the Central Army also betray?”

It wasn’t until this “Xiahou Dan” died that he realized the person was fake.

He had been furious, initially wanting to keep the news quiet and continue secretly hunting the real Emperor. But those suicidal ministers had pressured him, threatening to die if they couldn’t see the Emperor. Xiahou Bo didn’t dare stir up public anger at this critical moment, so he let them see the imposter’s corpse.

Then he hastily arranged for the burial. By claiming that Xiahou Dan was already interred, he could discredit any future claims of a real Xiahou Dan resurfacing.

However, being deceived by the imposter for several days could have fatal consequences. Where had the real Xiahou Dan escaped to? Had he broken out of the encirclement, or was he being hidden by a faction that betrayed him?

Xiahou Bo didn’t want to suspect the Central Army. He and General Luo had fought side by side, sharing life and death. He preferred to believe General Luo was also fooled by the imposter.

But deep down, he knew he couldn’t fully trust the Central Army anymore. Nor could he trust the other two armies.

Xiahou Bo felt a pang of loneliness, fearing betrayal from all sides.

A confidant reminded him, “Your Highness, the three armies will gather outside the city tomorrow.”

Xiahou Bo composed himself, “Have them camp outside the city.” He needed to guard against Xiahou Dan’s return.

“Do you want to meet the three generals?”

“Bring them into the city to meet me, set up ambushes along the way. If there’s any suspicious movement, kill them on the spot. Also, set up defenses at the city gates, inspect each soldier and cart. Verify the identity of anyone suspicious.”

The confidant noted everything down. Xiahou Bo then said, “Bring the Crown Prince to me… and have the entire Yu family brought here.”

This was to hold them as hostages. Xiahou Dan might not care much about these people’s lives, but for appearances’ sake, he couldn’t abandon them—if Xiahou Dan showed up tomorrow.

Xiahou Bo made thorough preparations.

Yet, he still felt uneasy. Perhaps it was because, at the foot of Mount Bei, he had witnessed the weapon in Xiahou Dan’s hands.

Now, fully aware of its power, he would never expose himself within its range. But the emergence of that weapon felt like an ominous sign. In Xie Yong’er’s prophecy, he was the chosen one. Why then, despite his perseverance, was heaven’s favor becoming increasingly scarce?

Disfigured, unable to walk, his leg injury worsening, Xiahou Bo’s confidants saw him as a fallen prince, devoid

 of the grandeur he once commanded, his gaze filled with paranoia and suspicion, making him even more terrifying than the mad emperor.

His confidants were inwardly lamenting.

Having come this far, there was no turning back, only the path to destruction. Initially eager for Prince Duan’s glorious rise, now they could only conceal their fear.

The air was thick with a cold scent. Seasoned soldiers would recognize it as the smell of impending defeat.