Chapter 37

That New Year’s Eve, the capital was as lively as ever. Every household hung lanterns and decorations, filled with the joy of the coming year. No one knew of the undercurrents surging beneath the surface, nor could anyone have imagined that in just one day, the balance of power in the capital would undergo a drastic upheaval.

On a day when everyone was busy celebrating the New Year, the Prince Regent’s residence was dead silent. Not a single dumpling or festive dish had been served. The family hadn’t even sat down for a proper meal. The entire estate was cold and quiet. No one dared to make a sound while walking.

As the eve of the battle drew closer, Gan Yan’s temper grew more violent. He lashed out and beat the servants at the slightest provocation. Everyone in the residence spent the entire day on edge, terrified of upsetting him.

Zuo Lingxue was anxious too, but not because of Gan Yan.

She and Bu Nian had known each other for ten years. They had once marched forward side by side, united in purpose, believing they would spend a lifetime together. Who could have known that after ten years, everything would change.

She took out her precious blade and carefully polished it, treating it like her own child. The candlelight in the room flickered gently, casting the final moments of peace.

Unlike the tension and gloom at the Prince Regent’s residence, the General’s Manor wasn’t exactly festive, but it was still filled with warmth. That evening, not only did they eat dumplings, but Lian Ai also got two stuffed with copper coins.

“This is the first time I’ve ever gotten a coin dumpling.” He fiddled with the two copper coins in his palm, eyes wide with curiosity.

Fen Zi chuckled as she gathered the empty bowls onto a tray. “That just means Young Master is lucky. Most people don’t get even one, but you ended up with two at once.”

“Most people” spoke up just then. “Since you got the lucky dumplings, you should get a reward.” He pulled a red envelope from his robe and handed it over. “Here. Take it.”

Lian Ai gratefully accepted the envelope from Bu Nian. When he opened it, he found two banknotes of one hundred taels each and a strip of red paper. On the paper, a message was written.
~Year after year, may we reach this day again. Every year, may we have peace.~

“Thank you, General.” He carefully folded the paper and stored it like a treasured keepsake. Compared to the silver notes, that little red slip seemed to hold far more value.

Bu Nian smiled faintly. “Get some rest early. We’ll be heading to Tianfu Temple tomorrow morning.”

Tianfu Temple was located south of the capital, about two hours away by carriage. Since the Emperor would be traveling with a large entourage, it would likely take closer to two and a half hours. That meant they had to depart at early dawn to make it in time to offer the first incense stick of the new year.

Lian Ai nodded, indicating he understood.

After tomorrow, perhaps everything would finally be settled.

Once midnight passed, the new year had begun. An unexpected visitor showed up at the inn Lian Ai had been renting.

Zuo Lingyu was suffocating in the Prince Regent’s estate. Everyone else was celebrating the new year, but he didn’t receive a single word of blessing from his family. On impulse, he scaled the courtyard wall in the middle of the night and wandered the empty streets and somehow ended up at Lian Ai’s place.

He stood in the courtyard, staring at the pitch-black windows. He had wanted to turn around and leave, but halfway through, he stopped. He turned back and slowly walked toward the silent door.

He knew things between him and Lian Ai were already broken. He had said cruel things, claiming that if they met again, they would no longer be friends. But deep down, he still held onto a sliver of hope, wishing they might somehow return to what they once had.

He didn’t need much effort to push open the door. One look inside told him the place was empty. Lian Ai had probably gone to stay with Bu Nian.

Zuo Lingyu was a little disappointed. This might have been the loneliest and most joyless New Year’s Eve he had ever spent.

Just as he was about to leave, his gaze caught a small white paper packet on the floor. He hesitated, then walked over and picked it up. He brought it to his nose and took a gentle sniff. His expression changed instantly. It was Fentian, a deadly poison.

Anyone who lived by the blade had to guard against ambushes and poisonings. To survive, disciples of the Zuo family were trained from childhood to memorize the names and traits of infamous poisons commonly used in the martial world. Fentian was one of them.

After ingestion, Fentian did not kill immediately. It slowly corroded the organs, spreading to the lungs within a few hours, until no medicine could save the victim. It was fatal, but slow enough to leave a faint window for reversal.

Zuo Lingyu stared at the little paper packet in silence for a while. Then he slowly stood up and tucked it into his robe.

—

Lian Ai couldn’t fall asleep that night. Maybe it was anxiety over the trip to Tianfu Temple. Or maybe… it was because Bu Nian was sleeping next to him.

After he turned over again, Bu Nian finally opened his eyes.

“Why do you keep moving if you’re not sleeping?” He hadn’t been asleep either. His voice was clear and alert.

Lian Ai thought he was being annoying and sat up apologetically. “I can’t sleep. Maybe… I should go sleep on the outer couch.”

Just as he was about to climb over Bu Nian to get out of bed, his wrist was grabbed. The next moment, he was yanked down, landing squarely against that firm, warm chest.

“It’s the middle of the night. Stop messing around.” Bu Nian placed his hand on the small of Lian Ai’s back. “If you really can’t sleep, then let’s do something else instead.”

Lian Ai had grown up in the brothel scene. He had heard every kind of filthy talk. What Bu Nian said didn’t even require him to think. He understood it immediately.

“No, we have to conserve our strength. There’s a tough fight waiting tomorrow…” Lian Ai rested his cheek against Bu Nian’s shoulder, as if searching for a comfortable spot. Like a tame cat, he even rubbed against him twice.

“You don’t trust my strength?” Bu Nian was only teasing. He didn’t move, just ran his hand gently through Lian Ai’s smooth, silky hair.

Lian Ai hadn’t been able to sleep at all earlier, but curled up like this against Bu Nian’s body, the warmth seeped into his bones and calmed his heart. The tension faded, and a heavy drowsiness began to settle in.

“I meant me,” he mumbled with his eyes closed. “My legs… would give out.”

Bu Nian’s hand paused. His chest trembled as he let out a low chuckle near Lian Ai’s ear.

—

On the morning of the first day of the new year, while the people of the capital were still asleep, a procession of over a hundred men set out from the imperial palace and headed south toward Tianfu Temple.

Imperial guards guarded the front and rear of the formation. In the center were three carriages. The leading one was ornate and luxurious. It was the personal carriage of the young Emperor. Behind it, two carriages of identical build traveled side by side. One belonged to Grand General Bu Nian, the other to the Prince Regent Gan Yan. Riding alongside them were the newly appointed martial champion Bai Shu and General Song Qiao.

Inside one of the carriages, Lian Ai sat gripping his crossbow tightly. Though the Yuanmo crossbow could hold ten bolts at once, he had still brought along over a hundred spare arrows.

He hoped not a single one would go to waste.

Bu Nian sat upright beside Lian Ai, eyes slightly closed, his posture dignified and composed. He was dressed in full ceremonial court attire, solemn from head to toe, every part of him focused on the battle ahead. The worth of a military man lay on the battlefield. It had been a long time since he last fought, but fear was not something he carried. There was a killing aura around him that ordinary men did not possess. It was a bloodthirst forged through war and slaughter. Just sitting there, the overwhelming force he radiated was enough to make people tremble.

Lian Ai had many things he wanted to say, but seeing Bu Nian like that, he could only stay quietly by his side, not daring to disturb him.

“In a while, I might not be able to look after you. Be careful on your own.”

Suddenly, Bu Nian spoke. Lian Ai looked up and saw him watching him.

He tightened his grip on the weapon in his hands and gave Bu Nian a soft smile. “I will.”

Bu Nian held many complicated feelings toward him, but none of them were enough to shake his rationality. He was the Grand General of the empire, the Emperor’s minister, the heir of the Bu family. His heart carried too many people, too many burdens. Each one carried enough weight to shake the world. In comparison, love and longing felt utterly out of place. To Bu Nian, they weren’t just flavorless scraps of meat. They were a luxury he couldn’t afford.

Lian Ai had once lamented that someone of his status would never be treasured or loved. Bu Nian, on the other hand, was the opposite. Someone like him didn’t dare to love anyone. He had once believed he could grow old together with Zuo Lingxue, but reality proved it had always been a one-sided dream. Not only did they fail to stay together, they were dragged deep into an unavoidable struggle for power, with no way out.

“I can’t afford to be distracted by one person. You have to learn to protect yourself.” Bu Nian’s words were cold, but they carried a different kind of care. Lian Ai was used to how he said one thing but meant another, so he didn’t take it to heart. He simply nodded.

Bu Nian looked at him, from the savage scar on his forehead to the small peace-lock at his chest. “You’re Helian Ai now. You’re no longer my bedslave,…”

Lian Ai was startled, but then Bu Nian went on. “A man should be born with ambition and a sky wide enough to hold it. Whatever you want to do, no one else has the right to stop you. So even if I want to send you straight back to Zhongzhou right now, I can’t.” His tone by the end carried clear regret.

Lian Ai saw how serious he looked and found it a little amusing. A smile slowly spread across his face. “General, don’t worry. I will be careful. I won’t let myself get hurt.”

Bu Nian reached out and poked his cheek, which was slightly puffed from the smile. “Put the crossbow away before you get out of the carriage. Do not be disrespectful in front of the Emperor.”

Lian Ai grabbed his hand and held it in his palm. “Got it.”

A little past dawn, the grand procession finally came to a halt.

They had arrived.

It was tradition for the Emperor to offer the first incense at Tianfu Temple on the first morning of the new year. The custom had existed since the reign of the founding Emperor. It served as a prayer for favorable weather, peace across the land, and fortune throughout the coming year.

Tianfu Temple, the oldest temple in Great Qi, was built deep in the mountains. Its abbot was an old monk with a beard as white as snow, long enough to hang down to his chest. He walked with a trembling gait and had to be supported to the entrance to welcome the group. He couldn’t hear the young Emperor clearly, so a eunuch had to shout into his ear and repeat everything for him.

Bu Nian nodded at Song Qiao. The latter received the signal and left half of the guards stationed outside to form a defensive perimeter. The other half followed the young Emperor into the temple.

At that moment, Gan Yan said he could not stand the smell of incense smoke and would stay outside with the Princess Consort. The young Emperor held no authority in front of him. Seeing Gan Yan speak and act on his own like that, he could only grit his teeth in silence.

“Then Imperial Uncle may wait here.” With Bu Nian accompanying him, the young Emperor entered the temple.

Lian Ai and Zuo Lingxue followed farther behind. Their eyes met briefly. Zuo Lingxue held his gaze for a moment, and Lian Ai gave a slight nod. No words were spoken, but something unspoken seemed to pass between them.

The two groups split. The atmosphere grew even more tense. Beneath the surface of this false calm, the young Emperor remained completely unaware.

The old abbot slowly began explaining the temple’s history to the young Emperor, who was visiting for the first time and found everything novel and fascinating.

It was rare for the young Emperor to leave the palace. When the old monk recited the Diamond Sutra, he listened with great interest and asked many questions about Buddhist teachings along the way.

Eventually, the group arrived at the Hall of the Great Hero. Dozens of lotus lanterns glowed in the hall. A golden Buddha statue stood more than ten meters tall. It was grand and imposing, yet its face held a gentle compassion that inspired reverence from within. Dozens of monks stood on either side, holding prayer beads as they chanted scriptures. The sound of the wooden fish blended with the drifting chants, making the atmosphere feel sacred and solemn.

The young Emperor looked up at the Buddha statue and felt as if the statue was looking back at him.

The abbot lit a thick, tall incense stick and handed it to the young Emperor, telling him to make a wish before placing it in the incense burner.

The young Emperor took it in a daze. Following the abbot’s instructions, he bowed three times to the statue and silently wished for peace across the land and prosperity for the nation. After thinking for a moment, he added one more line in his heart.

He wished, “I hope I can become a good Emperor, one loved by the people.”

Once he had finished, he carefully placed the incense into the burner. At that moment, the great bell beside the hall rang out. The deep sound echoed through the temple, piercing through the air. It made one’s mind jolt, as if even the soul trembled in response.

Suddenly, the sound of weapons clashing came from the distance. The final echo of the bell still lingered, but the temple, a place of purity and quiet, was no longer peaceful.

“What’s going on?” The young Emperor turned to Bu Nian, his voice tight with panic.

Bu Nian did not answer. His face was grim as he looked toward the direction of the noise. Before long, a soldier came staggering toward them from afar and collapsed in front of Bu Nian and the Emperor.

“It’s… it’s bad… the Prince Regent… the Prince Regent has rebelled!” he cried in a panic.