Chapter 15

The next day.

At Daxi Fu.

Night fell thick and dark, like ink spreading, enveloping the manor tightly.

A sudden evening breeze rose, making the locust leaves rustle softly, as if whispering unknown secrets.

Da Xi Jue, whose temples already showed streaks of white, sat alone in the courtyard, gazing at the horizon with deep eyes.

"Sir, General Chu Xiaofeng and the others have arrived...."

"They are already waiting in the study."

A beautiful woman, accompanied by her personal maid, walked up behind Da Xi Jue and spoke softly.

This beautiful woman was named Ye Ningxuan, the mistress of the Daxi household.

She married Da Xi Jue at fifteen, and they have weathered decades together.

"Good."

"I'll go over right away...."

Da Xi Jue turned and rose, preparing to head to the study.

"Sir!"

Ye Ningxuan suddenly called out to him.

"Madam, what's wrong?" Da Xi Jue stopped, turned his gaze toward the woman.

"Sir, it's late at night, you've summoned General Chu Xiaofeng and the others—don't do anything foolish!" Ye Ningxuan looked at Da Xi Jue, pondered repeatedly, and still spoke up to warn him.

Those summoned late at night, Chu Xiaofeng and the others, were her husband's subordinate commanders and military officers....

Moreover, they were his trusted core lineage, brothers-in-arms who shared life and death.

After sharing a bed for so many years, Ye Ningxuan had roughly guessed what her husband intended to do....

"Whether to act or not, I really have no choice anymore....."

Upon hearing this, Da Xi Jue shook his head and let out a long sigh, "Driven to the edge of a cliff, I can only place myself in a deadly situation to survive!"

Having said that, a flash of resolve and sternness crossed Da Xi Jue's eyes.

He himself did not wish to take risks, but a blade already hung over his head, unknown when it would fall.

"This...." Ye Ningxuan pressed her lips.

"Let's go!"

Da Xi Jue adjusted his collar and said in a low voice, "Madam, come with me...."

"This matter also requires your strong support."

Daxi Fu's study.

Chu Xiaofeng, Qin Jinglan, and the others had long been waiting; upon seeing Da Xi Jue and Ye Ningxuan arrive, they immediately rose and shouted in unison, "Elder brother, elder sister-in-law!"

"Gentlemen, you must have guessed why I summoned you in the middle of the night."

Da Xi Jue raised his hand, his face solemn, skipping pleasantries and getting straight to the point as he asked.

"Hmm!"

Chu Xiaofeng and the others exchanged glances and nodded heavily.

They all understood each other without words.

"The hounds under Yuwen Hu have already uncovered Chen Kaiyuan; following the vine, how far are they from finding us?" Da Xi Jue sat in the chief seat, his eyes turning cold, and spoke solemnly.

"Last night, Chen Kaiyuan's entire family was slaughtered, not a single survivor...."

Chu Xiaofeng sat below, nodded slightly, his expression grave, and added, "His fate is a warning for us all!"

Before, he had only heard that the Grand Chancellor Yuwen Hu was ruthless, but he never imagined he could be this vicious.

Chen Kaiyuan, a noble pillar of the state, was wiped out overnight without any regard for sentiment.

What made Chu Xiaofeng's heart race was the speed of Yuwen Hu's investigative methods—perhaps in just a few days they would uncover them and bring down the slaughtering blade....

"Exactly!"

Qin Jinglan slammed his fist on the right side of the table and declared loudly, "We have fought and killed on the battlefield for years, licking blood from the blade's edge to survive to this day; we cannot sit and wait for death, letting others slaughter us!"

Unlike Chen Kaiyuan, both Chu Xiaofeng and Qin Jinglan are among those who emerged from the piles of corpses after the five bloody battles with Dong Qi when a thousand entered the pass.

To sit and wait for death is absolutely impossible.

Even if we die, we must break a few of their teeth.

"We can only go all out.... strike first!" The most composed Ding He rose slowly and spoke in a low voice.

"Let's do it!"

At that moment, everyone in the study reached a consensus.

"I summoned you here precisely for this reason!"

Da Xi Jue nodded and said, "Moreover, my Daxi family has long received the grace of the Great Yan emperor; how can I stand by while the Yuwen clan usurps power and seizes the throne!"

Da Xi Jue's father and grandfather had both served as high officials of the Former Yan; he himself followed the Yan emperor westward into the pass before coming under Yuwen Xin's command.

"Now that the Murong royal family faces calamity, how could he possibly sit idly by?"

"Elder brother, tell us what we should do."

"Brother, I have no second thoughts!"

Chu Xiaofeng rose and clasped his fists.

"Me too."

"I am the same—life and death together!"

Qin Jinglan and Ding He likewise rose, declaring their loyalty.

"Well said, Jinglan—we cannot sit and wait for death!"

Da Xi Jue saw everyone declare their stance, nodded with satisfaction, "The moment passes in a flash; we must act first!"

"How many personal troops do you still have?"

"Eight hundred!"

"Six hundred!"

Da Xi Jue pondered briefly, then said, "Combined, that's nearly two thousand... enough!"

"It's not the number of troops that matters, but their quality!"

Chu and Qin each have 1,400 personal troops, and he himself has another 1,000; combined, that's enough to carry out a decapitation strike.

After all, in the past, General Tianzhu led 7,000 to defeat 300,000, and they also served in his army.

"Elder brother, make the arrangements!"

"We've staked our lives on you!"

Chu Xiaofeng and the others bowed with clasped fists and spoke in unison.

"Retreat means certain death, but fighting offers a chance—what if we win?"

Da Xi Jue took down the map of Chang'an hanging on the wall, "Ah He, follow me with a thousand troops to strike straight at the Tian Guan Fu under cover of night...."

"Ah Feng, lead a thousand troops straight to the imperial palace to capture the Yuwen clan's false emperor!"

"Ah Lan, go to the Chu State Duke's mansion to see Zhao Lao Zhuguo; please have this elder step forward and rally the masses to take charge of the situation!"

Da Xi Jue's strategic intent is obvious: seize the center of power, then hold the emperor hostage to command the officials....

Finally, the venerable Lao Zhu Guo steps forward, compelling the great noble clans to compromise, thereby fully controlling the situation.

Chu Xiaofeng narrowed his eyes and whispered, "Surely Lao Zhu Guo wouldn't want to get involved in something like this, would he?"

Raising troops to rebel is a matter of losing one's head; if you lose, even your nine clans will not be spared.

Unless driven to desperation, Zhao Lao Zhuguo would surely choose self-preservation.

"After restoring the Great Yan, would Lao Zhu Guo handle the regency?"

Da Xi Jue curled the corner of his mouth in confidence and sneered, "He's long been dissatisfied with Yuwen Hu's monopolization of power...."

Since Yuwen Xin's death, Yuwen Hu has held power, and his conflict with Lao Zhu Guo has almost become public....

Da Xi Jue simply couldn't believe Lao Zhu Guo would miss such a great opportunity!

"Excellent insight, elder brother!" Qin Jinglan and Ding He chorused in praise.

Chu Xiaofeng saw this, wanted to say something, but ended up staying silent.

"Madam, please guard the residence!"

Da Xi Jue took down the hanging sword from the wall, turned to look at Ye Ningxuan, who had been quietly listening, and said, "Wait for my triumphant return!"

"Sir... yes!"

Ye Ningxuan worried incessantly, hesitated repeatedly, but still replied.

After a pause, she continued, "You can go without worry; I won't let you have any rear concerns!"

Husband and wife are one body; since the husband has decided, the wife can only support him.

"Bring the wine!" Da Xi Jue waved his hand.

Ye Ningxuan's personal maid guarding the door, upon hearing this, Dantai Mingyue immediately went to fetch four bowls of wine.

"Drink!"

Da Xi Jue and the others raised their bowls, drank them dry, slammed the bowls heavily onto the ground, and shouted with heroic vigor, "To war!"

Just then, a young man's voice drifted down from the roof of the study:

"To be frank, your rebellion is too hasty, and even more rash!"

"It's no different than playing house with children!"

"Without seizing the armory or controlling the imperial guards, you still dream of success—what are you dreaming about?"

His words were filled with mockery.

"Who?"

Da Xi Jue instantly became alert, drew his sword, followed the sound, and shouted, "Who's speaking?!"

He never expected someone to have been eavesdropping on their plot all along....

"It is I!"

Chen Yan kicked open the roof, flipped down with Zhu Yi, and cupped his hands, saying, "General Da Xi, I have long admired your name!"

"Upon meeting you today, your reputation is not in vain!"

His manner of saluting appeared respectful, yet carried ridicule.

The rebel plan looked meticulous, striking at vital points, but was actually worthless, treating his opponents as fools.

A warrior is just a warrior—simple-minded and brawny, overconfident, not even knowing the three essentials of rebellion....

They know they are rebelling, but if they don't, they think it's a joke.

"This person looks somewhat familiar...."

Qin Jinglan gazed at the suddenly appearing Chen Yan and murmured, "He seems to be the heir of the Wei State Duke's mansion...."

"Yes!"

"It's him!"

"Chen Yan!"

Ding He recognized Chen Yan and proclaimed loudly, "He is now a member of the Mirrors Bureau, and he's the one who slaughtered Chen Kaiyuan's entire family!"

"Seize him!"

Da Xi Jue pointed his sword at Chen Yan, quickly decided, "Absolutely cannot let him leave!"