Chapter 57: The Young Emperor Weeps, The Old Minister Breaks the Banner

On the walls of Anling City, Xiao Chengping cried even harder.

He did not understand Luo'an.

He did not understand the Heavenly Gate.

He understood even less about the Jiang Family Blood Case.

He had only heard his brother say that the Xiao Clan was guilty.

Yet from childhood to now, everyone had told him that the Xiao Clan was Heavenly Fate, the noblest bloodline in the world.

Now his brother stood below the walls, hands covered in blood, telling him that was not true.

They owed many people.

Xiao Chengping, bewildered and at a loss, looked up at Song Huaili.

"Grandfather Song, is what my brother says true?"

Song Huaili's face twitched slightly.

Of course, he could not admit it.

Once admitted, the Young Emperor's banner would fall.

He immediately knelt, tears streaming down his face, and said, "Your Majesty, the rebels are most skilled at bewitching hearts. Prince of An's Heir has been controlled by Jiang Che; not a single word he speaks can be trusted!"

Xiao Chengping sobbed, "But my brother never lied to me before."

A ruthless look flashed in Song Huaili's eyes.

He suddenly spoke in a low voice to the guard beside him, "Take Your Majesty down."

Just as the guard was about to act, a clamor erupted within the city.

The people of Anling, at some unknown time, had gathered inside the city gates.

They had heard the conversation outside the walls.

At first, it was merely curiosity.

Later, upon hearing of the Lu'an Blood Sacrifice, the Heavenly Gate Pact, and the guilt of the Xiao Clan, the crowd grew larger and larger.

An old man leaning on a cane shouted, "Let him finish speaking!"

The garrison shouted back, "Back down!"

The old man roared in anger, "My son was doing business in Luo'an; after the Blood Sacrifice, he never returned! You say Jiang Che killed him, yet I have not even seen his bones!"

Another woman cried out, "My niece was taken by officials of the Old Dynasty, said to be sent to the capital to pray for blessings; was she sacrificed too?"

More and more accusations rose from within the city.

Song Huaili's face grew dark.

The situation he feared most had appeared.

Outside the walls, Xiao Cheng'an shouted loudly, "If the people of Anling do not believe, open the city and inspect the records."

"The History Camp, the Legislative Officers, and the Northern Garrison Army are all present."

"The records of guilt can be read aloud in public."

"If there is a single false word, I, Xiao Cheng'an, will cut my own throat right here!"

The crowd within the city boiled over.

"Open the gates!"

"Let him in to speak!"

"We want to hear!"

The garrison was torn between two choices.

They had been ordered to guard the city and form a Loyalist Army, but once the people within the city rose in chaos, Anling City might not be defensible.

Seeing the situation spiral out of control, Song Huaili finally tore off his mask of gentleness.

He shouted harshly, "The rebellious mob has been bewitched by the traitors; seize them all!"

The Private Army of the Old Party immediately charged at the people.

Screams of agony rang out.

The garrison on the walls' faces changed drastically.

They were local soldiers of Anling, and many of their families were right inside the city.

Ordering them to fire arrows at the Wen Jun Army, they could obey.

But ordering the Private Army to chop down the people within the city?

Someone grew furious.

A young guard suddenly raised his blade, blocking the Private Army of the Old Party.

"That is my mother!"

The Private Army shouted, "Those who disobey orders shall die!"

The young guard chopped down a Private Army soldier with one blow and roared, "Open the gates!"

That cry was like a spark falling into a pot of oil.

More guards defected.

A chaotic battle erupted within the city.

Song Huaili's face was grotesque: "They have rebelled! Everyone has rebelled!"

He grabbed Xiao Chengping and pressed a short sword against the child's neck.

"Stop!"

The city fell instantly silent.

Outside the walls, Xiao Cheng'an's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Song Huaili!"

Song Huaili, holding the Young Emperor hostage, stood by the battlements and roared, "Xiao Cheng'an, if you dare spread heresy again, I will kill Your Majesty!"

Xiao Chengping's small face turned deathly pale with fear, and he dared not cry out.

The hand holding the dagger trembled uncontrollably in Xiao Cheng'an's grip.

He wanted to save his younger brother.

But he was too far from the city wall.

A guard general of the Northern Garrison Army whispered, "Young Master, stall him."

Xiao Cheng'an forced himself to calm down.

He looked at Song Huaili.

"Didn't you say you were leading the Loyalist Army?"

"Why use the Your Majesty you speak of as a shield?"

Song Huaili's eyes went mad: "As long as the Orthodoxy of Great Yin does not perish, what does it matter if a child is sacrificed?"

These words spread across the city wall and below.

Everyone heard them.

Xiao Chengping heard them too.

The child turned his head in a daze, looking at Song Huaili.

"You... you want to sacrifice me too?"

Song Huaili froze.

In that very instant, a sword light flashed across the city wall.

It was not Jiang Che.

It was not Xie Tingxue.

It was the one-eyed swordsman of the Green Blade Camp who had come to escort the History Camp.

He had already climbed the wall amidst the chaos, waiting for this very moment.

The sword light severed the hand holding the sword in Song Huaili's grip.

A young defender grabbed Xiao Chengping and pulled him away.

Song Huaili screamed and retreated.

Xiao Cheng'an rushed into the opened city gate, heading straight for the city wall.

He fell twice while climbing the stairs, his knees covered in blood, yet he still got up.

Finally, he embraced Xiao Chengping.

His younger brother burst into tears in his arms.

"Brother, I don't want to be Emperor anymore."

Xiao Cheng'an cried too.

"Then we won't be."

"We won't be."

The Old Dynasty Dragon Flag still fluttered in the Wind atop the city wall.

Xiao Cheng'an wiped his tears dry, took his brother's hand, and walked to the flagpole.

He looked at the people of Anling, looked at the Northern Garrison Army, and looked at that scroll of blood-stained crimes.

Then, he drew his Short Dagger and slashed at the flag rope.

The Dragon Flag fell.

Inside Anling City, the old minister Song Huaili screamed in despair:

"Xiao Cheng'an! You have severed the Orthodoxy of the Xiao Clan!"

Xiao Cheng'an looked at the fallen Dragon Flag and said softly:

"No."

"I have simply allowed the Xiao Clan to finally confess its crimes like a human being."