Fu Qi's Plan

October 28th.

Taicheng, Southern Secretariat.

Fu Qi walked out of the imperial court with a rigid expression.

Recalling everything that had just transpired in the court, he felt a chill run through his entire body.

"Commander Fu, you went to advise His Majesty to execute the sycophant Zhu Yi to appease the public. I wonder what the outcome was?"

The man waiting outside the court was clad in military armor, holding a vermilion-lacquered helmet in one hand and a precious sword in the other.

Seeing Fu Qi approach, he hurried forward, his expression anxious as he asked.

"..."

Fu Qi remained wooden-faced.

He said nothing.

It was as if everything happening in the outside world had nothing to do with him.

Although his body had already walked out of the court.

His spirit remained trapped in the imperial assembly that had just concluded.

"Commander Fu? Commander Fu?"

A long time passed.

As a cold wind blew against his face.

Fu Qi shivered.

He finally regained his senses, seeing the mix of anxiety and concern on the general's face under the moonlight.

Fu Qi took a deep breath.

Although Fu Qi did not reject the fantastical and magnificent stories or rumors attributed to the Supreme One.

Because he himself, like most of those in the imperial court.

Was actually no stranger to the tricks of Buddhist monks and Taoist alchemists.

After all, many of the great noble clans of the Southern Dynasties had built their foundations on such things.

Only in this way could they, when Chang'an fell, subdue the unruly refugee commanders who had fled from further north, unite the hearts of the people, and lead hundreds of thousands of souls across the natural barrier of the Yangtze River.

They left the north, which was destined to fall into the hands of the Hu barbarians.

And carved out a second foundation in the Southern Dynasties.

But...

At the mere thought of the thing he had seen upon the throne today.

A chill could not help but rise in Fu Qi's heart.

What a loathsome thing it was.

Viscous liquid flowed down from the Xiao Liang throne.

Even with the bamboo screen obscuring the view, the figure on the throne appeared to Fu Qi as little more than a silhouette with three parts of a human shape.

From beginning to end, Fu Qi had not seen the face of Xiao Yan.

And his hands, his feet... were all shrouded in a blood-red kasaya of extreme vibrancy.

From head to toe, it exuded an aura that was cold, bizarre, and yet sacred.

"Perhaps Crown Prince Xiao Tong's guess was right... those demonic monks... they have bewitched His Majesty."

Fu Qi looked around nervously as he said this.

But fortunately, he was among the first courtiers to leave the hall.

And for some unknown reason in recent days, the number of palace maids and eunuchs had been decreasing almost daily.

The jade-stepped horse path from the Southern Secretariat to the court was empty.

Only a few scattered eunuchs and maids stood on either side of the road.

The distance between each of them was great, making it unlikely they could have heard his words.

"What do you mean by that..."

Yang Kan's eyes flashed, and he lowered his voice.

"With strong enemies without and monsters within, Taicheng cannot be held."

Looking at the military officer before him who had always been loyal to Xiao Liang, Fu Qi grabbed Yang Kan's hand.

He said in a low voice.

"The recent string of sudden deaths among the Xiao Liang royal family is likely no coincidence..."

"Commander Fu, just tell me plainly what you want me to do."

Yang Kan's gaze was resolute.

"His Majesty and the former Crown Prince have shown great kindness to my family."

"As long as I am not asked to betray the nation, I shall have no regrets even in death."

Upon hearing Yang Kan's words, a flicker of emotion crossed Fu Qi's eyes.

He was certain that everything Yang Kan had just said came from the bottom of his heart.

This was because Fu Qi had been appraised by a master in his youth.

He possessed a pair of spiritual eyes, much like those of his grandfather, Fu Yan.

They could commune with the divine and ward off malevolent spirits.

It was precisely because of this that he had climbed the ranks of officialdom so smoothly, leading him to where he stood today.

And it was also because of this that he had been the first to see the terrifying specter usurping the throne within the Forbidden Palace.

"I need you to help me escort Xiao Dong, grandson of the former Crown Prince Xiao Tong, out of Taicheng."

Fu Qi said, enunciating every word clearly.

Hearing this, Yang Kan fell silent.

But Fu Qi was very patient.

"Even if Commander Fu were to order me to raise an army this instant to slay the treacherous Zhu Yi, I would gladly accept being carved into a thousand pieces later, but this matter would likely cause the Supreme Ruler to be separated from his own flesh and blood."

Having said this, Yang Kan shook his head and continued.

"His Majesty has treated me well; I cannot assist you without a valid reason."

"Even if it means watching the Xiao Liang royal bloodline be devoured by the demon monks of Tongtai Temple?"

A voice drifted from the shadows of the palace wall to their left.

It instantly made the hair on both men's necks stand on end.

"Who goes there!"

Yang Kan drew his sword immediately.

He scanned his surroundings with nervous intensity.

"This humble monk, Minghe, acting under the orders of the Tongtai Temple Abbot and the Emperor of Xiao Liang, has come specifically to help the Xiao Liang royal family escape their predicament."

The voice drew closer.

Yang Kan's eyes remained fixed on the direction of the sound, never blinking.

He knew there were many high-ranking monks in Taicheng preparing for the Wu-Zhe Assembly for the Emperor.

And Xiao Yan had never hidden his favor for these monks from Tongtai Temple in front of others.

However, Yang Kan was certain he had never seen this young monk among the clergy of Tongtai Temple before.

"What proof do you have?"

Yang Kan asked in a deep voice, his vigilance undiminished.

Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze lingered briefly on the sword at Yang Kan's waist.

The bronze-hilted, silk-wrapped blade actually gave Zhu Yuanzhang a sense of danger.

"This is a passage of the Blood Sutra written by Abbot Fahui; within the Zen Courtyard, many withered bones of the Xiao Liang royal family are buried."

"His Majesty has long been wary of these demon monks, so he ordered Tongtai Temple to secretly dispatch reliable monks into the city to provide support."

Zhu Yuanzhang spoke deliberately, weaving a barely plausible lie from the information he had just overheard, and then tossed the silk-wrapped Blood Sutra into Yang Kan's waiting hands.

Yang Kan used some unknown method to verify the authenticity of the Blood Sutra.

Afterward, he handed the scroll back to Zhu Yuanzhang, his tone softening considerably.

"If there truly is an unforeseen danger to the royal bloodline within Taicheng, I shall do my utmost to assist you two in smuggling the former Crown Prince's descendant out of the city."

"But..."

At this point, Yang Kan's tone shifted.

"How am I to trust that you two can protect Xiao Dong and ensure the royal bloodline does not fall into the hands of Hou Jing?"

"..."

Zhu Yuanzhang turned his gaze toward Fu Qi.

The other man, however, appeared to have already prepared a strategy; with a look of calm confidence and burning intensity, he spoke.

"Yesterday, a messenger reported that the relief armies of the Prince of Xiangdong, Xiao Yi, and the Prince of Hedong, Xiao Yu, have already converged at Jinling, while the Prince of Shaoling, Xiao Lun, is currently leading thirty thousand infantry and cavalry toward Jingkou. As long as we coordinate well from inside and out, it will not be difficult for a small group to break through Hou Jing's encirclement."

"Very well!"

Yang Kan took a long, deep look at Zhu Yuanzhang.

He then donned his helmet.

"I shall return to the Grand Marshal's office to arrange the escort for our departure; I ask that you two bring the Prince of Yuzhang to meet us as soon as possible."

Another gust of cold wind, carrying the scent of blood, blew in from the Qinhuai River.

The Longevity Forest on both sides of the palace halls emitted a rustling sound like ghostly whispers.

Zhu Yuanzhang watched the retreating back of Yang Kan.

Compared to Fu Qi, who had been thrown into complete disarray upon seeing the true face of Emperor Wu of Liang, Yang Kan did not seem to have easily believed his words.

So... to trust him.

Could it be a trap?

Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Whatever, I can always start over anyway."

"Even if it is a trap, this is still the simplest way to leave Taicheng."

"Please follow me, Zen Master Minghe."

Beside him, the voice of Fu Qi drifted over.

"His Highness is currently observing mourning rites for the former Prince of Yuzhang in Hualin Garden; there is still quite a distance to walk."