Chapter 35

The common people—who had once feared the spilling of blood—now, with eyes bloodshot, shouted angrily: “Are you even human? When the Xiao family was guarding the Great Jin frontier and driving out foreign enemies, you were nothing more than sucklings! How could General Xiao possibly betray the country?!”

“If they had truly colluded with the enemy and committed treason, they would have long since enjoyed lofty fortunes—how could they not even keep their own bodies intact?”

“General Xiao is innocent; the Xiao family would never ever conspire with the enemy. And you heartless scum—receiving the protection of the Xiao family yet daring to bully their widows—are you even human?”

“Desecrate coffins and corpses—may heaven strike you with thunder and lightning! Aren’t you afraid of retribution?”

On the long street, the crowd gathered around the garrison soldiers, and those soldiers—receiving such abuse—began to retreat one after another.

Meanwhile, Xie Yunyan, having lost too much blood, collapsed to the ground. His eyes blazed with fierce malice, resembling those of a bloodthirsty, ruthless wolf, as though he wished to tear every person before him to shreds. As he gasped and crawled, trying to rise again, a hand suddenly yanked him back. “Pretend to faint!” someone shouted.

In a low, urgent whisper at his ear, Su Jinyuan forcefully pinched his palm. For a moment, Xie Yunyan met her gaze—as if recalling that moment on the carriage when she had said, “Trust me”—and abruptly closed his eyes, slamming face-first into the ground.

“Sixth Brother!!” Su Jinyuan cried, clutching the blood-soaked Xie Yunyan as she wept, “Does His Majesty intend to force us to death? Does he want to drive every member of the Xiao family to oblivion?”

“After the defeat at Linchuan, my father-in-law, my husband, and several of my younger brothers all perished on the battlefield—fighting at the Great Jin frontier until their last breath without ever retreating a step. At no time did our entire Xiao family betray Your Majesty’s trust, yet today, You force us to death!!”

“If You truly wished to confiscate and annihilate the Xiao family, You could issue one imperial edict. Why must You resort to these methods to humiliate the people of our family?”

Old Madam Xiao, tears streaming from her eyes, declared, “My son perished for Great Jin; my grandsons all died on the Linchuan battlefield. With a fabricated accusation, they now seek to condemn them to injustice—refusing even to let them rest peacefully in death.”

She stepped forward and hoisted the corpse of Xiao Jin onto her back, his head drooping against her shoulder. Amid her endless weeping, she continued, “I refuse to believe that in this world there is no justice, that the distinction between right and wrong is meaningless. I will never accept that my son and his comrades could plot rebellion or commit treason!”

“Come with me to the palace gate. I’ll risk my life to ask His Majesty—have we truly been so despised by him that he’d have our son’s coffin and body smashed as if to condemn them, even in death, never to rise again?”

Nanny Chen carried the corpse of Xiao Yunxi on her back; Steward Deng and the others each bore a body. Su Jinyuan, despite her injuries, hoisted Xie Yunyan on her back and began to move forward. As the group departed the Xiao residence and headed toward the palace gate, everyone stood stunned—and no one dared to interfere. Old Madam Xiao and the others supported one another; Huo Rou and Wei Wanyun clutched a severed limb; every one of them bore wounds, with blood trailing along in the rain.

Luo Yu had been knocked unconscious atop a coffin, his arms and legs rendered useless so that no one cared who he was. Even the garrison soldiers, their ranks in utter disarray without a leader, glanced at the scene: the Xiao family—a group of the elderly, infirm, and wounded—limping toward the palace gate with their dead. No one dared to stop them; no one dared to advance, for all the commoners surrounding the Xiao family glared fiercely as though ready to fight to the death if anyone interfered.

Though injured herself, Su Jinyuan pressed forward, step by step, carrying Xie Yunyan on her back. His blood seeped down his leg and fell onto her; lying on her shoulder, he could feel just how fragile she was—each step she took threatened to be undone by the pounding rain. And yet, she remained resolutely steadfast, never letting go of his hand. He recalled everything that had happened today—remembering the words Yang Hong had whispered in his ear, “Young Madam said she would take you home.”

Xie Yunyan, however, could hardly fail to grasp what was unfolding before him today. His palms tightened, his eyelashes trembled, and the corners of his eyes glowed red.

“Su Jinyuan… Su Jinyuan…”

Heavy rain pounded his face, striking his skin with painful force. No one knew what he was thinking at that moment, nor did anyone catch sight of the fleeting traces of water that disappeared in an instant. He bowed his head, his eyes only half-open as he gazed at the girl’s porcelain face. He watched her disheveled hair cascading and tangling around her and beheld her pale yet determined profile. In that instant, his heart was struck as if by a warm burst of winter sunshine deep within an icy abyss—a moment he would never forget throughout his life.

Outside the palace gate, the gathered crowd was initially shocked by the overwhelming mass advancing before them. But when they saw the few leaders at the forefront—and the corpses being carried behind them—everyone fell silent in astonishment.

“Imperial Forbidden Grounds! Halt, everyone!!”

Yet Old Madam Xiao did not pause; she pressed onward. Seeing how she advanced, the palace guards quickly converged and barked, “Who are you, daring to trespass in the palace’s forbidden zone!”

Old Madam Xiao, bearing the remains of Xiao Jin on her back, moved step by step against an onslaught of blades, spears, and swords.

“I am the wife of Xiao Yuanting, the mother of Xiao Jin, known as Lady Xiao He of the first rank decree. I have come with all the women of the Xiao family and with the corpses of those who died in battle to seek an audience with Your Majesty—to ask why Your Majesty condones these scoundrels who abuse the widows of the Xiao family, smashing coffins and desecrating corpses!”

“My son fell on the battlefield. Not one of our Xiao family’s sons survived. Are all our years of service and hard-earned merit worth less than these slanderous accusations? Is every life in the Xiao family deemed less valuable than a few treacherous words? Does Your Majesty so readily believe them that You would rather see the entire Xiao family annihilated?!”

Old Madam Xiao’s sharp, piercing voice momentarily stunned the few palace guards. The severed head of Xiao Jin, still hanging from her shoulder with its wild, glaring eyes, seemed to scowl at everything in the mortal world.

The area before the palace gate teemed with people. As Old Madam Xiao advanced bearing Xiao Jin’s corpse, Su Jinyuan and others—some cradling severed limbs, others weeping bitterly with grief—followed her, resolutely storming toward the palace gate.

“Old Madam Xiao, you must not unlawfully breach the palace; if you continue inside, you will be held liable for your actions…”

“Then bring on the consequences!” With tears brimming in her weathered eyes and her face etched with sorrow, Old Madam Xiao cried out: “For many years, the Xiao family has served this nation with unwavering loyalty, fighting selflessly in its wars. Even in the defeat at Linchuan—when slander plagued us—not one of our women has ever dared to transgress or rebel.

“I have always believed that Your Majesty would restore our honor, that Your Majesty’s wisdom would vindicate the Xiao family. And yet now, Your Majesty orders coffins to be smashed and corpses to be insulted, as if You cannot bear to let the remains of our sons rest in peace, instead trampling them into the mud!”

Bearing Xiao Jin on her back, Old Madam Xiao broke down in uncontrollable grief, crying, “Open your eyes! Look at my son’s corpse—look at my grandchildren! They fell in battle for the sake of Great Jin, and yet Your Majesty refuses to let their spirits return home!”

“Your Majesty, do you truly intend to exterminate the entire Xiao family?”

“If that is your wish, then you might as well kill all the women of the Xiao family along with us—why must we suffer such disgrace?”

Surrounded by swords, spears, and other weapons, Old Madam Xiao boldly stepped forward. A long spear thrust forward, advancing at least half an inch before her. As blood flew in every direction, the women of the Xiao family—though battered and disheveled—advanced step by step.

Blood pooled across the palace grounds, while outside, the common people erupted in an uproar.