Chapter 22: On the Edge of Despair!

“Are you saying the county magistrate got caught up in it?”

Upon receiving the imperial decree, the Northern Border Inspector immediately dispatched soldiers to seal off Fuchuan and Heishui Counties. The scale of this manifestation in the painting market far exceeded the previous incident in Jiangnan. Rumor had it that even a prince was trapped inside. The inspector had no desire whatsoever to be involved in such a calamity, yet it happened right within his jurisdiction.

Originally, he had planned to use the county magistrate of Fuchun—an official with no backing—as a scapegoat. After all, the prince had gone missing under his watch. Even if it was a natural disaster, the magistrate should take responsibility. But unexpectedly, the magistrate himself had been directly swept up in the chaos.

Moreover, the woman before him was remarkably shrewd.

“Your Honor, please save my husband!” Madam Luo knelt on the ground, her eyes red from crying. “The evil spirit appeared suddenly. When my husband opened the door and saw what was happening, he ordered us to shut all doors and windows tightly, then without hesitation rushed out to warn the people of Fuchun County not to come outside. He has been gone all night. Please, Your Honor, you must save my husband!”

The inspector and the accompanying military officers exchanged uneasy glances. Naturally, they doubted a civil official would be so courageous, knowingly rushing out to warn villagers about the malevolent spirit that had already claimed tens of thousands of lives in Jiangnan. Yet the magistrate had indeed been swept away; his living relatives insisted on it. The deceased take precedence—without evidence, they couldn’t simply dismiss their claims as nonsense.

“Your Honor, please save my son…” At that moment, an elderly woman from the Zhang family wailed alongside Madam Luo, their grief utterly heartrending.

Despite their earlier animosity—the mother-in-law glaring as if ready to tear apart the magistrate’s wife—the old woman knew how to act in public. Her eldest son might be lost, but his reputation must remain untarnished. Whether the magistrate had been locked out by his own wife or had selflessly gone out to protect the townsfolk, the choice was clear. She sought no compensation from the court, only to preserve her son’s honor.

This performance by the two matriarchs immediately halted the inspector’s intent to interrogate and scapegoat the magistrate.

They couldn’t put a dead man on trial when the higher-ups were not fools. With the family’s statements, any persecution would only tarnish reputations and cast suspicion.

“Cough… Madam Luo, please don’t be anxious,” the inspector said with a light cough. “Lord Zhang’s loyalty is truly admirable. If there is a chance, we will do everything in our power to rescue him.”

“Send the magistrate’s family to rest,” he ordered.

“Yes, sir.”

After sending out the Zhang family members, the armored captain frowned. “Your Honor, what shall we do now?”

The inspector pressed his palms to his head, clueless himself. How could he know? The painting market had long been under control in the north; the noble families had tacitly agreed with its owners, maintaining peace for years. Why had it suddenly gone mad this time, engulfing two counties and even involving a prince? Was this an attempt to provoke the imperial family?

“This is no simple matter…” the inspector said gravely. “The latest news reports that Beihai has been sealed off. Now with this tragedy in Fuchun, I fear something major is unfolding.”

“Beihai?” The captain’s face changed. “That’s where the Crown Prince is…”

“Exactly why I say it might be serious.” The inspector’s face darkened. “I hope it’s nothing, for I have no desire to be pulled into this mess…”

Before he could finish, a soldier hurried in. “Your Honor, the Third Prince has arrived!”

The inspector leapt to his feet in excitement. “Where is he? Take me to him at once!”

At first, hearing that the prince was trapped in the painting market had nearly terrified him to death. Now that the Third Prince was safe, it must mean the noble families had secretly protected him. As long as the prince was unharmed, everything was still negotiable.

“Lord Song, there’s no need for your trouble…” A gentle voice came from the doorway. Soon, a man clad in white strode in—Li Yu, the Third Prince.

---

The attendant Qin Fang produced the imperial edict.

Upon seeing it, the inspector and others knelt quickly.

“By the Emperor’s decree, from this day forward the Third Prince Li Yu shall take command of the Youzhou forces and immediately proceed to Beihai to receive the Crown Prince!”

The inspector’s eyes went blank, his body trembling uncontrollably. The worst had come to pass.

He would inevitably be dragged into this grave trouble...

---

“Bad news, Second Lord! Word has come from Youzhou—the court has dispatched troops!”

Within the Yuchi mansion, as the epidemic worsened, Yuchi Hong’s face turned grim once more. Hearing this report, he felt not just shock but profound helplessness.

Since the cursed plague struck, everything had spiraled downward: the city was in chaos, the Crown Prince was in danger, several uncles were infected, and even his father and eldest brother were not spared. If the court forcibly opened the northern city gates, the Yuchi clan would be finished!

“Is the news reliable?” Yuchi Hong asked skeptically.

“It’s from Youzhou itself…” the deputy general replied weakly. “It shouldn’t be false.”

Yuchi Hong slumped into his chair, utterly drained. The Yuchi family had long been favored by two generations of emperors, their influence spanning the northern borders. Youzhou was a strategic stronghold against Northern Qi, with many Yuchi members stationed there. Such news was never mistaken.

“Sir…” Yuchi Hong looked helplessly at an elderly man seated nearby. The old man, over seventy, with silver hair and beard, was neither a sorcerer nor a warrior but the family’s trusted advisor—Master Luo, the strategist who had aided Yuchi’s father and the Emperor in seven victorious battles. He was the Yuchi clan’s most reliable counselor.

The old man glanced at the young lord with a last hope but sighed deeply. The current situation was more hopeless than when the north was besieged without reinforcements. Even he saw no glimmer of salvation.

“It’s a lost cause…” he shook his head. “With the imperial army arriving, there’s no chance left.”

When the Crown Prince’s advisors sought to use forbidden arts, he had opposed it. If they hadn’t consented then, even with the Crown Prince lost and the Yuchi clan suppressed, there would have been a chance to manipulate events and preserve their legacy. But the family, young and old, were blinded by present power and chose to gamble.

From the moment they gambled, the Yuchi clan’s demise was on a countdown. Now, it seemed there was almost no chance left.

“What of Chen Xiao and the others? Any word?” Yuchi Hong stared hard at the Crown Prince’s retinue, who all hung their heads guiltily. It was indeed this group who had urged the Yuchi family’s involvement. Now, having reached this point, their lord had not turned against them—showing some measure of grace.

“The Crown Prince should never have entrusted such a critical mission to an outsider…” one scholar-like man gritted his teeth.

Others nodded in agreement.

When the Crown Prince had insisted on sending Chen Xiao to meet Master Tian, despite opposition, these elder advisors had been against it.

Chen Xiao was a fallen man, his family ruined. His motives upon joining the Crown Prince were impure. How could such a man be entrusted with a life-or-death task?

Regardless of ability, his loyalty was suspect. If the situation turned dire, he would likely abandon the Crown Prince halfway.

Sure enough, there was no news from him. He probably fled as soon as he left Beihai!

“What use is it to say all this now?” Yuchi Hong was deeply disappointed. What kind of people had his Crown Prince cousin been gathering over the years?

---

“Not a single dependable one…”

“At this stage, we must prepare for the worst.” The elderly advisor sighed, rising. “Second Lord, select the most capable youths from the clan, count them carefully, and send trustworthy guards to escort them. Depart under cover of night and send them overseas first.”

Yuchi Hong sighed deeply, having already guessed this grim scenario. He had hoped for different news, but it was wishful thinking.

At this point, there was no turning the tide.

“Second Lord, the Crown Prince—”

Before he could fully recover from despair, his subordinate rushed in with even graver news.

“Let’s go…” Yuchi Hong rose quickly. He was numb to bad news now, but for the Crown Prince, he could not yet give up.

“Brother-in-law…”

Entering the Crown Prince’s secluded residence, the prince was tightly bound to his bed by a special incapacitation technique. Yet perhaps due to intense pain, it was clear the prince was struggling violently against the pressure points, his muscles contorting and twitching. If this continued…

“Your Highness!” The Second Lord rushed forward, disregarding the risk of infection, grasping the prince’s hands. “You must hold on…”

“Brother…” The prince’s face twisted in agony, pleading. “Give me medicine, I cannot bear it!”

“Your Highness, please don’t give up… The Empress is counting on you…” Yuchi Hong gripped his hands, desperately urging him.

The Crown Prince must not die in Beihai. With the imperial army closing in, even one breath sent home to speak for the Yuchi family could preserve a spark of hope. Though he no longer expected to escape unscathed, at least…

“General!”

“What now?” Yuchi Hong snapped, turning sharply.

“Two messages!” The steward glanced at the struggling prince, lowering his voice to avoid distressing him.

“No matter…” The prince’s voice was weak as a whisper. “Speak, I can endure.”

“The Third Prince Li Yu, by imperial order, has brought the Youzhou troops to Beihai to receive Your Highness…”

Upon hearing this, Yuchi Hong felt as if plunged into an icy abyss. How had they arrived so swiftly? It had been barely half an hour since he received the courier’s message. Did the Third Prince’s forces also fly here like messenger hawks?

“My brother truly cares for me…” The prince gave a faint, bitter smile. “What other bad news is there? Say it all at once.”

“Mr. Chen… has returned as well!”

“Oh?”