Chapter 126: The Storm (II)

A storm, arriving without warning and accompanied by thunder and lightning, raged across the city of Tianjing.

"Knock, knock, knock." "My Lord! My Lord!"

Yang Yaozong awoke to find Zhang Lie whispering urgently at his door. Opening it, he saw Zhang Lie standing there with an umbrella, his expression tense. Outside, the torrential rain and lightning continued, with bean-sized raindrops drumming loudly against the umbrella.

Yang ushered Zhang into the room and closed the door. Zhang lit the oil lamp on the table and said, "My Lord! Something major has just happened."

Seeing that Zhang had not yet calmed down, Yang poured him a cup of cold tea and said, "What is it? Tell me slowly."

Zhang took a sip of tea and said, "I would not have come to disturb your rest if it were not serious. Just moments ago, a bolt of lightning struck the new Prince’s mansion, snapping two main pillars of the great hall. Combined with the howling gale, the majority of the main hall has collapsed!"

Yang stared at Zhang, knowing he would never joke about such a matter, and asked urgently, "Were there any casualties?"

"I heard it from a confidant of my brother’s," Zhang replied. "He is in charge of supervising part of the construction. He said the workers had already been sent to rest, and only soldiers were guarding the area near the hall. When the incident occurred, he hurried out to report it. Word had already been sent to the Prince of Qin by the time he reached me. He only had time to tell me briefly before rushing back."

Yang nodded and said, "The Prince of Qin will surely rush over as soon as he receives the news."

Zhang scoffed. "The soldiers of the Great Zhou are all at the border fighting the enemy. Instead of serving the country, he is busy with such grand construction projects. This is a lesson from the Heavens!"

Yang nodded, then looked at Zhang. "Is your brother also concerned about the Prince of Qin?"

Zhang looked Yang in the eye. "Indeed! Although the capital is held in an iron grip by the Prince of Qin, his constant recruitment and formation of private cliques make his rebellious heart obvious. It is impossible for the Emperor to be unaware. Why is he not being punished? My brother can only watch; after all, the Prince is a royal, and if those above do not act, what can he do?" Zhang was a man of upright character who deeply admired Yang; the latter’s natural charisma led him to speak his mind, his words driven by concern for the nation despite the underlying frustration.

Yang understood Zhang’s meaning and patted his shoulder. "The Emperor is neither ignorant nor afraid of the Prince of Qin. As you said, we are at war with the Turks, and the armies are massed at the border. The Juyong Pass border guards your brother commands cannot be easily moved. If we were to use them against the Prince of Qin, leaving the border vulnerable to foreign enemies, would that not be a greater loss? Yet, the Prince of Qin knows no restraint. After the autumn harvest, he began recruiting even more aggressively. I also know he is colluding with the Turks; it seems they have reached some agreement. If I told you I came to the capital specifically because of the Prince of Qin, would you dare to help me?"

Zhang knelt formally and bowed to Yang. "Zhang Lie is willing to follow your lead, My Lord!"

Yang quickly pulled him up. "Good! Stand up! Let us discuss this properly."

At that moment, the Prince of Qin stood before his collapsed hall with his personal guards. Bolts of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating his sullen face and making him look even more sinister.

"Were there any casualties?" the Prince asked coldly, his eyes fixed on the ruins.

"A few guards were injured, but no one died," a general replied respectfully.

"I will dispatch more troops to reinforce the perimeter. You are to monitor the workers closely—do not let a single one leave privately! This matter must not spread. If I hear even a whisper of this outside these walls, you will answer to me!" The Prince turned and stared severely at the general, waiting for a response. Seeing the man trembling in silence, the Prince barked, "Did you hear me?"

The general snapped to attention. "Yes! This subordinate understands!"

"Good!" the Prince said in a low voice. "Go and make the arrangements. Ensure the workers do their jobs and keep their mouths shut! No discussion of this is permitted! You are dismissed."

When the general left, the Prince shoved aside the guard holding his umbrella and glared furiously at the sky. The heavy rain lashed against his head, face, and body. Suddenly, he pointed at the lightning and roared, "Strike once, and I shall rebuild! Strike twice, and I shall rebuild again! Damn the Heavens—I want to see what you can possibly do to me!"

By dawn, the storm over the capital had ceased, though the sky remained choked with heavy, stagnant clouds.

In the city of Shangjing, the sun rose into a clear, cloudless sky.

Yin Ruxin had just finished processing her third intelligence report when Jing Yijun entered the shop. Seeing her tense and angry expression, Yin rose quickly, took her hand, and asked, "Princess, what has happened?"

Jing handed a letter to Yin. "Sister Xin'er, read this."

Yin took the letter. As she read, her beautiful eyes widened, then narrowed, the anger in them growing. She slammed the letter onto the table and said fiercely, "These bandits are truly lawless! To openly kidnap someone in the middle of the marketplace!"

Jing held her hand. "Brother Qin has already taken command of five thousand soldiers to march on Shandong and eradicate these bandits. The Grandson of the Emperor has even granted him the authority to command the troops around Jining Prefecture. Brother Qin has vowed that if he does not wipe them out, he will not return to Tianjing. He told us to set our minds at ease."

Yin said with lingering worry, "Although Brother Yang escaped, he must have suffered greatly! He had only just recovered from his wounds before rushing north, and to encounter such a kidnapping on the way... I don't know how much he has endured." Tears welled in her eyes and began to roll down her cheeks.

Jing’s eyes also turned red. She patted Yin’s hand gently. "Our husband is blessed with great fortune; he will be fine. Besides, hasn't your sister gone north as well? With her skills, I am certain she will keep him safe. And with Brother Qin handling the banditry in Shandong, we can rest assured!"

The two comforted each other, yet deep, lingering worry remained in their eyes.

In the Prince of Qin's mansion, the Prince had not slept all night. He was just drifting off on a recliner in his study when a sharp knock at the door startled him awake. He frowned, sat up, and said, "Come in."

An old man, the steward of the mansion, pushed the door open and stepped inside cautiously. He handed a piece of paper to the Prince and whispered, "My Lord."

The Prince looked at the nervous steward, frowned, and took the paper. After reading it, he roared, "How dare they! Who! Who did this?" He crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it to the floor in a fit of rage.