Chapter 10: Turning Swords into Plowshares

“If the Crown Prince is willing to grant an audience, my general is prepared to turn swords into plowshares and discuss a strategy for reconciliation.”

The moment these words were spoken, not only was Wang Yichuan, who had been scared witless, utterly stunned, but even the fierce soldiers behind Qin Cang were equally incredulous.

After delivering such a ‘gift’—a threat of war—why would the other side not attack immediately, but instead invite the leader out to negotiate?

What on earth was Qin Cang plotting?

Had the sun really risen in the west?

The scholar’s voice was low but clear, each word precisely reaching the front courtyard of the Prince Yan’s mansion.

Inside, the retainers who had just begun to relax after Xiao Zhan’s grand gesture now erupted in a fresh wave of agitation.

“Inviting the Crown Prince out? What game is Qin Cang playing?”

“Could it be he’s intimidated by the Crown Prince’s ‘Thunder Cannon’ and wants to sue for peace?”

“Peace? I think this is a weasel paying respect to the chicken—nothing good will come of it! Your Highness, you must not go!”

Xiao Yunshang’s face went pale as she hurried to Xiao Zhan’s side, grabbing his arm with a trembling voice.

“Brother! This is definitely a trap by Qin Cang! You slaughtered so many of his men—there’s no way he’d let us off so easily. You cannot go!”

Beside her, Qiu Shuang’s eyes reddened with worry.

“Yes, Your Highness! There are thousands of troops outside! You… going alone is far too dangerous!”

Xiao Zhan gently patted Xiao Yunshang’s hand, signaling her to calm down.

He approached the door and peered through the crack.

Outside, the capital’s imperial forces were arrayed in a dense, unbroken formation that stretched beyond sight.

Under the grand military banner, Qin Cang sat astride his horse, sword drawn, his figure as immovable as a towering iron statue. Even from this distance, his imposing presence pressed upon them.

“If Qin Cang dares to put on such airs, why should I, Xiao Zhan, hesitate to accept?”

Turning, a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.

“If he truly intended to strike, he would have ordered an assault already. Why bother with all these empty formalities?”

“But…” Xiao Yunshang remained deeply anxious; it made no sense.

“Sister, rest easy,” Xiao Zhan interrupted firmly, his voice calm but resolute.

“I know my limits. I want to see for myself what scheme Qin Cang is hiding.”

He turned to the leader of his retainers with a grave tone.

“Select twenty of the finest men, arm them, and come with me to meet him.”

“The rest of you, guard the Prince’s mansion with your lives! No one moves without my command. Not a single fly is to enter!”

“Your Highness!” The retainer tried to dissuade him further.

Xiao Zhan waved a hand, his eyes sharp as blades.

“Execute the order!”

“Yes, sir!”

Moments later, the heavy vermilion gates of the Prince Yan’s mansion creaked open once more.

Xiao Zhan, clad in a pristine black brocade robe, twin Desert Eagles holstered at his waist, strode out with twenty elite retainers, each armed with cold AK-47s, their expressions grim and unwavering.

Outside, Qin Cang was somewhat surprised to see Xiao Zhan boldly emerge with only twenty men.

He had expected at most a servant sent to parley.

“Prince Xiao, you truly have courage!” Qin Cang urged his horse forward, closing the gap to about ten paces.

Behind him, thousands of soldiers from the Longxiang Guards seemed to hold their breath, all eyes fixed on Xiao Zhan and his small escort, and the strange “iron tubes” they carried.

Xiao Zhan scrutinized Qin Cang in turn.

The man appeared just over forty, his features stern and sharp, exuding the aura of a seasoned general.

“General Qin sent a ‘summons.’ How could I refuse?” Xiao Zhan’s voice was low yet clear, carrying a faint hint of mockery.

“Yet I wonder—does this invitation conceal a banquet of treachery, or… a potion of survival?”

Qin Cang’s lips twitched into a cryptic smile.

“Prince, if I truly wished to end your life, a single command would raze the Prince Yan’s mansion to the ground. Why bother with tricks?”

“Oh?” Xiao Zhan raised an eyebrow, amused.

“Then why all this elaborate preparation—surrounding the city with troops and inviting me out? What is your real intention?”

Qin Cang was silent for a moment, lightly tapping his horse’s saddle with his whip.

Then he lifted his gaze, locking eyes with Xiao Zhan.

“Prince Yan, Xiao Yuan, is not dead.”

“What?!” The words struck Xiao Zhan like a thunderclap. His retainers behind him burst into uproar.

Behind the gate, Xiao Yunshang pressed her hands over her mouth, eyes wide with disbelief.

“My father… is alive?” Xiao Zhan’s voice was taut with tension as he stared intently at Qin Cang. “The imperial edict clearly states he committed suicide out of guilt and deserved his fate!”

“An edict?” Qin Cang scoffed. “That’s just ink in the hands of the victor. Yes, Xiao Yuan was imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, and yes, there were those who wished him to die by his own hand. But he was lucky—rescued covertly—and is now hidden safely.”

Xiao Zhan’s heart clenched sharply. “Is that true? What proof do you offer?”

“I don’t deceive over such matters.” Qin Cang’s tone was steady. “Those who saved Prince Yan have some ties to me. They want the mansion preserved and hope you, the Crown Prince, will carry on your father’s legacy instead of dying in vain.”

Xiao Zhan’s mind raced.

How much of Qin Cang’s words were truth, how much deceit?

If his father was truly alive, then this entire spectacle engineered by the Emperor was a colossal farce.

If his father lived, the accusations of treason and the purge of their family were utter nonsense!

“General Qin, speak plainly,” Xiao Zhan forced himself to suppress the turmoil within.

“Quite simple.” Qin Cang replied. “Surrender the military token of Prince Yan’s mansion, disband all private troops. Then come with me to the capital to answer to His Majesty. I guarantee your life will be safe, and your title as Crown Prince will remain intact. However, the Yan territory will no longer belong to your family.”

“That does sound like a fair deal.” Xiao Zhan absently stroked the Desert Eagle at his waist. “A hollow title and an empty mansion for the safety of my father and myself. But why should I trust you?”

Qin Cang’s voice was devoid of emotion. “You have no choice. Trust me, or I will flatten the Prince Yan’s mansion now. Your so-called ‘Thunder Cannons’ might be effective against the likes of Liu Gang, but against the ironclad tide of my thousands of Longxiang Guards? Foolish dreams! Moreover, I have brought something special today.”

Qin Cang gestured, and several heavily oilcloth-covered carriages were pushed forward from the ranks.

The tarps were ripped away, revealing monstrous, menacing machines—crossbows gleaming with metallic cold light.