Chapter 17: Stripping Military Authority

“By imperial decree of the Empress Dowager, General Qin Cang has recklessly led troops to besiege the Prince of Yan’s residence without authorization. His command is hereby revoked immediately, and he is to be escorted back to the capital to face judgment!”

No sooner had Mo Di finished speaking than two of his personal guards spurred their horses forward, brandishing gleaming chains in their hands.

Qin Cang’s face darkened with rage. “Mo Di! How dare you!”

“Dare?” Mo Di’s tone was icy. “General Qin, will you surrender willingly or shall my men assist you?”

“Mo Di! You have an audacity unmatched!” Qin Cang shouted, brandishing his long sword and pointing it fiercely at the scholar on horseback before the mansion.

“An imperial decree from the Empress Dowager? Where is this decree? I am here under the Emperor’s direct orders to investigate the treasonous plot at the Prince of Yan’s residence. Who are you to interfere with my command?!”

Behind him, dozens of wounded soldiers from the capital garrison gripped their weapons tightly, glaring fiercely at Mo Di and the imposing cavalry bearing the ‘Mo’ insignia behind him.

Mo Di paid no heed to Qin Cang’s fury, lightly tapping the palm of his hand with his riding crop.

“General Qin, are you getting old and hard of hearing?” Mo Di’s voice carried a chilling mockery. “Let me say it again—the Empress Dowager’s decree commands you to relinquish your military authority and surrender immediately!”

With a subtle flick of his wrist, the ‘Mo’ cavalry behind him instantly wheeled their horses around, encircling Qin Cang and his few remaining garrison soldiers. The cold glint of blades shimmered under the moonlight, radiating deadly intent.

“Empress Dowager?” Xiao Zhan sneered from atop the gatehouse. “Mr. Mo, the Empress Dowager has always lived secluded, avoiding state affairs. When did she begin meddling in military matters? Or is this so-called decree not what it seems?”

Mo Di narrowed his eyes and stared at Xiao Zhan. “Young Lord Xiao, are you questioning the authority of the Empress Dowager?”

“I simply want to know who is truly pulling the strings behind the city’s troop movements,” Xiao Zhan replied softly, each word cutting like a knife. “First, the masked assassin appeared out of nowhere, claiming secret orders to kill me and Qin Cang. Now you show up, claiming to act on the Empress Dowager’s orders to take us away. Don’t you find this timing a little too convenient?”

Mo Di’s smile stiffened momentarily before returning to its usual calm. “Young Lord Xiao, you worry unnecessarily. The Empress Dowager is wise and aware of the unrest inside and outside the capital. Naturally, she must make preparations to prevent disaster.”

“Preparations?” Qin Cang laughed bitterly with rage. “What a scheme! Mo Di, do you think I’m a child to be fooled by your few words? If the Empress Dowager truly issued a decree, why not follow proper procedures? Why send someone like you, an unknown entity, to lead troops here in the dead of night?”

Suddenly, he raised his long sword, pointing it at Mo Di. “I suspect you are in league with that masked assassin! First, they attack us to weaken our strength, then you move in to clean up the mess—two birds with one stone!”

“How dare you!” one of Mo Di’s guards shouted fiercely from behind. “To slander a close aide of the Empress Dowager is a capital offense!”

Before finishing, the guard spurred his horse forward, thrusting a spear directly at Qin Cang.

“Seeking death!” Though Qin Cang was severely wounded, he was a battle-hardened general. He shifted his body aside and parried the spear with his sword.

The clash of metal rang sharply through the night air.

The guard had not expected Qin Cang to be so agile despite his injuries; his attack missed, and he nearly lost his grip on the spear from the impact.

“Stop!” Mo Di commanded coldly, halting the guard’s assault. “General Qin, to strike now is disobedience of imperial orders, a grave offense!”

Xiao Zhan watched keenly from the gatehouse, inwardly smirking. Mo Di’s apparent restraint was a test of Qin Cang’s strength. That strike had already revealed his opponent’s limits.

“Mr. Mo, since you claim to act on the Empress Dowager’s decree, how about this?” Xiao Zhan suddenly spoke, his voice eerily calm. “Show us the decree to prove its authenticity. If it truly comes from her, I, Xiao Zhan, will not resist.”

Mo Di frowned. “Young Lord Xiao, the decree is confidential and cannot be shown casually.”

“Confidential?” Xiao Zhan scoffed. “Mr. Mo, that makes no sense. If the decree is meant to be read aloud, how can it be secret? Or is it that you have no decree at all?”

Mo Di’s face darkened as he prepared to reply, but Xiao Zhan cut him off. “Even if you have the decree, I will not go with you.”

His words stunned not only Mo Di but also Qin Cang.

“Why?” Mo Di asked.

Xiao Zhan smiled faintly. “Simple. Because my father is still alive.”

“What?!” The composure vanished from Mo Di’s face, replaced by disbelief and shock.

Xiao Zhan continued, “My father, Emperor Xiao Yuan, was not disgraced to death but secretly rescued. Therefore, the alleged treason at the Prince of Yan’s residence is entirely fabricated. Why should an innocent man like me surrender?”

Mo Di took a deep breath, striving to steady himself. “Young Lord Xiao, it is known across the realm that your father, Xiao Yuan, was executed. Your ramblings now only seek to disrupt military morale.”

“Ramblings?” Xiao Zhan withdrew a letter from his bosom and held it high. “This is my father’s own handwriting. Mr. Mo, would you like to come closer and see for yourself?”

Mo Di’s pupils contracted as he fixed his gaze on the letter. Though distant and unable to read the contents clearly, the quality of the paper, the way it was folded, and Xiao Zhan’s natural demeanor all suggested authenticity.

“Impossible!” Mo Di ground his teeth. “Xiao Yuan is dead—there is no doubt!”

“Whether he’s dead or alive is not your call,” Xiao Zhan said, folding the letter away. “Mr. Mo, I think your little show tonight is over. It’s time to end this.”

Mo Di’s expression flickered unpredictably before he suddenly laughed aloud. “Ha ha ha! Xiao Zhan, do you believe one letter, whose truth you cannot verify, can change anything? Even if Xiao Yuan is alive, so what? Where is he now? Why hasn’t he shown himself?”

His tone turned icy. “In the end, you and your father are traitors to the throne! Tonight, none of you will leave alive!”

With that, Mo Di waved his hand sharply.

“Kill them all! Leave no one alive!”

The ‘Mo’ cavalry roared in unison, brandishing their weapons as they charged toward Qin Cang and his men.

Qin Cang’s face was grave. Though the remaining capital troops under his command were elite soldiers, they were too few and all wounded—no match for these fresh forces.

“Xiao Zhan!” Qin Cang shouted up to the gatehouse. “If not now, then when?!”

Xiao Zhan smiled coldly. “General Qin, you wanted to capture me earlier, and now you want me to save you?”

“Enough talk!” Qin Cang roared. “With the enemy upon us, our personal grudges can wait!”

After a brief silence, Xiao Zhan turned to his chief retainer. “Order every brother to fight fiercely! By dawn, the Prince of Yan’s residence will either rise again or fall completely! There is no third path!”