The warhorses galloped swiftly as the commoners made way.
The soldiers who had been lying in ambush outside the city for three full days rushed to the imperial city gates at the fastest speed.
At the fore was a heroic and vigorous yet slender and powerful figure that could be none other than Young General Fang, Fang Heng, who had risen in rank year after year.
Closely following him were six equally dashing figures, along with over a thousand fellow soldiers on horseback.
As the crowd leapt into his line of sight, Fang Heng raised his arm high and lightly pulled the reins at the same time.
The red-maned horse under him immediately neighed and used its momentum to rear up on its front hooves before nimbly landing back in its original spot.
The troops behind him came to a halt even more uniformly, raising their bloodthirsty eyes to gaze ahead intently.
The imposing manner, aura, and murderous air overwhelmed the space.
The people who had previously been confronting each other at the city gates almost all began feeling numb scalps and stood on end.
Jiang Sheng and Zheng Ruqian simultaneously grinned from ear to ear with tearful eyes and cried out, "Third brother!"
No more fear, no more fear.
The most formidable fighter of their family has come back.
Fang Heng's eyes also moistened a bit as he grinned and cupped his fists, "Greetings to Crown Prince and Sir Xu."
After years of separation, everyone had shed their tender looks and grown prosperously in their own realms.
Upon this reunion, they already held different identities and statuses.
"Greetings to Young General Fang," Xu Mo replied with a smile as he cupped his fists.
A perfectly good fight for the crown unexpectedly turned into an emotional reunion by these siblings.
Just when it looked like the discontented Zheng Ruqian was about to interrupt and drag on this reunion endlessly, Chang Yan hurriedly coughed twice to cut in, "For now, let's have the Second Prince make his choice."
To fight? Or surrender?
Just now, it had been one thousand forbidden guards against five thousand defending soldiers.
The former were selectively chosen from powerful noble families, fearsomely capable if skilled and just fancy show-offs if not.
The latter were recruited from commoners with an overall evenly mediocre level without outstanding talents.
If the two sides truly battled, the forbidden guards could resist for a time relying on their superior equipment, but human endurance has limits. With the five thousand city defenders engaging in wave tactics, even gods would not withstand it for long.
By this argument, Chang Yan did not have high odds of winning.
Until Fang Heng brought a thousand exceptional generals and the situation was overturned in a flash.
Having experienced battlefields and seen bloodshed, killed enemies and beheaded heads, what they carried was not hot blood but killing intent.
When facing the forbidden guards and defending soldiers who seldom went through slaughter, it was practically crushing.
"One thousand forbidden guards, one thousand frontier soldiers," Chang Yan's voice was so certain and unruffled. "I wonder if matched against Second Prince's five thousand city defenders, whether we have the odds of winning?"
Not just having the odds, it was practically guaranteed victory.
The fact that Fang Heng could lead troops here meant the armies stationed outside the city had already received the news and were approaching Fengjing.
Even if the five thousand city defenders barely resisted the forbidden guards and frontier army, the thirty thousand encircling troops would still be able to completely annihilate them.
With no chance at battle and unwilling to surrender, Zhu Changyu turned his head to look at his strategist, Fang Yuan.
Unexpectedly, the other party's deep eyes were fixed only on the heroic and militarily accomplished Fang Heng.
The two youths with the same surname Fang had studied martial arts together since young, attended school together, grew up in companionship with each other.
They were supposed to thrive on their own paths, assisting and empowering one another like the Jiang brothers, exceptional in both civil and military skills.
Yet fate set them on adversarial roads, supporting different princes and also leading to different circumstances.
One was an accomplished young general at the frontiers who killed enemies and had outstanding martial valor.
One was a death row inmate who escaped punishment, without name or family.
Fang Yuan raised the corners of his lips. As their eyes met, he softly called out, "It's been a while, elder brother A-Heng."
The Jiang family and Fang family were both military general households.
The Jiang household was simple with intimate relations, so Jiang Chengfeng would affectionately call Jiang Chengyuan "big brother."
But in the Fang family, the second son early on sired many illegitimate sons and daughters, leading to chaotic seniority. So Fang Yuan did not bother with order of birth and every time he merrily skipped over, he would call out "elder brother A-Heng."
He really did not expect that the last time he called out that title was seven years ago.
Overcome by complex emotions, Fang Yuan also knew he would not hear that loud cry of "A-Yuan" in response. He smiled bitterly and lowered his head.
How quickly time passes. In but a flash, they transformed from innocent youths into heroic teenagers, from crying as they assumed horse stances to truly sitting tall atop horses.
Wielding blades against each other.
Some scenes he had imagined countless times but never truly witnessed as they came, terrifying and shocking.
Just like some voices he had hallucinated hearing many times but never truly listened to as they came, chilling his blood.
"A-Yuan," Fang Heng tightened his grip on the reins and softly responded.
But that was it, merely a response.
Between them lied Lady Fang's life, years of Fang Heng chasing to kill Fang Yuan, Xu Mo's cheating in the imperial examination, and now even the struggle for royal power.
They had long diverged paths.
That single call was an offering of mourning for their childhood years spent growing up together.
When Fang Heng turned back, all that remained was the young general's aura of killing intent as he declared sternly, "Defending soldiers, listen up. Plotting treason is punishable by execution of nine familial exterminations. Thirty thousand troops have already surrounded the entirety of Fengjing. Repent and reform! Surrender your weapons!"
"Repent and reform! Surrender your weapons!" Over a thousand frontier soldiers echoed.
The piercing and murderous wind enveloped everyone. Despite it being early summer, it felt strangely cold to them.
Zhu Changyu gathered his wind-blown pale robes and exchanged a look with Fang Yuan.
Surrender was impossible. Having their lives shackled was hopeless. As long as they still lived, there was possibility.
That left only escape.
Fang Yuan wheeled his horse around with his cloak fluttering behind him as he charged towards the west city gates, leading the way.
Zhu Changyu closely followed on horseback.
They had arranged backup to the west where the closest neighboring city was located. As long as they broke through into the next city boundaries, the army would definitely not dare to recklessly search.
But before they fled even a hundred yards, hundreds of people blocked their path ahead.
At the fore was a figure with broad shoulders and a slender waist, upright posture. It was the long unseen Jiang Chengyuan.
He did not even have the time to secretly steal a glance at his younger sister. Grasping his long saber, Jiang Chengyuan declared sternly, "Those who pass through will be killed without mercy!"
The battlefield was the place that most baptized people.
The formerly fickle youth, after experiencing bloodshed and injuries, had finally become decisive in killing, courageous and fearless.
He and Fang Heng flanked the path on left and right, forcing the city defenders back to the origin point.
Once again at the imperial city gates, once more facing off from afar.
Chang Yan stood at the forefront of the crowd, hands overlapping as he directed strategy.
As expected, this was orthodoxy!
Civil officials supported him while military generals adored him. The hearts of all the common people inclined towards him, voluntarily making way for the soldiers.
"But why, why is it so?" Zhu Changyu revealed bewilderment. "Just why is it so?"
They were all sons of the emperor and all of outstanding ability. Why could one inherit the world while one could only become a fugitive?
One was doted on while one was ignored.
One held abundant lands while one held only barren wastelands.
Just why was it so?
"There is no why about it," Chang Yan finally spoke, a hint of sorrow in his eyes. "Second Brother, you were truly wrong in this matter."
"Just as you denied Imperial Concubine Mu, today I will deny you as well."
