Chapter 827: Second Uncle, It’s Me

Soon, the silence was broken.

The sound of the night watchman’s clapper echoed outside.

Tong Huaqiong and the others breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Then came the sound of knocking on the door.

The doorman, under Tong Huaqiong’s indication, went to open the door, and Gu Dashu ran over and pulled open the door latch with a clatter.

Standing at the door was a person in armor, with bloodstains on both the armor and face, emitting a cold gleam from the knife at their waist.

Gu Dashu couldn’t recognize the person standing before him at all.

Gu Dashu’s heart pounded; this door was opened too carelessly.

Would there be enough time to close the door?

"Uncle, it’s me," said the visitor with a grin.

A familiar voice nearly made Gu Dashu collapse, but he straightened up again.

It was Nie Xiaofeng.

"Xiaofeng, you’ve come, what exactly happened last night?" Gu Dashu asked, steadying his emotions.

At this moment, Tong Huaqiong and the others came out of the house, and Gu Baishuang rushed over and grabbed Nie Xiaofeng, looking him up and down, then reaching out to touch his brows and eyes.

Then took out a handkerchief to wipe away the blood on Nie Xiaofeng’s face.

Since Nie Xiaofeng returned from the border, he left the impression of a spirited young deputy general.

No one had seen him on the battlefield.

Now they had a glimpse.

Covered in blood was truly an unpleasant sight.

"Xiaofeng."

Gu Baishuang choked up.

Taking out a handkerchief, she carefully wiped off the blood from Nie Xiaofeng’s face. There was a spot where the blood couldn’t be wiped off; upon closer inspection, it was a wound, and over the course of the night, it had already formed a scab.

"Hiss," Nie Xiaofeng couldn’t help but let out a low cry.

Only then did Gu Baishuang truly feel how his son bled and hurt on the battlefield.

"Are you all okay?" Nie Xiaofeng asked, seeing Tong Huaqiong and the others, knowing everyone was fine, yet he couldn’t resist asking.

Yesterday, he was ordered to go to Jiangbei Camp; upon arrival, all commanders and soldiers were on standby.

Nie Xiaofeng realized the situation was unusual; he originally intended to send a message to Tong Huaqiong and Gu Baishuang and the others to stay at home and not go out to view the lanterns.

But military orders were ironclad, and the message was not sent.

He later learned that the Fifth Prince was planning a rebellion; the Emperor had long seen the Fifth Prince’s intentions and purposely released news of severe illness on the evening of the fifteenth of the first month to draw out the Fifth Prince’s forces.

The rebels took advantage of the festival, with widespread lantern displays and no curfew, secretly entering the city and breaking into the Imperial Palace at midnight.

After a night of fierce battle, while Nie Xiaofeng was suppressing the rebels, he worried about Tong Huaqiong, Gu Baishuang, and others being injured by rebels or trampled by pedestrians during the lantern festival.

Fortunately, those he cared about were safe.

"We are all well; what I’ve worried about all night is you," Gu Baishuang said.

Nie Xiaofeng’s face and hands had wounds.

Though these wounds had formed scabs and were not deep, Gu Baishuang was still heartbroken.

"What exactly happened last night?" Gu Baishuang asked.

Tong Huaqiong said, "The wind is strong at the door, let’s go inside to talk."

"Father."

Hua Er, just waking up, rubbed her eyes, dressed in thick cotton clothes, and with her short legs, she quickly rushed to the door.

Everyone was a bit unmindful, and Hua Er slipped through quickly.

"Hua Er." Su Xiucai picked Hua Er up in his arms.

Yesterday, Su Xiucai was detained in the palace, accompanying the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince and his entourage were nearly wiped out by the Fifth Prince’s men.

Having survived the ordeal, Su Xiucai confirmed the rebels were killed off before rushing out of the Imperial Palace, directly heading to Tong Huaqiong’s house, eager to ensure the safety of Tong Pandi and the children.

"Husband..."

Tong Pandi was equally worried all night about Mr. Su.

Nie Xiaofeng was an enemy-traumatizing young general, whereas Mr. Su was a powerless scholar.

Seeing Mr. Su standing at the door with blood on his face and body, Tong Pandi’s tears rolled out, and her voice changed.

This was the most openly emotional Tong Pandi had been since her separation, according to Tong Huaqiong.

"Mr. Su."

"Is Mr. Su okay?"

The expression on Tong Huaqiong and the other’s faces was one of concern.

Mr. Su’s clothes and shoes were torn, hair disheveled, a section of hair severed and dangling by the ear, and stained with blood, making him appear both comical and pathetic.

Who knows what he experienced last night.

Mr. Su walked beside the tearful Tong Pandi and said, "Don’t cry, here I am safe and sound."

"Everyone, come inside, don’t stand out here," Tong Huaqiong said.

The crowd returned inside.

Tong Huaqiong took out antiseptic ointment to sterilize the wounds on Nie Xiaofeng’s face and hands, ordered hot soup for the two to drink, and directed Nie Xiaofeng and Mr. Su to change their clothes.

Nie Xiaofeng and Mr. Su returned wearing clean garments.

Although everyone was exhausted from the sleepless night, their curiosity about the night’s events was palpable.

"The Fifth Prince rebelled..." Nie Xiaofeng said.

"Didn’t expect such a frail person to harbor grand ambitions," Mrs. Min remarked.

In Shengjing, Tong Huaqiong learned that since the former Crown Prince’s demise, Prince Ning had been the most favored.

Prince Ning, son of the favored Imperial Concubine, backed by influential maternal family and supported by half of the court’s ministers, was spoken of as capable of great responsibilities since the Crown Prince’s passing. But last year, the emperor unexpectedly welcomed back the Crown Grandson lost in the populace, frequently expressing nostalgia for the former Crown Prince, soon after reprimanding Prince Ning, and subsequently confining Prince Ning until New Year’s Eve for the banquet.

Not only Mrs. Min but many speculated Prince Ning would be the first to act rashly and rebel.

Tong Huaqiong mused how events played out in an unexpected manner, with the Fifth Prince having no influential maternal family, his consort mother being unfavored, lazy and avoiding court affairs but ultimately upturning the table.

This wasn’t surprising; which prince wouldn’t covet the throne?

Like the Fifth Prince, previously overshadowed by the Crown Prince and Prince Ning, unfavored, not even titled a Minor King; could he be content? If rebellion, then rebellion for the throne.

Historically, underestimated and idle princes have reached the peak of palace power struggles.

"Luckily, His Majesty’s wisdom uncovered the Fifth Prince’s treacherous intent early, releasing grave illness news on the fifteenth of January to precipitate the rebellion," Nie Xiaofeng said.

Tong Huaqiong thought this rebellion was indeed the Old Emperor’s fishing enforcement.

At this, Mrs. Min let out a cold laugh and swallowed her remaining words.

An emperor, wise?

He toys with ministers and princes alike, none escape his grasp, like a cat playing with mice.

What is the significance of the fifteenth of January?

Aware all Shengjing’s citizens would venture out for lantern viewing, risking stampede at any disturbance, knowing Shengjing is ablaze with lights prone to cause fires, yet chose this day to bait the Fifth Prince.

Sacrificing city inhabitants, fostering familial bloodshed.

Similarly, there is little to lament in the Fifth Prince’s defeat, as anyone permitting rebels on a night of collective lantern viewing hardly considers the common folk.

Nie Xiaofeng turned to Mrs. Min, changing the subject, "Madam, the Mighty General contributed to the defeat of the rebels yesterday, and the Emperor has kept him at the palace."

The person the Old Emperor trusts most now is the Mighty General.