‘Your Majesty, I can no longer serve you faithfully...’ Man let out a long sigh, preparing to compose himself and quicken his pace. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a carriage racing up from behind. He couldn’t help but look back, only to see an ordinary-looking double-horse carriage galloping wildly along the mountain road. The driver seemed to think it still wasn’t fast enough and was desperately whipping the horses.

Man couldn’t help but furrow his brows. This stretch of mountain road was extremely narrow, barely wide enough for two carriages to pass side by side, yet the other carriage was charging forward recklessly, and it was a double-horse carriage—how could it possibly get through?!

Man ordered his guards to loudly call for the other carriage to stop, but they were completely ignored! The carriage didn’t slow down at all and continued to charge straight ahead! Man’s own carriage tried its best to avoid it, but the road was still too narrow for the other carriage to pass. One of the wheels rolled off the road and crashed heavily into a protruding rock, causing the carriage to overturn instantly! The driver was thrown out, slamming headfirst into a rock, with little hope of survival.

“Quick, save them!” Man hurriedly led his attendants to the overturned carriage, trying to open the door. To his shock, the door was incredibly heavy, made of expensive ironwood! Such a large carriage, made entirely of ironwood—even the seven great noble families wouldn’t be so extravagant!

What shocked him even more was what came next. When he opened the door and saw the mother and child inside, he couldn’t help but cry out, “Your Majesty the Empress!”

The woman’s forehead was bleeding, but the little boy in her arms was completely unharmed. She looked at him in some confusion. “You are...?”

“I am William Brooks. When Your Majesty was still with the Mei family, I once attended your poetry gathering with my elder brother.” The man named William Brooks suppressed the storm of emotions in his heart and had the maid help the Empress out of the carriage.

“William Brooks, I remember now! His Majesty often mentions you.” The Empress stepped out of the carriage, holding the boy in her arms, and immediately knelt before William Brooks, pleading in a mournful voice, “Please, save the Crown Prince! He is His Majesty’s only flesh and blood!”

“His Majesty...” William Brooks was shaken to the core. “What has happened?!”

“His Majesty—” Tears streamed down the Empress’s face, her hair disheveled and flying in the cold wind, as she sobbed in utter despair, “He has already been killed...”

“Ah!” William Brooks froze on the spot. Although he had expected something terrible to happen, he hadn’t thought it would come so soon!

The startled cries of his subordinates snapped him back to reality. William Brooks looked around in a daze, only to realize that shadowy figures surrounded the foot of the mountain—Mount Luofeng was completely encircled!

“Please, I beg you, save the Crown Prince...” The Empress’s desperate pleas echoed endlessly in his ears.

……

The armored cavalry chased all the way to the front of Phoenix Temple, where they saw a man in a green official robe, Man, waiting respectfully by the roadside.

“Who are you!” one of the cavalrymen demanded coldly. They didn’t take such low-ranking officials seriously at all.

“I am the newly appointed magistrate of Qiantang, William Brooks, here to respectfully await the arrival of the The Carter Family army.” William Brooks was not offended and replied politely, “Are you here to pursue the Empress and the Crown Prince?”

“Whoa!” At his words, the armored cavalry reined in their horses. A leader barked, “Where are they?!”

“They are trapped inside Phoenix Temple by my men, awaiting your noble clan’s judgment!” William Brooks pointed ahead. His dozen or so followers, all armed, stood guard over the small temple, faces full of vigilance.

The armored cavalry immediately moved forward, surrounding the temple so tightly that not even water could get through. As his men went to check, Edward Carter glanced at William Brooks and asked, “Are you from the Lu clan?”

“Yes, General Carter, I am.” William Brooks replied respectfully.

Edward Carter thought for a moment, then looked at him again. “You’re that secretary who was exiled from the capital, right? What is your relation to Duke Anguo?”

“That is me. Duke Anguo is my uncle.” William Brooks answered.

“Oh...” Edward Carter nodded, anger flashing across his face. “Your family’s direct line performed terribly this time, not even as well as you, a collateral branch.”

At this moment, the leader returned to report, “Commander, it is indeed the mother and child inside.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Edward Carter shot him a cold glance.

“They’ve piled firewood in the hall and poured lamp oil everywhere...” the leader replied with difficulty, “I couldn’t decide what to do for a moment...” Before he finished speaking, thick smoke began to billow from the temple.

“Useless!” Edward Carter’s expression finally changed. He shouted angrily and leapt into Phoenix Temple!

Inside, the not-so-large Hall of the Three Pure Ones was ablaze. The wind fanned the flames, and in the blink of an eye, the wooden temple was engulfed in a sea of fire. Even with Edward Carter’s unparalleled martial skills, he dared not charge in, and could only order his men to fight the fire.

Amid the inferno, the Empress looked like a vengeful spirit, her hair disheveled as she pointed at Edward Carter and the entering William Brooks, cursing them in a shrill voice, “The The Carter Family have murdered the Emperor and brought disaster to the nation. Today, my fate will be yours tomorrow! William Brooks, you traitor, you will die a miserable death...”

Amid the Empress’s curses, the roar of the flames, and the shouts of the armored cavalry fighting the fire, the cries of a child could be clearly heard!

William Brooks watched the scene expressionlessly, his face flickering in the firelight. The hands hidden in his sleeves trembled slightly despite himself.

Edward Carter, however, regained his composure, watching the blaze with a leisurely air. “Mount Luofeng—the Empress was destined to die here.” He glanced at William Brooks. “Frightened?”

William Brooks nodded blankly.

……