More than a month later, an imperial edict from Jinxiujing reached the Protectorate Residence.
It was a handwritten rescript on yellow hemp paper, the lacquer seal still fresh, the calligraphy vigorous. It was brought by a courier from the Court of Ceremonies for Receptions, still covered in the dust of the journey, his horse's hooves barely cooled, and delivered directly into the central hall.
The officers and soldiers of the central army stood in tight ranks in the courtyard. Grand Protector Pang and Pang Duo knelt to receive the edict, then read it aloud.
"朕惟四海异域,同归王化;西陲贡诺,旧称礼让之邦.其王阿达师,少历艰虞,奉火不坠,远来归顺,诚意昭然.今欲召入京师,以表朝廷怀远之意,复彰皇恩之浩荡.
敕:大都护府中郎将庞铎,风仪谨正,素有筹边之略,今特命为护使使臣,护送贡诺王启程入京,沿途州郡给与供帐,毋有怠慢.
We consider that the barbarian lands of the Four Seas all submit to the civilizing influence of Our Majesty; the Gönok kingdom, in the west, was once renowned for its courtesy and deference. Its king, Ardashir, having known many hardships from a young age, has preserved the Sacred Fire without fail and has come from afar to submit, his sincerity is manifest. We now desire to summon him to Our capital, in order to demonstrate Our court's benevolence towards distant lands and to manifest anew the vastness of Our imperial grace.
By Our order: Pang Duo, Commandant of the Central Army of the Grand Protectorate Residence, a man of irreproachable bearing and long versed in border strategy, is hereby specially designated as escorting envoy. He will accompany the Gönok king on his journey to the capital. The prefectures and commanderies along the route shall provide him with tents and provisions, without the slightest negligence."
Barely had the reading of the edict finished when a silence fell upon the hall.
Behind the pearl curtain, Madame Pang stood motionless.
She said not a word. Only after the crowd had dispersed did she order a maidservant to close the doors.
Madame Pang looked up at her husband, her voice low and cold:
"What does His Majesty mean? Letting Duo'er escort him personally? Once he enters the capital, will he ever be able to return?"
Protector Pang remained silent for a moment, lightly tapping the table before him with his fingertips, then said: "The imperial edict has been promulgated; it cannot be violated."
"It cannot be violated?" Madame Pang let out a cold laugh. "In the time of the late Emperor, he still somewhat feared the Pang family. Now, a mere edict is enough to summon Duo to the capital? Who knows what he is scheming!"
Protector Pang frowned and said in a grave voice: "Watch your words."
But Madame Pang paid him no heed and continued: "Since his accession to the throne, the reduction of fiefdoms, the reclaiming of military power, which of these measures was not directed against the old families? And now, even Duo... Does His Majesty want to take my son hostage?"
"Enough!" Protector Pang slammed the table violently, making the teacups rattle. He took a deep breath and lowered his voice: "The imperial edict has been sealed and promulgated; the entire court is aware of it. To disobey would be an act of high treason."
Madame Pang pressed her lips together, but her eyes still shone with contained resentment.
On the day of departure, a rare rain fell on the Gobi Desert.
Ardashir raised his head, letting the raindrops strike his face, and vaguely remembered his father saying that a gentle rain on sandbanks was a favorable omen. Thus, a procession composed of horsemen in iron armor, a cortège bearing insignia and banners, ceremonial officials from the commandery, and interpreters, left the Grand Protectorate Residence. Pang Duo and Ardashir rode side by side. They took to the road.
This journey was to last eight thousand li.
Two months later, the delegation finally reached the outskirts of the capital and set up camp outside the Ba Bridge post station.
The news of General Pang Duo escorting the Gönok king to the capital spread like a stone thrown into a lake, causing successive waves.
At court, some praised "a wind of benevolence towards distant lands, flourishing for a time," while others jeered "barbarians sowing disorder in the government, who can escape it?". Censors even went so far as to present memorials, demanding that the envoy be "confined to a residence in the suburbs" and not be allowed to lightly enter the palace grounds. But the emperor said nothing, only ordering the Court of Ceremonies for Receptions to prepare a residence and treat him as a distinguished guest.
The Vice Minister of the Court of Ceremonies for Receptions came in person to meet them, bringing the protocol for entering the city, the list of tributes to be registered, and the time of the imperial audience. More than thirty tents had been erected outside the post station, with vermilion banners and feathered standards, arranged according to the ancient welcoming rite.
"The Gönok king has come from afar; the journey must have been arduous. Let him first rest for three days at the post station," said the Vice Minister of the Court of Ceremonies for Receptions, clasping his hands. "In three days, he will enter the capital through the Vermilion Phoenix Gate, proceed directly to the residence of the Court of Ceremonies for Receptions, and then the date of the audience will be set."
Pang Duo nodded, but his gaze darkened slightly – the rules of Jinxiujing had always been tedious.
Ardashir understood the gist, tilted his head slightly, and said in hesitant but clear Xu language: "Thank you." Then he bowed deeply.
Three days later, after three drum rolls, the Vermilion Phoenix Gate opened.
The Gönok delegation, guided by officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of Ceremonies for Receptions, entered the city via Shenwu Street. Banners embroidered with the zodiac advanced slowly along the imperial avenue; the hundred officials stepped aside, passersby stopped.
Both sides of the street were already crowded with people.
"The Gönok king is arriving."
Ardashir, seated on a finely carved saddle, slowly raised his head.
The city gate stood imposing as a mountain, its eaves like unfurled wings, its large vermilion-lacquered doors gleaming in the morning light. On either side, stone lions, mouths open, eyes furious, cast piercing gazes.
Shenwu Street was wide and straight, its blue stone slabs as if washed. The lanterns along the street were not yet extinguished; dawn bathed them in a glow, their surfaces reflecting light like a river of stars.
Along the road, pavilions and buildings followed one another, red walls and dark tiles, carved beams and painted rafters, unfolding like a fresco. Further on, several palaces with golden roofs and glazed tiles could be discerned in the light mist, majestic and beyond reach.
The inhabitants, dressed in brocade, had grave expressions. Although they dared not make a sound, children could be heard whispering and women covering their mouths to speak in low voices, quickly reprimanded by the guards.
A flicker of surprise passed through Ardashir's eyes. He had grown up on the vast high plateaus, where cities were rudimentary; even royal palaces and temples were far from matching the magnificence, splendor, and rigorous order of the city before his eyes.
The delegation was settled in a quiet district west of the imperial city, awaiting orders.
The rumors had not ceased when the night was already deep. That evening, the president of the Gönok merchants' guild in Jinxiujing came to visit them.
He was an old man with greying hair and beard, dressed in a long, off-white robe. Barely had he entered when he knelt and prostrated himself, his voice trembling with emotion: "My king! Razmir... we have finally awaited you!"
Ardashir hastened to help him up. But the old man continued to sob: "Everyone is waiting for you at the Fire Temple in the Liquan district. We..."
He did not finish his sentence, already overcome by tears. Ardashir turned to Pang Duo, who thought for a moment before saying in a low voice: "It's possible."
The night was late, the wind blew strongly. Ardashir, accompanied by Mithrana and escorted by Pang Duo, secretly went to the Fire Temple.
Several hundred Gönoks were kneeling in the hall, men and women, young and old. Some wore linen clothes from the Xu kingdom; others had kept the costumes of their native land; all had solemn expressions. When they saw Ardashir enter, a sudden silence fell upon the hall, followed by an explosion of stifled sobs and murmurs.
"It's the prince... It's really the prince!"
"His Majesty Iskandar's line endures!"
Razmir cried out in a loud voice: "Our king, His Majesty Ardashir, has arrived in Jinxiujing!"
In the crowd, someone asked in a trembling voice: "Passar... has Passar truly fallen? His Majesty the King, he..."
Ardashir remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.
In an instant, weeping erupted in the hall. Some prostrated themselves on the ground sobbing, others cursed the Kawahirs through gritted teeth, still others looked around, dazed, murmuring: "My wife and children... are they still alive?"
Mithrana squeezed her brother's hand tightly, tears in her eyes.
Razmir raised his arms, his voice hoarse but firm: "But the Sacred Fire is not extinguished! His Majesty Iskandar's will is not destroyed! Tonight, here, we recognize Ardashir as the new king of the Gönoks!"
"We recognize Ardashir as king!" cried several hundred people in unison, their voices surging like a tide.
Ardashir took a deep breath and took out the small silver casket from his chest – the sacred flame Iskandar had left him. He walked slowly towards the altar, placed the flame there, then with his own hands sprinkled a pinch of immaculate white sacred pine resin onto it.
(باشد که آتش پاکیزه فروزانتر گردد May the pure fire burn more ardently.)
The flame rose with a roar, its blue and gold glow illuminating the entire temple, as well as every tear-streaked face.
Pang Duo, hand on his sword, stood before the Fire Temple gate, his dark iron armor gleaming with an icy blue sheen under the moonlight.
The night wind swept across the Grand Vermilion Phoenix Avenue, swirling a few dead leaves around his war boots.
He looked up towards the imperial city, whose silhouette with multiple superimposed eaves was outlined, ghostly, among the dark clouds.
"General!" One of his bodyguards approached quickly, his voice low and filled with concern. "Commander Zhao of the Imperial Guard requests to see you."
Pang Duo tilted his head slightly and followed him into a long alley behind the temple. A faint lantern cast a chickpea-yellow glow; the damp cobblestones shone coldly. A tall, thin figure slowly emerged from the shadows –
"Brother Pang." Zhao Su had removed his breastplate; his shining armor was stained with dried blood. He clasped his fists, his Adam's apple moving as he swallowed with difficulty. "The Crown Prince is going to rebel tonight."
Pang Duo's expression did not change. He only slowly placed his left hand on the hilt of his sword and said in a grave voice: "Is the information certain?"
"Absolutely certain." Zhao Su's eyes were bloodshot. "I saw it with my own eyes. Han Yi's mobilization orders, more than a dozen men in armor entered the city in the dead of night, the fire in the Crown Prince's residence does not go out. Tonight, they will first take the palace gates, then enter the central hall."
Pang Duo remained silent for a moment, his tone icy: "Is His Majesty aware?"
"The palace gates are closed; all communication with the inner court is cut off." Zhao Su shook his head. "There are still old generals in the palace ready to fight, but they have no way to coordinate their actions. Of the Imperial Guard, I can only control two hundred men; the others are mostly won over to his cause."
"You came to me to borrow troops?" Pang Duo stared at him, his gaze as sharp as a sword. "The Grand Protectorate Residence only brought less than three hundred elite cavalry with them."
Zhao Su frowned: "And the Gönoks? How many of them are capable of fighting?"
Pang Duo thought for a moment: "The Gönok delegation's escort numbers about a hundred men, but their combat capability is unknown. As for the Gönok refugees in Jinxiujing..." He glanced back towards the Fire Temple. "It's unclear."
Zhao Su took a deep breath, his eyes shining with an ardent gleam: "Brother Pang, this matter concerns the survival of the state. Are you willing to follow me to protect His Majesty? The merit of supporting the throne... do not, by any means, make the mistake of going astray."
Pang Duo did not reply immediately but looked up towards the imperial city.
Under the firelight, his gaze was as sharp as a blade.
"I will ask Ardashir."
Inside the Fire Temple, the wisps of incense had not yet dissipated; the Sacred Fire still burned.
The Gönoks, kneeling, had not moved, still under the sway of the emotion from the oath they had taken.
Pang Duo strode in, his golden armor shining with a cold gleam in the firelight. He went straight to Ardashir and said in a low voice: "There's a problem."
Ardashir looked up and read the abnormality in Pang Duo's tense expression. He signaled the crowd to be silent and followed Pang Duo into a side hall.
"I'm in trouble; I need more troops." Pang Duo's voice was as hard as stone and iron. "It's difficult to explain to you; Jinxiujing is in danger of descending into great chaos."
Razmir translated these words to Ardashir. Ardashir's pupils contracted sharply.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked directly.
Pang Duo stared at him: "I need troops. The Gönok warriors, how many are capable of fighting?"
Razmir, accompanied by about ten young warriors, had already knelt, ready to obey. The old man's beard trembled, but his eyes burned with a warrior's ardor: "My king, in Jinxiujing, the Gönoks capable of wielding a saber number at least two hundred!"
Ardashir turned slightly towards Pang Duo, brought his clenched fist to his heart – the Gönok warriors' oath salute: "My saber is with you. Because you are my friend. I believe you."
At the third beat of the night watch gong, the rebels already controlled three of the imperial palace gates.
Under the Donghua Gate, Pang Duo and Ardashir, leading three hundred elite cavalry and two hundred Gönok warriors, waited, ready for battle. The night was as black as ink; cold light glinted off armor, like blades, like frost.
"Attack the gate!" At Pang Duo's sharp cry, horses neighed, the iron cavalry charged like the wind.
From atop the ramparts, a rain of arrows fell; three Gönok warriors fell immediately. Ardashir let out a roar of rage, threw his scimitar with a reverse flick, and pinned an archer to the wall.
The iron cavalry crashed into the city gates; shields and axes fell in concert. In an instant, sparks flew; the wooden gates resounded with a crash. The Gönok warriors followed closely, their blades tracing icy arcs. Street fighting erupted; war cries shook the sky; flames illuminated the night.
In the melee, Ardashir parried a spear thrust that threatened him closely with a sweep of his saber. Suddenly, he saw Crown Prince Chu Xi, accompanied by several dozen bodyguards, pass through a side gate and rush towards the interior of the palace. A tide of black armor surged from all sides towards Pang Duo.
"Pang Duo, watch out!" Ardashir yelled.
Almost at the same instant, he leaped, twirling his saber in the air in a silver pinwheel that deflected the three crossbow bolts. The arrowheads grazed Pang Duo's shoulder guard, sending sparks flying.
"Divide the troops, cut off his retreat!" Pang Duo ordered in a grave voice, raising his hand as if to chop. "Encircle on three sides, leave one escape route, show no quarter!"
At his command, a hundred cavalrymen and Gönok warriors forced the gates on three fronts. One column penetrated through the west gate onto the imperial way; another scaled the walls and mounted the towers, volleys of flaming arrows repelling the defenders. The Gönok warriors, moving under the cover of night, light as swallows, jumped from the eaves onto the inner courtyard galleries; flashes of sabers erupted, cries died out.
Ardashir personally led a small troop, broke in through the path behind the Xuanzheng Hall, and cut down the flagpole of the rebels' banner.
Inside and outside the palace walls, flames rose to the sky; the Crown Prince's supporters had no way out. Chu Xi, knowing he was trapped, burst into demented laughter while cutting down an inner court scholar who had not had time to retreat with a sword strike; blood flowed onto the white jade steps.
Pang Duo charged on horseback into the inner courtyard, his long sword pointed at the enemy general: "Ardashir, go that way! I'll cover the retreat!"
"Good!" Ardashir had already understood his gesture. He turned, shouted in the Gönok language, and led his men through the portico of a side hall, cutting and charging all the way.
The military situation unfolded like a game of go, each move blocking an escape route. The Crown Prince's bodyguards were divided and surrounded; death cries came from all directions. But he, taking advantage of a place where the fire raged and walls and roofs were collapsing, suddenly leaped onto his horse and fled through the flames!
"Pursue!" Pang Duo did not hesitate for an instant and, swift as wind and lightning, led his men in pursuit.
Southwest of the imperial palace, on the edge of a stone embankment along the water.
The night was dark; the water's surface reflected an expanse of reeds. A light breeze stirred them, producing a rustling sound.
Crown Prince Chu Xi, alone on his horse, had galloped to the edge of the embankment. He abruptly reined in his mount, intending to cross the river to escape.
But the next moment, the sound of iron hooves echoed behind him. Pang Duo leaped on horseback and, with a sword strike, unhorsed the Crown Prince.
Ardashir arrived at a gallop, still panting. He looked at the twisted body lying on the ground and asked in hesitant Xu language: "Him... who is he? Is he the one who started this battle?"
Pang Duo spoke slowly, his expression cold: "A son who wanted to kill his own father. Only, he was the emperor's son."
With that, he bent down and, with a sword strike, severed Chu Xi's head.
Blood spattered the stone embankment. Pang Duo tore off a piece of his robe, wrapped the head, and tied it to the flank of his horse.
He turned to Ardashir, his voice low: "Let's go."
Ardashir, still in shock, followed him in silence.
The wind swept across the water's surface; the reeds swayed without a sound. A headless body lay silently in the shadows, on the riverbank.