THE MEN BOUND the emperor's hands and pushed him through the doors. What awaited him wasn't the brightly lit interior, nor Master Lingzang's terrifying and blood-splattered visage. The doors and windows had been flung open, and a blustering wind gusted in, snuffing out the rows of candles.
A layer of black fabric was pulled roughly over his eyes and the world went dark. Even the sounds of fighting faded away as he was led along, until at last he heard nothing.
What was happening?! After calling out for his men twice to no avail, he realized with a cold finality that he was completely at the enemy's mercy. Yet even now he had an emperor's dignity. He tamped down his fear and panic, silently clenching his teeth to stop himself from crying out.
Suddenly he felt his arms being released. He yanked off the blindfold but found himself alone, again greeted by a vast expanse of darkness. He looked around, completely lost. The darkness concealed everything; he had no idea where he was.
A thin whine echoed in his ears, faint and indistinct, like the cries of wronged souls drifting from beyond the gates of the underworld. The sound was chilling, awakening sorrow and terror in the deepest parts of his heart.
The emperor made no attempt to move forward. Considering his current plight, remaining still was the wisest course of action. If the enemy had laid traps in the dark, stumbling around might put him in grave danger.
Until the enemy made a move, he wouldn't make one either.
The emperor could hear his own breathing—even his heartbeat seemed deafening. His heart pounded faster and faster, and his eardrums pulsed in time. He tried to swallow but found his mouth parched. This silent torture seemed to go on without end, until even the emperor's considerable patience reached its limits. Just as he was about to break down and speak, someone blew lightly on the nape of his neck. A gentle sigh sounded behind him.
The emperor froze. "What kind of monster are you? If you bear me some grudge, face me directly. These tricks are the tactics of a petty villain—they deserve only ridicule!" he snapped.
"Your Majesty's unwavering composure in the face of danger is truly admirable."
The stranger's voice was soft and slow, a stark contrast to the emperor's harsh and hurried scolding. Though there was still no light, he seemed capable of perceiving the emperor's every movement. The emperor attempted to shift away but found himself frozen in place. He steadied himself. "Who are you?"
The stranger didn't beat around the bush. "Xiao Lü."
"The Pavilion Leader of the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai?" Though the emperor's voice held a note of surprise, this wasn't wholly unexpected.
"I'm sure Your Majesty has heard my name from both Feng Xiao and Cui Buqu." Xiao Lü chuckled and snapped his fingers.
A point of light flared to life in front of the emperor. It gradually expanded into a glowing mass, then split into several scattered clusters that darted to the edges of the space. In the faint light, the emperor's surroundings began to take shape.
Xiao Lü stood before him with a girl at his side. The Pavilion Leader of the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai was young and handsome, and the girl was lovely. Standing together, the pair seemed a perfect match.
It was difficult to imagine that this young man, with his gentle face and a smile curving his lips, had amassed such immense power in the last few years. He'd skillfully gathered masters and forged alliances with the Southern dynasty, the Göktürks, and even Goguryeo. While he'd yet to pose a significant threat to the Sui dynasty, he'd become a thorn in their side, both in the shadows and out in the open.
But the girl's face was one the emperor couldn't have been more familiar with. "Yuwen Eying?!" he exclaimed in shock.
Though his granddaughter bore a surname for which he had no fondness, out of consideration for his daughter, Princess Leping, the emperor had been careful never to mistreat the girl. Who could have imagined she'd been secretly conspiring with the Thirteen Floors, plotting to overthrow the Sui dynasty from behind her mother's skirts?
The girl smiled. "My name is Yuwen Yihuan, Your Majesty. I'm sure you know this as well: All those years ago, the princess gave birth to twin daughters."
The emperor understood at once. "You are the child who died? But you didn't die!"
Yuwen Yihuan nodded. "Fortunately, my foster brother came to my rescue or I'd have become a vengeful ghost wandering the underworld."
But she was not a ghost, and so there was no reason to fear her. The emperor felt guilt toward the Yuwen clan, but the feeling did not extend to this Yuwen Yihuan. He quickly composed himself, his voice regaining its presence and authority. "Then I must thank you for rescuing Huan-niang, Pavilion Leader Xiao. I was unaware of her existence until this moment, but now that I know, I could never allow her to remain lost in the world outside the palace. Pavilion Leader Xiao, you provided for Yihuan and cared for her. I won't hesitate to reward you with gold and silver, a high office, and whatever else you desire. So why must you oppose the court time and time again? Is it worth it to harm others for so little benefit?"
"Your Majesty lives up to your reputation," said Xiao Lü with a smile. "You immediately switched from defense to offense, trying to win me over. Is Your Majesty truly willing to offer me whatever I desire?"
The emperor sensed the trap within his words but didn't bat an eye. "That would depend on whether I can afford to offer it."
Xiao Lü burst into laughter. "Your Majesty is wealthy beyond measure. What could you possibly not afford? Isn't it more about whether you're willing to offer it?
"The highest authority must be held by those with virtue."
Xiao Lü's mouth twisted with mockery. "Virtue? What virtue does the emperor of Southern Chen possess?"
"His ancestors possessed virtue," said the emperor coolly. "Without virtue, talent, and timing, how else could they have attained the throne? Once they are on the throne, if they don't continue cultivating virtue, the blessings of heaven won't last for long."
"So Your Majesty claims to be talented and virtuous, and thus have the Mandate of Heaven?" Xiao Lü said with the shadow of a smile.
"I've been curious about you for a while," said the emperor. "Your achievements are sufficient to place you among the visionaries and great men. You gathered a group of talented individuals and proved you have the ability to lead them. Why not apply your prodigious talents to righteous pursuits? Why insist on these shadowy, underhanded schemes?"
Yang Jian had been born a wealthy member of the nobility. He could have lived a life of comfort and luxury, but he'd nursed grand ambitions. Between his own aspirations and Emperor Wu's suspicion toward him, he gradually found himself walking down the path of usurpation, unable to retreat. But since his ascension, he'd governed with wisdom and benevolence, ensuring peace both within and without his nation and reforming the previous dynasty's failed policies. While he might have wronged the Yuwen clan, he'd always done right by the common people—thus he questioned Xiao Lü with confidence.
"Who decides what is righteous?" Xiao Lü replied. "Those who steal bread to fill their bellies are punished, but those who steal kingdoms to feed their ambitions become lords. That's all there is to it."
"Why try to provoke me?" asked the emperor solemnly. "I acknowledge that I stole the throne from the Yuwen family. But if Yuwen Yun had governed with sincerity and valued talent, his nation wouldn't have fallen into my hands. The illusions I saw earlier were your doing, were they not? Even if you're unhappy with me, Master Lingzang is innocent. I beseech you to let him go."
"Fear not; we'd never harm an enlightened monk who's pure of soul," said Xiao Lü. "But it's no use trying to delay, Your Majesty. Do you know where we are?"
"I did want to ask."
"We are inside the belly of the Buddha."
Daxingshan Temple's most famous feature was its Mahavira Hall. Inside was a gigantic Buddha statue over fifty feet tall, cast during the Jin dynasty. It had narrowly escaped destruction during Emperor Wu's reign, and after Yang Jian ascended, he'd renovated the temple and had the statue gilded. The emperor had previously admired the statue from up close, but he'd never realized its hollow interior was so vast—or even that it was accessible.
If Xiao Lü and Yuwen Yihuan had been hiding within the statue, it was no surprise they'd been overlooked despite the strict security and thorough searches both inside and outside the temple. The emperor considered further. If Xiao Lü and Yuwen Yihuan hadn't entered from inside the temple, did that mean there was a passage beneath the statue that led outside?
Xiao Lü watched the expressions playing across the emperor's face and smiled. "Your Majesty is a brilliant man. I trust you've guessed how we arrived."
"Even if you've hidden a great army in here, it would be impossible to bring them in with no one the wiser," the emperor said.
"Your Majesty misunderstands. The sounds of fighting you heard from the back courtyard weren't from my men. That was your own men slaughtering each other."
"Impossible!"
At this point there was no more need to hide anything. "The gu was in the ginger soup. As I'm sure you've guessed, there are a number of secret passages hidden beneath these Buddha statues. I had men light a hallucination-inducing incense within them, which wafted out through the openings in the statues. Sandalwood incense is a strong scent; once my incense mingled with it, it was hard to detect."
The emperor's expression darkened. "So you made Master Lingzang do those awful deeds with this incense?"
Xiao Lü smiled. "Everything you saw was an illusion. Lingzang is devoted to the impermanence of Buddhism; his heart bears no shadow. The incense is useless on him. All I did was induce him to lie down and rest quietly for a while. After all, my true target was you, Your Majesty."
He turned his head and called into the darkness. "Are you ready?"
The emperor instinctively followed his gaze. His eyes grew wide.
A figure stepped forth from the darkness. The man's appearance, stature, clothing, and mannerisms were identical to his own.
Xiao Lü smiled brightly. "How long do you think you can delay, Your Majesty?"
So this was why Xiao Lü had so patiently entertained his questions. The impostor had watched everything, observing the subtle nuances of his voice and expressions.
"Almost there," the impostor said. "Please let him speak a few more words, Pavilion Leader."
His voice sounded like it had come from the emperor's own lips. The emperor burned with fury. He'd never expected his enemy to have this card up his sleeve.
"You only have yourself to blame, Your Majesty." Xiao Lü's voice was laden with regret. "Your security is too tight—every time my men tried to infiltrate the palace, they were identified by the Jiejian Bureau. I had no choice but to resort to more unconventional methods. Rest assured: Once this man takes your place, he'll issue an edict saying you're abdicating and make arrangements for the rest of the Yang clan. Your esteemed name will remain untarnished. The history books will still call Your Majesty a wise emperor who established the imperial examinations and subdued the Göktürks."
The emperor had resolved not to say another word, but at this, he couldn't contain himself. "Who will believe this impostor?! Do you take the empress and ministers for fools?!"
Xiao Lü smiled. "The confidants who supported your ascension, such as Liu Fang and Zheng Yi, are already dead. Then there's the solar eclipse—a clear sign that the heavens themselves deem you guilty for usurping the Yuwen clan's throne. Your Majesty spent three days in repentance at Daxingshan Temple, then resolved to follow Emperor Wu's example and abdicate to become a monk. What does it matter if the empress and ministers don't believe it? It only matters that the common folk do. The Prince of Qin is already in contact with the commander of the imperial army—between them, they'll focus on consolidating military power and earning the trust of the people. As for Empress Dugu, it's unfortunate that she's so ill. She should continue to rest."
"You're delusional!" the emperor roared.
"Enough," said the impostor.
He stepped up to the emperor and reached out to touch his face, stroking it as if trying to work out the structure of his bones. A chill ran down the emperor's spine. His face filled with horror, but he found himself unable to move.
"I. I. I." The impostor repeated the word, adjusting his tone each time. Slowly he erased the last subtle differences between himself and the original, until they sounded completely identical.
"I am Yang Jian. Yang Jian is me." The impostor gave a small smile that chilled the depths of Yang Jian's heart.
It's over, he thought in despair. The Buddha statue would muffle all sound within it. No matter how he screamed, no one would come to his rescue.
Throughout the ages, death had always been the one inevitability no will could surmount. But the emperor now realized that what he feared most wasn't the inevitability of his death. It was not knowing what Xiao Lü would do with his face and identity when he was gone.
In the darkness behind him, a silent hand stretched out. It wasn't the hand of a savior, but that of the reaper come to claim him.
A dark figure rushed forward, ready to strike the fatal acupoint on the emperor's back. Xiao Lü's smile vanished as he sprang between them. "Stop!"
Though he'd arranged for someone to impersonate the emperor of Sui, the real one was still useful to him. He had no intention of killing him yet. But the newcomer was merciless—they'd gone for the emperor's life. Xiao Lü exchanged several blows with the newcomer before he recognized him.
"Tu'an Qinghe! We've never interfered in each other's business before. Why are you starting now?!"
Tu'an Qinghe said nothing. He pushed Xiao Lü aside and drew his sword, slashing at the emperor. His saber qi multiplied a thousandfold as it flew from his blade, rushing toward both the real and fake emperors.
Xiao Lü refused to let Tu'an Qinghe succeed, but he could only save one. What he wanted was a puppet. If he was forced to pick, the impostor was more useful—he darted toward the fake.
The emperor watched helplessly as the saber glare tore toward him, cold and sharp and ready to extinguish his life. His chest ached, as if preemptively feeling the pain. In that critical instant, someone grabbed his shoulder and yanked him backward.
What lay behind him wasn't the solid ground he'd imagined. A deep pit seemed to have materialized out of thin air. The emperor teetered on the edge for only a breath before plummeting down into the dark. Yet in that brief moment, he caught a glimpse of the one who'd rescued him: It was the young monk he'd seen beside Master Lingzang.
"I practically became a Buddha myself with how long my venerable self waited for you people to show yourselves!" The monk laughed heartily, instantly giving away his identity.
Xiao Lü and Tu'an Qinghe had been engaged in ferocious combat, but the moment Feng Xiao appeared, they set aside their fight and flew toward him.
Feng Xiao deflected their strikes with a wave of his sleeves, then grabbed the impostor and held him up as a shield as he slid backward. With a smooth flip of his hand, he tossed the fake emperor after the real one into the pit.
Dazed from the fall, the emperor was startled when another body landed on him, nearly crushing him to death.