# 110: The Golden Wisp (I)

◎Confrontation◎

He turned and left, taking with him the last trace of light in the enclosed space. Zhou Tan had no choice but to support Qu You as they ventured deeper into the mausoleum.

The moment they stepped into the tomb chamber illuminated by the perpetual lamp, Bai Ying touched some hidden mechanism. The heavy stone door slowly descended behind them, sealing off their only exit.

The flame still burned, indicating there was no risk of suffocation here.

The air carried the peculiar fragrance Qu You had noticed earlier in the corridor—likely the scent of embalming spices exposed to the air when the coffin was reopened.

Bai Ying placed the lantern at his feet. Following his gaze, Qu You saw Emperor De’s jet-black coffin.

Zhou Tan glanced briefly at a simple wooden coffin on one side of the chamber. Bai Ying smiled faintly, lifting its lid to reveal a tattered blood-stained garment.

“I retrieved this after he leapt from the city tower,” Bai Ying smoothed the wrinkles of the torn clothing, closing his eyes as he spoke. “That day, Yuanjun told him I hadn’t died. He must have realized my true identity and understood how I’d manipulated him all these years. He must have been furious...”

“He didn’t know—and neither did you—that I stood beneath the city tower that day, intending to collect his remains. But then the carriage emerged, leaving nothing behind. After a lifetime of worldly glory, the esteemed Crown Prince ended with nothing but this ridiculous, shattered garment. I even gathered scraps of flesh and blood wedged in the carriage wheels to piece this together... He should have been buried in the imperial mausoleum.”

Neither Zhou Tan nor Qu You spoke. In the dim lamplight, Bai Ying raised his head, his expression cold and detached.

Then, he turned and ascended the golden steps beneath the jet-black coffin, where Emperor De’s body lay encased in a jade burial suit.

The soft glow of the luminous pearl illuminated his unfamiliar face.

Holding up the lantern, Bai Ying gazed at the coffin and murmured softly to himself, “Why did you bring me into this world?”

Naturally, there was no reply.

“You mistreated Aguli, ruining my life. This is your retribution, yet I’m the one who suffers for it... Did you know? I searched tirelessly for you, but as a commoner, I couldn’t even believe my own identity. How could I ever meet the exalted Emperor?”

The tomb chamber was damp and chilly. Qu You watched Zhou Tan’s face grow paler and helped him sit down.

Zhou Tan coughed weakly. “His Majesty... never knew.”

Bai Ying’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “Did he truly love his own son—or was it just ‘the Empress’s child’ he cared for?”

“Doctor Bai,” Qu You called out, her voice trembling. Unsure how else to address him, she stuck to his old title. “I know you harbor resentment, but even now... it’s not entirely impossible to restore your name. There must be witnesses from those days, and Zi Qian...”

“Qu You, there’s no need to comfort me with kind words,” Bai Ying said slowly. It was the first time he addressed her by her full name. “From the moment I discovered my true identity and plotted to seize the throne, there was no turning back. Do you think Zi Qian would spare my life? We both know the answer.”

“You still have Li’s army, and you once had ties with Western Sha. At worst, you could flee—to the ends of the earth, never to return.” Qu You gripped Zhou Tan’s arm tightly, her voice strained. “Isn’t it better to stay alive?”

Bai Ying sneered, ignoring her question, and turned to Zhou Tan. “I originally intended to drive a wedge between you and Zi Qian. But you two were always one step ahead, pretending to be estranged since ascending the throne—it fooled me completely. Truthfully, you are my true rival. Even when Zi Qian trusted me completely, he never revealed a word.”

“So your plan was to eliminate both me and Xiaoyan, leaving Zi Qian alone to face turmoil in the court...”

“Precisely,” Bai Ying admitted freely. “A mere boy, what threat could he pose?”

Qu You grew both anxious and angry. “He trusted you so deeply, and you—”

“What’s the point of dwelling on this? My plans have already failed,” Bai Ying clapped his hands and laughed heartily. “You’ve calculated everything so precisely—how could I possibly escape with an army now? All I can do is drag you down with me into ruin.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a faint noise came from the wall behind him. The sound grew louder, signaling the arrival of many people outside the tomb.

“Hahaha... They’re here,” Bai Ying narrowed his eyes, clearly delighted. “Zhou Tan, with all your extraordinary talents, what can you do now?”

Qu You scanned the room, her heart growing colder by the second.

After falling earlier, she had sensed something amiss. The overpowering fragrance masked the sharp odor in the air.

The shallow water channels surrounding the tomb had long been stagnant, appearing an inky black. She had initially thought it was filth, but now she realized it might be the oil Bai Ying had prepared in advance!

When Li Yuanjun detonated the main hall of Xiuqing Temple, she had also planted oil beforehand.

Bai Ying’s talk of mutual destruction wasn’t empty rhetoric. Ancient mausoleums were deep and isolated—if not killed by the explosion, they would surely suffocate.

Even as Qu You frantically considered escape routes, she heard Zhou Tan chuckle softly beside her. “What can I do? What should I do? When you abducted my wife and lured me here, I already foresaw this outcome.”

“Yes, yes,” Bai Ying repeated, tightening his grip on the fuse-like object in his hand. “You possess unparalleled talent, success at every turn, and mastery over any situation—even bedridden, you could sway Jiangnan nobles with just a few words. Everything I feared and felt incapable of, you achieved effortlessly. As for me? I could only resort to such despicable tactics to trap you here. Aren’t you mocking me right now, implying I have no other options?”

Zhou Tan continued to wear his ironic, pitying smile, offering no response.

Qu You’s mind wandered inappropriately. Ever since she met Zhou Tan, he seemed to have a unique power—his words could stir emotions in anyone. Just now, a single sentence had visibly agitated Bai Ying.

When people became emotional, they revealed weaknesses—a truth even she understood well.

Still, Zhou Tan continued calmly, “Do you really believe you can kill me today?”

Bai Ying sneered, unfazed.

“Aren’t you curious why the Crown Princess acted without your approval?”

Qu You suddenly recalled Bai Ying’s earlier words to Li Yuanjun: “You’re too impatient.”

“You shouldn’t have acted so hastily. But I couldn’t wait any longer—if I gave you more time, you might have uncovered my plans with the Emperor. You trusted us before because Luo Jiangting secretly passed information to you. If she had half your intelligence, she wouldn’t have rushed Li Yuanjun into action—she was too eager to secure her position as a noble consort.”

“You’re certain the Emperor will grow suspicious of me—probably because of that message you sent in?”

At this, Qu You glanced at Zhou Tan in surprise.

She hadn’t known about this message.

“You...”

Bai Ying’s face changed dramatically. He staggered back a couple of steps, realization dawning as his voice trembled with urgency. “That message—”

Zhou Tan interjected, “Yes, I deliberately leaked it to you. Do you think that if I hadn’t willingly released it, you would have uncovered something we’ve kept hidden for so many years so easily?”

“You madman...” Bai Ying shook his sleeves, pacing in circles, unable to contain his anger. “How dare you... How dare you...”

“The confession you had someone write was replaced by me before entering the palace,” Zhou Tan said. “That night, the Emperor read it—and the paper Luo Jiangting saw him burn was blank.”

Bai Ying let out a strange laugh. “So you were afraid after all.”

“What do I have to fear?” Zhou Tan sighed, his tone sincere. “A Lian already told you my plans. Since I don’t have much time left, why would I care about these things?”

He emphasized the word “live,” and Bai Ying paled further upon hearing it.

“Fine, fine, you’ve planned everything perfectly. If that’s the case, then you must not care about dying here today either!”

Zhou Tan laughed loudly, helping Qu You to her feet. “I have my own tasks and destinations. When I die is my decision alone! What can you do to stop me?”

As soon as he finished speaking, a dark shadow lunged toward them unexpectedly. Bai Ying, distracted and unprepared, was caught off guard and tackled by Zhou Yang. The two rolled down the golden steps from the central platform of the tomb.

Zhou Yang pinned Bai Ying’s wrist holding the fuse while pressing his shoulder, shouting quickly, “Brother, count eight golden bricks to the right and press the center.”

Qu You acted swiftly, counting the bricks herself before Zhou Tan could move. Following his instructions, she pressed the designated spot, causing the sealed tomb to open gradually through a ventilation shaft, revealing another long passageway.

Seeing their escape, Bai Ying grew enraged and desperate, abandoning all caution. He hurled the fuse to one side and grappled with Zhou Yang near the passageway. Grabbing an iron hairpin from his head, he shattered the perpetual lamp on the wall.

The oil-soaked lamp, now ablaze, scattered like fireworks, igniting the fuse and triggering small sparks in the surrounding oil.