"Hurry, we don’t have long," the Crown Prince urged his n, who were ard with grappling hooks tied to ropes.
While Bai Li lead the attack on Prince Haoran’s n, Zhu Yicai and his guards were busy carrying out Lord i’s ’strike in the West’ strategy.
"Place the grappling hooks in as many spots as you can find on these timber beams," Yicai ordered, pointing at the timber fra that held the west wall of the throne room in place.
On the eastern side of the throne room, First Brother and Assault Commander Yu were also busy.
"Place the hooks higher!" shouted First Brother. "That’s it. Add more, add more! Don’t be stingy now."
"Faster n, faster!" the Assault Commander pressed the n. "Get as many of them into the wood as you can in these last minutes!"
The eastern wall was now covered in hundreds of grappling hooks, long ropes dangling from the hooks. It looked like the wall had been covered in hundreds of giant worms, all trying to burrow their way inside.
A runner appeared at First Brother’s elbow. "The Crown Prince says that the western wall is ready and asks if you’re finished?" squeaked the pimply young fellow.
"Tell him we’re ready too," First Brother nodded seriously at the teenager.
The boy disappeared back into the crowd of n, zigzagging his way through the soldiers as he ran as fast as his short legs could carry him.
First Brother approached the Assault Commander, "I’ve told the Crown Prince that we’re ready to go."
Assault Commander Yu nodded. "Get ready n!" he yelled. "Everyone on a rope!"
Each and every man ran forward and grabbed the end of one, two, three and even four ropes.
First Brother and the Assault Commander stood as far back as they could so they could watch the n’s progress.
anwhile on the western wall, Zhu Yicai raised his hand. Second Brother stood waiting for his signal. When the Crown Prince chopped his hand down decisively, Second Brother blew out a short military blast on a suona.
"Retreat!" roared Commander Bai.
His soldiers started to pull back from the fighting. Prince Haoran’s n looked bewildered. Their orders were to defend the throne room, not to follow the Emperor’s n and defeat them. They remained in their positions, spaced across the stairs and the portico, guarding the doors to the dragon throne.
"Follow , n!" Lieutenant Ju lead half the soldiers to the left, running hard towards the western wall.
"With , n!" Commander Bai lead the other half of their army, running to the right.
At the sa ti, Zhu Yicai and First Brother gave the order to their n to pull.
"Heave! Heave! Heave!" roared the Assault Commander to the n on the eastern wall.
"Give it everything you’ve got, n!" shouted the Crown Prince over to the west.
On both sides of the building, with a loud crack, a huge piece of the throne room wall disappeared, falling with a thunderous crash, covering the n who had pulled it free in dust and debris.
"Attack n! Attack!" the Crown Prince cried, and the sa n who a second ago had been tugging down the wall, now stread through the empty space they had created, flooding the throne room.
Prince Haoran’s guards who had previously been relaxed, scrambled to defend what was now effectively an open air pavilion.
At the sa ti, Bai Li and Ju Rong lead their n scrambling over the short walls on either side of the throne room and on into the throne room, just seconds behind the Crown Prince and First Brothers’ n.
Inside the throne room, was a scene of chaos.
The air was thick with dust; a white choking dust that coated everything and made it hard to see more than a few feet ahead of yourself. The occupants of the room looked like snown, their hair, uniforms and faces coated in a layer of plaster dust.
The Crown Prince and Bai Li both rushed towards Prince Haoran. Though he looked now like every other man in the room, he was, of course, the man sitting on the dragon throne.
He rose to his feet and pulled his sword from its scabbard, wiping the dust from his eyes with his sleeve so that they peered eerily from his white face, like two little black stones.
Yicai motioned at Bai Li to drop back. This was his fight. It was his brother. His eldest brother, who had murdered their father.
He knew very well that his father would not have wanted him to kill Haoran and wanted him to live in exile.
’Sorry Father’, he sent him a silent apology. ’I’m not sure I can comply with your wishes’. And right now, hereally didn’t want to...
"Didi, we et again," Haoran’s beady snowman eyes glared at his younger brother. "Very good, very good," he tossed his chin in the direction of the gaping holes where solid walls had stood only monts before. "I suppose that was Lord i’s doing was it?"
Yicai inclined his head in agreent with the guess.
"He always was the best strategist in the Kingdom. The man makes an excellent ally, that’s for sure," the prince spoke bitterly.
Bai Li had silently found ili in the crowd, arriving by her side at the sa ti as Third Brother. Bai Li put his finger to his lips when she made to speak, and the two n quietly spirited her away.
She sagged with relief. "Li," she whispered urgently, "Chief Eunuch Feng. I think he’s being held behind the dragon throne."
"Leave it with ," he nodded, casting his eyes across the crowd of dusty n. If he was there, he wasn’t obvious. Perhaps he was tied up. "I’ll find him ili," he promised her. "Take ili out of the palace," he ordered her third brother. "There’s nowhere safe in these walls. Take her back to the Mansion."
Third Brother nodded his agreent and wrapped an arm around ili’s shoulder, hustling her away.
ili resisted being lead, turning back towards Bai Li.
"Li," she called to him.
He turned back towards her.
"Be careful, Li. Stay safe."
Her delicate face looked like it had been powdered white. With her hair dusted white, she looked like an angel.
"That’s what I say to you, ili. Stay safe at ho this ti. I don’t want to see you back at the palace until I fetch you here myself," he warned her. "No more surprises."
"Okay Li," she gave him a sweet smile with a hint of sheepishness.
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