Chapter 5 Tragedy at the Gates
The attack came shortly before dawn.
Most of the palace still slept.
Lanterns burned low.
The final sounds of celebration had faded into silence.
Then the alarms began.
BOOM!
The thunderous impact shook the palace walls.
A second explosion followed.
Then a third.
The peaceful night shattered instantly.
"Enemy attack!"
"Sound the alarm!"
"Protect the royal family!"
Bells rang across the palace grounds.
Guards rushed from their barracks.
Servants fled through the corridors in terror.
Chaos erupted everywhere.
Prince Li Wei Chen awoke immediately.
Within moments he had armed himself and rushed toward the palace gates.
Smoke rose into the sky.
Flames illuminated the darkness.
A large force of rebels had breached the outer defenses.
Black banners waved above the attacking army.
The same rebellion thought crushed months ago had returned.
Only this time, they seemed to be searching for something.
Their leader shouted orders as soldiers poured into the palace.
"Find the Jade Relic!"
"Search every building!"
"Do not let the chosen girl escape!"
Wei Chen froze.
The chosen girl?
A terrible feeling settled in his chest.
Yu Lan.
Elsewhere within the palace, Yu Lan awoke to frightened screams.
Mei Xue burst into her room.
"Yu Lan! We must leave immediately!"
"What happened?"
"The rebels are inside the palace!"
The two women hurried into the corridor.
Around them, guards escorted servants toward safety.
Fear gripped everyone.
Yet amid the chaos, Yu Lan felt something far stranger.
The jade pendant around her neck had begun glowing.
A faint emerald light pulsed beneath her robes.
Almost as if it sensed the danger.
Outside, Wei Chen fought like a storm unleashed.
His sword flashed through the darkness.
One rebel after another fell before him.
Blood stained the palace steps.
Even veteran soldiers struggled to keep pace with the Crown Prince.
General Han Mo joined him.
"The enemy isn't targeting the throne!"
Wei Chen blocked an incoming strike.
"What are they after?"
Han Mo's expression darkened.
"Something beneath the palace."
At that moment, another realization struck Wei Chen.
Yu Lan.
The rebels had mentioned a chosen girl.
His heart clenched.
Without hesitation, he turned.
"I must find her."
The palace corridors had become a battlefield.
Yu Lan and Mei Xue fled through the eastern wing when several rebels suddenly appeared ahead.
Their swords gleamed in the firelight.
"There she is!"
"The girl with the pendant!"
Yu Lan's blood ran cold.
How did they know?
The rebels charged.
A nearby guard intercepted them, allowing the women time to escape.
But more enemies continued pursuing them.
Meanwhile, Wei Chen raced through the palace searching desperately.
Every passing second increased his fear.
Smoke filled the air.
Servants screamed.
Fighting erupted in every direction.
Then he heard her voice.
"Your Highness!"
Yu Lan emerged from a nearby corridor.
Relief flooded through him.
"Yu Lan!"
Without thinking, he ran toward her.
For one precious moment, they were only steps apart.
Then everything changed.
A hidden rebel archer appeared above them.
The assassin drew his bow.
The arrow was aimed directly at Wei Chen's heart.
Yu Lan saw it first.
Time seemed to slow.
"Your Highness!"
Without hesitation, she threw herself forward.
The arrow struck her.
Wei Chen watched in horror.
The arrow pierced her side.
Yu Lan collapsed into his arms.
The world stopped.
"No..."
Blood stained her jade robes.
The pendant glowed violently beneath her collar.
Wei Chen dropped to his knees.
"No, no, no..."
Yu Lan tried to speak.
Only a cough escaped her lips.
Tears filled the Prince's eyes.
For the first time since childhood, he felt utterly helpless.
Around them, the battle continued.
But Wei Chen heard nothing.
Saw nothing.
Only her.
The jade pendant suddenly erupted with brilliant emerald light.
A powerful wave of energy swept across the corridor.
Rebels were thrown backward.
The walls trembled.
Everyone stared in shock.
For an instant, Wei Chen glimpsed the image of an enormous jade tree surrounding Yu Lan.
Then the vision vanished.
The light disappeared.
And Yu Lan lost consciousness.
Her body went limp in his arms.
"Yu Lan!"
No response came.
Fear consumed him.
The fear of losing the one person who had broken through the walls around his heart.
The fear of losing the woman he loved.
Cradling her carefully, Wei Chen stood.
His sword trembled with fury.
The rebels would pay for this.
Every last one of them.
And far beneath the palace, hidden within an ancient chamber sealed for centuries, a forgotten power began to awaken.
The Jade Garden had heard its chosen guardian's cry.
And destiny was only beginning.