Chapter 131: A Bolt from the Blue

Shangguan Wan'er ordered her maid, Xiang'er, to fetch her sword. Xiang'er bowed and said, "Reporting to the Lady, your sword was confiscated by the Empress Dowager two months ago."

Shangguan Wan'er sighed, "Such pettiness from a woman. If I truly harbored treacherous intent, would I even need a sword?"

With that, she turned and walked into the inner chamber, retrieving a jade dagger from her trunk. This blade had been a prized possession of Xu Jingye. After his defeat and death, the weapon was kept by Empress Wu Zetian. Because Shangguan Wan'er had found the blade exquisitely crafted and played with it often, the doting Empress had bestowed it upon her. This jade dagger had never been shown to others, so the Lady Wei was unaware of its existence. Facing a critical situation, Shangguan Wan'er had no choice but to bring it out. Gazing at the dagger, which was less than a foot long, she smiled bitterly, "Better than nothing, I suppose." She then concealed the blade behind her back.

The doors of Fengming Pavilion were burst open with great force. Guards retreated in disarray, shielding Lady Wei as they stumbled inside. Before Wan'er could react, Sha Tonghai and his men had already charged in. Lady Wei gave a subtle pinch to a guard’s shoulder, and the agile man immediately ducked behind Shangguan Wan'er. As the mistress of the pavilion, Shangguan Wan'er could not hide behind Lady Wei, so she stepped forward and shouted, "Who dares to intrude upon the palace grounds with such insolence!"

The Japanese mercenaries, blinded by bloodlust, paid no heed to who stood before them; they struck down anyone blocking their path. One immediately lunged at Shangguan Wan'er. While she held no affection for Lady Wei and had no desire to get involved in this mess, she had no choice but to dodge as the steel blade descended. As she sidestepped, a shrill cry echoed beside her—the maid Xiang'er had been cut down. Xiang'er had lived with Wan'er in Fengming Pavilion for years, and their bond was deep.

Furious, Shangguan Wan'er cried out, "You are utterly lawless! Your target is Lady Wei alone; why slaughter the innocent?" She leapt forward, turning her palm into a blade to strike the attacker’s throat. His neck bone snapped instantly, and he fell dead.

When Sha Tonghai arrived, he had heard that a woman named Nian Cixi, who possessed formidable martial arts, was by Lady Wei's side. He had never seen Nian Cixi, nor had he seen Shangguan Wan'er, only hearing that Nian Cixi was a woman of extraordinary beauty. Seeing Shangguan Wan'er’s stunning appearance and her display of martial skill, he assumed she was Nian Cixi and commanded, "Kill Nian Cixi as well!" The mercenaries swarmed forward with their blades. Hearing this, Shangguan Wan'er realized he had mistaken her identity, but she was a woman of immense pride and would never deign to explain herself to such coarse ruffians.

She merely sneered in silence. As they rushed her, she moved like a shadow, weaving through the crowd and narrowly evading their long blades at every turn. With sharp cries, her palms and fingers struck with unstoppable force. In an instant, she had felled over a dozen men. Knowing the night’s events were dire, and harboring deep resentment for the senseless murder of Xiang'er, she showed no mercy. Every strike carried an internal force capable of severing meridians, and almost every mercenary she touched died on the spot. Seizing the moment while the men were occupied with Wan'er, Lady Wei, surrounded by her guards, fled through the back window of the pavilion.

Seeing his men suffer such heavy losses, Sha Tonghai flew into a rage. He swung his broadsword at Shangguan Wan'er. He was a master of combat on ships, where a low, stable center of gravity was paramount. However, on land, this left him lacking in agility. After a few exchanges, he was forced into a frantic defense by Wan'er. In desperation, he gambled on a move of mutual destruction, sweeping his blade toward her.

Shangguan Wan'er sneered, dodged the strike, and landed a kick that sent Sha Tonghai reeling. Although he dodged the worst of it, the impact was bone-shattering. As he roared and prepared to charge again, a deep voice thundered from outside, "If the 'Female Prime Minister' were to be captured by a rabble like you, it would be a disgrace to the prestige of the Great Tang!" Sha Tonghai turned in anger, only to see a figure in purple robes stride through the doorway.

In the Great Tang, purple was the most noble of official colors, followed by red and blue. The man’s attire indicated a high-ranking official. Sha Tonghai immediately bowed and said, "Greetings, Protector-General." The man was indeed Tian Yangming, the Grand Protector of the Anxi Protectorate.

Without looking back, Tian Yangming said, "I will handle this. Leave two men to attend to the Lady, and you go pursue Lady Wei." Sha Tonghai obeyed immediately, leading his men out of the pavilion.

Tian Yangming bowed deeply to Shangguan Wan'er, "I am acting under the orders of the Prince of Linzi to purge the faction of Lady Wei. I ask that you do not aid the wicked."

Shangguan Wan'er sighed, "To think that the formidable Protector-General Tian Yangming is under the command of the Third Prince. It seems the fortune of the Wei faction is truly at an end."

Tian Yangming bowed again, "Since you know the end is near, why not accompany me to see the Prince? He has long admired your talent and would surely grant you mercy."

Shangguan Wan'er smiled bitterly, "In the rise and fall of political tides, I have never been master of my own fate. The Third Prince has long viewed me as part of the Wei faction and is determined to see me dead. Would you have me grovel for my life? Zilu, a disciple of Confucius, once said, 'A gentleman dies, but he does not discard his cap.' Though I am but a woman, I value my integrity more than my life. I must decline your kind offer."

Tian Yangming sighed, "Then I have no choice but to be impolite."

Shangguan Wan'er replied sternly, "Heaven has willed it so; what more is there to say? I am not one to await death, so please, Protector-General, do not hold back."

Tian Yangming unbuckled his sword and drew it from its scabbard, throwing it toward her. The blade was so sharp that it buried itself half a foot into the brick floor without a sound, the tip vibrating slightly.

"Lady," Tian Yangming said, "this 'Qingshuang' sword was bestowed upon me by the Empress Wu when I was appointed Protector of Anxi. The inscription on the blade was written by your own hand."

Shangguan Wan'er gently pulled the sword from the ground. Moonlight reflected off the blade, cold and frost-like. The delicate, golden-ink calligraphy was still clear: "The mountains are high and the roads are long; the winds are cold and the frost is bitter. Relying on the General as a pillar of the western frontier, the Great Tang’s fortune shall flourish forever. Inscribed by imperial decree by Shangguan Wan'er at Hanyuan Hall upon the departure of Grand Protector Tian Yangming for the western borders."

Whispering the words, she recalled the banquet where she had served the Empress and toasted Tian Yangming’s departure. Now, the times had changed, and the people were gone. Tears welled in her eyes. She steadied her heart, formed a sword seal with her left hand, raised the blade with her right, and said softly, "Protector-General, make your move."

Tian Yangming nodded. With a stomp of his foot, he kicked up a discarded Japanese blade into his hand. Knowing she would not strike first out of pride, he lunged forward, thrusting with the blade. Though he held a sword, his technique was that of a swordsman. Shangguan Wan'er pivoted to dodge, returning with a counter-thrust, which Tian Yangming parried.