After rebirth, I became a treacherous minister Black Moonlight

The officials from the western city knelt on the ground in front of him.

Zongzheng Xi said impatiently, "All of you, get out of my way!"

The officials looked at each other, speechless with fear.

Lord Lu, who was in the lead, said with trepidation, "Even if I were to die today, I would never allow His Majesty to leave the government office!"

Zongzhengxi said angrily, "You keep calling me Your Majesty, Your Majesty, but have you even listened to what your Emperor says?"

Lord Lu looked troubled: "Your Majesty's safety is at stake. The Grand Commander has ordered that His Majesty must not leave the government office until the Embroidered Uniform Guard comes to greet him."

Zongzhengxi glared at him fiercely: "Is he the emperor or am I the emperor?"

Zongzhengxi gets angry whenever Lu Yuan is mentioned.

They agreed to go on a clandestine patrol, but once they arrived in Xicheng, they sold him out.

What's even more infuriating is that they left without saying goodbye, leaving him, the Empress, and the Imperial Concubine in the hands of this boring bunch.

Lord Lu dared not utter a sound.

With the Grand Commander holding the Emperor Emeritus's secret order, who would dare to disobey?

However, he dared not explain these things to His Majesty, because the Grand Commander had instructed him not to bring up the matter of the Emperor Emeritus and the secret order, lest it damage the relationship between father and son.

He couldn't help but sigh whenever he thought about this.

The Grand Commander truly has good intentions.

If he had truly revealed everything to Zongzheng Xi, he would have known that the Emperor Emeritus had not given any secret order at all, and that he had been fooled by Lu Yuan.

Zong Zhengxi insisted on going to find Lu Yuan.

Lord Lu had no choice but to turn his pleading gaze to the two ladies.

Zhou Nanyan: "I agree to go find them!"

Lord Lu was greatly surprised.

Going to Loulan is fraught with danger, with a slim chance of survival. As a concubine, shouldn't you advise her against it?

Fortunately, there was the Empress, who was knowledgeable and understanding...

"I agree as well."

Yao Qingluan said without changing her expression.

Lord Lu was dumbfounded!
Going is out of the question. Lu Yuan has given the order. If he dares to let the Emperor, Empress and Consort go, Lu Yuan will hold him accountable. Even a hundred heads wouldn't be enough to pay for it.

Gufeng Town.

The bright moon disappeared into the dark clouds, and the already dark town was shrouded in endless darkness.

A cold wind rose, stirring up the yellow sand at the street corner, as if an invisible hand was slowly lifting a mysterious veil.

Clang!

The window was blown open by the strong wind.

Banxia was startled and hugged Meng Qianqian tightly: "Miss!"

Despite trembling with fear, she stubbornly used her frail body to shield Meng Qianqian.

Tan'er sat up and stared warily at the window.

Outside, Lu Yuan frowned and looked towards the side window.

But soon, he looked away.

"It's the wind."

He said.

Meng Qianqian gently patted Banxia's shoulder and said to Tan'er, "Go and close the window."

"okay!"

Tan'er jumped down and closed the window.

Banxia let out a long breath.

Tan'er yawned: "Nothing, I'm going to sleep."

"Go to sleep."

Meng Qianqian said, "We have to get up early and travel tomorrow."

Banxia reluctantly agreed, tugging at Meng Qianqian's sleeve: "Miss, you should sleep too."

Meng Qianqian smiled slightly: "Okay."

The three of them lay down.

Lu Yuan stood quietly in the cold wind, listening to the even breathing coming from inside the house, her eyes gradually turning calm.

"Chenlong".

He called out.

"Not leaving."

"Chenlong said."

"Don't you want to follow them and see who the Snake is planning to meet tonight?"

"I don't want to." "You don't want to, or did you already know?"

"Keep watch over you through the night."

"It seems to be the latter."

Lu Yuan smiled faintly and didn't press Chen Long any further.

Chenlong's expression relaxed slightly.

Thinking of something, he said, "I advise you not to send Yu Zichuan to his death."

Lu Yuan simply smiled.

That nonchalant expression seemed to say, "I won't interfere with you, and you shouldn't interfere with me either."
-
The moon is dark and the wind is high.

The Snake walks on the streets filled with yellow sand, leaving a deep footprint with each step, which is then blown away and buried by the sand in an instant.

He stopped at a fork in the road and quietly observed the surrounding movements.

About a hundred paces away, two slender figures rose and fell silently, scaling walls and eaves in the night.

"Slow down! Wait for me!"

Meng Lang gritted his teeth and muttered, "So what if you know light-body skills!"

Ikukochuan stopped.

Caught off guard, Meng Lang bumped headfirst into his back, causing him to see stars from the pain.

He clutched his throbbing brow bone and said through gritted teeth, "Stop just like that? Didn't you know to give us a heads-up?"

Yu Zichuan: "Didn't you tell me to stop?"

Meng Lang: "..."

Meng Lang cleared his throat and asked calmly, "By the way, why are you following the Snake? Did you also notice that something was wrong with this guy?"

Yu Zichuan grunted, "Is something wrong with him?"

Meng Lang stared in disbelief: "You didn't notice anything wrong with him? Then why did you follow him? I know, Lu Yuan told you to follow him!"

Yu Zichuan nodded honestly and said, "I just want to catch a ghost on the street."

Meng Lang again: "..."

On the other side, the Snake took a few steps to the southeast: "If you don't come out soon, I'm going back."

Meng Lang and Yu Zichuan concealed their presence, lying prone on a high rooftop, using the roof's edge to cover themselves.

Meng Lang asked using lip reading, "Who is he talking to?"

Yu Zichuan's eyes replied: You're asking me? Who should I ask?
Meng Lang: Fine, fine, you're so aloof, just like your master.

Meng Lang couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"coming."

Yu Zichuan said.

Meng Lang was startled and quickly became alert.

But he didn't sense anything.

Just as he was wondering, a faint, dreamlike, and androgynous voice suddenly came from the distant horizon.

"Snake, you're getting more and more polite. You came all this way, but why did you bring two little burdens as a gift?"

"W-what kind of greeting gift... Ouch! That hurts!"

As Meng Lang muttered to himself, a tremendous force suddenly pressed down on his chest, then his shoulder armor, head, and limbs, rendering him completely immobile.

Looking at Yu Zichuan, he realized he wasn't much better than himself.

His temples were bulging with veins and he was sweating profusely; he had clearly suffered a terrible attack.

The two men's bones cracked, and they both coughed up blood at the same time.

"enough!"

The snake (巳) opens its mouth.

The pressure on them eased in the next instant, and the two were swept up by a tornado-like internal force, falling unceremoniously onto the street.

Meng Lang was in so much pain that his eyes were about to burst and he was seeing stars.

Yu Zichuan gripped the bow tightly, enduring the excruciating pain as he gasped for breath.

Meng Lang was in pain, but also secretly astonished.

It wasn't that he was surprised by the other party's strength, but rather that Yu Zichuan had become alert earlier than he had.

He doesn't compete with those freakish big shots, but he can't lose to Yu Zichuan.

Yu Zichuan coughed up another mouthful of blood.

Meng Lang felt at peace.

At least I only vomited blood once.

It seems that while their alertness is high, in terms of internal strength, I am still a cut above. (End of Chapter)