Too many female prisoners, a special forces soldier transmigrates and marries wildly.

It's late at night, but people are still awake.

The oil lamp in the main room of the courtyard house burned longer than usual.

Lin Feng wasn't asleep; he was staring blankly at the sketch of the prefecture he had drawn on the table, covered with circles and dots. His fingers unconsciously tapped the table, making a soft, rhythmic sound.

The shouts from the night training exercise outside had stopped; only the footsteps of the patrolling brothers could be heard, rhythmically treading on the cold, muddy ground.

Suddenly, a soft "thump" came from outside the window, as if something had hit the windowpane. The sound was very faint, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

Lin Feng's eyes narrowed, and he instantly flashed to the window, his hand already on the hilt of his sword. He listened intently; all he could hear was the sound of the wind outside.

He slowly pushed open a crack in the window. In the moonlight, at the base of the courtyard wall, lay a small stone wrapped in oiled paper. The oiled paper shimmered faintly in the moonlight.

He gently pushed open the window, his figure sliding out like a cat, landing silently, quickly reaching the base of the wall, and picking up the oil paper package.

Back in the room, he opened the box by the light. Inside was no letter, only a small, black token—neither gold nor wood, engraved with cloud patterns—the very one Ye Qingli had given him. Beneath the token lay a scrap of paper, its edges charred, yet the writing still clearly visible. On the scrap were only a few tiny characters:

"Tomorrow night, midnight, in the eastern part of the city, at the third willow tree east of the ruins of 'Listening to the Rain Pavilion'. It concerns Black Wind Valley and Miss Chen. Urgent. Burn immediately after reading."

There was no signature, but the token and the words "Miss Chen" said it all.

Black Wind Valley! Chen tide! Ye Qingli used such a secretive and urgent method to send a message, and even specifically mentioned Chen tide... Could something have happened in Black Wind Valley? Or has she found out some crucial information concerning Chen tide's safety?

Lin Feng's heart tightened. Without the slightest hesitation, he brought the scrap of paper close to the lamp flame. The flame licked at it, quickly turning the scrap of paper to ashes.

He carefully put the token away from his body, walked to the window, and looked towards Black Wind Valley with a deep gaze.

Tomorrow night at midnight... the ruins of "Listening to the Rain Pavilion"... that's a place of trouble, Ye Qingli's choice of that place must have a deeper meaning.

Just then, from the direction of the distant prefectural city gate, a deep and long horn sound suddenly rang out! Immediately following was the resounding, thunderous clatter of horses' hooves, rolling closer and closer! Interspersed among them were the sharp clanging of gongs clearing the way and authoritative shouts:

"The Imperial Envoy has been ordered to conduct an inspection! All bystanders, please step aside!"

The sound was loud and clear, piercing through the night, and even made the window paper of the courtyard house creak slightly.

He's here! Marquis Feng Zhen! He really did arrive ahead of schedule! And he entered the city suddenly in the dead of night!

Lin Feng suddenly pushed open the window and looked in the direction from which the sound came.

From the east gate of the prefectural government, flickering flames could be seen, resembling a fiery dragon rapidly moving towards the prefectural government office.

Even from this distance, its majestic aura could be clearly felt.

Hou Qi scrambled in, his face now filled with shock and excitement: "Master Lin! Master Lin! The Imperial Envoy! Imperial Envoy Feng's entourage has entered the city! What a grand procession! Cavalry leading the way, banners waving, heading straight for the prefectural government! The streets are under martial law!"

Liu Sandao also rushed in, his clothes disheveled, his single eye gleaming: "Master Lin, the imperial envoy's sudden intrusion into the city at night is a show of force for Zhou Wenyuan and Prince Qi!"

Lin Feng stood by the window, watching the firelight gradually approach the prefectural government office and illuminate half the sky, listening to the rumbling hooves and majestic shouts. A feeling of heroic spirit and solemnity welled up in his chest.

Feng Zhen has arrived. This "catfish," capable of stirring up trouble in Qingzhou, has finally entered the water. And his arrival has been so sudden and so forceful!

Is it a blessing or a curse? Is it a ladder to heaven or a catastrophe?

He didn't know. But he did know that from this moment on, the rules of the game in Qingzhou were about to change.

The fragile balance carefully maintained by Zhou Wenyuan and the King of Qi will be completely shattered.

Lin Feng, and the "Sanhe" organization he founded, will be officially drawn into this higher-level power struggle led by the imperial envoy!

Opportunity and danger have never been so clearly and nakedly presented to him.

"Pass on my message." Lin Feng turned around, his voice steady and powerful, carrying an unquestionable decisiveness.

"From this moment forward, the entire 'Sanhe' organization shall enter a state of high alert! The docks, cargo shops, and carriage shops shall remain as usual, but everyone must keep a close eye on things! The rules shall be ten times stricter than usual! Do not utter a single word that should not be said! Do not do a single thing that should not be done! Especially towards the canal gangs, temporarily cease all proactive provocations, but if they dare to lay a hand on you, beat them to a pulp, and then withdraw immediately without leaving any trace!"

"Yes!" Liu Sandao and Hou Qi replied in unison, their expressions solemn.

"Furthermore, double the number of sentries to keep a close watch on the Zhou residence, the Qi Prince's residence, the Grand Canal Gang headquarters, and... the prefectural government office! I need to know who the imperial envoy met first after entering the city, who he summoned first, and what he did!"

Lin Feng's gaze sharpened. "Also, have our men find a way to infiltrate the crowds watching the spectacle outside the prefectural government office tomorrow. Observe which officials and gentry are present, their expressions, their conversations, and even a single glance—record everything!"

"clear!"

The two accepted the order and hurried off to make the arrangements.

Lin Feng stood alone in the room, listening to the faint commotion outside caused by the imperial envoy's entry into the city, and the rapid and orderly sounds of preparations for war inside the "three-sided courtyard," and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

I need to meet Ye Qingli tomorrow night to find out about Chen tide and the changes at Black Wind Valley.

The immediate challenge is to cope with the dramatic changes brought about by the arrival of the imperial envoy, stabilize the "three-way" formation, and at the same time closely monitor the reactions of Zhou Wenyuan and the Prince of Qi.

Huang San of the canal gang was still struggling to survive.

The "Mysterious Scale Guards" lurked in the shadows, watching intently.

A multitude of problems, fraught with danger.

But he was unusually calm inside, and there was even a faint flame burning inside him.

That's the excitement of the challenge, the desire to control your destiny, and the determination to protect your loved ones!

"Come on. Come on all of you. I, Lin Feng, am now in a state of deep concentration on this game of chess in Qingzhou! Let's see who will wield the pieces in the end, who will be the master of the game, and who... will have the last laugh and take control of the Qingzhou winds and clouds!"

He pushed open the door and stepped into the courtyard. A chilly night wind swept over him, carrying the cold of late autumn and the faint clamor of power and change coming from the direction of the distant prefectural government office.

The world is really about to change.