Summoning the Gods: Start by creating the Eternal Night.

The night was as dark as ink, and the Great Qian Imperial City was shrouded in tranquility.

Only the rustling of the armor plates of the night patrolmen and the distant sound of the watchman's drum occasionally broke through the deep night.

Inside the General of the Nation's mansion, the lights were on full display.

Song Zongxiang sat upright in his study, his brows furrowed, holding a map of the Eastern Region in his hand, his fingertips repeatedly stroking the location of Tianfeng City.

He was to lead 100,000 imperial guards into battle early tomorrow morning, and he knew in his heart that this campaign to quell the rebellion would be no easy task.

King Wu dared to plot such a blatant rebellion, so he must have something to rely on behind the scenes, and that mysterious force was a major threat.

"General, His Highness the Second Prince has arrived." The steward entered quietly and bowed to report.

Song Zongxiang was taken aback, looked up at the dark night sky outside the window, and asked in confusion:

"It's late now, what brings Xiao'er here?"

The "Xiao'er" he mentioned was the Second Prince, Qian Xiao. His mother was Song Zongxiang's younger sister, and in terms of seniority, Qian Xiao had to call him "uncle".

"Let him in," Song Zongxiang said in a deep voice, putting down the map.

Before long, Qianxiao, dressed in a brocade robe, strode into the study with a hint of urgency on his face. Before Song Zongxiang could speak, he preemptively said, "Uncle!"

Song Zongxiang looked at his nephew, his brows furrowing slightly: "Xiao'er, what brings you here so late at night?"

Qian Xiao took a deep breath, looked firmly at Song Zongxiang, and said directly:

"Uncle, I want to go to Tianfeng City with you and join the army on the expedition!"

"Nonsense!"

Upon hearing this, Song Zongxiang's face darkened, and he slammed his hand on the table, shouting sternly.

Do you know what this expedition is for?

"That was a mission to quell a rebellion; it was fraught with danger and bloodshed!"

"You are a prince, a person of noble birth, how could you place yourself in such a dangerous situation?"

He stood up, pointed at Qianxiao, and said, "His Majesty has explicitly forbidden princes from accompanying the army. Do you intend to defy the imperial decree?"

"Go back quickly, don't cause trouble here!"

Qian Xiao did not back down at all. Meeting Song Zongxiang's stern gaze, he said in a deep voice:

"Uncle, I know this journey is dangerous, but that's precisely why I'm going!"

"Now that the position of Crown Prince is vacant, how can I, as a prince, simply enjoy peace and tranquility in the capital?"

"I also want to share my father's burdens and contribute to the Great Qian Dynasty!"

"Furthermore, I have been well-versed in military strategy since childhood. Although I am not as experienced as my uncle on the battlefield, I am not completely ignorant and will certainly be able to contribute my modest efforts in the army."

Song Zongxiang sneered, "You think the battlefield is child's play?"

"No matter how many military books you read, without practical combat experience, you'll only be a burden on the battlefield! That's absolutely impossible!"

Seeing this, a sly glint flashed in Qian Xiao's eyes, then he softened his tone and said softly:

"Uncle, my mother has already agreed to this matter."

"What?"

Song Zongxiang was stunned, an expression of disbelief on his face.

"How could your mother... how could she agree to this?"

His sister has always doted on Qianxiao and wished she could protect him under her wings. How could she bear to let him go to such a dangerous place?

Qianxiao nodded and said, "It's absolutely true. My mother said that a prince should be responsible and not just know how to enjoy himself."

She also said that she would go to the Imperial Study to explain the matter to her father, and that she believed her father would understand her good intentions and my determination.

Song Zongxiang fell silent.

He understood his sister; she seemed gentle, but in reality, she was quite opinionated, and once she made a decision, it was difficult to change it.

Moreover, if she were to actually plead with His Majesty, given his favor towards her, he might actually agree.

Looking at the determination in Qianxiao's eyes, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

This nephew is ambitious, but not incompetent; he insisted on going this time.

He probably wanted to use this opportunity to show off and increase his chances of winning the crown prince position.

After a moment of contemplation, Song Zongxiang finally spoke slowly:

"Very well. Since your mother has agreed, I will no longer object."

"But remember, once you're in the army, you must strictly adhere to military discipline."

"Follow my orders completely. No one is allowed to act on their own, and no one is allowed to act impulsively. Understand?"

"If you dare to act recklessly, even if you are a prince, I will punish you according to military law!"

Upon seeing Song Zongxiang relent, Qian Xiao's face lit up with joy, and he quickly bowed in greeting.

"Thank you, Uncle! I will certainly remember your teachings and never dare to act recklessly!"

He secretly gloated, thinking, "Good brothers, just you wait!"

"Once I return victorious from Qianzhou, having achieved great military exploits, the position of Crown Prince will undoubtedly be mine!"

Song Zongxiang saw the fleeting glint in his eyes, understood, but said nothing more, simply waving his hand:

"It's getting late. Go back and prepare. We'll assemble at the drill ground at 5:00 AM tomorrow."

"Yes, Uncle!" Qianxiao replied respectfully, turned around and left quickly, his steps light and brisk, clearly in a very good mood.

After Qian Xiao left, Song Zongxiang sat back down at the table, his brows furrowing even more as he looked at Tianfeng City on the map.

He had a feeling that this expedition would not go so smoothly.

……

Meanwhile, within Qianzhou, in a dense forest less than a hundred miles from Tianfeng City, three figures were moving swiftly forward.

It was Jingxinmo, Yelüta Buyan (Qingguo), and Yelüta Buhua (Qingcheng) who came from Qingzhou.

"Lord Mirror Heart Demon, this road is truly difficult to travel."

Qingguo wiped the thick sweat from her forehead and complained, "When are we finally going to get into Qianzhou? My feet are practically blistered."

Qingcheng chimed in, "That's right. If we had known it was this far, we should have taken a carriage and gone by the official road."

Mirror Heart Demon glanced back at them, speechless as she looked at the two sisters, one fat and one thin, a strange smile curling at the corner of her lips:

"In another hour, we will reach Tianfeng City on the border of Qianzhou."

"Once we get to town, let's find a fine inn so you two beauties can rest properly, shall we?"

"Oh, that's more like it." Qingcheng pouted and quickened her pace.

The three of them traveled swiftly after leaving Qingzhou, without lingering or inquiring about news along the way. Therefore, they were completely unaware of the recent unusual events in Tianfeng City.

In their view, the purpose of this trip was to infiltrate Qianzhou, develop the Bad People's forces, and investigate the backgrounds of all parties. Tianfeng City, as an important border city of Qianzhou, was naturally the first stop.

An hour later, the towering city walls of Tianfeng City finally came into view.

However, the closer they got, the more uneasy they felt.

Logically speaking, a prosperous city like Tianfeng City should be bustling with traffic and pedestrians even in the evening.

But the city gate before them appeared unusually deserted, with several times more guards than usual, each one looking vigilant.

They were extremely strict in checking people entering and leaving the city, and their faces showed a hint of tension that was hard to detect.

"This city...it's strange," Qingcheng frowned and whispered.

A hint of doubt flashed in Mirror Heart Demon's eyes, and he nodded:

"Something is definitely unusual. Let's go into the city first, find an inn to stay at, and find out what's going on."

Following the sparse crowd, the three underwent a rigorous check by the guards before finally entering Tianfeng City.