The imperial court is ceding territory from our northern border? Then we'll rebel!

Shuobei City, the residence of the Marquis of Zhenbei.

In a heavily guarded courtyard, Princess Chang Le, Li Qingluan, sat by the window, looking haggard.

She's been here for several days, under house arrest.

Over the past few days, she has gone from initial anger and cursing to fear, and now to numbness.

She heard the earth-shattering shouts of battle outside the city with her own ears, and she also saw countless wounded soldiers being carried down from the front lines with her own eyes.

She knew that Ashina Sun had lost.

His defeat was even more devastating than that of Wei Yong in the Eastern Frontier.

And she, this noble princess of the Great Yan Dynasty, is now a prisoner of the victor Xiao Jingchen.

A useless pawn that can be sacrificed at any time.

She had wondered more than once if her elder sister would send someone to rescue her.

But reason told her no.

After the scandal of "colluding with foreign enemies and plotting to kill the commander-in-chief" spread throughout the world, in her elder sister's eyes, she was no longer a younger sister who needed to be rescued, but a stain that had to be erased.

Thinking of this, a chill ran through her.

Just as she was lost in thought, the courtyard gate creaked open.

Xiao Jingchen, surrounded by a group of guards, slowly walked in.

This was the first time Li Qingluan had seen Xiao Jingchen in person since the incident.

He was still dressed in his usual black casual clothes, his posture was upright, his face was stern, and his deep eyes seemed to be able to see through people's hearts.

He was completely different from the rumored brave but reckless warrior.

Li Qingluan's heart tightened for no reason, and she subconsciously straightened her back, trying to maintain her pitiful royal dignity.

"Marquis of Zhenbei, what do you intend to do?" she asked, forcing herself to remain calm. "I am a princess of the current dynasty. Do you dare to kill me?"

Xiao Jingchen did not answer her, but walked to the stone table and sat down, pouring himself a cup of tea.

He took a slow, deliberate sip before raising his eyelids to look at Li Qingluan.

"Your Highness, do you think you still have the right to negotiate with me?"

His tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable sense of pressure.

Li Qingluan's face turned pale.

"you……"

"What do you think your elder sister is thinking right now?" Xiao Jingchen interrupted her. "She's not thinking about how to save you, but how to make your death 'reasonable'."

"For example, she could die suddenly from an illness. Or, she could 'commit suicide because she couldn't bear the humiliation.' That way, she could not only get rid of the stain on you, but also pin the blame on me for driving the princess to her death."

"To her, your life is a nuisance. You only have value when you're dead."

Every word Xiao Jingchen said was like a knife, stabbing deeply into Li Qingluan's heart.

She wanted to argue, but found that she couldn't utter a single word.

Because she knew that what Xiao Jingchen said was true.

In the ruthless royal family, kinship always takes a backseat to power.

"What...what exactly do you want?" Li Qingluan's voice finally trembled with fear.

"I'm giving you a choice." Xiao Jingchen put down his teacup, looked at her, "A choice that will allow you to survive, and even live a better life than before."

"What choice?" A glimmer of hope appeared in Li Qingluan's eyes.

"Be my pawn," Xiao Jingchen said calmly. "Don't you like playing power games and being a chess player? Unfortunately, your skill level is too low. You didn't even see the chessboard clearly before you were kicked out."

"Now, I'm giving you a chance to stay on this game. However, I'll take over the hands now."

"You...you want me to betray my elder sister?" Li Qingluan looked at him in disbelief.

"Betrayal?" Xiao Jingchen laughed, his laughter filled with sarcasm. "She was the one who abandoned you first. As for me, I'm just making use of trash."

"You can deliver some letters to those in the capital who are still wavering. Use your status as a princess to tell them who the future hope of the Great Yan Dynasty is."

"You can also write a 'letter of appeal' to your dear elder sister. In the letter, you can reveal some of our army's 'classified intelligence' so that she thinks she still has a chance to turn the tide."

"In short, I want you to be a thorn I plant in the heart of the capital. A thorn that will keep them awake at night, unable to eat or sleep."

Li Qingluan's heart was in turmoil.

Reason told her that this was the only way to survive.

But emotionally, she couldn't accept that she had to serve the man who had ruined everything for her.

"Why don't you kill me?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"Killing you would be too easy on you." Xiao Jingchen stood up and looked down at her. "Besides, a living, obedient princess is far more useful than a dead one."

"I'll give you three days to consider. If you still refuse to agree after three days, then I'll have no choice but to send you back to the capital in a 'grand and glorious' manner."

He deliberately emphasized the phrase "in a glorious and impressive manner".

Li Qingluan instantly understood what he meant.

That would not be a complete corpse, but a corpse that had been "humiliated to death".

Her face instantly drained of all color.

……

Just as Xiao Jingchen was giving Li Qingluan a multiple-choice question.

The capital city is in complete chaos.

The Empress's decree to raise an army of 300,000 to attack the Marquis of Zhenbei was like a thunderbolt, igniting an unprecedented storm in the imperial court.

Led by the Prime Minister, a group of senior officials knelt outside the Zichen Hall, earnestly pleading with His Majesty to rescind his decree.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider! The great victory in the northern frontier and the defeat of the three-race allied forces present the perfect opportunity for our Great Yan to reclaim lost territories and demonstrate our national power! To wage war against the Marquis of Zhenbei at this time would be tantamount to destroying our own Great Wall!"

"Yes, Your Majesty! The Marquis of Zhenbei has rendered unparalleled service, and the people and soldiers of the northern frontier are devoted to him. A hasty attack might incite a mutiny and shake the very foundation of the nation!"

However, Li Fengyi had already made up her mind.

She denounced all the ministers who offered advice as "accomplices of the traitor Xiao," and even dismissed several of the most outspoken censors.

Under intense pressure, the imperial court fell silent for a time.

But beneath the surface, a storm was brewing.

The "truth" coming from the eastern frontier is fermenting more and more strongly among the people of the capital.

Teahouses and restaurants were filled with people discussing the matter.

"Have you heard? Commander Wei of the Eastern Frontier was murdered by Princess Chang Le in collusion with the barbarians!"

"Really? That's terrifying! How could the royal family do such a thing?"

"Of course it's true! Tens of thousands of soldiers in the Eastern Frontier have witnessed the evidence, and they're now raising their banners to avenge Commander Wei!"

"Tsk tsk, I knew it! The Marquis of Zhenbei is fighting tooth and nail against the barbarians, and the imperial court is stabbing him in the back. Isn't their plan to get rid of the Marquis of Zhenbei so they can sell the northern frontier to the barbarians?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down! Are you crazy?!"

Public resentment is eroding the prestige of the Empress and the court at an alarming rate.

The military, however, reacted even more strongly.

Zhao Kuo, who was appointed as the general to suppress the rebellion, hesitated to send troops after receiving the imperial edict.

His generals even jointly wrote a letter, earnestly stating that the Marquis of Zhenbei was a pillar of the nation, and the Northern Frontier Army was a force to defend against enemies; they would never raise their swords against their comrades.

For the first time, Li Fengyi truly understood what it meant to be utterly alone.

She sat in the empty, cold hall, listening to the faint whispers outside and looking at the memorials from the military requesting orders.

She discovered that her orders as the emperor could no longer even leave the capital.

Her pride in power and authority was shattered in the face of Xiao Jingchen's simple and brutal scheme.

"Xiao Jingchen..."

She clenched her fists tightly, her eyes burning with unprecedented rage and... a hint of fear that she herself was unwilling to admit.

She knew she had to find another way.

Forceful measures are no longer enough to suppress this warlord in the northern frontier.