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

Dark clouds loomed over Jinyang City.

Five thousand northern cavalrymen, without challenging or shouting, simply stood in formation a mile outside the city.

They were like five thousand silent statues, with men and horses seemingly blending into one. Only the large banner with the character "Xiao" fluttering in the wind, rustling and exuding a suffocating sense of oppression, remained.

The Jin Yang garrison soldiers on the city wall had sweaty palms.

They could even clearly see the hideous scars on the faces of the knights opposite them, and the fierce glint in their eyes, like that of wild wolves.

This is not an army at all; it's a group of killing gods who crawled out of hell!

Lieutenant Wang leaned against the wall, his face more ashen than a corpse's. He was now filled with regret for his foul mouth, for saying he would live and die with Jinyang.

This isn't about sharing the same fate; it's about dragging the entire city down with him.

Time is passing by, second by second.

A deathly silence reigned both on and below the city walls.

This silent standoff is more terrifying than any earth-shattering shout of battle.

Just as Commander Wang was on the verge of a mental breakdown, there was finally movement from the Northern Frontier army below the city.

A lone rider slowly galloped out.

The newcomer was not armored or armed; he was dressed only in a scholar's robe and held a white banner in his hand, indicating that he had no hostile intentions.

"Who goes there!" Commander Wang steadied himself, mustered his courage, and shouted loudly towards the city below.

The scholar arrived at the moat, reined in his horse, and loudly replied, "I am a scribe under the command of the Marquis of the Northern Frontier. I have come on the Marquis's orders to pay my respects to Prefect Zhang of Jinyang and to present a letter personally written by the Marquis!"

They've arrived!

On the other side of the city gate, Zhang Chengye and Mr. Qian, who were quietly observing everything, exchanged a glance.

Everything was exactly as Mr. Qian had predicted.

"Let him up here!" Zhang Chengye ordered his personal guards in a low voice.

Soon, the drawbridge was slowly lowered, and the city gate opened a crack.

The clerk remained calm and composed as he spurred his horse in, as if he were entering not a heavily guarded city, but his own backyard.

This courage alone earned the secret admiration of many Jinyang officials on the city wall.

The main hall of the prefect's residence.

Zhang Chengye sat upright in the main seat, trying his best to appear dignified.

The clerk was brought in and bowed respectfully to Zhang Chengye, saying, "Greetings, Prefect Zhang."

"Hmph, Xiao Jingchen, how dare you! As a marquis of the imperial court, instead of defending the country's borders, you dare to raise arms and march south! This is a heinous crime of treason! Does your lord want his entire family to be executed?" Zhang Chengye slammed his gavel and shouted sternly, trying to overwhelm the other party with his imposing manner.

However, the clerk merely smiled slightly, his expression remaining unchanged.

"Prefect Zhang, you are mistaken," he said calmly. "My lord's uprising is in accordance with the will of Heaven and the hearts of the people. His purpose is to 'purge the court of corrupt officials and punish the treacherous ministers,' to save the people from suffering, and to prevent the collapse of the dynasty. How can this be considered treason?"

"But you, Prefect, sitting in Jinyang, holding military and political power in your hands, have turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to the Empress's perverse actions, her persecution of loyal officials, and her disregard for the people. This, perhaps, is the true dereliction of duty, the true betrayal of the Emperor's grace?"

"You!" Zhang Chengye was so choked by his words that his face turned pale and then red.

This kid's got a really sharp tongue.

"Enough with the nonsense!" Zhang Chengye forcibly suppressed his anger. "Bring up Xiao Jingchen's letter!"

The clerk smiled slightly, took out a letter from his pocket, and had a servant present it to him.

Zhang Chengye unfolded the letter and began reading it quickly, skimming through it.

The letter was not long.

The preceding part consisted of a righteous and awe-inspiring speech, denouncing the empress's tyranny and the collapse of the court, and expounding the righteousness of his uprising.

In the middle lies a blatant threat.

"...An army of two hundred thousand is already at the city gates. If the governor can obey the will of Heaven and the people and open the gates to surrender, then the position of governor of Jinyang will still be yours. The Zhang family's wealth and status will be preserved. If you remain obstinate and resist stubbornly, then on the day the city falls, everything will be destroyed, and it will be too late to regret it..."

Upon seeing this, Zhang Chengye's back was already covered in a layer of cold sweat.

He could almost see the horrific scene of 200,000 troops besieging the city, and Jinyang flowing with blood.

He forced himself to remain calm and continued reading.

But when he saw the end of the letter, he was completely stunned.

Because at the end of the letter, there was another person's signature and personal seal.

Princess Chang Le, Li Qingluan!

Moreover, at the end of the letter, a passage was added in a completely different, delicate handwriting.

"Prefect Zhang, how have you been? When my father was alive, he often told Qingluan that a prefect is a pillar of the nation, someone who understands the bigger picture and is righteous. Now, my elder sister is incompetent, the court is in turmoil, and Qingluan is imprisoned, but fortunately, Marquis Xiao rescued her. After much thought, I realize that in all the world, the only person I can entrust this to is you, Prefect. Soon, Qingluan will accompany the Marquis's army to the walls of Jinyang. I hope that you will remember the late emperor's kindness and make a wise choice for the sake of our Great Yan dynasty and the people. Qingluan bows in gratitude."

This...this is...

Zhang Chengye's hand holding the letter began to tremble uncontrollably.

He wasn't afraid, he was excited!

This is like having a pillow delivered to your head when you're about to fall asleep!

Just when he was worried about not finding a suitable reason to surrender, Xiao Jingchen paved the steps for him, and they were white marble steps with gold trim!

"The late emperor's last words!"

"The princess has fled to seek refuge!"

With these two things, can it still be called surrender?

No! He called it "responding to the late emperor's call to protect the princess in distress, conforming to the general trend of the world, and being forced to turn against the emperor"!

This reputation is not tainted at all; on the contrary, it shines brightly!

Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!

In his heart, Zhang Chengye already admired Xiao Jingchen, whom he had only heard of by name, to the point of complete awe.

How could the legendary brave but reckless warrior possibly possess such impeccable political skills?

He forcibly suppressed his overwhelming joy, slammed the letter heavily on the table, his face displaying a mixture of grief and indignation.

"Outrageous! Outrageous!" He pointed at the scribe, his voice filled with anguish. "Your Majesty the Empress is so incompetent! You don't even spare your own sister! The late Emperor's body is barely cold, and the court has already rotted to this extent! Heaven has no eyes!"

As he spoke, he beat his chest and stamped his feet, and even squeezed out a few tears from the corners of his eyes.

The acting was so good that even Mr. Qian, who was watching from the side, was amazed.

The clerk watched Zhang Chengye's performance with a smirk in his heart, but kept a straight face and just watched him quietly.

After "acting" for a while, Zhang Chengye saw that the other party had no reaction and felt a bit bored, so he stopped using his supernatural powers and let out a long sigh.

"Alas, so be it. Since there is the late emperor's dying wish and Her Highness the Princess's own handwritten letter, if I, this official, were to remain obstinate, wouldn't I become an unfaithful and unjust person?"

He stood up and bowed in the direction of the palace.

"Your Majesty, it is not that I am disloyal, but that the will of Heaven is difficult to defy!"

Then, he turned to the scribe and said solemnly, "Go back and tell Lord Xiao that I understand what he wants to do. Ask him to wait outside the city for a day. Tomorrow at noon, I will personally lead the civil and military officials of Jinyang to open the city gates and welcome the Lord Xiao and Her Highness the Princess!"

A smile finally appeared on the clerk's face.

"Your Excellency is wise."

He cupped his hands in a respectful bow again, turned around, and strode away with his head held high.

After the clerk left, Zhang Chengye could no longer contain his excitement and grabbed Mr. Qian's hand.

"Sir! It's done! It's done!"

"Congratulations, sir! Congratulations!" Mr. Qian smiled and cupped his hands in greeting. "Your actions are in accordance with the will of Heaven and the people; your future is limitless!"