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

The north wind howls, and the snow in Shuobei City never seems to fall enough.

Xiao Jingchen was wiping his knife.

The fingertips pressed against the rough linen, inch by inch down along the spine of the knife, the force so heavy that the knuckles turned white.

I heard hurried footsteps behind me.

The snow crunched underfoot.

The person was running so fast that their boots slipped on the icy steps, and their knees slammed heavily onto the stone slabs.

"My lord! Urgent report from the eastern frontier!"

The scout's voice was hoarse, as if there was grit stuck in his throat.

Xiao Jingchen's hands didn't stop moving.

The blood-stained rag continued to move back and forth along the blade.

"read."

The scout knelt in the snow, holding a sealed letter aloft with both hands.

The sealing wax on it was red, a bright and glaring red.

"General Wei Yong... was ambushed in the Broken Soul Valley in the Eastern Frontier."

The scout was panting heavily, his chest heaving violently, and every word seemed to be squeezed out of his lungs.

"A million-strong army... was routed."

Xiao Jingchen paused, his knife still.

The cleaning cloth instantly tore in two.

The fragments drifted onto the snow and were quickly swept away by the wind.

"Where is Wei Yong?"

He asked calmly, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger, as if he were asking what to eat for dinner.

The scout buried his head in the snow, shivering all over.

"Commander Wei... has been captured."

The air freezes.

The patrolling soldiers all stopped in their tracks.

The sound of armor clashing vanished without a trace.

Only the sound of the wind remained, still roaring recklessly, oblivious to its own demise.

Xiao Jingchen turned around.

He sheathed his sword.

A crisp click.

It was exceptionally clear on the desolate city wall.

"What did the allied forces of the three races say?"

The scout dared not raise his head, his forehead pressed against the cold ground.

"They said... they would trade Commander Wei's life for Shuobei City."

"They also said... if we don't give it to them, they'll kill Commander Wei first, then slaughter the three cities of the Eastern Frontier."

What a boastful tone.

What a ruthless scheme.

Xiao Jingchen stepped down from the city wall.

The black cloak fluttered in the wind.

"Return to the residence."

……

Council Hall of the Marquis of Zhenbei's Residence.

The fire in the charcoal brazier was burning brightly, but it couldn't dispel the chill that filled the room.

A group of heavily armored generals stood on both sides.

Their faces were harder than the iron and stone outside.

Lei Lie, sitting on the left, slammed his fist on the table.

A crack appeared directly in the solid wood table.

"Bullshit!"

Lei Lie roared so loudly that the veins on his neck bulged, and his spittle flew three feet away.

"That good-for-nothing Wei Yong, who only knows how to talk the talk, has caused the deaths of a million brothers, and now he wants to trade our Shuobei City for his dog's life?"

"Does he deserve it?!"

None of the surrounding generals spoke.

But everyone's hands, which were resting on the knife handles, had bulging veins.

Shuobei City was built with their lives.

Every crack in the bricks is stuffed with the flesh of the men of northern Xinjiang.

Are we just going to hand it over to them now?

Or is it to save a fool who only knows how to talk big?

Just then, a high-pitched voice came from outside the door.

"Oh, General Lei, you're really angry."

A eunuch dressed in a purple robe walked in.

Two rows of Imperial Guards with swords followed behind him.

The man's face was covered in thick powder, making him stand out starkly in the grim military camp.

He was Wang Delu, a military supervisor sent by the imperial court.

Wang Delu pinched his pinky finger and covered his nose with a handkerchief in disgust.

It seemed that the stench of sweat in the room was bothering him.

"I came here with His Majesty's decree."

He glanced sideways at the burly men in the room.

Finally, my gaze fell on the man in the main seat who hadn't spoken a word.

Xiao Jingchen sat on the tiger-skin chair.

He was holding a cup of tea.

The tea lid gently stirred the floating tea leaves.

He didn't even glance at Wang Delu.

Wang Delu felt a chill run down his spine.

But because he was someone close to the Empress, he straightened his back even more.

"Lord Xiao, you've heard about what happened in the Eastern Frontier, haven't you?"

"General Wei is one of His Majesty's most trusted advisors. Now that he is in trouble, we cannot stand by and watch him die."

Xiao Jingchen took a sip of tea.

The tea was a little hot.

It's scalding hot as it goes down your throat.

"so what?"

He put down his teacup, the porcelain bottom tapping softly on the table.

Wang Delu twitched the corner of his mouth, revealing a row of yellow teeth.

"The three clans said they only want Shuobei City."

"His Majesty is merciful and cannot bear to see General Wei suffer, nor can he bear to see the people of the Eastern Frontier suffer."

"Therefore... I would like to ask Your Excellency to consider the bigger picture."

"Give up Shuobei City."

"As long as Commander Wei returns safely, His Majesty will surely reward him handsomely."

Lei Lie drew his sword.

The gleaming blade was pointed directly at Wang Delu's nose.

"Say it again?"

Wang Delu was so frightened that he took a step back.

The Imperial Guards behind him immediately stepped forward, drawing their swords.

The atmosphere instantly became extremely tense.

"Lei Lie".

Xiao Jingchen spoke.

The sound wasn't loud, but it made Lei Lie freeze in his grip on the knife.

"Step back."

Lei Lie gritted his teeth, his cheeks puffed out high.

But he still sheathed his knife, glared fiercely at Wang Delu, and stepped aside.

Wang Delu breathed a sigh of relief.

He straightened his collar and put on that annoying fake smile again.

"The Marquis is indeed sensible."

"The imperial edict is already on its way; I'm just here to get a heads-up."

"My lord, you should prepare for the handover as soon as possible."

"The envoys from the three races are waiting outside the city, ready to exchange the city defense map for people."

Xiao Jingchen stood up.

He is tall.

The shadow fell directly over Wang Delu.

Wang Delu had to look up to see the man's face clearly.

There was no expression on his face.

It's like the glaciers outside that have never melted.

"Eunuch Wang."

Xiao Jingchen helped Wang Delu straighten his slightly askew hat.

The movements were as gentle as if he were treating an old friend.

"You just said the imperial edict is still on its way?"

Wang Delu was stunned for a moment.

"Yes...yes."

"That means there is no imperial edict yet."

Xiao Jingchen's hand slid down Wang Delu's shoulder.

Finally, it stopped on his neck.

There was a thin blood vessel pulsating there.

Wang Delu's hair stood on end.

"Lord...Lord, what do you want to do?"

"I am His Majesty's man!"

Xiao Jingchen smiled.

But this smile was even more frightening than his previous cold expression.

"Since there is no imperial edict, then what you just said is meant to demoralize our army."

"According to the Great Flame Law."

"Anyone who disrupts the morale of the army shall be executed."

Wang Delu's pupils suddenly contracted.

He opened his mouth wide as if to scream for help.

But before the sound could be uttered, it was snapped off by a large, iron-like hand.

Click.

A crisp sound of bone cracking.

Wang Delu's head slumped to one side.

Those eyes, thickly powdered, were wide open, staring unsettled in death.

Xiao Jingchen released his grip.

The body lay sprawled on the ground like a lump of mud.

The guards inside the room were dumbfounded.

Their hands were trembling as they gripped the knives.

No one dared to make a move.

Nobody dared to believe it.

The Marquis of Zhenbei actually killed the military supervisor!

Xiao Jingchen took out a handkerchief from his pocket and slowly wiped his hands.

"Drag him out and feed him to the dogs."

Two bodyguards immediately stepped forward and dragged Wang Delu out like a dead dog.

Lei Lie's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"My lord... this is that old woman... the Empress's person!"

He almost shouted out what was on his mind.

Xiao Jingchen threw the dirty handkerchief into the charcoal brazier.

Flames licked the silk, turning it to ashes in an instant.

"Wei Yong lost a million-strong army; that was his crime."

"You want to trade Shuobei for his life?"

"dream."

He walked up to the map.

He pressed his finger heavily on the location of Shuobei City.

"Pass down the order."

"The entire city is on high alert."

Not a single fly is allowed in.

"As for that envoy from the three races outside the city..."

Xiao Jingchen turned his head and looked at Lei Lie.

"Cut off his head and hang it on the city gate tower."

"Tell the three-race allied forces."

"If you want Shuobei, you'll have to pay with your life."