Prince Bei Jing of the Red Chamber, starting from saving Qin Keqing

"My lord! We can't let this stalemate continue!"

Gong Ji swung his sword with all his might, cutting down a bandit who lunged at him. His voice was hoarse and almost incoherent, filled with extreme urgency.

"If we don't leave now, we'll all perish here! Your men will fight to the death to protect you and help you escape. Please leave—"

Shui Rong slowly shook his head, raised his hand to wipe away a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth, and with a gentle tap of the sword's spine, deflected a cold arrow shot from the shadows.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a strange calmness that steadily drowned out the sounds of battle, clearly reaching Gong Ji's ears: "What's the panic?"

"I calculated it correctly; the people who were supposed to come have already arrived in Baoding Prefecture."

Gong Ji was startled, forcefully deflecting the flurry of blades in front of him. He turned to look at Shui Rong, his eyes filled with confusion and urgency: "What you're saying, Master—"

"Lü Zijian".

The three words had barely left his lips when another flurry of wild, chaotic slashes rained down, the dense blades carrying murderous intent, instantly separating the two.

Gong Ji was tightly entangled by two bandits and had no time to get close to Shui Rong. He could only watch helplessly as Shui Rong faced several long swords alone. He was anxious but powerless to help.

Meanwhile, outside the Baoding government office, the lights were on and the place was bustling with activity.

Li Xuan, dressed in official robes and holding a command flag, stood in front of the government office, his expression grim and urgent, and sternly ordered the assembled guards before him:

"All of you, listen up! Proceed to Black Wind Canyon tonight. If you see anyone close to Prince Bei Jing, kill them without mercy! You must help Xiao Lie and the others kill Shui Rong! This matter is top secret. Anyone who dares to divulge a single word will have their entire family executed!"

He knew that this was his only chance. If he could help Jiang happy kill Shui Rong, he would gain the Empress's favor and advance further; if he failed, he would only face certain death.

"Yes, sir!"

The soldiers responded in unison, their voices loud and clear, yet tinged with hesitation.

Unauthorized troop deployment and plotting to murder a prince are heinous crimes punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. However, they were under Li Xuan's control and had no choice but to accept the order.

Li Xuan nodded in satisfaction, mounted his horse, and with a flick of his whip, was about to give the order to depart.

A rapid sound of hooves suddenly came from afar, "clatter clatter clatter," the sound of hooves grew closer and closer, carrying a sharp momentum. In an instant, a man and a horse galloped to the front of the government office, came to a steady stop, and blocked the way of Li Xuan and the government soldiers.

The man was dressed in a scarlet official robe, covered by armor, with a gold fish-shaped pouch hanging from his waist. His face was stern, and he was looking at Li Xuan with a half-smile, exuding an undeniable air of authority.

"Where is Your Excellency heading, Prefect? ​​It's late at night. How dare you mobilize the troops of Baoding Prefecture without the imperial decree or the report of the Prefect of the Capital Region? Could it be that Your Excellency is plotting something sinister?"

Li Xuan stared intently, and when he saw the person's face clearly, his whole body stiffened. A chill instantly shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and his hands trembled, causing the command flag in his hands to fall to the ground with a "thud".

He practically tumbled off the horse, landing heavily on his knees with a thud, trembling all over, his voice a mixture of fear and obsequiousness, not daring to lift his head.

"Your humble servant, Li Xuan, pays his respects to Lord Lü! I was truly unaware of Lord Lü's arrival in Baoding Prefecture and have failed to greet you properly; I deserve to die a thousand deaths! I deserve to die a thousand deaths!"

A storm raged within him, and he was filled with disbelief.

How could Lü Zijian, the dignified Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, suddenly appear in Baoding Prefecture?

At this hour, the hour of You (5-7 PM) has passed, and it is already pitch black. How could he have arrived at such a convenient time?

Did he already know that I was going to mobilize troops without authorization, and came here specifically to stop me?

"I dare not accept such a grand gesture from Prefect Li." Lü Zijian bowed slightly, his gaze sweeping coldly over him, his tone indifferent. "I have a question for you: what is your purpose in mobilizing troops in the dead of night?"

Li Xuan's heart tightened. He quickly composed himself, suppressing his fear, and began to fabricate a lie, his tone urgent yet respectful:

"Reporting to Lord Lü, I have just received news that His Highness Prince Bei Jing has been attacked and killed by bandits in Black Wind Valley. His situation is critical!"

"Your Majesty's safety is of paramount importance to me. I am extremely anxious and have no time to report to the court or inform the Prefect of the Capital Region. I can only temporarily dispatch the prefectural troops to rush to Black Wind Valley overnight to provide support. Firstly, to protect Your Majesty, and secondly, to annihilate the bandits and rid the country of this scourge!"

As he spoke, he kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead quickly turning red, begging Lü Zijian to believe his lies and let him go.

He didn't even dare to think too much about it. If the matter were investigated thoroughly, the fact that this Vice Minister of War had privately mobilized troops would be enough to have him executed on the spot.

Looking at his panicked and evasive appearance, Lü Zijian's eyes flashed with a hint of mockery, but he said in a calm tone:

"Oh? I see. Since the prince has been assassinated and the situation is critical, this official body has just received the news and is preparing to dispatch troops to provide support. Considering your eagerness to save the prince, we will temporarily forgive you for the crime of dispatching troops without authorization."

Upon hearing this, Li Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and immediately kowtowed to express his gratitude.

"Thank you, Lord Lü, for your mercy! Thank you, Lord Lü, for your mercy! Your humble servant will do everything in his power to protect the Prince and annihilate the bandits!"

"No need."

Lu Zijian waved his hand, his tone suddenly turning sharp, his gaze sweeping over the Baoding Prefecture Commander beside him, and he gave a stern order.

"General of Baoding Prefecture, heed my command! Immediately lead three thousand elite troops to Black Wind Valley to protect His Highness Prince Bei Jing with all your might! If the Prince suffers even the slightest harm, I will execute you without mercy and bring you my head!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" The commander-in-chief of Baoding Prefecture immediately knelt on one knee and responded loudly. He then turned around and went to gather his troops without the slightest hesitation.

Li Xuan knelt on the ground, his body ice-cold, and instantly realized that all was lost.

Lu Zijian ostensibly pardoned him, but in reality, he stripped him of his military power and prevented him from interfering in the Black Wind Canyon affair.

He knew that his plan to harm Shui Rong was likely to fail. What was even more frightening was that Lü Zijian might have already sensed something, but had not yet acted on it.

He didn't dare to breathe loudly, and could only keep his head down, not daring to say a single unnecessary word, for fear of angering the Left Vice Minister of War.

Before long, three thousand elite border troops had assembled. Each of them was clad in armor, wielding weapons, with bows and arrows at their waists. Their expressions were solemn and fierce. Torches were lit, illuminating half the night sky. Their imposing presence and awe-inspiring power shook the surrounding area.

Lu Zijian mounted his horse, cracked his whip, and shouted sharply, "Let's go! Head to Black Wind Canyon to protect the Emperor!"

"Protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor!"

Three thousand border soldiers shouted in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and the earth. The sounds of horses' hooves, armor rubbing, and footsteps mingled together as they galloped toward Black Wind Canyon.

Li Xuan knelt on the ground, watching the departing army figures. His face was ashen, his eyes filled with despair and resentment, but he could only helplessly let Lü Zijian control everything.

Meanwhile, the life-or-death struggle continues within Black Wind Canyon.

Just as Shui Rong and Gong Ji were driven away by the bandits and plunged into a desperate situation, flames suddenly ignited from the mountaintops surrounding the canyon. The dense torches instantly illuminated the entire canyon, turning the pitch-black night sky into daylight.

Immediately following was the sound of armor plates rubbing together, the clatter of horses' hooves, and deafening shouts. A steady stream of elite border troops surged into the valley like a tide, their spear tips like a forest, their momentum overwhelming, and they instantly broke through the bandits' encirclement.

Xiao Mengzi, pinned to the ground by the guards, was initially taken aback by the commotion. He then mistakenly assumed that Li Xuan had arrived with his troops to provide support, and was overjoyed. He burst into maniacal laughter, his voice echoing like a broken gong throughout the valley, filled with extreme smugness and resentment.

"Shui Rong! You're dead! Hahaha! It's Li Xuan! It's Prefect Li leading his elite troops to kill you! You're doomed today! You can't escape!"

His voice was extremely loud and clearly reached everyone's ears.

Upon hearing this, the remaining bandits were instantly invigorated, thinking that their reinforcements had arrived. Their previously exhausted bodies were instantly filled with strength, and the ruthlessness and greed in their eyes intensified. They charged at Shui Rong and the guards like madmen, making the attack even more brutal than before.

"Kill Shui Rong! Kill Shui Rong! Reinforcements have arrived, we've got this in the bag!"

"The bounty of ten thousand taels is right in front of us, charge!"

"Avenge our brothers! Kill that scoundrel Shui Rong!"