My lord, spare his life!

"Who's his brother?"

Guan Si's sharp gaze swept over Guan Zong.

That one glance was enough to make Guan Zong's hair stand on end.

Feeling utterly humiliated by this public display, Guan Zong snapped at Guan Si with a disdainful laugh, "Yeah, yeah, what do I have to do with you! Getting involved with you is bad luck!"

Guan Si was not his half-brother.

He is clearly his half-father!

What kind of brotherhood would threaten to tear someone apart with five horses at the drop of a hat?

Seeing Guan Zong's reaction, Guan Si suddenly suppressed his fierce expression, a chilling smile playing on his lips: "You just called me 'Easter Egg Bro'? Whatever kind of 'bro' it is, it's still a 'bro'. In that case, what should your adopted daughter's adopted brother call me?"

Guan Zong was a beat slow to react, staring at Guan Si as if he had seen a ghost, unable to believe that these words came from the mouth of the evil god.

"You you you you—"

Even he, who was usually carefree, was at a loss.

What really broke Guan Zong's nerves was that Wang Qi, who had nothing to do with the matter, also kicked him while he was down: "Since you, this 'Easter Egg Bro,' are considered a 'brother,' does the Mountain Ghost calling me 'Wild Man Bro' also count? If that's the case, then your brotherhood is quite junior."

Guan Zong: "..."

For a moment, he didn't know whether to regret becoming sworn brothers with Lü Yuan, or with Guan Si, or blame Lü Yuan for having a godmother.

Given the current situation, is it necessary to seek a godfather to solidify one's position?

"yawn--"

Lu Yuan sneezed uncontrollably.

"Who's cursing me behind my back?"

She rubbed her nose unhappily. She pulled a token from her soft armor and slapped it on the table. Seeing the token being picked up and examined closely, Lu Yuan said in a deep voice, "Take a look. This is He Feiye's. He said that showing this would earn your trust."

The commander of the Imperial City examined the token from all angles.

The token was half a fish-shaped talisman.

One side is engraved in intaglio, and the other side is engraved in relief.

The two halves of the fish tally can be joined together, interlocking tightly, and the left and right sides can perfectly form the characters "合" (hé, meaning "together") and "同" (tóng, meaning "together"). Above and below each character is a cluster of three rabbits sharing an ear. This fish tally was made by He Zhi himself, and there was basically no possibility of it being counterfeited. The garrison commander believed it.

"It is indeed his keepsake. Why didn't he come himself?"

Lu Yuan said, "I have something to do and need to go on a long trip."

The garrison commander sneered and raised his hand to strike.

The gate was smashed open by soldiers, and hundreds of spears were pointed directly at Lü Yuan.

Lu Yuan remained unmoved, not even bothering to shift his position, and instead took a sip of his wine: "What do you mean by this?"

The garrison commander coldly demanded, "Has He Feiye gone on a long journey? Heh, sending him to the underworld by you counts as going on a long journey, doesn't it?"

If He Zhi was killed by Lü Yuan, it would be easy for Lü Yuan to obtain this token. It's understandable that the garrison commander is so suspicious. After all, Lü Yuan was capable of faking He Zhi's death and imprisoning him for several years. What difficulty would it be for him to simply silence him?

Lu Yuan said, "You're not smart when you should be, and you're not stupid when you should be. What can I say about you? He Feiye is really away on business. If you don't believe me, you can ask He Wen. If He Zhi had died at my hands, He Wen would never have helped me."

The garrison commander: "..."

Seeing that Lü Yuan was surrounded by soldiers, with only a few personal guards standing by with drawn swords, she remained calm and composed, while the guards wavered somewhat. After a long while, the guards raised their hands to signal the soldiers to retreat, and the tense atmosphere eased. They then asked Lü Yuan about the purpose of her visit.

Lu Yuan said, "I need to borrow the Imperial Throne City."

The Imperial City is almost isolated in the middle of the mountain territory, with only one passage connecting it to the outside world. If outsiders want to send troops to attack, they can only use this one road. The key is that this road has been deliberately built to be narrow, only allowing four or five people to walk side by side.

With such a narrow width, even grain and supply wagons have difficulty getting up there.

Large siege engines are basically out of the question.

The Imperial Capital currently has only three to five thousand soldiers and civilians combined, enough to withstand an army twenty to thirty times its size under normal circumstances. Since falling into the hands of the current garrison commander, the Imperial Capital has never been lost. In earlier years, relations between the various prefectures and the garrison commander were strained and tense, with explicit orders forbidding any trade with the Imperial Capital. The Imperial Capital had to rely on its reserves and secretly purchase grain and fodder from the common people.

If it weren't for the frequent changes in power in the surrounding area, which allowed Imperial Throne City to seize the opportunity, Imperial Throne City wouldn't have been able to hold out until now. Lu Yuan is the second power to rise in the last six months, the first being He Zhi.

The commander frowned: "Borrow?"

Lu Yuan got up and walked to the window, where the view outside was unobstructed. From this vantage point, one could see activity in the far distance, which was one of the advantages of Imperial Throne City – virtually no force could escape its surveillance. Other forces transporting supplies nearby had to be extremely vigilant; a single misstep could lead to their interception by Imperial Throne City.

"I will hide a portion of my troops here."

"Send your soldiers up here? Do you think I'm stupid?"

What if the law reneges on its promise?

They suddenly launched a mutiny and seized the Imperial City.

If He Zhi had said this, the garrison commander might have been more inclined to believe it.

Lu Yuan gave a wink to the guards who had come with her.

The guard pulled out a long, foreign object and unwrapped the cloth wrapping. The large, golden yellow croaker reflected the warm light of the setting sun streaming in through the window, almost blindingly so. The commander's lips twitched, and the guard produced another piece. The two pieces of yellow croaker were placed together.

Lu Yuan laughed and said, "Guess how much grain I can buy?"

The defending general's breath hitched.

Lu Yuan asked, "How long will this grain last you?"

The garrison commander: "..."

Lu Yuan knew that He Zhi's lobbying could be overturned at any time, but readily available benefits could keep allies loyal. The garrison commander might have grudges against others, but he had no grudge against Che Si County, which she, Lu Yuan, commanded.

The garrison commander asked, "What are you doing hiding your troops here?"

"My godmother desires the counties in the mountains."

The garrison commander complained, "Didn't you just send away one adoptive father? How come you have an adoptive mother now? Your adoptive mother has quite the ambition."

Lu Yuandao said, "They also have great financial resources."

The garrison commander looked down at the two large yellow croakers in silence.

Lu Yuan: "Whether you're willing to serve your adoptive mother is a matter for later. For now, you're allies. Your adoptive mother won't mistreat any ally; otherwise, how can she gain people's trust in the future?"

"How do you plan to hide people?" The surveillance range of the Imperial Throne City is vast, but she monitors other forces, and those forces are also watching her. "It won't be easy to bring people up here without anyone noticing."

"Don't keep me in suspense. If you don't know how, how did He Feiye and his group manage to pass through? I couldn't find any trace of him. I only found out that he had run to the city of the prefecture thanks to the scouts who relayed the information." Lu Yuan really didn't like being kept in suspense.

"That's a different price."

Lu Yuan cursed under his breath, "Money-grubbing bastard."

The garrison commander was not angry; he simply smiled as he looked at the large yellow croaker.

This windfall could completely renovate the Imperial City, inside and out, including arrow towers, horse barricades, watchtowers, and city gates. The remaining money could buy new clothes for the brothers and sisters, replace worn-out weapons, and perhaps even fill the granaries...

Lu Yuan complained, "I can't handle that much."

The garrison commander was trapped in the Imperial City and was out of his mind, unaware of outside prices. He didn't have the purchasing power for those two large yellow croakers.

I'll trust you this once and for all.

The garrison commander certainly had a way to bring people up without them noticing; this method was actually devised years ago with the help of He Zhi. This is also why He Zhi was able to come up without anyone noticing.

Lu Yuan's troops could be transported up in supply wagons, while the rest would have to travel by water. There was an underwater road leading directly to a secret passage beneath the Imperial City, but this passage was only passable for a limited time each day, being submerged the rest of the time.

Lu Yuan: "...That's really well-kept secret."

It's not easy to find your way underwater.

No wonder the defender was so confident.

After setting up the Imperial City, Lu Yuan left a trusted confidant to contact him and rushed back overnight to hand over the signed alliance document to Xiao Sui.

Xiao Sui opened it and glanced at it: "No problem."

Lu Yuan said, "There's no need to look at it."

In times of chaos, alliances are as loose as a prodigal son's belt, easily broken. Sincere cooperation can exist without a written agreement. Xiao Sui, multitasking, dealt with a mountain of official documents while simultaneously answering Lu Yuan, "I still need to take a look, so I can plan how to send the first batch of supplies up..."

Xiao Sui opened the account book and began to look at it.

Lu Yuan said, "Just give me a little bit."

For example, weapons used by soldiers that are worn but not quite ready to be replaced or scrapped, and other defensive siege equipment. Bows and arrows don't need to be too good; the quality of the arrows can be lowered. Good stuff, of course, is for personal use.

Xiao Sui smiled and said, "With such a large family and business, there's no need to be so frugal. Our allies aren't blind; they can tell the difference between good and bad, can't they?"

Lu Yuan said, "I'm saving money for my adoptive mother. We can't just sit around and do nothing. Of course, she's not blind; she can tell good from bad, but she's been poor for many years. I went to their training ground and saw it. Tsk tsk, things were broken and rusted, and even the city gate was patched up."

Hers was almost scrapped, but the other person treated it like a treasure.

Xiao Sui: "How did you manage to squander your savings?"

She shook another ledger.

The above shows Xiao Sui's performance during this period.

Human skin is a necessity for the "Painted Skin Ghost" (a derogatory term for someone who uses deception to gain power and influence); people are willing to travel thousands of miles, even under the cover of darkness, to buy it. Items like blankets are also popular due to their quality and scarcity, and many people are willing to pay a premium for them. However, human skin still offers the highest profit margin.

Xiao Sui said, "...If I didn't lack my own caravan, I could sell this item to every place in the Three Enclosures, Four Symbols, and Seven Kingdoms."

Lu Yuan was not only Xiao Sui's close friend but also the lord's adopted daughter, so Xiao Sui didn't hide the sales commission from her. When Lu Yuan first found out, she even slapped her thigh in regret, thinking that being a general was not as good as being a saleswoman for her adoptive mother. This business was much more profitable than fighting wars.

In war, you have to risk your life.

As long as top salesperson Xiao Sui spreads the word among her customers, money lines up and flows into her pockets. She doesn't even need to say a word; the moment the customers see Xiao Sui's face, they can't resist the urge to buy, and nothing can stop them.

Lu Yuan: "When will my godmother come back to pick persimmons?"

Xiao Sui shook her head: "I don't know either."

Because the lord never mentioned this matter.

"You can just not do something I didn't mention?" In the temporary palace of the Dog Kingdom's capital, Qin Huang slowly pulled his sword from the chest of a fallen corpse, letting the blood spread beneath it.

Inside the palace, there was complete silence.

No one dared to imagine that Qin Huang could kill so easily.

The reason given was utterly absurd, simply because a plate of slightly hard cloud-shaped cakes wasn't fresh and didn't suit his taste. Having witnessed the eunuch collapse, the ruler of Dou Kingdom, seated at the head of the table, turned deathly pale. The jade tassels on his crown swayed with his breath, their arc widening, the beads clinking together with a crisp sound. This sound, so clear in the still, pin-low atmosphere, was exceptionally distinct…

The king reached out his hand, intending to speak to Qin Huang.

Qin Huang turned her head at this moment, her gloomy eyes meeting his directly.

A chill ran down the king's spine, and he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. He changed the subject, waving his sleeve to signal for the body to be carried away: "You idiot! Offending the Grand General is your own fault. Drag him away now!"

Qin Huang calmly took her seat.

Xie Shu finally spoke, "Why did the music stop?"

The air remained quiet for a few more breaths.

Then came a sparse, jarring melody, the first few notes mostly off-key, and it took the musicians a while to gradually find the rhythm. However, this music, meant to praise the monarch, sounded utterly desolate at that moment, and none of the ministers dared to utter a sound.

They didn't even dare to touch the bowls and plates with their chopsticks.

After a long while, the banquet, which had left everyone on edge, finally came to an end.

Qin Huang and his men finished their meal with composure, then enjoyed the music and dance for a while before rising to take their leave. Though they said they were leaving, everyone present knew that Qin Huang's troops controlled the palace. The palace had become a prison for the Dou Kingdom's royal family.

The ruler of Dou Kingdom stared intently at Qin Huang's departing figure.

He secretly slammed his fist on the table.

"hateful!"

"Thief!"

He could no longer remain seated, rose, and stormed off. Seeing this, the other officials followed suit. They too needed to return and carefully consider their next steps. Someone remarked, "I wonder if Qin Shiming is more tyrannical, or if Zhao Chai is more ambitious and ruthless."

The country was in chaos, with warlords raising troops almost one after the other.

The Dou Kingdom's royal family fled in panic, fleeing from Gou County to Gou Kingdom County, hoping to mobilize the border troops to suppress the rebels. However, these people joined forces. Gou Kingdom County was first attacked and captured by Zhao Chai, who often spent the night at the king's royal court, only leaving satisfied at dawn.

That's bad enough, but Zhao Chai's subordinates were truly terrifying.

During those days of severe shortages of supplies, people were conscripted everywhere to make up the numbers. They killed innocent civilians for amusement, and wherever the cavalry went, heads rolled on the ground.

The ministers were terrified.

A brilliant strategist devised a plan to use one enemy to devour another, employing the warlord Qin Huang, whose progress had been delayed and left Zhao Chai behind, to eliminate Zhao Chai. The result was that Zhao Chai was driven out, but not severely weakened, while Qin Huang immediately killed several ministers, purged a third of the royal court eunuchs, and wiped out a wave of the royal family—practically wiping out the entire monarchy.

"...No, this can't go on! This Qin Shiming is no good man. He'll definitely kill me, he'll kill me..." The young king paced back and forth anxiously, wishing he could stomp through the floorboards. "Why hasn't Minister Shen arrived yet?"

At that moment, footsteps sounded outside the main hall.

The king, like a frightened bird, stared tautly at the palace gate.

Until the palace doors were pushed open—

"My sister!"

------

Zhang Yang glared at Guan Zong with displeasure, which made Guan Zong so angry that he wanted to quit.

"You're just bullying an honest man like me."

Why didn't Zhang Yang go and make things difficult for the Puyang Prime Minister?

??(σ???)σ..:*☆

I'm catching a flight to Macau for the annual meeting starting tomorrow.