After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

…………

He lifted his fur coat and shook off a few fallen leaves.

As I got up from under the tree trunk, the dirt and debris clinging to my clothes fell off.

Ning Nan narrowed his eyes.

He felt a chill after taking off his warm fur coat.

The air was thick with the smells of grass, blood, and horse manure dropped by startled horses; the arena was a scene of bloodshed and chaos.

The horse neighed and puffed incessantly on the ground.

Erlaizi shouted, "Help up all the horses that can still get up, and kill the rest. Don't let them howl."

Three horses were gradually helped up. The others whimpered twice before their throats were slit and they were bled.

Ning Nan rubbed his slightly sore neck, walked out of the woods, and looked at the position of the moon.

"I slept for about half an hour."

I feel a little better.

The moonlight, like water, streamed in from above the woods.

When he opened his eyes, many people had already woken up; in the dark environment, pairs of eyes shone brightly.

Zhen Susu and Xu Xiyin, who were sleeping not far from him, also woke up. He and Xu Xiyin looked at each other, and their eyes were both somewhat solemn.

Footsteps, hoofbeats, firelight, shouts of battle, and even labored breathing grew ever closer.

Several men crouched low, moving as silently as possible through the woods, waking everyone one by one. These were the guards Er Lai had arranged to keep watch.

At that moment, Ning Nan looked ahead and saw that Er Laizi, who hadn't slept all along, had led several men and hid behind a tree trunk ahead, their clothes concealing their weapons.

Qian Sijin assembled the rifle, stood the barrel upright, and hid behind a tree. He was probably the first one Er Laizi had woken up.

Seemingly sensing his gaze intuitively, both Erlaizi and Qian Sijin turned around and looked at him.

Moonlight seeped into the woods, creating dappled patterns of light.

Ning Nan reached out and pressed his palm down, signaling not to make any rash moves.

Their purpose was to go to Miaofeng Mountain to welcome King Jing.

Furthermore, during the Xiangshan Conference, we should contact other members of the Heavenly Principles Sect to discuss the future Northern Expedition. There is no need to create unnecessary complications.

The two nodded quickly.

As the sounds of horses' hooves and shouts of battle drew near, the seven or eight riders caught up with the group, and the two sides began to fight.

Zhen Susu clearly saw the person being chased, her beautiful eyes suddenly widened, and she quickly and silently walked over, whispering to him:

"Young master, they are from within the sect. Those from Henan should be from the Northern Thunder Altar, Zheng Baoju's people."

His voice sounded slightly anxious.

Ning Nan nodded, flipped his hand, and gestured to Er Laizi and Qian Sijin to begin rescuing people and capturing a few survivors to inquire about the situation.

Several servants familiar with armor stripping were stripping the armor off the dead riders.

Three people were captured alive, and Xu Xiyin and Qian Sijin are interrogating them.

The surviving member of the Heavenly Principle Sect was named Yu Yantan. Xu Xiyin also called him over and interrogated him together.

"Young master."

Susu was clearly not well-rested either; her eyes were bloodshot. She handed him a piece of pancake that had been soaked in water.

She rolled her eyes at her beforehand: "You won't let us light a fire, there's no hot water. It's been soaked in cold water, it's really hard."

He leaned closer again, rolled his eyes, and said:

"How about I bite the cake into small, soft pieces for you first, and then feed it to you?"

Ning Nan took a bite of the slightly softened dried biscuit, looked at the vixen reverting to her old ways, and waved her hand dismissively:

"Go and help your Aunt Xu interrogate people."

"Pooh!"

Su Su's foxy eyes crinkled with laughter, but she snorted, speaking up for Aunt Xu, with whom she was closest:

"That's our Xu sister!"

Fifteen minutes later.

The newly appointed Left Protector of the Heavenly Principle Sect, with a solemn expression, brought the surviving members of the Heavenly Principle Sect to see him.

"How is it?" Ning Nan asked, sitting on the rock.

"Young master, we..."

Xu Xiyin's voice was a little hoarse as she spoke.

"We might be in big trouble..."

"Hmm?" Ning Nan narrowed his eyes.

……

……

Miaofeng Mountain is lush and verdant, with five peaks rising side by side, covering a vast area of ​​30,000 mu.

The area is dotted with temples, each with its own unique features.

Inside the main temple complex of the mountain, the Linggan Palace enshrines Bixia Yuanjun, the Dizang Hall enshrines Dizang Bodhisattva, the Guanyin Hall enshrines Guanyin Bodhisattva, the Medicine King Hall enshrines the Medicine King, the God of Wealth Hall enshrines the God of Wealth, and the Wenchang Hall enshrines Wenchang Emperor.

There are so many different things.

It contains both Buddhism and Taoism.

Outside the Niangniang Temple, there are also several ancient temples on Miaofeng Mountain, including Huixiang Pavilion, Jade Emperor Hall, Yangshan Qiyin Zen Temple, Jinshan Temple, and Duanyun Nunnery.

There is even a temple dedicated to the God of Happiness, which is popular among the people.

Especially since the late emperor bestowed a golden roof upon the Niangniang Temple, Miaofeng Mountain has become famous throughout the capital region, and its incense offerings have flourished in recent years.

And starting from the day before yesterday.

As if divine soldiers had descended from the heavens, a large contingent of troops arrived at Miaofeng Mountain, guarding all the main roads leading into the mountain and strictly prohibiting any pilgrims from going up.

The monks, nuns, and Taoist priests on the mountain were also unable to descend.

The entire Miaofeng Mountain area has been surrounded by sentry posts, and cavalry have been arranged to patrol day and night. Anyone who dares to leave the mountain without permission will be shot by the sentry posts and cavalry.

If the commander of this army, Prince Duan, had not personally visited the Niangniang Temple, offered incense and kowtowed to Bixia Yuanjun, and personally guaranteed that he would absolutely not commit any offense against your temple or any other temples in the mountains.

The temples on the mountain will likely have a sleepless night, and people will be filled with anxiety.

They felt that the imperial court was taking advantage of their prosperous religious activities to extort money from them.

Other than that.

The army led by Prince Duan dispatched ten armored teams of three hundred men each, totaling three thousand men, to begin searching the mountains.

Even these temples had to summon all the monks, nuns, and Taoist priests, as well as the pilgrims staying at the temples, for the imperial court to verify their ordination certificates and household registration documents, ensuring that no one was missed.

at the foot of the mountain.

The troops have already set up camp.

An army consisting of 10,000 Eight Banners guards and 10,000 Green Standard Army soldiers set up white tents that stretched almost to the sky at the foot of the mountain.

They took turns standing guard and searching the mountains.

It was the second quarter of the Yin hour.

Inside the commander's camp.

The lights were still on.

At this moment.

The commander-in-chief of this army, the emperor's third son, Prince Duan, is receiving a valiant general who has come from the capital—Huang Zhongcai, the commander of the Plain Yellow Banner Han Army!

Huang Zhongcai, his face anxious and his eyes filled with pain, bowed deeply to Prince Duan, who had come out to see him, and kowtowed several times.

"Your humble servant Huang Zhongcai! I have received secret orders from the three Grand Councilors remaining in Beijing—Ortai, Jiang Tingxi, and Bandi—as well as the Iron-Cap Prince, Prince Yi! I have rushed here day and night to meet with Prince Duan!"

Han Chang, seated at the head of the military tent, narrowed his eyes and frowned, saying:

"I don't quite understand what Commander Huang is saying. Is it an order from the Grand Councilor? Or an order from the Thirteenth Prince's Uncle?"

"Exactly!" After leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Huang Zhongcai quickly left the city, mustered two hundred men, and rode his horse to the Miaofeng Mountain camp, where he arrived just now.

"What orders do you, my esteemed ministers, have for me?"

Huang Zhongcai, who was not wearing armor but only dressed in black, clasped his hands in greeting and said:

"Your Highness... Yesterday, no, the night before last, the Heavenly Principle Sect's Han Qing bribed the palace guards and eunuchs, and defied the world's condemnation to assassinate the Emperor in the Hall of Mental Cultivation!"

"Hmm?" Han Chang raised an eyebrow.

"Bang!"

He slammed his hand on the table.

He stood up abruptly, staring at the First-Rank Han Army Commander of the Plain Yellow Banner below him, and exclaimed in a cold voice:

"W-What did you say?!"

Huang Zhongcai kowtowed, trembling as he said, "Han...Han Qing...attempted to assassinate the Emperor..."

Han Chang's face turned deathly pale, his body swayed twice, and his eyes turned red in an instant. With a sob in his voice, he cried out in alarm:

"Father... how is my Emperor Father now...?"