At 100 years old, he joined the army in place of his granddaughter, and became a national war god.

Xiao Yunche stepped in and stood under the pavilion. The moment his gaze fell on the man's face, a clear look of surprise flashed in his eyes, and a slight ripple stirred in his heart.

He remembered that face vividly.

Six months ago, a humble strategist traveled all the way to Jingzhou to visit him, boasting of his wisdom and ability to plan for the world. He wanted to join his ranks, willing to serve as a staff member and advisor to help him guard the three borders and plan for the future.

At that time, this person was eloquent and sharp-tongued, and had unique insights into the political landscape and border situation. He seemed to have a brilliant mind and outstanding knowledge.

However, Xiao Yunche was cautious by nature. Having experienced the ups and downs of the court and seen through the treachery of people's hearts, he never believed in the sudden appearance of talented people and would not easily accept people of unknown origin.

In addition, this person is eager to get a position, his ambition is obvious, and his actions are too deliberate, which makes people wary of him.

Therefore, Xiao Yunche politely declined and did not keep this person by his side.

He never expected that this strategist, who had voluntarily come to serve him half a year ago, seemingly from a poor and destitute family, actually had a close connection with the State of Yan.

Under the lamplight, the middle-aged man in black slowly raised his eyes, saw the surprise in Xiao Yunche's eyes, and a calm smile appeared on his lips, his tone carrying a hint of confidence:

"How has the Third Prince been?"

"After half a year, it must be quite a surprise for Your Highness to see you again."

"The down-on-his-luck strategist who once sought talent has met me again in this way."

Xiao Yunche quickly regained his composure, concealing the surprise in his eyes, and calmly stepped into the pavilion, taking a seat opposite the stone table.

He gazed at the person opposite him, a slight smile playing on his lips, his voice indifferent and composed:

"That was indeed unexpected."

"I thought I had met a poor scholar seeking official position, but I never expected him to have such a mysterious identity."

"Your patience and composure in biding your time and remaining hidden are truly admirable."

Xiao Yunche's words sounded like praise, but actually carried a hint of sarcasm.

The man in black neither confirmed nor denied his identity.

He raised his hand and lifted the warm teapot. Boiling water swirled, and clear tea soup was slowly poured into the white porcelain teacup. The aroma of tea wafted and spread far and wide.

"Third Prince, there's no need to be so tense." He gently pushed the teacup filled with tea in front of Xiao Yunche, his posture relaxed, as if chatting with an old friend, without a trace of murderous intent. "My invitation late at night is out of sincerity."

"The night is chilly, let's have a cup of hot tea first, then we can calm down and have a good chat."

The pavilion is warmly lit and filled with the delicate aroma of tea, seemingly peaceful and serene, but in reality, it is a place of turbulent undercurrents and hidden treachery.

Xiao Yunche lowered his eyes to look at the tea in front of him. It was clear and bright, without any unusual color.

He calmly raised his hand, picked up the teacup, and took a small sip without the slightest hesitation.

The tea soup is sweet, mellow, and smooth on the palate, without any unusual taste.

Seeing his open and honest demeanor, the man in black opposite him chuckled softly, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

"Your Highness is indeed exceptionally courageous."

"You dare to keep your appointment with me alone, and you dare to drink the tea that I brewed with my own hands."

"Does Your Highness not suspect that I might have secretly poisoned this tea?"

Xiao Yunche put down his teacup, his fingertips lightly tapping the stone table. His gaze was cold and sharp as he stared directly at the other man, a cold smile playing on his lips: "If you wanted to take my life, why would you need to resort to poison and ambush?"

"With the backup plan you've laid out, we can make our move now."

"You lured me here not simply to poison me, but you must have other motives."

"Since you have a request of me, I won't rush things."

His words were clear and insightful, and he instantly saw through the other person's thoughts.

"Since that's the case, let's not beat around the bush. Speak plainly. What exactly is your intention in sending a message so late at night?"

Upon hearing this, the man in black clapped his hands and chuckled, his appreciation deepening. He exclaimed sincerely, "Excellent! As expected of the reclusive third prince of the Great Qian Dynasty, you possess a calm mind, exceptional courage, and a keen understanding of human nature, far surpassing those mediocre figures in the court."

"Unfortunately, life is unfair, and fate plays tricks on people."

He subtly changed the subject, his tone carrying a hint of deliberate regret and provocation.

"The Great Qian Emperor was muddle-headed and biased, unable to distinguish between the wise and the foolish."

"Given His Highness's exceptional talent and ability in both literature and martial arts, he was abandoned and was instead favored by a treacherous concubine and trusted by a sycophantic minister. The loyal and virtuous concubine was banished to the cold palace, and His Highness was exiled to the desolate borderlands."

"On the contrary, it is a pity and a lament to allow the Crown Prince, who is mediocre and of mediocre talent, to remain firmly in the position of heir apparent and hold the reins of the future dynasty!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunche instantly understood.

The other party analyzed his experiences in detail, and every word stirred up the conflict between him and the late emperor and the crown prince, deliberately arousing the hatred and resentment that had been building up in his heart for three years.

This person's late-night invitation was not for a fight or assassination, but for winning people over and gaining their trust!

Having seen through the other party's scheme, Xiao Yunche remained indifferent, showing no emotion whatsoever, and calmly retorted.

"Royal family affairs and blood feuds are matters of internal affairs of our Great Qian Dynasty. There is no need for Your Excellency of Yan to concern yourself with speculation or feign regret."

"If you intend to use my background to incite my hatred and persuade me to abandon my country and surrender to the Yan state, becoming a traitorous and disloyal subject, I advise you not to waste your breath; it will all be in vain."

The relaxed smile on the man in black faltered slightly, and the composure in his eyes faded a bit.

He originally thought that Xiao Yunche had suffered a great injustice, his mother died with resentment, and he himself had been demoted and exiled, enduring all kinds of injustice. He believed that Xiao Yunche must be full of resentment in his heart. He thought that as long as he provoked and tempted him, he could make him turn against him and win him over.

Unexpectedly, this young third prince was so calm and composed, clearly distinguishing between national and personal righteousness, and clearly distinguishing between gratitude and resentment, and was not swayed by words at all!

Since subtle persuasion was ineffective, he stopped pretending and concealing his true intentions. Instead, he abandoned all his leisurely demeanor, adopted a serious expression, and went straight to the point, no longer resorting to roundabout probing.

"Since Your Highness is so insightful, then I will speak frankly."

His gaze was intense as he stared intently at Xiao Yunche, his tone serious yet seductive.

"Today, our Yan Kingdom has brought Your Highness here to bestow upon you an immense opportunity!"

"A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to clear my name, avenge my mother, ascend to the throne, and rule the entire nation!"

"If Your Highness is willing to form an alliance with my Yan Kingdom and cooperate with me, the King of Great Yan will publicly swear that he will never interfere in the internal affairs of the Great Qian Kingdom, and will do everything in his power to help Your Highness raise an army to return to the capital, sweep away the treacherous officials in the court, depose the incompetent crown prince, and reclaim the position of crown prince, and even the throne, that rightfully belongs to Your Highness!"

Every word was forceful and seductive, promising immense power and position.

After saying that, he went on to say something even more hurtful, each word striking at the deepest wounds in Xiao Yunche's heart that had been there for the past three years:

"Your Highness, ask yourself honestly, what wrong did Consort Xian commit three years ago?"

"She was merely framed by treacherous women in the harem, and was ruthlessly banished to the cold palace by the late emperor, where she ultimately died in despair, filled with resentment!"

"What wrong has Your Highness done? Yet you are suspected and alienated by your own father, the Emperor, who banished you to a desolate borderland by imperial decree, far from the capital and your homeland, to suffer endless loneliness and hardship!"

"Back then, the wicked concubine Xu Jinniang wreaked havoc in the palace, Prime Minister Li Yuan formed cliques for personal gain, and the Crown Prince indulged the treacherous officials, all colluding with them to frame the virtuous concubine and suppress His Highness!"

"These people are all His Highness's blood enemies!"

"Now that Li Yuan is dead and Xu Jinniang is imprisoned, the culprit, the emperor, is still alive, and the mediocre crown prince remains firmly seated in the Eastern Palace, enjoying his wealth and honor!"

"Does Your Highness harbor no resentment?"

"Are you willing to endure a lifetime of suffering, bear the injustice, be trapped on the border and die, watching helplessly as your enemy remains unharmed, and losing the vast empire that should rightfully belong to you?"

"As long as you join forces with the Yan Kingdom, their iron cavalry will help you march back to the capital, settle scores with all your enemies, avenge your grievances, and ascend the throne!"

"Such a golden opportunity, Your Highness, are you truly going to miss it?"

The night wind swept through the pavilion, causing the firelight to flicker wildly. These highly inflammatory words echoed throughout the pavilion, provoking the crowd.

If it were someone else, they might have been tempted by power and blinded by hatred, and readily agreed to the covenant.

But Xiao Yunche was not moved at all. Instead, he looked up and laughed calmly. His laughter was cold and sharp, with a hint of sarcasm and disdain.

"This is utterly ridiculous."

His smile vanished, his eyes suddenly sharpened like frost, and his entire demeanor instantly became chilling and intimidating. He stared intently at the man in black opposite him, each word ringing with conviction:

"I never imagined that while the people of my Great Qian border region live in peace, the Yan Kingdom would travel thousands of miles to concern themselves with the affairs of my Xiao family's royal household and scheme for my imperial throne!"

"However, you greatly underestimate me, Xiao Yunche, and the spirit of the men of the Great Qian Dynasty!"

"My grudges with the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the court are internal struggles within our Great Qian Dynasty, entanglements among our own family members!"

"Even if I harbor resentment, even if I one day lead my troops back to the capital to settle old scores, that is my own business, and it is none of the business of foreign enemies to interfere!"

"The Yan state harbors wolfish ambitions, coveting the vast lands of our Great Qian for decades; their wolfish nature is known to all!"

"Your so-called joint assistance and alliance are nothing but an attempt to take advantage of our internal strife, reap the benefits, and seize our territory, divide the Great Qian, and overthrow our dynasty!"

"Do you consider me, Xiao Yunche, a traitor who covets power and betrays his country?"

His stern rebuttal, filled with righteous indignation, resonated throughout the pavilion!

Xiao Yunche leaned forward slightly, his expression becoming increasingly serious, his eyes revealing a sharp glint, and his aura becoming imposing.

"You used the emperor's whereabouts as bait to lure me here, spewing lies and feigning goodwill; your intentions were utterly malicious!"

"Stop with the empty talk and tell me directly: where is the Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty who you kidnapped?"

All the composure on the man in black's face vanished completely, his expression turned utterly cold, and the last shred of patience in his eyes was exhausted.

He originally intended to use power and position to lure and win over the commanders of the three southwestern prefectures without bloodshed, and to dismantle the border defenses of the Great Qian Dynasty without losing a single soldier. However, Xiao Yunche was determined and refused to be swayed by either soft or hard tactics.

Since they couldn't win them over, they had no choice but to resort to the worst possible strategy!

He stared coldly at Xiao Yunche, his tone sinister and brimming with threat: "Your Highness is proud and unyielding, and your sense of righteousness towards your country is admirable."

"I might as well speak frankly: the life of the Great Qian Emperor is now entirely in the hands of my Yan Kingdom."

"If you are willing to submit to the Great Yan and help my army march south, I will hand over the emperor to you so that you can deal with him as you see fit and settle your long-standing grievances."

"If Your Highness remains obstinate and refuses to adapt to the times..."

"Then you will never find out the whereabouts of the Great Qian Emperor in your lifetime!"

"He will be forever imprisoned in the hands of my Yan state, reduced to a slave whom my Great Yan controls and manipulates the Great Qian!"

Xiao Yunche's eyes suddenly turned cold, and a murderous aura emanated from him. A chilling snort echoed throughout the pavilion: "In that case, there's no need for further words. Farewell!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and stepped out of the pavilion without the slightest hesitation, his posture upright and aloof, determined to leave.

But just as he took three steps, before he had gone far...

A chilling killing intent suddenly erupted from all directions of the entire dark bamboo forest!

call out!call out!call out!

A dozen or so figures in black suddenly emerged from the dark bamboo forest. Their movements were unpredictable and extremely fast. They were all dressed in tight-fitting night clothes, their faces were covered, and their bodies exuded a murderous aura and a chilling presence.

More than a dozen dark figures surrounded Xiao Yunche, instantly blocking all escape routes and trapping him in the center of the bamboo forest clearing!

The night wind suddenly stopped, the forest was deathly silent, and a chilling atmosphere instantly enveloped the entire area, with an intense sense of death looming over everyone!

Inside the pavilion, the man slowly rose, standing by the firelight. He coldly gazed at Xiao Yunche, who was heavily surrounded, a chilling, ruthless smile curving his lips as he let out a cold snort:

"Xiao Yunche, I gave you a path to the throne and the throne, but you didn't cherish it and insisted on courting death!"

"Do you think this Green Bamboo Garden is a place you can come and go as you please tonight?"

"You think you can break my deadly trap all by yourself?"

Upon hearing the sound, Xiao Yunche stopped in his tracks, his back straight as a pine tree, showing no panic or fear of being surrounded.

He slightly turned his head, his peripheral vision coldly sweeping over the people in the pavilion, his gaze disdainful and arrogance indifferent:

"You cowardly rats, how dare you even attempt to take my life, Xiao Yunche's life?"

The leader in black's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he roared, "You ignorant fool! Since you're so proud and refuse to cooperate, then today you'll die here! Kill them!"

At a single command!

The dozen or so elite Yan Kingdom assassins who had been surrounding them suddenly sprang into action!

The blade flashed coldly as it was drawn from its sheath, its edge sharp and menacing.

A series of cold blades flashed with a chilling light under the moonlight. More than a dozen figures rushed out at the same time, carrying a deadly intent, and attacked Xiao Yunche, who was alone in the field, from all directions!