I only wished to take up my fiefdom, but my elder brother forced me to rebel.

Shen Chongshan slapped the letter onto Xu Hu's chest.

"read."

Xu Hu unfolded the letter, read a few lines, and his expression gradually turned grim.

The head of the Shen family in Runan did not support the uprising; instead, he listed out the situation in the capital point by point.

Lu Yuan donated horseshoes, stirrups, and cement to promote work relief in Hedong, and also contributed snowflake salt and alcohol.

What the common people knew was that the crown prince had provided disaster relief, repaired river embankments, and reduced corvée labor.

What the officials knew was that Lu Yuan had just been appointed emperor, and Lu Cangqiong still controlled the Imperial Guards, provisions, and the imperial court.

Even if the Shen family relied on the Zhenbei Army to attack the capital, they could only bear the infamy of being traitors and rebels.

Local vassal kings would raise troops under the pretext of serving the emperor.

Local officials would cut off funding and supplies.

The old officials in the court would not support a member of the Shen family who seized the throne as a relative of the empress.

At that time, the Shen family will face its end.

The letter ultimately offered only one solution.

Temporarily withdrawn.

He relinquished some military power to preserve the backbone of the Zhenbei Army.

They secretly rescued Lu Cheng, devised a plan to ruin Lu Yuan's reputation, and then sought another opportunity after the court and the public had lost faith in the new crown prince.

Xu Hu put the letter down.

"General, isn't the patriarch being overly cautious?"

"We have twelve battalions, what are we afraid of—a few feudal lords? Or unruly commoners?"

Shen Chongshan raised his hand and slapped him.

"How many men in the Twelfth Battalion are actually available for mobilization?"

"Without pay and provisions, how many days can they fight for you?"

Xu Hu covered his face and stepped aside.

Shen Chongshan reread the letter and wrote a few lines.

"Send the fastest person to Beiliang."

The guard took the letter, his expression changing slightly.

"General, if we are caught secretly contacting Northern Liang..."

"The letter merely contained greetings to old friends in Beiliang."

Shen Chongshan sealed his words, saying, "As for what old friends will do after seeing this, it has nothing to do with the Shen family."

"At the same time, send people to keep an eye on Northern Liang to prevent them from burning, killing, and looting."

"Even if it's a rebellion, we must protect the people; they are our foundation."

The guards hid the letter inside their clothing and left immediately.

Shen Chongshan then instructed his steward to prepare visiting cards.

"Send it to Taiji Palace."

"Tell Qin Xuanzhen that I have some matters concerning Lu City that I would like to consult with him."

The steward asked, "What if the Celestial Master doesn't appear?"

"Send him a letter every day; I don't believe he can stay away forever."

Shen Chongshan looked at the Zhenbei Army seal on the table.

"If he wants to save Lu Cheng, he will definitely see me."

Four days later, the day for offering sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple arrived.

Before dawn, officials from the Ministry of Rites blocked the imperial road from the palace to the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Shops along the way were closed, and people could only stand on both sides of the street. They were not allowed to carry weapons or cross the rope barriers set up by the imperial guards.

The emperor's carriage was in front, flanked by twelve fine horses of the same color on either side.

The ceremonial guards carried banners, golden maces, and imperial axes, while the imperial guards in full armor provided protection, and members of the imperial clan and officials from the Six Ministries followed according to their rank.

Lu Yuan's Crown Prince's carriage was positioned behind the imperial carriage.

He was dressed in a nine-chapter imperial robe, wearing a crown for a prince, and a jade belt around his waist.

Su Yuling, Shen Hanqiu, and Liu Ruyan accompanied the female soldiers of the Phoenix Battalion, while Qin Cang and Qi Yue each led a team to protect the two sides of the carriage.

The people had been waiting for a long time, and they all knelt down when the carriage passed by.

Madam Zhao stood at the front of the crowd with Zhao Mingzhu.

Zhao Mingzhu has recovered in the past few days, and the red sword tassel given to her by Lu Yuan is tied around her waist.

When she saw the people on the prince's carriage, her eyes widened immediately.

"Mother, why is he here too?"

Madam Zhao tugged at her.

"The Crown Prince is passing by, quickly kneel down."

Zhao Mingzhu knelt down as well, but her gaze remained fixed on Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan also saw her.

He winked at her as the official from the Ministry of Rites turned away.

Zhao Mingzhu's cheeks puffed out.

Madam Zhao pressed her hand down.

"One must not be rude in His Highness's presence."

He lied to me.

"What did His Highness lie to you about?"

Unable to explain, Zhao Mingzhu could only stare at the Crown Prince's carriage.

Offering sacrifices to ancestors is a major ceremony for the crown prince.

The Minister of Rites, officials of the Imperial Clan Court, the Imperial Guards, and all civil and military officials were present.

How could they possibly allow a stand-in of unknown origin to sit on the prince's carriage?

Besides, no matter how daring the assassin is, they wouldn't choose to act today.

When I get back, I must ask him about it.

Just as Zhao Mingzhu was thinking this, the window of a restaurant next to the street suddenly opened.

Before she could react, more than ten crossbow bolts flew swiftly toward the imperial carriage.

The imperial guards quickly raised their shields, and the front-row honor guard rushed towards the carriage.

The crossbow bolts struck the shields and the cart shafts, and several soldiers who couldn't dodge in time fell to the ground.

The people kneeling on the street immediately got up and scattered.

Some people knocked over stalls, and others were pushed to the ground.

Mrs. Zhao pulled her daughter along with the flow of people to the wall to make way.

Dozens of masked men rushed out from the restaurant, the cloth shop, and the houses on both sides.

They did not attack the common people; their targets were all the imperial carriage and the crown prince's palanquin.

The Imperial Guards formed ranks to meet the enemy.

The assassins in the front row threw out packets of lime, the white powder obscuring their vision.

The group in the back stepped on their companions' shoulders to cross the shield formation and headed straight for Lu Cangqiong.

Despite his injuries, He Shen stood guard in front of the imperial carriage.

"Fill in the gap on the left!"

"Archers, seal off the roof!"

Su Yuling drew her sword and leaped off her warhorse. She first kicked an assassin who was rushing towards the prince's carriage back into the crowd, then snatched the assassin's spear and swept it to force back the other three.

Zhao Mingzhu broke free from her mother's hand.

"Mother, you should hide first."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'll go up and help."

After hearing this, Madam Zhao instinctively grabbed her sleeve.

"That's the Imperial Guard's business. What are you, a girl with only rudimentary skills, doing getting involved?"

Zhao Mingzhu drew her short knife and cut open the cuff that was being held.

"Mother, he saved the Zhao family, but it was me..."

"I can't stand by and watch him get attacked."

With that, ignoring the pain below, she vaulted over the rope fence and charged directly at the assassins.

When they were chopping people up, they showed no mercy whatsoever.

Seeing that the first attack had failed, the lead assassin took out a black command arrow from his pocket.

"Ignore the Imperial Guards!"

"Kill the dog emperor!"

"Kill that dog prince!"

The assassin charged toward the imperial carriage, stepping over the overturned ceremonial guards.

The first six men held shields, while the swordsmen behind them advanced under the cover of the shields.

There were also crossbowmen on the roof suppressing the Imperial Guards, preventing the escort team from dispersing.

He Shen drew his sword and blocked the imperial carriage.

His shoulder wound had not yet healed; after taking only two blows from the other party, blood seeped into his armor.

"Uncle, watch out!"

Lu Yuan suddenly spoke up to remind him.

He Shen spat directly, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at the group of assassins.

"Don't worry, today is your investiture ceremony. Anyone who dares to cause trouble, your uncle will wipe out their entire family!"

Lu Cangqiong said speechlessly, "This brute, I told him not to come, but he insisted on coming."

"If something really happens, how am I supposed to explain this to your mother when we get down there?"

After hearing this, Lu Yuan was both amused and exasperated, but he didn't say anything more.

The Imperial Guard captain wanted to lead reinforcements, but was stopped by another group of assassins.

"Protect His Majesty!"

He Shen took half a step back, pressed the blade against the assassin's weapon, and kicked the man away.

The second assassin thrust his spear out from behind the shield.

Before the spear tip even got close, Su Yuling had already attacked from the side.

She wedged the spear she had seized under the man's armpit and used the momentum of her charge to knock him over.

"Uncle, step back to the car."

"Leave this to me."