The Emperor ordered Minister Liu to go to Hexi as the Supreme Commander to oversee the war effort.

To send an eighty-year-old man to the battlefield, to send a Prime Minister who had served two emperors and was about to retire to the frontlines… how absurd!

When the court officials learned of this, emotions ran high. That night, the high ministers gathered at Minister Liu’s residence to protest this injustice. Minister Liu sat weakly against the wall, his gaze sweeping across the room. In the flickering candlelight, sorrow marked every official’s face.

This was truly a case of foxes mourning the death of a hare—feeling the same fate might befall them.

The Great Wei operated under a system of multiple prime ministers. There should have been five Prime Ministers, but one had retired earlier in the year, leaving a position unfilled. Now, the remaining three Prime Ministers gathered here, watching how the Emperor treated Minister Liu, felt the chill in their hearts more acutely than other officials.

Several ministers suggested pleading on Minister Liu’s behalf, wanting to knock on the palace gates at night and lead the officials in begging the Emperor to rescind his order.

Minister Liu roused himself with effort and sternly stopped the room’s lamentations: “Why all these tears? You’re acting as foolishly as ignorant women and children. Once the Emperor’s golden words are spoken, how can they be taken back? As for this old man… what is there to fear about going to Hexi? This old war horse still has strength left, perfect for personally overseeing the war in Hexi! Isn’t having a Prime Minister personally present the best reassurance for our Great Wei?”

“What are you all wailing about?!”

So the civil and military officials suppressed their grief and forced themselves to speak words of encouragement.

However, before his departure, the other three Prime Ministers spoke softly on everyone’s behalf: “Minister Liu, after you leave, what should we do?”

Minister Liu fell silent for a moment, then answered slowly: “The Emperor acts this way because he’s been manipulated by evil officials! We must eliminate the corrupt eunuchs to help His Majesty see clearly!”

Several old ministers showed strange expressions but nodded in agreement.

Wei Shu, mixed among the officials, paid his respects to Minister Liu that night along with the others. Compared to the other officials’ grief, Wei Shu’s emotions were much more stable—he didn’t even speak. He felt like duckweed swept along by floodwaters, the surging waves rushing toward him, leaving him unable to see the path ahead.

The Emperor wanted peace negotiations, but peace meant giving up Jiannan. How would the people of Jiannan be settled? Wouldn’t they be handed over to the southern barbarians, turning hundreds of thousands, even millions of people into slaves of another country?

But opposing peace meant opposing the Emperor and confronting powerful palace eunuchs like Liu Wenyi. The Emperor was still the Emperor—when the time came for a bloody purge, would the entire court of officials be enough to satisfy his bloodlust?

As Wei Shu left Minister Liu’s residence with the other officials, he looked back to see the dim study hidden behind elm trees. The dense foliage cast shadows on the window, showing the lonely silhouette of a hunched old man.

Minister Liu spoke of eliminating the eunuchs and clearing the Emperor’s side of evil influences… but could Great Wei’s problems be solved just by removing the corrupt officials?

Before his diplomatic mission, Second Brother Yan had said, “Do good deeds, don’t question the future.”

He wouldn’t question the future.

But what were the good deeds now?

The next day, Minister Liu left the city to take up his post in Hexi. During morning court that day, the officials requested leave to escort Minister Liu out of the city.

Due to the open customs of Great Wei, neither the emperor nor officials typically wore formal dress during court sessions. But on this day, the long procession stretching ten miles, escorting Minister Liu from the city, was filled with officials wearing their formal robes in red and green, presenting an imposing sight.

Their silent but oppressive resistance drew crowds of common people in Chang’an. Moved by the scene, the people joined the officials in escorting Minister Liu out of Chang’an.

When the Emperor learned of this, he was furious. He collapsed into his dragon throne, staring at the empty hall, dizzy and afraid.

After coming to his senses, the Emperor immediately ordered Liu Wenyi to chase after them!

The Emperor had Liu Wenyi represent him in sending off Minister Liu, bestowing upon him the title of Grand Commander and promising not to revoke his position as Prime Minister. Fearing the officials’ resistance, the Emperor had Liu Wenyi express that he already regretted his decision, but an emperor’s words couldn’t be taken back, so the imperial edict couldn’t be rescinded. The Emperor would wait in Chang’an for Minister Liu’s return, keeping a position for him…

The officials shouldn’t lose heart!

The Emperor’s display caused the resistant officials to slightly soften their stance. After Minister Liu’s departure, the officials scattered back to the city in lonely small groups. Wei Shu stood among the crowd, hearing commotion and looking toward its source.

He saw Lord Zhao accompanying Liu Wenyi on horseback, while a child held by their wet nurse boldly sang a children’s rhyme about “the great traitor.” The child was innocent and unknowing, but Liu Wenyi’s face darkened. Lord Zhao suddenly grew angry: “Outrageous! What are you singing? Someone, take them—”

He meant to say throw them in prison, but he saw Wei Shu looking his way. The young man’s eyes were like ice and snow. Lord Zhao felt a chill down his spine, remembering the relationship between Wei Shu and his Fifth Lady that he had broken apart. Lord Zhao grew angrier but saw more officials turning to look at him.

Lord Zhao’s palms grew sweaty.

He muttered vaguely: “Don’t let it happen again.”

Mounted on his horse, Liu Wenyi looked on indifferently. Seeing Lord Zhao’s cowardice, he sneered and pulled his reins to leave.

Lord Zhao hurriedly rode after him, putting on a fawning smile: “Please don’t be angry, Sir! Those commoners are just ignorant, speaking nonsense! I’ll have people investigate starting today—anyone caught singing such rhymes will be thrown in prison.”

Liu Wenyi retorted: “You can silence people’s mouths, but can you silence the hearts of the common people?”

Lord Zhao was stunned.

Liu Wenyi gazed into the distance, where the palace was shrouded in thick clouds. The path ahead was murky; he was mired in mud, with obstacles in every direction. Liu Wenyi closed his eyes, his hand trembling on the reins, veins bulging on the back of his hand.

Liu Wenyi muttered: “I’ve been pushed onto a burning pyre…”

Back at the palace, Liu Wenyi reported the day’s events to the Emperor. After a moment of unclear expression, the Emperor comforted Liu Wenyi, expressing indignation: “Liu Gong is my most trusted minister, like parents reborn to me! How could those commoners say such things? I understand everything in my heart—you’ve been wronged.”

Liu Wenyi said he dared not accept such words, his manner respectful but distant.

After the Emperor gave him many precious gifts and fine residences, his heart settled, and he brought up the peace negotiations again.

The Emperor wanted peace, but Minister Liu’s assignment to Hexi had taught him a lesson, so he didn’t dare push the matter too forcefully for now.

Liu Wenyi thought of Wei Shu’s unusually cold and calm gaze toward their faction today, which made him particularly uncomfortable. Those who had once been friendly with him had now become political enemies, making him feel disgusted just thinking about them.

Liu Wenyi said: “For matters like peace negotiations, why not send Wei Seventh Son, the Ministry of Rites Official? Though Wei Seventh Son usually stays quiet, his eloquence is remarkable—how else could he have completed his diplomatic mission? He has dealt with those barbarians for years and knows them best… why not send Wei Seventh Son to negotiate peace!”

The Emperor’s eyes lit up at these words, and he immediately ordered someone to issue the summons. But after hesitating, fearing a repeat of Minister Liu’s situation, he didn’t directly issue an imperial edict. Instead, he sent palace eunuchs with his verbal command to visit the Wei residence and summon Wei Seventh Son to see him.

Wei Shu sat lost in thought in his mansion’s back courtyard, sitting under the vines, hazily remembering that year when Zhao Lingfei had stayed at his home for two days.

In his daze, palace eunuchs arrived at his door. Servants led the eunuchs to see Wei Shu and the young eunuch politely explained the palace’s intention, asking Wei Shu to enter the palace to receive orders and immediately go to Jiannan to negotiate peace with the southern barbarians.

Wei Shu stared at the eunuch, deep in thought.

For a moment, his heart stirred with the idea of going to negotiate, using extended negotiations to buy time. But he quickly rejected this thought—once peace negotiations began, not only would he become a laughingstock, but Jiannan would no longer be able to wage war, wouldn’t that truly fulfill the Emperor’s wishes?

Moreover, with the Emperor sending court officials away one by one, and those who dared oppose him now gone, wouldn’t the court truly become whatever the Emperor wished? Then what would be the meaning of Minister Liu going to Hexi?

Wei Shu raised his eyes, speaking clearly: “Please ask His Majesty to forgive me, but I cannot go to the palace, nor can I go to Jiannan.”

The eunuch’s eyelid twitched.

Cursing silently that this task would be difficult, the eunuch still maintained a smiling face: “This… it will be hard for this servant to report back. This is His Majesty’s summons, how can the Official refuse? This… there must be a reason?”

Wei Shu: “Because I am gravely ill, so I cannot enter the palace. I feel ashamed before His Majesty, but truly cannot enter the palace.”

The eunuch was confused: “Ill?”

Without another word, Wei Shu drew the sword at his waist and casually slashed his arm. The sharp blade cut to the bone, blood flowing freely down Wei Shu’s wide, crimson official robes that he had not yet changed out of. The robe’s color deepened with blood.

Blood dripped onto the young man’s snow-white arm as Wei Shu raised his eyes to look at the eunuch.

The eunuch stumbled back three steps, afraid this fierce official might give him a cut too. The eunuch: “Official, with such behavior, aren’t you afraid His Majesty will punish you?!”

Wei Shu said quietly: “Then let him punish me. As officials, we die for our ruler’s principles. I have long understood this—dare I ask if His Majesty understands?”

The eunuch trembled: “Mad… mad… so Wei Official is truly this gravely ill, this servant understands… I’ll report this to His Majesty right away.”

Meanwhile, in the palace, the already harried Emperor received another urgent message from Yan Shang about commanding the Jiannan war effort. The Emperor grew more anxious thinking about how Yan Shang would react when he learned his teacher had been demoted to Hexi.

Why were all the officials he encountered so unyielding?

Yan Shang didn’t learn about what happened in Chang’an until five days later.

When Mu Wanyao learned that Minister Liu had gone to Hexi, she first flew into a rage, thinking the Emperor more absurd than she had imagined. Then she thought of Yan Shang, worried he would be upset, and immediately went to see him.

Yan Shang was practicing calligraphy in his study.

Whenever troubled, he would practice large characters to calm his mind. After years of this, Yan Shang’s calligraphy had become quite different from when Mu Wanyao first met him.

Watching Yan Shang write from behind, Mu Wanyao particularly remembered how his characters had once been neat but gloomy, structurally rigorous but lacking artistic beauty; now Yan Shang’s calligraphy was ancient and dignified, with an undercurrent of unyielding spirit.

Yan Shang turned back, saying: “I already know about my teacher’s situation. I was just about to submit a memorial, leading the scholars to defend my teacher and question His Majesty.”

Mu Wanyao laughed lightly: “His Majesty will be angered to death by you master and disciple again. Aren’t you afraid he’ll kill you?”

Yan Shang smiled: “The previous Emperor decreed that unless you and I commit treason, the current Emperor cannot harm us. If His Majesty dared to defy the previous Emperor’s final edict, he wouldn’t have this desire for peace negotiations today.”

He closed his eyes: “I want to force him, to pressure him. Make him both fear me and be unable to do without me. How can one expect a horse to run without feeding it… If he dares to kill all the court officials, I would respect his courage.”

Mu Wanyao: “Your teacher said before leaving that clearing the Emperor’s side of evil influences and removing corrupt eunuchs would solve everything.”

Yan Shang: “Oh? How is it being told in Chang’an?”

He had only read the letters about his teacher before becoming angry and not reading further. But Mu Wanyao had read all the letters. Standing by the desk, she counted off on her fingers, telling Yan Shang about how everyone in Chang’an, from officials to commoners, hated the eunuchs.

She said the entire Chang’an thoroughly hated Liu Wenyi.

Yan Shang grew distant.

Mu Wanyao glanced at him: “Your eyes show sorrow, why? What, do you feel sorry for Liu Wenyi? You sympathize with him?”

Yan Shang: “Don’t you find it laughable? Though Liu Wenyi may be guilty, clearly the Emperor himself bears greater guilt. But we officials, even my teacher, dare not say the Emperor is at fault, only daring to say evil eunuchs are ruining the country. As if removing Liu Wenyi would make everything right.

“But isn’t the Emperor the one bearing deeper sins? The one who learned of the southern barbarians’ conditions and unhesitatingly wanted to give up Jiannan wasn’t Liu Wenyi, but the Emperor. Though Liu Wenyi as Chief Eunuch seems to have power over the court, everything he has was given by the Emperor—he has no solid foundation behind him. All he does depends on the Emperor’s trust in him. Once the Emperor wants to reclaim power… a eunuch’s power is the easiest to take back.

“Everyone says Liu Wenyi has blinded the Emperor’s eyes, but in truth, hasn’t the Emperor also blinded Liu Wenyi? Liu Wenyi’s current position was created by the Emperor’s hand. The Emperor deliberately pushed Liu Wenyi to the front to shield himself from the officials’ contempt.

“Liu Wenyi believes he’s using the Emperor to satisfy his expanding ambitions, not knowing the Emperor is also using him to eliminate those he dislikes and voices he doesn’t want to hear. And one day… if truly one day, when things have become so dark they cannot continue, the Emperor need only sacrifice Liu Wenyi, and all the court officials will still return to support His Majesty.

“Just by sacrificing Liu Wenyi alone, His Majesty will still be everyone’s good Emperor.”

Yan Shang said mockingly: “Yao Yao, an incompetent ruler isn’t remarkable, but an incompetent ruler who knows what he’s doing yet doesn’t care, who still insists on pursuing pleasure regardless of others’ lives—that is the most frightening kind.”

“When His Majesty wasn’t yet Emperor when he was still Prince Jin, he still had the heart to govern. But he endured too many years for the throne, and was suppressed too long by the former Crown Prince and Prince Qin… his mind has become twisted, no longer normal.

“When His Majesty first became Emperor, he would still come to ask my advice on state affairs, ask me how to become a wise ruler. But afterward, he began to resent my meddling, suspecting I wanted to control him. He and Liu Wenyi hit it off immediately—pretending to be reluctant to part with me while eager for me to leave Chang’an, to stop hindering him…

“He long ago stopped wanting to be a wise ruler—he only wants to be an emperor, an emperor who only enjoys himself!”

Mu Wanyao stared at him, stunned.

She said: “These thoughts of yours… no one would dare think this way.”

Yan Shang lowered his eyes. He sat down, leaning against Mu Wanyao. He said softly: “I only dare speak like this with you.”

Mu Wanyao held him tenderly, letting his face rest against her chest. Seeing him close his eyes tiredly in her embrace, her fingers brushed across his features, thinking how he had grown much thinner these days.

Her heart ached with love for him, and like a mother comforting her child, she said gently: “Don’t worry about all that for now. Brother Yan Er, we are human, not gods. Problems must be solved one by one. For now… let’s focus on the Jiannan war.

“Jiannan has already stopped fighting for a month… we can’t delay any longer.”

Yan Shang opened his eyes in her embrace.

Though exhausted, he struggled to sit up, saying: “I’ll write a letter to Jiannan’s commander, asking how things are there now…”

The current situation in Jiannan was one of stalemate.

The commander had been corresponding with Guangzhou Prefecture’s Inspector Yan Shang for months, starting with just casual exchanges between colleagues, but later treating Yan Shang as a confidant, pouring out his troubles to him.

The central government wouldn’t let them fight! And with Jiannan not fighting, they could only watch daily as the arrogant southern barbarians crushed them!

The central government also wouldn’t send anyone to negotiate peace, only letting those few eunuchs order people around in the military camp.

Supplies were gone, soldiers’ pay couldn’t be distributed, they couldn’t fight. And the central government still wanted to hand over Jiannan… the commander didn’t dare leave his tent, not knowing how to face his soldiers, how to face Jiannan’s people.

How could he tell them that the court was abandoning them, letting them become slaves of another country?

When Yan Shang wrote again, the commander replied in agony: “Suchen, I’m anxious day and night, I can’t hold on anymore…

“Every day I feel ashamed before the soldiers and the people. But without supplies or funds, what can I do?

“Suchen, I don’t know how much longer I can hold on… perhaps I’ll become a sinner for all history, the sinner who lost Jiannan… but with His Majesty’s verbal order, how can you and I defy it?”

While the commander was caught in this dilemma, Yang Si, Zhao Lingfei, and Yan Xiaozhou climbed a hill to observe how the entire prefecture city was being destroyed by enemy forces.

Zhao Lingfei and Yan Xiaozhou had accompanied Yang Si up the mountain to survey the terrain. Now that Jiannan was forbidden from fighting, soldiers were ordered to relocate civilians, while southern barbarians were already boldly probing into the border prefectures, burning, killing, and looting, with soldiers ignoring it all.

The wind blew at their clothes as the three stood on the small hilltop, silently watching what appeared to be another conflict below.

A group of southern barbarians had come to steal civilians’ grain. The civilians wailed and refused to give it up, getting whipped in response. Jiannan soldiers passed by, heads lowered, not daring to intervene. The commotion below was tremendous, but up on the hill, only the wind could be heard.

Fierce, endless wind.

Yan Xiaozhou gazed absently at the ant-like civilians below. Zhao Lingfei also watched quietly, slowly averting her gaze. But Yang Si wasn’t looking at them—he only glanced once before studying the overall terrain.

After a long while, Zhao Lingfei asked: “Cousin, have you seen enough?”

Yang Si: “Yes.”

His finger traced through the air as he said: “The court won’t let soldiers fight, but I’m not a soldier—people like us are just laborers, not counted as troops. I’ve already convinced all our people. We’ll move at dawn tonight, raid the southern barbarians’ camp, take back everything they’ve stolen—and if we can’t take it back, we’ll burn it!

“We absolutely won’t leave it for them!”

Yan Xiaozhou worriedly said from the side: “I fear they’ll trace it back to Third Brother…”

Zhao Lingfei said coldly: “I’ll take responsibility for my cousin! My father is the Minister of War—I’d like to see who dares touch the War Minister’s daughter!”

Yang Si and Yan Xiaozhou remained silent.

Zhao Lingfei turned to look at them. Seeing the two standing shoulder to shoulder, she felt nearly overwhelmed by shame, feeling completely out of place. Wasn’t Jiannan’s suffering all caused by Liu Wenyi? Wasn’t it her father who aided the tyrant?

She was ashamed to mention her father!

Yet now she had to use her status to help her cousin…

Zhao Lingfei’s heart ached. Yan Xiaozhou, held by the shoulder by Yang Si, walked down the mountain. The two had gone halfway before turning back to wait for her.

Yan Xiaozhou said gently: “Sister Lingfei, why aren’t you coming? It’s getting dark, let’s go down quickly. I made porridge for everyone today—it’s very good. Sister Lingfei shouldn’t miss it.”

Zhao Lingfei looked over. Yan Xiaozhou’s gaze was gentle, showing no hostility toward her. She looked at Yang Si, who gave her a half-smiling beckoning gesture, impatiently saying: “Aren’t you coming? So slow!”

Zhao Lingfei burst out laughing and caught up with them, following them down the mountain. Her eyes fixed on their backs—the man towering, the woman delicate, both the best people in the world… Zhao Lingfei raised her eyes to gaze at the sky.

To protect these best people, she would have to stand against her father—

Yang Si led people in a night raid on the enemy camp, successfully capturing several carts of grain. Before dawn, the grain was left outside the doors of civilians whose food had been stolen. By daybreak, people throughout the city were rejoicing.

The military camp was tense, investigating who had been so bold. The eunuchs came with the southern barbarians to question the commander. The commander said he didn’t know. The eunuchs insisted the commander hand someone over, forcing him to search the entire camp to find who dared do this.

Finally, it was traced to Yang Si.

At this point, Zhao Lingfei stepped forward, saying she was the War Minister’s daughter—who would dare touch Yang Si in front of her!

The eunuch smiled mockingly: “So you’re Fifth Lady Zhao. Your father already instructed us—when we see Fifth Lady Zhao, bind her and take her back to Chang’an. The Jiannan matter is not something the Fifth Lady can meddle in!”

They bound Yang Si tightly. Zhao Lingfei and Yang Si fought with them in the military camp. Though both were skilled fighters, the camp expended great effort to subdue them. But when the eunuchs wanted to take them away, the commander intervened, saying he needed to question them first.

So only Fifth Lady Zhao was reluctantly taken away. But Zhao Lingfei was prepared—these eunuchs wouldn’t dare harm her, and Sister Xiaozhou would use her position as a physician to drug their food and rescue her. After escaping, they would rescue her cousin together.

Though the future was uncertain, they knew they couldn’t submit.

In the military camp, the commander looked at Yang Si, who knelt bound before him. After the arrogant eunuchs left, the commander untied Yang Si and told the young man to rise. The commander studied him: “Third Young Master, you’ve won every time you’ve fought. Could you tell me, if you were the commander today, how would you fight this war?”

Yang Si looked at him in surprise.

The commander’s face was covered in stubble, looking utterly haggard. His desk was covered in letters. With his excellent eyesight, Yang Si glimpsed a familiar name at a glance.

Yan Shang.

Yang Si was startled and suspicious. Just as he was about to guess what relationship Yan Shang had with this commander, the commander noticed his gaze and covered that letter with others. The commander explained with a smile: “Yan Suchen and I are good friends. For months, we’ve discussed much about the Jiannan war. The several times I used you were also on Suchen’s suggestion.

“I had wanted to discuss with Suchen how to fight this war, but Suchen said it would be better to ask you than him. I’ve long been curious about what kind of person this military genius could be, whom even someone like Yan Suchen praised endlessly. But because you bear the crime of treason, I couldn’t speak with you too much.

“Tonight is a good opportunity. Why don’t you tell me freely—if you were me, how would you fight?”

Yang Si asked in return: “The General often discusses military matters with Brother Yan Er?”

His eyes lit up slightly as he said: “Does Brother Yan Er know about Jiannan’s current situation? He’s always been good at politics—has he said how to resolve this Jiannan situation? We can’t keep fighting, can we?”

The commander was reluctant to say more about his correspondence with Yan Shang, only saying: “We just discussed recent official appointments, nothing to do with you. You should stick to what you’re good at.”

Yang Si fell silent for a moment. After some thought, he decided that someone Yan Shang trusted should be trustworthy. So he sat cross-legged and spoke freely about how he would fight if he were in command.

When Yang Si spoke of war, he became spirited, his eyes bright, quite different from his usual calm demeanor… The commander watched him, slightly dazed and rather sighing. Was this the bearing Yan Shang spoke of when describing Yang Si of the past?

They had all grown old.

It was time to make way for young people like Yan Shang and Yang Si—

Regardless of what Yang Si and the commander discussed, Yang Si was still thrown into prison by those eunuchs, who said they would execute him to give the southern barbarians an explanation.

Imprisoned in jail, Yang Si naturally didn’t know that the day after his conversation with the commander, the commander committed suicide by sword.

He left no words before death and made no explanations for himself.

He neither would withdraw troops nor dared defy the Emperor’s edict. Tormented on all sides with no way forward or back, he could only atone for his death.

The entire camp grieved. The soldiers surrounded the eunuchs’ tents, frightening them so much they didn’t dare come out. Afterward, soldiers who had already been turned by the eunuchs caused trouble from within, settling the camp’s chaos. In such a grave situation, new events were needed to divert everyone’s attention, to stop people from focusing on the commander’s death.

The solution the eunuchs came up with was to execute Yang Si.

Kill Yang Si to appease the southern barbarians’ anger. Since Yang Si wasn’t even counted as a soldier, surely the troops wouldn’t care if he died?

But the camp’s atmosphere was oppressive, with soldiers holding back their anger.

At daybreak, Zhao Lingfei mixed among the soldiers, watching her cousin being brought to the platform, bound. Her fists were clenched in hatred and fury. She swore to rush up and save her cousin—Han Suxing from Sister Xiaozhou’s side would come to help… They would rescue her cousin from here!

Who dared kill her cousin?

Not even her father could!

Yang Si’s face was expressionless, refusing to kneel. The wind howled as the eunuchs mockingly watched this person who wouldn’t kneel. The executioners beat his legs and whipped him… but couldn’t make Yang Si kneel.

Yang Si looked at them with disdain, not even bothering to watch them.

Having spent so much effort trying to make Yang Si kneel, the eunuchs had thoroughly embarrassed themselves. Below, the military officials were already showing scornful expressions. The eunuchs grew angry with shame, feeling that the longer this dragged on, the more they became a joke.

A eunuch shouted: “Execute!

“Execute—”

The burly executioner held a long blade, his body muscled. As his blade turned toward the young man before him, a sharp whooshing sound cut through the air—

The whole scene erupted in chaos!

A black arrow flew from afar, threading through the crowd’s heads, and shooting straight toward the huge executioner. The arrow didn’t hesitate, piercing directly into the executioner’s neck. Blood sprayed as the executioner, not yet feeling the pain, died with eyes wide open, crashing to the ground.

Yang Si was stunned.

All the soldiers were stunned.

Zhao Lingfei, hiding among the soldiers planning to rescue him, was stunned.

Everyone turned back together—

In white robes and a jade crown, a young man holding a crossbow stood at the camp’s entrance behind the crowd, his clothes dancing in the wind.

Distinguished and graceful, like a jade immortal walking among mortals.

The eunuch following behind the young man was sweating profusely, face pale, shouting at everyone: “What are you standing there for? Quickly pay respects to the Supreme Commander of All Forces! This is our new commander, appointed by His Majesty as Supreme Commander of All Forces and Military Governor of All Jiannan Circuits… Why aren’t you bowing?!”

Yan Shang smiled as he lowered his crossbow.

He stood at the camp’s entrance, in the wind, smiling at Yang Si on the platform, smiling at everyone in the camp.

He said slowly: “Pleased to meet you all.”

Not dropping the crossbow in his hand, he gazed at the dumbfounded eunuchs on the platform with a gentle smile: “The heavy arrow has no point—not my intention, but do be careful.”