Unable to enter from the front, with pursuing troops behind, Wen Shoushan in his fury wielded his army to directly attack the capital.

Shen Guiyan was merely a woman. If Shen Guiwu was lost in wine and dreams, could one woman defend the capital? As long as they opened the capital’s gates and returned, if Gu Chaobei wanted to pursue him again, he would have to besiege the city anew.

That’s what he thought, but after leading troops to attempt sieging the city once or twice, Wen Shoushan discovered that the capital’s garrison was surprisingly numerous and well-equipped with weapons. In a short time, they couldn’t break through at all!

Shen Guiyan stood atop the city tower, quietly watching the chaos of soldiers and horses below. Shen Guiwu beside her said in a low voice, “Wen’s army now only has two hundred thousand men. The capital can hold for half a month without falling.”

“No need for half a month.” Shen Guiyan finally spoke, her voice somewhat hoarse and rusty. “After one more siege attempt, they’ll have no time left. The pursuing troops from behind are about to arrive.”

Gu Chaobei pursued very closely this time—front and back were separated by less than five days’ marching distance. If Wen Shoushan continued to waste time, he would be trapped in this area outside the capital.

Wen Shoushan also realized this, so after the last siege attempt, he wanted to withdraw his troops.

“Open the city gates.” Shen Guiyan said in a low voice.

Shen Guiwu raised an eyebrow. “Your Ladyship, if we open the city gates, won’t that let Wen Shoushan occupy the capital again?”

Shen Guiyan shook her head. “You go send someone to tell him that this palace surrenders. The capital can garrison ten thousand troops, but the rest of the soldiers must be stationed in the outskirts.”

What did this mean? Never mind whether Wen Shoushan would agree—even if he really agreed, would he obediently bring only ten thousand troops into the capital?

But in these three years, Yan’er had never made a wrong decision. Shen Guiwu hesitated, plucked a wildflower, and went downstairs while pulling off petals.

“Trust, don’t trust, still trust…”

The petals were all plucked. Shen Guiwu reached the bottom of the tower, sighed, and ordered someone, “Leave the city to sue for peace.”

The pursuing troops were close at hand. When Wen Shoushan received news of Shen Guiyan’s peace overture, he was truly caught in a dilemma. If he withdrew troops and continued fleeing north, where could they flee to? The soldiers had already traveled long distances—walking further would deplete their forces even more. But if he agreed to Shen Guiyan’s demands now, if entering the city was slow, they might very likely be caught by the Emperor’s pursuing troops behind them.

No matter which he chose, there was risk. Shen Guiyan was truly too cunning. Of all times to sue for peace, she had to do it after he’d wasted so many days, when he had no choice but to withdraw.

After thinking for a long time, Wen Shoushan said, “Agree to her. Once the city gates open, all generals and soldiers listen to orders—charge inside for me, just like attacking a city!”

“Yes.” The generals and soldiers went to carry out orders.

“Heave-ho—” Behind the city gates, over a hundred people were pulling two giant stones. The wooden carts were nearly crushed under the weight, trembling as they transported the stones to the gate entrance, then destroyed the wooden carts, letting the stones wedge behind the two massive city gates.

This way, even if the city gates opened, they could only half-open. No matter how urgent they were, there would only be space for two people to enter side by side.

Shen Guiyan returned to the palace to wait. She had calculated that for these two hundred thousand troops to all enter through that half-open city gate would take at least two days.

And in one more day, Gu Chaobei’s great army should arrive at the capital’s borders.

Wen Shoushan hadn’t expected Shen Guiyan would use such a method. He wanted to renege, but the people in front had already entered—those were his elite troops. If he continued entering, the tail behind would be cut off.

He was now like a long dragon—the head had entered the capital, the body was stuck at the city gate, and the tail was completely outside.

Wen Shoushan was furious beyond measure. He wanted people to push open the gates, but no one could move those giant stones behind them. The soldiers all panicked and scrambled to get in quickly, creating complete chaos.

“This really won’t do—let the assault battalion enter the capital, and have the rest quickly retreat, General!” A trusted subordinate said urgently. “Scouts report the enemy army is already thirty li away. They’ll reach the outskirts very soon!”

Wen Shoushan cursed and said angrily, “Those who’ve entered the capital—charge into the imperial palace for me and knock that little woman off the dragon throne! Those who haven’t entered—organize troops and prepare to turn and catch them off guard!”

The troops split in two. Those who entered the capital numbered less than ten thousand, and they were leaderless. Wen Shoushan mounted his horse and led the soldiers behind, forming battle arrays to prepare to receive Gu Chaobei.

The little woman on the imperial throne sat properly and upright. “The mass grave from three years ago in my capital—all those debts can now be collected from these traitors! Close the city gates. Of the troops that entered the capital, leave not a single one!”

“Yes.” All the ministers in the hall obeyed. The Imperial Guards left the Imperial City, the Forbidden Army also fully armed. The capital’s garrison was more numerous and stronger than Wen Shoushan had imagined. Before the soldiers who entered the city could catch their breath, sounds of slaughter rose again in the capital.

Without Wen Shoushan’s guidance, over ten thousand men had only seven deputy generals each leading their scattered groups, advancing from four directions toward the imperial palace. However, halfway there they encountered the capital’s garrison, and killing broke out on all sides. Some of Wen’s army fled and scattered to civilian homes. Before they could put on airs as military lords, uncles and aunts picked up iron pots and shovels and bashed them senseless.

Wen’s army couldn’t understand at all. That the garrison troops attacked them was one thing, still within reason. But why were the common people who usually fled at the sight of war now setting traps in every household, greeting them with hoes and carrying poles, and there were even reckless old ladies who couldn’t even stand steadily yet held iron hammers, exerting all their strength to smash them on the heads of Wen’s soldiers?

One soldier kicked an old lady aside. The iron hammer flew out. The old lady lay in front of her house, unable to get up from the fall, yet her trembling hands still reached for firewood nearby.

“Is this old thing crazy?” the soldier asked someone beside him.

The person beside him muttered, “Who knows? This capital was originally a place we conquered, so why do the common people inside have such great hostility…”

“My daughter…” The old lady holding firewood tremblingly propped herself up. “My daughter and son both died beneath the swords of you beasts! Clearly people of the same country, yet you do nothing but utterly conscienceless deeds. You Wen family army—in the capital, you cannot advance a single step!”

“Enough chatter!” Impatiently kicking her again, seeing the old lady no longer moved, the soldier snorted coldly and wanted to continue forward.

These few wanted to flee for their lives. This cursed place had no enemy troops, yet was full of troublesome common people.

Who knew that just as they turned their heads, a brick hit them on the head. Blood flowed down, blurring their eyes. The few soldiers discovered that ahead were all common people carrying hoes.

Wen’s army that entered the capital were all elite troops. Shen Guiwu thought that even to annihilate them should take quite a long time.

Who knew that in just one day’s time, Wen’s troops everywhere had all disappeared without a trace. The Imperial Guards and Forbidden Army hadn’t suffered too many losses, though many common people were injured and some died.

Gu Chaodong couldn’t understand how this happened. Shen Guiyan, however, said, “They fought for the imperial throne and territory—who wins, who loses, the common people won’t remember too long. But if someone slaughters the people’s family members and destroys their homes, no matter how long afterward that person returns, the common people will remember clearly.”

“The mass grave outside the city—someone must atone for it.”

Could the power of the common people be this terrifying? Gu Chaodong couldn’t believe it. Perhaps it was just coincidence. When Shen Guiyan was in power, she always valued the common people, seeing the capital’s people as more important than anything. Perhaps heaven opened its eyes and gave her good karma, so Wen’s army was so quickly submerged in the capital.

The city gates closed. Wen Shoushan outside still knew nothing. Gu Chaobei had already arrived, and he had to engage in full battle.

In the outskirts of the capital, the places where both sides camped were only ten li apart. At dusk, the Emperor led troops to raid Wen’s granary, causing a thousand measures of grain to be completely destroyed. Wen Shoushan turned to seek help from the capital. Shen Guiyan agreed to immediately send grain.

The grain delivery was arranged for nighttime—darkness made things easier. Shen Guiwu, following Yan’er’s instructions, personally escorted the grain, bringing the most elite soldiers.

Wen Shoushan waited at the military camp entrance, brows tightly furrowed. Only when he saw Shen Guiwu did he breathe a sigh of relief and ordered people to go receive them.

The grain delivery convoy was very long. In the darkness it wasn’t clear, but the grain-delivering soldiers had already surrounded this large open area in front of Wen’s army camp, and behind them it seemed grain was still continuously arriving.

“Isn’t this too much?” Wen Shoushan wondered. Just as he wanted to go down and ask, he saw that on the grain carts already stopped in the open area, many “grains” suddenly stood up.

Looking carefully, he realized that those grains all looked very much like enemy troops!

“On guard!” Wen Shoushan hurriedly shouted.

Too late. The soldiers were all still resting in their tents. By the time they were woken one by one, the enemy troops had already overturned their tents.

Wen Shoushan cursed angrily in rage. Under the cover of his subordinates, he retreated with a team of trusted followers. The military camp stationed with eighty thousand men was swallowed by enemy troops. He could only flee in panic toward the fortified garrison town behind.

Shen Guiwu was also a traitor! Wen Shoushan trembled with anger. No wonder Shen Guiyan could easily control the capital—Shen Guiwu was there! Saying he was lost in wine and dreams—it was probably deliberate, putting on the greatest betrayal performance for him!

When Yuwen Changqing betrayed him, he still had time to prepare. But this time with Shen Guiwu, it truly cut off all his escape routes.

“Kill!” Gu Chaonan’s eyes were sharp, standing on horseback, majestic and imposing.

In three years, he had gone from military clerk to commander-in-chief. Relying on his wife, he had won battle after battle, deeply earning the Emperor’s trust. With just this final victory, he could rest easy for life.

Mengdie said that in this battle, Wen Shoushan would flee rather than fight. He wanted to preserve his life and would hide in the City God Temple in Zhengzhou. Gu Chaonan told the Emperor he would definitely capture the man alive and bring him back.

So the Emperor didn’t worry about this side. Upon reaching the vicinity of the capital, he was already too impatient to wait and headed into the city.

The city gates were closed? No problem—find a place with few people and climb the wall.

Horses can’t climb walls? No problem—once he got in, he’d just run!

Zhuiyun couldn’t stop him even by shouting, and could only follow him climbing walls, running along roofs and walls, all the way into the capital.

Right now the capital’s power structure was unclear. He very much wanted to remind his master that coming in alone like this was truly too dangerous. But would Gu Chaobei listen? Running in one breath past Chengde Street, past Nameless Alley, he finally stopped outside the imperial palace.