Bai Qingyan looked toward Fu Ruoxi. Even if she temporarily spared Fu Ruoxi’s life, she absolutely could not allow him to command troops and return to the capital.

Seeing the Crown Prince remain silent as he looked toward Bai Qingyan, Fu Ruoxi knew this idea had come from her.

Fu Ruoxi stepped forward, respectfully bowed, then said: “Your Highness, within Anping Camp, there are others capable of leading troops. Why go to such unnecessary lengths to have Master Dong come over? Dengzhou has just suffered a disaster, and Master Dong is likely burdened with heavy duties and cannot spare himself. He cannot manage both ends well. This subordinate stakes his head to guarantee that even if this subordinate is not at Anping Camp, other generals can certainly guard it well.”

Just as Fu Ruoxi finished speaking, a soldier from outside the camp came to report: “Report! Outside the camp, there is one who claims to be a Bai Family guard named Lu Ping, saying he has urgent matters to report.”

How could Fu Ruoxi not know Lu Ping? Not to mention that during the previous reinforcement of the northern frontier in the battle against Great Liang, Lu Ping had fought alongside them. Even before that, Fu Ruoxi had heard of the name of the Bai Family Army’s Lu Ping. It was just that later, Lu Ping suffered severe injuries and was arranged by Bai Qishan to return to the Bai Family to protect the safety of the Bai Family’s female members.

Fu Ruoxi’s heart pounded like drums, though his face showed no emotion as he still said: “Quickly, invite him in!”

Bai Qingyan pressed her thumb against the sword hilt. It seemed Lu Ping had captured the messenger.

Lu Ping, clad in armor with two guards following behind him, dragged in the messenger they had just intercepted. Fu Ruoxi’s face immediately turned pale, but seeing that the person was already dead, Fu Ruoxi breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Lu Ping gripped his sword hilt, his steps resounding as he knelt on one knee in salute, then took out the cloth belt containing a message tube that he had searched from the messenger’s body, respectfully holding it above his head: “Lu Ping follows Princess Zhenguo’s orders, set an ambush on the main road between Anping Camp and the capital, and intercepted this person! This item was found on his body!”

“That person, isn’t he the one who just came to the camp to deliver a message to General Fu?” One of Fu Ruoxi’s straightforward and rash subordinates pressed his sword hilt, about to draw his sword toward Lu Ping, angrily saying, “What is the meaning of this?!”

Fu Ruoxi firmly pressed down on his subordinate’s hand that was drawing the sword, gritting his back teeth, his mind immediately thrown into chaos.

If he killed the Crown Prince now, it would be unjustified and improper, making him a rebellious traitor. Moreover, not everyone in Anping Camp would necessarily follow him!

But if he didn’t kill the Crown Prince, he must find a perfect explanation for that letter today.

The Crown Prince carefully held his breath, moving closer to Old Fang’s direction.

What did Fu Ruoxi’s sending a message to the capital at this time indicate?

It indicated that Fu Ruoxi had possibly already colluded with some prince in the capital who intended to seize the throne, or even… the Empress.

Bai Qingyan took the cloth bag Lu Ping handed over, opened it to find a sealed message tube inside. She opened the tube and pulled out the paper inside, which read… “Await the opportunity to act” – four characters.

Bai Qingyan held the paper, looking toward Fu Ruoxi. Old Fang couldn’t help but step forward first, snatching the paper away, saying: “General Fu, just now your subordinate general claimed that person was the one who came to Anping Camp to deliver a message. Now you’re having this person deliver a message to whom, telling whom to await the opportunity to act? Speak!”

Fu Ruoxi pressed his lips together, remaining silent.

“General?!” Fu Ruoxi’s subordinate soldiers looked at him in disbelief, as if unable to believe it, saying, “This must be a frame-up! General! Say something!”

“Could it be that General Fu wants to deny it? Does General Fu dare let this old man compare the handwriting…” Old Fang rubbed the letter paper with his fingers, pressing closer to Fu Ruoxi by a step, “This paper is probably the kind used by Anping Camp for military reports, isn’t it? And this ink! Now that the Emperor is unconscious and the Crown Prince is away and hasn’t returned to the capital, General Fu… if you cannot explain today, you can only be charged with treason!”

Old Fang anxiously demanded an explanation from Fu Ruoxi, his words coming one after another, pressing Fu Ruoxi until his mind was agitated and confused, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

Now the thread of life and death had been pressed before Fu Ruoxi’s face. He absolutely could not sit and wait for death!

Fu Ruoxi bit his teeth tightly without making a sound, his hand gripping the sword hilt, tightening. In a split second of lightning and flint, he made his decision. The murderous cold gleam unsheathed. Bai Qingyan’s eyes darkened as she grabbed Old Fang’s collar, flinging him backward, her sharp sword unsheathing…

“General! General, what are you doing?!” Fu Ruoxi’s deputy general cried out in shock. Without drawing weapons, Fu Ruoxi still had room to argue, but if he drew weapons before the Crown Prince, Fu Ruoxi would be beyond all explanation.

This sudden change struck like thunder, shocking the soldiers of Anping Camp into stunned silence. They all pressed their hands to their waist swords, not knowing whether they should draw swords to stop Fu Ruoxi or draw swords against the Crown Prince’s party.

Fu Ruoxi’s blade scraped past the jade crown on Old Fang’s head. The warm white jade shattered as he opened his eyes wide, watching the blade barely slide past his face. His graying hair immediately became disheveled, blood beads appearing on his forehead.

Having reached a critical moment, Fu Ruoxi, seeing he failed to kill Old Fang, charged straight toward the Crown Prince’s direction, intending to kill the Crown Prince. As long as the Crown Prince was dead, he could claim the Crown Prince committed treason and deserved execution by imperial decree, controlling Anping Camp. He believed that, having led troops at Anping Camp for many years, he could control the soldiers there.

The Crown Prince’s eyes widened as he retreated and fell to the ground. The moment the cold light lunged toward the Crown Prince, the sound of clashing blades suddenly rang out.

Bai Qingyan’s calm and profound gaze darkened. The precious sword in her hand gleamed with cold light as she steadily blocked Fu Ruoxi’s blade that was only an inch from the Crown Prince’s throat, protecting the Crown Prince. With her left hand, she drew the sword from the waist of one of Fu Ruoxi’s subordinate soldiers beside her. Everyone only saw a cold light’s afterimage sweep across Fu Ruoxi’s arm holding the sword hilt…

Before anyone could see clearly what happened, they heard Fu Ruoxi’s agonized scream and saw blood mist spraying everywhere.

Bai Qingyan’s jet-black, profound eyes carried a cold, clear, chilling light. She stood calmly with swords in both hands, possessing the momentum of wind and thunder as she protected the Crown Prince, her posture heroic. Her entire figure was shrouded in a layer of crimson mist as her voice rang out sharp and severe: “Fu Ruoxi attempted treason and assassinated the Crown Prince! Apprehend him immediately. Whoever dares to obstruct will be charged with the same crime. Kill without mercy!”

Lu Ping was the first to react, taking the initiative.

As Lu Ping’s blade unsheathed, Fu Ruoxi’s subordinate generals drew their swords one after another. Seeing Lu Ping’s blade at the throat of Fu Ruoxi, who was crying out in pain from losing his arm, Fu Ruoxi’s subordinate generals pointed their long swords at Lu Ping.

“Fu Ruoxi assassinated the Crown Prince, a crime equivalent to treason! What… do you also want to follow Fu Ruoxi in rebellion?!”

As soon as Bai Qingyan finished speaking, the two thousand Dengzhou troops she brought from Dengzhou immediately surrounded the command tent.

Bai Qingyan’s eyes were calm and composed, so calm they seemed boundlessly cold and desolate, making people tremble with fear.

Fu Ruoxi’s deputy general was panicked and at a loss, looking at Bai Qingyan then at the Crown Prince who had been helped to stand up. He dropped the sharp blade in his hand, knelt on one knee beside Fu Ruoxi, and shouted: “General! General, say something!”

Seeing Fu Ruoxi’s deputy general had already dropped his long sword, the soldiers of Anping Camp dropped their weapons one after another, kneeling on the ground begging Fu Ruoxi to quickly defend himself.