Li Xuan looked at the fire, then at Chen Ji.

Chen Ji had previously claimed that Guyuan was a trap set for the Heavenly Policy Army, but Li Xuan hadn’t believed him. He found it hard to believe because half the city’s population had been massacred, and countless border soldiers had died or been wounded. What kind of ruthless mind could devise such a “decapitation trap”? In this era, the capital had a million people, Luocheng had two hundred thousand, and Guyuan had at least one hundred thirty to one hundred forty thousand. Half a city’s population meant tens of thousands of lives! How utterly sinister and vicious!

However, now, as Li Xuan watched flames surge from the city gates and the seemingly impregnable Guyuan city collapse, blocking all escape routes for the Heavenly Policy Army, he had no choice but to believe. Li Xuan turned to Chen Ji. No matter how much he tried to compose himself, he couldn’t help but ask in a flustered voice, “Who set this trap? What other tricks do they have up their sleeves? Which army were those armored infantry I saw earlier from? How dare they defy the world and use tens of thousands of civilians as bait?”

Chen Ji shook his head. “More than that.”

Li Xuan froze. “What do you mean?”

Chen Ji quietly said, “The bait wasn’t just the civilians. It also included the granaries, weapons, well water… and the Crown Prince.”

No wonder the imperial court suddenly sent the Crown Prince to Guyuan with a ceremonial army that had never seen battle. No wonder White Dragon wanted to transfer and eliminate the Crown Prince’s advisors. No wonder the Heavenly Policy Army could infiltrate the inn’s secret passage. No wonder the Crown Prince, even hiding in a cellar, could be found. It was because the Crown Prince was the final piece of the puzzle! Without the Crown Prince, how could the Heavenly Policy Army have walked into the ambush? Only then did it all make sense.

At that moment, another roar echoed, and even the East City Gate was destroyed by artillery. Amidst the flames and roars, the Heavenly Policy Army’s warhorses became startled and moved restlessly. Yuan Zhen’s warhorse seemed about to rear, almost throwing him off. As the Grand Commander of the Heavenly Policy Army, a high-ranking second-grade official in the Jing Dynasty, Yuan Zhen was still just an ordinary man; how could he control a frightened warhorse? Fortunately, an armored soldier quickly came forward, firmly grabbed the reins, and forcefully pulled the warhorse back into place.

As soon as he finished speaking, dense shouts of battle erupted from the north. A group of armored infantry, who had been hiding in the city, held shields in one hand and swords in the other, launching a counterattack southward from the Xumei Alley line. An armored soldier urgently cried, “It’s an ambush! Escort the Grand Commander away!”

Yuan Zhen whipped him across the face. “Don’t panic! Those who sow discord in my army will be executed!” After that, he narrowed his eyes, looked northward, and pondered for a long time. Then he turned to the Crown Prince and sneered, “What a grand scheme, using half the city’s populace and the nation’s heir as bait. Tell me, were you aware of this?”

The Crown Prince remained silent.

Yuan Zhen burst into laughter. “So, you didn’t know either! The Southern Dynasty’s literati are indeed ruthless, committing acts of national theft in the name of patriotic righteousness, now even treating the nation’s heir as a mere plaything! If Zhu’s Great Ancestor were to rise from his coffin, he would probably slaughter all these Confucian scholars!”

A trusted subordinate rode over and whispered, “Commander, do we stay or leave?”

Yuan Zhen said gravely, “They blew up the South and East City Gates to force us to escape through the West Gate, where I presume another ambush awaits. Pass the order: push north! Southern Dynasty Military Intelligence reported that Ning Dynasty’s three main camps are all at Chongli Pass. I want to see what Hu Junxian will use to kill my Heavenly Policy Army!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the flag signals were relayed down the ranks. The main force of the Heavenly Policy Army immediately dispersed, fanning out northward like a closed fan suddenly opening.

Li Xuan watched as the Crown Prince and others were taken away by the Heavenly Policy cavalry. He immediately cried out, “I’m going to rescue the Crown Prince! If you don’t want to risk it, stay here…” He turned his head and was startled to see that Chen Ji had already moved. Chen Ji wiped his face with his sleeve as he stealthily moved toward a Heavenly Policy cavalryman. Just as another roar of artillery sounded, he suddenly leaped up, landing silently behind the cavalryman’s saddle, covering his mouth, and twisting his neck. He tossed the Heavenly Policy Army soldier’s body toward Li Xuan, who frantically caught it. Even with extreme care, the armor’s friction couldn’t be silenced. Someone heard the sound and looked over alertly, but seeing Chen Ji wearing a black pheasant-tail helmet and Heavenly Policy Army armor, they turned back.

Chen Ji rode his horse to join the Heavenly Policy Army, advancing northward with the Imperial Guard. Chen Ji blended into the ranks, quietly observing. Within the Heavenly Policy Army, ranks were distinguished by the pheasant tails on their helmets: ordinary soldiers wore none; elite archers, Imperial Guards, and centurions wore a single black pheasant tail; chiliarchs (commanders of a thousand) wore one long and one short pheasant tail; and “Myriad Household Commanders” wore one long and two short pheasant tails. Chen Ji saw Yuan Zhen calmly riding forward, with elite scouts constantly reporting military intelligence from various routes before departing with new flag orders. Heavenly Policy Army infantry escorted the Crown Prince and others, trailing behind Yuan Zhen, who was tightly protected by the Imperial Guard. Chen Ji glanced at them but quickly looked away, not wanting to arouse suspicion.

He looked at a figure beside Yuan Zhen: the innkeeper of Dragon Gate Inn. The innkeeper had now changed into Heavenly Policy Army armor, wearing a chiliarch’s pheasant tail, indicating a very high rank. As Chen Ji secretly observed, the innkeeper seemed to sense something and slowly turned his head. In the flickering firelight, Chen Ji saw the character “降” tattooed on the innkeeper’s left cheek. His gaze was cold and filled with murderous intent, bearing no resemblance to the innkeeper he once was. He lowered his head before the innkeeper’s gaze swept over him, silently following the ranks.

The innkeeper, feeling suspicious, seemed about to turn his horse back to investigate, but then several scouts returned together to report military intelligence.

“Report! Elite infantry numbering five hundred are engaging the vanguard in Kule Street!”

“Report! Elite infantry numbering five hundred are moving west in Qiemo Street!”

Yuan Zhen, frowning on his horse, asked, “How many elite infantry groups have we discovered now? Is it the eleventh or twelfth?”

A trusted subordinate beside him whispered, “Commander, it’s the twelfth.”

The shouts of battle from the front line grew louder, punctuated by the roar of artillery, as if the border army were growing in numbers with each kill. Yuan Zhen looked into the darkness, his expression becoming more solemn. “Where did Hu Junxian conjure so many men from? Send the main force of the central army to set up a pocket in Xumei Alley, let them come in!”

At that moment, another scout galloped back, knelt on one knee ten paces from Yuan Zhen, and reported loudly, “Report! Centurion Yuan Zhong has been killed at Dragon Gate Inn! His entire unit was wiped out!”

Hearing the words “Dragon Gate Inn,” the innkeeper abruptly turned his head, no longer caring about the gaze that had been observing him. Yuan Zhen casually waved a hand behind him. The Imperial Guard immediately cleared a path, allowing the innkeeper to approach within ten paces to answer. Yuan Zhen did not look at the innkeeper, simply gazing forward as he calmly asked, “I sent Yuan Zhong based on your intelligence. Now that Yuan Zhong is dead, how do you explain this?” As he spoke, the Imperial Guards beside the innkeeper suddenly moved, five or six men grabbing his arms and forcing him to his knees.

The innkeeper looked up and shouted, “Reporting, Commander! This humble subordinate previously reported that there were Feathered Forest Guards protecting the inn, and a Path-seeking realm commander of the Feathered Forest Guards beside the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince is here now, you can confront him directly.”

Yuan Zhen nodded, then waved his hand behind him without looking back. Someone from the Imperial Guard immediately brought the Crown Prince and others forward. Along the way, Zhang Zheng and Zhang Xia struggled fiercely, but to no avail.

Everyone stopped ten paces from Yuan Zhen. They heard Yuan Zhen ask, “I’ll ask, and you’ll answer. Those who answer well may live.”

Chen Wenxiao quickly spoke up, “Commander, I will answer!”

Yuan Zhen’s lips curled slightly. “Did you encounter my Heavenly Policy Army vanguard in the inn?”

Chen Wenxiao nodded vigorously. “Yes, we did. They burst out from the inn’s secret passage and killed all dozens of Feathered Forest Guards left in the inn. We were trapped upstairs and nearly died.”

Yuan Zhen turned his head. “If you encountered them, why are your clothes so clean, without a single drop of blood? And how did you escape to Taohuai Alley?”

Chen Wenxiao explained, “At that time, it was Chen…”

Mid-sentence, Chen Wenzong began to struggle frantically. “Shut up, you beast!”

Yuan Zhen burst out laughing. “Who is this man?”

Chen Wenxiao lowered his head, avoiding Chen Wenzong’s gaze. “This is my legitimate elder brother, Chen Wenzong.”

Yuan Zhen waved his hand. “Muzzle this fellow. You continue.”

However, at that moment, Xiao Man shouted loudly, “I’ll tell!”

Yuan Zhen asked with a smile, “Oh? And who are you?”

Xiao Man struggled two steps forward. “I am a maid from the Chen family. As long as you spare my life, I’ll tell you everything…” Before she finished speaking, Xiao Man suddenly broke free from the Imperial Guard beside her and aimed a palm strike at Chen Wenxiao’s temple. The palm strike carried the force of wind and thunder, yet it stopped just short of Chen Wenxiao’s temple, caught by a thick, powerful hand. A burly, dark figure enveloped Xiao Man. She looked up in astonishment to see that it was a chiliarch from Yuan Zhen’s side, who had appeared like a phantom to stop her.

The chiliarch grinned grimly. “Daring to play such petty tricks in front of the Commander-in-Chief? You seek death.”

Yuan Zhen said indifferently, “No matter. If someone is desperately trying to stop him, his words might hold some truth. Let him continue.”

Chen Wenxiao said, “My Chen family’s illegitimate son, Chen Ji, blocked the stairs at that time, preventing your vanguard from ever reaching the Crown Prince upstairs. We then hid on the inn’s roof, and by the time we came down again, he and this little maid had killed all your vanguard soldiers!”

Yuan Zhen was momentarily stunned. “Killed them all? Just the two of them?” He looked coldly at the innkeeper. “Why didn’t you mention these two?”

However, Yuan Zhen saw that the innkeeper was also frozen, muttering to himself, “I saw him leave with my own eyes in the morning. How could he have been in the inn…?”

Chen Wenxiao added from the side, “Reporting to the Commander, my illegitimate brother did indeed leave in the morning and only returned after the border army opened the city gates.”

Yuan Zhen grunted and sneered at the innkeeper, “Even if he left, you should have reported everything truthfully. Tell me, why did you conceal this information?”

But the innkeeper ignored him, turning instead to Chen Wenxiao. “Where is Chen Ji? Why isn’t he with you?”

Chen Wenxiao said in astonishment, “He left after he put us in the cellar. I don’t know where he went.”

Yuan Zhen asked condescendingly, “What realm is that illegitimate son of the Chen family in? Does he have any weaknesses?”

Just as Chen Wenxiao was about to speak, the innkeeper suddenly knelt and crawled forward on his knees towards Yuan Zhen, saying, “Commander, this humble subordinate’s incompetence caused such crucial information to be missed. I am willing to accept punishment.” When the innkeeper was only seven paces from Yuan Zhen, he suddenly burst up and lunged at him.

Yuan Zhen’s expression remained unchanged as he coldly watched the innkeeper approach. The Imperial Guard formed a human wall in front of him, layer upon layer. The chiliarch who had been holding Xiao Man also kicked her away and flashed back to defend. The innkeeper and the chiliarch clashed like thunder, and fierce winds swept around them, making it almost impossible for onlookers to open their eyes.