On our wedding night, my wife acted strangely.

It was just past Chen Shi (7-9 AM), and the sky over the capital was still dark.

The winter sun is always like this, as if it's reluctant to come out of bed.

Dust billowed on the official road outside Xuanwu Gate, where a thousand armored soldiers stood in a square formation, their footsteps echoing in perfect unison.

The eight-ox crossbow was pushed to the front of the formation, followed by four catapults.

The fat man rode on a large mule, a straw dangling from his mouth, squinting at the Xuanwu Gate tower.

"Damn it, the last time I was here was when we smashed the city gate." The fat man spat out the straw, turned around and shouted to the messenger behind him, "Tell the brothers, no need to smash the city gate today, but the crossbows are fully loaded. Anyone who dares to hold back will have three months' pay docked when they get back!"

"Yes!" the messenger replied, spurring his horse to deliver the message.

The soldiers at the front of the formation were expressionless, their spears held ramrod straight.

These people had all followed the Lin family back from the northern desert. What kind of battles hadn't they seen? Surrounding a palace was nothing different from their usual drills.

On the city wall, Zhang Yong was on patrol when he saw the black square formation in the distance.

"What?!" His expression changed instantly.

The memory of the last battle at Xuanwu Gate is too vivid.

The catapult's projectiles smashed down the entire city tower, burying him under the rubble and nearly killing him.

I still dream about that suffocating feeling of being buried alive.

"Commander! Commander!" The adjutant beside him ran over, his voice trembling, "It's...it's the Divine Machine Battalion! The Divine Machine Battalion is here again!"

Zhang Yong swallowed hard, forcing himself to keep his legs from giving way.

"I saw it! Immediately send someone to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to report to His Majesty, quickly!"

The lieutenant turned and ran.

There's no need to send anyone; he'll go himself.

Better to die for your fellow Daoist than for me.

What does it matter to him whether those Imperial Guards live or die?

Zhang Yong, holding onto the battlement, glanced down.

The Imperial Guards standing at the city gate began to stir, whispering among themselves and their legs trembling.

Most of these soldiers were scions of prominent families in the capital. They joined the Imperial Guard just to secure a position, and usually just stood guard and patrolled, never even cutting anyone with their swords.

Their armor was polished to a shine, but in a real fight, ten of them tied together wouldn't be enough to defeat one member of the Divine Machine Battalion.

Therefore, Zhang Yong often felt powerless despite his good intentions, but as a commander, he couldn't be cowardly and hide before the battle even began.

So I had no choice but to bite the bullet and go downstairs.

When Zhang Yong reached the city gate, he saw the expressions on his soldiers' faces and immediately became furious.

"Stand up straight! No fighting yet, what's the panic?"

That's what he said, but deep down he wasn't sure either.

The last time Lin Yi used a catapult to smash Xuanwu Gate was to bring the Imperial Concubine out of the palace.

And this time? A thousand armored soldiers, eight crossbows, and catapults—the formation was even larger than last time.

What exactly does Lin Yi want to do?

Zhang Yong stood in the city gate, watching the black armored formation on the opposite side get closer and closer, finally stopping a hundred paces away.

Then he saw the fat man riding on a mule.

He weighed 300 pounds and had a carefree smile on his round face.

"Old Zhang!!" the fat man shouted at the top of his lungs, "Long time no see! I felt really bad about burying you last time. How's your injury healed?"

Zhang Yong's lips twitched.

He thought to himself, "This fat guy talks just like his older brother."

They're clearly here to beat you up, but they insist on exchanging pleasantries with you first.

"Thank you for your concern, Young Master Wang." Zhang Yong clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute. "May I ask what brings you here today with your troops?"

The fat man drove the mule a few steps forward, bringing it closer to the city gate.

"Old Zhang, let me tell you something honestly." The fat man's smile vanished, replaced by a rare seriousness. "Today, I'm here on the Prince's orders to take over the palace's defenses! If you know what's good for you, you'll quickly withdraw your men, and we can all stay peaceful and avoid conflict. But if you don't..."

The fat man pointed to the eight-ox crossbow and catapult behind him: "Then this fat man won't hold back."

Zhang Yong's heart sank.

Take over the city's defenses.

What weight do these four words carry?

Lin Yi's previous blockade of the palace's supplies was merely a way to cut off supplies.

Taking over the city's defenses would mean completely controlling the emperor, rendering him powerless.

From now on, it will be difficult for the emperor to send out any messages.

"Young Master Wang, this matter is beyond my control," Zhang Yong gritted his teeth. "Please allow me to return and report to His Majesty."

The fat man waved his hand: "Go ahead, I'll wait for you. But let me make this clear beforehand, I'll only give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. If you don't open the door after that, I'll open it myself."

Zhang Yong turned around and walked back, his pace much faster than when he came.

......

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the charcoal fire was burning brightly.

Nangong Xiong sat on the dragon throne, holding a secret letter from Jiangnan in his hand, discussing matters with Sun Fu.

"Zhao Tiande said he'll head north in three months, three months..." Nangong Xiong sighed, "Alas, can I afford to wait that long?"

Sun Fu bowed and stood aside, whispering, "Your Majesty, the Zhao family needs three months to train troops and gather provisions, which is the fastest they can do. Although the situation in the capital is not good right now, Lin Yi doesn't seem to have any intention of assassinating the emperor for the time being. Your Majesty just needs to be patient..."

Before he could finish speaking, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the palace gate.

The lieutenant stumbled in, fell to his knees with a thud, his face deathly pale: "Your Majesty...Your Majesty! The Divine...Divine Machine Battalion has surrounded Xuanwu Gate again!"

The secret letter in Nangong Xiong's hand fell to the ground with a thud. He then stood up from the dragon throne and demanded sharply, "What did you say?!"

"Your Majesty, the Divine Machine Battalion has surrounded Xuanwu Gate! The commander is... it's Wang Chongyu! They've brought up the eight-ox crossbows and catapults!"

Nangong Xiong swayed and grabbed the armrest of the dragon throne.

"Lin Yi... what is he planning now?! Is he really going to kill the emperor this time?!"

Sun Fu was also startled.

Lin Yi wants to kill the emperor? Impossible.

If they really wanted to kill the emperor, they wouldn't just surround him without attacking, and they certainly wouldn't have sent Fatty Wang.

The fat man is a general in the open, not an assassin.

If you really want to kill someone, just send some assassins in the middle of the night to sneak in and do it without anyone noticing. There's no need for such a big fuss.

Therefore, Lin Yi did not come to kill anyone.

So what is he here for?

Sun Fu quickly considered the matter in his mind, but for a moment he was unsure.

Nangong Xiong paced back and forth in the hall, finally turning to Sun Fu: "Sun Fu! Tell me! What exactly is Lin Yi trying to do?!"

Sun Fu bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this old servant believes that Lin Yi may not necessarily intend to harm you this time. If he really wanted to take action, why would he make such a big fuss? Therefore, this old servant guesses that he has most likely come to negotiate terms."

"Nonsense! What conditions hasn't I met? I've already married my daughter to him, and I even have to depend on him for what I eat. What more could he want?!"

"Your Majesty, why don't you send this old servant out to sound him out and see what he really means?"

Nangong Xiong stood there, knowing that getting angry wouldn't solve the problem.

If Lin Yi dared to kill the emperor, I would have died long ago and wouldn't have waited until today.

Therefore, Sun Fu's words are credible.

"Alright, go tell Lin Yi that I am willing to reconcile! He can state his conditions."

"Yes," Sun Fu replied, turning to leave.