The Tyrant of the Great Qian Dynasty: Not only will I refuse to arrange a marriage alliance, but I w

A great victory was achieved at the south gate of the capital, and 30,000 elite cavalrymen were annihilated.

The good news spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital within a single day.

The people, who had been shrouded in the shadow of war for several days, erupted in thunderous cheers.

They spread the word far and wide, venerating the Ninth Prince Su Zhe as a god, a war god sent by heaven to save the Great Qian Dynasty.

While the common people rejoiced, the atmosphere inside the grand mansions of the wealthy families in the city was completely different, oppressive and devoid of any life.

Su Zhe's domineering nature, his unconventional approach, and his ruthless methods that disregard powerful families and clans made them feel an unprecedented sense of crisis.

They were accustomed to influencing national policies through political maneuvering and the exchange of interests in the imperial court.

They were used to being high above others and manipulating imperial power at will.

But these methods they were so proud of seemed so pale and powerless in the face of Su Zhe's blood-stained butcher's knife.

South of the city, the Wu family mansion.

The head of the family, Wu Chengdao, was an elderly man in his sixties with three long strands of beard.

His eyes were long and narrow, and a sharp glint shone through them as they opened and closed.

Even after the downfall of former Prime Minister Zhao Kang, he still maintained a significant influence in the capital's high society thanks to his shrewdness and his deeply entrenched family power.

In his study, representatives from several of the most prominent families in the capital were gathered.

"Everyone, let's discuss this situation. What should we do?"

Wu Chengdao picked up his teacup, gently blew on the floating tea leaves, and got straight to the point.

"That Ninth Prince has gone mad. Or rather, he was a madman from the very beginning."

His voice was calm, and everyone present felt the same way.

"He murdered ministers, confiscated their property, and treated our noble families like pigs and dogs. Now, he has turned this entire capital into a high-stakes gamble. He has used himself and all of us as chips on the gambling table."

"If he wins, he might become a so-called emperor for all time. But if he loses..." Wu Chengdao put down his teacup with a soft thud, "we'll all be buried with him!"

A portly family head surnamed Li immediately echoed with a resentful expression:

"Brother Wu is right! My Li family's hundreds of acres of fertile land on the outskirts of the city were forcibly requisitioned by his order to grow some... potatoes! The dozens of private guards that my family had painstakingly raised were also forcibly incorporated into the city's garrison, supposedly to 'serve the country'!"

"If this continues, before the northern barbarians even invade, our aristocratic families will be completely drained!"

"Yes! Yes! We can't live like this anymore!"

Complaints rose and fell.

Those present had all suffered heavy losses due to Su Zhe's iron-fisted methods. Their hatred for Su Zhe had long since seeped into their bones.

Wu Chengdao reached out and gently tapped the table, signaling everyone to quiet down.

"Everyone, complaining here won't help. We need to find a way to save ourselves."

His gaze slowly swept over everyone.

"Although the northern barbarians are fierce, they are wolves, and wolves crave meat. What they want is land and wealth. If we can satisfy their needs, they might just let us stay and help them govern this newly conquered land. After all, all they know is herding and fighting."

"It's better than being drained dry by that madman Su Zhe, ending up with our families destroyed and our lives ruined."

His words were a blatant implication that he intended to secretly collude with the northern barbarians outside the city.

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the study suddenly turned cold.

Everyone present gasped in shock.

Zhao Qin of the Zhao family colluded with the northern barbarians to plot to open the city gates, but what was his fate?

Before they could even make a move, their hideout was raided, and all their accomplices were captured. It is said that they are still imprisoned in the dungeon, unable to live or die.

The lessons learned from the past are still fresh in our minds.

The head of the Li family, his face pale and his voice trembling, said, "Brother Wu, this... this is tantamount to seeking help from a tiger! What if the Ninth Prince finds out...?"

He won't know.

Wu Chengdao, however, appeared confident and composed.

He lowered his voice, his words carrying a seductive undertone.

"Zhao Qin failed because he was too stupid. He actually tried to open the city gate directly; how could he not be discovered with such a commotion?"

"What we need to do is not help the northern barbarians break through the city."

"Instead, it helped our wise and mighty Ninth Prince 'lose' this battle to defend the city."

This novel idea piqued everyone's interest.

Wu Chengdao revealed a shrewd and calculating smile.

"An army marches on its stomach." What are we defending when we defend a city? We are defending our food supplies and the morale of our troops.

"If we can find a way to accidentally set fire to his granary at a crucial moment..."

"With the supplies burned, morale will inevitably collapse. At that point, even if Su Zhe has extraordinary abilities, he won't be able to defend this city. With the city on the verge of falling, we can then naturally step forward, open the city gates for 'peace talks,' and welcome the Northern Barbarian army into the city, thus saving the people from slaughter. This is not a crime, but rather a merit!"

This plan caught the attention of everyone present.

Burn the granary!

That move was absolutely brilliant!

This would fundamentally undermine Su Zhe's defenses and create chaos within the city, without leaving any evidence of direct collusion with the enemy.

Afterwards, they could easily claim it was an accidental leak or the work of spies from the Northern Barbarians. No one could trace it back to them.

If Su Zhe is defeated as a result and the capital falls, they can negotiate with the Northern Barbarians as "saviors," protect their family interests, and even rise to a higher level.

If Su Zhe manages to hold out and they haven't exposed themselves, they can continue to lie low and wait for the next opportunity.

This is an incredibly profitable and risk-free business!

Seeing the eager expressions on everyone's faces, Wu Chengdao knew the time was right, so he added more pressure:

"I've already found out. The largest granaries in the city are now heavily guarded by the Shadow Dragon Guards under that old eunuch Wei An and the Ninth Prince's trusted troops. They're so heavily guarded that you can't even get a needle in or a drop of water through them."

"However, there is one granary located in the west of the city that is somewhat special. The garrison officer there is one of my men."

"If we can find a way to create enough chaos elsewhere in the city to draw the attention of the main patrol forces, he can seize the opportunity to strike and set the entire granary ablaze without anyone noticing!"

A sinister and vicious conspiracy quickly took shape in this small study.

Everyone nodded in agreement and began to discuss the specific details.

Their plan was to set fires in multiple locations in the east, south, and north of the city three days later, during the most intense period of the Northern Barbarians' next attack, and to spread rumors to cause panic throughout the city.

This was to draw away Su Zhe's main force and Wei An's Shadow Dragon Guard.

Then, the inside man set fire to the western granary, where the defenses had been depleted, delivering a fatal blow to Su Zhe's logistics!

What they didn't know was...

Just when they thought they had flawlessly plotted all of this...

In a private room on the second floor of a teahouse opposite the Wu family mansion.

Wei An, whom they called "Old Eunuch," was leisurely holding a steaming cup of fragrant tea.

Before him stood an unremarkable man dressed in plain clothes, who was reporting something in a low voice.

The report contained every single word of the secret plot that Wu Chengdao and his associates had conspired in the study.

Wei listened quietly, his face expressionless.

He put down his teacup, his movements unhurried. Deep within his cloudy old eyes shone a cold light, starkly different from his outward appearance, chilling and piercing.

He whispered to himself in a voice only he could hear:

"A bunch of... clueless idiots."

"It's time to reel in Your Highness's net."