Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

Liu Wenying's eyes welled up with tears, and before she could even speak, he pulled her into his arms.

Xiao Yiheng held her tightly, almost as if he wanted to etch her into his chest.

His aura was complex, carrying both the dust of a traveler and the crispness of an autumn mountain breeze.

Liu Wenying buried her face in his chest, "Is...is it really you?"

"It's me." Xiao Yiheng lowered his head, his lips pressed against the top of her head, his voice muffled in her hair.

At the edge of the mulberry field, several farmers stopped what they were doing, looked on from afar, and smiled.

"Those gossipy villagers used to say that the master's husband wasn't in business at all, but had run off with someone..."

"Look at this, it doesn't look like it at all!"

"Exactly, they're clearly very much in love."

"Look at the manor lord, his eyes are all red."

Absence makes the heart grow fonder!

The autumn wind blew, swirling up the golden leaves that covered the ground, making them dance around the two of them.

Xiao Yiheng loosened his grip on her slightly, raised his hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and gazed deeply into her eyes:

"You've had a tough time these past few days."

Liu Wenying shook her head, a thousand words stuck in her throat, "It's good that you're back."

She felt like she was seeing a glimmer of hope; Xiao Yiheng was coming back, and Pei Yaojun was coming back too.

Liu Wenying put down her work and led Xiao Yiheng to the most secluded room in the villa.

Time waits for no one, and without much rest, a crowd gathered in the elegant house.

"Your Highness," Pei Dingxuan said, bowing.

"Dingxuan, there's no need for such formalities. We're all on the same side."

In addition, Pei Zeyu, Lu Ye, and Xue Bi were also present. Everyone nodded to each other as a greeting, and then took their seats.

Xiao Yiheng didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point.

"You have probably all heard about what happened in Yanzhou. I went alone to meet with the Duke of Zhenguo and presented him with evidence of Xiao Chenlin's collusion with the Northern Di and his plot to murder my father and me. The Duke of Zhenguo then agreed to use all the military power of Yanzhou to support me as the rightful heir."

Xiao Yiheng traveled alone, and the journey was fraught with danger.

Especially for the Duke of Zhenguo, if the other party already has ulterior motives, he would be walking into a trap.

Fortunately, he made the right bet; the Duke of Zhenguo was still the same Duke of Zhenguo, unchanged.

Half a month ago, the Duke of Zhenguo led the Yanzhou army in an uprising, with the slogan of restoring legitimacy and reclaiming the rightful place.

"Congratulations, Your Highness." Liu Wenying was genuinely happy for him.

Xiao Yiheng also looked at her, his eyes filled with tenderness.

"Without your tremendous help, and without Wenying's selfless rescue, I, Xiao Yiheng, would have long been a handful of dust. How could I be here today?"

"Wenying, I still have to thank you."

Liu Wenying lowered her eyes, "I was just repaying the kindness you showed me back then."

Just as the two were about to continue, Pei Dingxuan suddenly spoke, breaking the newly formed, inappropriate tenderness.

"You came to the capital alone, aren't you afraid of being discovered by Xiao Chenlin's spies? Now you are the leader of the rebels, if you are captured..."

"I was a stand-in in the Yanzhou army. I left the army early, traveled light, and took a detour south. Xiao Chenlin's attention was entirely focused on the northern war and the Yanzhou army. He would not have expected that I would infiltrate the capital."

Xiao Yiheng unfolded a map and pointed north.

"Xiao Chenlin colluded with the Northern Di, originally intending to seize the throne with the help of foreign tribes. However, the Northern Di were insatiable and still coveted the five cities after they were taken."

"The war in the north is currently raging, tying down a large number of Xiao Chenlin's troops. This is the best time for me and the Duke of Zhenguo to raise an army."

Pei Zeyu said, "That's why you were able to fight your way from Yanzhou to Chuzhou within half a month, catching Xiao Chenlin completely off guard."

Xiao Yiheng nodded, "That's right, but the advantage won't last forever. Once Xiao Chenlin reacts and mobilizes the garrison in the capital and troops stationed in various places, the war will become a stalemate."

Pei Dingxuan also said, "Especially the capital city with its high walls and deep moats, it is easy to defend and difficult to attack."

Xiao Yiheng: "Dingxuan is right. If we launch a direct attack, even if we capture the city, it will result in rivers of blood and widespread devastation. This is not what I want."

Everyone in the room fell into deep thought.

Siege warfare is the most brutal, let alone the capital. If we were to launch a direct assault, who knows how many lives would be lost.

The palace is the second major obstacle. Will the remaining troops be enough to hold out? Will they be trapped like turtles in a jar?

Xiao Yiheng looked around and suddenly asked, "Where is Young Master Pei? He has experience in the army and should have some insights into attacking and defending cities."

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room froze.

Liu Wenying's face turned pale, and she swayed.

Pei Zeyu and Pei Dingxuan exchanged a glance and remained silent.

Finally, Xue Bi spoke up, "He was falsely accused of treason and imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice for over a month."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yiheng understood immediately. "As expected, Xiao Chenlin is still my vengeful elder brother."

In the Golden Palace, Pei Yaojun rescued the entire Pei family from Xiao Chenlin and escaped unscathed.

At that time, Xiao Yiheng was worried that Xiao Chenlin would not let the matter rest.

He was retaliating against Pei Yaojun for making him lose face, and since he could break the alliance with the Northern Di, he naturally had to remove Pei Yaojun, this thorn in his side.

Liu Wenying's eyes were filled with tears, but she held them back. Suddenly, she felt a warm touch on the back of her hand.

Xiao Yiheng said, "Wenying, I will find a way to get him out."

Liu Wenying looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with tears, "Yes, I believe in Your Highness."

If Xiao Yiheng can enter the capital and expose Xiao Chenlin's true colors, the Third Master can clear his name and the Yuguo Duke's Mansion can regain its former glory.

The candles in the elegant room burned all night.

All evening, everyone sat around the table, discussing in hushed tones.

From troop deployment to communication with inside agents, they went through repeated deliberations and revisions before finally settling on a plan to storm the capital.

However, there are still two crucial dead ends in the proposed solution.

How to breach the city gates remains the biggest challenge.

Pei Dingxuan pointed to the map of the capital on the table, "The city gates are tall and sturdy, heavily guarded, and Xiao Chenlin has also sent a large number of troops to guard them."

"If we launch a direct assault, we will inevitably exhaust most of our army's strength. Even if we manage to breach the city gates, our forces will be depleted once we enter the capital, making us vulnerable to a counterattack by the Imperial Guards. In that case, all our efforts will be in vain."

Pei Zeyu nodded in agreement, "In addition, Wei Zheng, the commander of the palace guards, is Xiao Chenlin's confidant. He is extremely strict in disciplining his troops, and his guards are all elite soldiers who are not to be trifled with."

"If we cannot capture Wei Zheng, even if we storm the capital, we will find it difficult to approach the palace, let alone expose Xiao Chenlin's crimes and rescue Yao Jun."

Xiao Yiheng tapped the table with his finger. "Although Wei Zheng is loyal to Xiao Chenlin, he has always been a man of loyalty and righteousness. When Xiao Chenlin tried to win him over, it was only because he saved his wife's life that he was manipulated. He is an upright man. If we can persuade him to switch sides, it is not impossible."

Everyone offered their opinions, but no one could come up with a sound solution. Winning over Wei Zheng in the capital was not something that could be done overnight.

In a game of chess where life and death hang in the balance, one wrong move can lead to total defeat.

As dawn broke, birds chirped under the eaves, their plans, woven all night, now stuck in two unsolvable knots.

Seeing their tired faces, Liu Wenying advised, "Let's stop here for today. We won't come up with a solution if we keep agonizing over it. Let's think of another way after we've rested."

…………