My brothers are all warriors capable of taking on ten thousand men; I'll roam freely in the Thr

In the latter half of the first lunar month, the nights in Zhuojun are exceptionally long.

Since the assassination at the tea stall that day, the prefect's mansion has been reinforced with layers of defenses, like an iron barrel.

Dian Wei and Zhao Yun took turns guarding the area, and personal guards patrolled continuously for twelve hours a day. The courtyard walls were raised, watchtowers were added, and even hidden sentries were placed on the rooftops.

However, the assassins' attacks were like a persistent, intractable disease, never ceasing.

The 21st day of the first lunar month, at midnight.

Three dark figures leaped over the west wall of the prefect's mansion like raccoons, landing silently.

They were dressed in black, their faces covered with black cloths, and the short blades in their hands gleamed with a ghostly blue light under the moonlight; they were also poisoned blades.

"The study light is still on in the southeast corner," the leader whispered, his voice hoarse.

The three men moved stealthily like ghosts, bypassing a patrol of guards, and headed straight for the study.

Just ten steps away from the study.

"die!"

A low growl, like a tiger unleashed from its cage!

Dian Wei suddenly sprang up from the shadow of the corridor pillars, his twin halberds sweeping across Dian Wei's ribs like a whirlwind. The wounds on Dian Wei's ribs had already scabbed over, but now he was using all his strength. The wind from the halberds howled, and the snow in the courtyard was swept up by three feet!

"Clang clang clang!"

The clang of metal rang out, and sparks flew!

The three assassins were clearly well-trained, instantly spreading out into a triangular formation. Two of them engaged Dian Wei, while the third rushed straight for the study window!

"court death!"

Dian Wei's eyes were bloodshot. He parried a poisoned blade with his left halberd and then smashed down with his right halberd like Mount Tai!

"Snap!"

An assassin collapsed to the ground, his arm bones shattered, screaming in agony.

Another assassin's poisoned blade had already pierced Dian Wei's throat!

At the critical moment, a silver spear, like a white dragon emerging from the sea, pierced through the window!

"puff!"

The spear tip pierced the assassin's wrist with pinpoint accuracy, and the poisoned blade flew out of his hand.

Zhao Yun, dressed in snow-white robes, stood by the window, spear in hand, and said coldly, "How dare you, a petty scoundrel, disturb our lord?"

The remaining assassin, seeing the situation was dire, turned to flee.

Dian Wei grinned maliciously and threw his halberd out of his hand!

"laugh--"

The halberd blade pierced through his back and emerged from his chest!

The assassin collapsed to the ground, twitched twice, and then remained motionless.

"This is the third batch tonight. When will it ever end?" Dian Wei pulled out his halberd, shook off the blood, and complained in a muffled voice.

"Zilong, tell me, why are these powerful families so determined to kill our lord?"

Zhao Yun crouched down and carefully searched the assassin's body. Apart from a poisoned blade, a packet of poison, and a few hidden weapons, there was nothing else.

He stood up, leaning on his silver spear, and sighed softly: "Our lord's implementation of the recruitment edict, regardless of background, only valuing talent, is undermining the foundations of aristocratic families that have stood for centuries. If industries like refined salt, glass, and curved plows gain momentum, and our lord makes them public, it will further shake their monopolistic sources of wealth. Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents; how can they not be anxious?"

He paused, looking at the dim light shining through the study window, his voice turning cold: "These assassins may not be strong, but they are endless and impossible to guard against. We must not let our guard down for even a moment. Our lord's safety rests on our shoulders."

Having said that, he turned and shouted towards the outside of the courtyard, "Third and fourth teams, strengthen the patrol on the west side! Archers, take up the watchtowers. If there is any suspicious movement, fire arrows without asking for permission!"

"promise!"

The guards responded with thunderous shouts, their footsteps ringing out clearly in the snowy night.

Inside the study, Ji Xuanyuan put down the bamboo scroll in his hand and rubbed his temples.

He could hear the fighting outside the window, but he didn't even lift his eyelids.

Over the past seven or eight days, there have been more than ten similar attacks, sometimes two or three waves in one night, and sometimes only the next day. The assassins vary in skill level; some are as well-trained as tonight, while others seem like temporary hired desperados.

But in any case, it was unsuccessful.

On one hand, there were Zhao Yun and Dian Wei, the two top security captains in the late Eastern Han Dynasty; on the other hand... it was himself.

Ji Xuanyuan opened his palm, and there lay a piece of mutton-fat jade quietly in his palm. The jade was warm and smooth, and it shone with a soft light under the lamp.

Although he appeared calm on the surface, how could he not be troubled inside after being assassinated these past few days?

He is also a human being. Although he has lived two lives and experienced death once, how can he not be afraid of living such a life of constant anxiety and the possibility of losing his life at any time?

But he can't afford to act rashly.

If he causes chaos, Zhuojun will be in chaos.

"Senior brother."

Guo Jia pushed open the door and entered, holding a scroll of silk in his hand: "The secret guards just sent word that the number of suspicious people entering the city in the past two days has decreased by 30% compared to the previous few days."

Ji Xuanyuan took the silk scroll and glanced at it: "The assassins retreated?"

"It's not necessarily a retreat." Guo Jia sat opposite him, his peach blossom eyes gleaming.

"But it was the people of Zhuojun who... started to 'help'."

"Oh?"

The 22nd day of the first lunar month, early morning.

As soon as the gates of Zhuojun opened, a long queue formed for people to enter the city. Zhang Fei, carrying a ring-pommel sword and glaring with his large, copper-bell-shaped eyes, personally patrolled the city gate. This was Ji Xuanyuan's order; the generals were to take turns guarding the city gate to prevent assassins from infiltrating.

"Name? Place of origin? What brings you to Zhuojun?" the gatekeeper asked as usual.

"Wang Er, a native of Anping in Jizhou, is here... to do some small business." A lean man answered with his head down, his eyes darting around.

Just as the soldiers were about to let them pass, an old woman selling vegetables nearby suddenly shouted, "Sir! This man is not right! I saw him yesterday at Shili Pavilion outside the city. He and three other men were lurking suspiciously in the pavilion, and they weren't speaking the Jizhou dialect!"

The man's expression changed, and he turned to flee!

"Where do you think you're going!"

Zhang Fei roared, and his ring-pommel sword was already drawn!

The blade flashed like a bolt of lightning, slicing in from the back of the neck and emerging from the front of the chest!

The head flew off, and the headless corpse fell to the ground, its blood staining the snow red.

Zhang Fei sheathed his sword, grinned at the old woman, and said, "Old lady, you have a good eye! Someone, give me a hundred coins!"

The old woman waved her hands repeatedly: "No reward, no reward! General Ji is our living bodhisattva. If anyone tries to harm him, this old woman will be the first to object!"

The surrounding people echoed this sentiment:

"That's right! General Ji has opened a school, and my son can go to study now!"

"They also allocated wasteland and distributed grain seeds, so we can plant our own fields this spring!"

"Those damned assassins must have been sent by those damned aristocratic families!"

The sentiment is indignant.

Similar situations were playing out throughout Zhuojun.

In a tavern in the east of the city, a stranger had just sat down and ordered a pot of wine when several craftsmen at the next table set their sights on him. The man's calluses were so thick that he didn't look like a farmer, but rather like someone practicing swordsmanship.

At the inn in the south of the city, the innkeeper secretly reported to the authorities that the three people staying at the inn were sleeping during the day and going out at night, acting suspiciously.

Even the children on the street have learned to secretly observe the feet of passersby while squatting on the ground playing in the mud. Their parents told them that the prefect's office had posted a notice saying that martial arts practitioners walk differently from ordinary people.

The assassins and spies who had infiltrated were terrified by the sight of everyone being mobilized and dared not venture out.

Some assassins who had not yet entered the city saw that the city gates were being checked so thoroughly that their companions were beheaded by Zhang Fei as soon as they were exposed. Their bodies were hung on the city gates for public display, covered in rotten vegetable leaves and rotten eggs, and their deaths were tragic.

"They died with their eyes wide open...they died with their eyes wide open!" In the woods outside the city, several men in black looked at the swaying corpse on the city gate and sighed softly.

"Brother, you're a warrior," the leader said through gritted teeth.

"We will return and report your bravery to our master."

"Boss, are we going in or not?"

"...Get in my ass!" the leader spat.

"It's only a few dollars a month, is it worth risking your life for?"

"Zhuojun is a monolithic stronghold; the people have all become Ji Xuanyuan's spies. With so few of us, going in would be suicide. Retreat! Go back and report to the lord, and we'll reconsider!"

That night, most of the assassins who had infiltrated Zhuojun withdrew.

A banquet was held at the prefect's residence that night.

It was called a banquet, but it was really just a casual meal for the brothers to get together.

The charcoal brazier was burning brightly, and two wild rabbits were roasting on the rack, filling the air with their aroma.

Zhang Fei tore off a rabbit leg, took a big bite, and complained, "Frustrating! It's fucking frustrating! Every day at the city gate, everyone looks like an assassin to me; I'm practically blinding myself from staring!"

He took a big gulp of wine and continued shouting, "If I find out who's behind this, I'll lead my troops to surround their mansion, drag those bastards out, and poke three hundred holes in each of them!"

Guan Yu stroked his beard, a cold glint flashing in his phoenix eyes: "Fifth brother, please calm down. This matter cannot be rushed."

Xiang Yu sat beside Ji Xuanyuan, his double pupils gleaming faintly in the firelight: "Brother, this passive defense is not a long-term solution. Could it be... we can't find the mastermind behind this?"

Ji Xuanyuan coughed twice, a helpless smile appearing on his pale face: "Lord Lu's old acquaintances in the literati are already investigating in secret, and Fengxiao's secret guards are also gathering clues, but... it will take time."

He paused, his voice turning cold: "Besides, even if we find out, we can't take action openly."

"Why?!" Li Cunxiao exclaimed, his eyes wide.

"Are we just going to let them bully us?"

Ju Shou put down his wine cup and slowly said, "General Li, our lord is right. We are in the open now, while they are in the dark. If we really tear off the mask and openly fight each other, that would be openly making enemies of all the powerful families in the world. At that time, they will join forces to pressure the court, and with one imperial edict, we will be accused of 'starting a war without authorization and plotting rebellion,' and we will become the target of everyone's criticism in an instant."

Tian Feng nodded: "What you say is very true. We are still young and our foundation is not yet strong, so we can only be patient."

"Endure, endure, endure! How long do we have to endure!" Zhang Fei slammed the wine bowl on the table, spilling wine.

Ji Xuanyuan remained silent.

How could he not feel aggrieved?

In my past life, reading history and watching those powerful figures maneuver and scheme was always exhilarating.

But once you're actually in the thick of it, you realize that every step is like walking on thin ice, with hidden arrows everywhere and people's hearts unpredictable. You have to develop your power, balance all sides, and be wary of poisonous blades that might come from nowhere...

Chaotic times are never child's play.

He looked out the window.

The snow started falling again, swirling and fluttering.

The study fell silent, with only the crackling of the charcoal fire.

After a long silence, Ji Xuanyuan slowly spoke: "Brothers, I know you are all feeling frustrated, and so am I. But for now... we can only endure."

He stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the snow falling heavily.

"but……"

His voice was very soft, but it made everyone look up.

"The opportunity to retaliate will come soon."

Everyone was taken aback.

A glint of light flashed in Guo Jia's eyes: "Senior brother already has a plan?"

Ji Xuanyuan did not answer.

He simply gazed out the window at the snow-covered city of Zhuojun.

The night was as dark as ink, and the snow shone like silver.

At this boundary between darkness and light, something is quietly brewing.

Three days later, on the 25th day of the first lunar month.

A swift horseman rode through the snow and went straight into the prefect's residence.

The knight dismounted and presented a sealed letter with sealing wax to Ji Xuanyuan.

The letter was sent from Jizhou by an old friend of Lu Zhi.

Ji Xuanyuan opened the letter, read only three lines, and a cold smile appeared on his pale face.