The Empress has abandoned me? I'll support a new emperor and destroy your kingdom!

The darkness before dawn is the deepest, and Luofeng Gorge is immersed in this thick, inky blackness. True to its name, the gorge is flanked by steep cliffs and jagged rocks. In late autumn, when the forests should be ablaze with color, only bare branches stretch eerily in the night wind. A narrow, barely passable post road winds its way through the valley floor, its narrowest point only wide enough for three horses to walk abreast. A thick layer of fallen leaves covers the ground, obscuring countless jagged stones.

Su Che stood halfway up the mountainside on one side of the canyon, his figure almost blending into the rocks. Below, in the valley, Zhao Jianing was leading the last few men, silently setting up their trap. Several nearly transparent, oil-soaked, tough vines were carefully laid across the path, their ends fixed to specific crevices in the rocks or under tree roots, half a foot off the ground, hidden among the withered leaves. Further away, beneath several seemingly natural piles of rubble, lay simple catapult mechanisms made of animal sinew and hardwood, capable of scattering fist-sized stones like raindrops when triggered. There were no complex traps, no large ambushes; everything was simple yet practical, relying on the ultimate use of the terrain and a precise prediction of the enemy's psychology.

"Sir, everything has been arranged as you instructed." Zhao Jianing climbed up like a nimble monkey, his breath slightly short, his eyes flashing with a mixture of excitement and tension. "Pang Xiaopan has already led her family and carriages ahead, waiting in the Black Pine Forest twenty miles away. The thirty brothers left behind are all in ambush at their designated positions, with their bows and crossbows nocked, just waiting for the signal."

Su Che hummed in agreement, his gaze remaining fixed on the entrance to the canyon. He casually toyed with the silk scroll from Lin Chu in his hand. "Was the reply sent?"

"According to your words, sir, the message has already been sent back by hawk. It only said, 'Your Majesty trusts me, which is very gratifying. However, my old illness is lingering, and my return date is uncertain. Please allow me to recuperate in the mountains for a while before I can repay your kindness.'" Zhao Jianing repeated, his tone disdainful. "The scout sent by Gao Tianci to deliver the message, also as you instructed, 'accidentally' let him see the traces of our break camp heading south, and left a slight flaw, making him think that we were in a hurry to travel and our formation was scattered."

"Very good." Su Che held the silk scroll to a torch nearby, and the flames instantly engulfed the hypocritical words, turning them into a small clump of ashes that scattered into the cold wind of the canyon. "She likes to act, so we'll play along. However, the ending of this play is up to us."

He glanced at the sky; a sliver of dawn was breaking in the east. "It'll be soon. Tell the brothers that once the pursuers enter the valley, no one is to move without my order. The primary target is that general on the white horse, wearing a red robe."

"That's Gao Tianci's deputy, Liu Meng, a famous vanguard, brave but reckless." Zhao Jianing nodded, "Don't worry, sir, the crossbows are all aimed at him."

……

At the beginning of Chen Shi (7-9 AM), the sky was already bright, but the light inside the canyon was still dim.

The dull, rapid sound of hooves approached from afar, shattering the silence of the valley. Three hundred light cavalry surged into the entrance of Falling Maple Gorge like an iron torrent. Both men and horses were slightly weary, but their spirits were high. After several days of continuous pursuit, they had finally pinpointed the prey's location last night, filling these elite "Tiger Might Battalion" soldiers under Gao Tianci with a burning desire for glory.

The leading general, indeed riding a magnificent white horse, clad in gleaming silver armor and a scarlet cloak, carrying a long, fine iron spear, was none other than the deputy general, Liu Meng. His face was rugged and his eyes gleamed with ferocity. As he spurred his horse, he roared at his personal guards, "Faster! Faster! Su Che and his gang of scoundrels, burdened with their own men, won't get far! The general said that capturing Su Che will be a great reward for everyone! Whoever beheads Zhao Jianing and Pang Xiaopan will be promoted three ranks!"

"Roar!" The three hundred cavalrymen shouted in unison, their morale soaring, and their speed increased even more as they charged into the depths of the canyon without any hesitation. Their hooves trampled the withered leaves, raising dust, and the column stretched out somewhat long as they were eager to catch up.

Liu Meng took the lead, his heart burning with excitement. He could almost see himself carrying Su Che's head back to the capital to receive his reward, promotion, and titles. General Gao had hinted that His Majesty was extremely dissatisfied with Su Che, regardless of whether he lived or died! This risk-free, opportunistic act of beating a drowning dog was practically a gift from heaven.

"General, this canyon has a treacherous terrain. Should we send out scouts first...?" A more experienced captain rode forward and whispered a reminder.

"Scouts my ass!" Liu Meng interrupted impatiently. "Su Che only has a few dozen remnants of his army, along with the elderly, women, and children—they're like frightened birds! What makes them think they'd dare to ambush us? Even if they did, our Tiger Might Battalion's elite troops can easily crush them! Full speed ahead, don't let them escape!"

The captain dared not speak further. The column thundered forward and soon entered the narrowest part of the canyon.

Just as Liu Meng's white horse was about to step onto the narrowest part of the road, a sudden change occurred!

"Hissing sound—!"

The leading warhorses suddenly let out a mournful neigh, their front hooves buckled, and they collapsed forward! The riders on their backs were caught off guard, screaming as they were thrown off, crashing heavily onto the gravel road or the stone walls on either side, breaking their bones and tendons!

It's a tripwire! No, it's something more concealed and more resilient than a regular tripwire!

"An ambush!" Liu Meng, a veteran of the battlefield, reacted swiftly. He pulled on the reins sharply, and his white horse reared up, narrowly avoiding the suddenly taut, leaf-covered vine beneath its feet. But the cavalry behind him were not so lucky. In the high-speed charge, they were tripped one after another, and men and horses fell over in disarray, throwing the front of the column into chaos.

"Don't panic! Shields! Raise your shields..." Liu Meng steadied his mount and roared, directing the middle and rear ranks that were not yet completely thrown into chaos.

But he hadn't finished giving his order.

"Whoosh whoosh-!"

From the cliffs on both sides, from the bushes, and from behind the rocks, dozens of crossbow bolts shot out like venomous bees! Their targets were clear: officers and soldiers trying to reorganize their ranks. The arrows were powerful, striking only the gaps in their armor, instantly felling more than ten men, their screams echoing throughout the room.

"There! Fire back!" Liu Meng's eyes were bloodshot as he swung his spear to deflect a crossbow bolt aimed at his face and pointed back at where the arrow had come from.

The surviving cavalrymen hastily drew their bows, nocked arrows, and fired blindly at the hillsides on both sides. However, the ambushers were well-positioned and protected by rocks, so the attack had little effect.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Several piles of rubble suddenly exploded, triggering the makeshift catapults buried within. Countless fist-sized stones rained down on the chaotic cavalry ranks. Although these stones were small, they were propelled by animal sinews with tremendous force, clanging as they struck helmets, breaking bones and tendons, and causing horses to neigh and bolt wildly.

Real panic began to spread. The narrow terrain rendered the cavalry's advantage of charging useless, turning it into a slaughterhouse where they trampled each other. Arrows and stones flew overhead, ropes and fallen comrades and horses lay beneath their feet, and smooth, steep, and insurmountable rock walls stood on either side.

"Retreat! Get out of the canyon first!" Liu Meng finally realized that they had been ambushed, and the enemy was definitely not just a few dozen people! This precise strike, this perfect timing, was definitely not a hasty response!

However, it's easy to get in, but difficult to get out.

Just as the rear cavalry frantically turned their horses around, attempting to retreat along the same route, a deafening roar came from the direction of the canyon entrance. Several massive rocks, which had been supported by wooden stakes and were in a delicate balance, were tumbled down by the ropes cut by those lying in ambush at a higher position. Instantly, they blocked most of the not-so-wide exit and killed or injured many cavalrymen who were squeezed at the back.

Our escape route has been cut off!

"Fight our way out! Fight our way out from that side!" Liu Meng was terrified, his eyes bloodshot, and he pointed his gun at the other end of the canyon, where it seemed that the canyon was not yet blocked.

The remaining cavalry, as if finding a glimmer of hope, surged frantically toward that direction. Their formation completely collapsed; in the chaos of the battle, more men trampled each other to death than were wounded by arrows and flying stones.

Protected by his personal guards, Liu Meng charged forward amidst the chaos of battle. At that moment, all he wanted was to survive; he had completely forgotten about any reward or honor.

Just as we were about to pass through the narrowest section, the road ahead seemed to widen a bit.

Suddenly, a green shadow, like a ghost, swept down from a protruding rock to the side and landed lightly in the middle of the road, blocking the way.

The newcomer was dressed in an ordinary blue robe, spotless, with no murderous intent on his face. He simply watched the surging fleeing soldiers and Liu Meng leading the charge with a calm expression.

It was Su Che.

"Su...Su Che!" Liu Meng's pupils constricted sharply; he recognized that face! But at this moment, that calm face was more terrifying than a demon from hell in his eyes. "Stop him! Kill him!"