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

Night fell once again over Tiebiguan.

Unlike the hustle and bustle of the previous night, the area inside the pass was unusually quiet tonight, even eerily so.

There seemed to be more patrolling soldiers than usual, but upon closer inspection, many of their faces were unfamiliar.

The number of sentries, both overt and covert, has increased several times over in important areas such as granaries, wells, and armories, but the guards in some inconspicuous corners and secondary passages seem to be "just right" somewhat lax.

After his shift ended, Liu Neng, the deputy commander of the East Gate, did not return to camp to rest as usual. Instead, he used the excuse of patrolling and stood alone in the shadows at the foot of the city wall for a long time, his gaze occasionally sweeping over a section of abandoned, hidden door blocked by debris not far away. He seemed to be carrying something hard in his arms.

Wang Lu, the military advisor in charge of granaries, went alone into a reserve granary near the west gate after nightfall, under the pretext of "taking stock to prepare for the arrival of the main army," and did not come out for a long time. He temporarily sent away the soldiers guarding the granary under the pretext of "going to retrieve the account books."

Meanwhile, in a secluded barracks near the south city, the archer from the Sharpshooter Battalion who had been targeted by the Night Owl was slowly sharpening several specially made arrows with faintly blackened arrowheads on a whetstone.

His eyes were sinister, yet his movements were remarkably steady.

As midnight approached, all was quiet.

"Dong—dong, dong!" The sound of the clapper, one slow and two fast, rang out, indicating that it was already past midnight.

Almost at the same time the clapper fell, the pile of debris at the abandoned secret door of the East Gate was suddenly moved open by a very slight movement from the inside!

A dark figure emerged like a raccoon dog, cautiously looking around for a moment before gesturing towards the inside.

Immediately afterwards, several more dark figures silently filed out, each dressed in black and masked, wielding poisoned short blades and grappling hooks. Their movements were so subtle that they barely made a sound, clearly indicating that they were all elite fighters.

Judging from his figure and attire, he even resembled a Di assassin!

The leader was none other than Liu Neng, the deputy commander of the East Gate!

His face was no longer submissive as usual, only ruthless and tense. He whispered to the men in black, "Quick! My men have replaced the guards at the East Gate. There's only a quarter of an hour's break!"

First go to the water source, then burn the granary, and finally open the west gate amidst the chaos!

Remember, Princess Yasukuni is in the central military council hall. If you manage to get close amidst the chaos, kill her without hesitation!

The master said, "Whoever takes his head will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold and granted the title of Marquis of a Thousand Households!"

The men in black, their eyes flashing with greed and malice, nodded silently and prepared to split up.

However, just as they were about to step out of the shadows of the secret door...

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!"

Dozens of torches suddenly lit up on the rooftops, walls, and even above the secret door they had just emerged from!

The blinding light illuminated the area as if it were daytime!

At the same time, the dense sound of crossbow bolts piercing the air was like the sigh of death, shooting in from all directions with clear targets, aimed directly at the limbs and joints of the man in black!

"There's an ambush!"

"Liu Neng, you treacherous scoundrel! How dare you collude with the enemy!"

With a fierce shout, Zhao Jianing, holding a long knife, leaped down from the rooftop like a tiger and pounced straight at Liu Neng!

Behind him, a hundred elite soldiers descended like divine warriors, instantly separating and surrounding the men in black!

Although these men in black were assassins, they were caught off guard and bombarded with crossbow bolts. Most of them fell instantly. The remaining few managed to fight back with their swords, but they were no match for Zhao Jianing and his men. They were either killed or captured in an instant.

Seeing the situation was dire, Liu Neng turned to flee back to the hidden door, only to find Night Owl standing there like a ghost, knife in hand, coldly watching him. With Zhao Jianing in front, Night Owl behind, and crossbows on both sides, Liu Neng's face turned ashen, and his short knife clattered to the ground.

At the same time, the Ximen standby grain warehouse.

Wang Lu was carefully pouring a packet of white powder into the reservoir next to the well, his face contorted with excitement.

As long as the army has water tomorrow... However, he had only poured half of it when his wrist was grabbed tightly from behind!

"Military Advisor Wang, what a refined taste! Coming here so late at night, is it to add something to the well water?" Zhou Bo's icy voice rang out behind him.

Several guards rushed forward, pinned Wang Lu to the ground, and searched his pockets, finding two more packets of the same poison.

"I...I didn't! I came to check the water quality!" Wang Lu stammered in protest.

"You need arsenic to test the water quality?" Zhou Bo kicked over the packet of powder, his eyes blazing with fury. "Take it away! Keep a close watch on it!"

Meanwhile, in the southern barracks, the sharpshooter who was polishing his arrows had just loaded the poisoned arrows into his quiver when the door was suddenly kicked open, and several fierce soldiers rushed in and pinned him down.

"What are you doing? I'm from the Sharpshooter Battalion!" the sharpshooter struggled and roared.

"The Sharpshooter Battalion? I think you're the dogs of the Northern Barbarians!" The captain in charge sneered, and found a secret letter written in Di script under his pillow, as well as a wolf-head waist badge of the Northern Barbarian "Kheshig" army.

Within a quarter of an hour, all three conspiracies were thwarted simultaneously.

Liu Neng, Wang Lu, the sharpshooter, and the six captured Northern Di assassins were escorted overnight to a temporary torture chamber set up next to the central military council hall.

Yun Jin sat in the main seat in the hall, with Zhou Bo, Ye Xiao, and Zhao Jianing on either side.

She had changed into a set of practical clothes, and her face showed no sign of sleepiness, only a cold and murderous look.

"Bring in the criminals." Her voice wasn't loud, but it made the temperature in the hall drop sharply.

Liu Neng, Wang Lu, and the sharpshooter were brought in bound hand and foot, their bodies wounded and in a sorry state.

Seeing Yun Jin and Zhou Bo sitting upright, Liu Neng and Wang Lu looked ashen-faced, while the sharpshooter still stubbornly held his neck, his eyes filled with resentment.

"Liu Neng, Wang Lu, Li Si," Yun Jin's gaze swept over the three men, "You are all military officers of the imperial court, receiving the emperor's favor and rewards, yet instead of repaying it, you colluded with the Northern Barbarians, plotting to poison our soldiers and civilians, open our city gates, and assassinate the imperial envoy. Caught red-handed, what else do you have to say?"

"Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare me!"

Wang Lu was the first to break down, tears streaming down his face, kowtowing repeatedly, "It was...it was Liu Neng who forced me! He said that after it was done, I would enjoy endless wealth and honor! He even threatened my family's lives! I...I was forced!"

"Bullshit!" Liu Neng suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot, glaring at Wang Lu, then at Yun Jin, and hissed, "The victor is king, the loser is villain, there's nothing to say!"

I only regret that I couldn't kill you, you vile woman who brought ruin to the country, with one stroke!