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

The afternoon sun, sparingly piercing through the thick clouds of northern Xinjiang, shone on the mottled walls of Tiebiguan, but brought little warmth.

The wind was still biting, whipping up the remaining snow and sand that hadn't completely melted, lashing the soldiers' faces and stinging them.

But today, the atmosphere in the fortress is completely different from the lifeless despair of the past, or the brief exhilaration after the spies were eliminated.

It was a silence mixed with awe, anticipation, and a hint of unspeakable unease.

All eyes turned to the north, to the desolate and bleak wilderness that had been ravaged by the iron hooves of the Di people.

There, a torrent of steel, leather, flags, and countless resolute footsteps was slowly rising above the horizon with unstoppable force, surging toward Iron Wall Pass.

The battle flag, predominantly black with red trim, fluttered in the cold wind. Embroidered on it was not the royal black bird, but an ancient and heavy battle axe—this was the banner of Zhao Qingcang, the Duke of Zhao, the "Marquis of Weiyuan" and "Grand Commander of the Northern Frontier Campaign"!

Beneath his banner stretched a vast army of infantry and cavalry, disciplined and imposing, their armor gleaming.

The horses' hooves pounded the ground, their resounding footsteps creating a deep and powerful sound, like the heartbeat of the earth, approaching from afar, making people's chests tingle, and shattering the despondency and fear that had been accumulating on the city walls for many days.

Reinforcements! Real, large-scale imperial reinforcements! Marquis Weiyuan himself has arrived!

"Open the city gates! Welcome the Grand Commander into the pass!"

As the messenger shouted hoarsely, the heavy city gate of Tiebi Pass, which had been battered and bruised by the Di people's relentless attacks for days but had never fallen, slowly opened inward amidst the ear-piercing groans of the winch.

The drawbridge was lowered and crashed onto the frozen moat with a dull thud.

Zhou Bo had already led all the senior generals inside the pass, fully armored, to stand solemnly on both sides of the main road inside the city gate.

He specially changed into a half-new set of armor, trying his best to straighten his back, which was slightly hunched from working hard for many days, but his slightly trembling fingers still betrayed his inner excitement and trepidation.

Marquis Weiyuan, Zhao Qingcang, was a true pillar of the Jiangqiong military, a renowned general who had shaken the northern frontier during the reign of the late emperor, and an idol whom Zhou Bo admired in his youth.

This appointment to oversee the northern frontier in a time of crisis represents the court's and His Majesty's last and greatest expectation for the war effort in the north.

More importantly, the old general's stance and attitude will directly determine the future direction of the interior, as well as the fate of Zhou Bo and Princess Jingguo.

Yun Jin did not appear in the welcoming ranks of generals.

She still stood on the "Zhenbei Tower," gazing into the distance from the railing.

Dressed in a plain, close-fitting outfit, with a black cloak over it, he stood motionless in the wind howling on the city wall, his gaze calmly following the approaching battle axe banner and the figure beneath it, seated atop a powerful warhorse, whose imposing presence could be felt even from a distance.

"Your Highness, aren't you going down to greet him?" Qingdai asked in a low voice from the side.

"No need," Yun Jin shook her head. "Marquis Weiyuan is the commander-in-chief, and I am merely an observer of the army, not his direct subordinate. He has just entered the pass, and he will be greeted and honored by generals such as Commander Zhou. It would be inappropriate for me to go down rashly. Once they have settled in, they will summon me."

She paused, then added, "Besides, I also want to see what the old general's first order was after entering the pass."

The sound of hooves thundered, approaching from afar.

Marquis Zhao Qingcang of Weiyuan took the lead and stepped into the city gate.

He was about sixty years old, his beard and hair were already gray, but his face was ruddy, and his eyes flashed with a sharp light when they opened and closed. He was not particularly burly, but he had a kind of majesty that came from someone who had long held a high position and was decisive in killing.

He wore a suit of gleaming armor, with beast heads on his shoulders, a sword hanging at his waist, and a pair of short-handled iron halberds as thick as his arm hanging beside his saddle—his famous weapon, the "Township Halberds."

His gaze was sharp as lightning, sweeping over the generals bowing on both sides, lingering for a moment on Zhou Bo's face, nodding slightly, and without saying much, he rode straight to the central training ground of the pass.

Not all of the 30,000 troops entered the city. Most of them chose to camp outside the pass, while only 5,000 elite cavalry guards followed him into the pass. At this moment, they stood solemnly in formation on the drill ground, completely silent. Only the occasional snorting of warhorses and the soft rustling of armor plates made their disciplined appearance stand out, creating a stark contrast with the pale-faced and poorly armored garrison inside the pass.

Zhao Qingcang reined in his horse, looked around, and finally his gaze fell on Zhou Bo, who had rushed to the front of the training ground. His voice was loud and clear, with a metallic quality: "Zhou Bo."

"Your subordinate is here!" Zhou Bo hurriedly stepped forward and knelt on one knee.

"Report the situation inside the pass, the enemy's movements, in detail. Keep it brief, just get to the important points." Zhao Qingcang did not dismount, but looked down from his high position.

"Yes!" Zhou Bo composed himself and quickly reported in a clear and organized manner the Di people's troop deployment, the attacks and defenses over the past few days, the purge of traitors last night, and the current situation of food, weapons, and soldiers in the pass. He only omitted the sensitive parts about the eldest prince and Tuoba Wugu.

Zhao Qingcang listened quietly, his face expressionless, until Zhou Bo finished speaking, then he slowly asked, "A traitor? Where did the traitor come from? How was he eliminated?"

Zhou Bo's heart tightened. He knew that the old general was meticulous and that he couldn't hide it from him. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and briefly recount the events of the previous night, including the capture of Liu Neng, Wang Lu, Li Si, and others, as well as the preliminary results of the interrogation.

After listening, Zhao Qingcang remained silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Where is Princess Jingguo?"

"Reporting to the Grand Commander, Her Highness the Princess is on the city wall," Zhou Bo hurriedly replied.

"Lead the way." Zhao Qingcang said succinctly, dismounted, tossed the reins to his personal guard, and strode towards the "Zhenbei Tower." Zhou Bo and a group of generals from within the pass quickly followed.

On the Zhenbei Tower, Yun Jin already knew that Marquis Weiyuan was coming. She straightened her clothes and waited quietly.

When Zhao Qingcang's tall figure appeared at the top of the stairs, she took two steps forward and curtsied respectfully: "Yun Jin greets Marquis Weiyuan. Your journey must have been arduous."

Zhao Qingcang stopped in his tracks, his gaze falling squarely on Yun Jin, his scrutiny undisguised.

He did not immediately return the greeting, nor did he address her as "Your Highness." Instead, he looked her up and down as if assessing a weapon or scrutinizing someone who... shouldn't be there.

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat tense.

Zhou Bo and the others held their breath, and Qingdai's palms were sweating with nervousness.

After a long silence, Zhao Qingcang slowly clasped his hands in greeting, his voice still calm: "This old minister, Zhao Qingcang, pays his respects to Princess Jingguo. I am in armor and cannot perform the full ceremony; Your Highness, please forgive me." The formalities were observed, but the distance and subtle doubt were clearly perceptible.