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

The night was as dark as ink in Wolf Valley.

This is a remote valley located more than 30 miles west of the capital. It was named after the wolf pack that once lived there. Now the wolf pack is long gone, leaving only jagged rocks and knee-high weeds, which whimper in the night wind, adding to the desolation.

Deep in the valley, in a sheltered depression, more than twenty dark figures lay silent, like dormant rocks. Only the occasional impatient snort of a warhorse or the slightest clinking of weapons against armor revealed that this was a highly skilled force.

Zhao Jianing stood at the forefront, his hand on his sword, his hawk-like gaze constantly scanning the valley entrance and the mountain ridges on either side. Behind him, twenty carefully selected trusted elites were equally tense, exhausted but with sharp eyes and impeccable discipline. They were seeds personally trained by Su Che during his military training, later scattered across various armies as grassroots backbone personnel. Now, secretly summoned by Zhao Jianing, they were an absolutely reliable core fighting force.

Not far away, Pang Xiaopan was quietly counting another group of people who had arrived. These people were dressed in various ways, including merchants, craftsmen, scholars, and even a few women dressed as servants with children. They were some of the core members of "Diting," important craftsmen, accountants, and some of the families of former members, about fifty people in total. Although they looked panicked and tired, they managed to maintain their composure under Pang Xiaopan's quiet reassurance and orderly arrangements, and gathered around several mule carts that had been prepared in advance and covered with oilcloth.

The first quarter of the Yin hour has passed, and the agreed third quarter of the Yin hour is approaching.

From the direction of the valley entrance, there was still only the sound of the wind.

A young, dark-skinned soldier couldn't help but lean closer to Zhao Jianing and whisper, "Chief Zhao, will the sir... he...?"

"Shut up." Zhao Jianing didn't turn his head, his voice low but unquestionable, "When the master says he will, he will definitely come. Be on guard."

As soon as he finished speaking, his ears twitched, and his gaze suddenly turned to a steep hillside covered with weathered rocks on his left. Almost simultaneously, behind a seemingly stable rock on the hillside, a green figure, like a wisp of smoke blending into the night, glided silently down to the edge of the depression with an almost illogical lightness and speed in a few leaps. It was Su Che.

His clothes were clean, his hair was neat, and his breathing was steady, as if he had just strolled leisurely under the moonlight, rather than having just escaped from the heart of the capital city, dozens of miles away, from heavy siege.

"Sir!" Zhao Jianing and Pang Xiaopan rushed forward simultaneously, their faces beaming with relief and joy. The surrounding crowd also perked up.

Su Che nodded slightly, his gaze quickly sweeping over everyone present, lingering briefly on the anxious family members. His voice, calm yet clear, reached everyone's ears: "Thank you all for your hard work. Is everyone present?"

Pang Xiaopan immediately reported: "According to the list, there should be 57 core personnel and their families present, but 54 are actually present. Three people... were questioned by the night patrol soldiers at the evacuation assembly point. To avoid exposing the main force, they dispersed and went into hiding according to the plan. This is the secret mark they left behind." He handed over a small wooden plaque engraved with special symbols.

Su Che took the wooden plaque, glanced at it, and put it in his pocket, his expression remaining largely unchanged. In chaotic times, evacuation is inevitably risky; those three were alert individuals, and hopefully they escaped unscathed. "It's alright, it's part of the pre-arranged plan; they know how to contact us afterward. Are the vehicles and supplies ready?"

Zhao Jianing continued, "Twenty warhorses, five mule carts, each containing ten days' worth of dry rations, water, medicine, changes of clothes, as well as a batch of crossbows and short weapons. As instructed, none of them are marked."

"Very good." Su Che walked to a mule cart, lifted a corner of the tarpaulin to look at the neatly stacked packages inside, and nodded. "The pursuers will arrive soon; we cannot linger here. Jianing, you lead ten elite riders to scout ahead, following the second southward route. Xiao Pan, you coordinate the middle section of the carts and personnel. I will lead ten riders to cover the rear. Set off immediately and be sure to cross the Blackwater River before dawn and enter the Qishan hills."

"Yes!" The men responded resolutely and moved swiftly and in an orderly fashion. The formation was quickly organized and, like a silent arrow, shot into the deeper darkness of the southern night.

……

Just as Su Che and the others quietly withdrew from Wild Wolf Valley, the Anning Marquis's mansion in the capital was in a state of chaos, yet it was brightly lit as if it were daytime.

Gao Tianci, clad in full armor, stood in Su Che's study, his face ashen. Books and files lay scattered on the floor, and several iron cabinets were wide open, their interiors empty. Only in the center of the desk lay a neatly stacked stack of books, several seals of different styles, and an open brocade box containing the "Shadow" token and the "sincere" letter left by Su Che.

"Search! Search every inch of the place!" Gao Tianci kicked over a chair and roared at his subordinates, "Damn it, where are they? Where's that traitor Su Che? And Zhao Jianing, Pang Xiaopan, and their accomplices? We haven't caught a single one of them!"

A lieutenant reported nervously, "General Gao, we've searched the entire mansion, but apart from a few servants who know nothing, not a single important person is to be found! We discovered a possible entrance to a secret passage in the back garden, but it's been completely sealed off from the inside and cannot be opened up in the short term..."

"Useless! All of you are useless!" Gao Tianci trembled with rage. He had mobilized a large force, surrounding the mansion, intending to wipe out Su Che and his cronies in one fell swoop and gain another great merit before the Emperor. Unexpectedly, he'd come up empty-handed! The men had already escaped! Leaving behind this pile of "obedient" goods handed over felt like a resounding slap in the face!

"Report—!" A messenger rushed in. "General, urgent report from the western suburban camp: the prisoner Zhao Dahe, Liu Zheng, and Chen Sihai—the three captains being held in the black cell—experienced a sudden fire half an hour ago. Although it didn't spread, unidentified individuals infiltrated during the chaos, and all three...were abducted! When the camp's sentries discovered them, they only found a few bodies of sentries with broken necks!"

"What?!" Gao Tianci's vision went black, and he almost vomited blood. He hadn't caught the person, and instead, he had thrown away the bait that was about to be eaten!

Enraged, Gao Tianci kicked the messenger several times.

"Report! Shopkeepers and accountants from several locations in the South City and West Market were abducted by masked men while being escorted to the yamen! The thieves are swift and appear to be skilled military personnel. After their abduction, they scattered into the alleys and streets, making them impossible to pursue!"

"Report! The captains on duty at the West Gate and Water Gate report that around 3 AM, a suspicious convoy and group of people carrying unauthorized tokens left the city. Because... because they possessed special tokens and had made generous bribes, they have been allowed to pass..."

"Damn it! Idiots! Who gave them the guts?!" Gao Tianci roared in fury, kicking another messenger away. "Gather the troops immediately! Chase after them! They've taken their families and carriages; they can't have gone far! You must bring that traitor Su Che back to me, dead or alive!"

"General Gao, please calm down." A soft, feminine voice rang out. Eunuch Chen had appeared outside the study door at some point, his face also grim. "His Majesty has already learned of the news in the palace and summons you to the palace immediately for a meeting."

Gao Tianci's anger was instantly dampened by a bucket of cold water. What would His Majesty think if she found out? He had truly botched things this time.

……