My father ordered me to kill the emperor, but His Majesty bestowed a princess upon me instead.

Twelve people knelt on the official road.

Six living people were lying in the long box.

Madam Wang stood in the center of the lantern, with Lan Gu, who was missing a little finger on her left hand, behind her.

she says:

"Welcome, young master."

The sound wasn't loud.

Everyone on the dry riverbank heard it clearly.

I stood at the top of the slope and didn't go down.

Madam Wang did not urge him.

Today she was dressed in a deep purple noblewoman's robe, her hair neatly combed, making her look not like a convict who had escaped from the capital, but rather someone who had just come down from a banquet at the Prince's mansion.

Sometimes, one shouldn't be too dignified.

Especially when you're running for your life.

The fact that she escaped so calmly usually means that she felt it wasn't her who should be fleeing.

Xiao Lingyi stood beside me, her hand on the hilt of her sword.

"She's waiting for you to walk under the lamp."

Twelve lanterns are arranged in a circle.

Twelve fake Ministry of War envoys knelt inside the circle.

Six long boxes were placed in the very center.

If I walk along the official road, I will be standing right in front of everyone.

The uniform of the Southwest Army is at my feet.

Before him knelt his head to greet him, his former subordinates.

Beside them were six other survivors, persecuted by the imperial court and awaiting the young master's rescue.

We're just missing someone who can write.

I glanced at the roadside pavilion on the left.

A half-tattered curtain hangs in the pavilion.

Lady Wang not only prepared people to welcome her.

They even prepared someone to record this scene.

The confession to be delivered to the capital tomorrow will likely read something like this:

When Shen Anxing arrived at the dry riverbank, twelve of his former subordinates from the southwest lined up and knelt to greet him, addressing him as their young master.

Shen An did not reprimand him, but stepped forward himself to receive his father's order.

Princess Zhaoning was present to witness the event.

Whether I went forward to save someone or to kill someone is unimportant.

The statement only said that I took a few steps.

I asked Madam Wang, "Whose young master?"

She laughed and said, "Why does Imperial Censor Shen have to ask a question he already knows the answer to?"

"I have no idea."

"Shen Lie is your father."

"Yes."

"All the former generals in the Southwest Army recognize you."

"They recognized each other a little too early."

"The bond between father and son is unbreakable, there's no need to wait."

"Official rank will have to wait."

I took out the seal of the granary bestowed by the emperor from my bosom.

The seal faces outwards.

The tents were opened by imperial decree.

"I am leaving the capital today as an Imperial Censor of the Great Liang Dynasty."

"By imperial decree, investigate the grain deeds in Jiangbei and submit an urgent report to the Yong'an household registration office."

"Madam Wang, accompanied by twelve fake Ministry of War envoys, kidnapped six civilians and set up a private welcoming ceremony in the southwest."

"According to the law—"

I looked at Gu Xingzhi.

"How do I take it?"

Gu Xingzhi answered quickly.

"Falsifying military documents is punishable by death."

"Taking people hostage is a crime."

"He is accused of colluding with the rebels and is awaiting trial."

"Did you hear everything?"

The twelve people kneeling on the official road did not move.

Lady Wang asked, "Is Imperial Censor Shen asking them, or is he asking himself?"

"Ask them all."

"Your father's wishes remain unchanged."

"Fake letter."

"Words can be faked."

"What about Father's orders?"

Lan Gu took out half a copper talisman from her sleeve.

I recognize that pattern.

Shen Lie's personal military token from his early years.

It was not an official military mobilization tally.

It was his private token used to summon his guards in the old army in the southwest.

Xu Sandao once had the other half.

Lady Wang placed the bronze talisman on the stone platform by the roadside.

"General Shen's things."

"Isn't the young master coming to collect it?"

"My dad has too much stuff."

"The horsewhip that used to hit me when I was a child."

"If Madam Wang is brought along, I can burn the body when I collect it."

Madam Wang's smile faded somewhat.

"You really have changed."

"Did you see me when I was a child?"

"no."

"Then what makes you think I've changed?"

"Your father said so."

"What did he say?"

"You're afraid of dying."

"That hasn't changed."

"You also said you wouldn't refuse someone dying because of you."

"That hasn't changed."

I looked at the six long boxes.

Everyone inside the box was awake.

The oldest man kept banging his shoulder against the side of the box.

It's as if it's trying to remind us of something.

I didn't go to help immediately.

They were placed under the light.

The base of the lamppost was nailed into the ground.

The twelve poles all look the same.

But when the lamp was blown by the wind, the pole did not sway.

I looked up along the lamppost.

Below each lantern is a tiny black hole.

Directly facing the twelve kneeling people and six long boxes.

I asked Physician Song, "What is that?"

Physician Song peeked out from behind me.

"I can't see from this far away."

"Then could you move forward a little?"

Why aren't you going?

"I'm a high-ranking official."

Doctor Song sneered.

Finally, he took out a small bronze mirror from the medicine box.

He had the guards hold the sword in its scabbard and looked over using the reflected light from the lantern.

"It's not a toxic smoke outlet."

He said, "Like a crossbow trough."

Madam Wang's expression changed slightly.

Xiao Lingyi drew her sword half an inch.

"Crossbows were hidden in the twelve lampposts."

I looked at the person kneeling on the ground.

"Did you hear that?"

I continued, "Do you think you've come to welcome the young master?"

"no."

"You're just here to make up the numbers."

The fake courier in the lead finally looked up.

"Shen An, don't even think about sowing discord!"

"What's your name?"

"An urgent dispatch from the Ministry of War, Zhou..."

The fake identity was presented very fluently.

But he dared not reveal his real name.

I took the third pre-written accident report from Bai Zhi.

The Qingxia transshipment warehouse was looted by the southwestern rebels.

Twelve of the defending soldiers died.

Six business owners died.

"It happens to be written here that there are twelve guards."

"Six merchants."

"There are exactly twelve of you here with knives."

"Six were tied up."

"Madam Wang brought you here not to make me the young master."

"The goal is to leave behind eighteen corpses."

Finally, someone made a move on the official road.

On the left, a fake courier subconsciously turned around and looked at the lantern behind him.

The black hole in the lamppost was directly behind his back.

Madam Wang said, "Can a piece of paper of dubious origin really be trusted?"

"Paper isn't worth it."

"It's worth counting."

I started reading the names on the form.

"Jiang Fu".

Among the kneeling people, one of them trembled.

"Chen Wu".

A man on the right suddenly looked up.

"Lujiang".

The leader finally tightened his grip on the knife.

"Is your real name Lu Jiang?"

Not answering is enough.

Accident reports are not written on a temporary basis according to the number of people involved.

The list was also decided in advance.

These twelve people were already doomed from the moment they received the scrapped warrants from the Ministry of War and put on their emergency uniforms.

Madam Wang promised them silver.

They were rewarded with military merit.

Perhaps they were also told that all they needed to do today was kneel and welcome me, and that once I entered the lantern array, they would swarm me and seize me.

But the crossbows in the lampposts don't distinguish between friend and foe.

Once the trap was activated, those with their backs to the lamppost were the first to be hit.

Then the six people who were tied up will also die.

In the end, only eighteen corpses dressed in different clothes remained on the official road.

Twelve "guards".

Six "merchants".

Add a few more sets of old clothes from the Southwest, and you can stage a Qingxia rebel ambush.

Lan Gu, who was standing next to Madam Wang, suddenly raised her hand.

Xiao Lingyi was faster than her.

It was aimed at the white banner rope closest to her.

The white banner fell and hit a lamppost.

Sure enough, a crossbow was hidden inside.

An iron wire ran underground and led to Madam Wang's feet.

All twelve fake messengers were seen.

Lu Jiang's face changed instantly.

"Madam Wang!"

"She's trying to sow discord."

"Why is that crossbow pointed at us?"

Madam Wang remained expressionless.

"To defend against the internal guards on the mountain."

"The inner guards are on the mountain."

I said, "The crossbow bolts are aimed at your backs."

The others also stood up.

The scene of kneeling in welcome ended.

The young master did not accept the order.

Those who were prepared to die first have already realized that they are indeed going to die.

"Shen An, you know how to make people live for themselves."

"This is not my ability."

I said, "People naturally want to live."

"You just keep using silver, official seals, and a few words of court policy to deceive them into thinking they deserve to die."

Lan Gu suddenly tugged at the red rope in her hand.

The twelve lampposts made a soft sound at the same time.

Gu Xingzhi shouted, "Lie down!"

Lu Jiang and the others had already rolled to both sides.

The princess's guards raised the wooden shields beside the saddle, blocking the first volley of arrows aimed at the long box.

Gu Xingzhi led his inner guards down the slope.

Lady Wang did not draw her sword.

The stone slab beneath their feet suddenly flipped downwards.

That's when I realized that the center of the lantern array wasn't solid ground.

It is the entrance to an abandoned salt cellar.

Lady Wang followed closely behind.

Gu Xingzhi nailed the blade into the gap of the flip panel.

Only a piece of dark purple fabric was cut off.

A horse's neighing came from below the cave entrance.

They prepared horses underground.

This is not a temporary way out.

From the very beginning, Kuhepo was just the entrance.

Gu Xingzhi wanted to pursue him.

"Save them first!"

If we keep chasing, we might be able to catch Madam Wang.

But not all the crossbows in the twelve lampposts had been fired yet.

The six boxes may also contain other mechanisms.

Gu Xingzhi paused for only a moment.

He then turned around and broke the lock on the nearest long box.

But I know he will keep this in mind.

Lady Wang escaped again.

She didn't rely on our incompetence.

We will still prioritize saving lives.

This is probably what she looks down on us the most.

In her view, taking hostages would allow her to accurately predict our moves.

But what's the point of catching her if we stop trying to save her one day?

Of the twelve fake messengers, two were grazed by crossbow bolts.

No one died.

All six long boxes were opened.

His hands and feet were bleeding from being strangled by the ropes.

The physician Song led his men forward to examine the injuries.

Bai Zhi then went to the roadside pavilion to retrieve the person who wrote the confession.

Behind the curtain, there was only a piece of paper.

The person had already run out of the back window.

Halfway through writing on the paper:

Princess Zhaoning and Shen An traveled together to the dry riverbank.

Twelve former subordinates from the Southwest knelt to welcome him.

Shen An personally went down the slope—

I'll stop here.

Bai Zhi returned with half a page of the confession in her hand.

"At least this time they weren't made to finish writing."

"Someone will fill in the gap."

"How to replenish it?"

I looked at the people on the official road.

"Let the living men make up for it."

Twelve fake urgent messengers.

And the salt worker who gave us directions earlier.

Lady Wang wanted to depict a scene of the young master returning to the southwest.

What remained was the scene where she had planted crossbows, preparing to kill eighteen people.

The chain of evidence doesn't depend on who writes it first.

Who can make a living person speak?

Lu Jiang walked up to me, clutching the wound on his arm.

"Lord Shen."

"You are not an urgent envoy from the Ministry of War."

"no."

"Who hired them?"

"Cao Heng's men."

"name."

"Ma Qing, Director of the Ministry of War."

Seven abandoned post station seals.

Although he did not show his face, he opened doors for Lan Gu all the way from the capital.

Where is the MCA Youth?

"We only get our licenses in Tongzhou."

"The order states that after welcoming the young master, we will escort Lady Wang to Yong'an."

"What happens when we arrive in Yong'an?"

"Take over the county government."

"Who will take over?"

"Young Master of the Southwest".

What if I don't admit it?

Lu Jiang looked at the twelve lampposts.

"The dead can't say you didn't acknowledge it."

They were all going to die anyway.

Eighteen people died here.

Madam Wang could put any words into their mouths.

Of the six people who were tied up, the oldest man finally spat out the gag.

"Lord Shen."

"Yongan opened its positions ahead of schedule."

"Who are you?"

"Chen Lu, clerk of Yong'an County Government."

Why were you arrested?

"Sun Jing asked me to copy the announcement of the warehouse opening."

"I refuse."

"What should the notice say?"

Chen Lu took a few breaths.

"Write about the Yong'an disaster victims gathering to rush into the warehouse."

"Shen An entered the city with Shen Lie's father's order."

"The garrison in the county abandoned their allegiance to the light."

When to open a position?

"Not three days later."

He raised his head.

"Tonight at midnight."

It was completely dark by now.

It takes at least one night to get from Kuhepo to Yong'an.

Madam Wang is keeping us here, not to kill me.

This was so that another "Shen An" could enter the city first.