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

The warehouse will open at midnight tonight.

There are less than three hours left until midnight.

It normally takes four hours to ride a horse to Yong'an.

Normally, this kind of thing isn't very useful when someone is waiting to kill seventy-two living people.

I asked Chen Lu, "Why ahead of schedule?"

Sun Jing received an urgent order from the capital.

"What urgent order?"

"It is said that Lord Shen has already left the capital by imperial decree."

"The warehouse must be opened before your arrival."

Madam Wang knew we would leave through the main entrance.

They also knew that once the decree was issued, the plan could not wait any longer than three days.

She set up a scene to welcome the young master on the dry riverbank, not expecting me to actually believe it.

They just wanted to buy themselves enough time.

I looked into the depths of the salt road.

She and Lan Gu rode away from underground on horseback.

The direction is not the Yong'an official road.

Instead, it's a shorter mountain road.

They know them better than we do.

It's also lighter than ours.

If we try to catch up now, we won't succeed.

If they don't pursue them, Yong'an will still have seventy-two people left.

Xiao Lingyi has already started selecting people.

"Gu Xingzhi led eight imperial guards to pursue Lady Wang."

I said, "No."

She looked at me.

Why?

"Madam Wang hopes we will divide our forces."

"She has no hostages now."

"Yong'an has it."

Gu Xingzhi said, "I'll take four men and give chase."

"Even if you catch up with them, don't take action."

I said, "Just remember the route."

"If she goes to Yong'an, we'll meet at the city gates."

"If she turns to Qingxia, she will leave a secret mark."

Gu Xingzhi nodded.

There was no argument.

He selected four of his best horsemen to pursue the enemy along the exit of the secret passage in the salt cellar.

The rest of the people all went to Yong'an.

The six survivors were unable to ride fast horses.

Two of the twelve people, including Lu Jiang, were injured.

I left them on the dry riverbank.

He was guarded by two officers from the Censorate and had his confession written on the spot.

Chen Lu insisted on coming with us.

"I know the secret door to the Yong'an County government office."

"You're badly injured."

"My wife's younger brother was among the seventy-two people."

After he finished speaking, he offered no further explanation.

Some people don't suddenly become brave.

However, there were his own people in the tent.

The physician Song gave him a bowl of medicine and then tied him to the back of a guard with a cloth.

"If you die on the road, don't blame me."

Chen Lu nodded.

"Won't."

Upon hearing these two words, Physician Song became even more displeased.

"Don't say anything unlucky."

"Live as long as you can."

I feel that the amount of medicine he wasted on me must have had some impact.

There is a shortcut south of the old salt road.

The old salt workers said that crossing the dry ditch could save them forty li of walking.

The price was having to wade through a shallow river.

It is early autumn now.

The river wasn't flowing too fast.

The horse can pass.

Xiao Lingyi only asked one question.

What's at the bottom of the river?

"stone."

"Walk."

Physician Song looked very unwell.

"Your Highness, what should we do if the medicine box gets wet?"

Bai Zhi said, "Raise it high."

"Should I raise it?"

"Your medicine."

Physician Song was speechless.

He discovered that no one in this group regarded the imperial physicians as civil officials.

When crossing the river, he carried the medicine box on his head.

The horse slipped in the water, and he cursed half the river.

I felt very reassured listening to them from behind.

The fact that they can still curse means they haven't fallen.

Bai Zhi's riding skills weren't very good.

He wrapped the five-line handover book in three layers of oilcloth and tied it around his neck.

She herself had half of her clothes wet.

The tent wasn't wet at all.

When we reached the shore, there was only one and a half hours left until midnight.

But then the sound of bells came from ahead.

A sound.

Two sounds.

Third tone.

Chen Lu's expression changed instantly.

"Yong'an Opening Warehouse Bell".

I looked up at the sky.

"It's not midnight yet."

"The county government changed the time."

The bell was struck seven times in total.

It's not about opening the city gates.

It was to summon unregistered disaster victims to the old granary to collect grain.

Sun Jing not only opened his position ahead of time.

They even called all the poor people in the city over in advance.

The seventy-two men underground rushed out wearing Southwest Army uniforms.

The ground was once again surrounded by disaster victims who came to collect food.

The defenders only needed to fire arrows.

The number of deaths will increase.

The battle report will state:

Anti-military forces infiltrated the disaster-stricken population in the southwest.

Incite a rush to buy.

The defending troops had no choice but to quell the rebellion.

No matter how many people die, they can all be considered "rioters".

Xiao Lingyi said, "Faster."

The horse has been running all night.

Going any faster will cause injury.

But human life is more precious than a horse's.

It's expensive, at least in our accounts.

I divided the guards into two groups.

The vanguard, lightly equipped, went first to the city gate.

The rear guard included Bai Zhi, Physician Song, and Chen Lu.

Xiao Lingyi insisted on staying at the front.

I wanted to offer some advice.

Before he could even speak, she had already looked over.

I wisely swallowed it back.

"Your Majesty, I agree."

"You were going to go anyway."

When Yong'an City came into view, its city walls were brightly lit.

The north gate was not closed.

This is not normal.

Local county towns close their doors at night.

Unless there is an urgent military situation or an important figure enters the city.

Two red banners were hanging on the city gate.

It was not a princess's entourage.

It was not the flag of the imperial army.

There was only one character written on the banner.

Shen.

I looked at that word and felt it had little to do with me.

However, hundreds of people had gathered outside the city gate.

They saw us coming from afar, but they did not cheer.

Instead, they all retreated.

Someone was pointing at me.

"Another one?"

I reined in my horse.

"What, another one?"

The man dared not speak.

Chen Lu caught up from behind.

"This is Lord Shen!"

Some people among the common people shouted:

"Lord Shen has already entered the city!"

My heart sank.

"when?"

"Half an hour ago."

"From which side?"

"North Gate".

"How many people are you bringing?"

"A dozen or so former subordinates from the Southwest."

"And Madam Wang."

Lady Wang has already entered the city.

They were half an hour ahead of us.

I asked, "What does he look like?"

The people answered quickly.

"Wear the blue robe of an imperial censor."

"He wore a jade pendant for the imperial son-in-law at his waist."

"A short knife was hidden in his right arm."

These details cannot be faked by just anyone.

Chen Ping knew.

On our wedding day, he tried to pull the sheath out of my right sleeve, three inches deep.

There are three more wooden identification tags belonging to me in the underground workshop of the Imperial Clothing Bureau.

The sick prince consort.

A tyrant who murdered his ruler.

Young Master of the Southwest.

Now, the third identity is worn by another person.

I took out the imperial edict to open the account.

"Shen An, who left the city through Zhengyang Gate today, has only just arrived."

The soldiers guarding the city looked at me, then looked into the city.

Who's in there?

"A dead man."

The gatekeepers were even more confused.

But I had already figured out the way that person would get into the city.

He didn't just wear my blue robe.

He must have been carrying with him the imperial edict copied from the capital, a counterfeit imperial consort's jade plaque, a Ministry of War dispatch order, and travel documents stamped along the way.

Recognize the documents at the city gate.

Recognize the sign at the rest stop.

Local officials recognized the seal.

People recognize clothes.

As long as all four things appear at the same time, whether or not a person is Shen An becomes the least important thing.

The accounting committee is not giving him a face.

It was an identity that allowed him to walk all the way into Yong'an and have all the government offices testify on his behalf.

As for me, the real Shen An, because I detoured along the old salt road, there were no post station stamps left, and no eyewitnesses on the official road, making me seem more like a fake who suddenly appeared.

Xiao Lingyi had obviously thought of this as well.

"After entering the city, take the travel register first."

"Your subject understands."

"Reseal the county seal."

"clear."

"In the end, they got counterfeit goods."

I looked at the person in the city wearing the same blue robe as me.

"Your Highness, could I ask about this last matter myself?"

"You can ask."

"Don't let him replace you."

I don't think this requirement is too high.

Until today, I never thought I needed to prove that the living Shen An was indeed me.

I suddenly understood why Madam Wang insisted on forcing us to change our route.

She wanted the fake Shen An to arrive first.

They also want to erase the real me from the government's records for half a day.

Chen Ping had already died of illness according to the records of the Imperial Guard.

The dead man entered the city wearing my clothes.

This is in accordance with the rules of the Clearing House.

Xiao Lingyi looked up at the city tower.

"Who holds the county seal?"

The gatekeeper said, "Registrar Sun."

"Where is Magistrate Lin?"

"Seriously ill."

Has the imperial decree been issued?

"I've been there."

"Who made this announcement?"

The soldiers pointed towards the city.

"Lord Shen."

I find this sentence increasingly troublesome.

The fake Shen An entered the city with a fake father's order.

But they used a real imperial edict to issue the decree.

This means that our copy of the imperial edict was also intercepted.

He not only wanted to open the warehouse as the young master of the Southwest.

He also had to prove the legality of opening the granary by acting as an imperial censor.

Two identities simultaneously fall upon one person.

If he dies in the chaos tonight, there will only be one outcome in the world:

After being ordered to leave the capital, Shen An went to the southwest and launched a mutiny under the pretext of inspecting granaries.

As for the real me standing outside the city gate, no one would believe it.

Because the one in the city had already been seen by the whole city half an hour earlier.

The bell rang again.

Eighth tone.

Chen Lu urgently said, "When the ninth note falls, open the old granary door!"

The city gate soldiers brandished their spears.

"No one may enter the city without a warrant from Registrar Sun."

Xiao Lingyi rode forward on horseback.

She wasn't wearing a princess's regalia.

The soldiers didn't recognize him at first.

"Get out of the way."

Who are you?

Qiu Tang raised the true seal of the Princess's residence.

"Princess Zhaoning is here."

The gatekeeper's face turned pale.

However, they still did not allow them to pass immediately.

"There is also a Princess Zhaoning in the city."

Even I was stunned.

They were better prepared than expected.

The fake Shen An.

Fake Zhaoning.

Zhenxian Seal.

A genuine copy of the imperial edict.

There are also 72 living people who will soon be written as members of the Southwest Anti-Rebel Army.

Suddenly, a loud announcement came from inside the city gate.

"By order of His Majesty!"

"Yong'an Warehouse opens immediately!"

"Seventy-three members of the rebel group in the southwest have been identified!"

"The ringleader, Tian Cheng, confessed his guilt in public!"

The sound traveled a long distance after passing through the amplified copper tube.

That really does resemble me.

Chen Ping even learned how to pause when I speak.

The people all turned their heads away.

The lights in the direction of the old warehouse in the city were soaring into the sky.

An official in a green robe stood on the high platform.

The distance was too far to see their faces clearly.

But her figure, clothes, and the jade pendant at her waist were just like mine.

Beside him was a woman in a dark red dress.

Wearing a princess's golden crown.

Tian Cheng knelt below the high platform.

Further on, there was a row of open warehouse doors.

The fake Shen An raised his hand.

Tian Cheng was dragged to the front of the stage.

"explain."

"Who ordered you to gather your old troops from the Southwest and hide them under the Yong'an granary?"

Tian Cheng was covered in injuries.

He raised his head.

First, look at the fake Shen An on stage.

Then he looked towards the city gate.

He couldn't possibly see me clearly from across the street.

But he still smiled.

He then said:

"The one who commands me—"

The knife behind the fake Shen An was already pressed against his waist.

The underground warehouse door was also slowly rising.

The ninth bell rang.

Tian Cheng opened his mouth.

"It is the Censor Shen An."