After being reborn, the aloof prime minister was once again forced by a tyrant.

That night, Xie Qinglan ordered Shen Hanzhou to detain all of the more than one hundred personal guards who accompanied him.

Instead of imprisoning them, each person was placed in a small tent, several feet apart, covered by a cloth curtain, so that they could not see or hear each other, thus completely eliminating the possibility of collusion.

When Shen Hanzhou received the order, he looked bewildered: "Imprison them all? Leave no one alive? There are some old servants among them who have served His Majesty for many years—"

Xie Qinglan only glanced at him indifferently.

That single glance, seemingly calm and serene, carried a heavy, oppressive force that made one's throat tighten. Shen Hanzhou immediately swallowed the rest of his sentence, bowed, accepted the order, and withdrew to relay it.

With everything arranged, Xie Qinglan returned to the royal tent, neither interrogating the prisoners nor issuing any additional instructions, truly appearing to be at rest.

Shen Hanzhou stayed outside the tent for most of the night, only occasionally hearing a few soft whispers drifting out from inside, interspersed with Xiao Jingyuan's indistinct mutterings and Xie Qinglan's soft replies.

He scratched his head, turned to the side, and asked Wanyan Lie in a low voice, "What's Xie Xiang up to? He's locked everyone up, yet he's sleeping soundly."

Wanyan Lie shook his head slightly, his eyes also filled with confusion.

At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), the night was at its darkest, and the area outside the tent was still shrouded in inky blackness. Xie Qinglan gently struggled in Xiao Jingyuan's arms and pushed against his chest with her hand.

"Your Majesty, it's time to get up and get to work."

Xiao Jingyuan was fast asleep. When he was woken up, he was still groggy, his black hair was messy and disheveled, and his eyes were dazed. He had no trace of imperial aura.

Helpless, Xie Qinglan had no choice but to help him change his clothes herself. He mumbled and nuzzled against Xie Qinglan's neck, his voice indistinct: "Sleep a little longer..."

Xie Qinglan sighed softly, tiptoed slightly, and gently touched his lips with hers.

It was a single, fleeting touch, as light as a feather, and they had to pull away the moment they made contact.

Xiao Jingyuan suddenly opened his eyes, tightened his arms around his waist, and lowered his head to kiss him.

The kiss was fierce and urgent, lingering and caressing until Xie Qinglan's breathing became erratic, and she raised her hand to push against his chest.

"That's enough."

When he broke free, his lips were bright red, and the corners of his eyes were slightly moist. He turned his face away, refusing to look at Xiao Jingyuan's triumphant gaze.

"Do as I say in a moment, and don't say anything more."

"Okay, I'll do whatever Qinglan says." Xiao Jingyuan was satisfied, his fingertips brushing against the corner of his lips, his tone very obedient.

The interrogation was conducted in a side tent next to the king's tent.

Inside the tent, only an oil lamp was lit. The wick was small, and the light was dim, casting long, thin shadows.

Xie Qinglan sat upright behind the desk, a blank roster spread out in front of him, his fingertips resting on the pen, his expression calm.

Xiao Jingyuan sat down beside him as instructed, his face cold and stern, his back ramrod straight, and he remained silent, his aura terrifyingly low.

When the first guard was brought in, his fingers were trembling. He fell to his knees with a thud, his knees hitting the felt with a dull thud.

Xie Qinglan glanced at him, her tone calm yet undeniably firm: "I have investigated the entire ambush at Duan Yingjian. Your accomplices have all confessed, detailing the mastermind, the method of communication, and the bribes received. I'm giving you a chance—tell me the truth about what you know, and you will be treated leniently, sparing your family."

The guard kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead pounding against the felt mat, "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Xie, please understand! I know nothing! I have served Your Majesty for eight years and have never done anything to betray Your Majesty!"

Xie Qinglan neither pressed for details nor refuted the claims. She simply nodded slightly, made a few strokes on the register, and then raised her hand: "Take them away."

The second, the third, the fourth...

Everyone who came in heard the same thing. Xie Qinglan's tone remained calm, and her expression remained unchanged, as if she had everything under control.

The reactions of the crowd were all the same – they cried out for justice, kowtowed, swore oaths, and insisted that they had no knowledge of the matter.

He did not torture or interrogate people; he simply waited until each person had finished speaking, then wrote a few words, waved for them to take him away.

The entire process went smoothly, and within an hour, all of the more than one hundred guards had gone through it. Not one of them admitted to being the mole.

After the last guard was led away, Xiao Jingyuan turned to look at Xie Qinglan. Xie Qinglan closed the register, her face revealing no emotion.

He rose and walked to the tent entrance, lifted the curtain, and loudly announced to Shen Hanzhou and Qi Yu, who were waiting outside: "All guards shall be imprisoned. They shall be kept in separate cells, and each shall be ordered to be executed at noon tomorrow. After dawn, each shall be given a last meal."

Shen Hanzhou and Qi Yu looked at each other, both stunned, but dared not ask any questions and bowed to accept the order.

Xie Qinglan didn't explain further, and pulled the still-dazed Xiao Jingyuan back to the royal tent.

"Is this all you need?" Xiao Jingyuan asked in a low voice as he followed behind him.

"Alright." Xie Qinglan took off her outer robe and draped it on the hanger, her tone calm. "We've done what we needed to do. The rest, let them figure it out themselves."

After saying this, he lay back on the couch, closed his eyes, and rested.

Xiao Jingyuan lay down next to him. Although he still had many doubts in his heart, seeing Xie Qinglan's certainty, he stopped asking questions and simply reached out to pull him into his arms, resting his chin on the top of Xie Qinglan's head, and slowly closed his eyes.

A faint commotion could be heard outside the tent, but it was quickly dispersed by the night wind.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, hurried footsteps could be heard outside the tent.

Xiao Jingyuan was holding half a naan bread, breaking it into small pieces and feeding it to Xie Qinglan. The girl frowned as he fed her, but Xiao Jingyuan seemed to enjoy it immensely.

Outside the tent, Shen Hanzhou's voice was low, but he couldn't hide his excitement: "Minister Xie! One of my guards was clamoring to see you before dawn, saying he knows who the mole is and wants to confess in person!"

Xie Qinglan put down her silver chopsticks, exchanged a glance with Xiao Jingyuan, and gave a very faint smile.

He picked up a handkerchief to wipe his hands and said to the person outside the tent, "Bring them in."

The first person to enter was veteran Guo Rui.

His eyes were dark and bloodshot, clearly indicating that he hadn't slept all night.

Upon entering the tent, he knelt down with a thud, his knees hitting the ground with a dull thud: "Thank you, Prime Minister! I've thought about this all night, I don't want to die—I confess! Li Lu is the traitor! I saw him deliver the message with my own eyes, and he even asked me to cover it up, saying that I would get half the reward after it was done. At the time, I didn't know he wanted to harm His Majesty; I just thought it was some extra money! Later, His Majesty was ambushed and fell off a cliff. That night, Li Lu secretly burned a letter, which I saw clearly! Every word I said is true; if there is even a single lie, may I be struck by lightning!"

Xie Qinglan ordered his men to take Guo Rui away and detain him alone. Just as Guo Rui left the tent, two more guards vied to see Xie Qinglan.

The second to enter, Sun Tai, also looked haggard. He knelt down and confessed, "Minister Xie! I confess! Zhao Wu is the traitor! He accepted gold from the Prince of Qi's residence. I personally saw him sneak out of the camp in the middle of the night and return with a packet of gold leaves in his pocket! He even asked me to help him deliver a message, saying it was just an ordinary family letter—I didn't know it was military intelligence, I truly didn't know!"

When Zhao Wu was brought in for questioning, he heard that Sun Tai had already implicated him, and his face turned ashen.

Knowing that there was no point in continuing to deny it, he simply confessed everything. He not only admitted to accepting bribes from the Prince of Qi's mansion and leaking the marching route, but also implicated another accomplice—Li Lu.

He confessed that Li Lu was responsible for contacting the secret agents in Nanyue, and that he would hide secret messages in the hollow of a withered poplar tree on the west side of the camp during each troop rotation.

When Li Lu was brought in, he saw that Zhao Wu had already confessed. He collapsed to the ground, his lips trembling for a long time before he finally confessed.

From dawn to dusk, seven or eight people arrived one after another. Some recruited others, some denounced others, and some spilled out all the details they knew.

The more they talked, the more detailed their stories became, including the gold leaves from the Prince Qi's mansion, the translation of the secret language of Mount Heng, the time of departure from the camp, and the meeting place.

No one cried out for justice anymore, no one swore oaths anymore. Everyone was vying to confess, afraid that if they spoke too late, others would take all the blame upon them and they would lose the chance for a lighter sentence.

Shen Hanzhou stood by the tent flap, dumbfounded.

When he heard the order to be executed at noon last night, he felt a pang of anxiety, thinking that Prime Minister Xie was too ruthless, ordering the execution of everyone without a thorough trial.

Only now did I realize—why resort to torture? Letting them scare themselves is more effective than any form of interrogation.

They were detained separately, with no communication between them. No one knew whether the others had confessed or not, and everyone was afraid of being implicated and betrayed by the others. As soon as it was light, they all rushed to turn themselves in.

Wanyan Lie stood beside him, a rare hint of awe appearing in his light golden eyes.

Xiao Zhaoyue leaned against the tent frame, arms crossed, looking at Xie Qinglan sitting behind the table. She felt that this man was so intelligent that he was almost demonic. With Xiao Jingyuan's brute strength, he would be played with like a dog by him!

After recruiting almost everyone who needed to be recruited, Xie Qinglan closed the roster and stood up.

The truth is now clear: Zhao Wu accepted bribes from the Prince of Qi's mansion and leaked the marching route; Li Lu was responsible for delivering messages and making contact with the secret agents in Nanyue. The two testimonies corroborate each other, and even the contents of the secret letters, the meeting place, and the amount of the bribes are exactly the same.

Xiao Jingheng was far away in the capital, so for him to be able to extend his influence into the Imperial Guard Camp, he must have had an intermediary. Zhao Wu identified the intermediary as Wei Changlin, a sergeant in the Imperial Guard Camp and the nephew of the steward of the Prince of Qi's mansion.

Following Xie Qinglan's prior instructions, Xiao Jingyuan spoke with a cold face, his voice not loud, but carrying a chilling intent: "Take him to prison and execute him at noon."

Upon hearing those eight words, Zhao Wu and Li Lu, who were kneeling on the ground, collapsed simultaneously.

The sentry stepped forward and dragged the man away. The wails gradually faded into the distance, and the tent finally became quiet.

Xie Qinglan walked back to the desk, handed the list to Shen Hanzhou, and instructed him to release all the innocent guards and give each of them a month's salary to calm their nerves.

He then turned to Qi Yu, Xiao Zhaoyue, and the others, his tone returning to its usual calm: "The traitor has been eliminated, come in. It's time to discuss returning to the capital."

Xiao Jingyuan sat upright in the main seat, his expressionless face sweeping over the generals in the tent, his aura heavy with imposing power.

Xie Qinglan sat beside him and tapped her fingertips lightly on the table—this was the pre-arranged signal between them, it was time to get down to business.

"The Western Rong have just been pacified, and everything is in need of rebuilding." Xiao Jingyuan spoke, his voice deep and cold, which made the tent solemn. "Wanyan Lie, you were once the third prince of the Western Rong. You know the tribes, pastures, and water sources of this land better than anyone else. I hereby appoint you as the temporary pacification envoy of the Western Rong, in charge of the surrender of various tribes."

"Ulantai led the Iron Falcon Army to assist in the defense, stationed at the royal court, and suppressed the remaining rebellions."

"Shen Hanzhou, you will lead 20,000 troops of your own force to remain in Xirong to support Wanyan Lie and oversee the discipline of the border troops. If any unusual activity occurs, deal with it on the spot."

Shen Hanzhou clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, while Wanyan Lie placed his right hand on his chest and bowed slightly.

"Xiao Zhaoyue," Xiao Jingyuan turned to the Princess, "you will be in charge of coordinating the reopening of the border markets and the handover of the three prefectures in Hexi. The trade routes in the western border have been interrupted for too long, and the herders are having a hard time. Qi Yu will be responsible for escorting and coordinating the imperial grain and supplies, and we must ensure that the winter rations for each tribe are distributed before winter arrives."

Xiao Zhaoyue nodded: "Understood."

Xie Qinglan pushed a pre-prepared document onto the table and assigned responsibilities item by item.

The garrisoning of various units, the escort of grain and fodder, the regulations of border markets, and the verification of the rosters of surrendered tribes were all clearly organized, with even the handover time and the person in charge clearly marked in small print at the end.

With everything settled, Xie Qinglan gave Shen Hanzhou a few more instructions on the important task of maintaining order in the border troops. He then stood up, straightened his cuffs, and said in a calm tone, "I entrust the affairs of the western border to you all. His Majesty's injuries have not yet healed, and he should not stay any longer. He should set off for the capital immediately."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the generals in the tent before finally settling on Xiao Jingyuan. His voice remained calm: "If any of you have urgent matters to report, you may do so at any time by fast horse. His Majesty will issue decrees upon his return to the capital."

The men bowed and accepted the order, then led their generals out of the royal tent in single file.

The moment the curtain fell, Xiao Jingyuan's straight back visibly slumped.

He leaned against Xie Qinglan's shoulder, resting his chin on the back of his shoulder, his voice muffled, with a hint of coquettish complaint: "How did I perform just now? I spent so long memorizing those lines."

Xie Qinglan let him lean against her, a faint smile curving her lips: "Your Majesty did a very good job."

Xiao Jingyuan's eyes brightened, and he reached out to put his arm around the man's waist, pulling him closer. "What's the reward?"

Xie Qinglan raised her hand to block his approaching face, pushing him away with a half-arm's distance, her expressionless face saying, "I will go pack my things and arrange the carriages first. We will set off this evening, and the official documents for the journey have not yet been prepared."

After saying that, she turned and walked towards the desk, her white robes brushing against the felt carpet, and the tips of her ears turned slightly red.

Xiao Jingyuan sat on the edge of the couch, watching him sit down at the desk, spread out blank documents, pick up a pen, dip it in ink, and write each stroke carefully with his back straight.

Its dignified and aloof appearance is like a green bamboo covered with frost.

But he had seen this person without all his aloofness—he had seen him with reddened eyes and biting his lip in restraint, he had seen him breathless from being kissed and his fingertips clenching his clothes, he had seen him with a soft voice, helpless yet indulgent.

Since they refuse to give a reward, then I'll ask for it myself.

Xiao Jingyuan stood up, walked over quietly, leaned down from behind, and gently wrapped his arms around his waist.

Xie Qinglan was about to tell him to stop causing trouble when his chin was turned and his lips were fiercely sealed.