Frontier Hero: From Receiving a Convicted Woman to Becoming an Emperor for All Time

The news spread even faster than Shen Chuxiao.

Before he even reached the council hall, the entire camp of generals was already in an uproar.

"Four against thirty, and they all came back?"

"I heard it was an ambush; they cornered those fake barbarians in a ravine and killed them cleanly and efficiently."

"Captain Shen truly lives up to his reputation as an outstanding individual; he even captured one alive!"

The last sentence made Han Shi'an's heart pound.

"Lord Han, won't you have some tea?"

Lu Chenzhou asked casually.

Han Shi'an's lips twitched, but the smile vanished before it reached his eyes: "It's hot, let it cool down."

Lu Chenzhou picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and a hint of pleasure flashed in his eyes.

It's best if I don't have any leverage over you.

At this moment, Shen Chuxiao led the scarred man into the hall.

Han Shi'an looked up and met Shen Chuxiao's gaze.

He didn't speak, but the expression on his face was more fascinating than any words could convey: first, an incredulous astonishment, as if he had seen a ghost; then, astonishment; and finally, a somber expression.

Even if there were more than thirty people, it would be impossible for Shen Chuxiao to kill them so quickly.

They're all a bunch of useless trash.

Shen Chuxiao clasped his hands and said, "This humble general is Shen Chuxiao, returning to the pass to report."

"speak."

"It has now been determined that the thirty-odd riders were not barbarians, but border troops in disguise."

"What? Border troops in disguise?"

"How is this possible? The barbarians' horsemanship is different from ours!"

"But Captain Shen saw it with his own eyes, and they even captured prisoners alive. How could that be fake?"

The officers exchanged bewildered glances, their faces ashen. Border troops disguised as barbarians attacking civilian caravans—if word got out, the entire Ling Shuang Pass would lose face.

Han Shi'an's expression remained unchanged, but the corner of his eye twitched slightly.

"Captain Shen, do you have any evidence that the border troops are disguised as barbarian scouts?"

Shen Chuxiao did not answer. Instead, he bent down, took a horizontal sword from his waist, and threw it on the ground.

"This is the knife used by the fake barbarians. It's a standard-issue knife for border troops. There's a serial number on the hilt. Lord Han can check it."

Han Shi'an didn't speak, but just looked down at the knife.

The number on the hilt is clearly visible, indicating that it is the standard weapon used by all border troops in the Shuofang region.

"Moreover, this person can't even speak the local language, so I suggest that Lord Han interrogate him on the spot. I'm sure we can get some useful information out of him."

"There's one more thing."

Shen Chuxiao pulled a piece of cloth from his pocket. "This was found at the scene of the burning and looting in the northeast of Liuhe Town. After analyzing the scene, we found that it was also set up in advance."

"So, it's not that the scout battalion is incompetent, but that someone is deliberately creating a false impression—with only one purpose: to lure me out of the pass and then kill me."

Lu Chenzhou took the piece of cloth, examined it from all angles, then gently placed it on the table and looked up at Han Shi'an.

"Lord Han, what's your opinion?"

Han Shi'an took a deep breath, about to speak—

"General."

A voice suddenly rang out from outside the hall, unhurried yet causing everyone to turn their heads.

Lin Shang strode in, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "This humble general has something to report."

Lu Chenzhou glanced at him and said, "Speak."

"Last night, I was ordered to inspect the border defenses and discovered that more than a dozen of my personal guards had slipped out of the pass under cover of night and headed north. I sent men to follow them for a while, and they circled around the Qingfeng Pass before returning just before dawn. I checked the border records—there was no exit permit or token registration; they must have climbed over the wall to get out."

Han Shi'an suddenly turned his head and stared at Lin Shang with a sinister look in his eyes.

"Lieutenant Lin, have you been following my personal guards?"

"Lord Han has misunderstood."

Lin Shang replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "When I was inspecting the border, I discovered someone leaving the border at night. According to military regulations, their identity must be verified. I was merely performing my duties and could not have been tracking them. Moreover, anyone who leaves the border at night without orders should be treated as a deserter and could be executed on the spot."

"Not killing them is already giving Lord Han face."

Han Shi'an disagreed, saying, "Commander Lin is right, I did indeed send my personal guards out of the pass."

The generals looked at each other in disbelief. "No way?"

—Han Shi'an actually admitted it?

"Although I have faith in Captain Shen's skills, it is, after all, four men against thirty barbarian riders. To be honest, I am not at ease. What if we can't win? To lose such a young talent would be a loss to the border defense of our Great Jing, and it would be a dereliction of duty on my part."

He sighed, "So I sent my personal guards out of the pass to meet them, but I didn't expect that after they entered Qingfeng Mountain, they would come back without finding Captain Shen's men. These useless bastards can't even find a single person. I will deal with them myself later."

That was a perfectly watertight statement.

They completely stripped him of his title.

Lu Chenzhou sneered upon hearing this.

What a cunning old fox.

Lin Shang refused to believe these words and was about to refute them—

Shen Chuxiao suddenly spoke up: "Thank you, Lord Han, but the most urgent thing is that we should examine this fake on the spot so that we can find out who ordered them to kill me."

Han Shi'an's expression remained unchanged. "Then we'll have to ask him."

He glanced down at the scarred man, his expression calm.

The scarred man knelt on the ground, struggling and making muffled noises. When he heard Han Shi'an's words, his eyes suddenly lit up—it was an instinctive will to survive, like a drowning man grasping at the last straw.

I was practically begging for help from an adult.

Han Shi'an walked over.

Everyone assumed he wanted to interrogate the suspect himself, and some even stepped aside to give up their seats.

He walked up to the scarred man, squatted down, and reached out his hand—a gesture that looked like he was checking the wound, or perhaps comforting him.

Hope ignited instantly in the scarred man's eyes, and he struggled to move forward.

But the next moment.

Han Shi'an suddenly drew the sword from the personal guard beside him.

Without the slightest hesitation,

"puff--"

The blade plunged straight into his chest.

One fatal blow.

The scarred man's eyes widened suddenly, almost bursting out of their sockets.

Those eyes were filled with disbelief.

He opened his mouth, the rag slipped out, and he uttered a mumbled word.

"you……"

He couldn't believe this person would kill him, even as he died.

Han Shi'an stood up, his voice righteous and awe-inspiring, and declared, "Scum like him, who colludes with the enemy, betrays his country, and impersonates barbarians to attack civilians, should be executed immediately. There's no need for further trial!"

He then looked at Lu Chenzhou and sneered, "General Lu, tell me, am I right or wrong?"

"Han Shi'an!"

Lu Chenzhou slammed his hand on the table. His eyes were burning with rage.

"You're trying to silence me!"

Lu Chenzhou.

Han Shi'an interrupted her, his voice suddenly turning cold, "I am an imperial envoy. In cases like this, where the evidence is irrefutable, what is wrong with me executing the perpetrator on the spot?"

He narrowed his eyes slightly: "You're not convinced?"

The atmosphere inside the hall instantly became extremely tense.

Several generals subconsciously took a half step back, even lowering their breathing.

Lu Chenzhou stared intently at Han Shi'an, but suddenly smiled.

"Lord Han has such ruthless methods."

"Same to you."

Han Shi'an returned the sword to his personal guard with composure, as if nothing had happened.

"General Lu, I still need to investigate Zhou Henian's case, so I will not accompany you any longer."

He strode towards the outside of the hall, but stopped abruptly at the door.

"Captain Shen, this is another great achievement. I will report the truth to the Military Governor of Shuofang Circuit."

"Then thank you for your kindness, Lord Han."

Han Shi'an's back stiffened for a moment—only a moment.

Then he strode away and disappeared into the morning light.