With a warehouse full of supplies, I stood alone as king in this chaotic world, gun in hand.

It's just too much trouble to style my hair in a bun here!

After she finished washing up, she asked Li Shuang to call Li Feng over.

"Please give your orders, Your Highness."

"Sit down! Let's have breakfast together." Nangong Wu gestured for him to sit down.

"This..." Li Feng hesitated for a moment, but still sat down.

"He Zhiyu has already been captured by us, and the imperial court will definitely send another general to guard the northern frontier. I've decided to send you. What do you think?" Nangong Wu asked him.

Li Feng was taken aback, and quickly said, "Your Highness, I am merely a lowly guard, how could I possibly be worthy of the position of Grand General?"

"If I say you can do it, then you can. Don't underestimate yourself." Nangong Wu held a small soup spoon and stirred the bird's nest in the porcelain bowl. "This is the task I've given you. You are the only people I can trust. Zhenyuan Army is the result of my grandfather and mother's hard work. We can't let Prince Rui's hand get involved again."

Li Feng grew up in the northern frontier and inherited his martial arts skills from his mother. He started fighting on the battlefield at the age of fifteen and was familiar with the terrain of the northern frontier. There was no one more suitable than him in the entire court.

Li Feng nodded in agreement. "If Your Highness thinks I can do it, then I can give it a try. However, His Majesty may not agree."

"You don't need to worry about that. You'll come to the palace with me in a little while," Nangong Wu said.

Nangong Xun's idea of ​​sending his men to take command of the Zhenyuan Army is utterly delusional.

"Yes."

The two finished their breakfast quietly.

Royal Palace, there is a court meeting today.

When Emperor Mingde came to court, the Marquis of Wu'an and his son tearfully complained to him that the traitors were arrogant and demanded that he seal off the city and search for the assassins.

Emperor Mingde asked them, "The assassins bombed your manor. What was stolen from the manor? And who in your family was killed?"

Marquis Wu'an knelt down and replied, "Your Majesty, the study was bombed, thirty-six guards died, but... nothing was lost..."

He lost a great deal; the wealth accumulated over generations was all stolen overnight.

His heart was aching terribly, but he couldn't say it out loud. When the officials from the government came and checked, they found that nothing was missing. He couldn't even make up a lie.

Damn thief, why don't you steal something that's out in the open?

He was really upset about this unspeakable loss.

"Nothing was lost?" Emperor Mingde narrowed his eyes.

"A thief broke into your house, but didn't steal anything. Why did he specifically bomb your study? Was he hiding something he wanted to keep hidden?"

It's been almost a month, and the series of major cases happening in Kyoto has made him extremely sensitive.

Could it be that there wasn't anything hidden in his study? Or that the Ming family had done something shady? Why would a thief risk blowing up his study?

Marquis Wu'an trembled with fright and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I am innocent! I have absolutely not done anything against the law. I beg Your Majesty to investigate."

"Since nothing has been stolen, you want me to seal off the city and search it? Do you think the capital is your Ming family's territory?" Emperor Mingde demanded.

He knew the Ming family had a bad reputation, but out of respect for the Imperial Noble Consort, he turned a blind eye. As long as things didn't escalate too much, he wouldn't interfere. But treating him like a fool was unacceptable.

"Father," Nangong Xun stepped forward to defend the Ming family, "Nothing was lost from the Marquis of Wu'an's residence; it's just that the people in the residence discovered it early."

The thief used the same method to blow up the study, so it's clear that the same thief who blew up my study was the same person. That's why my grandfather wanted to seal off the city and search for the assassin.

"Lockdown, lockdown! Lockdown all the time! Do you think lockdown is as simple as just saying it? Flies don't land on eggs without cracks. You should all reflect on yourselves first!" Emperor Mingde thought irritably.

He's exhausted from worrying about national affairs all day long. These people come to him with trivial family matters? They're all useless.

"Your humble servant is ashamed." Seeing that Emperor Mingde was unwilling to help, Marquis Wu'an had no choice but to stand up dejectedly.

The emperor wasn't like this before; it was only after Nangong Wu fell out with the Zhou family that Emperor Mingde's attitude changed significantly.

The hall fell silent.

Observing the situation, Eunuch Hu immediately shouted, "If you have something to report, speak up; otherwise, leave the court."

"Your Majesty, I have something to report."

A high-ranking official from the Ruiwang faction stepped forward and spoke about who should be sent to the northern frontier, recommending his own people.

The officials sent by Prince Rui were prepared and immediately stepped forward to refute him.

Thus, the Rui King faction and the Li King faction argued endlessly about who should go to the northern frontier.

Emperor Mingde did not sleep well last night, his head was buzzing from their noise, but he did not stop them and let them make noise.

"The Prince of Zhenyuan has arrived!"

Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent, and everyone looked towards the entrance.

Nangong Wu, dressed in the royal court attire, walked in slowly, followed by Li Feng.

Upon seeing her, Nangong Xun couldn't help but think of what happened last night, and a sense of foreboding washed over him. He felt that once this woman appeared, he would be in trouble.

"Nangong Wu, aren't you still in your postpartum confinement period? What are you doing here?"

"You have a problem with that?" Nangong Wu looked at him coldly.

"You..." Nangong Xun choked.

Nangong Wu and Li Feng approached the imperial platform and bowed to Emperor Mingde.

"Greetings, Imperial Uncle!"

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

"Ru Ning has arrived." Emperor Mingde sat up straight. "You haven't finished your postpartum confinement yet, there's no need to rush to court."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am much better now." Nangong Wu stood up. "I have heard that He Zhiyu may have taken his mistress and gone to the Eastern Jin Kingdom."

"Is this really true?" Emperor Mingde was so shocked that he stood up abruptly.

If a general guarding the border were to defect to an enemy country, that would be unacceptable.

"Absolutely impossible!" Nangong Xun immediately retorted, defending He Zhiyu:

"Father, General He has made great military achievements and would never defect to the Eastern Jin Dynasty. His sudden disappearance is most likely due to being killed by his enemies."

Emperor Mingde also felt that what he said made sense. If He Zhiyu wanted to defect to the enemy, the gates of the northern frontier would have been opened to the Eastern Jin Dynasty long ago.

But He Zhiyu's disappearance is too suspicious. "Ru Ning, do you have any evidence for what you're saying?"

"No, but the information I received is absolutely reliable. I have already sent people to arrest him," Nangong Wu said.

He Zhiyu was in her dungeon, waiting for the right opportunity to "capture" him.

"Hmm." Emperor Mingde nodded in satisfaction. Regardless of whether He Zhiyu had defected to the enemy or not, he had to bring him back.

"Can Runing also share the burdens of the imperial court?"

"Uncle, you're right. Runing came to the palace to share your burdens. In order to force He Zhiyu to show himself, I suggest that we arrest all of He's family members and throw them into prison, and then spread the news so that He Zhiyu will know," Nangong Wu said.

"You can't do that." An official stepped forward and knelt before the emperor.

"Your Majesty, my elder brother is of unyielding integrity and upright character. He would never do anything to collude with the Eastern Jin Kingdom. I hope Your Majesty will investigate thoroughly."

"I have evidence." Nangong Wu took out two secret letters. "Uncle, these are secret letters that my people intercepted, showing He Zhiyu's clandestine collusion with the Prince of Dongjin."

"Bring it here." Emperor Mingde's face was grim.