The Empress remarried, and I retaliated by wiping out the court.

Xiao Luan felt a tightness in her chest, as if she were invisible in front of Ye Wudao.

She forced herself to remain calm and said, "I am also very saddened by the attack on Sister Li."

"sad?"

Ye Wudao smiled enigmatically: "But why does Empress Xiao seem so pleased to me?"

"His Majesty!"

Xiao Luan's face darkened: "Your Majesty, I was merely reminding you that Sister Li lacked experience and was unable to handle disaster relief matters. Now, as expected, problems have arisen. I was just... just worried that Your Majesty might regret it."

Ye Wudao suddenly laughed.

"Regret? I only regret one thing: when I was killing people, why didn't I kill them all, leaving no one alive!"

Xiao Luan's face suddenly turned pale.

Ye Wudao stared at her and said, word by word:

"I warn certain people, you may try some underhanded tactics, but you'd better pray you never get caught by me. Otherwise, I'll show you what it means to wish you were dead!"

After saying that, he turned around abruptly: "Cao Ji!"

"Your servant is here."

"Issue my decree."

Ye Wudao's voice was terrifyingly calm:

"Immediately gather men to seal off Yanlang Mountain, and dispatch another three thousand Imperial Guards. I intend to raze Black Wind Stronghold to the ground!"

"yes!"

He turned to look at Zhao Min and Xie Bingyu: "You two will accompany me to suppress the bandits!"

These two are a skilled frontline fighter and a master expert, free labor—why not use them?

Zhao Min and Xie Bingyu exchanged a glance, then bowed.

"yes!"

…………

Three thousand imperial guards quickly assembled at the drill ground.

Banners fluttered in the wind, and spears stood like a forest.

Ye Wudao was dressed in a golden black iron armor, with a dark red cloak draped over his shoulders, an emperor's sword hanging at his waist, and a golden hair-binding crown on his head.

He slowly walked up to the high platform, where three thousand imperial guards knelt on one knee in unison.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Ye Wudao's gaze swept over the three thousand Imperial Guards.

These people are the source of his confidence for today's expedition.

Beside him, Zhao Min was also dressed in armor.

A slender figure was encased in silver-white armor, and he held a red-tasseled spear, making him appear heroic and dashing.

She clenched her fist and exclaimed excitedly, "Finally, we can fight!"

Ye Wudao's lips twitched.

Sure enough, this muscular woman probably has nothing on her mind except fighting.

On the other side...

Xie Bingyu was still dressed in white, her long hair flowing like a waterfall, her clothes fluttering in the wind.

Despite being surrounded by three thousand imperial guards, he seemed completely out of place in the somber atmosphere around him.

Ye Wudao then said in a deep voice, "Fu Lilin."

"Your subordinate is here!"

Fu Lilin immediately stepped forward.

Ye Wudao's gaze fell on him.

"You will lead the Dragon Guard to accompany me on this campaign to suppress the bandits."

"yes!"

Fu Lilin clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Ye Wudao nodded.

The Imperial Guards of today are no longer the same as they were in the past.

A month ago, Yuan Tingfang led 50,000 imperial guards into the capital to defend the emperor.

When leaving the capital, Ye Wudao secretly transferred Yuan Tingfang's troops, dispersing them and incorporating them into the Longwu Guard and Shence Guard. At the same time, he transferred the old troops that originally belonged to Zuo Zongnan to the frontier.

After this reorganization, the military power of the two Imperial Guards was now entirely in Ye Wudao's hands.

If he has a little more time to take down Sun Yuanlang, the entire Imperial Guard will become his!

Ye Wudao rode his horse to the front of the formation, scanning the three thousand imperial guards before him, his eyes filled with murderous intent:

"I will only say one sentence today."

"Those bandits stole my grain, killed my men, and dared to make a move right under my nose."

Ye Wudao slowly drew his longsword, the blade pointing towards Yanlang Mountain.

"I don't care who they are, or who's behind them."

"Anyone who dares to touch my things will suffer only one fate—"

"die!"

boom!

The three thousand imperial guards roared in unison.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The sound shook the sky.

Ye Wudao suddenly spurred the horse's belly.

"Set off!"

Three thousand iron cavalrymen roared into action.

Horse hooves pounded through the snow, and amidst billowing dust, they headed straight for Yanlang Mountain.

This battle was Ye Wudao's first since ascending the throne, and also his first real campaign leading troops into battle.

Countless people in the imperial court were waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

Some people are waiting for him to be defeated.

Someone is waiting for him to get hurt.

Some people have even secretly prepared memorials to impeach him.

Because everyone knows it.

The outcome of this battle is far more complex than simply wiping out a group of bandits; it marks Ye Wudao's first clash with aristocratic families!

If he wins, he can use the blood of Yanlang Mountain to completely establish the emperor's authority.

If he loses, those wolves hiding in the shadows will immediately bare their fangs.

and so--

In this battle, only victory is permitted. Defeat is not an option!

…………

At the Grand Secretary's home.

"Snapped!"

Li Juzheng slammed the teacup in his hand to the ground.

Li Yuchun was startled. "Grandpa?"

Li Juzheng's face turned ashen.

"Yanlang Mountain is only a hundred miles from Yujing, and the grain transport route is top secret. Not only did those bandits know where the grain was going, but they also managed to accurately poison it, evade the Imperial Guards' eyes and ears, and take all the grain away. What bandits in this world could be so clever?"

Li Yuchun fell silent.

The chill in Li Juzheng's eyes deepened: "This is clearly a trap deliberately set by Xiao Linyuan!"

"He's trying to kill two birds with one stone!"

Li Yuchun's heart skipped a beat. "Grandpa, what do you mean?"

Li Juzheng said in a deep voice:

"First, if the grain is looted, the disaster victims in Shandong will have no food to eat, and the disaster relief will fail. Then the people of the world will think that Your Majesty is incompetent."

"Secondly, Yanran is the one transporting the grain. If something happens to Yanran, it will be a direct blow to my Li family!"

Li Yuchun's face grew increasingly grim: "Grandpa, do you think Xiao Linyuan might be planning to use the bandits to kill His Majesty?"

Li Juzheng narrowed his eyes: "It cannot be ruled out that possibility. If His Majesty dies at the hands of bandits, Xiao Linyuan can exonerate himself completely."

"If I'm not mistaken, Xiao Linyuan has probably already secretly supplied Black Wind Stronghold with weapons and manpower. With his abilities, doing so wouldn't be difficult for him!"

Li Yuchun's eyes were filled with worry.

His Majesty's trip is in jeopardy!

…………

Meanwhile, at the King's Palace in Zhenwang.

"Hahaha! Ye Wudao really fell for the trap!"

Xiao Linyuan's eyes revealed an irrepressible smile:

"In this battle, Ye Wudao is destined to lose!"

Sima Chang smiled and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture:

"Black Wind Stronghold is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with deep forests, narrow roads, and crisscrossing valleys. Many mountain paths can only be passed by one person at a time, making it impossible for a large army to deploy its forces."

"Even if Ye Wudao sent another ten thousand elite troops, let alone three thousand Imperial Guards, he still wouldn't be able to conquer Yanlang Mountain!"

Xiao Linyuan clapped his hands and laughed: "What does Ye Wudao know about leading troops in battle?"

He laughed for a moment, then suddenly seemed to remember something, raised his hand and asked:

"By the way, have all the weapons been sent to Black Wind Stronghold?"

Sima Chang quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "Your Highness, rest assured, everything is ready! Five hundred sets of heavy armor made of fine iron have been sent, along with three hundred powerful bows and crossbows. Rolling stones, oil, and fireballs are all prepared."

"In addition, all the able-bodied men from the three nearby mountain strongholds have secretly entered Black Wind Stronghold. Now there are more than 1,700 fierce bandits in Black Wind Stronghold."

"If Ye Wudao dares to come, we'll make sure he doesn't leave alive!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Xiao Linyuan threw his head back and laughed, a chilling killing intent appearing in his eyes.

"A mere child emperor, barely weaned, dares to challenge me?"