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

Three thousand imperial guards marched to the outskirts of the imperial city. The road was desolate, and scattered refugees lay dead on both sides of the road.

A blue cloth carriage was blocking the middle of the official road.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and an elderly man with white hair and beard, holding a dragon-headed cane, slowly stepped out.

Changsun Yuanpei stopped the three thousand imperial guards who were about to set out on the expedition.

Ye Wudao slowly spoke: "Why is the Imperial Tutor stopping me?"

Changsun Yuanpei cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, this old minister has come to persuade Your Majesty to turn back."

"Oh?" Ye Wudao said with interest, "What did I do wrong?"

Changsun Yuanpei sighed.

"Your Majesty should not have let the officials go after they have all been dismissed, nor should you have put yourself in opposition to the scholars of the world."

"They are not ordinary officials; behind them stand powerful families, scholars, and countless former students and officials."

"So what?" Ye Wudao asked calmly, "So you want me to bow down to them?"

After a moment of silence, Changsun Yuanpei said, "Your Majesty only needs to soften your stance, allow the officials to return to court, and give them a way out, and this matter can be resolved."

Ye Wudao suddenly smiled. "Imperial Tutor, let me ask you a question: Shandong is suffering from a severe drought. How many days have the disaster victims been starving?"

Changsun Yuanpei was taken aback: "This..."

"I ask you, how many people in Shandong are currently waiting for disaster relief grain?"

"You know nothing, yet you dare to obstruct me?"

Changsun Yuanpei declared loudly, "This is precisely the result of His Majesty's refusal to yield!"

"Foolish!" Ye Wudao's voice suddenly turned cold. "The disaster relief grain that I sent to transport has been robbed. Hundreds of thousands of shi of grain have disappeared on the way. The people of Shandong are still waiting for grain to save their lives."

"They can resign, they can quit, they can use the people of the nation as bargaining chips to force me to submit, but can the people of Shandong wait?"

"Tell me, I can give in to them, but who will take responsibility for the people who starved to death?"

Changsun Yuanpei opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a moment.

Ye Wudao mounted his horse.

"I have no time to play political games with you. All I know is that the grain in Shandong has been seized, so I will personally go and retrieve it!"

"Anyone who dares to stop me shall die!"

After saying that, Ye Wudao spurred his horse.

"drive!"

The warhorses roared out, followed closely by three thousand imperial guards.

Changsun Yuanpei watched the departing procession, speechless for a long time…

…………

Five hours later, at the foot of Yanlang Mountain.

Three thousand imperial guards, their banners fluttering, their warhorses neighing.

Ye Wudao reined in the reins and saw a familiar figure in the distance.

Li Yanran stood at the foot of the mountain, her green dress covered in dust, and her hair disheveled.

Clearly, she hasn't had a good time lately.

The moment she saw Ye Wudao, Li Yanran quickly stepped forward to greet him.

"Your Majesty! I am guilty!"

Ye Wudao frowned and helped her up.

Li Yanran lowered her head and said, "I thought I had been careful enough in this disaster relief effort, but I never expected that I would still fall into the enemy's trap."

"The grain was looted, and the accompanying imperial guards were killed or wounded. If I hadn't sensed something was wrong beforehand and led everyone to evacuate in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable..."

She bit her lip, her eyes slightly red.

"It is my incompetence that has failed Your Majesty's trust!"

Li Yanran felt uneasy. Ever since Ye Wudao entrusted her with the task, she had wanted to achieve something to repay Ye Wudao's expectations.

But she never expected that she would die before she could even begin her mission.

I woke up to find the food gone!

The other party's methods were extremely secretive, and she still doesn't know where the problem lies.

Ye Wudao looked at her and said seriously, "This is not your fault. Remember to be more careful in the future."

"yes!"

Li Yanran agreed.

"The grain transport routes are top secret."

Ye Wudao gazed at the distant Yanlang Mountain, his voice turning cold.

"The fact that the other side knew the route in advance, and even administered the drugs beforehand, means there's a mole inside!"

The Imperial Guards that Ye Wudao assigned to escort Li Yanran this time were led by Du Yuteng, a centurion of the Longwu Guard. Apart from him, only a few people knew the escort route, and the ordinary soldiers didn't even know where they were going.

"Cao Ji..."

Ye Wudao instructed Cao Ji to take the people from the Eastern Depot to investigate something, and the latter quickly returned to report to him.

Ye Wudao grew increasingly alarmed as he listened, and shouted:

"Where is Commander Du?"

Soon, a burly man dressed in the Dragon Guard armor stepped forward.

"Your subordinate is here!"

Ye Wudao shouted angrily, "How dare you collude with bandits to plunder the imperial court's disaster relief grain!"

Du Yuteng turned pale and immediately knelt on the ground.

"Your Majesty, I am innocent! The supply route was intercepted; this was something I never expected!"

Ye Wudao looked at him coldly: "On the day of the incident, someone saw you acting strangely. How will you explain that to me?"

Du Yuteng swallowed hard and hurriedly explained:

"That night, the troops rested at the foot of the mountain. I was worried that there might be bandits lying in ambush, so I didn't dare to rest alone and squeezed in with the soldiers of the Dragon Guard. Everyone else can testify to this!"

"I remember it clearly. That night, around 7 p.m., after everyone had eaten, they each found a place to sit down."

"I made a special trip to inspect the camp before lying down with a dozen or so soldiers to make sure there was nothing amiss."

"Later, I was also drugged. When I woke up, it was already daylight and the food was gone."

Du Yuteng spoke very quickly, as if afraid that Ye Wudao would not believe him.

"Your Majesty, if I were truly a traitor, how could I possibly be sleeping on the ground with those ordinary soldiers?"

"That sleeping potion even affected me! If I had known about this beforehand, how could I have let myself be affected as well?"

As he spoke, he raised his hand and slapped himself twice hard across the face.

"It is my incompetence that I failed to protect the relief grain, but I absolutely did not betray His Majesty!"

The surroundings were silent, and many of the Imperial Guards looked at Du Yuteng with a hint of sympathy in their eyes.

Ye Wudao's eyes were icy cold.

At first glance, the other party's explanation did seem to make no problem.

Du Yuteng rested with the ordinary soldiers and was also drugged. He also didn't know when the food was stolen. With witnesses and physical evidence, he didn't seem like a traitor at all.

But Ye Wudao knew that the most flawless explanation was often the most problematic one.

Li Yanran had said that the drug they were given this time was a slow-acting drug that took effect an hour later, making it look like everyone was drowsy, which is why everyone was affected.

In other words, if the traitor has any plans, they will choose to make their move within this hour.

Ye Wudao suddenly asked, "You said you patrolled the camp that night?"

Du Yuteng nodded: "Yes."

"How many laps did you make?"

"Your Majesty, two laps."

"Have you been near the grain carts?"

Du Yuteng replied without hesitation, "Of course I've been there. Grain is for disaster relief, so it's only natural that I had to inspect it myself."

Ye Wudao nodded: "Very good. Then tell me, how many lamps were lit near the grain carts that night?"

Du Yuteng's expression changed abruptly, and he replied, "Eight cups."

"fart!"

Ye Wudao's voice suddenly turned icy cold.

"You said you inspected the grain carts twice and even personally checked the grain, but Empress Li told me that the moonlight was bright that night, and she didn't have anyone light any lamps!"

Du Yuteng's face turned pale: "Perhaps this humble general has misremembered."

"You misremembered?" Ye Wudao said with a half-smile, "Everything you just said sounds reasonable, but you forgot one thing—"

Those who have actually experienced something often don't remember the details very clearly.

If so, either he has a good memory, or... he's hiding something and is making a perfect lie to cover it up!

Du Yuteng's forehead instantly broke out in a cold sweat, and he said in a trembling voice, "But this humble general did indeed sleep with a soldier that night..."

Ye Wudao stared at him and said, "You're right, but I just had Cao Ji investigate. You went out to relieve yourself once, and you were gone for half an hour. May I ask... where did you go during that time?"

"this……"

Du Yuteng's expression changed drastically, and he instantly revealed his ferocious nature. He suddenly drew the dagger from his waist and stabbed Ye Wudao with lightning speed!

"You tyrant, die!"