The morning mist thinned slightly, allowing sunlight to pierce through and spill across the marble-paved Rose Plaza. Silver-white armor glimmered under the sun’s rays as thirty thousand Central Army soldiers stood densely packed on the stone steps of the plaza. Their faces were still young, bearing the untamed boldness of newborn calves unafraid of tigers. These scions of noble families, raised in the comfort of Tang Capital, glared with bloodshot eyes, fiercely watching the carriage forced onto the high platform. Their weapons creaked softly in their tightly gripped hands.
Under the azure sky and blood-red morning clouds, standing high on the Rose Plaza, Chu Qiao gazed out at the magnificent ancient city of Tang Capital—its towering walls, resplendent palaces, row upon row of shops and residences, soldiers brandishing gleaming blades, and the commoners below the plaza craning their necks to look up…
Suddenly, Chu Qiao felt an unexpected calm. The fierce wind whipped her cloak, making the hem flutter and snap like the wings of a bird ready to take flight. She reached up, removed her wind hood, and revealed a face both beautiful and resolute, with eyes that were tranquil and steady.
Instantly, a clamor erupted from all directions. A month earlier, portraits of Chu Qiao had spread from Daxia and plastered every street and alley. Students of the military academy had repeatedly studied her elusive battle strategies. Yet now, faced with this young woman not yet eighteen, everyone was momentarily stunned.
Was this the Yanbei rebel who had single-handedly charged into the Daxia imperial capital and taken the Southwest Garrison Commander?
Was this the continent’s newest generation of famed general, who led four thousand desperate soldiers across a thousand miles without a single defeat?
Was this the rising star of the battlefield, who evaded countless pursuits and blockades across vast distances, the revered spiritual leader of Yanbei?
Could this be the mastermind who secretly infiltrated Biantang and orchestrated the shocking 903 Incident?
“Yes! It’s her!”
Someone in the crowd shouted, and the entire plaza erupted. Every finger pointed at her—the warmonger who had insulted the future Crown Prince’s concubine and conspired to stir conflict between Daxia and Biantang!
“It’s her! The majesty of Great Tang cannot be defied! The iron blood of the Tang Army cannot be trampled! Kill her! Uphold the empire’s dignity!”
“Kill her! Uphold the empire’s dignity!”
Frenzied roars surged from all sides. The entire Central Avenue was completely sealed off, and waves of people pressed forward. The long-suppressed fervor of the young soldiers boiled over; they waved their weapons like madmen, their eyes crimson, unleashing their youthful battle lust. The ignorant commoners, caught up in the spectacle, raised their sallow faces and waved their pale, thin wrists, joining the soldiers in roaring, “Uphold the empire’s dignity! Maintain the heavenly might of Great Tang!”
Chu Qiao suddenly felt a chill. These people—dying on blood-soaked battlefields without a whole corpse to their name, toiling face to the earth yet never eating their fill, their bodies covered with the hoofprints and whip scars of nobles, weeping with genuine gratitude for the slightest favor—these simple folk, ruled by a slave system, not one of them realized that what they so loyally defended was not their own interest at all!Faced with this fervent yet ignorant rage, Chu Qiao suddenly felt an overwhelming weight, an irrepressible sorrow rising from the depths of her heart, rendering her speechless before the roaring crowd.
"I am Tie You, commander of the Crown Prince's Imperial Guard! Let your superior come out and face me!"
Tie You was already wounded in multiple places, yet he still stood firmly before Chu Qiao with his sword drawn. The young man was like a towering mountain, his eyes resolute, his eyebrows thick and dark, standing erect with determination. He pointed his sword at the seething Central Army and shouted angrily, "Let Lu Fangshan come out to see me!"
He didn't know that all the senior leaders of the Central Army had already entered the Imperial Academy Hall of Jinwu Palace to request the empire to send troops to Yanbei. Only mid and lower-ranking officers remained in the army.
His sword was heavy and sharp, gleaming with a bloodthirsty cold light. At his feet lay more than ten soldiers who had tried to charge forward, all wearing Central Army uniforms but using Xia Kingdom's slashing techniques. But it was too late to point this out now. Tie You roared furiously, "Are you gathering here to rebel?"
Over two hundred imperial guards protected Chu Qiao, most of them already injured. One had been pierced through the chest by a sharp arrow, yet he refused to fall, leaning on his spear at the rear, using his body to block the arrow range for Chu Qiao.
"The Crown Prince has been deceived by villains, foolishly protecting the remnants of Yanbei! We are soldiers of the nation, the empire's blade! We cannot stand by and watch the empire suffer such humiliation while letting the traitors escape!"
Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, and the young soldiers who had slightly calmed down immediately erupted again, everyone yelling: "Right! We can't let her go!"
"The Crown Prince is lustful, he must have been bewitched by this sorceress!"
"Yanbei rebels, daring to challenge the heavenly might of Great Tang, must be executed!"
"Kill her!"
The howling wind swept through, and people's eyes glowed with a strange light. Chu Qiao knew that at this moment, no words would be useful anymore. The soldiers' fury was enough to ravage and burn everything. She had witnessed this in Zhenhuang City, on the northwestern battlefield, and understood its severity.
She called out Tie You's name loudly, but he didn't turn around. Her voice was actually quite loud, but it seemed so feeble amidst the overwhelming shouts.
"Go! Find Li Ce! Only he can turn the situation around now!"
Tie You didn't turn his head, but his voice carried the iron-willed determination of a soldier. At this moment, he was no longer the young father who would squint with laughter when talking about his son, but a steadfast soldier. He replied word by word: "The Crown Prince ordered me to protect you."
"Brothers, charge! We are not rebels! We are merely upholding the empire's dignity! History will remember us, posterity will judge us fairly!"
"Our actions today will be recorded in history! We will use blood to interpret a soldier's loyalty!""Swish!" A sharp sound instantly pierced the air, followed by an ear-splitting roar that exploded like a bomb mid-air. Tie You’s hair stood on end as he let out a lion-like roar! Wielding his battle blade, he transformed into a black shadow in an instant. With a few leaps, he plunged into the midst of the Central Army troops. A spray of blood immediately scattered, carving out a crimson semicircle as if a beast were howling in a torrential downpour. A scream followed as Tie You swung his battle blade with one hand and seized a young Central Army soldier with the other, lifting him high overhead!
"If you have something to say, why not speak openly? Why hide behind others?"
"Boom!"
Dust billowed from the ground as the man was flung by Tie You into the empty space between the two sides. The young Imperial Guard commander stepped forward, his gaze deathly cold, glaring fiercely into the man’s fearful eyes as he spoke slowly, word by word: "Who are you? Are you a soldier of our Central Army? I am a trueborn member of the Central Army, yet I have never seen you before."
The man retreated in terror, stammering nervously, "What does the commander intend to do? You may silence me, but can you silence the voices of the entire world?"
"I ask you again, who exactly are you?"
"Haha," the man suddenly burst into loud laughter. "Sir, as an imperial soldier, instead of apprehending the traitors conspiring to overthrow the empire, you interrogate me about my identity. Don’t you think you have your priorities backward? I am merely an ordinary soldier—without your high salary, without your exceptional skills, without your lofty status! But I have the courage of a soldier and a heart wholly devoted to the nation!"
Tie You, enraged, grabbed the man by the collar and roared, "You vile worm, will you speak or not?"
"Lord Tie You!"
The man’s voice suddenly rose, sharp and piercing. His eyes reddened as he shouted furiously, his voice even drowning out Tie You’s roar.
"You were once the pride of the Central Army! You were once our idol! But what has become of you now? You follow the Crown Prince, watching him act recklessly, disregarding the entire empire’s interests, bringing shame upon all of Great Tang. Where is your courage? Where is your conscience? Has it been devoured by dogs?"
The wind howled, and even the sunlight seemed cold and biting. The crowd surged like a boiling tide, roaring and clamoring. Tie You’s eyes burned red as he bellowed in fury, "If you don’t speak, I will kill you!"
"Then kill me!"
The man stood fearless, raising his arms to the thousands of Central Army soldiers and shouting, "If my blood can rekindle the military spirit of Great Tang, then I die without regret! Emperor Gaozu, Empress Wu, Emperor Xuan Sheng, General Gao Lie, Prince Yuewu Ling—their eyes watch us from the heavens. May the military prestige of Great Tang rise! Long live Great Tang!"
With these words, the man suddenly straightened his body and threw himself directly onto Tie You’s blade!Instantly, a massive collective gasp erupted almost simultaneously. The icy war blade severed the man's throat, disgusting bloody foam bubbling outward. Tie You jolted backward in shock, letting the man's corpse collapse heavily onto Rose Plaza. The body refused to fall, propped up by its scabbard. Though unable to speak, it still attempted to form words. Great gushes of blood poured from its mouth, staining the silver-white armor on its chest. The silver rose emblem seemed to bloom like a flower, shimmering with an eerie radiance!
Behind the crowd, Chu Qiao slowly closed her eyes. She knew it was already too late.
"Kill her!"
No one knew who shouted first, but the enraged crowd instantly surged forward like a bursting dam, a torrential flood of fury!
"Tie You! Get out of here! Find Li Ce!"
Tie You raised his war blade, spat a mouthful of bloody foam, and said grimly, "The Crown Prince ordered me to protect you."
With a sharp "shing," Chu Qiao drew a war blade from a fallen imperial guard. Coldly eyeing the advancing soldiers, she said slowly, "Very well, then we'll fight side by side."
"Haha! To stand alongside the renowned general who shakes all of Daxia—even if I die here, old Tie will have no regrets!"
Footsteps thundered like muffled drums as the empire's young elite troops roared with deafening battle cries. Though they faced merely two hundred opponents, they advanced as if marching onto the northwestern battlefields or the plains of Liaodong. Their silver-white armor spread across Rose Plaza like an avalanche, so vast one couldn't see its end. Holding their war blades high, they stepped forward methodically, the ground trembling violently beneath their feet. Their disciplined ranks pressed onward like an unyielding mountain.
Tie You's arm muscles bulged as he stood firm. Gathering his energy, he shook his war blade and shouted sternly, "Final warning! One more step, and we'll annihilate you!"
Two hundred wounded soldiers brandishing blades against thirty thousand fully armored troops while roaring threats of destruction—it was a ludicrous scene, yet no one dared show the slightest contempt.
Tie You had enlisted at fourteen, fought in the Liaodong Defense Campaign and the Nanqiu Annihilation Campaign, once traversed thousands of miles through enemy lines alone to deliver military intelligence—he was the model and idol of Biantang's soldiers. Now, standing alone, he resembled a sharp blade. Everyone had reason to believe any force that challenged him would pay a devastating price!
"For the empire's honor!"
The Central Army immediately chanted a unified charge slogan. Just as Li Ce had said, their shouts were indeed thunderous. Soldiers surged forward like tidal waves!
Suddenly! A row of bloody foam sprayed into the air as Tie You swung his arm—three heads soared upward like rotten cabbages before plummeting into the crowd, crushed into pulp underfoot!
The two forces collided head-on like violent waves crashing together, erupting in bloody spray. The piercing shriek of weapons pierced the clouds, echoing across the sky. The two hundred imperial guards formed a battle line, standing firm with unwavering resolve, defending their duty.The young Central Army, though numerous, were mostly on the stone steps, with less than a tenth on the Rose High Platform. They crowded upward, yet before the imperial guards led by Tie You, they were utterly defenseless, as fragile as paper.
The first row, the second row, the third row, the fourth row...
Young soldiers fell row after row, their eyes burning with fervor, their blood boiling hot. The imperial guards, facing their own comrades, gradually showed despair—some weakened their sword grips, some hesitated in their gaze, and one cried out madly, "Don't come up! Stop advancing!" But in that moment of hesitation, a blade swept across his neck, and the next second, his own comrade slit his throat.
The Central Army had gone mad. These noble-born soldiers, who had never even killed a chicken in their lives, brandished their war blades and swarmed the high platform like locusts, trampling over the severed limbs and blood of their brothers, fearlessly offering up their own lives.
Eagles screeched in the sky, dark clouds gathered thickly, and the clear morning sky swiftly turned stormy. The commoners had already scattered in terror, but the entire Central Avenue was blocked—where could they retreat or flee?
People could only scream wildly, shove, trample, and search for their lost loved ones. All around, voices clamored—husbands calling for wives, wives seeking sons, children crying for their mothers—everywhere was weeping and wailing. In the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, the bustling, prosperous Central Avenue transformed from a paradise on earth into a hell of carnage!
At this moment, Li Ce had already led the imperial guards out of Jinwu Palace. The Crown Prince of Bian Tang, who had never been skilled at riding, galloped down Jinwu Avenue, his robes flapping fiercely in the wind. His eyes were sharp, like those of a fierce eagle.
"Your Highness!"
A scout rushed over and reported loudly, "Central Avenue is blocked by the commoners—the imperial guards can't break through."
"Blocked?" Li Ce raised an eyebrow and said coldly, "If you can't break through, then charge over their corpses. Kill anyone who doesn't make way!"
"Your Highness?" The scout was stunned, forgetting all decorum, and murmured, "But those... they're the people of Tang Capital."
"The people..." Li Ce narrowed his eyes slowly and said in a cold, measured tone, "For every moment we delay breaking through, one more Central Army soldier will die, one more imperial guard will fall. They are the true wealth of the empire."
The scout understood, his voice turning hard and resolute. "Yes, please wait a moment, Your Highness. I will lead the imperial guards to clear a path for you."
Li Ce pressed a hand to his chest and said quietly, "I leave it to you."
"Sun Di, go to the Ministry of War immediately and mobilize fifty thousand Wolf Army troops to enter the city and quell the unrest. Also, light the signal fires and send fast horses to notify the Northern Camp to monitor Daxia's military movements closely. And..." He paused for a long moment, as if struggling to speak, his brow tightly furrowed, before finally forcing out the words, "Send scouts to the southern border, keeping watch on the southern waterways day and night without rest, in case the northwestern Yanbei forces invade."
Sun Di was taken aback, his fine eyebrows rising as he asked gravely, "Yanbei? Would Yanbei declare war on Bian Tang?""No?" Li Ce let out a cold snort, his tone as chilling as winter night's water. "If she unfortunately dies—dies on the land of Bian Tang—we'll be waiting to bear Yan Xun's overwhelming fury. The lion of Yanbei will suicidally devour those cowards."
"And," Li Ce slowly closed his eyes, the woman's beautiful, plain face echoing in his mind like a lotus in a clear pond amid blooming lotuses. With crabapple blossoms swirling in the sky, his voice suddenly became as faint as a mosquito's hum. His brows tightly furrowed, he let out a soft sigh, his voice ethereal yet firm as iron: "I won't let them off either."
"Yes, I will handle it immediately, Your Highness."
"Also, investigate thoroughly for me!" Li Ce abruptly opened his eyes, the previous weakness and exhaustion instantly vanishing. Flames of anger burned in his gaze, his fists clenched until they creaked, and he spoke in a cold, sinister tone: "I want all the information on this Central Army training exercise. I want detailed secret reports on every Central Army commander, regardless of rank, position, or the significance of the matter. Who they've met these days, who they've spoken to, where they've gone—even if someone had diarrhea and spent extra time in the latrine, I want to know everything!"
Sun Di, quick-witted, immediately grasped the crux of Li Ce's words. His face instantly turned pale with shock, and he exclaimed, "Does Your Highness mean this mutiny wasn't accidental?"
"Accidental?" Li Ce laughed in extreme anger. He turned to stare fixedly at Sun Di, his lips curling into a cold sneer as he said, "Zhao Chun'er's palace is attacked, all officials in the court assembly unanimously side with Daxia, a self-inflicted injury scheme stirs up the common people in Rose Plaza, the Central Army just happens to be training at Rose Barracks, all high-ranking officers coincidentally aren't in the camp, the empire's family troops are so easily incited, and they just happen to know Tie You's itinerary and that Chu Qiao is in the carriage! With so many coincidences, don't you think it's all too bizarre?"
Sun Di stood gaping, unable to utter a word. Li Ce's expression grew increasingly grim as he continued coldly, "From beginning to end, we didn't receive the slightest hint of news, not a fragment of intelligence. Even someone like Dou Mingde, who long faded from politics, knew about it while we remained ignorant! Such a tightly woven scheme, such meticulous deployment, such step-by-step, well-planned pressure—do you still think it's accidental?"
A long wind swept through, the shouting ahead intensifying. The Imperial Guards began vigorously dispersing the common people, while the Feather Forest Army randomly shot arrows into the sky. The panicked crowds fled noisily, everything resembling a massive farce—a mocking sneer beneath the celebratory atmosphere of the Bian Tang Crown Prince's wedding.
Sun Di and Li Ce locked eyes, dark thoughts emerging from the depths of their hearts, impossible to suppress no matter how they tried.
Li Ce nodded gravely and said, "You guessed correctly. The footsteps of death have entered Bian Tang. An invisible hand has already set this net, suspending it over our heads when we weren't paying attention. Someone has infiltrated the Central Army, infiltrated Tang Capital City, even infiltrated the Imperial Academy Hall!"
"Is it Daxia? Or Huai Song?""Nalan Hongye is not among the guests. With such a major event, it's impossible for her not to be present. As for Zhao Chun'er from Daxia, she might be skilled in palace intrigue schemes, but she doesn't have the capability for such precise plotting."
Sun Di frowned and asked, "Then who is it?"
"I don't know." Li Ce lifted his head, gazing at the thick, swirling dark clouds above, slowly shaking his head as he whispered, "I truly don't know, but I can already smell the scent of conspiracy. It's not far from us—perhaps right by our side."
The howling wind swept through, and chaos spread like ripples across a lake after a stone is thrown in.
Unbeknownst to Li Ce, while he was worrying that Chu Qiao's potential mishap might drive Yan Xun to suicidal retaliation, Yan Xun's carriage had just left Tang Capital City. Two hours earlier, he had led the Yanbei troops through Tang Capital, heading east along the main road.
For three hundred years, Biantang had stationed its emperor at the frontier gates. Tang Capital was close to the border cities of Huai Song and Daxia, and not far to the east lay the Liaodong battlefield, where war was currently raging—the true purpose of Yan Xun's journey.
On the lonely ancient road, a contingent was galloping swiftly. Inside the carriage, Yan Xun sat while A Jing guarded nearby, reporting in a low voice, "Zhuge Yue has already entered the city. The young lady must be in Tang Capital City as well."
"Mm," Yan Xun nodded. "After meeting Nalan Hongye, we'll return to Tang Capital. A Chu is with him for now, so she's relatively safe."
"Will Huai Song agree to our demands?"
Yan Xun replied indifferently, "If she weren't willing to agree, she wouldn't have agreed to see me. As long as Huai Song restrains Biantang and refuses to cease hostilities, depleting Biantang's provisions and fodder, then Biantang won't be able to support Daxia, giving us a thirty percent chance of success."
After saying this, Yan Xun sighed helplessly and slowly leaned back in the carriage, murmuring softly, "Winter is approaching, and times are hard in Yanbei. With shortages of provisions and fodder, I fear we might not even last a month. Fortunately, we have the gold from those wealthy families in Xianyang, otherwise I truly wouldn't know what to do. The soldiers need to eat, and the people of Yanbei are watching me. As long as we can purchase military supplies from Huai Song and establish this trade route, Yanbei will have a chance to catch its breath. Give me three years, and Yanbei won't have to depend on others anymore."
The wind outside was chilly. A Jing pulled up a blanket to cover Yan Xun and said solemnly, "Young master, don't worry. Things will work out. You should rest now. You haven't slept for three nights while arranging for people to stay in Tang Capital to search for the young lady."
Yan Xun leaned back in the carriage, his face pale and his eyes weary as he closed them. He whispered, "A Chu is better at handling provisions and supplies. Thankfully, I'll be seeing her soon."
The ancient road was desolate, with autumn weeds waist-high trembling in the cold wind.
—————————*—
A sharp arrow suddenly pierced the deathly silence of Rose Plaza, like a wolf's sharp claw instantly clamping down on a fatal wound. The entire army fell silent as people turned to look. On the high Imperial Carriage stood a young woman in a bright yellow robe, wearing a Golden Crown, her face cold as ice. She stood tall, holding a Golden Yellow Great Bow, aiming coldly at the blood-soaked Rose Platform. Layers of white gauze were wrapped around her forehead, with faint traces of blood seeping through.
"Whoosh!"
Another sharp arrow left the bowstring, shooting straight toward the chest of the woman dressed in crimson.
At that moment, Tie You let out a fierce shout, stumbling as he leaped forward to block Chu Qiao. He swung his battle blade horizontally, but his strength failed him, and he was too slow. With a sickening thud, the arrow pierced through his chest, emerging from the other side, coldly reflecting a sinister gleam.
"Tie You!"
Chu Qiao roared, about to rush forward, but a volley of arrows instantly shot toward her, embedding firmly in the stone slabs before her.
The guards beneath the woman's Imperial Carriage raised their curved bows and fired in unison.
A cold smile tugged at the woman's lips as she stepped down from the Imperial Carriage one step at a time. Her noble golden boots trod unhesitatingly on the blood-stained ground. She walked forward calmly, ascending the platform step by step until she stood before Chu Qiao. Across the sea of corpses, she spoke in a voice only Chu Qiao and her nearby guards could hear: "Does it hurt? But this isn't enough."
With that, she took a battle blade from a guard and stabbed it into the abdomen of Tie You, who—despite being covered in wounds and utterly exhausted—still stood protectively in front of Chu Qiao.
"Pfft!" Tie You immediately vomited a torrent of blood, his knees buckling as he collapsed with a heavy thud."Aren't you supposed to be righteous? Can't stand seeing others suffer for you? Then why don't you die now? If you die, I'll let him go."
Chu Qiao bit her lower lip tightly, her brows furrowed so deeply they seemed frozen. She stared at the woman across from her, her expression like an ice-sealed abyss—silent and frigid.
The woman sneered coldly and suddenly swung her blade: "I can't stand your hypocritical righteousness the most!"
The wind howled overhead, her vision nearly obscured by blood. Chu Qiao gripped the knife in her hand tightly, every inch of her body trembling violently. It wasn't fear but the convulsive spasms of exhaustion. Yet, in the next moment, she leaped up like a panther, forcing the woman back with a strike and thrusting toward her chest!
But the other hadn't actually swung her blade. The moment Chu Qiao moved, the guards beside the woman swarmed forward instantly. The woman deliberately fell, her bright yellow robes stained with blood from the ground, her Golden Crown tumbling off. She lifted her head, her face full of anguish, and cried out loudly: "I am the Imperial Consort of Great Tang, my purity defiled! I wish to die for my country—kill me!"
The soldiers, who had just fallen silent, erupted in fury once more. Faced with countless waving blades before her eyes, Chu Qiao could hold on no longer and collapsed heavily to the ground.
If given another chance, would you do the same? Would you release the tiger back to the mountains? Would you show mercy again?
Unfortunately, in this world, there are no "ifs."
In the last moment before losing consciousness, Chu Qiao vaguely saw Tie You's figure bursting into action and heard his oft-repeated words: "The Crown Prince ordered me to protect you."
You fool...
A tear trickled from the corner of Chu Qiao's eye as she lay powerless on the vast Rose Plaza, scorched by blood and fire, once again recalling the face of the girl who had wailed loudly in the cave.
"Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!"
The roar still echoed in her ears, and today, she had truly done it.
———————*—
She didn't know how long she had slept when a basin of cold water was splashed over her face. Chu Qiao woke groggily to see Zhao Chun'er's delicate, smiling face suddenly magnified before her.
"Where is Tie You?"
Her voice was low and hoarse, as if scalded by boiling oil. Zhao Chun'er smiled faintly, replying with detached calm, "Dead, I suppose. Seems the enraged Central Army hacked him into seventeen or eighteen pieces. How strange—back in Zhenhuang, whenever people mentioned the Tang Army, they always said they were weak and feeble. Who knew the rumors would differ so much from reality?"
Chu Qiao slowly closed her eyes, forcibly swallowing the grief rising in her chest. She nodded gently and said softly, "You will pay for everything you've done today."
"Oh?" Zhao Chun'er laughed. "Too bad you won't live to see that day."
Chu Qiao opened her eyes, staring fixedly at Zhao Chun'er, and enunciated each word slowly: "Yan Xun will avenge me."
"Don't you mention him to me!"
With a loud crash, Zhao Chun'er kicked over a chair and sprang to her feet, her eyes blazing like fire as she glared at Chu Qiao tied to the pillar. She shouted furiously, "One more word, and I'll kill you!"
Chu Qiao looked at her disdainfully, her stiff face twisting into a cold smile. "Are you afraid?"Zhao Chun'er's eyes were icy cold, glaring with venomous hatred. Chu Qiao's eyes slowly narrowed like a cat's, her voice low as she said, "Even if you kill me, how do you plan to handle the aftermath?"
Zhao Chun'er gave a cold laugh. "That's none of your concern, but I'd be happy to tell you about the spectacular events to come, since you won't live to see them. It would be such a pity if all my efforts went without you as an audience."
"Do you know? Biantang will split apart, Li Ce will die a miserable death, the court will undergo a massive purge, and all stubborn factions will be wiped out. Daxia has already surrounded Yanbei. Winter is coming—how will you survive without food or money? When you're exhausted and your supplies run out, Daxia's army will join Biantang's forces to invade Yanbei. Then, the people of Yanbei will be buried en masse, Yanbei's army will be completely annihilated, and Yanbei's land will be drowned in blood. The Great Alliance Society, the Yanbei Iron Eagle Army—all will kneel before the empire! We'll use our blades to show you what betrayal of the empire earns you!"
Zhao Chun'er's eyes reddened, her expression manic as she stared at her and continued, "When that time comes, I'll capture Yan Xun. I'll make him kneel at my feet, weeping and begging for mercy. I'll gouge out his eyes, break his legs, and use every method to torture him. I'll destroy everything you built together! What, are you scared now?"
Chu Qiao looked at her and asked calmly, "Do you think you can do it?"
"Of course," Zhao Chun'er replied with a haughty smile. "Of course I can! Do you know where we are now? I'll tell you—we're in the storage room beneath Rose Plaza. Soon, a pyre will be set up in the square, and you'll be tied to a stake and burned alive. So, are you still hoping Li Ce will come to save you? Give up that dream—he can't make it. Someone will delay him. Do you wonder how Yan Xun will react when he learns you were burned to death by Biantang's Central Army? He loves you so much—will he go mad and lead Yanbei's army in retaliation? Will he recklessly wage war against Biantang along the Southern River? Will he suicidaly oppose the entire world?"
"Haha!" Zhao Chun'er's eyes gleamed with madness, her tone dreamlike as she said, "I'll stop at nothing to deal with you. I'll use every means to eliminate you. For that day, I'll endure anything—all humiliation and torment—just to see you fall and die! You ruined my life, and what you gave me, I'll take back a thousandfold, ten thousandfold! What, do you hate me? Do you regret saving me? Do you regret it so much you want to smash your head against a wall? But what can you do? You're such a kind person, enchanting every man in the world, but so what? Aren't you still going to die by my hand?"
"What? Why is there cold sweat on your forehead? Are you scared? You can feel fear too? Why aren't you crying? Why aren't you screaming for help? Maybe Yan Xun on the Yanbei plateau can hear your last words! Haha..."But at that moment, her voice abruptly cut off, her pupils instantly dilating with terror. A hand seized her face with lightning speed, and with a slight twist—crack!—her jaw was dislocated!
Chu Qiao tossed aside the ropes she had just untied. Such binding methods—she could undo twenty of them in three minutes with her hands tied behind her back.
She stood up, looked down at Zhao Chun'er, who had collapsed to the ground with wide, terrified eyes, and slowly crouched beside her.
"You're right. I do regret it—regret why I was foolishly merciful and saved you back then. But I am not one to dwell on pointless resentment. If I realize I've made a mistake, I correct it immediately."
The woman's expression was icy, yet her eyes remained calm. She tore open Zhao Chun'er's clothes and said coldly, "Perhaps you've misjudged me. It's true, I'm not someone who kills indiscriminately, but I am certainly not a kind person either. If you threaten me, I will not show any mercy. Did you think you scared me? Did you think you had already succeeded? Did you believe that with your petty tricks you could outmaneuver me and Yan Xun? That you could destroy us? You are too naive and overestimate yourself. In this world, countless people want us dead. One more makes no difference to us. I don't know if the person who can take my life has even been born yet, but I tell you this—that person will definitely not be you."
Zhao Chun'er's mouth hung open, panic-stricken as she tried to scream, but not a single word escaped.
Chu Qiao stripped off Zhao Chun'er's clothes, then dressed her in her own garments. She tousled Zhao Chun'er's hair, removed the white silk from her forehead, and gave her one last look before saying slowly and deliberately, "Zhao Chun'er, admit it. You are nothing but trash! You can't defeat me. You never could, you can't now, and you never will. You shouldn't have provoked me because you're too green—you're simply not qualified!"
With that, Chu Qiao raised her fist and slammed it squarely into Zhao Chun'er's face!
Muffled groans issued from her throat, one after another. Chu Qiao's punches were slow but packed with force. In an instant, blood gushed from Zhao Chun'er's nose and mouth, and within moments, her original features were unrecognizable.
Zhao Chun'er could no longer cry out; only ragged, wheezing breaths escaped her throat, like a defeated rooster. She lay limp on the ground, her hair splayed across her bloodied face, resembling a fish out of water.
Then she watched as Chu Qiao stood up, casually shook her blood-soaked hands, draped Zhao Chun'er's bright yellow luxurious robe over herself, and tousled her own hair. She smeared blood on her face with her hands, then suddenly knelt on the ground and shrieked in a high-pitched voice, "Guards! Protect His Majesty!"
A large troop of soldiers rushed into the inner chamber. Chu Qiao, her hands covered in blood, clutched her face and pointed at Zhao Chun'er, screaming, "She dared to ambush me! Kill her! Burn her to death!"
The rough soldiers roughly hauled up the limp Zhao Chun'er—dressed in Chu Qiao's bloodstained clothes, her face so bloodied and disfigured it was unrecognizable, her jaw dislocated. As they passed by Chu Qiao, Zhao Chun'er turned her head and caught sight of the sharp, hidden gaze beneath Chu Qiao's thick black hair.
Chu Qiao parted her lips slightly and silently mouthed, "Farewell."
"I'm injured! Escort me back to the palace!"A fierce wind howled as it swept through, dark clouds loomed overhead, and leaves fluttered wildly. On the vast Rose Plaza, a towering pyre had already been erected.
The cold wind whipped against her face. Chu Qiao, covering her cheeks, sat in the swiftly departing Imperial Carriage. She turned her head to gaze into the distance, watching her formidable rival gradually fade from view.
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