The city wall stood several meters high with no place to stay. Fang Linyuan couldn't immediately jump down and had to take the stairs at the back.

After giving the order, he turned around and rushed down as fast as he could, navigating several twists and turns of the staircase.

"What happened, General?"

The two men behind him hadn't yet understood the situation, but seeing Fang Linyuan rushing down, they followed him to the front of the city wall.

They saw the guards moving to apprehend people, but the elderly, women, and children in the cart seemed to transform, leaping off the cart, and with a flash of silver, they cut the ropes of the following carts. They then mounted the horses pulling the carts and pulled the reins back, fleeing into the distance.

These people were clearly well-trained. The guards were in chaos but managed to capture the lead driver and a young man closest to them.

The next moment, Fang Linyuan rushed out of the city wall, only to see the group disappearing into the distance.

"Chase them! Quickly prepare horses and pursue them!" Fang Linyuan commanded the surrounding guards.

The city guards had already brought out the horses, ready to give chase. Fang Linyuan, however, grabbed the lead guard's reins.

"Leave me a squad of no more than ten men. The rest of you, chase after them. Make a big show of it, but remember, once you're five miles out, let them lose you. Do not engage further."

— What kind of order was that?

The guard looked up at the city wall, where a sobering Zhu Song was angrily raising his fist. "What are you standing around for?"

"Yes!"

The guard quickly obeyed, leading a large group of soldiers to chase after the fleeing group.

Zhu Song was nearly hanging off the city wall in his agitation. "General Fang, what's going on here!" he shouted.

Fang Linyuan's expression was grim as he approached the two captured individuals.

The lead driver was now weak, supported by two guards to keep from collapsing. He was crying and pleading for mercy, claiming he had been coerced and knew nothing about these people.

The other one stared directly at Fang Linyuan, his face showing no fear, clearly indicating that he wouldn't reveal anything without severe torture.

Fang Linyuan didn't waste words. He grabbed the man's collar and tore it open.

There, under the firelight, a sinister lotus flower tattoo was revealed on the centre of his collarbone, resembling a fierce, monstrous creature.

Fang Linyuan looked up at Zhu Song.

“Followers of the Sacred Lotus Sect!” Zhu Song was stunned.

At that moment, the ten men Fang Linyuan requested had already come out with their horses. The leader was holding the reins of an empty horse, prepared for Fang Linyuan.

“General Fang, take more men with you!” Zhu Song called urgently from the city tower.

However, Fang Linyuan shook his head, mounted the horse swiftly, said a brief word to them, then snapped the whip and led his group into the deep night.

Lin Zizho, standing behind Zhu Song, turned to leave.

“But they’re from the Sacred Lotus Sect!” Zhu Song grabbed him. “How can General Fang manage with so few men? Even the governor of Suzhou was captured by them!”

Lin Zizhuo turned back, his expression serious.

“The more men, the greater the commotion,” he said. “General Fang is planning to track them and strike their retreat. I need to report to His Majesty immediately and request reinforcements.”

“How do you know?” Zhu Song asked hastily.

“Did you see General Fang’s lip movements just now?” Lin Zizhuo replied.

“What did he say?”

“‘Haven’t seen the bandit leader.’”

Zhu Song stood in place, stunned.

For Fang Linyuan to say that, it was clear he had memorized the wanted poster of the Sacred Lotus Sect leader, Sun Bai. With just a brief glance in the night, he had recognized the faces of everyone below.

And not seeing the bandit leader…

Meant he was going to capture the leader himself.

*

Under the lantern's light, the night-shift maids of the Huaiyu Pavilion carried lanterns and small bamboo baskets, wandering back and forth under the flowering trees in front of the gate.

When Juan Su entered the courtyard with freshly fetched silver candles, the maids greeted her with playful smiles, "Juan Su, back from the storeroom?"

Juan Su nodded slightly, "The candles His Highness uses for reading are about to run out. What are you all doing?"

"The flowers have started falling, and Old Wang from the small kitchen said this is the sweetest time," one of the maids, holding a flower basket, showed it to Juan Su with a smile. "We’re gathering some flowers to have Old Wang make peach blossom pastries for His Highness."

Juan Su glanced into the basket and reminded, "Be careful, the ground under the trees is uneven. Don't trip."

The maids laughed and responded cheerfully.

Juan Su nodded at them, then carried the silver candles into the pavilion.

Night was deepening; this should have been Zhao Chu's rest time, but he was still reading by the window. The Marquis of Anping had gone out to socialize and drink and had not yet returned. Zhao Chu seemed to be waiting for him, even sending Wu Xinghai out to inquire half an hour earlier.

Juan Su quietly placed the silver candles on the cabinet, took out two, and replaced the nearly burned-out ones on Zhao Chu's desk.

His Highness must be worried.

A few days ago, Wu Xinghai had reported that Fang Linyuan was closely associating with the commander of the Brocade Guard. They had drunk together, and today they met again.

The few who came from the palace had clear roles: Song Yan managed the servants for His Highness, Juan Su took care of his daily life, and state affairs were handled by Wu Xinghai.

Even though she never dealt with it directly, Juan Su had overheard enough to know that the commander of the Brocade Guard was one of the Emperor’s most trusted subordinates, practically his enforcer.

The relationship between the Emperor and the Princess had always been strained.

Living almost under the same roof, distrust among people was inevitable. The Marquis of Anping meeting this person would surely make His Highness uneasy.

After replacing the candles, Juan Su glanced at Zhao Chu.

Under the flickering light, Zhao Chu's hand, holding the book page, gently rubbed it, already curling the page's corner, yet not turning it.

Just as Juan Su was about to leave, Zhao Chu asked, "What time is it?"

Juan Su quickly replied, "Your Highness, it is the second quarter of the hour of the rat (NT: 23h – 01h)."

Zhao Chu's brow furrowed slightly, and his hand stopped turning the page.

"Hasn't Wu Xinghai returned yet?" he asked, frowning as he flipped a page.

The sound of the page turning was sharp, like clashing swords, rather than reading.

"I'll go urge him," Juan Su offered.

At that moment, hurried footsteps echoed from afar. Juan Su turned to see Wu Xinghai rushing in. He closed the door behind him and knelt before Zhao Chu.

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened!" Wu Xinghai exclaimed.

Zhao Chu slammed the book onto the table with such force that it nearly knocked over the candleholder.

"What happened to Fang Linyuan?" he asked.

"There's news from outside the city. Something happened with the Sacred Lotus sect!" Wu Xinghai reported. "The group entering the city was recognized by the Marquis of Anping. The Marquis has left the city to pursue them!"

"How many men did he take?" Zhao Chu's grip on the book tightened.

"Your Highness, don't worry. He only took ten men!" Wu Xinghai said. "I’ve already instructed our men in ambush around the area. They will surely stop the Marquis of Anping and prevent him from ruining the plan!"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Chu threw the book at his face.

"...Your Highness?"

Zhao Chu's hand on the table clenched tightly.

"Can ten men protect him?" His voice was almost a hiss. "They are death warriors; blood will be shed."

"This..."

"Immediately have them retreat and not touch Fang Linyuan! If the Sacred Lotus sect makes any move, protect him."

Under the candlelight, Zhao Chu's voice was as cold and sharp as a knife slicing through the night, leaving only a barely perceptible chill.

But his eyes, fixed on Wu Xinghai, were icy and penetrating.

"Your Highness?!" Wu Xinghai looked up at Zhao Chu, his face unusually shocked.

Zhao Chu stared back, like a fierce ghost shedding its disguise.

Wu Xinghai, trembling uncontrollably, looked into Zhao Chu's eyes.

In the next moment, he kowtowed, his forehead hitting the ground with a thud.

"Your Highness, please reconsider! You've been planning this for days, and now it's just one step away! If Sun Bai is killed by the Marquis of Anping, your grand plan will be ruined!"

*

Zhao Chu's meticulous planning had led to this day, ever since the Sacred Lotus sect incident began.

On the surface, the Sacred Lotus sect’s rebellion appeared to be a chaotic uprising aiming to overthrow the regime. In reality, it was the result of deep-seated corruption among officials from Jiangnan, led by Sang Zhixin.

Sang Zhixin was a powerful minister from a humble background in Jiangnan, who had cultivated numerous followers over the years, forming a vast network of corrupt officials.

Corruption in Jiangnan had been rampant for years. Last year's floods were exacerbated by these officials, who exploited the disaster for personal gain, resulting in widespread chaos.

Relief funds sent from the capital to Jiangnan were siphoned off layer by layer, ultimately ending up in the pockets of Sang Zhixin's faction in the capital.

Officials like Qiu Shuo, who had been transferred from Jiangnan to the capital, had risen to power through embezzlement and bribery, exemplifying the corruption endemic in the region.

The so-called Sacred Lotus sect was nothing more than a group of desperate commoners from Jiangnan, driven to rebellion.

From Jiangnan to the capital, a vast network of corrupt officials operated, shielding each other while living off the people's suffering.

These rebels, fighting for justice, were seen as troublemakers disrupting the corrupt system, covering up the misdeeds of those in power.

But Zhao Chu had long been planning to dismantle this corrupt network.

Having mastered the art of embroidery since childhood, he knew that even the strongest web had a loose thread.

The thread he pulled was Suzhou Prefect Feng Hanxue.

Last year, he used the Chu family’s trading company to get involved in shipping and hired a group of private soldiers, strategically placing them along the canal to gather intelligence.

These men reported back, revealing that Feng Hanxue had stolen disaster relief funds, using Qiu Shuo’s connections to climb up to He Hongfang, and ultimately to Sang Zhixin's faction in the capital.

The disaster relief funds from Jiangnan also secured him a promise of promotion in the upcoming evaluations and prompted Sang Zhixin to personally send someone south to cover up the trouble he had caused.

Sang Zhixin's plan was guaranteed.

However, his plan assumed that all opponents played by the rules.

But Zhao Chu never played by the rules.

The private soldiers Zhao Chu sent down the canal helped the Sacred Lotus sect capture Prefect Feng alive, allowing them to escape. When they were at their wit's end, they received a secret letter from a high-ranking official in the capital, delivered by Yuan Honglang on Zhao Chu's behalf.

The letter stated that Feng Hanxue's capture could be exchanged for wealth and honour.

These people immediately brought Feng Hanxue north, their journey smooth thanks to Zhao Chu's covert assistance.

Everything was within Zhao Chu's calculations.

These individuals would soon fall into Zhao Chu's hands, becoming the sharp blade to cut through the vast web of corruption. When he presented them to Emperor Hongyou, it would shatter the unbreakable trust between the emperor and Sang Zhixin.

However, tonight was beyond Zhao Chu's plans.

Sun Bai, distrustful of the high-ranking official who sent the letter, first dispatched a team to enter the capital and check the situation. Fang Linyuan, stationed at the city gate, encountered the sect members sent by Sun Bai.

Zhao Chu's hand, resting on his knee, had grown cold without his realizing it.

His gradually unfolding plan was fraught with lethal danger. The men he had under his command were all ruthless killers.

Fang Linyuan...

In his mind, Zhao Chu saw a deer leaping confidently into a dense, perilous forest, unaware of the lurking tigers and wolves, all traps he had set.

He would harm him.

Wu Xinghai continued to kowtow fervently, reminding Zhao Chu of their long-laid plans and the numerous court officials implicated.

But Zhao Chu could only see that deer's innocent eyes, unacquainted with darkness, looking back.

"If anything happens to Fang Linyuan, I will take all of your lives."

Zhao Chu couldn't hear Wu Xinghai's pleas, only his own voice, trembling uncontrollably with cold resolve.

*

Fang Linyuan rode into the night.

He needed to capture them, all of them, alive.

When he ordered the city guards to pursue, he already had a plan. The night was deep, and the sect members had melted into the darkness, but the guards were in hot pursuit, their torches blazing like guiding lights.

Fang Linyuan, leading a reduced light cavalry, followed the direction of the moving torches, silently flanking them like shadows trailing their every move.

Gradually, the group of guards, like scattered stars, seemed to be tiring and fell further behind, eventually disappearing from sight, leaving only the fleeing sect members and their silent shadows.

Sure enough, the sect members let down their guard.

Seeing no one pursuing them anymore, they slowed their pace, breathing a sigh of relief. Then, they led their horses in another direction, moving leisurely.

Just as Fang Linyuan had planned.

If pursued, they would never lead their enemies to their hideout. But if they shook off their pursuers, they would head back immediately to report to their leader.

Without a word, Fang Linyuan took a bow and arrow from a nearby guard.

"General..." The guard who handed over the bow finally spoke to Fang Linyuan, his voice low and hesitant. "Where are we heading?"

"Their camp," Fang Linyuan replied succinctly.

The guard was taken aback. "But General, there are only ten of us."

Fang Linyuan, still riding in the night, slung the arrow over his back. "They can't have many men here in the outskirts of the capital."

"But they are rebels..."

"If you're scared, you can go back now," Fang Linyuan said calmly, giving him a sidelong glance.

The guard immediately fell silent.

"At most, there are twenty or thirty of them. We can handle that," Fang Linyuan continued. "They are fugitives, more desperate to stay alive than anyone else. Unaware of our numbers, they'll flee when surrounded rather than fight. Your job is to ensure no one escapes and no one is mistakenly killed."

"Yes, General!"

After following for another quarter of an hour, they saw a field of green wheat ahead. At the end of the field was a farmhouse, its windows dark, as if the residents were already asleep.

The mounted sect members stopped at the farmhouse gate and silently entered.

Fang Linyuan frowned slightly.

These people must have taken over a farmhouse. If he was correct, the man held hostage and taken into the city earlier was the owner of this house.

They had likely stolen the family's identity to enter the city. If this was true, the fate of the family’s elderly, women, and children was uncertain.

Fang Linyuan dismounted in the nearby woods, expertly positioning the ten guards around the exits of the farmhouse. He himself, with bow and arrow ready, moved silently to a blind spot near the farmhouse.

Soon, shadows appeared outside several doors of the farmhouse—guards posted by the sect members.

They had just been exposed at the city gate, so tonight should have been a time of heightened vigilance. Fang Linyuan roughly counted the night watchmen; there were only a few of them, suggesting there were at most thirty people inside the compound.

Feeling reassured, he signalled the surrounding guards to approach the compound cautiously as per his previous instructions.

Once the hidden guards had used the wheat field and surrounding foliage to position themselves within a few meters of the compound, Fang Linyuan signalled them to wait in place.

The next moment, he stood behind a tree, drew his bow, and aimed at the entrance of the compound.

In the silence of the night, the sound of an arrow cutting through the air suddenly rang out.

One of the guards at the entrance was instantly shot through the throat, collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

Chaos erupted inside the camp.

Fang Linyuan drew his bow again, aiming at the interior of the compound.

The night watchman wouldn't be a core member of the rebels; his death could act as a spark, igniting chaos and forcing the hidden beasts to scatter.

Sure enough, the inside began to panic, revealing their positions.

The city guards of the capital were all well-trained, and those who followed Fang Linyuan were the elite among them, with decent archery skills. Following Fang Linyuan's orders, the arrows flew towards their legs, avoiding fatal shots.

At that moment, a loud shout erupted from inside the compound.

"I brought the person you want!" The voice had a thick southern accent, clearly from Suzhou.

Fang Linyuan paused, not understanding whom he was referring to.

But in an instant, he reacted, putting away his arrows and gesturing to the nearest guard to speak.

The guard, though frightened, nodded under Fang Linyuan's stern gaze and called out, "Did you bring him?"

Fang Linyuan nodded slightly and made a few more hand signals before silently sneaking into the compound.

Meanwhile, the conversation continued.

"Of course, I brought him. Why else would I come to the capital?" The man inside sounded anxious. "I'll deliver him in the next two days. Why are you in such a hurry?"

After a brief pause, the guard, following Fang Linyuan's earlier hand signals, replied.

"Where is the person? I need to see him."

There were a few curses from inside.

But the man seemed afraid to defy him, and soon, two figures appeared in the courtyard.

The first was a dishevelled middle-aged man with a long beard. His robes were dirty, but it was clear they were once official garments.

Behind him was another person, whose face was hidden, holding a gleaming knife against the official's neck.

As soon as the official appeared, he cried out loudly, "Lord Qiu, is that you? Save me, my lord!"

The person behind him immediately tightened his grip on the dagger, preventing any further movement.

"Did you see the person you wanted?"

This time, Fang Linyuan heard a response.

The voice came from someone of high status, speaking cautiously from within the compound. The person holding the knife was not him.

The disciples around him had mostly been taken down, with several guarding the exits. Fang Linyuan silently approached.

The guard, unsure how to respond, remained silent.

Fortunately, the man inside grew impatient.

"I don't seek wealth or power; I just want 5,000 taels of silver to take my brothers and me out of the country!" he said. "Exchanging this corrupt official for that price seems fair, doesn't it?"

The guard still did not respond.

By now, Fang Linyuan had silently approached and climbed the wall.

Indeed, hiding by the wall was none other than Sun Bai, the wanted man. He had only two guards, each holding a dagger.

Sun Bai cursed under his breath for being deceived into the capital only to be targeted for death.

Fang Linyuan drew his bow and aimed at the leg of the disciple behind Sun Bai.

The sound of the arrow piercing the air was followed by a scream as the man fell.

Sun Bai trembled with fear and grabbed another disciple to shield himself from Fang Linyuan.

But under the moonlight, Fang Linyuan had already leapt down.

Drawing his sword, he swiftly stabbed the disciple in the thigh and tossed him aside, seizing the dagger from his hand.

Sun Bai had no chance to escape.

Fang Linyuan twisted his arm, capturing him, and with a swift move, threw the dagger like a dart. It flew past the official's head and pierced the hand of the man holding the knife.

"Kill him!!" Sun Bai shouted, his eyes wide with rage.

Immediately, arrows flew towards Fang Linyuan from all directions.

Fang Linyuan drew his sword, deflecting the arrows with swift, powerful movements, making them fall around him like birds dropping from the sky.

At that moment, Fang Linyuan heard the sound of an arrow approaching from behind.

It was too late to deflect it.

In a split second, he protected Sun Bai and moved just enough to avoid a fatal hit.

But in the next moment, a clang sounded from three feet behind him.

He turned around to see the arrow that had been shot at him had fallen to the ground, broken in two.

Nearby, the hidden weapon that had intercepted the arrow was embedded in the wall not far from him.

Fang Linyuan looked in the direction of the sound and saw a pitch-black dart, buried three inches into the stone, penetrating the wall of the building.

His pupils contracted sharply.

Who could have thrown that? None of the people he had brought with him had such a weapon!

 

--

The author has something to say:

Zhao Chu's many subordinates: Let’s see what kind of meticulous, ruthless master we are following...

Then they witnessed Zhao Chu’s romantic side.

Subordinates: 6 (NT: means impressive in slang)

 

Translator : DarNan