In the Capital Suburbs, at the Ten-Mile Pavilion.
The autumn wind was bleak.
The swirling yellow dust dyed the silhouette of the distant, majestic Capital with a hazy, apocalyptic mist.
The wind carried a chilling scent of rust.
It was the scent of "death," emanating from three thousand armored suits, three thousand killing machines.
Three thousand armored cavalry stood silent as a forest.
They were the "Cang Lang," the nightmare of the northern plains, enough to make all tribal children stop crying.
Each knight wore heavy, dark armor, scarred by countless battles; the sword marks and arrow holes on their plates were badges earned with their lives.
They stood in silence, like three thousand statues risen from a sea of blood and mountains of corpses, starkly out of place against the bleak scenery of the ancient pavilion road.
The Evil Qi, so dense it felt solid, even made the wind detour around them.
At the front of the formation, a general, as robust as a mountain, reined in his horse and stood.
He was the Master of "Cang Lang," the King of Soldiers, Qin Tian!
On his chiseled face, his hawk-like eyes were so sharp they seemed capable of piercing one's Soul.
At this moment, he was looking down, examining two very different letters in his hand.
One was a birthday banquet invitation sent by the Gu Manor via an urgent 800-li dispatch.
With a crimson gold base and intricate cloud patterns, it felt heavy in hand, exuding the lavishness of power intertwined with wealth.
The other was a secret letter from the palace, just delivered by a royal post knight who had ridden at maximum speed, risking his life.
It had no fancy envelope, just an ordinary sheet of Xuan paper.
Besides the glaring red imperial seal, representing supreme imperial power, it was completely blank.
One was full of hypocritical pleasantries.
The other was a silent, overbearing Aura.
On Qin Tian's unruffled face, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
His return to the Capital this time was ostensibly for reporting duties, but in reality, it was to demand justice!
His bravest subordinate, simply because he refused to collude with the Gu Family, was framed and imprisoned by those court vermin on the trumped-up charges of "embezzling military pay and reselling military equipment," and died a wrongful death!
He wanted to seek justice for his brother!
But from whom should this justice be sought?
From that old fox who held immense power in the court, and who, though now "retired" at home, could still stir up trouble?
Or from that Young Emperor, rumored to be sickly and long since a Puppet?
Just then, the clatter of carriage wheels interrupted his thoughts.
A lavish carriage stopped not far away, and a middle-aged official, dressed in a fourth-rank official's robe, with a fair face and a false smile, hurried over, flanked by several servants.
He was Qian Feng, the Vice Minister of Rites and a trusted protégé of Gu Bingqian.
"Oh, General Qin!"
Before Qian Feng even arrived, his enthusiastic voice did, carrying the condescending familiarity typical of a civil official addressing a military general.
"This humble official has been ordered by the Grand Secretary to specially welcome the General! The General's Divine Might is renowned throughout the northern borders, and the Grand Secretary has long admired him!"
As he spoke, he moved forward with an air of self-importance.
His eyes, however, subtly swept over the three thousand armored cavalry behind Qin Tian, and deep within them, a flicker of hard-to-detect greed and arrogance flashed.
As if this invincible army was already a possession of their Gu Family.
Qin Tian didn't even lift an eyelid, merely letting out a cold "Hm" from his nose.
A cold snort, like a bucket of ice water, instantly froze the smile on Qian Feng's face.
He let out two dry laughs and continued his incessant chatter: "The Grand Secretary has already prepared a humble feast at his manor, and all the prominent nobles in the Capital will be present, solely to welcome the General! The General must be weary from his journey, please..."
His words abruptly stopped.
Because the ground began to tremble slightly.
It was a very regular, heavy, and oppressive tremor, as if an ancient Vicious Beast was approaching with synchronized steps from the edge of the horizon, one step at a time.
Qian Feng looked back, startled and uncertain.
He saw a 隊 of figures in black robes and black armor slowly approaching in the distance on the official road.
There weren't many of them, no more than a hundred.
But each one exuded a chilling Aura that made people tremble with fear.
They wore black flying fish robes and carried narrow embroidered spring blades at their waists, moving silently, like a group of specters crawling out from the depths of the Nine Netherworlds.
Imperial Bodyguard!
Qian Feng's pupils suddenly constricted, and a chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!
The leader was a tall man with a sinister face, none other than Zhou Chun, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who had been released from the imperial prison by the Emperor and reinstated just a few days ago!
Why was this mad dog of the Emperor here?!
Zhou Chun's contingent did not pause for a moment.
They passed Qian Feng's carriage with an undeniable air, heading directly towards Qin Tian.
They were like a red-hot branding iron, forcefully wedging themselves between the civil officials' hypocritical pleasantries and the military general's silent standoff.
The "soft knife" of the civil officials and the "hard knife" of imperial power, at this moment, formed the most distinct confrontation before Qin Tian.
He became the center of the storm.
Qin Tian finally slowly lifted his eyes, watching the unfolding drama with interest.
Qian Feng, ignored by Zhou Chun in such a manner, immediately lost face.
Presuming upon Gu Bingqian's backing, he suppressed the fear in his heart and frowned, sternly questioning: "Commander Zhou! What is the meaning of this? Do you not see this official welcoming a distinguished guest for the Grand Secretary?!"
Zhou Chun seemed not to hear him.
His sinister eyes didn't even glance at Qian Feng, but remained fixed on Qin Tian, speaking in an icy, bone-chilling voice:
"Gu Bingqian has long since retired from office; where is this 'Grand Secretary' you speak of?"
He slowly turned to Qin Tian, his voice still cold, but with a hint of directness common among soldiers.
"General Qin, you must be weary from your journey. Your Majesty has prepared hot tea in the palace and summons you for an immediate audience."
At these words, Qian Feng trembled with rage, shrieking: "Presumptuous! Zhou Chun, you mere lackey, how dare you be so rude! There's always a first come, first served! General Qin was invited by the Grand Secretary..."
"His Majesty's decree is the rule!"
Zhou Chun suddenly turned his head, his eyes erupting with terrifying Killing Intent, like an enraged hungry wolf, locking onto Qian Feng!
"First come? Last served?"
He took a step forward, his entire Aura exploding, his voice turning into thunder!
"In My Dynasty, I make the rules! Do you, or Gu Bingqian behind you, have any objections?!"
"Clang—!!!"
A uniform, teeth-grinding metallic scrape suddenly rang out!
Behind Zhou Chun, nearly a hundred Imperial Bodyguards simultaneously placed their right hands on the hilts of their waist-worn blades!
The icy Killing Intent, like an invisible net, instantly enveloped Qian Feng and the few servants behind him!
Qian Feng felt a cold chill explode from his tailbone, instantly spreading through his limbs and bones!
His legs gave way, and he turned pale with fright, stumbling backward and falling onto the ground.
A gurgling sound came from his throat, and he could no longer utter a single word.
At this moment, Qin Tian's eyes burst forth with an incredibly intense interest!
What did he see?
He saw that this Young Emperor, rumored to be a Puppet, actually wielded such a sharp, such an overbearing blade!
This, more than Gu Bingqian's set of hypocritical pleasantries, resonated with him, the King of Soldiers!
Zhou Chun no longer paid attention to the useless man who had collapsed into a heap.
He turned back to Qin Tian, and on his cold face, for the first time, a hint of recognition, belonging to a kindred spirit, appeared.
"General Qin, Your Majesty is waiting for you."
"Will you drink the birthday wine from the Gu Family, which surely has countless hidden motives, or will you partake of the hot tea personally bestowed by His Majesty?"
"You, choose."
...Qin Tian ultimately chose the latter.
He had the three thousand Cang Lang armored cavalry encamp outside the city, bringing only a few personal guards, and followed Zhou Chun into this vast prison of power named "Forbidden City."
Along the way, he saw the towering palace walls and felt the suffocating majesty that hung in the air.
He was not taken to the Hall of Supreme Harmony for morning court, nor to the side halls for discussions.
Instead, he was led directly to the Emperor's sleeping quarters—the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
The palace doors were silently pushed open, and a rich scent of medicine wafted out.
Qin Tian frowned slightly and stepped into the hall.
Inside, the furnishings were simple, the light dim. A young man, dressed in a bright yellow everyday robe, stood with his back to him, in front of a large map.
The young man's figure was slender, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.
Hearing footsteps, he slowly turned around.
He Sui.
Qin Tian silently repeated the name, his gaze like a torch, scrutinizing the monarch of the Da Yue Dynasty before him.
【Oh, he's here, he's here.】
He Sui chuckled inwardly.
【Look at that gaze, that Aura, that stance, a textbook protagonist template for a King of Soldiers. He's definitely thinking, 'I only kneel to Heaven and my parents, not to a corrupt and incompetent Emperor,' and next he's probably going to try to intimidate me, to test the limits of my imperial capacity?】
【Too bad, I'm already tired of your script.】
"Qin Tian greets Your Majesty."
Qin Tian merely clasped his hands slightly, neither humble nor arrogant, and did not kneel.
As expected.
He Sui complained inwardly, but on his face, he showed a sickly, gentle smile.
"General Qin, rise."
He coughed lightly twice, as if the mere act of turning around had exhausted his strength.
"I know why you have come."
He Sui's first sentence caused all the arguments Qin Tian had prepared to get stuck in his throat.
"To seek justice for your brother, Zhang Hu."
He Sui's voice was not loud, but every word was clear, like a heavy hammer striking Qin Tian's heart.
"I also know that you believe I am a Puppet, and that the Gu Family is the Dominator of this Dynasty. Therefore, you want to see if I, this Emperor, am worthy of your loyalty unto death."
Qin Tian's pupils suddenly constricted, and a tempest raged in his heart!
All his thoughts had been seen through by this seemingly frail Young Emperor, with a single sentence!
He Sui didn't give him time to be shocked. He slowly walked to the desk, picked up a prepared scroll, and tossed it over.
"These are the charges against Zhang Cheng, the Vice Minister of Personnel."
"While you were still on the way, I had his home raided and uncovered all the evidence of his collusion with Gu Bingqian, his embezzlement of the northern border's military pay, and his framing of loyal officials."
"Your brother's injustice, I have already cleared."
He Sui paused, his gaze turning to the window, his voice becoming distant and cold.
"I also decreed that one million taels of the ill-gotten silver confiscated from Zhang Cheng's manor be urgently dispatched 800 li to the northern border."
He turned back, looking at Qin Tian, a sickly flush appearing on his face.
"The weather is getting cold."
"Tell those rascals down there to get thicker winter clothes and eat more meat."
"Don't you dare freeze to death on the frontier."
Boom—!!!
This combination of actions completely shattered Qin Tian's rock-solid heart!
He had considered countless possibilities.
He thought the Emperor would try to win him over, appease him, or make grand promises.
But he had never imagined that before he even reached the Capital, this seemingly powerless Emperor had already accomplished everything he wanted to do but couldn't, in the most direct and ruthless way!
What courage! What cunning!
Qin Tian no longer hesitated. With tears in his tiger-like eyes, he was about to kneel on one knee, perform the ritual of a subject to his Emperor, and offer his loyalty!
However, just as his knee was about to touch the ground.
A hand.
A seemingly weak, yet incredibly firm hand, gently held his arm, stopping his kneeling motion.
"No hurry."
He Sui had, at some unknown point, walked in front of him. The sickly paleness on his face had faded, replaced by a playful and profound smile.
In that instant, the Aura of weakness on him completely vanished!
In its place was an Emperor's majesty, profound and commanding, controlling everything!
Qin Tian's heart trembled violently. He suddenly looked up, meeting a pair of unfathomable eyes.
In those eyes, where was there any trace of weakness?
They were clearly like the inverted galaxy, holding the universe in their grasp!
He Sui's voice, not loud but each word like thunder, softly echoed in his ear:
"I know, Gu Bingqian is also waiting for you. His birthday banquet, I hear, will be very lively."
The smile on his lips deepened, carrying a cold, cruel amusement, as if watching a good show.
"I'll give you a chance."
"Go, attend the banquet. Go see what delicacies he has prepared for you, go listen to what golden words of advice he wishes to impart."
He Sui patted his shoulder, an action less like an Emperor to a subject, and more like a powerful person's appreciation and test of another powerful person.
"I've heard it said, 'knowing there's a tiger in the mountain, yet still heading towards the tiger's lair.' I want to see, General Qin, if you are a hero who slays the tiger, or a fool devoured by it."
As he spoke, he turned and picked up a prepared, foot-square box made of rosewood from the desk.
The box was unadorned, yet heavy.
He Sui handed the wooden box to Qin Tian.
"And, take this box with you."
He Sui's voice, carrying a cold and domineering smile, echoed in the empty Hall of Mental Cultivation.
"His 'sincerity,' and My 'rules'..."
"Which one do you prefer?"