2.

During the 17th year of the Qin Dynasty, the Qin Emperor accept the suggestion of his chancellor, Song Lanting, to weaken the vassal states. He first removed one county of the South Sea from King Cheng for violating Qin's funeral rituals, and then stripped six counties from King Wu for privately selling official positions, causing all the vassal lords to feel insecure.

Prince Liang conspired with the other vassal lords and launched a rebellion under the pretext of "executing Lanting and purging the court." The southern vassal lords ganging up on their forces and attacked the capital, shocking the entire nation.

On the throne in the great hall, the Qin Emperor showed no signs of panic, smiling as he asked the straight-standing man in green robes beside him.

"My minister, what should I do when they demand that I hand you over?"

Song Lanting bowed, "I am willing to die for His Majesty."

The Qin Emperor gently tapped the armrest of his throne, his tone calm, "There's no need for you to die. These traitorous ministers dare to set foot in the palace, and they won't need to leave alive."

Liang Wang stepped into the hall, his eyes bulging with a hatred that seemed to want to skin Song Lanting alive. Who would want to start a rebellion unless they were pushed by this cunning chancellor?

It was well-known that Song Lanting had excelled in the imperial exams at a young age, possessing great talent, and was favored by the emperor, who appointed him as chancellor. He was known as "resourceful and wise." Since becoming chancellor, the national treasury had overflowed, and the emperor's position was stable. The emperor treasured him dearly. He was modest, honest, and upright, and no one had ever been able to impeach him for favoritism. If he had been a military official, the emperor might have been cautious about his high achievements, but as a civil official, he was even more favored.

Throughout the country, perhaps the only one who didn't look up to him was that person.

Thinking of that person, Liang Wang shuddered. He dared not delay any longer, and immediately ordered that Song Lanting be arrested. The emperor watched this scene with a smile, showing no signs of being under a coup.

Song Lanting, held by Liang Wang, turned his head to look at the cold blade at his neck without fear and asked him, "Prince, do you know the severity of the crime of treason?"

Liang Wang gritted his teeth, "If it weren't for you, this treacherous minister, stirring up discord between us, the emperor wouldn't have ordered to weaken our territories!"

He shrugged, adopting an innocent expression, "I was only doing my duty. Don't you want the country to be rich and the people to be safe, or is Your Highness inherently rebellious, unable to bear seeing the Qin Dynasty prospering day by day?"

Liang Wang was so angry he was about to swing his刀 and kill him, when suddenly a commotion came from the entrance of the palace. He heard the sounds of horses neighing in the chaos, like stepping on drums, each step resonating with a awe-inspiring force.

A long spear of cold iron pierced through the night and straight through his chest, and he abruptly fell to his knees, unable to believe he had been killed so easily.

A horse with a black mane leaped into the palace, and someone dismounted, clad in pitch-black iron armor that was terrifying to behold. She pulled the spear from his body, and blood splattered on her face, making her look like a fearsome demon. The remaining rebels were pierced through like sugarcube skewers on her long spear.

All around, silence reigned.

She returned from the border, her body still covered in a layer of sand and dust, her face slightly pale, her eyebrows faint, but her eyes held a murderous gaze that was unsettling to meet.

She bowed to the emperor, her voice deep and hoarse, "Your Majesty, I have arrived late to protect the throne. Please punish me."

The emperor laughed, "You are not late, my minister, returning from the border. How many men did you bring with you to quell the rebellion?"

She stood up, her black hair fluttering near her lips, "Three thousand iron-clad riders."

The emperor sighed, "With only three thousand riders, you have defeated an army of thirty thousand rebels. You are truly the mightiest general of the Qin Dynasty."

These vassal lords were full of schemes, and it was hard to capture them in a frontal battle. The emperor had thought of this strategy, to let them into the palace and wipe them out at once.

The vassal lords' army had been tied up by the empire's main forces, but they had not counted on her, guarding the Yanmen Pass, who could have imagined that she would be able to defeat the rebels with only three thousand troops.

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Song Lanting had been injured by Liang Wang, bleeding profusely. She cast a glance at him and said to her guards, "Go check if he's dead yet."

Song Lanting coughed, holding his wound and sitting up, "General Ye is always brave, but Liang Wang is imperial kin. Shouldn't you consult His Majesty before killing him?"

She looked down on him with disdain, "Books are useless, full of empty words. rebels should die."

Song Lanting snorted, his voice turning cold, "Whether they should die is for the emperor to decide, not you."

She was wiping the blood off her long spear when she heard this, and her eyes flashed with a cold fury. With a kick, she sent Song Lanting, who had been stabbed but was unhurt, flying unconscious.

The emperor hurriedly called out to stop her, afraid she might kill Song Ling. These two, one a scholar and one a warrior, were the pillars of the Qin Dynasty, yet they had never seen eye to eye since they were children, with their differences growing with age. Their meetings always ended with Song Lanting being knocked unconscious, causing much sympathy.

The Ye family had guarded the Yanmen Pass for generations and had no mansion in the capital. When Ye Xiao was young and seriously ill, she was sent back to the capital for diagnosis by the imperial physician. She then spent a year recuperating at the Song family's house, where she and Song Lanting became enemies. It was said that on the day she left the Song family, Song Lanting set off fireworks to celebrate her departure.

Years later, when the Northern Di tribe launched a surprise attack on the Shanyuguan with an army of twenty thousand, the Qin Dynasty urgently gathered its forces to counterattack. Unexpectedly, a month later, the Western Rong tribe, in league with the remaining forces of the Northern Di, launched another surprise attack on the Yanmen Pass. The Ye family fought valiantly, but reinforcements failed to arrive in time. At fifteen, Ye Xiao led a thousand iron-clad riders to break through the encirclement and fetch the reinforcements, only to find that they had been blocked by a landslide in the valley and were unable to proceed. In anger, Ye Xiao beheaded the commanding officer and led the reinforcements around to return to the pass, only to find that the Western Rong had broken through the defenses. The Ye family was wiped out, and Ye Xiao, the sole survivor, took up the burden, reorganized the army, and retook the pass with a bloody struggle.

None of the Ye family were cowards, and her iron-fisted methods were terrifying. The Northern Di and Western Rong tribes were routed by her, and they dared not raid again.

She was known as the Night Owl, not valuing her own life or anyone else's. Under her training, the soldiers of the Yanmen Pass were the bravest in the Qin Dynasty.

Seven years ago, the Prime Minister Pei Zhong was exposed for betraying the country and collaborating with the Western Rong tribe. It was revealed that during the Western Rong tribe's attack on the Yanmen Pass, the general in charge of the reinforcements had been instructed by Pei Zhong to lead the troops into a pre-set ambush in the valley, leading to the extermination of the Ye family. Ye Xiao rushed to the capital at night and personally killed Pei Zhong with his own hands.

Pei Zhong's only daughter, Pei Yan, was engaged to Song Lanting at the time. Song Lanting pleaded for her, and the emperor spared her the death penalty, sentencing her to exile instead. However, Ye Xiao disobeyed the order and caught up with the exiled convoy, beheading Pei Yan. From then on, Ye Xiao and Song Lanting were sworn enemies. The emperor punished her by deducting three years of her salary and giving her one hundred strokes of the cane.

Since then, Ye Xiao had never returned to the capital.

This time, when she returned to the capital to quell the rebellion, the emperor granted her a month of leave. Many ministers wanted to invite her to their homes, but were also afraid of not treating her properly and being slapped to death by her. Song Lanting gave a cunning smile, his long eyes narrowing slightly, revealing that he was up to no good.

He stepped forward, bowing and speaking loudly, "Your Majesty, I suggest that we might as well keep General Ye for a longer while, and find a side hall in the palace for her."

Everyone exchanged glances, quite surprised. He and Ye Xiao had a deep hatred, and he wished for Ye Xiao never to return to the capital. Why was he now suggesting the opposite?

Where there is an abnormality, there must be a devil. Ye Xiao was irritably arranging the official robes that she found very uncomfortable to wear, and her eyes turned into blades as she glared at him. He met her gaze without any fear in his eyes.

"Some time ago, Your Majesty was looking for a martial arts teacher for the Fourth Prince. With General Ye's return to the capital, she would be the best candidate."

Ye Xiao's expression was cold with anger, "A mere warrior dares not teach the prince, and moreover, the Yanmen Pass cannot be without a commander. One month is already the limit; how can she stay any longer?"

He smiled warmly, his tall and slender figure imposing, but his smile seemed to hold a hint of mischief.

"General Ye's dedication to the border is truly admirable, but the Yanmen Pass is not just defended by you alone, and it is not just you, Ye Xiao, who can protect it."

He was still smiling, but his voice turned cold, and Ye Xiao's eyes flared with anger.

"The Ye family has guarded the Yanmen Pass for generations. Countless ancestors are buried there, and that is the root of the Ye family."

The hall fell silent, and Song Lanting chuckled softly. His words, though leisurely spoken, were like sharp blades, pushing people to the edge.

"General Ye, I hope you understand that the Yanmen Pass belongs to the Qin Dynasty, not the Ye family. What you are defending is not the Yanmen Pass, but the Emperor."

This was the real him!

By the time she stopped, Song Lanting had been knocked unconscious, and she used her sleeve to wipe the blood from her knuckles, her voice cold, "Your Majesty, I couldn't help myself; please forgive me."

The emperor sighed, knowing that he couldn't have her punished. He waved his hand and dismissed the court, but he said to her, "You excel in martial arts, and the Fourth Prince has repeatedly expressed his admiration for you. Let's follow Song Lanting's suggestion and have you stay for a while longer."

Her eyebrows furrowed, and her voice turned bitter, "I shall obey Your Majesty's command."