Chapter 230

The aftermath of the great victory in the northern borders has not yet fully subsided; after a brief celebration, Bianliangcheng seems to have returned to its usual rhythm.

But beneath this seemingly calm surface, undercurrents surge with unprecedented speed.

At the Inspection Bureau office of Marquis Jing'an Qian Gui, the lights burn all night.

Encrypted intelligence pours in from various channels like snowflakes, and after professional personnel screen, compare, and analyze it, a shocking conclusion is finally distilled.

Qian Gui stands grim-faced before the huge map, his eyes locked on the several areas newly marked in deep red.

"Liu Yanzuo's troops from Hebei have already crossed the Jie Bridge the day before; though they have not raised any banners, their spearhead points straight at our Chan Prefecture, intending to pin down any forces His Majesty might send to reinforce."

"On the Northern Han side, the assembled troops have also begun moving toward the border, forming a standoff with the forces of Generals Han Tong and Zhang Yongde."

"And here..."

His finger points to a spot outside Bianliangcheng, in the metropolitan region.

"Based on the earlier secret report from Minister Wang Zhongcheng, we have closely monitored the farm household of Zhao Si in Xiangfu County."

"We have found that his recent activities have been abnormal, frequently contacting an old peddler."

"And that peddler… by following the vine we confirmed he is a low‑level spy responsible for transmitting information for the outskirts of the Iron Crow Army!"

"The content of their transmissions has not yet been fully deciphered, but the words 'opportunity', 'chaos', and 'thunder' repeatedly appear."

The deputy whispered beside him;

"My lord, judging from all the intelligence, the Iron Crow Army appears to be plotting a full‑scale counterattack advancing on multiple fronts."

"Hebei and Northern Han are the overt diversions, while the true killing blow..."

His gaze also turned toward Bianliangcheng and the official road leading to the northern borders.

"It is likely hidden right under our noses."

Qian Gui's eyes flashed with a cold light.

"His Majesty's battle in the northern borders hurt them and drove them to desperation."

"They want 'chaos', they want to create a smoke screen thick enough to conceal a 'thunder‑strike'."

"Convey my orders!"

His voice suddenly turned stern.

"Within Bianliangcheng, all known and suspected Iron Crow Army strongholds and associated personnel are to be placed under round‑the‑clock surveillance, but without my order no one may act, lest we startle the snake."

"Triple the personnel to tightly guard every gate of the palace, all important offices, and the residences of senior officials, especially those of Chancellor Zhang and Mister Wang!"

"Notify Generals Han Tong and Zhang Yongde to strengthen the city defenses and night patrols, but internally announce it only as routine vigilance, so as not to cause panic."

"Furthermore..."

He paused, then took out a peculiarly shaped bronze talisman and handed it to his confidant.

"Activate the 'Dark Blade' team, slip out of the city secretly, and conduct reverse reconnaissance along both sides of the road His Majesty might take on his return, searching for any suspicious signs."

"I suspect their true target has always been His Majesty!"

"They have failed in the northern borders, but on the road of His Majesty's triumphant return, perhaps it is their last—and best—opportunity!"

Almost at the same moment Qian Gui issued his orders.

Beneath what appears to be an ordinary civilian house inside Bianliangcheng, dim candlelight illuminates several expressionless faces.

These are exactly the few who had been discussing in the secret chamber earlier.

The leader, as before, is the one whose voice is cold as metal scraping.

"The failure in the northern borders proves that the target's danger far exceeds our estimates."

"He has mastered a method to restrain the power of the holy crystal."

"Conventional assassination attempts have an extremely low success rate against him."

"We must create an absolute opportunity."

He unfolded a rough sketch showing part of the terrain outside Bianliangcheng and the official road.

"According to the limited information from the 'Cold Crow' and our analysis of the target's character, after securing a decisive victory in the northern borders he will not linger long; it is likely that in the near future he will lead a portion of his elite troops back to Bian Liang first."

"This is our last chance."

He pointed to a spot on the sketch—a stretch of slightly undulating ground where the official road passes through a thin woodland, about a day's horse ride from Bian Liang.

"Right here, the 'Bee Swarm' will launch the first wave of attack."

"But it is not aimed at the target himself."

"That would be suicide."

"The target of the first wave is the accompanying civil officials, the ceremonial guard, and some non‑core bodyguards."

"The purpose is to create maximum chaos and panic, drawing away and scattering the elite forces guarding the target."

His icy gaze swept over the others.

"And the true killing blow will be carried out personally by the remnants of our 'Hidden Shade'."

"We have obtained three 'Annihilation Thunder' devices through special channels."

He carefully took a dark wooden box from his bosom; opening it revealed three crystals the size of pigeon eggs, emanating an ominous azure glow, their surfaces covered in strange markings.

"These are made by extreme compression of high‑purity holy crystal; they are highly unstable, and once triggered at a specific frequency they release a destructive energy storm covering a ten‑pace radius, enough to rend any flesh and blood."

"The price is… the activator cannot survive either."

His voice showed no tremor.

"We need three martyrs to carry the Annihilation Thunder and approach the target amid the chaos."

"At any cost, they must enter the ten‑pace radius and then… detonate."

"The rest are responsible for clearing obstacles for the martyrs and creating a path of approach."

"Do you understand?"

The secret chamber fell into dead silence, only the candlelight flickering.

A moment later, three figures stepped out in silence, bowed to receive the order, their faces devoid of any emotion, as if they were merely carrying out an insignificant task.

Very good.

The leader closed the wooden box.

Notify Zhao Si, have him figure out a way to tie a red cloth on the old locust tree at the village entrance the day before the operation, as a confirmation signal.

The operation time is set for the second night after the signal appears.

For the master's glory, to eliminate variables, for…… the world's 'correctness'.

His words carried a kind of near‑mad devotion.

Two days later.

In the northern frontier, Chen Wen's temporary camp.

The northern front stalled after Yelü Taliè's vanguard suffered heavy losses, and the Khitan became cautious.

Chen Wen understood that haste makes waste; after readjusting the border defenses and leaving Shi Dun in charge of the overall situation, he decided to take part of his personal guards and civil officials back to Bian Liang first.

The capital had just been established, with many affairs awaiting attention, requiring his personal decision.

Your Majesty, scouts have been stationed along the route; the army will set out at dawn tomorrow.

The commander of the guard reported.

Chen Wen nodded, gazing toward Bian Liang; his heart held little triumphant joy, only an inexplicable heaviness.

The Fortune Momentum vortex remained heavy, yet its edge seemed always wrapped in a faint, barely perceptible gloom.

He believed this was not an illusion.

The Iron Crow Army would not let it rest.

Pass the order: tomorrow's march will strengthen vigilance, especially at night.

Order the scouts to expand their reconnaissance range by another ten li.

Guard against surprise attacks.

I obey your command!

That same afternoon.

Xiangfu County, Li Family Village.

Peasant Zhao Si shouldered his hoe and returned from the field as usual.

【86> He seemingly unintentionally walked to the old locust tree at the village entrance, glanced left and right, then quickly tied a wrinkled red cloth strip onto a low branch.

He seemed to walk unintentionally to the old locust tree at the village entrance, glanced left and right, and quickly tied a wrinkled red cloth strip onto a low branch.

His hand trembled slightly, his eyes filled with fear, but more so with the numbness of coercion.

Having done all this, he seemed drained of strength, hunched his back, and hurried away.

He did not know exactly what the red cloth signified, only that if he did not comply, his missing cousin's family would likely meet dire fate.

However, he did not notice that in the shrubs on the distant hillside, a monocular telescope was observing his every move with perfect clarity.

The target has sent the signal.

The observer whispered to his companion while quickly noting it down on a slip of paper.

Send word back to Bian Liang at once, report to the marquis!

The fish is about to bite the hook.

Night fell gradually, swallowing mountains, rivers, cities, and villages alike.

The cold wind howled, stirring dead branches, emitting a sound like ghostly whispers.

A deadly assassination aimed at the Great Chen emperor, at the heart of this fledgling dynasty, had already spread its black net, lying in wait for its prey.

In the darkness, killing intent lurked everywhere.