Chapter 249 Night Raid

Shen Jue raised an eyebrow with evident interest, the smile at the corner of his lips deepening.

“Use force against force, strike the ox from across the mountain.”

“If the Empress Dowager wants to use Shen Jue and Lu Yan as her tools, why can’t we use the young emperor as ours?”

Su Hewan said, “In the current state of the court, the new emperor is still a child, and his foundation is extremely unstable.”

“On the imperial stage, the Empress Dowager controls the court. All the factions are ambitious, watching closely for any opportunity.”

“The young emperor dreams of seizing real power into his own hands!”

She looked around at the former dynasty’s remnants, who were gradually recovering from their shock.

“And Zhennan Wang Xiao Zhengnan is the Empress Dowager’s greatest local stronghold!”

“He commands his troops with considerable autonomy, and over the years he’s committed countless acts of tyranny that have enraged the people. He even secretly colluded with Zhao Xie, preying upon the commoners.”

Su Hewan pointed at the wooden box with a decisive gesture.

“These ledgers are irrefutable proof of Zhennan Wang’s treason!”

“What do you think the young emperor will do when he sees these?”

Qin Feng swallowed hard. “The emperor… will seize the opportunity to act?”

“Yes!”

“From my understanding of the minds of emperors throughout history, the young emperor will not let such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip away.”

“He will, under the pretense of thoroughly investigating Zhao Xie’s case, legitimately swing the executioner’s sword at Zhennan Wang!”

“At those corrupt officials who climbed over the corpses of your Great Yan dynasty’s royalty to gain power!”

“Military strategy says: the best is to attack the enemy’s plan, next the enemy’s alliances, then the enemy’s forces, and the worst is to attack their fortresses.”

Su Hewan smiled and continued, “You want to take the dumbest path—attacking the fortress—to seek revenge, risking the lives of everyone in the Ten-Thousand Mountains.”

“But I’ve chosen the supreme path—attacking the plan!”

She fixed her gaze on Lin Shu and Qin Feng, her eyes flickering with light.

“Without deploying a single soldier, I can stir up a storm of blood and chaos in the Great Wei court.”

“Let the emperor himself issue the decree to punish your enemies!”

“Let those executioners who once stood high above others fall to the blades of their own kind, turning on one another!”

“This is my explanation to you, and also the greatest concession I can make.”

Su Hewan drew a deep breath, her tone terrifyingly calm.

“I guarantee these pieces of evidence will reach the young emperor’s desk intact.”

“He will be more than willing to use this pretext to purge the disobedient ministers!”

“Let your enemies devour each other—wouldn’t that be far more satisfying than you dying for them?”

Silence returned to the bamboo tower.

Deadly silence descended once again.

Qin Feng stared blankly at the seemingly fragile girl before him, who was in truth manipulating the hearts of everyone in the realm!

Such profound cunning and methods!

This was clearly the bearing of a princess of the realm!

Yu Qing beside him listened with wide eyes, unable to stop her mind from screaming in excitement.

“Ahhhh! Wanwan has gone full ruthless! This is the script a true female lead deserves!”

“Even capitalists would shed tears of shame listening to this!”

Lu Yan forced back the impulse to rub his forehead, but the corners of his mouth rose uncontrollably!

This Su Hewan continuously shattered all his prior understanding.

No bloodshed, yet achieving victory through borrowed blades.

Her methods were even darker than those of their Jinyiwei!

As for Shen Jue, his seductive phoenix-like eyes now brimmed with unmasked fascination.

He could not help but let out a soft laugh, the sound ringing unusually clear in the quiet bamboo tower.

“A true attack on the enemy’s plan, letting enemies devour each other.”

With a snap, Shen Jue closed his folding fan, gently lifting a stray lock of Su Hewan’s hair by the fan’s bone, his voice low and alluring.

“Wanwan’s strategy has truly won my heart.”

He turned his gaze sharply toward the kneeling Xunlong Guard.

“I can personally guarantee that what’s inside this box will not only appear in the emperor’s Dragon Case,”

“My Eastern Depot will also covertly stir things from the shadows, ensuring Zhennan Wang’s nine clans meet their demise—none shall escape.”

Lu Yan, unwilling to fall behind, snorted coldly, delivering the final blow.

“The Jinyiwei’s imperial prisons will provide them with the most spacious accommodations.”

The two deadly enforcers had both spoken.

This effectively placed the highest double-layered insurance on Su Hewan’s plan to use the young emperor as a weapon against her enemies.

Qin Feng and Lin Shu exchanged glances.

They could never have imagined that the decades-long deadlock of restoring the kingdom could be broken in such a strange yet incredibly effective way!

“Alright, mission accomplished, crisis averted. No objections, right?”

“Now… we can finally study that roast chicken, right?”

Shen Jue and Lu Yan exchanged a look across the room.

At this moment, the two arch-enemies, who wielded immense power across the court, found themselves—against all odds—seeing a trace of helpless amusement in each other’s eyes.

Yet, that roast chicken, Yu Qing still could not eat in peace.

Suddenly, an extremely sharp whistling sound tore through the air!

Then came a second, a third!

Countless cold arrows, burning with eerie green flames, rained down like a dense meteor shower, sweeping toward the bamboo tower!

“Protect Your Highness!”

Qin Feng’s eyes widened in rage. He drew his sword and roared, his voice echoing across the night sky.

The attack came too quickly for anyone to react.

The Xunlong Guard, still immersed in their plot to “kill with borrowed power,” were instantly awakened by this sudden murderous intent.

The bamboo floorboards were pierced effortlessly by the sharp arrows, splinters flying everywhere!

A few poisoned feathered arrows grazed Yu Qing’s scalp, embedding themselves firmly into the pillars behind her.

The arrow tails quivered violently.

“Ah!”

Terrified, Yu Qing hugged her head and crouched down sharply.

【Help! How can eating a late-night snack in ancient times be so deadly?!】

【I thought the mission was done?! Who the hell is sending people to die now?!】

Lu Yan, hearing the ear-piercing screams in his mind, furrowed his brows. His gaze instantly turned as cold and sharp as a blade.

His embroidered spring knife drew from its sheath, slicing through the air in a deadly arc.

With a single kick, he overturned the heavy wooden table in front of him, using it as a shield for Yu Qing.

“Stay put!”

His voice was icy, his knife moving so fast it was hard to see the blade, cutting down every fire arrow aimed their way.

On the other side, Shen Jue pulled Su Hewan’s body into his embrace with a sudden motion.

【Could it be the Zhen’nan King’s men? They arrived fast!】

Listening to the person in his arms calmly analyzing the situation even in the face of death, Shen Jue let out a low, dark chuckle.

He waved the white jade bone fan in his hand violently!

Silently counterattacking into the darkness outside!

“Wanwan, go hide!” He pushed Su Hewan beside Yu Qing.

The rickety wooden door of the bamboo tower was shattered by a massive force!

A dozen black-masked warriors, each wielding a knife, charged out from the smoke.

They ignored everyone else, their target crystal clear: the purple sandalwood box on the table containing the evidence!

“Their target is the ledger! Stop them!”

Qin Feng roared and led the Xunlong Guard forward.

Swords and blades clashed, sparks flying.

The bamboo tower, already cramped, instantly became a brutal battlefield.

Blood sprayed, staining the trembling bamboo and wooden structures red.

Although the Xunlong Guard were skilled, they were unprepared and pressured by the fire, quickly falling behind.

Just as a black-clad warrior’s blade was about to touch the box!

“Do you even dare touch what belongs to this commander?”

Shen Jue’s soft, sinister voice exploded in the warrior’s ear.

The next second, a flash of red streaked past.

The warrior stiffened and fell straight down in disbelief!

Shen Jue’s long fingers gently pinched the fan; not a drop of blood touched the jade.

“Commander Lu, if your Jinyiwei sword has rusted, you might as well step aside for me.”

Shen Jue cast a casual, provocative glance at Lu Yan.

Lu Yan snorted coldly, his eyes boiling with murderous intent.

“Eunuchs are still eunuchs, talking too much nonsense!”

In barely half a teacup’s time, the shouting and killing inside the bamboo tower gradually subsided.

The fire was finally extinguished, thanks to the Xunlong Guard who had reacted in time.