TNIBFT -Chapter 293 Keep a Low Profile

The size of that seal, the inscription on it, even the material—

Wasn’t it the legendary imperial jade seal of the sovereign?

Her?

And those black-armored figures beside her… they had to be the Empress’s personal Black Armor Guard!

Lying prostrate on the ground, Lin Xianzhong trembled like chaff in a sieve, his back already drenched in cold sweat.

Inside the tent—

No one spoke. The oppressive atmosphere made it hard for Lin Xianzhong to even breathe.

He cautiously raised his head and saw a pair of exquisite war boots before him. Not far away, a silver spear rested on a weapon rack. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead and dripped onto the ground.

He was certain—

The person before him was the Great Zhou Empress, Qin Fengyi!

The God of War of Great Zhou!

What virtue or ability did he, Lin Xianzhong, possess to earn the Empress’s attention?

His thoughts raced wildly. In just a short moment of kneeling there, he had already imagined countless possibilities.

“Passing off the fake as real.”

A cold voice rang out. Lin Xianzhong slightly raised his head and saw the Empress toss the edict to a trusted subordinate before continuing:

“This is the first time our people have discovered it. But who can guarantee—is this the first time, or the last?”

“The authority of the Son of Heaven is being exploited by treacherous officials!”

Nanfeng said, “We must follow the trail and find out who they really are.”

“And what exactly they intend to do.”

As the two spoke, Lin Xianzhong didn’t dare interrupt. He remained kneeling for a long while before someone above him asked:

“Besides the edict, was there anything else?”

“Or who delivered it?”

“Oh—it was a eunuch!” Lin Xianzhong quickly answered, showing complete submission. He looked at Qin Fengyi with reverence and added:

“I am utterly loyal to Your Majesty! Even if it means mountains of blades or seas of fire, the moment Your Majesty issues a decree, I, Lin Xianzhong, will give my life without hesitation!”

Nanfeng glanced at Qin Fengyi.

Qin Fengyi said coldly, “That edict is fake.”

“After you take Sifang City, what will you gain? Will your Lindong City still belong to you? When you return in triumph—what do you think will be waiting for you?”

After speaking, Qin Fengyi stood and walked out of the tent.

Nanfeng looked at Lin Xianzhong, who was still kneeling on the ground in a daze, and said quietly:

“My master is currently inside Sifang City.”

“City Lord Lin… you should be a smart man.”

Lin Xianzhong froze. He quickly looked up at Nanfeng, but Nanfeng only smiled, said nothing more, and turned to leave the tent.

The moment that woman stepped out, the suffocating pressure inside the tent vanished instantly.

Lin Xianzhong looked around. There were still others inside—men dressed in cavalry gear, their gazes cold and emotionless, as if devoid of humanity. He didn’t dare ask questions and could only stumble his way out.

At this moment—

The night was pitch-black, and a cold wind howled.

No one restrained him, nor did anyone follow him. Lin Xianzhong found his warhorse, then turned back for one last glance at the camp. Seeing the emblem on the tent, he already had his answer.

He didn’t even know how he made it back. By the time he rejoined the main force, several deputy generals immediately surrounded him.

“General, thank heavens you’re alright!”

“Those people earlier didn’t seem to be trying to kill us. After separating you from the main force, they just disappeared!”

“Yeah—what exactly is Ye Tian trying to do?”

“Is he just toying with us?”

The crowd was filled with righteous indignation, but Lin Xianzhong said nothing more. With a heavy heart and a low voice, he ordered, “Set up camp and rest on the spot!”

After speaking, he left everyone behind and entered his tent alone.

The Empress is also in Sifang City?

If the imperial edict was fake, then attacking Sifang City was not the Empress’s command at all!

Being told to attack Sifang City—and even to bypass other cities along the way—had puzzled him from the start. He had thought it might be a test from the Empress. After all, Lin Xianzhong’s origins were unusual; he was not originally from the Great Zhou, and holding military power naturally made others wary. But now it seemed he had been framed.

“General, are you inside?”

A familiar female voice came from outside the tent, interrupting his thoughts.

Lin Xianzhong turned around, his eyes shifting slightly as he asked, “Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

After speaking, Jiang Yunxi lifted the curtain and walked straight into the tent. A glint flashed in Lin Xianzhong’s eyes, but his tone remained as usual. “What do you want?”

“Nothing important. Don’t bother me.”

Jiang Yunxi cast him a disdainful look. She had thought that with sixty thousand troops, killing Ye Tian would be effortless. Who would have expected this fool to be so incompetent? With an army of sixty thousand, they hadn’t even managed to climb the city walls before being beaten into a retreat.

“General, you’re a military man, and you were attacking Sifang City. Now you’ve retreated in such disgrace—won’t your superiors punish you?”

“And won’t others laugh at you?”

“I think in recent years, only your army of sixty thousand has failed to defeat ten thousand defenders in Sifang City,” Jiang Yunxi mocked.

Lin Xianzhong’s face flushed red with anger. He suddenly turned, grabbed Jiang Yunxi by the throat, and said, “Don’t think that just because you resemble my wife a little, I won’t kill you.”

“Really?” Jiang Yunxi sneered. “You even killed your own wife—why would you spare a fake? The only reason you won’t kill me is because I know about the Empress’s edict.”

“Because I am someone sent by Her Majesty?” Jiang Yunxi spoke confidently. She was certain that Lin Xianzhong, with no background in the Great Zhou, would never dare offend the Empress.

A trace of amusement flickered in Lin Xianzhong’s eyes.

He stared at Jiang Yunxi with a smile. “Oh? Then tell me—how did you come to know about this edict?”

“If it’s truly a secret order from the Empress, then in all of Great Zhou, only I should know about it. Or are you simply a spy?”

His fingers tightened. Jiang Yunxi’s face turned red from suffocation. Clutching his hand, she forced out, “Because… I also have an edict!”

“Her Majesty ordered me to assist you in attacking the city. Let go of me!”

“Is that so?”

Lin Xianzhong questioned her, but slowly loosened his grip.

Just as Jiang Yunxi had expected.

She smugly turned and sat in the main seat, her attitude arrogant. “From now on, you listen to me!”

“The thing Ye Tian used today is called a cannon. According to the townspeople, it requires ammunition to function. Tonight, send people to destroy the gunpowder. Tomorrow, when we attack again, let’s see how Ye Tian resists!”

A cannon?

It was the first time Lin Xianzhong had heard of such a thing.

Seeing that he still hadn’t acted, Jiang Yunxi immediately scolded him, “Didn’t you hear what I said?”

“If you delay Her Majesty’s plans, how many heads do you think you have to lose?”

Lin Xianzhong clasped his hands and lowered his head. Jiang Yunxi sneered—so what if he was a city lord of Great Zhou? He was still just a pawn in her hands.

The next second—

A cold, gleaming sword pierced straight into Jiang Yunxi’s chest.

The intense pain dulled her reaction. She frowned and looked at Lin Xianzhong. “You… why?”

Lin Xianzhong withdrew the sword. Blood dripped from its tip, falling to the ground drop by drop.

He sneered. “I’ve tolerated you for a long time.”

“You really think you’re some living Zhuge Liang? Girl, I advise you—keep a low profile!”

“I am… sent by the Empress…” Jiang Yunxi clutched her chest as blood seeped through her fingers. With every word, more blood spilled from her lips. Her face twisted in pain.

Lin Xianzhong said coldly, “Do you know who I just met?”