After crossing, I surrounded the capital from the countryside

With the fall of the last bandit, the battle on Qingfeng Mountain finally ended.

"Each team should organize the number of people! Those who are injured should use the medicine in their hands!" Xu Qingqing shouted loudly while looking at the rebels around her.

"Yes!" Each team leader began to count the number of people in his team.

The uninjured people came forward to help bandage the injured.

When the first ray of morning light penetrated the mist and shone on Qingfeng Mountain, the insurgents led by Xu Qingqing looked at the mess on the ground and the corpses of the bandits, their hearts filled with a sense of accomplishment.

Xu Qingqing stood on a high place, looking at the land in front of her that had been washed by blood. In her heart she felt both the joy of victory and deep mourning for the sacrificed soldiers.

She turned around and glanced at the tired but determined rebel soldiers around her. Some of them had scars on their faces, and some were already in tatters due to bandages, but their eyes were shining with an eternal light, which was hope for the future.

"Brothers, we won!" Although Xu Qingqing's voice was not loud, it was full of power. It was like a warm current that instantly warmed the hearts of every soldier.

"We have brought peace and tranquility to this land with our own hands. We are worthy of this land and ourselves!"

The soldiers raised their weapons one after another, and cheers and shouts echoed throughout the valley. The victory at this moment was not only the annihilation of the bandits, but also the affirmation of their own beliefs and courage.

Later, under the leadership of Xu Qingqing, the rebels set out on their journey home. They followed the winding mountain road and moved step by step towards the city. Although they were physically exhausted, their hearts were full of hope and strength.

Because they knew that in the city, there were more people waiting for their return, and more people were looking forward to the news of their victory.

When the midday sun broke through the clouds and shone on the rebels, they finally arrived outside the city gate.

The city gate slowly opened, and as the rebels gradually approached the city gate, the people in the city could no longer contain their excitement and flocked to the streets, looking forward to witnessing the return of the heroes with their own eyes.

"Have you heard? General Xu led his men to wipe out all the bandits in Qingfeng Mountain!" an old man said excitedly, pulling the young man next to him.

"Really? That's great! Those bandits did all kinds of evil and caused so many of our families to be broken up and killed!" The young man responded excitedly, clenching his fists as if he had also taken part in the battle.

"Yes, the rebels are really our benefactors!" said a middle-aged woman while wiping tears from the corners of her eyes.

Children were running around and playing among the crowd. They might not fully understand the significance of this battle, but their joy and excitement were real and pure.

They clapped their hands and shouted: "Rebels! General Xu!"

When the rebels finally appeared at the city gate, cheers and applause reached a climax in an instant. People rushed forward, some handed over water and food, and some tightly shook the soldiers' hands, expressing their most sincere gratitude and respect.

"You have worked hard! Thank you! Thank you!" An old woman walked up to Xu Qingqing tremblingly and said with tears in her eyes.

The nearest soldier quickly stepped forward to support the old woman, and responded gently: "Old lady, this is what we should do. As long as everyone can live and work in peace, all our efforts are worth it. We are the rebels for the people of the world, right?"

After hearing this, the people around nodded in agreement, their faces filled with happy and relaxed smiles.

At this moment, whether it was the high-ranking generals or the ordinary people, they were all closely connected by a force called "unity".

Xu Qingqing stood on the city wall, looking at the celebrating crowd below, with immense pride and satisfaction surging in her heart.

She knows that the peace and tranquility of this moment is hard-won and it is the result of the hard work and sweat of countless people. But she also believes that as long as people have justice in their hearts and the courage to fight, nothing can stop them from moving forward.

As night fell, the candlelight flickered in Xu Qingqing's study, illuminating her furrowed brows and thoughtful face. On the table was a newly delivered secret letter, and the familiar Shadow Pavilion logo on the envelope was particularly dazzling under the dim light.

She slowly opened the envelope and read the contents carefully. The letter was cryptic but revealed information that could not be ignored - Prince An Zhou Shiyuan, the prince who had been living an idle life, actually wanted to cooperate with her rebel army to overthrow the rule of the current emperor Zhou Shijie.

Xu Qingqing tapped her fingers on the table and thought with confidence.

Based on some recent rumors, Prince An Zhou Shiyuan should know that the last time his life was in danger was because of the person on the dragon throne.

It is reasonable for him to seek cooperation with her now. After all, if there is one assassination attempt, there will be countless times. Now, as long as that person sits on the dragon throne for one more day, it will be a time bomb for her, Prince An, and the noble families of Prince An's faction.

What's more, as long as Prince An is a good person, it would be a good thing for her rebel army to help him take the throne. After all, her group didn't really want to sit in that position, and it couldn't be better if someone could take over now.

After careful consideration, Xu Qingqing raised her hand, took a piece of letter paper and began to write.

"Your Highness, this thing is enough to shake the foundation of the country. I hope you will use it with caution and not let innocent people suffer." Xu Qingqing wrote this at the end of the letter, and at the same time put the conclusive evidence about Zhou Shijie's Northern Barbarian bloodline into the envelope.

This evidence, which she collected after going through untold hardships, was enough to make Zhou Shijie lose his foothold in the court and pave the way for Zhou Shiyuan's actions.

Only after the people from Shadow Pavilion sent the letter away did Xu Qingqing let out a breath.

In addition to the evidence, Xu Qingqing also secretly arranged for the elite dark guards of the Shadow Pavilion to sneak into Kyoto to secretly assist Zhou Shiyuan. These dark guards are not only highly skilled in martial arts, but also good at intelligence gathering and infiltration. Their participation undoubtedly adds a few more chances for Zhou Shiyuan's actions.

After receiving Xu Qingqing's letter and the irrefutable evidence, Zhou Shiyuan felt mixed emotions.

He immediately met with Zhou Shilian in secret.

"Shilian, did you see it? Our suspicions are all true." Zhou Shiyuan showed the evidence to Zhou Shilian, with a determined light flashing in his eyes.

Zhou Shilian was also shocked after reading the evidence, but she quickly regained her composure. "Seventh Brother, this matter is of great importance. What are you going to do?"

Zhou Shiyuan leaned over and whispered close to Zhou Shilian's ear.

After a while, Zhou Shilian's expression changed slightly, and she sat up straight: "I know, I will find a chance."

Zhou Shiyuan nodded: "This matter is up to you, but you must also protect yourself. If it doesn't work, don't force it. There are plenty of opportunities."