After crossing, I surrounded the capital from the countryside

However, they did not know that on this stormy night, there was another force secretly guarding Prince An's Mansion.

The secret guards sent by Xu Qingqing had already set up a tight net inside and outside the palace, waiting for the assassins to fall into the trap.

When the assassins finally approached the study and were ready to launch an attack, a dense rain of arrows suddenly came from the darkness. The arrows drew silver tracks in the rain and shot accurately at the assassins.

The assassins were caught off guard and fell to the ground one after another. Their wailing sounds mixed with the sounds of wind and rain, forming a thrilling nocturne.

However, these assassins were not ordinary people. They quickly adjusted their status and started a fierce confrontation with the secret guards. The flashes of swords and sabers flashed in the rain, and every collision was accompanied by the crisp sound of metal hitting metal.

The rain and blood mixed together, dyeing the bluestone road red, and also dyeing this stormy night red.

The secret guards gradually gained the upper hand with their superb martial arts and tacit cooperation. They used the cover of the heavy rain to flexibly shuttle among the assassins and give them fatal blows from time to time with cooperation.

In the end, after a fierce battle, all the assassins were killed one by one, without any escape.

The wind and rain still raged in the capital, but peace gradually returned to Prince An's mansion.

When Zhou Shiyuan heard the noise outside in his bedroom, he wanted to go out to check, but was stopped by a secret guard. After the noise outside disappeared, the guard released his guard and he hurried out to check.

When he saw the corpses all over the ground and the secret guards cleaning up the battlefield, he was shocked at first, and then he couldn't help but feel grateful. He knew that it was Xu Qingqing's timely help that allowed him to escape a disaster again.

"Thank you, Sect Master Xu. I, Zhou Shiyuan, will never forget her kindness." Zhou Shiyuan said to the secret guards. Although he knew that Xu Qingqing was not here, his gratitude came from the heart.

Upon hearing this, the secret guards bowed and saluted, indicating that this was their duty. Then, they disappeared silently into the night, as if they had never appeared.

In the courtyard of the Imperial Master's Mansion, Li Feng looked particularly lonely and angry.

The moonlight shone coldly on his body, reflecting his distorted face and clenched fists. Every joint was white from excessive force, as if he wanted to turn the anger in his heart into substance and destroy everything in front of him.

"Waste! Absolutely hopeless waste!" He roared in a low voice, his voice low but full of anger.

He couldn't understand why the emperor was so incompetent at such a critical moment and couldn't even deal with Zhou Shiyuan.

Anger spread in Li Feng's heart like wildfire, burning the boundaries of reason. He turned around suddenly and punched the stone table beside him. The stone table instantly broke into pieces, and the fragments flew everywhere, making a harsh sound.

The pain in his hand brought him back to his senses. Li Feng stood in the courtyard. The night breeze blew by, bringing a hint of coolness, but it also seemed to blow away some of the anger in his heart.

He thought that in the game of power, it was dangerous to rely too much on any one party, especially when that "reliance" itself seemed so unreliable.

"I can't put all my trust in the emperor." Li Feng thought to himself, and this sentence echoed in his mind like a warning bell. He began to re-examine his situation and strategy, realizing that it was far from enough to rely solely on the favor and trust of this unreliable emperor.

Thinking of this, he quickly returned to the study, and only breathed a sigh of relief when a carrier pigeon flew out.

"If a man does not work for himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth. Zhou Shijie, please don't blame me..."

……

Since the Qingfeng Mountain bandit suppression campaign, the names of Xu Qingqing and the rebels spread quickly like a spring breeze.

For a time, Xu Qingqing became a hero praised by the people. She and the rebel army became famous and became the light of hope in the hearts of countless people.

As her fame spread, the uprising army led by Xu Qingqing also ushered in an unprecedented opportunity for development. More and more people who were oppressed by the court and living in dire straits responded to her call and joined the ranks of the uprising army.

Those who are capable will join the army, those who can cook will go to the kitchen, and those who can do nothing will help with odd jobs. Anyway, everyone can find their own position.

The rebels' progress was also extremely smooth, not only because they had many brave and skilled fighters, but also because their actions were supported and endorsed by the general public.

Whenever the rebels passed through a town, the people would open their doors to welcome them, and some even wanted to offer their own food and clothing to express their gratitude and support for the rebels.

Along the way, whether it was a village hit by a natural disaster or a weak group oppressed by the government, as long as they asked the rebels for help, Xu Qingqing and her soldiers would lend a helping hand without hesitation.

They helped the people rebuild their homes, punished corrupt officials, and maintained social order, winning more and more people's hearts and praise. It can be said that even if Xu Qingqing wanted to ascend the throne and become emperor now, these people would probably agree with him wholeheartedly.

Xu Qingqing rode on horseback, and the rebel troops behind her marched in an orderly manner on the road to the next city.

The setting sun, like a blood-red mark, slowly sank into the distant horizon, dyeing the sky with a layer of golden-red sunset glow.

"Report..." A scout suddenly came galloping over, interrupting Xu Qingqing's thoughts, "General Xu, there is a court army stationed ten miles ahead, and it seems that they are preparing to intercept us."

Xu Qingqing frowned slightly, she knew this encounter was inevitable. Although the rebels she led were in high spirits and well-equipped, there were still many newly joined civilians. If they faced the regular imperial army, although the chances of winning were not low, it would certainly cause unnecessary casualties.

However, she also knew that this battle would come sooner or later, but she didn't expect it to come so soon.

She waved her hand, signaling the scouts to retreat, and then said to Xiao Yuheng beside her: "We have to go and see what the situation is with this army."

"General, how can you go!" someone shouted.

Xu Qingqing raised her hand to stop the man from continuing to speak: "We have the best kung fu and are capable of protecting ourselves if something happens. It is the safest way to get information."

The man was stopped by Xu Qingqing, and wanted to say something unwillingly.

The man at the side pulled him back and whispered, "General Xu is ultimately our life, you can't persuade him."

Hearing this, the man could only step aside with a bitter face and a frown, praying in his heart that God would bless General Xu to be safe and sound.

As night fell, Xu Qingqing led Xiao Yuheng and the other two quietly approached the enemy camp. Under the moonlight, the soldiers were seen sitting or lying down, with no discipline at all, which was far from the regular imperial cavalry.