Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

No one knows the answer. But at least tonight, they won't go hungry or live in fear.

On a distant mountain peak, Han Xin stood alone, gazing in the direction of the capital.

"My lord," he murmured to himself, "the move has been made. Now, it's up to Emperor Qing to decide how to respond."

Five days later, in the Imperial Study of the Imperial Palace in the capital of Qing Kingdom.

Emperor Qing sat behind his dragon desk, holding an urgent military report in his hand, his face so gloomy it seemed to drip water. Below him, several high-ranking officials stood with their heads bowed, not daring to utter a sound.

"The refugees in the western border have revolted, gathering tens of thousands of people, and have breached the city of Qingyuan County, opening the granaries to distribute grain." Emperor Qing read out the contents of the military report word by word, his voice icy, "Prefect Liu Yong abandoned the city and fled, and the prefectural garrison suffered more than three hundred casualties... Good, very good."

He slammed the military newspaper on the table: "Can anyone tell me what's going on? Tens of thousands of refugees, where did they come from? How were they able to breach the city? Are the defending troops all incompetent?!"

Minister of War Qin Ye stepped forward with a stiff upper lip: "Your Majesty, please calm down. According to reports, there are elite soldiers mixed among the refugees. They are well-equipped and well-trained, and are definitely not ordinary rioters. I suspect... it is a conspiracy by the Northern Qi or the Eastern Yi City."

"A conspiracy?" Emperor Qing sneered. "Prime Minister Qin, do you think I'm a three-year-old child? Northern Qi is currently deploying 150,000 troops in the north, and Dongyi City is too busy to help itself. How could it have the spare strength to cause trouble in my western border?"

Qin Ye was drenched in cold sweat and dared not speak further.

Emperor Qing stood up and paced around the imperial study. He was fifty-two years old this year, with graying temples, but his posture remained upright, and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. This Emperor of Southern Qing had reigned for more than twenty years, overthrowing the Empress Dowager, eliminating powerful ministers, and firmly grasping imperial power in his hands. He relied on far more than just luck.

"Who is the leader of the refugees?" he suddenly asked.

Chen Pingping, the head of the Censorate, sat in his wheelchair and slowly spoke: "Your Majesty, according to reports from our spies, the leader claims to be Han Xin, is about thirty years old, and has an unknown origin. This person appeared in the Cangshan area about half a month ago and initially only gathered a few hundred refugees. But somehow he obtained a large amount of food and gathered tens of thousands of people in just a few days."

"Han Xin..." Emperor Qing repeated the name, his brows furrowed. "Never heard of him. Have you investigated his background?"

"We're investigating," Chen Pingping said, "but this person seems to have appeared out of thin air, without any prior trace. However..."

He paused, then continued, "There are two points worth noting. First, the weapons and armor used by his soldiers are of a special design, unlike those of our Southern Qing, Northern Qi, and Eastern Yi. Second, this man is quite methodical in his military tactics. When attacking Qingyuan County, he used a feint attack on the east while actually taking the north gate, which is far beyond what ordinary bandits can do."

Emperor Qing stopped in his tracks, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

A mysterious general appearing out of nowhere, well-trained soldiers, unprecedented equipment, and ingenious tactics...

These clues, pieced together, reminded him of someone.

Ye Qingmei.

That woman who also appeared out of nowhere, bringing countless magical things, but ultimately...

"Chen Pingping." Emperor Qing turned around and stared at the old man in the wheelchair. "Do you think this Han Xin might also have come from there?"

Chen Pingping, of course, knew where "there" referred to. He paused for a moment before cautiously replying, "Your Majesty, I dare not make a hasty judgment. But if he is truly the one chosen by the Temple, what is his purpose? What benefit would the Temple gain from disrupting the Western Regions?"

This was also what Emperor Qing couldn't understand. The Temple had always remained aloof from worldly affairs, never directly intervening in the conflicts between nations. Even when they chose Ye Qingmei back then, they only gave her knowledge and some items, letting her develop on her own.

Unless... this wasn't the temple's intention, but rather a backup plan left behind by Ye Qingmei?

"Your Majesty," Minister of Revenue Fan Jian suddenly spoke up, "I believe the most urgent task is to quell the rebellion. Although the western border is barren, it is the western shield of the capital. If we allow it to grow stronger, it may become a major threat."

Emperor Qing nodded: "What Minister Fan said makes sense. Qin Ye, how many troops are available to be mobilized in the vicinity of the western border?"

Qin Ye quickly replied, "The western border originally had 50,000 troops, but last year the northern border was in dire straits, so 20,000 were transferred away. Now there are 30,000 left, scattered in various counties. If we want to quell the rebellion, we will need to transfer troops from other directions at least."

"From where?" Emperor Qing asked.

The ministers exchanged glances. The distribution of Southern Qing's military forces was clear: 200,000 troops on the northern border to defend against Northern Qi; 100,000 troops in the eastern prefectures to monitor the Eastern Yi; 80,000 troops stationed in the southern border to deter the barbarians; 100,000 imperial guards to protect the capital; and a total of 150,000 troops from various prefectures to defend different counties. Currently, the situation in the north was tense, the east was inaccessible, the southern border was too far, and the imperial guards needed to protect the capital...

"Transfer troops from Jiangnan." Emperor Qing himself gave the answer. "Jiangnan is prosperous, and stationing too many troops there would be a waste. Transfer 50,000 troops from Zhenjiang and 50,000 troops from Guangling, making a total of 100,000 troops to march west and quell the rebellion."

Fan Jian's expression changed slightly: "Your Majesty, the garrison in Jiangnan is mainly for defense against pirates and to deter local forces. If 100,000 are transferred away, I'm afraid..."

"What are you afraid of?" Emperor Qing glanced at him. "With the Eldest Princess in charge of Jiangnan, what trouble could possibly arise? Besides, a mere tens of thousands of refugees are nothing compared to an army of 100,000. What I want is a swift victory. I want to see Han Xin's head within a month."

"Your Majesty is wise!" the ministers exclaimed in unison.

Emperor Qing sat back on his dragon throne, tapping the armrest lightly with his fingers: "Issue an imperial decree: appoint Qin Ye as General Who Pacifies the West, commanding the armies of Zhenjiang and Guangling, and order him to set off immediately. Also, order the Censorate to send more people to investigate Han Xin's background thoroughly. I want to see just who he really is."

"The minister obeys the order!"

After the officials withdrew, only Emperor Qing and Chen Pingping remained in the Imperial Study.

"What do you think?" Emperor Qing suddenly asked.

Chen Pingping remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "Your Majesty, I have a feeling that this matter is not simple. Migrant rebellions have occurred in every dynasty, but I have never heard of one that has gained momentum so quickly and whose leader is so skilled in warfare. What is even stranger is the source of their food supplies—the official granary in Qingyuan County has only 80,000 shi of grain in storage. Even if it were all seized, it would not be enough to support tens of thousands of people for long. Yet, our scouts report that the rebels are still recruiting and accepting all comers."

Emperor Qing's eyes narrowed: "You mean...?"

“Either the rebels have another source of supplies, or they never intended to hold out for long,” Chen Pingping said in a deep voice. “If it’s the former, the problem is even bigger—who could silently stockpile enough grain in the western border to feed tens of thousands of troops? If it’s the latter…”

He raised his head and met Emperor Qing's gaze: "What exactly is their purpose?"

Emperor Qing did not answer. He walked to the window and looked at the western sky. The sun was setting, and the clouds were dyed dark red, like silk soaked in blood.

"Order the Black Riders," he said coldly, his back to Chen Pingping, "to advance westward secretly. They need not participate in suppressing the rebellion; simply keep a close eye on Han Xin. If the opportunity arises... capture him alive."

"What does Your Majesty wish to obtain from him?"

"Find out who's behind him." Emperor Qing turned around, his eyes flashing coldly. "I have a feeling that this turmoil in the Western Frontier is just the beginning."