Rebirth: Phoenix Riding the Ninth Heaven

Lord Qian tightly grasped the confession obtained by Lao Cui from the Hun captives in his hand. He only glanced at it quickly, and suddenly a raging anger ignited in his heart, which seemed to devour him whole.

"These heartless beasts!" Lord Qian muttered, veins bulging on his forehead, his hands trembling slightly with anger. "They actually treat us as mercenaries, coming and going as they please. They're completely lawless! Could it be that I, a dignified official appointed by the imperial court, am just like a warehouse full of grain in their eyes? Just because I'm hungry, I come here to plunder at will?"

Yet, despite his fury, Lord Qian's composure, cultivated over years of service, allowed him to maintain a shred of sanity. He took a deep breath, suppressed his rage, and carefully gathered the crucial confession into his arms. Then, without further delay, he spun around and barked at the servants behind him, "Hurry, prepare the horses for me! Hurry, hurry!"

Seeing his master still able to issue orders in such an orderly manner despite being so furious, the servant knew that this matter was of great importance. He did not dare to neglect it at all. He quickly responded and ran to prepare the horse. Soon, a fat and strong horse with a bright coat was led to Master Qian.

Lord Qian leaped onto his horse, clamped his legs against its belly, and shouted, "Gee!" He galloped off like an arrow. Seeing this, the servants hurriedly found horses to follow, and the group galloped through the quiet streets at dawn. The sound of horses' hooves resounded through the air, shattering the pre-dawn stillness as they sped towards the Protectorate.

The Fourth Prince had just lazily laid on the couch, intending to take a short nap. However, before he could close his eyes for long, there was a sudden and urgent knock on the door. Then, the servant's anxious voice came from outside the door: "Your Highness, Lord Qian wants to see you for an urgent matter!" Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince frowned slightly, wondering in his heart what had happened. He slowly turned his head to look out the window, only to see that the night was dark, the sky was covered with dark clouds, and there was a faint rumble of thunder. In such bad weather, if it were not an extremely urgent matter, Lord Qian would never come to disturb him at this moment. Thinking of this, the Fourth Prince sat up straight and said to the door: "Let him in, I'll be waiting here."

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Si, who had been serving at his side, hurried forward and swiftly helped the Fourth Prince to put his clothes in order. In a short while, the Fourth Prince was fully dressed, radiant and walked out of his bedroom, heading towards the living room. As soon as he entered the living room, the Fourth Prince saw Master Qian pacing back and forth anxiously, like an ant on a hot pan. This scene made the Fourth Prince feel a little amused. He coughed lightly and jokingly said, "Master Qian, what's wrong with you? Are you possessed by some ghost, so you keep walking in circles here?"

Lord Qian looked up at the sound. Seeing the Fourth Prince, he hurried forward as if he had found his savior, muttering, "Fourth Prince, something terrible has happened!" The Fourth Prince's expression froze, and he hurriedly asked, "What exactly is going on? Tell me quickly." Lord Qian took a deep breath, gathered his composure, then raised his hands high and presented a file to the Fourth Prince. Bowing, he said, "This is the important information the officers gathered from their overnight interrogation of the Xiongnu prisoners. Please review it, Fourth Prince."

The clever young man at the Fourth Prince's side quickly snatched up the crucial confession. Then, trotting quickly to the Fourth Prince's side, he bowed respectfully and presented the confession with both hands. The Fourth Prince's face was as gloomy as water. He took the file and began to leaf through it. As he read, his expression grew darker, like the sky before a storm, so dark it seemed as if water could drip from it. After reading it all, the Fourth Prince could no longer contain his rage. With a loud bang, he slammed the table beside him, causing the teacup to jump. He shouted in a rage, "This is outrageous! What do they think of our Dashun Dynasty? They act so recklessly, coming and going as they please!" Then, the Fourth Prince glared at the confession in his hands once more.

It turned out that the report detailed the group's true purpose. According to the confession, they were merely the vanguard, their primary mission being to thoroughly assess the local situation. Once this mission was accomplished, a larger force would arrive to support them. Furthermore, this vanguard had meticulously deployed dozens of smaller teams, dispersing them throughout the northwest to meticulously assess key information such as our defenses, manpower, and personnel distribution. Even more alarming, the intelligence contained in the confession revealed that they had planned to march south in the coming days, intent on plundering local food, women, and other valuables.

The Fourth Prince had just finished a tantrum, his chest still heaving violently. His stern gaze fixed on Lord Qian, who stood cowering and trembling before him. However, a moment later, the Fourth Prince took a deep breath and forced his anger down. He slowly turned his head, his face sullen, and asked in a low, commanding voice, "Lord Qian, is this confession true?"

When Lord Qian heard the question, his body trembled involuntarily. He quickly bowed and answered respectfully, "Your Highness the Fourth Prince, this confession is the result of my interrogation of Zhao Si and others along with the Xiongnu captives. In my opinion, about 80% of it should be true and credible." Lord Qian then paused for a moment, as if to organize his thoughts, and continued, "Those Xiongnu people are truly heinous, and their deeds are simply too numerous to list!

"They've dared to infiltrate our territory. If it were just a small group, it wouldn't be a problem. However, I believe they must be backed by a massive Xiongnu army; otherwise, they wouldn't have the guts to act so recklessly. Furthermore, with such a large-scale Xiongnu invasion, don't they worry about being captured and ripped to pieces by our army? Clearly, they must be relying on something. I suspect a large Xiongnu force is likely lurking along the border, waiting for these spies to gather intelligence and return safely. Once the opportunity arises, they'll march south and launch a massive attack on us!"

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Prince could not help but nod slightly in agreement. Then, he turned his gaze to Zhu Qi beside him and ordered calmly: "Zhu Qi, please step forward." Zhu Qi moved at the sound, quickly walked forward, knelt respectfully and bowed, and responded: "I am here!" Then, the Fourth Prince continued to order: "Quickly go to the military camp and invite Lord Li Jing." As soon as the voice fell, Zhu Qi stood up and prepared to obey the order. However, just as he turned around and was about to leave, the Fourth Prince suddenly called him. After thinking for a moment, the Fourth Prince slowly said: "Forget it, there is no need to go so far. Your Highness has decided to go in person to discuss this matter with Lord Li."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Qi felt a wave of concern and subconsciously wanted to dissuade him. After all, as a prince, personally attending the military camp inevitably carried some risks. But when he saw the Fourth Prince's resolute and determined gaze, the words on his lips seemed to get stuck in his throat. He knew that the Fourth Prince always cared about the suffering of the people and was unwilling to let red tape delay important military matters, demonstrating his respect for others. So, Zhu Qi said no more and decisively, "Yes!" Without further hesitation, he quickly withdrew and began arranging the carriages and the entourage responsible for protecting the Fourth Prince.

Soon, everything was ready. The Fourth Prince turned to Lord Qian and solemnly instructed him, "Lord Qian, return to the palace first and quickly count the number of injured personnel in the yamen and the civilians affected by this incident. Those who need comfort must be properly handled; those in need must also be provided with timely assistance. Never allow the people to feel fear, lest unnecessary chaos arise." Lord Qian quickly bowed and accepted the order, then hurried away, beginning to appease the civilians according to the Fourth Prince's instructions.

The Fourth Prince anxiously boarded the ornately decorated carriage. The driver whipped the horse, the steed neighed, and it sped off like an arrow. The wheels rolled forward, stirring up a cloud of dust, as if to carry the tense atmosphere far away.

Along the way, the Fourth Prince had no time to admire the scenery. His only thought was to reach the military camp as quickly as possible. There, Officer Li from the National Garrison Committee awaited him. Officer Li was a remarkable figure, having spent years immersing himself in the vast northwest. He was not only familiar with the complex terrain but also with the customs and habits of the people. More importantly, he kept a close eye on the Xiongnu's every move, keeping abreast of their latest advances.

In the bumpy carriage, the Fourth Prince, unconcerned with his appearance, casually shoveled a few delicate pastries into his mouth, then sipped the fragrant tea from his cup. While the meal wasn't particularly sumptuous, he understood the importance of replenishing his energy at this moment. After all, if he went on an empty stomach to discuss countermeasures and military deployments with Marquis Weiyuan, he would likely quickly feel overwhelmed and unable to focus on the numerous challenges and complex arrangements that lay ahead. Therefore, he needed to maintain his mental state, bringing full enthusiasm and energy to discuss matters of national importance with Officer Li.