Years turn into wind

Late in the night, the lights in Ling Xiaotian's study were still on. He sat at his desk, brow furrowed, clutching the interrogation records of the spy. The spy had resisted, but Cheng Yuwei and other confidants had speculated that a larger conspiracy was brewing.

"The presence of spies means Lu Sheng has already planted people within our ranks," Cheng Yuwei analyzed in a low voice, "but we still don't know their specific goals. Since he's willing to expose a pawn, it means the real plan hasn't started yet."

Ling Xiaotian rubbed his temples, his eyes filled with deep thought: "Lu Sheng's actions this time are probably not just simple military operations. His sights seem to have turned to something deeper - power."

Cheng Yuwei whispered, "You mean, he wants to overthrow the entire political situation?"

Ling Xiaotian nodded. "Lu Sheng isn't someone who relies solely on force. He wants to control the situation and become the true master behind the scenes. This civil war might just be part of his plan."

The two were silent for a moment, and the atmosphere became solemn.

"Yuwei," Ling Xiaotian suddenly spoke, a hint of hesitation in his tone, "These past few days, I've been wanting to ask you, if one day you discovered that all the decisions I made were contrary to your original intentions, what would you choose?"

Cheng Yuwei was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Xiaotian, since I came here, I have been learning to adapt to the changes of this era. Although we have different ideas, I never regret standing by your side. You are not fighting only for yourself, I know you have the whole country in your heart. So, no matter what decision you make, I will accompany you."

Ling Xiaotian looked at her quietly, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, which eventually turned into a gentle smile: "You are always like this, as firm as ever."

A few days later, after careful planning, Ling Xiaotian decided to send a small team behind enemy lines to investigate Lu Sheng's next move, while he remained at the Marshal's Mansion to oversee the overall situation.

However, things turned out to be far more complicated than expected. Shortly after the team left, they received news that they had been ambushed on the road and their fate was in doubt.

"This is a trap." Cheng Yuwei immediately realized the seriousness of the problem after receiving the news. "Lu Sheng knew we would send people to investigate, so he ambushed us in advance, hoping to eliminate our people in one fell swoop."

Ling Xiaotian stood up suddenly, his eyes filled with murderous intent: "We can't wait any longer, we must take action immediately, otherwise the enemy will become more and more rampant."

At this moment, another more shocking news came - Lu Zhirou was found to have private dealings with Lu Sheng and seemed to be involved in the conspiracy.

Cheng Yuwei was slightly shocked when she heard the news. Although she had long been wary of Lu Zhirou, she had never expected her to be so deeply involved with Lu Sheng. She and Ling Xiaotian exchanged a glance, each of them glancing solemnly.

"I should have thought that Lu Zhirou couldn't have been an innocent bystander." Cheng Yuwei said coldly, "She has intentions towards you, and Lu Sheng, who is behind her, must have planned all this long ago."

Ling Xiaotian's expression was complicated. Although he knew Lu Zhirou had ulterior motives, she was, after all, an old acquaintance. He took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Lu Zhirou's conspiracy must be fully exposed. Otherwise, she and Lu Sheng will join forces and bring us even greater disaster."

As night fell again, Ling Xiaotian gathered his confidants and announced the spy and Lu Zhirou's suspicions. Everyone was shocked, but also expressed their willingness to fight the enemy to the end. The next step was to unmask Lu Zhirou.

In order to avoid alerting Lu Zhirou, Cheng Yuwei decided to meet her in person to test her true intentions. She deliberately chose to meet in the back garden of the Marshal's Mansion, where there were few people and it was quiet, making it easier to observe Lu Zhirou's reaction.

The night breeze was cool, and Cheng Yuwei stood in the garden, quietly waiting for Lu Zhirou to arrive. Not long after, Lu Zhirou arrived with her usual gentle smile on her face.

"Sister Yuwei," Lu Zhirou said softly, "What's the matter with you calling me so late at night?"

Cheng Yuwei smiled and said, "It's just that I've been busy lately, so I wanted to talk to you and relax."

Lu Zhirou sat down and said with a smile, "I heard that your relationship with Xiaotian has been getting better and better recently. I'm really envious. It's a pity that my friendship with him can never go any further."

Cheng Yuwei pretended to be casual and asked, "You and Xiaotian have been together for so many years, how could you not have any feelings for each other? Perhaps it's just that the time is not right yet?"

Lu Zhirou's eyes flickered slightly, and the smile on her face was fleeting. Then she sighed softly: "The time is not right... maybe."

Cheng Yuwei secretly observed her expression and was somewhat certain that Lu Zhirou was indeed up to no good. She remained calm and continued, "I heard the situation in the city has been unstable recently. Have you noticed anything unusual?"

Lu Zhirou was slightly startled, a hint of vigilance flashed in her eyes, and then she smiled and said, "I'm just a woman, how could I understand those things? It's you and Xiaotian who are the key to stabilizing the situation."

Her answer was flawless, but Cheng Yuwei could see through her guilty conscience. Clearly, Lu Zhirou had begun to be on guard.

The two chatted for a few more minutes, and Cheng Yuwei knew that there would be no more gains tonight, so she decided to leave for the time being. However, just as she stood up, she suddenly felt a sharp gaze piercing her from behind.

She turned around quickly and met Lu Zhirou's cold eyes.

At that moment, Cheng Yuwei's heart trembled, and she understood one thing - Lu Zhirou no longer concealed her ambition.

After returning to the study, Cheng Yuwei told Ling Xiaotian what she had seen and heard tonight.

"She's no longer pretending. Her reaction tonight was very obvious." Cheng Yuwei said solemnly, "We must speed up our actions, otherwise she will take advantage of our unpreparedness and attack us."

Ling Xiaotian nodded calmly: "In that case, let's play along and feign weakness until she reveals a bigger flaw."

That night, a storm was about to come, and Ling Xiaotian and Cheng Yuwei were ready to face the next storm.

A small suspense: When Cheng Yuwei and Ling Xiaotian are about to uncover Lu Zhirou's conspiracy, Lu Zhirou secretly contacts another long-hidden hostile force, which hides an even more shocking secret...