Years turn into wind

With the ambush over, Ling Xiaotian's prestige within the army rose again, and his soldiers became even more loyal to him. However, General Xie did not give up easily. While retreating, he secretly laid multiple traps in an attempt to make a comeback.

In the days following the battle, Ling Xiaotian personally inspected the defenses of the Marshal's Mansion, while Cheng Yuwei immersed herself in the laboratory, continuing to develop a drug that could protect the soldiers. However, this brief period of peace was shattered by a sudden news: General Xie secretly sent another confidant to infiltrate the Marshal's Mansion again.

Late at night, a secret sentry from within the mansion spotted a suspicious man sneaking into the courtyard and attempting to escape to the mountains behind. Upon learning of this, Ling Xiaotian immediately led his trusted guards in a silent pursuit. They eventually captured the man in a dense forest.

After being taken back to the palace, the man remained indifferent and refused to cooperate with Ling Xiaotian's interrogation. However, Ling Xiaotian's authority gradually made him unable to resist, and he finally revealed General Xie's conspiracy.

"Marshal Ling," the man sneered, "Do you think you can defend the Marshal's Mansion? We have already planted spies around you. With just one order from General Xie, your defenses will be easily broken."

Hearing this, Ling Xiaotian's eyes darkened. "Eyes and ears? Did General Xie plant other spies in the palace?"

The man didn't respond, clearly unwilling to speak further. Ling Xiaotian knew this matter was serious and immediately ordered the man detained.

Cheng Yuwei was shocked when she learned about this: "Could there be undetected spies in the mansion? Who are they, and why have they remained undiscovered?"

Ling Xiaotian held her hand and said calmly, "Yuwei, don't worry. We will proceed cautiously and investigate each case one by one. We will definitely find the spy."

Cheng Yuwei nodded, but pondered silently in her heart. Although the mansion had been relatively peaceful during this period, she had noticed many subtle changes. She secretly decided that she would do her part to uncover these hidden dangers.

The next morning, Cheng Yuwei, under the pretext of testing a potion, visited every corner of the Marshal's mansion, secretly observing the expressions of every servant and soldier, trying to find anything unusual. However, no matter how she observed, everything seemed normal, leaving her puzzled.

It wasn't until she reached the pharmacy that she heard several attendants talking in low voices. One voice whispered, "General Xie's plan won't fail. He has support. Once everything is ready, we'll be able to escape."

Cheng Yuwei's heart trembled. She held her breath and quietly approached. She saw that the men looked nervous, as if they were discussing some secret plan. Cheng Yuwei quickly determined that they must be traitors sent by General Xie, and a plan instantly came to her mind.

She quietly left and quickly informed Ling Xiaotian of the situation. Upon learning of this, Ling Xiaotian immediately ordered his guards to secretly capture these individuals and conduct a surprise interrogation. Soon, they all confessed, admitting to being spies sent by General Xie to plant in the Grand Marshal's Mansion, responsible for reporting on the palace's movements at all times.

Ling Xiaotian asked in a deep voice, "Besides you, who else is colluding with General Xie?"

One of them trembled and whispered, "We are just pawns, following orders. As for the others, we don't know."

Ling Xiaotian snorted coldly and ordered the men to be taken to the dungeon for further interrogation. He looked at Cheng Yuwei and said in a deep voice, "Yuwei, it seems there are indeed more hidden forces in the mansion. We must strengthen our defenses."

Cheng Yuwei nodded, a determined light in her eyes: "General Xie is taking every step carefully, so we can't be careless. Next, why not lead the strategy to them and make these traitors reveal their true intentions."

A few days later, Cheng Yuwei devised an ingenious signaling device, which she installed throughout the Marshal's Mansion. If anyone secretly passed on a message, the device would automatically sound an alarm. Ling Xiaotian marveled at her ingenuity and said with a smile, "Yuwei, you're truly a genius. With you here, the defenses of our Marshal's Mansion are impenetrable."

Cheng Yuwei smiled, a hint of playfulness glittering in her eyes. "As long as I can help you, that's fine. But Xiaotian, since we have taken precautions, we can also deliberately release some false information and let these insiders pass the wrong information to General Xie, causing him to lose his composure."

Ling Xiaotian immediately agreed upon hearing this, saying, "Great idea! This way, we can not only confuse the enemy but also weaken their confidence."

That night, the Marshal's Mansion deliberately fabricated the illusion of "lack of preparedness" and passed fabricated intelligence to suspected traitors. Soon after, General Xie fell for the trick. When he led his troops in a surprise attack, he found the city empty. Caught off guard, he was besieged by Ling Xiaotian.

This victory greatly encouraged Ling Xiaotian's army. General Xie lost a large number of troops during the retreat, and his power was greatly reduced in an instant. Many of his confidants also left his camp.

Afterwards, Ling Xiaotian and Cheng Yuwei reviewed the situation in the study. Ling Xiaotian felt a sense of emotion, and looked at Cheng Yuwei with deep affection in his eyes: "Yuwei, if it weren't for your clever plan, we would probably still be troubled by those traitors."

Cheng Yuwei chuckled and said, "It's just a small favor. I'm willing to accompany you to face these storms together." Her eyes flashed with determination, and for a moment Ling Xiaotian couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke her cheek.

Cheng Yuwei was slightly startled, a blush spreading across her face. Ling Xiaotian slowly approached and whispered, "Yuwei, no matter how difficult the future may be, with you here, I feel everything is full of hope."

Cheng Yuwei's heartbeat quickened. She leaned lightly on his shoulder and murmured, "Xiaotian, I will always be by your side."

They stood embraced, their warmth melting the momentary loneliness as the night deepened outside. However, just as they were immersed in the warmth, a sudden rush of footsteps could be heard outside the mansion. The guards outside hurriedly reported, "General, General Xie has made another move! He's leading a small number of remnants of his troops at the border, attempting to join forces with the enemy!"

Upon hearing this, Ling Xiaotian's eyes instantly became fierce, and a fighting spirit ignited in his eyes: "It seems that he hasn't given up yet. In that case, let's resolve this entanglement once and for all."

He turned around and looked at Cheng Yuwei with a firm gaze: "Yuwei, the next battle will be the key to determining our fate."

Cheng Yuwei held his hand tightly, her eyes full of courage: "I will be with you, regardless of life or death."

The two smiled at each other, as if they had melted all their affection into this silent promise.