The Second World in Ancient Times

Although the Queen and the Prince had been captured, my heart remained tense. I knew that as long as there were still remnants of this power lurking in the shadows, the peace of the palace would remain threatened. So, I quickly gathered my guards and prepared to launch a thorough search of the hunting grounds.

"Brothers, although the mastermind has been apprehended, some have slipped through the net and are still resisting stubbornly in this hunting ground. We cannot allow them the opportunity to stir up trouble again. We must hunt them all down!" I spoke loudly, scanning the guards before me with a resolute gaze. My eyes were filled with unquestionable determination, like a cold ray that could penetrate the dense fog of this hunting ground and strike the enemy's hiding place directly.

"Your Majesty, the hunting grounds are so vast, it will be difficult to find the remaining enemies," a guard said with difficulty. He frowned and looked at the endless hunting grounds, his eyes full of worry.

"It's okay, I have my own way." I responded confidently, "I have studied some special tracking techniques. As long as they leave any trace in this hunting ground, they will have no chance of escaping." I raised my chin slightly, and that confident posture seemed to reassure the guards.

With that, I headed deeper into the hunting grounds, my guards following closely behind. As I walked, I carefully observed the ground, the grass, and the trees around me. Suddenly, I spotted some trampled marks in a patch of grass, with a few freshly broken blades. The blades were jagged and still sap-soaked, clearly having been trampled recently.

"Look, there are traces here. They must have fled from this direction," I said, pointing to the bushes. My fingers were long and firm, as if pointing the guards in the direction of victory.

"Your Highness, how did you discover this? This grass doesn't look unusual." The guards looked at me with confusion. They gathered around, carefully examining the patch of grass, but still couldn't make out what it was.

"There's a trick to this. All you have to do is follow me." I didn't explain much, after all, modern tracking technology was too new to them. It was like a secret trump card in my hand. In this battlefield of palace struggle, only the unexpected can defeat the enemy.

Following the trail, we came to a grove of trees. I stopped and listened carefully. Faintly, I seemed to hear the gentle sounds of breathing and the rustling of clothing. The breathing was rapid and muffled, like prey hiding in the shadows, cautiously observing the hunter's movements.

"There's someone in the woods, everyone be careful." I quietly warned the guards, drawing the soft sword from my waist. As it unsheathed, the soft sword let out a soft dragon's roar, as if expressing its desire for battle.

The guards immediately dispersed, forming a circle and slowly advancing into the woods. As we advanced further into the forest, we discovered several enemies hiding behind trees. Their figures were concealed behind the trunks, revealing only pairs of vigilant eyes. Their hands were tightly gripped with weapons, the cold gleam of which was faintly visible in the shadows of the trees.

"You are surrounded. Surrender!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the woods with an irresistible majesty.

"Humph, you want us to surrender? It's not that easy!" A leader-like figure among the enemy shouted, and then they rushed out, brandishing their weapons. Their movements were swift and determined, like trapped beasts fighting to the bitter end, trying to break through our encirclement.

My guards and I immediately charged forward, engaging the enemy in a fierce clash. Unleashing the combat techniques I'd learned in modern times, I nimbly weaved among the foes, my flexible sword dancing like a serpent in my grasp, wounding every enemy I touched. Sometimes I dodged an attack, sometimes tapping the ground with my toes, leaping high and delivering a devastating blow from the air.

"You rebels, you're courting death!" I shouted as I fought. Every word I said was like a cannonball, exploding in the enemy's ears and destroying their fighting spirit.

In the fierce exchange, I seized an opportunity and rushed towards the leader, my sword pointed at his throat. "Drop your weapon, or I will be ruthless!" I said coldly. My eyes were as sharp as ice knives, piercing the leader's heart.

Seeing the situation was dire, the leader hesitated for a moment, but ultimately dropped his weapon. Seeing the leader's surrender, the other enemies also dropped their weapons and knelt, begging for mercy. Their faces were filled with fear and despair, their former arrogance long gone.

"Tie them up and bring them back to camp," I said to the guards. My tone had returned to calm, but beneath that calmness, I still hid my vigilance against the enemy.

Continuing our search through the hunting grounds, we encountered several more remnant enemy groups. In each battle, I led my guards to victory through wit and skill. During one encounter, the enemy, hiding behind a bush, attempted a surprise attack with arrows. Sensing danger, I picked up a branch and hurled it into the bushes. The branch whirred through the air, and the enemy, mistaking us for an attack, leaped to their feet and launched a barrage of arrows. The moment they were exposed, the guards rained down their arrows, annihilating them in one fell swoop.

During the search, I also tried to comfort the frightened concubines and ministers. When I saw a concubine shivering in a corner, I approached her and whispered, "Don't be afraid, sister. I'm here and will never let you get hurt again." I gently held her hand, trying to dispel her fear with my warmth.

"Sister Yufei, thanks to you today, otherwise we would all have died here," the concubine said gratefully. Her eyes were red and swollen, tears welling up in them, and her makeup had long been smudged by the tears.

"You're welcome, sister. This is what I should do. Let's go back to the camp first. Once we've completely wiped out the remaining enemies, everything will return to normal," I said. I helped her to her feet and led her towards the camp.

As the search deepened, order gradually returned to the hunting grounds. Soldiers set up sentries along key routes to prevent further enemy escape or attack. The soldiers on the sentries stood tall, their eyes vigilantly scanning the surroundings, their weapons tightly gripped, like loyal guardians of the hunting grounds.

"My Lady, we've searched most of the hunting grounds. Only the valley to the east remains," Afeng reported. His face was a little tired, but his eyes remained determined.

"Okay, let's head for the valley. The valley is dangerous, and the enemy is very likely hiding there," I said. I looked up at the valley to the east, and a strong premonition welled up in my heart: that would be the final battlefield in this operation to eliminate the remaining enemies.

When we reached the mouth of the valley, I felt a sense of oppression. A gloomy atmosphere permeated the valley, as if countless pairs of eyes were watching us from the darkness. I knew this place must be fraught with danger.

"Everyone, be careful! There might be an ambush in this valley," I warned. My voice echoed solemnly at the valley's mouth.

We cautiously entered the valley, and sure enough, soon after we entered, enemies began to attack from the hillsides on both sides. The arrows flew towards us like locusts, making a sharp whistling sound in the air.

"Shield bearers, protect everyone! Everyone else, seek cover and strike back!" I quickly gave the order. My words were short and powerful, like a charge on the battlefield.

The guards, well-trained, immediately followed my command. The shieldbearers quickly gathered, their shields raised high, forming a solid defensive line, blocking the enemy's arrows. The shields, tightly connected, resembled an impenetrable steel wall. Other guards, taking advantage of the valley's boulders, trees, and other terrain, fired arrows back at the enemy. Arrows darted through the valley, colliding with the rocks and sending up showers of sparks.

"Afeng, take a few people with you, go around from the side and surprise attack the enemy." I said. I patted Afeng's shoulder, my eyes full of trust.

Ah Feng followed his orders and quietly climbed the hillside with a few nimble guards. Their figures loomed on the slope, like ghosts blending into the valley. Below, I drew the enemy's attention and engaged them in a firefight. I constantly shifted positions, making it difficult for them to predict my movements while directing the guards' counterattack.

Soon, Afeng and his men successfully scaled the hillside and attacked the enemy from behind. The enemy's formation was thrown into disarray, and caught between our two pincer attacks, they were quickly annihilated. The valley reverberated with the enemy's screams and our victorious cheers, echoing for a long time, as if telling the story of both the fierceness and glory of this battle.

After a grueling search and battle, we finally wiped out the remaining enemies in the hunting grounds. When the last enemy was taken away, I breathed a sigh of relief. It was like a burden that had been weighing on my heart for so long, finally being lifted.

"My Lady, we've finally done it," Afeng said. A pleased smile crossed his face, a smile filled with joy for victory and admiration for me.

"Yes, this turmoil has finally subsided for now. But we can't let our guard down. We still have much to do after we return to the palace." I gazed at the hunting grounds, pondering my future path in the palace. This hunting ground had witnessed this thrilling rebellion and its suppression, and upon returning to the palace, the invisible court struggles would likely be the true test.