The emperor faked his death? Never mind, I will ascend the throne directly!

He Sheng walked into the tent, bowed, and asked, "What are your commands, Your Majesty?"

"Prince Gong has been eliminated, but Qi Daokun has not yet been captured."

Li Chengfeng nodded slightly to allow him to stand up, and began to make arrangements for the next step in a hurry.

"I want you to lead your troops and set off immediately to the Right Prime Minister's Mansion to arrest Qi Daokun."

"Don't give him a break."

He Sheng nodded slightly, his eyes firm. He had grasped the importance behind the mission.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. I will do my utmost to capture him."

Li Chengfeng nodded, "Pay attention to his escape route and hiding place. This man is cunning and cunning, so we must not take him lightly."

A few rays of light filtered through the hollow roof of the tent, outlining the sharp edges of Li Chengfeng's face, which was as firm as iron and stone.

He Sheng took the order and immediately waved his hand to signal his men to form a team. A moment later, the clanging sound of armor replaced the original silence, and the team sped away.

When He Sheng and his men arrived at the Right Prime Minister's Mansion, they immediately sensed a strange silence.

The gate of the mansion was ajar, as if welcoming their arrival, but there was an indescribable silence inside.

"It doesn't seem right. Is the building empty?"

He Sheng whispered. When he saw that there was no light in the desolate courtyard, he realized that Qi Daokun had been prepared.

Although he did not express surprise or fear in his heart, he was thinking about how to deal with this ever-changing situation.

The midnight wind blew gently, and the shadows of the high courtyard walls lay on the ground like wild beasts, making people feel cold.

The vague premonition in He Sheng's heart seemed to be confirmed, Qi Daokun might have successfully escaped.

"Search!"

Despite this, He Sheng still maintained a rigorous attitude and shouted in a low voice, and his men rushed into the mansion like a tide, and a whirlwind search was launched again amid the flashes of swords and shadows.

However, gradually, nothing was found in the mansion, leaving only a few faint scents of sandalwood.

He Sheng looked up at the dark and boundless night sky, as if trying to find Qi Daokun's trace in it.

"He always finds a way to leave, but he can't escape the net of heaven."

He said to himself, looking into the distance, waiting for the sunrise to open a new chapter in this dispute.

During Li Chengfeng's complex strategic night, countless chess pieces were colliding and intertwining with each other's destinies on the invisible chessboard.

Although the burning smoke has gradually dissipated, it foreshadows another unexpected turn of events in the Qian Dynasty - and the following storm is both expected and inevitable.

On the southeast coast of the Daqian Dynasty, the reefs formed by the constant beating of tides appear dilapidated and narrow.

The sea, which should have been as calm as usual, was now filled with a pungent, fishy wind that gradually spread to a county along the coast called Nanzhou.

The originally peaceful life was suddenly torn apart.

Warning horns sounded in the morning mist, and the rumbling of drums shook the air, making people feel nervous and uneasy.

On the city wall of Nanzhou, the soldiers stared with wide eyes at the dark shadow that was gradually becoming clearer on the sea.

It was a pirate ship, and the ferocious totems painted on its sails rustled in the cold wind.

Dozens of warships rushed over like wild beasts, and the roars of pirates were mixed in the sound of the waves.

"Quick! Go to the granary! Protect the food!"

An officer ordered at the top of his voice.

The soldiers gathered quickly, but their movements seemed hasty and disorganized.

The pirates' raid came so suddenly that the entire county was unprepared.

"Quick! Grab the food!"

The leading pirate barked out a command, his muddy voice resonating like thunder in the chaotic air. His face was fierce, his eyes glimmering with cunning.

The pirates poured in like a tide, brandishing their scimitars, with ferocious smiles on their faces, and wantonly destroying the houses along the street.

But strangely, they did not attack the unarmed civilians, but went straight to the government's granary.

The people who stayed at home watched all this in horror from behind their windows.

In front of the granary, the pirates and the officers and soldiers engaged in a fierce standoff.

People on both sides shouted and horses neighed, and amid the flash of swords and sabers, every blow was bloody.

The pirate leader, Sea Shark—a burly, bearded man—laughed and chopped away the soldiers who stood in his way, shouting, "You lackeys of the government, get out of the way if you know what's good for you!"

"We just want food, not to hurt anyone!"

This strange behavior left the officers and soldiers at a loss as to whether to fight or retreat.

"Sir, the granary has been looted! Pirates rushed in like a swarm of bees."

An officer whispered in the ear of Li Changqing, the governor of four provinces, with a trembling voice.

Li Changqing's face turned pale and he quickly ordered: "Quick, protect the granary!"

However, his words were drowned out by the pirates' roars and clamour.

At this moment, in the granary, the sacks that had been neatly packed were pried open, and the rice and flour were scattered all over the floor. The pirates were rummaging through the warehouse like hungry wolves, shouting from time to time: "Where's the gold?"

"Sir, those people—"

The officer raised his sword to resist, but the pirate showed no fear and seriously injured him in the moment the swords collided.

"If you dare to say anything more, I'll chop you into pieces!"

The sea shark glared fiercely.

Although the pirates plundered crazily, they did not attack innocent civilians, but only robbed the transport vehicles filled with grain.

As the sounds of fighting were heard from inside, the chaos spread to every corner of the county.

Li Changqing looked at the devastation and stared helplessly at the billowing smoke and dust in the air. He had no choice but to launch a counterattack with great grief. However, there were few soldiers and the counterattack seemed powerless. Even he himself was pierced in the shoulder by an arrow that came from the sky.

Rumbling shouts came one after another, and every household closed their doors and windows. They were very afraid of these pirates, fearing that they would change their minds and rob the people's food.

In the end, this sudden attack was temporarily quelled after the pirates looted a large amount of food.

Lin Yuanzhou, the governor of four provinces, endured the pain and picked up his pen to write a memorial.

With trembling hands, he held the pen and wrote on the paper a request for help from Emperor Li Chengfeng.

"In the name of the Governor of the four coastal counties of Nanzhou, I hereby submit this memorial to Your Majesty, humbly begging for your attention."

He dipped his pen in ink, and wrote each word with a pleasing tone: "Your Majesty, Li Changqing, the Governor of the Four Counties, has been ordered to garrison the four counties of the East China Sea. Recently, they have been attacked by pirates, causing great hardship for the people and disrupting their normal lives."

"Although the pirates haven't massacred civilians, they frequently raid government warehouses, which is a serious problem."

"I hope Your Majesty will understand the suffering of those along the coast, urgently allocate funds, strengthen the army, and reassure the people.

After finishing writing, he just put down his pen. The ink-stained letter floated like duckweed on the lake, in Li Changqing's restless eyes.

He realized that this memorial was his last chance, his last struggle to protect the people living along the coast.

The fighting has subsided, but the fear and anxiety in my heart linger for a long time.

At this moment, the county port was deserted. Under the starry sky, the sea water beat against the shore, like a silent warning.