Crown Prince of the Empire, I quit!

Qin Ming grabbed it and scanned it quickly. Meng Zhi's rough, sloppy handwriting, each word etched with tears of blood, caught his eye:

"...Yuquan Pass has fallen...Defending General Wei Wenhuan has died for his country...The Hunxie tribe, along with six other tribes, has brought an allied force of over 80,000 men into our territory...The vanguard is heavily armored and equipped with powerful bows and crossbows, their range and penetration far exceeding ours...I suspect...I suspect this matches the equipment found in the ordnance case! The enemy has reached Ningyuan Town...I will lead my troops to support them, but we are outnumbered and fear we will not be able to hold out for long...Your Majesty, swiftly dispatch the Black Armor Army from the western front to support us by night! The northern border is in danger! Daqian is in danger!!..."

The words that followed were already blurred, and it was unclear whether they were stained by tears or blood.

"Their armor is strong and their weapons are sharp... they far surpass ours..." Qin Ming's fingers gripped the edge of the silk scroll tightly, his knuckles turning white from the strain. The Hedong Arms Case! The piercing shame and icy anger instantly consumed him! Those corrupt officials had embezzled not only money, but also the trust of the border troops and, ultimately, the safety of the empire! Their greed, now a sharp weapon, became the enemy's weapon to slaughter their own compatriots!

Ying Qi reappeared like a ghost, whispering, "Your Majesty, the envoy of the Hunxie tribe... has vanished without a trace in the capital. Fragments of a secret letter from Tongbei were found in the residence of the Junior Minister of the Honglu Temple. The prince... claimed illness and closed his residence to visitors three days ago, but the guards in the residence have been frequently mobilized..."

Internal traitors and external enemies! The sharp edge of the audit storm actually became a cover for the enemy to launch a fatal attack!

Qin Ming suddenly raised his head, his eyes blazing with a cold fire that was strong enough to burn everything! That wasn't anger, but pure, deep-seated murderous intent against traitors and invaders!

"Deliver the order!" His voice was like the collision of ten thousand years of black ice, with the power to tear people's hearts apart:

"Order! Meng Zhi firmly holds Ningyuan and must not retreat a single step! All supplies must be supplied to the Ningyuan frontier first! Mobilize all forces in the northern border and defend every inch of land to the death!"

"Order! Li Gan, withdraw your camp from Liangzhou immediately! Lead 30,000 black-armored cavalry, abandon all baggage, and march with three horses each, along the Hexi Corridor, day and night, straight into the Hunxie tribe's lair!"

"Order! The Privy Council and the Ministry of War are to mobilize the troops from the capital, Henan, and Shandong provinces, as well as the garrisons! Within ten days, assemble 100,000 infantrymen, led by the Privy Councilor's Deputy Envoy, to rush to the aid of Beiting!"

"Order! Ministry of Revenue, open all reserve silver and granaries! Requisition all available carriages, horses, and ships! Ensure the logistical supply of the army! Anyone who delays will have their entire clan executed!"

"Order! Ministry of Justice, Supreme Court! Arrest the Vice Minister of the Honglu Temple immediately! Seal off all the prince's residences and villas! Search for evidence! Anyone suspected of collaborating with the enemy, regardless of identity, will be imprisoned immediately! I will personally judge them!"

Five consecutive decrees, like five thunderbolts, carried with them the emperor's raging fury and icy resolve, boomed across the heart of the empire! An unexpected foreign invasion completely disrupted the internal reforms Qin Ming had single-handedly promoted! The pain of the new policies had barely subsided when a more brutal and unprecedented national war suddenly arrived!

It is easy to conquer the world, but it is extremely difficult to keep it.

Inside the Western Warm Pavilion, the air seemed to be completely drained away by Qin Ming's five thunderous decrees, freezing into ice. The Imperial Guards and scribes, their faces pale, rushed out of the pavilion almost on their hands and knees, transforming the Emperor's will into expedited military orders that ripped through the night sky for 800 miles, shooting towards all corners of the empire.

Qin Ming stood alone before the vast map of the northern border, his back as straight as a pine tree, his dark dragon robe casting a dim glow under the candlelight. His fingertips pressed heavily on the insignificant black dot of "Ningyuan Town," as if to channel all his surging murderous intent and icy rage through the thin silk and pour it into the land about to be engulfed in blood and fire.

"Shadow Seven."

"The minister is here."

"That prince...who is he?" Qin Ming's voice was low and no emotion could be heard, but it was more frightening than a roar.

In the shadows, Ying Qi's voice was calm: "Your Majesty, the fragments of the secret letter point to... Prince Huaiyang, Qin Zhang."

Huaiyang Wang, Qin Zhang. The younger brother of the late emperor and the emperor's uncle, he was known for his elegant and leisurely life, his indifference to state affairs. His residence was always filled with music and singing, making him a well-known wealthy idler in the capital.

The last trace of warmth in Qin Ming's eyes completely disappeared, leaving only a dead silence like ten thousand years of ice.

"Uncle..." He chewed on the two words gently, a smile curling up the corners of his mouth without any smile. "Good, very good. My uncle has given me a...huge surprise."

He didn't immediately order the punishment of a single prince, as that would have caused a major upheaval in the court. He simply said, "Add more personnel to keep a close watch on the Huaiyang Palace. Not even a fly is allowed to escape. All in and out are under strict surveillance. I want to see what other demons and monsters are hiding beneath this facade of peace and prosperity!"

"Here!"

Ying Qi disappeared. Qin Ming cast his gaze back at the map. The flames of war in the north must be extinguished immediately! The cancer within must also be eradicated! But the order must be correct!

……

Northern border, Ningyuan Town.

This frontier military town, located northeast of the Beiting Protectorate, had transformed into a Shura battlefield. The Hunxie coalition's 80,000 cavalrymen, like a black torrent bursting through a dam, madly attacked the hastily constructed defenses outside the town. Arrows filled the sky like a swarm of locusts, smashing into the Qian army's flimsy shields and wooden fences with deadly thuds.

Meng Zhi personally arrived at the front, his armor stained with blood and mud. His hoarse roar was barely audible amid the deafening cries of killing and explosions: "Hold on! Hold on for me! Archers! Covering fire! Spearmen, thrust! Don't let the barbarians' horses charge in!"

The ferocity of the enemy's attack was far beyond their expectations. Even more chilling was the terrifyingly well-equipped enemy vanguards! Their arrows could easily penetrate the leather armor of the Qian soldiers, even threatening their shields! Their scimitars were even sharper and more resilient. In several close encounters, the Qian army's standard waist swords were actually cleaved!

"General! The east fence has been breached!"

"General! We're running out of crossbow arrows!"

The bad news kept coming. Ningyuan Town was not a strong fortress, with only 10,000 defenders. Facing an enemy force several times larger and even slightly better equipped, the defense was shaky.

Meng Zhi's eyes were bloodshot. He swung his sword and knocked down a Qiang cavalryman who had rushed forward at the risk of his life. He shouted, "Light the fire! Light the kerosene in the trench for me!"

boom--!

The kerosene ditch that had been prepared long ago was ignited instantly, and a wall of fire suddenly rose up, temporarily blocking the Qiang cavalry's most ferocious charge. The air was filled with the stench of burnt flesh and the enemy's howls.

Taking advantage of this brief moment, Meng Zhi grabbed the deputy general and said in a hoarse, urgent voice, "You! Take a team and evacuate the elderly, weak, women, and children in the town through the secret passage to the Blackstone Fort behind! Quick!"

"General! Then you..."

"Follow military orders!" Meng Zhi roared, "I'm not dead yet! As long as Ning Yuan is alive, I'm here! If Ning Yuan dies, I die!"

The deputy general took the order and left with tears in his eyes.

Meng Zhi turned around and looked at the enemy troops gathering behind the wall of fire, like a dark cloud looming overhead. He spat out a mouthful of blood, raised his sword and roared: "Men of the Black Armor Army! His Majesty is watching us! Behind us are the elders of our homeland! Today, there is no life or death! Kill--!!"