Reborn, I was pursued by the Prince of the Broken Sleeves

Meanwhile, deep within Baiyun Mountain.

The huge campfire crackled, illuminating the excited yet ferocious faces of the people.

Dozens of heavy silver chests were placed in the very center, like offerings to the god of greed.

"Hahaha! Prince Jin is indeed straightforward!" The bandit leader grabbed a silver ingot and examined it closely in the firelight. Its captivating luster made him overjoyed. "Go back and tell His Highness that my brothers will definitely be there on time at midnight five days from now to pave the way for him!"

The henchmen swarmed around the silver box, cheering and jumping for joy.

Someone grabbed a silver ingot and tossed it high into the air, causing a scramble among the crowd.

With a loud clang, a silver ingot struck the rock beside the campfire and cracked in two—beneath the thin silver outer layer lay a dark brown iron core!

The revelry came to an abrupt end.

The bandit leader's face twitched violently. He shoved the crowd aside, drew the dagger from his waist, and slashed at the silver ingots in the box like a madman.

"Click!" "Click!"

One cut, two cuts... without exception, every single "ingot" that was split open was black-hearted!

"Fake...it's all fake!" The bandit leader's eyes were bloodshot as he slammed the iron block in his hand to the ground and roared, "You scoundrel Ye Zhi! How dare you deceive me! I don't want this enormous wealth! Let whoever wants to wade into this muddy water wade in!"

Before he could finish speaking, the sound of galloping hooves suddenly came from the distant mountains, accompanied by the panicked cries of forest birds, instantly shattering the silence of the forest.

"Chief! It's terrible! Soldiers... a lot of soldiers are attacking!" A sentry covered in blood scrambled over, his face filled with terror. "They... they seem to know the way, they're heading straight for our camp!"

"Impossible!" the bandit leader exclaimed in disbelief. "This place is well-hidden; without an inside man, they would never find it!"

"It's a box!" A quick-thinking bandit pointed sharply at the overturned silver boxes. In the shadows, barely illuminated by the flickering firelight, some inconspicuous powder seemed to be attached to the bottom of the boxes.

In the darkness, the powder emitted faint green glows, like will-o'-the-wisps, guiding the encirclement army below the mountain with the clearest path.

"It's the tracking incense! We've been betrayed!"

The bandit leader instantly understood everything. Overwhelmed by a sense of betrayal and despair, his blood boiled. He drew his broadsword and roared, "Brothers! Ye Zhi is ruthless, so don't blame us for being unjust! Let's fight these government lackeys and carve a bloody path through them!"

The deafening shouts of battle and the clash of weapons instantly replaced the previous false celebration, echoing fiercely through the valley.

However, in the face of absolute power, the clamor gradually subsided, and finally, only deathly silence remained. The smell of blood in the air proclaimed the complete annihilation of a force.

The following morning at court, Emperor Daqian, dragging his ailing body and looking haggard, sat on the dragon throne. After listlessly handling state affairs, he asked the court officials for the first time about the suitable candidate for the position of crown prince.

The courtiers, with their eyes fixed on their noses and noses seemingly reflecting on their own thoughts, subtly analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of each prince.

In the past, Prince Jin Yezhi would have been the first choice.

Unfortunately, he has recently suffered a series of setbacks, and Consort Bai is involved with spies from Huanyue Kingdom and is even implicated in poisoning the Emperor.

For this reason alone, Prince Jin Yezhi, who was under house arrest, lost his eligibility.

Therefore, between the eldest prince and Prince Qi Yemo, many court officials naturally chose Prince Qi Yemo, who had distinguished himself in battle and was well-liked by the army.

After listening to the recommendations of the people, the Emperor of Daqian remained silent for a while before speaking: "I was unwell, and I am very grateful to Princess Anlan for her miraculous healing skills."

He praised Su Manman profusely, and then rewarded her with a great deal of gold, silver, brocade, and silk.

The court officials were perfectly clear-headed.

Could His Majesty's actions be interpreted as an agreement with their recommendation, a reward bestowed upon the future Princess Consort of Qi, and an indirect acknowledgment of His Highness Prince Qi?

Now, it seems that all that's needed is a catalyst to establish Ye Mo as the crown prince.

Then, the Emperor Qianlong mentioned the major theft that had recently occurred in the capital.

Thieves were rampant, causing widespread panic. As soon as it got dark, the once bustling streets were deserted.

Catching the thieves is of utmost urgency.

Emperor Daqian ordered Prince Qi to join forces with the Prefect of Jingzhao and others to capture the bandits.

At this time, a rumor spread that the bandits had fled deep into the dense forests of Baiyun Mountain with the stolen goods.

His Highness Prince Qi immediately mustered his troops and personally led two thousand soldiers out of the city to suppress the bandits at Baiyun Mountain.

The court officials were whispering among themselves that this was the perfect opportunity to establish a crown prince.

If Prince Qi Yemo can wipe out the bandits in one fell swoop and make great contributions to the bandit suppression, the emperor will make him the crown prince immediately.

When the news reached Prince Jin's residence, Ye Zhi smashed several tea sets. That night, she secretly met with Prime Minister Bai and summoned her advisors and confidants for a long discussion.

Once Ye Mo is made crown prince, even if the Great Qian Emperor dies, it will be illegitimate to overthrow Ye Mo.

An uprising is imminent.

That night, Xiao Ao, a patrolman, was assassinated by an unidentified man in black while on a routine patrol near the capital. He was seriously injured, and several imperial physicians went to his residence, but they all shook their heads, saying that his injuries were too severe and he would not survive for more than a few days.

Therefore, the commander of the patrol battalion was replaced by the deputy commander, Song Rui.

This person is secretly a confidant of Prince Jin.

On the fifth day, at General Chi's mansion, Miss Chi, who had been staying at home all the time, was kidnapped on her way to pay respects to her deceased mother. Her fate is unknown.

General Chi was furious and led a group of men to the vicinity of Baiyun Temple to conduct a thorough search for people.

The only available military force in the entire capital was the Imperial Guard.

The commander of the Imperial Guards was a man of Ye Zhi.

Ye Zhi had been planning for a long time, intending to ascend the throne as emperor in a natural way, but unfortunately, she made a mistake and still ended up in this situation.

Raising troops to plan a cause was a last resort, but it was also a matter of being determined to succeed!

Tonight, at midnight, the stars are shining brightly, and there is not a breath of wind!

At the foot of the imperial city, all was deathly silent.

Ye Zhi and Prime Minister Bai were dressed in military attire, their cold armor gleaming faintly in the thin moonlight.

Behind them stood thousands of private soldiers, holding their breath like venomous snakes lurking in the night.

In the shadows of the palace gates, the appointed inside man appeared on time, and the heavy palace gates slid open a crack in the silence, like the open mouth of a giant beast.

Time ticked by in the oppressive wait.

A sudden gust of wind rose both inside and outside the palace gates.

Ye Zhi gripped the sword hilt tightly, her knuckles turning white from excessive force.

A chilling premonition that something terrible was about to happen crept up his spine and slowly spread throughout his body.

But the arrow was already on the bowstring, and it had to be released!

Suddenly, the palace gates slammed shut behind them with a heavy thud.

Suddenly, torches lit up inside the gate, their light making them resemble dragons and armor.

Countless elite imperial guards, armed with sharp swords and crossbows, formed an impenetrable wall, completely surrounding Ye Zhi and his private army.

At the very front of the Imperial Guards stood a man in black armor and a black robe, his posture upright like a pine tree—it was none other than Prince Qi, Ye Mo.

It was as if he had been waiting there for a long time!

"Didn't you go to Baiyun Mountain to suppress bandits?" Ye Zhi blurted out in alarm.

"If I go to suppress the bandits, then my brother can lead a large army into the palace in the dead of night, fully armored. Is he planning to force the emperor to abdicate?" Ye Mo's voice was calm and even, yet clear and terrifying in the silent night.

Ye Zhi's face turned deathly pale in the torchlight.