As soon as I put it on, I met a sickly man

The sound of horse hooves in the distance was getting closer and closer, beating like drums in everyone's heart.

Ding Chen and others held their breath, their eyes fixed on the direction where the sound came from, with a glimmer of hope flickering in their eyes.

On the other hand, Zhao Shangshu and Zhang Moushi had smiles of confidence on their faces, as if the arrival of reinforcements was a foregone conclusion.

Amidst the flying dust, a group of people gradually emerged.

However, the moment he saw the flag of the incoming person, Minister Zhao's smile froze on his face, replaced by incredible horror.

The distinctive flag of the Royal Guard fluttered in the wind, like a bolt from the blue, shocking everyone present.

"Xuanyuan Che! How could it be you?!" Minister Zhao exclaimed in shock, his tone filled with panic and confusion.

Xuanyuan Che was riding a tall horse, dressed in military uniform, looking majestic.

He swept his cold gaze over Minister Zhao and the others, and a mocking arc appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Minister Zhao, long time no see. It seems you are enjoying yourself here."

It turned out that before being trapped, Xuanyuan Che had already noticed that something was wrong and secretly sent a message to the commander of the Royal Guards, informing him of his location and the possible dangers he might encounter.

Now the Imperial Guards arrived in time and surrounded Minister Zhao and others, and the situation was reversed in an instant.

Minister Zhao's face turned from red to white, and then from white to blue, like an overturned palette, full of brilliant colors.

He forced himself to remain calm and shouted sternly, "Xuanyuan Che, are you planning a rebellion?! I'm an official appointed by the imperial court, and you dare to lead your troops to surround me!"

Xuanyuan Che sneered and ignored Minister Zhao's bluff. Instead, he took out a gold medal from his arms and held it high above his head.

"According to the Emperor's secret order, arrest the rebel Minister Zhao and his accomplices! Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!"

The gold medal shone brightly in the sun, like a judgment of justice, announcing the end of Minister Zhao.

The soldiers of the Imperial Guard responded in unison: "As ordered!" The murderous voice made Minister Zhao and others completely lose the courage to resist.

Zhang Moushi's face was pale and his lips were trembling. He wanted to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.

Minister Zhao slumped down on the ground, his eyes filled with despair...

He stretched out his hand tremblingly, pointed at Xuanyuan Che, and said in a hoarse voice: "You...you..."

Seeing that the danger was temporarily over, Xiaoxuan's body softened and she leaned into Ding Chen's arms.

Ding Chen hugged her and felt her soft body, a faint fragrance entering his nose.

Xiaoxuan raised her head, her eyes full of admiration and dependence. Ding Chen's heart was moved, and a strange feeling spread in his heart.

This delicate atmosphere was broken by Minister Zhao's hysterical shouting.

"Xuanyuan Che! You are framing me! You are trying to rebel! I am loyal to the emperor, as the sun and the moon can attest! How dare you, traitors, slander the officials of the court!" Minister Zhao roared at the top of his lungs, like a trapped beast, trying to incite the soldiers of the Imperial Guard.

"Are you going to believe the slander of this traitor? I am innocent! The Emperor will surely stand up for me!"

Xuanyuan Che watched Minister Zhao's performance coldly, with a hint of disdain on the corner of his mouth.

He waved his hand and the soldiers behind him lifted up a heavy wooden box.

Xuanyuan Che opened the wooden box, and inside were the letters between Minister Zhao and the enemy country, as well as the account books of his corruption and bribery.

The evidence is irrefutable and cannot be denied.

"Minister Zhao, do you have anything else to say?" Xuanyuan Che's voice was as cold as ice, like a death warrant, making Minister Zhao feel as if he was falling into an icy cave.

When the imperial guards saw the evidence, they were immediately shocked and glared at Minister Zhao.

They had originally had some doubts about Xuanyuan Che's actions, but now that the truth was out, they realized that they were almost deceived by Minister Zhao.

Minister Zhao's face turned pale in an instant. His lips trembled as he pointed at Xuanyuan Che, but he couldn't say a word.

He never imagined that his carefully planned conspiracy would be exposed so easily.

He looked around in despair, only to find that the officials who had once flattered him were now staying away, fearing that they would be implicated by him.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Minister Zhao suddenly jumped up from the ground, snatched the sword from the guard beside him, pointed it at Xuanyuan Che, and roared: "Even if I die, I will take you with me!" After that, he rushed towards Xuanyuan Che like a madman.

At the critical moment, General Lin rushed forward and stood in front of Xuanyuan Che...

"Master Su, regarding the evidence against Minister Zhao..."

Censor Su stepped forward and enumerated Minister Zhao's crimes one by one, from corruption and bribery to collusion with the enemy country. The evidence was conclusive for each case, which filled the imperial guards with indignation.

Xuanyuan Che gave an order: "Capture them!" The Royal Guards were like a tiger descending from the mountain, and instantly surrounded Zhao Shangshu, Zhang Moushi and others.

Zhao Shangshu and Zhang Moushi were naturally unwilling to surrender, and they fought desperately. However, in front of the well-trained imperial guards, their struggle seemed so powerless.

Zhang Moushi was quickly subdued, while Zhao Shangshu was like a trapped beast, waving his sword wildly and cursing Xuanyuan Che, Ding Chen and others.

Finally, he fell to the ground exhausted and was tied up by the Royal Guards.

As the news spread, the onlookers burst into deafening cheers.

They spread the news and celebrated that the corrupt officials were brought to justice and justice was served.

Xiaoxuan snuggled up to Ding Chen with a relieved smile on her face.

Ding Chen hugged her gently, his eyes firm, and secretly vowed in his heart to protect this hard-earned peace.

Logically speaking, at this point, Minister Zhao should have burst into tears and begged for forgiveness.

However, he suddenly laughed out loud, his laughter was sharp and piercing, and it was creepy.

"Do you think you've won by catching me? Foolish! There's an even greater force behind me. Just wait and see, the best is yet to come!"

Everyone was stunned, feeling a little uneasy.

What exactly is this “greater force”?

Is there a deeper conspiracy behind this?

Just when everyone was puzzled, Minister Zhao suddenly bit his tongue and blood gushed out.

He widened his eyes, and a strange light flashed in them, as if suggesting that a greater danger was about to come.

Then he fell heavily to the ground and died.

Ding Chen stepped forward, squatted down, and carefully examined Minister Zhao's body.

His eyes fell on Minister Zhao's clenched fist, and he slowly stretched out his hand, trying to pry it open...

"Wait a minute," General Lin suddenly said, "Be careful, there's a trap."