Help! The cunning and treacherous minister and I were reborn together!

The men who arrived were Zhao Xuanguang's subordinates.

They were supposed to take over the previous patrol's shift, but when they arrived, they found all their men lying on the ground and instinctively knew something was wrong.

The leader used fireworks as a signal to call for help from Zhao's army, requesting reinforcements.

Zhao Xuanguang wiped the water off his face. This was a local folk remedy for dispelling sleeping pills; it was crude, but effective.

"Doctor Pu has escaped. Search for him immediately. If he resists, shoot him on the spot!"

"Yes!"

Her subordinates led the soldiers away, and she looked at her deputy general, saying expressionlessly, "Is Xiao Zong still in the room?"

The lieutenant covered his mouth and whispered, "They're here, making quite a commotion! I was worried they'd spoil Commander Xiao's fun, so I only left two people to guard them."

The woman nodded without suspicion. "I need to get there now. Go and send a message to the army, telling them to sound the retreat and wait for orders."

The deputy general turned to carry out the task, while Zhao Xuanguang went back to his room to change his clothes before heading to Xiao Zong's room.

Her melodious and charming voice rose and fell, high and low, in a rhythmic and melodious way, until the two people outside the door were parched and their faces were flushed.

The two looked at each other, wondering why it wasn't over yet.

The woman in the room sighed in the same way, wondering when Lord Xiao would return. Her voice was about to go hoarse!

There was no water clock here, so she didn't know the time and was afraid that he would never return and she would die in bed.

She howled twice more, her heart filled with fear and tension; she opened her mouth but no sound came out.

As Zhao Xuanguang walked over from the corridor, the soldiers on duty immediately snapped out of their daze and straightened their backs.

"few……"

The woman pressed her finger to her lips, signaling them to be quiet. She then listened intently to the sounds inside and asked in a low voice, "How long have you been quiet?"

The subordinate mouthed, "Just finished."

The woman nodded and stood outside the door for about half an incense stick's time, guessing that the person inside was asleep, before pushing the door open and going in.

She walked around the screen, untied her sash, and laid her robe on the ground, making a mess of it. Then, wearing her undergarments, she tiptoed to the bedside, intending to switch places with the woman on the bed.

The candles in the room were almost burned out, casting a dim, yellowish light. She stepped onto the footstool, and the woman on the bed beamed with joy.

"Xiao——"

The woman and Zhao Xuanguang locked eyes, their gazes filled with shock.

"Young General?"

"Mei'er?"

Zhao Xuanguang was taken aback, then asked sternly, "Where is Xiao Zong?"

Mei'er swallowed hard. "They left right at the beginning."

Zhao Xuanguang's temples throbbed with anger. "Why didn't you tell the brothers outside the door? Instead, you're covering for him?"

Mei'er bit her lip, looking aggrieved, and said, "He poisoned me and forced me to obey him. Without the antidote in two hours, I'm doomed. Young General, please think of a way..."

"You've ruined my plans, you'd be better off dead!"

She moved away from the bedside, bent down to pick up her clothes, and quickly dressed. Then, she strode out, pondering Xiao Zong's intentions as she went.

Just as he was lost in thought, a soldier rushed over, shouting, "Something terrible has happened!"

"Don't panic, what happened?"

The soldier stopped in his tracks, panting, "Xiao Zong's men have broken in!"

"His troops are outside the city, how could they..."

Halfway through his speech, Zhao Xuanguang suddenly realized that Xiao Zong had used the smoke signals his men used to send messages to the army to impersonate the Zhao family army and enter the city!

She quickly calmed herself down. "Let's go to the backyard to get the horses, and then we'll go out through the west gate and rejoin the main force!"

The group mounted their horses and fled westward in a disheveled state, only to run into Xiao Zong head-on.

The red flag symbolizing Zhao's army fluttered in the wind, making a rustling sound.

Zhao Xuanguang looked stern. He had even subdued the Zhao family army?

No, how is that possible!

"Where is the young general going in the middle of the night?"

Xiao Zong rode on his tall horse, speaking in a casual tone, as if teasing prey in his palm.

Zhao Xuanguang retorted, "We have to train the troops tomorrow, and I can't sleep, so I'm going to check on things beforehand."

"I have been ordered by His Majesty to take over Xunyong Pass and oversee all military and political affairs in Fuzhou. General, you can go back and get a good night's sleep. As for the training, General Qiu and I will handle it!"

Zhao Xuanguang was furious, staring intently at General Qiu, that traitor!

The other party remained calm and fearless, saying, "Young General, there's still time to turn back."

Zhao Xuanguang sneered. She wanted to turn back, but behind her was an abyss, teeming with evil spirits eager to devour the Zhao family army.

They wished they could tear Zhao's army apart and chew it up. If even she compromised, what would happen to the soldiers below?

"Xiao Zong, you led your troops to attack the city in the dead of night, disrupting troop deployments and replacing the guards at the four gates. What are you trying to do? Are you planning a rebellion?"

Xiao Jianye rode over from the east, saying, "Young General, Commander Xiao has absolutely no intention of treason. All his actions are at His Majesty's behest."

Zhao Xuanguang sneered: "I have read the imperial edict. It does not say that His Majesty allows him to interfere in military affairs. You two are in cahoots, forging an imperial edict. Your crime is doubled!"

"Soldiers of the Zhao family army, do not be deceived by the traitors! All that has happened today is a conspiracy by Qiu Peng and the Xiao brothers. Quickly bind the traitors and send them to the capital for punishment!"

The Zhao family army was trained by General Zhao himself. The reason why General Qiu was in charge was twofold: first, he was the old general's adopted son; second, Zhao Xuanguang was a woman, and many of her subordinates were dissatisfied with her commanding such a large army.

However, Zhao Xuanguang's words instantly ignited the fighting spirit in the Zhao family army.

Their reputations were earned through real battles; they were heroes in life and ghosts in death. How could they become tools for privileged children to fight for power and profit?

With that thought in mind, the soldiers slowly raised their weapons...

The people were awakened by the sounds of war, thinking that the southern border had attacked, and they all got up to flee for their lives. When they went out, they found that the streets were full of Daqi soldiers. Not understanding what was going on, they huddled together in fear.

Before the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial were even sober, Dou Zhao dragged them out of bed to appease the people of the city.

"Commander Xiao is really being ridiculous. He doesn't tell us about his plans beforehand, and he just makes things so chaotic!"

"Exactly! I thought he was going to stay here and become a son-in-law of the Zhao family. I was worried sick for nothing!"

"Young man, really..."

After stabilizing the rear, the group rode their horses, wobbling and staggering, all the way to the west gate.

Xiao and Zhao were locked in a fierce battle, but Fang Shaoqing immediately read out the imperial edict, thus preventing a major conflict.

Imperial edicts and handwritten instructions were handled by different officials, all because His Majesty was worried that Xiao Zong would lead his men to flee.

There is a line in it: "If Xiao Zong has any rebellious intentions, he should be executed on the spot without needing to ask for permission."

Naturally, he couldn't let the Xiao brothers hear this, so he only said that Xiao Zong had the authority to act expediently, and didn't mention anything else.

Zhao Xuanguang got up sullenly and led his subordinates back to the general's mansion.

The guards in the manor were also replaced; their unfamiliar faces and armor fueled her anger.

One wrong move, and the whole game is lost.

The Zhao family has reached its end.

At the city gate, a disheveled woman rushed out of the alley and knelt down in front of the procession, blocking their way.

Her pale face was streaked with tears, and her voice choked with sobs: "Lord Xiao, please grant me the antidote and spare my life!"

The officials, unaware of the background, simply treated it as a romantic drama and watched with great interest.

Xiao Zong lowered his eyes, looking down at the woman on the ground, his voice completely flat.

"Two hours have passed, and you've shown up here perfectly well. Don't you understand?"

The woman was stunned. "Not poison?"

"It's just a hangover cure. You won't die even if you take ten pills. Get out of here."

The woman wiped away her tears, and as she left, she glanced casually at the back of the line.

Xiao Zong's eyes darkened as he drew an arrow from his quiver and nocked it to his bow.

Suddenly turning around, his gaze locked onto a lowly soldier at the back of the column, head bowed. The arrow left the bowstring and soared into the sky.

The soldier noticed and tried to dodge, but it was too late. He watched helplessly as the arrow pierced through his armor and sank into his chest.

Good archery skills.

Pu Hong thought as he collapsed.