Report to the Empress and the Eldest Princess: They're using the system to poach your men.

"Mo Yun, is that... our lord?"

A man in black armor in the distance pointed in Shen Sangwan's direction.

The person called Mo Yun followed the man's gesture and looked over.

"Go and have a look."

Before they even got close enough to see Shen Sangwan's face, the two recognized the person on the ground as the one they were looking for.

"Mo Feng, send the signal immediately."

Upon hearing this, the man in black armor found a spot where his head wasn't too obscured by the dense forest, took out a signal firework from his pocket, and lit it.

Mo Yun first checked Shen Sangwan's breathing and breathed a sigh of relief when he found that she was only unconscious.

They carefully helped the person up from the ground, and then, with the help of several subordinates, carried Shen Sangwan on their backs.

Throughout the journey, Shen Sangwan was jolted violently on Mo Yun's back.

"Cough cough cough-"

The armor was so uncomfortable that Shen Sangwan couldn't help but cough softly twice.

"My lord, just hold on a little longer, and we'll be out of this forest soon."

Shen Sangwan obediently lay on the other person's back, not daring to utter a sound.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a carriage was parked in the distance, with two groups of people standing orderly on both sides.

There are probably around 500 people.

Throughout this journey, Shen Sangwan continuously communicated with the system in her mind, finally gaining a clear understanding of the ins and outs of the matter.

After taking the Vitality Pill, Shen Sangwan's body was mostly fine, except that her external injuries looked rather serious.

Mo Yun carefully put Shen Sangwan down from his back, and Mo Feng helped her up.

"Reporting to my lord, a letter has arrived from the capital. The Third Prince's troops have already surrounded the imperial city, and my lord has also fallen into the Duke of Wen's ambush. It seems that rescuing the emperor this time will be quite difficult."

Mo Ran knelt on the ground, bowed his head and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Shen Sangwan lowered her voice, trying to make it sound more authoritative.

"Where are General Liang's troops now?"

"Even at top speed, it will take three more days to reach Zhongdu."

Shen Sangwan felt a throbbing sensation in her temples.

"How many imperial guards are currently stationed in the capital, capable of operating from within and without?"

"Less than ten thousand."

I learned from the system that the Third Prince, Wing King, had instigated a rebellion, and the rebel army he conspired with included the Nuhe Army stationed at the West Pass.

Although their combat strength was not as good as the Yanmo Army under her command, which had been trained by the former Princess, the enemy had the advantage of having more people.

When the eldest princess received the letter from Zhongdu pleading for help, she thought that the only troops available were the 20,000 river garrison troops under the command of Duke Wen.

Therefore, he only brought 30,000 troops, while the remaining 70,000 remained to guard Qinzhou City, a pass adjacent to the Northern Wu Kingdom.

With 30,000 Yanmo troops against 20,000 Hetun troops, plus the Imperial Guards in the capital, victory should have been assured.

But now that they have 50,000 more troops in Nu River, with 30,000 against 70,000, their chances of winning are practically zero.

If she waited for Liang Huaiting's 100,000 troops to arrive in Zhongdu, her younger brother, the future emperor, would have already passed away.

"Master, Master, emergency!"

[Master, you've checked the system's items tens of thousands of times, but you still can't find what you need. I'm powerless to help you.]

Shen Sangwan looked somewhat somber.

Mo Ran and the others thought their lord was pondering a good plan.

In truth, Shen Sangwan was thinking about how she could die more comfortably.

What's wrong with this main system?

Why kill off her main character right at the start?

If you want her punished, just say so directly. Don't beat around the bush and use these fancy tricks.

"Tongzi, what do you think? Why don't we pick a propitious spot and just die here?"

[Master, if the main system detects that the host has suicidal intentions, it will forcibly stop him, and he will also suffer 8,888 kinds of punishments. Master, please think carefully before taking any action!]

[I%\u0026%\u003d\u0026*@]

Is it possible to obtain and use the same type of item indefinitely within the system?

【Bingo!】

If we want to win this battle, there is no other way but to outsmart them.

The system has itching powder in the "Powder" section, but she actually wants chili powder more, but unfortunately this system doesn't seem to have anything to do with food.

Although itching powder cannot interfere with the enemy's vision like chili powder, once it gets on your skin, the discomfort will likely make you unable to fight.

Hundreds or even thousands of itchy powders appearing out of nowhere—anyone would probably consider her a monster!

Most importantly, she had to keep clicking "OK," which was also a physically demanding task.

[Master, we have detected your friend Cen Yan in the vicinity, along with a troop of soldiers, approximately a thousand strong.]

Shen Sangwan was still thinking about how to take the items out quietly without anyone noticing anything unusual when the system's voice came to mind.

"My lord, a group of men is coming this way; they should be the Duke of Wen's men."

Mo Ran's voice and the system's words sounded one after the other.

"Kill, leave no one alive."

A chill ran through the air, and their gazes were icy and merciless, like the gleaming edge of a blade.

Shen Sangwan felt a surge of resentment, as if something was about to burst forth from her body.

"The soldiers lined up, ready to meet the enemy."

"My lord, your health—?"

As a woman, Mo Yun was naturally more attentive than the two men, Mo Ran and Mo Feng. Looking at Shen Sangwan, who was covered in injuries, she couldn't help but feel worried.

"It's alright. The vines and leaves cushioned the fall, so it's just a minor injury and nothing serious."

The carriage was prepared by Mo Ran at Mo Yun's instruction, but now it seems it's unnecessary.

Shen Sangwan felt a little fortunate. Fortunately, she was a regular at equestrian clubs in modern times, otherwise her horseback riding would have been exposed today.

Mo Feng led over a chestnut horse. Upon sensing its master's presence, the chestnut horse became very excited and nudged Shen Sangwan, shaking its "handsome" head.

Shen Sangwan mounted her horse with fluid, graceful movements.

"set off!"

With the reins firmly in hand and feet pressed tightly against the horse's belly, the horse neighed and then galloped off like a whirlwind.

Mo Ran and the others also mounted their horses and followed closely behind Shen Sangwan.

Walking along the dirt road lined with trees, fragrant grasses grow luxuriantly beside it.

The trees along the nearby path are arranged in an orderly fashion, and the air is filled with the faint fragrance of flowers.

Shen Sangwan thoroughly enjoyed the experience; compared to the club's horse farm, this place was far more captivating.

About a mile away, a group of people was heading this way.

But no matter how you look at it, there are fewer than a thousand people as the system said; at most, there are only a hundred or so.

"Lord, be careful!"

An arrow suddenly shot towards Shen Sangwan, but fortunately she reacted quickly, tightened the reins, and forced the horse to change course, thus dodging the arrow.

The startled horse raised its front hooves high, neighed loudly, and galloped wildly, its hooves pounding the ground.

Shen Sangwan remained calm and seized the opportunity to pull the reins tight. She sat calmly on the saddle without fear and managed to keep the horse steady.

"Are you scoundrels destined to hide in the shadows and do such despicable things forever?"

Shen Sangwan took the longbow from the saddle, covered it with arrows, and fired an arrow back in the direction of the previous hidden arrow. The force of the arrow exceeded Shen Sangwan's expectations.

She suddenly realized that her body often unconsciously did things that she was used to doing.

For example, just now he was riding a horse, now he is drawing a bow and shooting an arrow.

A muffled groan was followed by the sound of a body rolling to the ground.

"Your Highness is truly resilient. You survived falling from such a high cliff and are still able to draw a bow and arrow. It seems you don't even have any internal injuries."

The one speaking first was the commander of the Imperial Guards, holding a sharp sword and standing against the wind.

Seven or eight hundred people suddenly stood up from the bushes on both sides of the road.

"Qu Yan, His Majesty has treated you well, is this how you repay his kindness?"

The man named Qu Yan sneered upon hearing this, "Your Highness, everyone looks out for themselves. I've been in the position of Commander of the Imperial Guards for too long and I'm getting tired of it. I'd like to climb higher and see some different scenery."

"Ha—the higher you climb, the harder you fall; one wrong step and you could fall to your death."

As Shen Sangwan raised her hand, about to order a fight, Qu Yan clapped his hands first, and his subordinates lifted a woman off the ground.

Her fine clothes were covered in mud, her hair was disheveled, and her hairpins and ornaments hung loosely and precariously among her hair, making her look quite disheveled.

"On the way to find His Highness, by sheer coincidence, we encountered Miss Cen, who was returning from Thousand Buddha Temple to fulfill a vow."

The woman was forced to raise her head, revealing her dirty face.

The moment their eyes met, Shen Sangwan became extremely agitated and roared out.

"Let her go!"

"Your Highness, losing control of one's emotions on the battlefield is a major taboo in military strategy."

The man's longsword was only half a centimeter away from Cen Yan's throat.

Shen Sangwan gripped the longbow tightly, trying to calm herself down. She raised her head with a determined look and whistled the moment she drew the bowstring.

That was the secret code between the former princess and Mo Yun and the others.

Arrows were fired, and Mo Ran and the others raised their spears and surrounded the target.

The arrow was so fast that Qu Yan didn't have time to react. It whizzed past his cheek and pierced the throat of the person holding Cen Yan hostage behind him.

"Giddy up—" Shen Sangwan squeezed the horse's flanks with both legs and charged forward like a gust of wind.

"Princess, please bless me this once, for the sake of our shared name."

Before the other person could react, he scooped them up onto his horse.

Muscle memory made it less strenuous for her, and she easily lifted Cen Yan onto the horse.

"Mo Yun, take fifty men and quickly wipe out that group of people in front. The rest of you, make sure to disinfect Qu Yan and the others completely, leaving no survivors."

"I humble my position and take orders."

Qu Yan's biggest regret was listening to Duke Wen's words and only bringing fifty imperial guards, with the rest being the enemy's river garrison troops.

He hadn't expected Shen Sangwan to be unharmed; he had assumed the signal firework was launched by Mo Ran and the others after they found the other's body.

Therefore, he left a group of men in the open to attract attention, while he ambushed Shen Sangwan's confidants, intending to kill them.

Now, we're probably trapped like turtles in a jar or fish in a net, with no way to escape our fate.

"kill--"

The air was filled with the piercing sounds of clashing swords, the deafening roar mixed with screams of agony, the desolate landscape stained with blood.

After the chaotic battle, the air was filled with a nauseating stench of blood. The gray and white clouds mingled together, casting a mottled and dark shadow on the pools of blood on the ground that shimmered with an eerie light.

Cen Yan felt weak all over, her legs were limp, and her mind was a complete blank.

"Little Yan'er, don't sleep!"

"Shen Sangwan—?"