My palace is full of female protagonists.

Zhao Chengyu's tense scalp gradually relaxed. He muttered to himself, his tone filled with a sense of relief at surviving a disaster: "If that 'grandmother' hadn't left in time, I'm afraid I would have really traveled back in time. There are actually other time travelers hiding in this world. Just thinking about it makes my heart tremble."

At this moment, the city gate slowly opened, as if the door to history had been gently pushed open a crack. Deputy General Zhang stood tall and straight on the inner side of the gate, followed closely by fifty soldiers standing guard, their silence exuding an undeniable authority. Four soldiers worked together, cautiously and slowly pushing the heavy gate; each creak signified that the boundary between the outside world and the city was blurring. On either side of the gate, other personnel operated complex mechanisms, unlocking several bolts at once—ancient wisdom displayed in its full glory.

A gust of wind, thick with the stench of decay, suddenly rushed in through the crack in the door. Although the battlefield outside the city had been cleared, the corpses buried deep beneath the ruins had long since turned to rotting flesh under the erosion of time, emitting a smell far more pungent than that of freshly slaughtered pigs and sheep in the market. The ground was mottled, black blood clots intertwined with rotting flesh, creating a nauseating scene. This sight was utterly different from the clean, bled butcher shops in the market; even pork stored for days could not compare to this stench originating from the abyss of death.

The indescribable odor made some soldiers' stomachs churn, forcing them to step aside, bend over, and vomit, trying to expel this filth from their bodies and minds.

Lieutenant General Zhang showed little surprise at the scene before him. The desolate yet magnificent post-war landscapes of the border had already left a deeper imprint on his memory. There, sparsely populated areas were filled with endless yellow sand, and a single gust of wind could easily bury half of the battlefield's remains beneath the yellow earth. Even so, the heavy atmosphere there was several times stronger than that outside the city gates. Even within the city, that lingering smell could persist for over a month. At this moment, these memories involuntarily flooded his mind, causing Lieutenant General Zhang to momentarily lose his composure, until the city gates slowly opened, revealing only General Meng and his six riders on the outskirts of the city. Upon seeing Lieutenant General Zhang, the seven men immediately dismounted, following closely behind General Meng, and bowed in salute.

General Meng, with a booming voice, announced loudly: "Meng She has come to pay homage to General Zhang."

Lieutenant General Zhang was suddenly jolted out of his reverie. He quickly returned the greeting, his expression showing a hint of fear: "I am but a mere deputy general. General Meng is the true commander-in-chief. How dare I accept the title of 'General'?"

Upon hearing this, General Meng's humility deepened. He gently waved his hand, his smile revealing sincerity: "When you were on the frontier, you were already a role model in my heart. Although you are now in a deputy position, you are still the face of the court. In terms of prestige and achievements, we generals with our meager merits are truly no match for you. At least in my heart, Meng She, my admiration for you is like a surging river, never-ending."

Deputy General Zhang thought to himself: "There's always a sense of courtesy when we meet. You weren't so polite to me when we were at the city gate."

Just then, Li Qing quietly emerged from behind Deputy General Zhang's soldiers and said softly, "Generals, would you mind moving in for a discussion?"

Soon, the second floor of the quaint teahouse by the city gate was completely surrounded by soldiers, except for one private room which was deliberately left open, making it exceptionally quiet. General Meng, Deputy General Zhang, and Li Qing sat around the table, sipping their tea, the atmosphere heavy with unspoken tension.

General Meng broke the silence first, his voice steady and direct: "Lord Li, what is the matter? Please speak frankly. As the head of the garrison outside the city, I must, according to custom, remove my armor and pay homage to His Majesty alone before entering the city, otherwise I may suffer an unjust accusation and be branded as a traitor."

Upon hearing this, Deputy General Zhang simply stared silently at the tea leaves floating in his cup, took a small sip, and remained silent.

Li Qing smiled slightly, seemingly having anticipated the difficulty of this conversation. He slowly took out a warm, lustrous jade pendant from his sleeve pouch, gently placed it on the table, and said slowly, "This is precisely the key point I wanted to make. Do the two generals still remember the mysterious Grand Tutor of the previous dynasty—Cen Hun?"

Upon hearing this, Deputy General Zhang's eyes involuntarily swept over the jade pendant, a strange glint flashing within them. General Meng, on the other hand, widened his eyes in shock, almost blurting out the name: "Cen Hun?!"

Li Qing faced north, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said solemnly, "Senior Cen, your dying words spoke of entrusting the lifeline of the nation to the one destined by Heaven."

General Meng, who also respected the North, bowed respectfully with a sorrowful expression: "Although Elder Cen had long since retired from the army and was enjoying family life, it is unexpected that he has passed away, which is truly regrettable."

At this moment, Deputy General Zhang interjected, his tone carrying a hint of warning: "Your Majesty, he is indeed the 'Man of Destiny.' Elder Cen is advanced in years, and his words before his death may have been somewhat incoherent. Lord Li, please do not regard them as golden rules, lest you jeopardize your own future."

Li Qing's gaze became exceptionally firm at this moment, and he slowly spoke: "This is exactly what I wanted to say. The current emperor is probably not the true chosen one of Heaven."

Upon hearing this, General Meng slammed his fist on the table in anger, his voice carrying an undeniable authority: "Lord Li, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to drag us both down with you? Or are you secretly colluding with those restless rioters outside the city?"

Li Qing smiled faintly, remaining calm and composed: "I have remained in the city from beginning to end, and I do not possess such extraordinary abilities. The one with real power must be the 'chosen one' who has yet to appear. If you gentlemen are willing to listen patiently to my explanation, perhaps you will not harbor any doubts about me or be so wary of me."

Deputy General Zhang moved with lightning speed. Before anyone could catch his movements, a flash of cold light appeared, and his knife was already firmly placed against Li Qing's shoulder. He said in a deep voice, "You should save those words for your report to the court."

General Meng followed closely behind, skillfully binding Li Qing's hands behind his back, his gaze questioning, "Lord Zhang, shall we settle this privately, or..."

Li Qing twisted his body, his words fierce: "Even at this point, you are still wholeheartedly serving that incompetent and foolish emperor? You bunch of utterly foolish people! The 'destined one' is the one who ensures the people of the capital live in peace and prosperity; that is the truly wise ruler worthy of our emulation!"

Deputy General Zhang sneered, his tone laced with sarcasm: "Does this mean that whoever has the ability can sit on the dragon throne? Li Qing, you've read too many books, have they confused your mind?" With that, he waved his hand lightly, and Li Qing collapsed unconscious.

Seeing this, General Meng quickly said, "Lord Zhang, judging from Li Qing's appearance, he clearly has the intention to rebel. This matter could be minor or major; if it's reported to the Emperor, we won't be able to escape blame! Why don't we say that Lord Li was unfortunately injured by the rioters outside the city, and simply..." He made a throat-slitting gesture, "These days, the borders are engulfed in war, and there are countless vassal kings with treacherous intentions. Since Li Qing mentioned that the man could make the region prosperous, the Emperor only needs to increase his taxes. If he truly intends to raise an army, my 30,000 elite troops are ready to be dispatched to suppress the bandits. At that time, I will definitely record a mark for you in the war merit book, what do you say?"

Deputy General Zhang said, "This is rebellion! How can you make it sound like vegetables are being sold at exorbitant prices at the market?"

General Meng waved his hand lightly and laughed, “You have silently guarded this majestic city wall for years, while I have been idly sitting in the camp outside the capital, my 30,000 iron cavalry only able to pass the time by boxing, which serves as daily training. Even if this matter is reported to the Emperor, he will at most reward me with some provisions, while I will still have to lead these 30,000 warriors on a long journey. Once we reach that territory, even if we can plunder some wealth, it will all have to be handed over to the national treasury. What are we after? If we take the initiative to attack and quell the incident, wouldn't we be able to distribute the spoils as we please?”

Deputy General Zhang's lips twitched slightly, and he smiled helplessly, "No wonder I've always been a deputy general. General Meng's thought process is truly 'unique.' Well, I am of low rank and position, so naturally I will follow your lead. As long as we don't mess things up and prevent the rioters from approaching the capital, I won't say anything more."

After saying this, General Meng hoisted the unconscious Li Qing onto his shoulder and moved with the agility of a whirlwind, disappearing from sight with Li Qing in an instant.

Deputy General Zhang frowned, remained silent, and sat alone until the sun set and the afterglow faded. Only then did he slowly get up and instruct his men to go inside and handle the follow-up matters.

Before dawn, Deputy General Zhang hurriedly entered the palace and, upon reporting back, detailed the strange sights outside the capital's city walls.

Zhao Chengyu, who had not slept a wink all night, casually threw on some civilian clothes and ordered Deputy General Zhang to go straight to his bedroom to report. A light curtain separated the two, thus sparing Deputy General Zhang the obligation to kneel.

Zhao Chengyu frowned and asked, "The events outside the city are definitely not a rebellion? Then why are these beggars willing to risk their lives to cause trouble at the city gates of the capital? Such behavior is not like ordinary women proving their integrity by dying. How can it be reasonable for them to gather at people's doorsteps to commit suicide and disturb people's peace?"

Deputy General Zhang scratched his head, looking troubled: "I have indeed found nothing. These beggars come from all directions, and it is impossible to trace their exact origins. If they were beggars who have been staying in the city for a long time, perhaps we could find a clue, but these are all homeless people from all over the country, which is really difficult to trace."

Zhao Chengyu thought to himself: Admittedly, paper is not yet widely available, and household registrations are all recorded on bamboo slips, making the entire government system operate slowly. Furthermore, these beggars are mostly alone, without any ties or assets to trace, making it truly troublesome. If it weren't for Fang Fei mentioning the existence of that other time traveler, this matter would probably have remained an unsolved mystery.

Zhao Chengyu cleared his throat slightly, his voice carrying an undeniable authority: "However, if this matter is not given a reasonable explanation, it will ultimately be difficult to convince the public. As the city gate guard, even if they no longer attempt suicide in such large groups in the future, how can you bear the burden if people come to you every day to end their lives? I am giving you seven days to find out the truth. Draft a notice immediately, and have Fang Hujie come to me later to have it stamped and posted outside the city gate."

Vice General Zhang was filled with mixed emotions, as if a thousand words were stuck in his throat, yet he couldn't help but recall General Meng's instructions. If he hadn't promised to conceal this matter, perhaps he wouldn't be in this dilemma today. If he were to rashly reveal Li Qing's affair now, it would be tantamount to deceiving the emperor, and he would be unable to escape punishment. Weighing the options, he felt it was better to avoid trouble, so he said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I am but a rough man. I am good at wielding swords and spears, but writing is truly not my forte. I would rather trouble Lord Fang to draft it first, and then I will present it to you."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chengyu gently lifted the gauze curtain, his gaze sharp, his tone tinged with reproach: "What? Are you going to become a hands-off manager, ignoring everything that doesn't concern you? You're unwilling to investigate people or even put pen to paper? Do you still want to keep your position as deputy commander of the city gate?"

This was the first time Vice General Zhang had witnessed Emperor Zhao Yingqing's true appearance up close. Even in civilian clothes, he was completely different from the majestic figure he appeared in his dragon robes. To a warrior like him, accustomed to the clash of swords, Zhao Yingqing's demeanor was like that of a gentle and refined gentleman, unparalleled in the world.

Deputy General Zhang's heart skipped a beat. He quickly lowered his head, his voice filled with undisguised fear and self-reproach. He whispered, "It is my incompetence. I only know how to brandish swords and spears, causing trouble for Your Majesty. I have truly lost face."

Zhao Chengyu sighed softly, a hint of helplessness in his eyes: "Never mind, if this city gate didn't need someone to guard it, it really wouldn't be right to make you warriors who fought bloody battles on the battlefield live here."

Just then, a sudden thought brushed past his ear like a gentle breeze: "Brother Zhao, are you about to fight those invading enemies? Or, I can think of a way to help you."

Zhao Chengyu was startled. He looked around but could only catch the delicate whispers of Princess Yi; he saw no one. An ominous premonition rose within him. He hurriedly called out towards the door, "Little Kuangzi! Little Kuangzi, come quick!"

Deputy General Zhang mistakenly thought that the Emperor was angry and was about to summon someone to punish him. He was so frightened that his legs went weak, and he knelt down on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty, it is my incompetence. Please forgive me."

Xiao Kuangzi rushed in and saw Deputy General Zhang kneeling on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, his voice filled with fear: "What urgent orders does Your Majesty have?"

Zhao Chengyu said in a deep voice, "Quickly send someone to find Princess Yi and bring her back—no, send her directly to the Empress's palace. Make sure the Empress keeps a close watch on Princess Yi and does not allow her to move around freely. Also, summon Yun Feiyu to the Imperial Study to await Your Majesty."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Kuangzi quickly responded and withdrew, while Deputy General Zhang remained kneeling on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.

A hint of impatience flashed across Zhao Chengyu's brow. He stepped forward and lightly kicked Zhang's shin, but it felt as if he had kicked a hard wooden stake, the impact causing a dull ache in his toes. He forced out the words through gritted teeth, "Stop kicking. Go and guard your city gate. Any official or wealthy merchant wishing to leave the city must first report to me before being allowed to pass. Do you understand?"

Deputy General Zhang looked up and tentatively asked, "So, the city gates can be opened now?"

Zhao Chengyu nodded, his expression grave: "If we don't open it soon, the people in the city might start to cause trouble. But you must keep a close eye on it for me."

After receiving instructions, Deputy General Zhang got up to take his leave.

Zhao Chengyu thought to himself: In this way, even if Princess Yi wanted to escape, she would probably have no chance of getting away.