Saving the foolish general, she accidentally becomes his favorite.

The trip to the imperial tombs turned a crisis into an opportunity.

Mo Chen also recruited a group of fierce generals, and Ru Feng made an indispensable contribution, but he did not show off like a meritorious person should.

Ru Feng knew perfectly well that he was not the one who came up with all these solutions.

What everyone saw next was that Ru Feng was still working diligently for the Regent, giving instructions on the itinerary for returning to the city.

At the same time, Ru Feng also took in everyone's reactions and dared not relax.

He addressed the marching contingent:

"The matter of the imperial mausoleum is of great importance and is no ordinary natural disaster. It must be a man-made calamity. If you encounter anything on your way back to the city, remember to protect yourselves. Also, the Regent will be in the carriage to prevent the enemy from attacking you from the shadows."

Upon hearing this, everyone became more vigilant, especially the army guarding the tomb.

They all depend on the regent for their livelihood...

The scheme involving the imperial tomb was intricately linked, and sure enough, on Mo Chen's way back to the capital, countless assassins suddenly appeared!

These assassins possessed superb swordsmanship, their attacks were ruthless and vicious, and every strike was intended to kill!

The eunuchs and palace maids were terrified, and many of them perished.

As if anticipating an ambush, Ru Feng deployed his troops with measured steps, while the guards who had just emerged from the imperial tombs fiercely slaughtered the assassins!

They were guarding the tomb perfectly well, but it was because these people wanted to frame the regent and cause his death that they ended up in this situation!

Now that they've actually run into us, the tomb guards will naturally show no mercy when they see these assassins again.

The black-clad assassins were all江湖 (jianghu) killers. Even if they were highly skilled in martial arts, they were still scattered and unruly. They had no idea about the unity, cooperation, and coordination of a regular army. Soon, the assassins were at a disadvantage and suffered heavy casualties.

The tomb guardians, however, were driven mad with rage and grew increasingly ferocious.

When fighting on the battlefield, momentum is paramount. Assassins are risking their lives for others, while tomb guardians are driven by a thirst for revenge and are naturally incredibly brave.

Before long, the large number of assassins were all killed by the tomb-guarding army...

Blood was everywhere, but everyone fought with high morale and was not intimidated by the conspiracy before them.

Faced with absolute power, assassinations, murders, conspiracies, and schemes all have nowhere to hide and crumble one by one!

Seeing that the situation was safe, Ru Feng went to one of the carriages and reported:

"Your Highness, the assassins have all been killed!"

A steady reply came from inside the carriage:

"Well, well done."

Just as Ru Feng was about to speak and urge the convoy to continue, a near-maniacal laugh erupted from the bushes. The laughter, initially suppressed, quickly became uncontrollable:

"You little bastard, you're even more tenacious than I imagined..."

A figure emerged from the shadows of the trees and slowly walked toward the carriage. The guards immediately drew their swords and assumed a defensive posture.

But the shadowy figure suddenly shouted angrily:

"Outrageous! Your army of tomb guardians dares to murder your monarch? Do you have too much time on your hands?!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the shadowy figure pulled back her veil, revealing a person hidden within the cloak who shocked everyone—

It was actually the late emperor, Xuanyuan Ming, who had already passed away!

Although his face was covered in scars, he was still easily recognizable in broad daylight.

Xuanyuan Ming scanned the tomb guardians before him one by one, his expression chilling:

"What, you dare not kneel before me?"

The guards at the imperial tomb recognized Xuanyuan Ming, since the emperor of a country would come to the imperial tomb every year to hold a sacrificial ceremony.

Despite their doubts, they all knelt down out of habit.

Xuanyuan Ming's eyes, like those of a venomous snake, were fixed on the carriage with its curtains tightly closed. He sneered:

"What, hiding in the carriage, too afraid to come out and see me?"

After Xuanyuan Ming finished speaking, Mo Chen, dressed in a brocade robe, stepped out of the carriage. Compared to Xuanyuan Ming's current dark linen clothes, Mo Chen stood on the carriage with an air of natural nobility, like a true emperor.

This scene deeply stung Xuanyuanming, and he gritted his teeth, saying:

"You little bastard, now that you're the regent, second only to the emperor, are you feeling quite smug? But this glory was bestowed upon you by me! What are you doing wearing a hat? Do you know you've wronged me?! Are you ashamed to face anyone?!"

Mo Chen wore a bamboo hat, and the veil beneath it was embroidered with dragon souls and auspicious clouds in gold thread, obscuring his face but exuding an air of nobility. He slowly stepped down from the carriage and walked to stand before Xuan Yuanming.

Xuanyuan Ming roared urgently:

"Your days are numbered! I will make sure you suffer!"

"I'm telling you, today is your death day!!!"

Having said that, Xuanyuan Ming drew a dagger from his sleeve and lunged forward to stab Mo Chen—

Ru Feng and the guards rushed forward to stop them!

At the critical moment, Xuanyuan Ming's hand was pierced by a sharp blade, and the dagger he was holding fell to the ground. Everyone worked together to step forward and stop the "resurrected" former emperor.

Xuanyuan Ming was held captive by the two men, unable to move. He was tied up, but he showed no panic whatsoever; instead, his smile grew even brighter…

Those venomous eyes shot towards Mo Chen's direction.

From the moment he made his move to when Mo Chen's men subdued him, only a fraction of a second had passed...

Then another unexpected event occurred, in the very next second—

A cold arrow shot straight into Mo Chen's heart from behind!

Ru Feng exclaimed in surprise, "My lord!"

Tomb guard: "Your Highness the Regent!"

Xuanyuan Ming laughed heartily:

"You little bastard! This arrow is poisoned with the most potent poison in the world! You're going to die today, hahahahahaha!..."

Ru Feng swiftly pursued the direction from which the arrow had come, with the guards close behind. Soon they captured the assassin who had fired the arrow.

The moment the assassin was captured, he knew his fate. He raised his voice towards Xuan Yuanming's direction:

"Your subordinate is incompetent and must go ahead!"

He then bit into the poison in his mouth, his eyes glazing over.

If the wind is strong, they dragged the body of the assassin back and threw it on the ground...

At this moment, Mo Chen, who had been hit by a stray arrow, changed from standing to sitting and waited on the ground for the army doctor to come to his rescue.

Ru Feng stepped forward and reported, "My lord, we've only found one assassin; we don't know if there are any other ambushes."

Mo Chen nodded calmly and ordered, "Continue searching!"

Xuanyuan Ming scoffed, "You're about to die and you still have the mind to think about other things?"

“He is my man. I am about to die, so naturally he will not live on alone.”

Mo Chen's voice was hoarse; he seemed to have aged considerably after being struck by an arrow.

"If you die, I can die in peace..."

Xuanyuan Ming then realized something was wrong. Leaving aside why Mo Chen was always wearing a bamboo hat, and considering his physique, it was unlikely he would be unable to stand after being injured. His brow furrowed, and he questioned:

"You're not Mo Chen! Who are you?!"

The man who had been shot with an arrow then lifted his bamboo hat, revealing a clearly aged face beneath the veil...

When it was Xuanyuan Ming's turn, his eyes widened—

"Weren't you dead?! How could this be..."