“Someone attempted to assassinate Her Highness, and we are in pursuit,” the golden-armored guard shouted.Lu Fei exclaimed in shock, “Who would dare to assassinate Her Highness? Men, follow me to capture the assassin!”With that, Lu Fei led a group of cavalry to follow the golden-armored guards in the direction Wang Xuan had fled. At the same time, he sent someone to inform Xiao Ming.The golden-armored guards had no reason to doubt Lu Fei and galloped ahead, with Lu Fei following closely behind. Their encounter with the golden-armored guards was part of the plan.The key to this plan was for Lu Fei’s men to capture Wang Xuan and take him to the Qingzhou prison. If the golden-armored guards caught Wang Xuan, he would likely be tortured to death.Before long, they reached a fork in the road. The golden-armored guard said, “Captain Lu, let’s split up. If you catch the assassin, please inform us.”“Of course,” Lu Fei replied. He then led the Qingzhou troops down one path while the golden

The Qingzhou prison was dimly lit, and Princess Pingyang’s final words extinguished Wang Chengchou’s last glimmer of hope.He laughed bitterly, “Your Highness, I, Wang Chengchou, swear to the heavens that this assassination attempt has nothing to do with the Wang family. It was all orchestrated by him—the Prince of Qi!”Wang Chengchou pointed at Xiao Ming, his eyes filled with deep hatred. He regretted not acting on the hint from Prince Wei three years ago to kill Xiao Ming.Unfortunately, it was too late now. He hadn’t expected Xiao Ming to grow so quickly, nor had he anticipated that Xiao Ming would be so ruthless as to try to eliminate the Wang family while his own position was still unstable.“Nonsense! Even at death’s door, you still try to frame the Prince of Qi,” Princess Pingyang said sharply. “Do you think I would believe your lies?”At this moment, Ouyang Mu stepped forward. A flash of his blade, and Wang Shijie’s head rolled to the ground, his face frozen in terror.“Shijie

An eerie atmosphere spread across the battlefield. Lu Fei and Ouyang Mu stared in horror at Wang Chengheng on the fortress walls.The agonized screams and the faint wisps of smoke rising from Wang Chengheng’s body were what truly terrified them.“Sorcery!”A soldier in the Qingzhou army whispered, his voice deliberately low.“Your Highness, this…”Lu Fei hesitated, wanting to ask but not daring to.In ancient times, anything that couldn’t be explained was often attributed to sorcery or dark magic. What was happening now was beyond their comprehension.“Hahaha, are you wondering if I know some kind of sorcery?” Xiao Ming laughed. He looked at the chaos on the fortress walls and said, “Wait until I take Wang Chengheng’s head, and then I’ll explain.”Ouyang Mu was equally shocked and confused, but he didn’t dare say another word.After throwing the first glass bottle, Xiao Ming ordered his soldiers to launch a second and third into the fortress. Those who came into contact with the liqui

South Gate of Qingzhou City.Xiao Ming, accompanied by a group of Qingzhou officials, was seeing off Princess Pingyang.Just as her arrival had drawn attention, her departure was equally conspicuous.Xiao Ming had explained the entire situation with the Wang family to Princess Pingyang the previous night. Her reaction had been indifferent, as if she had merely squashed an ant.However, this trip to Qingzhou had taken an unexpected turn, and Princess Pingyang seemed unwilling to stay any longer. She planned to leave for Jinling City the next day.Xiao Ming prepared some Qingzhou specialties as gifts for her: fine wine, perfumes, soaps, and, of course, glassware.Her visit had been a blessing in disguise, giving him the opportunity to eliminate the Wang family. Compared to the gifts he gave her, he had gained far more. The grain stored in the Wang family’s warehouses across the six states alone would ensure that the Qingzhou army wouldn’t have to worry about food for years to come.In a

“Li San.”Pang Yukun and Xiao Ming looked outside to see Li San entering.During the previous incident, Wang Xuan had suffered greatly in prison. When the executions took place in the eastern market, Wang Xuan was replaced by a death row prisoner.Since Wang Xuan had been disheveled and the focus of the execution was on Wang Chengchou, Wang Xuan hadn’t drawn much attention. However, Wang Xuan’s injuries were severe, and he was now recuperating at home.For the time being, the secret guards were under Li San’s command.Li San approached and said, “Your Highness, I came precisely for this matter. You must not go to the Qin residence.”“Why?” Li San’s serious demeanor gave Xiao Ming an uneasy premonition.“Following Your Highness’s orders, the secret guards have been monitoring the powerful families these past few days. We’ve discovered that many private soldiers from these families have entered Qingzhou City. Qin Chuanyun’s invitation to Your Highness was not his own idea but a request