His gaze swept over the untouched teacup on Li Zhong’s side, and he chuckled, “My oversight. General Li, accustomed to riding on the battlefield, must prefer strong liquor. This clear tea must not suit your taste.”

He gestured to his attendants, “Bring some wine. I want to share three cups with General Li.”

The attendants quickly brought the wine.

Shen Yanzhi poured the wine himself and lifted one of the cups to offer it to Li Zhong. “Please, General.”

Li Zhong took the cup but didn’t drink.

It wasn’t until Shen Yanzhi raised his cup towards him, ready to drink the other cup, that he spoke up, “Would General Shen mind exchanging cups with me?”

Shen Yanzhi was briefly surprised but then smiled openly and exchanged cups with Li Zhong.

To assure him that the wine was safe, he drank it all in one gulp and even turned the cup upside down to show Li Zhong.

Now Li Zhong had no reservations and drank it all, letting out a light sigh.

The wine turned out to be surprisingly strong, and he couldn’t help but praise, “Good wine!”

Shen Yanzhi smiled and refilled his cup. “In the past, General Li and I were both subordinates of Li Xin, forced by circumstances to have some misunderstandings. Here, I offer General Li another cup, as a token of apology for the past.”

Li Zhong repeatedly expressed his gratitude.

After Shen Yanzhi filled his cup again, they toasted and drank it all in one gulp.

The burning sensation spread from Li Zhong’s throat to his lungs along with the wine.

He tried to speak but quickly realized something was wrong.

His face turned purple, and he grasped his throat, pointing at Shen Yanzhi with difficulty, “You… you… poisoned…”

Shen Yanzhi smiled elegantly, enjoying the snow scene in the middle of the lake.

He finished the last sip of wine in his cup before speaking calmly, “You’re right. The games of the Bianjing elites are indeed beyond your comprehension.”

He lifted the wine pot beside him and tilted his wrist, pouring out the contents.

The wine splashed onto the ground, corroding the surface.

“This is a mandarin duck pot, half filled with fine wine, half with poison. Tasting the fine wine before setting off on the road is not too unjust.”

Li Zhong’s eyes widened with anger. He reached out to grab Shen Yanzhi but only knocked over an empty cup, and he fell to the ground with a dull thud.

The several skilled men Li Zhong brought with him outside the pavilion couldn’t rush in time to check on him.

They were taken by surprise by the people Shen Yanzhi had already arranged in the shadows, who swiftly subdued them with chains.

Three or four against one, the outcome was soon decided.

Through the veil, the fight outside the pavilion looked like a shadow play.

Shen Yanzhi acted as if nothing had happened, continuing to drink wine and watch the snow.

In less than a moment, Chen Qin came in to report, “Master, it’s all taken care of.”

Shen Yanzhi grunted in acknowledgment and asked, “Chen Qin, what’s your real name?”

Chen Qin didn’t understand why he was asked this but truthfully replied, “My surname is Xu, and my given name is Zhen.”

Shen Yanzhi said, “From now on, you don’t need to follow me anymore. Go back to using your real name.”

Chen Qin knelt in front of Shen Yanzhi, frightened, “If I have done wrong, please punish me, Master.”

Shen Yanzhi gazed at the snowy scene on the lake, seeming exhausted. “You haven’t done anything wrong. Live well with a new identity. I still have something to explain to you.”

He took out a roll of silver bills and a piece of paper from his sleeve. “This money is enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life. Find a place to settle down, and on holidays, burn offerings for these three people.”

The silver bills were obtained by selling the Shen family property.

The piece of paper contained the birthdates of three people, including Shen Chan and her daughter. The third one had only one name, “Zheng.”

The name with the word “Zheng” in it made Chen Qin first think of the former Princess of Chu, who had been with the Crown Prince.

But when Shen Yanzhi instructed him to offer sacrifices to this person on holidays, Chen Qin became somewhat puzzled.

Thinking about what Shen Yanzhi was about to do next, Chen Qin’s eyes couldn’t help but feel a bit sour. “Master, Lei Prefecture and Jianghuai have sent multiple letters. Now that you’ve dealt with Li Zhong, should I reply to them and join forces to deal with the Northern Barbarians?”

Shen Yanzhi chuckled lightly, his gaze cold as a blade. “I will take revenge for my own grievances.”

The former Chu was also the mastermind behind the death of Ah Zheng.

Shen Yanzhi wouldn’t ally with them.

In Liangzhou, Kadan entered the royal tent with the letter Li Zhong wrote on behalf of Shen Yanzhi and said to the old Khan, “Father, the Shen family in Bianjing agreed to cooperate with us. Tomorrow, I will go to the meeting at Lu Gate!”

The avalanche that occurred when chasing Lin Yao had caused Kadan to lose most of his men.

Facing the Chu army with catapults waiting for them, Kadan didn’t dare to continue chasing with his remaining troops.

Instead, he brought back Ti Ya’s body.

The reason Lin Yao and the others were able to break through the blockade and enter the desert was because Ti Ya fell into their hands.

In order to save their lives, she helped them deceive the guards of the blockade.

By bringing Ti Ya’s body back, Kadan was providing an explanation for Lin Yao’s escape.

Anyone who violated the interests of the tribe, even his own relatives, he would not hesitate to kill.

There were still people who opposed Kadan, but they were intimidated by his ruthlessness.

After he proposed to go to the meeting at Lu Gate, there were still tribal leaders who opposed it: “We have 150,000 troops, and we can’t even capture Bianjing, a small city? Why waste time with these Central Plains people?”

Kadan’s eyes swept coldly, “Our warriors are brave and good at fighting on the grassland.

However, Chu is mostly hills and rivers, which is not conducive to our warriors charging.

By offering small benefits, we can let these people of Chu fight amongst themselves. Why should we send our warriors to their deaths?”

The opponent was left speechless by this retort, but also annoyed and questioned, “Will the people of Chu really kill their own people for us?”

Ka Dan replied, “Li Zhong, like Li Xin, is greedy for power; Shen Yanzhi also has a grievance with the former Crown Prince of Chu. If we can help them gain more power, why wouldn’t they attach themselves to us?”

In the Northern Barbarians, women were also considered property. If one tribe seized a woman from another tribe, it would result in a lifelong enemy.

After Kadan provided his reasons, no one dared to oppose him anymore.

The old Khan was satisfied with his successor, but he also saw his own shadow of failure in Kadan.

On one hand, he was afraid of Kadan’s failure, and on the other hand, he wanted his son to win this war for him.

After weighing the options, the old Khan finally said to Kadan, “Go, but if anything happens, shoot a signal flare, and the army can attack the city.”

Ka Dan placed one hand on his chest and bowed to the old Khan, “I thank Father.”

Soon, the day for Kadan to go to the meeting at Lu Gate arrived.

If the letter had been written by Shen Yanzhi, he might have suspected it to some extent, but since Shen Yanzhi had Li Zhong write the letter on his behalf, it showed that Shen Yanzhi indeed wanted to cooperate with the Northern Barbarians and was afraid of tarnishing his reputation like Li Xin by colluding with foreign enemies.

Confirming that Shen Yanzhi really wanted to ally with the Northern Barbarians and that Li Zhong was on their side, Ka Dan had some confidence in this meeting.

He only brought dozens of skilled men with him into the city.

However, as soon as they entered the walled city, Kadan glanced at the guards on the arrow towers in all directions and saw that they all had their arrows ready.

He immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Using the agreed-upon signal with Li Zhong, Kadan had the red cloth tied around the arms of the accompanying Northern Barbarian warriors exposed.

However, there was no reaction from the guards on the arrow towers. Kadan immediately realized that they had fallen into a trap.

He quietly commanded the skilled men who accompanied him in the Northern Barbarian language.

When dozens of skilled men quickly gathered around, a signal flare rose into the sky.

At the same time, soldiers on all sides of the arrow towers began to shoot arrows at Kadan’s group.

The arrows covered the sky like a dense net that even the cold wind couldn’t penetrate, cutting flesh and skin like cutting tofu.

Ka Dan’s group did not carry thick shields.

The outermost Northern Barbarian soldiers were turned into hedgehogs by the arrows, while the innermost soldiers used their comrades’ bodies as shields and tried to hide in the dead angles of the city wall where the arrows couldn’t reach.

Beyond the wall, outside the city, there echoed a deep horn, signaling the barbarian army’s massive invasion.

The ground trembled beneath the entire city wall.

The soldiers atop the four-sided arrow towers seemed oblivious to the barbarian assault, continuing to unleash a relentless barrage of arrows.

Kadan and a few remaining comrades hid beneath a pile of corpses, gritting their teeth as they shouted, “Shen Yanzhi, I helped you defeat the former Chu Crown Prince out of goodwill. Why do you betray me?”

A path was cleared on the arrow tower, and Shen Yanzhi emerged draped in a cloak.

His face, paler than snow, bore a hint of satisfaction mingled with revenge. “When the Crown Prince plotted against me at Qinxiang Pass, did you ever think about today?”

The sound of arrows whizzing overhead never ceased. Kadan dared not peek out, but his expression froze upon hearing Shen Yanzhi mention Qinxiang Pass.

He had hoped to replace Shen Yanzhi with Li Zhong because Li Zhong was only interested in power, easier to control than Shen Yanzhi, who held a grudge against him.

Little did he know that Shen Yanzhi had long been aware of the events at Qinxiang Pass, orchestrating them from behind the scenes.

The letter from Li Zhong, today’s feast at Lumen Gate – they were all part of Shen Yanzhi’s plan.

Kadan shouted, “My Northern Barbarian army can overrun Lumen Gate in half an hour. I advise the Regent to reconsider. If you cease now, I promise my army won’t harm the Regent or his people.”

Shen Yanzhi, gazing at the snow-covered ground littered with blood and arrows, coldly ordered, “Release the arrows.”

As more companions fell from arrow wounds, Kadan gritted his teeth. “Shen Yanzhi, if I die here, the brave warriors of Northern Barbarian will surely sack the city after breaching the gates!”

Shen Yanzhi casually replied, “I have ordered someone to shout from the tower to decapitate you once the city is attacked again. Northern Barbarian hasn’t withdrawn its troops. I believe your people are also eager for your demise.”

Kadan’s face turned ashen.

The Northern Barbarian assault was fierce. Lumen Gate didn’t hold for long; its bolts shattered, leaving only a few dozen soldiers to block the entrance with their bodies.

Shen Yanzhi’s initial plan was to exchange Lumen Gate for Kadan’s life.

Seeing the gate about to fall and Kadan still hiding among corpses and the arrow tower’s blind spots, he sent elite troops to finish him off.

Kadan, strong and skilled, easily handled close combat without the overwhelming arrow rain, appearing effortless against the soldiers.

Shen Yanzhi ordered the archers to aim at him again.

Kadan used the soldiers around him as shields, closing in on Shen Yanzhi.

An attendant noticed Kadan’s intentions and urged Shen Yanzhi, “Your Highness, you must leave Lumen Gate quickly. It’s no longer defensible.”

Instead of leaving, Shen Yanzhi snatched a bow from a nearby archer, taking aim at Kadan from afar. “Today, either I die here, or he, Kadan, dies here.”

Though the shot was precise, it was intercepted by a soldier fighting alongside Kadan.

The attendant urged, “Your Highness, Kadan’s martial skills are exceptional. Lumen Gate’s defenses are weak. If we don’t leave now, it’ll be too late!”

Shen Yanzhi handed the bow away, discarding his heavy cloak. “You all retreat and guard the city behind Lumen Gate.”

The attendant was at a loss.

Suddenly, cheers erupted from the city tower.

The gate had been breached by Northern Rong forces, but the Xie family army from Leizhou had entered the fray, distracting the rear forces of Northern Rong.

A scout arrived in excitement. “Report – reinforcements from Jianghuai are less than thirty miles from Lumen Gate!”

Shen Yanzhi seemed momentarily stunned, standing tall on the arrow tower.

The billowing sleeves in the cold wind made his slender figure appear somewhat dignified.

His expression was a mix of mockery and relief. “They’ve arrived quite quickly.”

Kadan, trapped within the city, was like a cornered beast.

Single-handedly, he fought his way through the crowd, the blood-stained path leading directly to Shen Yanzhi.

The soldiers below watched as Kadan approached, their hands gripping their weapons, while Shen Yanzhi stood unperturbed, aiming his bow at Kadan.

Contrasting with his majestic crimson robe was a worn pouch hanging from his waist, its edges frayed from wear and tear.