The wolf-smoke was lit, and black smoke slowly rose.
The war drums thundered in unison.
The thirty thousand barbarian troops finished assembling, and Deputy Commander Mu Wentian gave the order to attack.
Just as the flames were about to ignite, on the western tower, Qin Wentian, Dongfang Gan, and Hua Mantian were waiting when the imperial army arrived from the capital.
What Hua Mantian couldn't understand was that, even now—
even as a great battle was about to begin on the eastern tower, the imperial guards from the capital, along with the old eunuchs who had come to deliver the decree, still had no idea that the dynasty's Prince of Zhennan had already arrived at Jinling Ferry.
This time, the old eunuch finally drew near the city gate.
From across the fifteen-zhang-wide moat, he read the decree aloud: "By the Mandate of Heaven, under the command of the regent, His Highness the Crown Prince orders General Qin Wentian to return to the palace at once. Jinling Ferry is to be placed under the command of Wu Xin, commander-in-chief of the imperial guards..."
"Anyone who defies the decree shall be executed!"
Qin Wentian looked up at the sky and murmured to himself.
Hua Mantian gave a cold laugh. "A pack of idiots!"
Military advisor Dongfang Gan stepped forward and cupped his hands. "General, what should we do?" As he spoke, Dongfang Gan's brows drew tightly together.
It was as if, should the general disobey the decree, he, the military advisor, would be the next one in trouble.
Who knew Qin Wentian couldn't be bothered with the old eunuch across that natural chasm, and simply ignored the fifty thousand troops before him as well.
Remembering what Wang Xian had told him earlier, he gripped his spiritual sword and pointed it at the