The horse carrying the rider who shouted urgent warnings had clearly traveled a great distance.
White mist kept billowing from its nostrils. Though its four legs still carried it forward, anyone observant could see them trembling violently, as though it might collapse at any moment, never to rise again.
Fortunately, despite swaying all the way, the old horse held on until it reached Chu Jinghui before finally stopping.
The Courier had already been slumped over its back. The moment the horse stopped, he tumbled off, stirring up clouds of dust.
But the dust-covered soldier quickly disregarded his bedraggled state, pulled a bamboo tube from his robes, and handed it to Chu Jinghui.
"Your Majesty, the—the border is in peril!"
Having forced out those words, the Courier broke into a cold sweat. His face turned white as paper, and his entire body convulsed before he died.
Chu Jinghui had wanted to learn more from him, but at this sight, he could only tell Eunuch Zhang, "Give him an honorable burial and provide generous compensation to his family."
"Your servant obeys!" Eunuch Zhang glanced at the Courier who had fallen dead and sighed inwardly, then announced loudly, "His Majesty returns to the palace!"
Everyone from the Dingguo Marquis Residence dropped to their knees in unison. Only Wu Liang seemed to be trapped in a dream, showing no reaction whatsoever.
Had the Dingguo Marquis kneeling beside him not reacted swiftly and pulled him down, another undeserved calamity might have befallen the Dingguo Marquis Residence.
Meanwhile, at Yang Qing's residence in the Capital City.
News of the Courier shouting "The border is in peril!" throughout his journey had already spread like wildfire across the Capital City.
When the news reached Yang Qing's residence, it was like a drop of boiling oil falling into cold