Quite different from Jiang Chen's relaxed and carefree situation, the antagonist was now nearing the end of his rope.

Although Jiang Chen controlled the situation, occasionally sending supplies to the antagonist, these were merely a drop in the bucket for the antagonist's survival, barely enough to sustain even himself.

"These guys aren't afraid I'll reveal everything? They dare to ignore my requests like this? They're really bold."

While the antagonist grumbled, he didn't know that everyone hiding with him in the mountains was there on Jiang Chen's orders, merely acting in a play.

Watching the antagonist rage inside, the assassins who had escorted him into the mountains couldn't help but hide in the nearby woods.

"Does this guy really think his position is special? He's still living in a dream. How pathetic."

"If His Majesty hadn't told us to humor him, I wouldn't want to waste my time with this lunatic. At the rate he's going, he'll bring about his own destruction soon enough."

As they spoke, they retrieved wine and meat from a hidden compartment buried underground.

After a hearty meal, they reluctantly reapplied weak makeup to their faces and sluggishly returned to the camp.

Seeing his subordinates looking so gaunt, the antagonist felt a pang of remorse.

He never imagined that his foolproof plan would suffer such setbacks at Jiang Chen's hands.

Now, he had no means to deal with Jiang Chen.

"No, I have to find a way to get some food for the men."

Perhaps due to a sudden pang of conscience, the antagonist suddenly led a group of people down the mountain, seemingly intending to plunder some food.

But just as they reached the village, the antagonist stopped in his tracks, unwilling to ruin his reputation.

This back-and-forth eroded the antagonist's prestige among his men.

Jiang Chen couldn't help but laugh when he learned of the antagonist's struggles.

"This guy, it seems he's almost finished."

Realizing that the antagonist's final burst of energy wouldn't last long and would likely be completely extinguished, Jiang Chen turned his attention back to the imperial court.

Since the antagonist's blatant act of violence, those restless noble families hadn't made any significant moves, but they were still secretly supporting their own people, hoping to regain power.

Jiang Chen's actions had already posed a significant threat to them. They felt uneasy without regaining control of the court.

"What's wrong with this guy? Wasn't he letting us do as we pleased before? How did he suddenly become so smart?"

While these families were discussing this, Jiang Chen was also observing their actions.

Now, Jiang Chen needed to remove the spies they had planted in the court one by one. Once they were mostly eliminated, it would be time for Jiang Chen's blade to fall upon them.

"You've all been watching their recent movements, right? Write down the names of everyone associated with them. It's time to make an example of a few."

Noble Consort Shu watched Jiang Chen's continuous string of actions and felt immense worry and unease. Every move Jiang Chen made was like walking a tightrope. Although these families wouldn't act as violently as the antagonist did, they would definitely cause Jiang Chen trouble in secret.

Compared to the things Jiang Chen wanted, Noble Consort Shu wanted Jiang Chen to be safe and unharmed by these matters.

But as she was about to offer her advice, Noble Consort Shu fell into deep silence. She could feel Jiang Chen's anger about what the antagonist had done. Therefore, Noble Consort Shu remained silent, quietly handling her relationships with the other consorts.

While Jiang Chen was purging these exposed opponents, something unexpected happened in the distance.

"Your Majesty, this is bad! The Xiongnu are attacking!"

When this news reached Jiang Chen, he was immediately thrown into a state of tension.

He had already transferred a significant portion of his elite troops to guard against the antagonist. If he were to go to war with the Xiongnu now, it would likely leave his forces depleted.

But he couldn't bear to abandon the cities near the border.

"What should I do?"

At this moment, Jiang Chen was deeply conflicted, once again finding himself in a situation with no one to rely on.

Noble Consort Shu felt great sympathy for Jiang Chen's worried expression.

As Noble Consort Shu gently massaged Jiang Chen's shoulders, she suddenly thought of something.

"Your Majesty, why don't we lure those noble families into fighting the enemy? This will not only alleviate our current pressure but also further weaken their strength."

As Noble Consort Shu spoke, her heart was in her throat. Everyone knew that Jiang Chen most hated the women of the harem interfering in court affairs. The suggestion she had just made crossed that line.

As Noble Consort Shu worried about how Jiang Chen would punish her, Jiang Chen fell into thought because of her words.

After several calculations, Jiang Chen shook his head helplessly.

"Those guys are all famous for being shrewd. They definitely won't take on a task that's clearly suicidal unless there's something they care about even more to attract their attention."

As Jiang Chen said this, his eyes narrowed into slits.

Noble Consort Shu's words had awakened Jiang Chen.

When the snipe and clam fight, the fisherman benefits.

Next, Jiang Chen needed to play the role of the fisherman.

"Heaven is truly helping me. It seems their actions are too unpopular. Otherwise, how could they offer such a great opportunity at this time?"

Thinking of this, Jiang Chen hurried towards the court. When Jiang Chen arrived, many civil and military officials were already standing silently.

The news of the Xiongnu invasion had startled them from their homes, and they had quickly rushed to the palace to listen to Jiang Chen's arrangements.

After all, they could still distinguish the importance of matters.