Shangguan Yao leaned back on the soft couch, slowly contemplating how to distribute the military authority.
Military tokens could mobilize troops, and there were Dragon Tokens and Tiger Tokens. The Dragon Token was in his own hands.
With less than a hundred thousand troops, the imperial guards and garrison forces around the capital, the Tiger Token was controlled by the Minister of War, which could mobilize soldiers and generals in important border areas.
There were also provincial garrisons, with hundreds of thousands of troops that could be mobilized, far more influential than the Dragon Token in his possession.
Previously, this Dragon Token was in Yun Mo's hands, which was why he had made things difficult for him, wanting to punish Yun Mo after marrying the foolish concubine, all for the sake of the Dragon Token.
The late emperor, to prevent the Tiger Token from monopolizing power, had assigned the troops of several provinces around the capital to Yun Mo. However, because Yun Mo disliked holding great power, the Ye family gradually took control.
By the time he obtained the Dragon Token, only a portion of the mobilization power remained. It was now impossible to increase the troops under the Dragon Token, so why not add another token and distribute the rights of the Tiger Token equally?
The next day, Shangguan Yao sent Song Yuan, the commander of the imperial guards, to escort the Noble Consort to the Ministry of Punishment prison to visit Lord Ye Siyuan.
Lord Ye saw his daughter, crying out "My child, my child" with such grief.
The crying was deafening inside and out. Song Yuan, standing behind Ye Suxue, wore a look of disdain. He truly had nothing to say about the indiscretions of this Lord Ye Siyuan.
This man deserved to die. Gambling, drinking, womanizing – he was proficient in all of them. Which of the major brothels in the capital did not have someone he was seeing? Not to mention that he had one wife and two concubines in his residence.
It was a pity that such a man, surrounded by women, only had two children, a son and a daughter, both born to his principal wife. This made one believe that the Madam Ye was likely also a formidable character.
After crying for a while, Ye Suxue whispered a few words to Lord Ye Siyuan when no one was paying attention.
Lord Ye Siyuan looked overjoyed and then kowtowed forcefully towards the empty air in the prison.
The lingering glow of the setting sun cast a faint redness, like a blood-colored remnant sun, dyeing the leaves in the dense forest with a crimson hue.
In the manor, people were seen moving about from time to time; they were all people recalled by the Divine Dragon Palace.
There was an operation tonight. Everyone was to go and eat, and then gather in the open space in front of the main hall after the meal.
In the main hall, Murong Chong and Yun Xiao and others sat around the table, eating. The table was full.
Everyone ate in silence. No one had any objections to the operation tonight.
Yun Xiao scanned the surroundings and finally looked at Murong. Warm liquid welled up in her heart, feeling warm. She was grateful to these people; each of them would become her friend after this night.
Murong Chong kept putting dishes into her bowl, reminding her with care.
"Xiao'er, eat more. Tonight, we will rescue someone and must send Prince Yun out of the capital overnight to avoid unnecessary trouble, so eat more and don't go hungry."
"Mm, I know."
Yun Xiao lowered her head, burying it in her meal.
Everyone at the table looked up at the two of them. Their natural understanding and effortless connection made others envious.
However, they could only offer sincere blessings. Even Yun Zhen couldn't help but sigh.
This man seemed to truly love Xiao'er. Although his heart ached, he had finally come to terms with it; Xiao'er was his sister, and this was a fact that would never change.
If it weren't for her getting hurt, he would still be stuck in his own thoughts.
After dinner, everyone gathered in front of the door.
Night had fallen. Pale white light filtered through the branches and leaves onto the open space, illuminating rows of people with black cloth covering their faces.
This jailbreak might not succeed. If it failed, it would be inconvenient to expose their identities.
Among these people were those who worked in the capital, as well as Prince Shangguan and Yun Zhen, all of whom were not supposed to be seen.
Therefore, everyone wore black night-walking clothes and covered their faces with square cloths. Even Yun Xiao was no exception. At a glance, all that could be seen was black, only the impassioned eyes of each person, occasionally flashing with a sharp gleam.
Murong Chong, as always, wore a white robe and a silver mask. He didn't care if Shangguan Yao knew it was him. This name was just a pretense. What was he afraid of? Few people in the world had seen his true face.
"Go."
At the command, everyone set off down the mountain, their figures invisible in the night. In the forest, countless birds flew out, and the branches rustled.
Murong Chong and Yun Xiao were a team. It was impossible for him to be separated from Yun Xiao.
Holding hands, the two followed closely behind the others down the mountain, appearing like a magnificent scenic line in the cold and lonely night.
Today's plan was to split into several small groups. One team would set fire to the main hall of the Ministry of Punishment. Tonight, there was an east wind. If they did not rescue it, the Ministry of Punishment would be left with nothing.
At that time, some would inevitably be dispatched to fight the fire, thus dispersing the troops.
Another group, consisting of Ye Wuyun and Yan Yu, and others in hiding, would wait in the dark for the death warriors. As soon as those death warriors appeared, they would engage them without direct confrontation, as long as they were given time.
The remaining people were divided into three small groups. One group would deal with the soldiers outside, one group would deal with the guards at the gate, and the last group, consisting of Murong Chong and Yun Xiao, would be responsible for rescuing the person.
Midnight.
Dark clouds drifted across the sky, obscuring the clear moon, plunging the world into darkness.
The main hall of the Ministry of Punishment was illuminated by a dazzling fire. The east wind blew, heading straight downwind, spreading rapidly. The crackling sound of burning wood was heard, and someone immediately shouted.
"Fire! Fire!"
The guards defending the prison did not move. Their mission was to watch over the prisoners. It had nothing to do with them if the Ministry of Punishment was burning.
However, with the east wind tonight, the prison of the Ministry of Punishment was located in the northwest. The wind blew downwind, and in a blink of an eye, it spread far. If they didn't extinguish the fire, their own behinds would be on fire. Some people were immediately dispatched to put out the fire.
As these people dispersed, everyone else sprang into action.
In the dark night, eerie and silent, the remaining members of the Divine Dragon Palace, dressed in night-walking clothes with square cloths covering their faces, revealing only their eyes, were like ferocious tigers descending the mountain, pouncing on the outermost guards in an instant.
For a moment, the hissing sound of swords cutting through flesh and spraying blood, along with the clash of swords, were all drowned out by the vast firelight and shouts.
As the outer perimeter battle began, the second wave of people immediately attacked the small soldiers guarding the prison gate, and a fierce fight ensued.
The torches in front of the prison gate dimly illuminated the area. The cold arcs of long swords cutting through the air, and the shouts of each other.
Murong Chong pulled Yun Xiao and led a few people swiftly towards the prison of the Ministry of Punishment.
The prisoners inside seemed to have heard the commotion outside. Ye family members, and other prisoners held in the outer layers, all crouched at the door, reaching out and shouting.