Silence engulfed the royal court.
The announcement of the fall of Taigen had shaken every noble present. The realization slowly dawned upon them.
The State of Ai...
...had already lost.
Then, from among the gathered spectators, a heartbreaking scream echoed throughout the palace.
"HOW COULD YOU?!"
The Queen Mother suddenly broke free from the attendants beside her.
Her face was soaked with tears.
Her hair had come undone.
In her trembling hand was a concealed dagger.
"YOU BASTARD!!"
She charged straight toward Princess Ei You.
"I'LL KILL YOU!!"
"HOW COULD YOU BE SO HEARTLESS?!"
Before she could even cover half the distance...
Clang!
Several retainers of the Northeast Army instantly intercepted her.
Strong hands seized both of her arms while another forced the dagger from her grasp.
The blade clattered loudly against the marble floor.
"No! Let me go!"
"My children...!"
The Queen Mother struggled desperately, kicking and screaming.
Princess Ei You merely looked upon her with cold, unwavering eyes.
Not even the slightest hint of pity could be found upon her face.
After a long silence...
She finally spoke.
"What comes around..."
"...goes around."
The Queen Mother's cries faltered.
Princess Ei You slowly descended the ceremonial steps.
Each step echoed throughout the silent hall.
"You attempted to overthrow the royal capital."
"You raised an army against Qin."
"You sought to place Rou Ai upon the throne."
"And now..."
"You ask how we could be so heartless?"
She stopped only a few paces away.
"Did you truly believe we would simply allow you to do as you pleased?"
The Queen Mother stared back with hatred.
Princess Ei You's gaze remained ice cold.
"As for those children of yours..."
"...we cannot allow seeds of disaster to remain."
Her voice carried throughout the entire court.
"If they live..."
"One day there will be those who proclaim them the rightful heirs."
"There will be ambitious men who gather beneath their banners."
"Another civil war."
"Another rebellion."
"Another generation of Qin forced to bleed because of today's foolishness."
She looked directly into the Queen Mother's eyes.
"No."
"Every spark born from your tomfoolery..."
"...shall be extinguished today."
The Queen Mother's legs gave way.
"No..."
"...please..."
"My children..."
Her cries echoed throughout the palace.
Many ministers lowered their heads.
Others silently closed their eyes.
Even those who had opposed Rou Ai could not help but feel the weight of the judgment.
But none spoke.
For they knew...
This was the price of treason.
Several weeks before Ei Sei's coming-of-age ceremony.
Night blanketed the Northeast Army headquarters.
A detailed map of Qin and the State of Ai lay spread across a massive wooden table.
Present were Duke Hyou Ren, Ri Yue, Lu Shen, Tian Hao, Bao Jun, Mo Yun, and several trusted officers.
The room remained quiet until Hyou Ren finally spoke.
"If we dispatch the Northeast Army immediately..."
"...Rou Ai will flee."
He pointed toward Taigen.
"He is no fool."
"The moment he learns that my army is marching north, he will understand our intentions."
"He will abandon Taigen, take the Queen Mother, his children, and every important official, then disappear."
"There will be nothing left for us to destroy."
The generals silently nodded.
If Rou Ai escaped...
The rebellion would never truly end.
Ri Yue folded her arms as she studied the map.
"Since we already know they must attack Kanyou to have any hope of surviving..."
"...why don't we strike their capital while their army is away?"
The room became silent.
Every eye turned toward her.
Hyou Ren looked at the map for a long moment.
Then...
A smile appeared.
"...Exactly."
He moved a wooden marker representing the Northeast Army.
"But there is one problem."
He tapped the marker.
"If I move personally..."
"...every pair of eyes in Qin will follow me."
He chuckled.
"At this moment, I am perhaps His Majesty Ei Sei's greatest ally."
"My army cannot disappear without attracting suspicion."
"The State of Ai undoubtedly has spies watching every movement I make."
He looked toward Ri Yue.
"Which is why..."
"...Ri Yue."
"You shall command this operation."
The room fell silent once more.
Ri Yue blinked.
"I?"
Hyou Ren nodded.
"The attack on Taigen will require patience."
"It cannot be completed in mere days."
He pointed toward the northern mountain ranges separating Qin from Ai.
"We will not march as one army."
Instead...
"We shall move in batches."
He placed dozens of small wooden markers along hidden mountain routes.
"A few hundred soldiers at a time."
"Scattered over many days."
"They will travel separately through the northern mountains."
"No banners."
"No drums."
"No campfires large enough to reveal our numbers."
"When assembled..."
"They will become one army beneath Taigen's walls."
Mo Yun's eyes widened.
"A silent mobilization..."
Lu Shen smiled.
"Brilliant."
"By the time Ai realizes what has happened..."
"...their capital will already be surrounded."
Hyou Ren nodded.
"Exactly."
"Their attention will remain fixed upon Kanyou."
"They will never imagine an army is slowly gathering behind them."
He turned toward Ri Yue.
"I entrust the entire operation to you."
"Everything you do..."
"...will carry my authority."
"If any commander questions your orders..."
"Tell them they are mine."
"If supplies are required..."
"Take them."
"If officers hesitate..."
"Command them."
"My name shall answer for every decision."
A brief silence was made before Duke Hyou Ren continues…
"Ensure there will be no survivors."
"It's time for them to realize that there are consequences for their actions."
"As for the spawn of Rou Ai and the Queen mother…."
"…. deal with it as you see fit."
Ri Yue met his gaze.
Then knelt.
"I accept this responsibility my lord husband."
She lowered her head.
"The assault will begin only after enough troops have assembled to guarantee victory."
"I will not rush."
"I will wait until the siege can succeed with certainty."
Hyou Ren smiled approvingly.
"Good."
"Take your time my love."
"There is no need for haste."
He shifted another wooden marker toward Kanyou.
"As for me..."
"I must prepare for what is to come here."
His expression hardened.
"I cannot arrive in Kanyou too early."
"If I appear before Rou Ai makes his move..."
"...he may lose his nerve."
"My presence alone would become the greatest deterrent to his rebellion."
"Then all of our preparations would be for nothing."
He clenched his fist.
"So I must remain where everyone expects me to be."
"Only after the messenger arrives reporting that Rou Ai's army has fully advanced..."
"...only after they have committed themselves beyond the point of retreat..."
"...will I move."
His finger slowly closed around the Ai army marker.
"By then..."
"Their officers."
"Their commanders."
"Their finest soldiers."
"...will all be marching toward Kanyou."
He looked once more toward the marker representing Taigen.
"And while they chase the throne..."
"...their home..."
"...will already belong to us."
A heavy silence settled over the command tent.
Everyone understood.
This was no ordinary military operation.
It was a trap spanning hundreds of li, weeks of preparation, and two battlefields.
As the candles flickered across the map, Hyou Ren quietly concluded,
"Once Rou Ai commits his army..."
"...this State of Ai of his will already be dead."
"Let me see how he could build a kingdom out of nothing but ashes."