Chapter 158

As Xue Jin'an had predicted, Bilegge indeed harbored murderous intentions towards Helian Cheng and successfully persuaded Rongdi Khan. The date was set for the welcoming banquet two days later.

Galdan only learned the news on the eve of the welcoming banquet. This was understandable, since he was now a sinner of the Rongdi people. Not only was he disliked by the Rongdi Khan, but even ordinary people in the capital would curse him in private. The last time he went to the palace to pay his respects to his father was the day he returned.

Even this welcoming banquet was something Galdan only found out about after seeing his two brothers' men take the ceremonial robes to the palace for alterations. He had to ask around to find out. He was truly aggrieved; the banquet was clearly meant to welcome him, yet he, the person directly involved, was the last to know.

Galdan was so angry that he smashed up his study. Sitting amidst the mess, he sent everyone in the manor out to inquire about the welcoming banquet. He listened, as if being tortured, to the servants describing what certain ministers had done after receiving the invitation. After listening, he began to go mad.

He had already smashed everything in the study that could be broken or thrown, and then he started pulling his hair and biting his fingernails until they bled, as if he felt no pain.

Thinking of himself, coerced into sleepless nights and tormented by his conscience, and then thinking of the others who were happily singing and dancing and dressing up for the banquet, Galdan had only three words in his mind: Unfair!

It's unfair! Why is he the only one being ignored? Why is he the only one struggling? Everyone should be together, let's all go to hell together!

"Hehe, hehehe..." The last vestige of clarity in Galdan's eyes was completely obliterated, ultimately filled with madness. He laughed, his expression utterly insane.

The hatred that was nurtured grew vigorously in the heart, and unknowingly became a towering tree, obscuring all perception.

Galdan's desire to drag the entire Rongdi people down with him was stronger than ever before.

Perhaps it was fate that brought him this opportunity, and his mind was unusually sharp. He managed to discern from the fragmented information that the Rongdi Khan harbored ill will towards Helian Cheng, and realized that this welcoming banquet was very likely a trap set by Xiang Yu, a treacherous scheme.

After reaching this conclusion in his mind, Galdan went to see Helian Cheng and told him everything.

To his disappointment, Helian Cheng's face showed no reaction whatsoever, remaining as indifferent as if—

"You knew all along?" Galdan's excited mind gradually cooled down, and a chill belatedly crept up his spine, making him tremble. His eyes widened slightly, and his voice was tinged with fear that he himself was unaware of. He asked cautiously, his voice trembling, "It was Xue Jin'an, he told you?"

Helian Cheng glanced at him but remained noncommittal.

Galdan shrank back like a startled quail, wondering in bewilderment and fear: Can a person really be this clever? It felt as if a pair of eyes were always watching him, so insightful that it was chilling.

Helian Cheng had no idea what he was thinking; if he had, he would have certainly given him a good laugh.

The Seventh Prince is indeed a prophet. So far, all his actions have been based on the plans provided by the Seventh Prince. Even if there are irreparable oversights, the Seventh Prince has several alternative plans. He is truly a reassuring strategist.

However, even without the Seventh Prince's prior warning, Helian Cheng would have quickly discovered that Rongdi Khan wanted to take action against him.

There was no other trick; it was simply that the Rongdi Khan was too eager and too obvious.

Helian Cheng has been in the capital for quite some time now, enough time to hold seven or eight welcoming banquets. However, the Rongdi Khan has not only not mentioned this matter at all, but also has no intention of summoning Helian Cheng again, showing a completely unwelcoming attitude. Suddenly, the indifferent person has become enthusiastic and even picked up the long-delayed banquet. No matter how you look at it, something seems wrong.

Helian Cheng is also a tactical mastermind. He just has a more conservative style, but that doesn't mean he's a fool. He had already prepared a countermeasure.

Before leaving, he wanted to take advantage of the momentum from the Rongdi Khan to stir up trouble in the capital and create chaos, so that his long-awaited spies could be planted in.

For Helian Cheng, this incident might be an opportunity, but for Galdan, it's a choice between life and death.

Xue Jin'an wanted to use him, so naturally he wouldn't give him any chance to back out. If Galdan hadn't told Helian Cheng after learning this news, the path of this Crown Prince Rongyang Khan would have been almost over. Fortunately, Galdan was lucky and made the right choice unconsciously, thus saving his life.

On the day of the welcoming banquet, Rongdi Khan kept finding excuses to get Helian Cheng drunk before making his move.

The reason for this roundabout method is twofold. First, Helian Cheng was, after all, an envoy of the Great Qi. They couldn't kill him openly and honestly. No secrets stay hidden forever, and besides, the Rongdi court was never united. There might be traitors among them who would expose the matter. Therefore, the Rongdi Khan wanted to make Helian Cheng's death as indisputable as possible, even if everyone knew that they were the ones who did it. This roundabout method of killing was also more in line with the cunning and treacherous nature of the Great Qi scholars.

Secondly, Helian Cheng's martial arts skills have improved. If he is not taken down with medicine, and given the opportunity to escape by accident, it will be a big problem.

Since Lu Bingzhu knew they were going to make a move, he couldn't possibly be unprepared. He took antidote and detoxifying pills beforehand to ensure that he wouldn't be affected no matter where they drugged him. Then he pretended to be drunk and began his performance.

Upon seeing him like this, Rongdi Khan was eager to have someone administer the drug to him and resolve the matter secretly. However, Bileg was extremely meticulous and managed to make Lu Bingzhu act for more than a quarter of an hour before he could barely believe that Lu Bingzhu had truly fallen for the drug, and only then did he order someone to administer it to him.

"Be quick and don't splatter blood everywhere, lest you cause a collision." Bileg's tone was indifferent, as if he were talking about livestock, not a person.

The "collision" that Bileg was referring to did not refer to the Rongdi Khan, but to Weng Tianxin. Although Bileg now hated the people of Daqi to the core, years of habit had made him remember all the traditional rules and etiquette of Daqi. He could rattle off all the taboos of "collision" at will, just like an old scholar of Daqi.

Helian Cheng feigned being unable to hold his liquor and was helped away by the arranged assassins. Only after he had lost sight of Rongdi Khan and his men did he open his clear eyes. By then, Galdan's reinforcements had arrived, and the assassins were gone.

"You'd better leave now," Galdan said sternly, urging him to leave.

“Live well. To the Rongdi, you may not be a good person, but to the Daqi, you are valuable.” Helian Cheng said, giving him a deep look.

Galdan's face turned deathly pale—purely from anger. He really wanted to say, "Helian Cheng, if you can't speak, you don't have to," but seeing the muscles revealed by Helian Cheng's torn outer garment, covered by the night clothes, and his arms thicker than his thighs, Galdan wisely shut his mouth.

Helian Cheng's departure was not peaceful, or rather, it was only peaceful when he left the Rongdi Palace. Afterward, he deliberately caused some commotion, creating chaos among the city's guards and making a ruckus until dawn before he finally left the city.

Galdan was somewhat pleased with Helian Cheng's departure, even though he knew that his life would become worse after Helian Cheng left, and his father would definitely question him. But without the sword hanging over his head, he could breathe a sigh of relief.

Galdan thought that with Helian Cheng gone, no one would be watching him anymore, but little did he know that with Helian Cheng gone, the real troublemaker had arrived.

The person who made the handover to Helian Cheng was Lu Bingzhu.

Lu Bingzhu led a team of spies from the Fengyi Bureau to the border to establish an intelligence network. Most of the spies dispersed when they were in Qizhou, and they would go to different towns to take on different professions. They would only return here when necessary. Lu Bingzhu, on the other hand, led the remaining three people to continue north to the capital.

The capital city was still far from the Rongdi capital. Lu Bingzhu arranged everything at Cining Palace, had a farewell dinner with the Empress Dowager, and then secretly left the palace at dawn to head to Rongdi.

He rode swiftly to the capital, arriving two days earlier than the dawdling Helian City. However, his arrival was of no use, as the capital had been under martial law ever since Helian City invaded the first Rongdi city. The number of soldiers patrolling the city gates was three or four times the usual number, and the checks at the city gates were extremely strict.

Lu Bingzhu had observed that even local people whose faces resembled those of the Daqi people were driven away by the guards and not allowed to enter the city.

The first step in infiltrating the Rong and Di tribes was hindered by their appearance.

Even if Lu Bingzhu boasted of his martial arts prowess, it was impossible for him to break through the city gates and confront the thousands or tens of thousands of Rongdi guards. Besides, he was here as an undercover agent, and with such a large commotion, he might as well give up on the mission and just fly back to the capital using his lightness skill.

Lu Bingzhu also considered scaling the wall to enter. The Rongdi's architecture was not as magnificent as Daqi's, and the city walls were much lower, so scaling them would not be difficult. However, the defenses inside the city were not easy, and he could not guarantee that he could do so without leaving any evidence under the watchful eyes of a thousand people.

He was 50% sure he would go to Daqi, and 80% sure he would go to Rongdi, neither of which was very certain for him.

Just as Lu Bingzhu was pondering a solution, Han, the deputy general of the Northwest Army, unexpectedly came to find him.

"Lord Lu," Vice General Han said politely, "Commander Xiaolong asked us to wait for you here. Please come with us first."

Therefore, when Helian Cheng entered the capital, Lu Bingzhu led his men to join forces with the Northwest Army—this is why Helian Cheng chose Luocheng as his base. The oasis in the middle is a natural barrier, and they can secretly deploy a small force here to provide support at any time.

Lu Bingzhu had been in the Northwest Army for several days before he finally got this opportunity.