Stand-in Attack on Yandere

Wang Ming's efficiency was indeed quite high.

In just half a day, he had captured a barbarian.

"General, this man and a few other barbarians were swaggering through the streets of the capital. Their behavior was extremely arrogant, and they even dared to forcefully take goods and wealth from the commoners. My subordinates and I tied him up and brought him here."

After saying this, Wang Ming did not forget to add, "General, when your subordinate bound this man, I specifically found a deserted place and lured all of his companions away. Therefore, no one else discovered it."

Ren Tianye nodded in satisfaction.

This Wang Ming was becoming more and more handy to use.

He walked up to the barbarian and sized him up. He was a man in his thirties, wearing grassland attire, with a robust and burly build, clearly an elite from the barbarian army.

He asked, "What is your name?"

"Bah! Are you even worthy of knowing your grandpa's name?" Surrounded by over a dozen personal guards, the barbarian still showed no fear. He struggled continuously, trying to break free from the ropes binding him. "Release your grandpa at once, or I will have your head roll!"

Wang Ming immediately slapped him hard across the face.

"A lowly barbarian dares to be so rampant in the capital? Do you think the blade in my hand isn't sharp enough?"

"Hmph!" The barbarian remained stubborn. "The Third Prince has already obtained an imperial decree for us. We barbarians are guests in this capital."

"Guests of the Empress of Great Yu!"

"How many heads do you have? You dare to touch the guests of the Great Yu Empress?"

"Let me go immediately!"

"Otherwise, you won't be able to bear the consequences!"

It seemed this barbarian treated the imperial decree as a protective talisman. He had likely been throwing his weight around the capital recently, acting completely arrogant.

It was just a pity...

Times had changed!

"Clang!" The gleam of a blade flashed.

At Ren Tianye's signaling gaze, Wang Ming brought his blade down.

After a single slash, the barbarian instantly let out a shrill scream.

The five fingers of his left hand had been cleanly severed.

As blood gushed out, his face instantly turned deathly pale.

His expression was filled with disbelief.

"You, you, you actually dare to disrespect me! Who are you people?"

"Are you really disobeying even the Empress's imperial decree?"

Wang Ming replied indifferently, "We are the Border Army!"

All of the barbarian's clamoring stopped in an instant.

He opened his mouth wide but did not dare make a single sound.

"The man standing before you is the Great General of our Northern Frontier Army."

Cold sweat instantly poured down the barbarian's forehead.

The cold sweat flowed like a waterfall, soaking his entire body in the blink of an eye.

Ren Tianye, the Northern Frontier Army...

Even if these words hadn't fallen clearly into his ears, just knowing them was enough to stir up endless terror in his heart.

Not just him, but almost all barbarians would have the exact same reaction.

They barbarians had always been invincible.

But...

Right in the northern frontier, at the foot of the Left and Right Peaks between Shanhe City and Yunji City, they had been ruthlessly ambushed by the Northern Frontier Army led by Ren Tianye.

Their eighty thousand elites had been beaten to pieces in less than a day, suffering countless casualties. In the end, less than ten thousand managed to regroup and return.

In that battle, the barbarian main force was completely destroyed.

Their King and First Prince also died soon after!

That battle had thoroughly shattered their spines!

How could they dare to have even the slightest bit of pride or arrogance in front of Ren Tianye and the Northern Frontier Army?

"Thump!"

He fell to his knees. "T-this lowly one is Agula, originally a centurion under the First Prince, now following the Third Prince Tuoba Xiangtai..."

Like spilling beans, the barbarian Agula poured out his situation one by one.

It wasn't that he was afraid of death, but rather, facing Ren Tianye, there was an invisible pressure that made him not dare to withhold anything.

Ren Tianye finally nodded.

He then asked, "This general has some matters to ask you about."

"Please ask, General. T-this lowly one will surely tell you everything I know without holding back."

"Is the Empress, Xiao Mingzhao, inside the Yuchen Mansion?"

"Yes, yes!" Agula said. "After the Empress Xiao Mingzhao received our Third Prince into the Yuchen Mansion, she has never come out again. She should be inside the Yuchen Mansion right now."

"Furthermore, the Empress Xiao Mingzhao probably won't be coming out again."

"Won't be coming out again?" Ren Tianye was somewhat surprised. He knew that Xiao Mingzhao was hopelessly love-struck and could do many things for Tuoba Xiangtai, but he still couldn't understand what won't be coming out meant.

What?

Were they so deeply in love to this extent?

"Yes, yes, General!" Agula said. "The Empress of Great Yu has been locked in a room by our Third Prince, and she is not allowed to leave."

"And, and..."

Agula hesitated for a moment but still said, "This lowly one isn't entirely sure, but I heard people say that the Empress Xiao Mingzhao is bound by iron chains by our Third Prince."

"Not only is the Empress Xiao Mingzhao not allowed to leave the room, she can't even walk very far."

"During this time, it has always been our Third Prince Tuoba Xiangtai taking care of the Empress, helping her review memorials, feeding her meals..."

"He just doesn't allow the Empress Xiao Mingzhao to leave his side for a single step."

Ren Tianye's head instantly buzzed.

He furrowed his brows. "Wh-what?"

"What did you say?"

Agula thought Ren Tianye didn't believe him and quickly explained, "General, t-this lowly one wouldn't dare deceive you!"

"Our Third Prince..."

"Seems a bit ab... a bit strange!"

"Not only does he forcefully keep the Empress Xiao Mingzhao by his side, but he also doesn't allow any men to see her. A few of our personal guards were killed by the Third Prince just because they accidentally took an extra glance."

"It has made all of us panicked and on edge now too."

"We are terrified that one day the Third Prince might get unhappy and make an example out of us. After all, he always flies into a rage for no reason over the Empress Xiao Mingzhao!"

"He is like a completely different person from the elegant young master he used to be!"

Ren Tianye was already dumbstruck.

Wang Ming beside him had the same reaction.

Many people had made guesses about the Empress Xiao Mingzhao's situation. Not just them, but the ministers in the royal court had guessed even more.

But everyone had always thought that the Empress Xiao Mingzhao was purely love-struck, willing to disregard everything for Tuoba Xiangtai. Since they had been separated for a long time, it was assumed they were just sticking together like glue after reuniting.

Refusing to leave the Yuchen Mansion no matter what.

But now...

This situation was completely different from what they had imagined!

So, it wasn't that the Empress Xiao Mingzhao refused to leave the Yuchen Mansion, but rather that the barbarian Tuoba Xiangtai had completely controlled Xiao Mingzhao and wouldn't let her leave?!

"This, how does this sound like..."

Ren Tianye thought, "A yandere!"

"So, this Tuoba Xiangtai is actually a yandere?"

Ren Tianye had done some research on Tuoba Xiangtai. After all, this person was capable of unifying the grasslands and leading an army of tens of thousands straight to the capital.

Such courage and insight forced people to take him seriously.

But...

After figuring out the whole story, it turns out he is a yandere?!

"Listening to what this Agula said, he must be a yandere with an exceptionally strong possessiveness!"

"Wait, is there even such a thing as a yandere without strong possessiveness?"

"If the possessiveness isn't strong, could they still be called a yandere?"

Ren Tianye's mind was in absolute turmoil.

Upon learning the truth, tears almost fell from his eyes.

After questioning Agula further, he was absolutely certain: this Tuoba Xiangtai was a yandere, and Xiao Mingzhao was the object of his obsessive affection.

Ren Tianye could not help but laugh.

He also understood it more profoundly now.

When a person is truly left speechless, they really do laugh.

Then...

He had Wang Ming take Agula away. He then sat down to slowly digest the information and began to plot.

His goal was to make Xiao Mingzhao die!

As long as Xiao Mingzhao died, the Great Yu would be without an emperor. A nation cannot go a single day without a ruler. At that time, he could completely follow his own wishes and prop up a new monarch!

He could then become the Prince Regent.

And easily control the situation.

Originally, he thought this matter would be quite difficult and take a lot of effort. But now, knowing that Tuoba Xiangtai was a yandere, things were much easier!

Soon, a few methods surfaced in Ren Tianye's mind.

However, before officially implementing these methods, he needed to run a few tests.

"Wang Ming!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Bring me the memorials that are to be delivered to the Imperial Chen Estate."

Before Ren Tianye arrived in the capital, the memorials submitted by the officials would be organized by the Prime Minister and others, then sent daily to the Imperial Chen Estate for Xiao Mingzhao to review.

But now, with Ren Tianye serving as the Grand Commandant, overseeing the affairs of the Masters of Writing, and controlling the entire capital with his grand army, the memorials had to pass through his eyes first.

Therefore...

Ren Tianye could tamper with them.

Quickly, he had someone add an extra memorial. It was not about national affairs, but about the Empress Xiao Mingzhao's private matters!

Specifically, about Xiao Mingzhao's body doubles!

Furthermore, at the very end of the memorial, a sentence was added:

"Your Majesty, your body doubles miss you!"

"You cannot forget your old loves just because you have a new one!"

After preparing the memorial, Ren Tianye had it sent to the Imperial Chen Estate as usual.

Meanwhile, the Imperial Chen Estate was completely peaceful.

After receiving the memorials, Tuoba Xiangtai happily brought them to Xiao Mingzhao's room. There, Xiao Mingzhao seemed to have accepted her fate, staring blankly at the head of the bed with hollow eyes.

Her nation-toppling beautiful face had long lost its former radiance, leaving only a deathly pallor.

The love she had always desired but never obtained had finally descended upon her as he wished. Yet, this deeply yearned-for love did not bring a smile to her face; instead, it felt like boiling water, constantly scorching her heart.

"Luan'er, are you still angry?"

"Don't be mad anymore."

"Wait until noon today, I'll make your favorite dishes."

"You know how good my cooking is."

"I will definitely feed you until you are plump and fair."

Tuoba Xiangtai comforted Xiao Mingzhao as always, expressing his intense love for her.

Although he received no response from Xiao Mingzhao, Tuoba Xiangtai did not mind. Instead, he felt a faint sense of joy, as if ultimate success was just around the corner.

After all, having spent so much time together, Xiao Mingzhao had slowly accepted her current situation. She no longer threw tantrums or struggled madly against him.

This was progress!

These little bits of progress had accumulated to this point, gathering into an ocean.

As the saying goes, absolute sincerity can crack even metal and stone!

He believed that if he persevered a little longer, Xiao Mingzhao would completely understand his painstaking efforts. By then, he would also be more skilled at handling the grand affairs of the Great Yu.

At that time, he could take Xiao Mingzhao away from the Imperial Chen Estate. He could help her manage the court and realize her dream of universal harmony.

His mood was completely free and unburdened!

Tuoba Xiangtai even began to hum a cherry blossom tune from his homeland. Just like any other day, he sat at the desk in front of Xiao Mingzhao and devoted all his energy to reviewing the memorials one by one.

There were no trivial matters in the memorials.

Presumably, the more minor issues had already been handled by the Three Excellencies and Nine Ministers. By the time they reached him, they were all major issues concerning the entire Great Yu.

The biggest issue among them was none other than the rebel army of Great Yu.

Lin Zixiao, who had raised an army in the south.

Having dealt with this for a few days, Tuoba Xiangtai already had some experience. Following the standard procedures, he simply ordered men and provisions to be dispatched to stop them.

However, what was somewhat strange was...

These past few days, for some unknown reason, there was no news from Ren Tianye in the Northern Frontier. He did not know if Ren Tianye had settled down or what had happened.

Tuoba Xiangtai flipped through the memorials but still found nothing. He simply wrote a few inquiring words on one of the reports and stamped it with Xiao Mingzhao's imperial seal.

He continued flipping through.

Then he saw...

The words "body doubles".

These words were like two needles, fiercely piercing his heart.

Causing Tuoba Xiangtai's body to tremble uncontrollably.

Immediately after, he slowly opened that memorial.

The memorial was not written by a minister, but by countless "body doubles."

"Your Majesty, you have not graced us with your presence for a long time. Do we really hold not even a tiny bit of weight in your heart?"

"Your Majesty, we miss you!"

"Your Majesty, Tuoba Xiangtai only met you a few days earlier, but we are the ones who spend day and night with you. How can you completely cast us aside for the sake of Tuoba Xiangtai?"

"Your Majesty, Tuoba Xiangtai is nothing but a barbarian. What makes him nobler than us? Why do you only favor him and ignore whether we live or die?"

...

Every word and every sentence was as clear and sharp as a knife.

Falling into Tuoba Xiangtai's eyes, and falling into his heart.

Tuoba Xiangtai did not even notice that his eyes had unknowingly turned bloodshot, and his hands were trembling uncontrollably.

"No, no, it's fake. It's all fake."

"Luan'er already told me. Those body doubles were just a comfort for when she couldn't see me. Luan'er never even looked at them properly. It's fake! These are all fake!"

"Besides, so what if Luan'er had something going on with them? That was all in the past. As long as Luan'er is with me wholeheartedly from now on, how could I not accept her past?"

"I can't possibly demand that she keep herself pure for me just because I kept myself pure for her, right?"

Tuoba Xiangtai continuously comforted himself, even trying to hypnotize himself into believing it. But the grip of his hands grew tighter and tighter, until the writing brush suddenly snapped with a sharp crack.

He abruptly jumped up.

Like an enraged beast, he glared fiercely at Xiao Mingzhao. His vicious appearance was completely different from his usual gentle and refined demeanor.

Xiao Mingzhao naturally sensed Tuoba Xiangtai's abnormality and could not help but frown, asking, "What's wrong?"

"What are you doing?"

Before Xiao Mingzhao could finish asking, Tuoba Xiangtai roared furiously, "You, you, you lied to me! You lied to me!"

"Why did you lie to me?"

"You clearly said so, so why did you lie to me!"

"Ahhhhhhh..."

"Why did you lie to me?"

...