An Arrow Piercing Through the Clouds, Twenty Thousand Imperial Guards Storm the City

Before the Young Duke could speak, Su Xiu had already said angrily, "I've said it before, I won't marry him!"

Su Jin said indifferently, "Xiu'er, this is not up to you to decide!"

"I said I won't marry, and I mean it. In this life, I, Su Xiu, will only marry for love. Expecting me to marry a stranger I've never even met?"

"He can keep dreaming!"

After saying that, the furious Su Xiu turned around and went back into the Su residence. This left Su Jin sighing helplessly; with her second sister's temperament, if she really married General Ren, who knew what kind of trouble she would cause.

But right now, General Ren had already specifically asked for her second sister. If her second sister stubbornly refused to marry, she truly wouldn't be able to cover it up anymore.

Given General Ren's methods, who knew what kind of massive chaos would ensue.

"I hope that day never comes," Su Jin thought, though her heart still trembled with fear.

Standing to the side, the Young Duke narrowed his eyes.

From just those few short sentences, he had already understood the entire situation.

Someone was trying to marry off his Sister Su to some garrison general!

Heh!

"How audacious!"

The Young Duke Lu Jun said coldly, "Someone actually dares to force a woman belonging to this Marquis? It seems he is tired of living."

"Butler!"

"Here!"

"I give you the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. I want all the information on this garrison general!"

The butler was speechless.

The time it takes to drink a cup of tea to find out everything about a garrison general?

Did he really think this was the capital, within the sphere of influence of the Duke of Fuguo's estate?

Even if it were within their sphere of influence, in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he wouldn't even be able to run out the front gate. Where was he supposed to get it?

But facing such a command from the Young Duke, he knew he couldn't disobey. Just as he was in a dilemma, he suddenly remembered something and quickly said, "Young Duke, the garrison general of Yunji City is Zhan Shubai."

"Who is Zhan Shubai?"

The butler immediately looked around and ultimately chose to lean close to the Young Duke Lu Jun's ear, whispering an explanation.

As the Young Duke Lu Jun listened, a cold sneer soon appeared on his lips. "So it's that Zhan Shubai. This Marquis actually has some impression of him."

"Born in Poluo, poor and lacking ambition. He fell in love with Her Majesty at first sight, but Her Majesty never paid him any mind, only assigning him menial and exhausting tasks."

"Hmph, such a lowly thing. Back in the capital, whenever he heard this Marquis's name, he had to retreat three miles. And now he dares to fight over a woman with this Marquis?"

"His lowly and despicable appearance is truly laughable."

Speaking of this, he suddenly thought of something and said in surprise, "Wait, that's not right. That Zhan Shubai never refuses Her Majesty's orders. Would he dare look for another woman behind Her Majesty's back?"

"Oh my, has the sun risen from the west?"

These utterly ridiculous words fell into Su Jin's ears, causing her to frown slightly and sigh inwardly. If it had been before, when she was still following Vice General Zhang Wei, she might have joined in the discussion.

But now, under Ren Tianye, she had shed all her vanity and completely changed her state of mind. She only found people like the Young Duke and her second sister laughable.

Absolutely laughable!

Thus, she calmly reminded him, "The garrison general of Yunji City is no longer Zhan Shubai, but my general."

"Ren Tianye!"

Su Jin enunciated the three words of Ren Tianye's name clearly, her tone inadvertently carrying a bit more respect and awe.

But the Young Duke Lu Jun grew even more confused.

"Who is Ren Tianye?"

"Butler, in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, I want all the information on this man!"

The butler was speechless.

Not again!

Fortunately, the butler was not unfamiliar with the name Ren Tianye. After all, the incident of the real and fake young masters of the Duke of Ren's estate had caused quite a massive uproar back then.

Immediately, he leaned close to the Young Duke's ear again and whispered some details.

The Young Duke instantly burst into loud laughter. "I was wondering who it was. So it's just the abandoned son of the Duke of Ren's estate. A mere discarded pawn, how dare he threaten Sister Su."

"Go!"

The Young Duke casually pointed to an accompanying soldier. "Tell Ren Tianye to come see me!"

"Yes, Young Duke!"

"Tell him to run over here!"

"Yes, Young Duke!"

The soldier immediately rode his horse, galloping wildly toward the General's Manor. The dust kicked up by the horse's hooves scattered and shrouded the area in front of the Su residence, leaving Su Jin and the vice general following her, Wang Ming, momentarily stunned.

The two of them looked at the Young Duke in sheer disbelief.

On that cold and arrogant face, the word domineering was written all over.

"Never mind..." Vice General Wang Ming, who had a thought in his mind, decided not to pursue the matter.

Since the matter was going to be brought to the Great General anyway, it was better to let the Great General handle it himself.

He then left together with Su Jin.

They hadn't walked far when they saw the soldier who had just run off aggressively to deliver the message returning at a faster speed than when he left, clutching his face.

"Just as I thought!"

Vice General Wang Ming mused to himself and ignored it.

And as that messenger soldier dismounted, the Young Duke immediately frowned deeply. "What happened to you?"

"Why is your face red?"

"Who hit you?"

The soldier looked aggrieved. "Young Duke, your subordinate followed your orders and went to the Great General to deliver the message. But before I could even enter the gate, I was tied up by his personal guards."

"Your subordinate didn't dare disgrace your prestige. I stood at the General's Manor and loudly cursed Ren Tianye for being bold and presumptuous. I revealed your identity and told him to run over here."

"But..."

"But Ren Tianye ordered his personal guards to slap your subordinate ten times."

"And he told your subordinate to get lost!"

"He also said that your subordinate is just a dog, so he only gave a light punishment, otherwise he would have beheaded me."

Hearing the messenger soldier say this, the Young Duke finally saw clearly that the soldier in front of him had been beaten almost into a pulp. Instantly, his handsome face turned dark and gloomy.

"Ren Tianye, who gave him the nerve?"

"He dares to defy this Marquis!"

"And he dares to touch this Marquis's man?"

He scoffed coldly, the anger in his eyes no longer concealable. His voice was sharp and decisive, almost tangible, as he said coldly, "Defying the heavens, there might be an exception!"

"Defying me, there is absolutely no chance of survival!"

Saying so, he pulled an item from a soldier's chest. It looked like a slender bamboo stick, with a small gunpowder tube tied to the top. It was a military signaling device.

A signal flare!

After taking it, he immediately lit the fuse.

Soon after, the signal flare in his hand, along with the bamboo stick, shot straight into the clouds. A long streak of light, like a shooting star, pierced across the sky.

High in the sky, it suddenly exploded with a loud bang like a firecracker.

"Bang!"

This sound was violent and crisp, making everyone in Yunji City raise their heads.

Inside the General's Manor, Ren Tianye also hurried out to look. After seeing it clearly, his expression changed slightly.

"A signal flare, this signal means..."

"Launch an attack!"

"Someone is launching an attack?"

"Who is it?"

Before Ren Tianye could wonder for too long, a city soldier came to report, "Great General, the twenty thousand imperial guards stationed outside the city have launched an attack on our Yunji City!"

"Imperial guards?"

Ren Tianye was taken aback. "So, this is the signal for the imperial guards to attack?"

"No, this signal came from inside the city. Who set off the signal? It couldn't possibly be that Young Duke, could it? But he is inside the city. Having the imperial guards outside attack the city, isn't that purely courting death?"

...