In an instant, as those words surfaced in Luo Shangyu’s mind, her forgotten memories came rushing back.
She remembered everything that had happened to her in the palace.
She clutched her chest, breathing heavily.
Fortunately, she had recalled the threats made against her.
Otherwise, Qin Yu would have been in grave danger tomorrow.
As a Seventh-rank Quasi-god, Luo Shangyu possessed an incredibly powerful will.
Had she not been caught off guard and fallen into a trap that morning, she never would have been branded with a Mental Stamp so easily.
Now, free from external interference, Luo Shangyu focused her energy.
Soon, her willpower condensed, and she slowly began to excise the Mental Stamp that had been planted in her mind.
Luo Shangyu recalled that the palace room must have been equipped with a magic circle specifically designed to weaken her resolve.
After a short while, she felt a wave of mental clarity, as if some form of filth had been purged from her body.
She knew the Mental Stamp in her mind had been erased.
Carefully, she revisited the moment the stamp was planted.
In her memory, the voice had been male—one that sounded very much like Qin Yi’s.
‘This must be Qin Yi’s scheme…’ Luo Shangyu looked at the sleeping Qin Yu, and a plan formed in her mind.
‘Why don’t I just… beat them at their own game!’
***
Early the next morning, Luo Shangyu received a new set of court robes.
The purple court robes looked extraordinarily grand.
Luo Shangyu put them on and spun around twice in front of the mirror, nodding with satisfaction.
“It’s getting late; we should head out,” Qin Yu urged from the side.
“Coming, coming.” Luo Shangyu followed slowly behind Qin Yu, walking from the bedroom to the main hall of the East Palace.
In the main hall, Han Youcheng stood awkwardly in the center of the room, clad in armor.
“Your Highness, is it truly necessary for me to lead the troops?” Han Youcheng asked cautiously.
“Of course!” Qin Yu let out a small laugh and said, “The decree has already been sent to every province and department. Do you think I can just take it back?”
“Your Highness, how exactly have I offended you?” Han Youcheng looked as if he were on the verge of tears.
“I have spent my whole life treading on thin ice, and I have never once crossed you. Why are you sending me to invade the Kingdom of Yiyong? I don’t want to die yet!”
Qin Yu paused, only now realizing that Han Youcheng thought she was trying to get rid of him.
“You shouldn’t think that way,” Qin Yu said earnestly, “The Kingdom of Yiyong is currently weak. If you lead the Central Army Group there, you are bound to win without even having to fight.”
“If you are still worried, I can bestow a secret manual upon you!”
Han Youcheng took the small booklet Qin Yu handed him.
Inside were the various strategies and countermeasures that Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu had compiled yesterday based on potential battlefield scenarios.
Seeing that Han Youcheng was still hesitating, Qin Yu added, “You understand, don’t you? If this expedition is successful…”
Hearing this, Han Youcheng immediately perked up.
He was no longer young, yet he remained a minor official responsible for mere clerical work.
Upon hearing Qin Yu’s words, he realized this was his shortcut to promotions, titles, and a life of wealth and glory.
“Your Highness, I want to advance so badly!”
***
At 10:00 AM, Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu arrived at Weiyang Hall, where the civil and military officials were lined up in the hall.
According to the schedule, Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu would lead the officials out of Weiyang Hall, exiting the palace through the Zhengyang Gate—the main southern gate of the Yongle Palace.
There, they would board carriages and travel down Yong’an Street, passing through the Mingde Gate to reach the parade grounds in the southern suburbs of the Capital City.
Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu walked at the very front.
As the general of this expedition, Han Youcheng followed closely behind them.
Behind Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu should have been all the members of the imperial family.
However, because Qin Ling was seriously ill, only Qin Yi followed behind the two.
The group arrived outside Changle Palace, where a row of carriages had been waiting for a long time.
Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu boarded the leading carriage together.
Han Youcheng took a separate carriage, and Qin Yi and his attendants occupied another.
Behind them, the vast motorcade of civil and military officials followed in a grand procession.
The convoy rolled down Yong’an Street, which had already been cleared of traffic.
People lined the sides of the road, watching the spectacular scene from a distance.
Everyone knew the Chengji Empire was deploying its military once again.
The crowds cheered and jumped for joy, praying for the imperial army’s triumphant return.
Luo Shangyu watched the crowds through the carriage window.
The glass muffled the noise, making the interior of the carriage feel quite peaceful.
Mixed within the crowd were the members of the Yulin Army whom Luo Shangyu had arranged to serve as guards for this stretch of the journey.
She could vaguely distinguish them from the common citizens.
Qin Yu leaned back against her seat with her eyes slightly closed, resting her mind.
However, Luo Shangyu’s heart was a tangled mess of nerves as she mentally rehearsed what was about to happen.
No matter how long Yong’an Street was, it eventually came to an end.
The carriage soon reached the tunnel of the Zhengyang Gate.
Just as the carriage entered the gate’s tunnel, a squad of soldiers descended from the gate tower and blocked the path.
The carriage shuddered slightly and came to a halt.
Qin Yu woke from her daze and asked, “What’s happening?”
“It looks like someone has stopped us.” Luo Shangyu looked out the window.
“How dare they!” Qin Yu leaped up, “Who dares to block my carriage? Kill them all!”
With that, Qin Yu prepared to step out of the carriage to execute them herself.
Luo Shangyu recalled the words the voice had spoken yesterday: ‘Find the right moment and kill Qin Yu!’
This was that moment!
Luo Shangyu immediately realized it was a trap.
Qin Yi intended to use this opportunity to halt Qin Yu’s carriage so that she could strike her down!
“You can’t go out there!” Luo Shangyu hurriedly grabbed Qin Yu’s sleeve.
Qin Yu turned her head, looking at Luo Shangyu with slight confusion.
Just as Luo Shangyu was trying to think of an explanation, the gates on both sides of the tunnel suddenly slammed shut, plunging everything into darkness.
‘This is bad!’ Luo Shangyu cursed inwardly.
She looked through the carriage window as the lights inside the gate tunnel flickered on, making everything inside clearly visible.
Qin Yu’s carriage, along with the carriages of Han Youcheng and Qin Yi, was now trapped inside the tunnel.
The sound of a carriage door opening rang out, and Qin Yu stepped down.
“Wait for me!” Luo Shangyu hurriedly followed behind her.
When the coachman saw Qin Yu descend, his face was filled with terror.
“Your Highness, I don’t know why, but they blocked us here. I tried to chase them away, but they wouldn’t move.”
“I’ll handle this,” Qin Yu said as she walked toward the soldiers.
With the guards Luo Shangyu had arranged unable to reach them, Qin Yu decided to take matters into her own hands.
Without even needing to guess, Qin Yu knew these were Qin Yi’s soldiers.
She didn’t bother asking questions, drawing her staff with the intention of killing them all.
Qin Yu pulled out her staff to cast a spell, but to her shock, she found she could not mobilize her magic at all!
“Luo Shangyu, I… I can’t use magic!” Qin Yu turned to tell Luo Shangyu, who had just caught up.
Luo Shangyu also pulled out her staff, only to find that her magic seemed to be suppressed, leaving her unable to cast anything.
“There must be a restrictive formation set up to prevent us from using magic…” Luo Shangyu theorized.
At that moment, the soldiers blocking the path raised their weapons and charged toward Qin Yu.
“Traitors have arrived! Protect the Crown Princess!” Qin Yu shouted loudly.
Luo Shangyu stood directly behind Qin Yu.
She blurred past her, drawing her longsword and holding it horizontally in front of Qin Yu to shield her.
Qin Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
Luo Shangyu was highly skilled in martial arts; killing these men without magic would be no problem for her.
“Kill her!” A voice barked sternly inside Luo Shangyu’s head.
Luo Shangyu froze for a split second upon hearing the command.
Then, she flicked her sword upward, the sharp tip of the blade pointing directly at Qin Yu’s vulnerable throat…
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