At that moment, Yuxiang seemed to recall something and continued, "By the way, my lord, the 10,000 defenders of Yubei City have abandoned their posts and returned to Yumen Pass. We have also safely escorted the elder from Zhenbei Prince's Mansion to Yumen Pass."
Orion nodded. "Understood. Thank you for your hard work, Yuxiang. The elder from Zhenbei Prince's Mansion can be settled as needed. As for the defenders from Yubei City supporting Yumen Pass, that's a good move. Yumen Pass is a fortress that's easy to defend but hard to attack. With 20,000 defenders, it should hold out for quite some time."
Yuxiang nodded in agreement. "Yumen Pass has been an impregnable barrier for the Zhou Dynasty for a reason."
"Is there anything else?" Orion asked, noticing the hesitation on Yuxiang's face.
Yuxiang hesitated before speaking, "My lord, there's a woman from the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion who claims to be yours. She insisted on seeing you, saying she would take her life if we didn't bring her along. I didn't dare to make a decision, so I brought her here."
Orion frowned slightly, recognizing who it might be. It was likely Ruolan, the woman he had seen when he first woke up in this world—a former personal maid who had been treated almost like a concubine by his predecessor.
"Where is she now?" Orion asked, deciding to meet her.
"She should be arriving soon," Yuxiang replied.
Soon, a shadow guard escorted Ruolan into Orion's camp.
"Your Majesty, I finally see you! I've missed you so much!" Ruolan cried out as she threw herself into Orion's arms.
Orion couldn't help but notice her attire was still as revealing as ever, stirring emotions within him. But just as he was about to respond, Jiang Qianning entered the camp.
She immediately noticed Ruolan clinging to Orion's arm, her eyes narrowing with a flash of resentment.
Orion coughed and quickly disengaged from Ruolan. "Ah, let me introduce you. This is Ruolan, my former maid."
"Huh?" Orion's gaze sharpened as he noticed something unusual. "Ruolan, I remember you once said you came from an ordinary farming family and came to Yubei City to make a living. Is that right?"
Ruolan blushed and replied shyly, "Yes, Your Majesty. I didn't expect you to remember."
With a sneer, Orion pushed her away gently and took a sip of tea. "If you're from an ordinary family, how do you possess cultivation skills? And not just any skills—you're at the level of a Martial King."
Ruolan froze, panic flashing across her face. Orion's suspicions deepened. "Tell me, what's your purpose in approaching me?"
The camp grew tense as Xu Chu and the others became alert, ready to strike if necessary. Ruolan, realizing the danger, finally confessed, "Your Majesty, I belong to the Third Prince. The Empress wants you dead, and the Third Prince hopes to cooperate with you..."
Orion's eyes turned cold as ice. "The Third Prince, huh? I see. Xu Chu, take care of her."
Without hesitation, Xu Chu drew his sword, and in an instant, Ruolan was cut down, her body crumbling to the ground.
"Cooperation? The Third Prince will remember this," Orion muttered, his fury barely contained.
As he looked at Ruolan's lifeless body, he thought to himself how close he had come to disaster. The Third Prince had intended not cooperation, but betrayal.
"Fortunately, I didn't let my guard down," Orion thought, calming himself. The revelation that a woman he had once trusted was a spy left him feeling sickened, but now, at least, he was more determined than ever to face the threats against him.