The night was as dark as ink, and the sounds of battle had gradually faded into the distance. Only the occasional flare of firelight pierced the gloom. Su Jin's army had managed to gain a temporary reprieve, but she knew that this brief silence was merely the calm before the storm. Around her, soldiers tended to the wounded and reorganized, but Su Jin herself stood outside a makeshift tent, gazing toward the dim outline of the distant capital. The foreign army had not yet revealed its full power, and while Cao Ying had suffered a significant defeat, neither he nor his rebel forces had been completely crushed. More unsettling was the sense that a hidden force was pulling the strings behind this chaos.
Inside the tent, Gu Tingfeng and Zhang Huai were quietly discussing their next steps. Gu Tingfeng's expression was serious. "Your Majesty, our forces have sustained heavy losses. Though we've temporarily escaped the foreign army's encirclement, their true intentions remain unclear. And we still haven't seen their commander. I fear they may be plotting something far more dangerous."
Zhang Huai nodded in agreement. "Not only that, but Cao Ying, though weakened, will not give up easily. He has backers in the shadows. We may have underestimated his ambition."
Su Jin was silent, her thoughts racing as she considered the complex situation. Just as she was about to issue further orders, one of her personal guards rushed into the tent, his expression tense. "Your Majesty, we've captured someone suspicious among the enemy prisoners. He doesn't appear to be part of the foreign army—he looks like a spy from the capital."
Su Jin's brow furrowed, immediately sensing the gravity of the situation. "Bring him in," she commanded.
Moments later, two soldiers dragged in a ragged, blood-stained man. Despite his battered appearance, Su Jin could tell he had once been a court official. She fixed him with a cold gaze. "Who are you? And why were you among the foreign army?"
The man struggled to lift his head, fear flickering in his eyes, though it was mixed with defiance. "I… I'm a spy for the royal court… sent to infiltrate Cao Ying's rebellion. I was captured by the foreign army. I have vital information… about Cao Ying and the foreign forces."
Su Jin's gaze sharpened immediately. She gestured for the soldiers to leave, then stepped closer to the man, her eyes piercing. "Speak. What do you know?"
The man took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "The alliance between Cao Ying and the foreign army is fragile at best. There is deep distrust between them. The foreign army has its own agenda—it isn't here just to help Cao Ying seize the capital. They have a larger plan, one that involves control of the entire kingdom."
Su Jin's expression grew colder. She had suspected as much, but the confirmation made the situation even more dire. She leaned in, her voice low. "Who is behind them?"
The man hesitated, then finally whispered, "It's the Northern Lord. They're using this rebellion to weaken the kingdom. Once we're vulnerable, they plan to invade and seize our lands."
A storm of realization surged through Su Jin. The Northern territories had long been enemies of the kingdom, and tensions had been rising in recent years. If the foreign army was truly backed by the Northern Lord, this war was much larger than a simple rebellion.
Gu Tingfeng's face turned grim. "Your Majesty, if this is a Northern plot, we need to rethink our strategy immediately. The focus can no longer just be on defeating Cao Ying."
Zhang Huai nodded in agreement. "We have to expose their plan. If we don't, the entire kingdom could be at risk."
Su Jin stood up, walking out of the tent to gaze at the black sky, her fists clenched. She realized that this war was no longer just about quelling a rebellion. The Northern forces had already infiltrated the battlefield, and she needed to find a way to uncover their plans and strike before it was too late.
Meanwhile, in a distant corner of the capital, Cao Ying lay in his tent, his head wrapped in thick bandages from wounds he had sustained in battle. Despite the foreign army's counterattack, his ambitions remained undimmed. He still believed he could manipulate the situation to his advantage and emerge victorious.
Liu An stood by his side, his expression dark. "General, the foreign army's movements are becoming increasingly strange. Their commander hasn't made any clear statements, and Su Jin's forces have not been fully defeated. What should we do next?"
Cao Ying sneered. "The foreign army will show their true colors soon enough. We don't need to rush into battle with them. Let Su Jin fight them to exhaustion. When both sides are weakened, we will strike."
He added mockingly, "Su Jin is naive if she thinks an alliance of convenience can defeat me. She doesn't realize the real threat lies with the foreign army. If she isn't cautious, she will pay dearly for it."
In the capital, Lord Wang stood atop the palace walls, staring out over the distant fires and chaos. His heart was heavy with anxiety. The situation within the city was worsening by the day, as rebel forces ran rampant, and the actions of the foreign army grew more unpredictable. What troubled him most were the increasing rumors from the North. Could the Northern forces already be involved in this conflict?
He turned and hurried into the palace, his mind made up. No matter what it took, he had to reach Su Jin and warn her. He understood that the kingdom's fate now hung by a thread, and the enemy they faced was far more dangerous than they had anticipated.