"Since you refuse to plead guilty," Ying Yuan said in a deep voice, "then don't blame me for not remembering our friendship!"

He turned around and said to the guards, "Drag Yu Ji away and execute her immediately!"

"Your Majesty! Spare my life!" Yu Ji let out a shrill scream, but was forcibly dragged away by the guards.

The court was completely silent, and all the ministers were silent. They all knew that Yu Ji's death was just the beginning of this political struggle.

Ying Yuan stood on the high dragon throne, looking down at the ministers below, his heart filled with loneliness and helplessness. He knew that his future would be even more difficult.

……

That night, Ying Yuan sat alone in the imperial study, reviewing memorials.

Outside the window, the night is as dark as ink and the cold wind is howling.

Suddenly, he heard light footsteps.

He looked up and saw a man in black standing in front of him.

The man in black had his face covered, revealing only a pair of cold eyes.

"Who are you?" Ying Yuan asked in a deep voice.

The man in black didn't say anything, but took out a letter from his arms and handed it to Ying Yuan.

Ying Yuan took the letter, opened it, and his face suddenly changed.

There were only a few short sentences in the letter: Gai Nie has escaped, so it is best to be careful.

Ying Yuan suddenly raised his head and looked at the man in black, his eyes full of shock and anger.

"Who sent you?" he asked sharply.

The man in black still said nothing, turned around and disappeared into the night.

Ying Yuan stood there, his heart filled with anxiety and fear. He knew that a bigger storm was coming...

Ying Yuan held the letter, his knuckles turning white, and the letter made a slight "cracking" sound in his hand. Gai Nie escaped? How is this possible! He saw with his own eyes that Gai Nie was dragged away by the guards, and heard with his own ears the shrill screams of Yu Ji. Could it be... He suddenly remembered the look that Yu Ji gave him. It was not despair, but... a kind of almost crazy pride.

He was cheated!

Ying Yuan roared and crumpled the letter in his hand. He stood up suddenly, his dragon robe fluttering in the night wind. He walked to the window and looked at the dark night sky, with a huge wave in his heart. Gai Nie was the strongest swordsman in the empire. If he really escaped, the consequences would be disastrous.

He must take action immediately!
Ying Yuan took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He quickly walked to the desk and wrote down orders. Dispatch troops, block the city gates, and search for Gai Nie and Yu Ji! He wanted to tear these two traitors into pieces!
Just then, he heard a slight knock on the door. "Come in!" Ying Yuan said in a deep voice.

The door was pushed open, and a eunuch bowed and walked in. "Your Majesty, Lord Li Si wants to see you."

"Let him in."

Li Si walked quickly into the imperial study, with a hint of anxiety on his face. "Your Majesty, I have something important to report!"

"Say!"

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty found a secret passage in Yu Ji's bedroom!" Li Si's voice trembled a little.

Ying Yuan's heart sank. It was as expected! Yu Ji and Gai Nie had already planned the escape route. He suppressed his anger and asked, "Where does the secret passage lead to?"

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty has not yet found out." Li Si lowered his head, not daring to look into Ying Yuan's eyes.

"Useless!" Ying Yuan shouted angrily, sweeping the memorials on the table to the ground. "What's the point of me keeping useless people like you!"

Li Si was so frightened that he trembled all over and quickly knelt on the ground. "Your Majesty, calm down! I deserve to die!"

Ying Yuan took a deep breath and tried to control his emotions. He knew that now was not the time to lose his temper. He had to find Gai Nie and Yu Ji as soon as possible, otherwise there would be endless trouble.

"Li Si," Ying Yuan said in a deep voice, "you must take people to investigate the secret passage immediately and find the trace of Gai Nie and Yu Ji!" "Yes, sir!" Li Si was as if he had been pardoned, and he quickly stood up and walked out.

Ying Yuan stood alone in the imperial study, looking at the memorials scattered all over the floor, feeling exhausted and powerless. He felt like a prey trapped in a spider web, surrounded by danger and conspiracy.

He didn't know when this fight would end.

……

At the same time, Gai Nie and Yu Ji were running along the secret passage. The secret passage was narrow and dark, and the air was filled with a damp and musty smell.

"Gai Nie, can we really escape?" Yu Ji asked breathlessly, with a hint of uneasiness in her voice.

"Don't worry, Yu Ji," Gai Nie clenched the sword in his hand and said firmly, "I will definitely take you out of this cage!"

"But..." Yu Ji hesitated and said, "Ying Yuan...he won't let us go."

Gai Nie sneered, with a cold light flashing in his eyes. "He? Humph, who does he think he is? He is just a tyrant who is blinded by power!"

"But... he is the emperor of Qin after all..." Yu Ji's voice became smaller and smaller.

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"Emperor?" Gai Nie stopped, turned around, and looked at Yu Ji, his eyes full of mockery. "So what if he's an emperor? He can control the life and death of the people in the world, but he can't control his own destiny! He thinks he can cover the sky with one hand, but he doesn't know that he has already been played in our hands!"

Yu Ji looked at Gai Nie with mixed emotions in her eyes. She didn't know who Gai Nie was referring to when he said "we".

"Gai Nie," Yu Ji hesitated and asked, "Who... who are you?"

Gai Nie looked at Yu Ji, with a complicated look in his eyes. He was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "I... am an Avenger."

"Avenger?" Yu Ji looked at him in confusion.

Gai Nie didn't say anything, but just kept walking forward. The secret passage became narrower and narrower, and the air became thinner and thinner. Yu Ji felt that her breathing was becoming more and more difficult, and hallucinations began to appear in front of her eyes.

Just then, she saw a ray of light ahead.

"Gai Nie, look!" Yu Ji pointed ahead and said excitedly.

Gai Nie also saw the light. He quickened his pace and ran towards the direction of the light.

Finally, they walked out of the secret passage.

What appeared before them was a dense forest.

They are free!
Gai Nie and Yu Ji smiled at each other, their eyes filled with joy and excitement.

However, they didn't know that this was just the beginning of another nightmare...

Just as they walked out of the secret passage, a sharp arrow flew through the air and headed straight for Gai Nie's chest!

Gai Nie was quick-witted and pushed Yu Ji away, but he himself failed to dodge the arrow completely. The arrow grazed his arm and flew past, leaving a puff of blood. He groaned and staggered back a few steps.

"Gai Nie!" Yu Ji exclaimed and hurriedly supported him.

"It's okay." Gai Nie gritted his teeth and said while enduring the pain. He looked up and saw a group of men in black slowly approaching from the depths of the dense forest.

"It seems that Ying Yuan has been prepared." Gai Nie sneered, with a cold light flashing in his eyes.

"Let's go!" Yu Ji said anxiously.

"Leave? Where to go?" Gai Nie looked at the black-clad men surrounding him, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone. "We are already surrounded."

The men in black were getting closer and closer. The leader was a tall man with a hideous mask on his face and a gleaming dagger in his hand. (End of this chapter)