I was kicked out of the house, and I was reborn and became the emperor

Inside the ancient city of Jiayuguan, the official roads are paved with bluestone slabs that are as solid as a rock. Because it is located at the border, cavalry often gallops past, so the road must be built to be unbreakable.

"Da da da", the crisp sound of horse hooves echoed, lightly stepping on the cold and hard bluestone. Fang Yi, Chang Zhen and others were rushing to the general's mansion, their hearts full of worries. Could it be that something unexpected really happened in Yunzhou?

In an instant, the group arrived at the gate of Shangguan Yu's residence.

As soon as he entered the mansion, Fang Yi immediately caught sight of Shangguan Yu and Shangguan Muzhan standing side by side. Shangguan Muzhan was staring at him with a strange sneer on his face, and an ominous premonition quietly grew in his mind.

"Come here, take down this rebel!"

Shangguan Yu shouted suddenly, and before he finished his words, the door of the mansion slammed shut. In an instant, hundreds of guards holding sharp blades rushed out of the courtyard and surrounded them.

Chang Zhen and his group quickly drew their swords and formed a circle to protect Fang Yi.

"General Shangguan, what is the meaning of this? How did Fang Yi become a traitor?"

Fang Yi's eyes were as sharp as torches as he glanced coldly at the two people in front of him. The flashing cold blades around them made them even more dazzling.

"Humph, General Fang Yi of the Chiyu Camp secretly communicated with the Jurchens and leaked military secrets, which led to the annihilation of the 30,000 cavalrymen in the Northern Frontier and the heroic death of our commander Zhan Tianyou. Such a heinous crime should be punished immediately and without pardon, in order to uphold the law of the country!"

Shangguan Yu shouted harshly, and then the two sides met with their weapons and fought together.

Fang Yiru was struck by a bolt from the blue. His 30,000-strong army was wiped out? The King of Zhenbei also fell on the battlefield. What kind of shocking change was this?

"Ah!" Fang Yi raised his head to the sky, let out a heart-shaking roar, and swung his sword down, and the guards close to him fell to the ground. Fang Yi only had a few people around him, and soon they were caught in a hard fight. Everyone was injured and the situation was precarious.

At the critical moment, the gate of the mansion was knocked open by a huge force, and hundreds of soldiers swarmed in. In the crowd, a young man in white clothes strode out and shouted angrily: "General Shangguan, killing colleagues indiscriminately is a serious crime! Stop immediately!"

When Fang Yi saw Xue Jinghan breaking in, he felt relieved. While supporting the injured guard beside him, blood kept dripping from his arm.

Although he didn't know how Xue Jinghan knew what happened in the general's mansion, he was convinced that Shangguan Yu would not dare to attack the eldest master of the Xue family.

Shangguan Yu's heart was as heavy as iron. He looked at the two clearly separated formations in the courtyard, and then turned his gaze to Xue Jinghan.

"Master Xue, Fang Yi secretly communicated with the enemy and betrayed military intelligence, causing the tragic destruction of 30,000 men in the Northern Frontier and the heroic sacrifice of Governor Wu. I was about to severely punish the traitors, but why did you interfere? Are you trying to protect the traitors?"

When Xue Jinghan heard Shangguan Yu's words, he instantly understood the truth.

Based on his understanding of Fang Yi, the claim of treason was absurd. Since treason was not established, it was a frame-up, and the motive behind it was self-evident - to evade responsibility for the defeat.

Xue Jinghan is quick-witted, how could Shangguan Yu's words deceive him?

"Traitor? Haha, General Shangguan, you are really good at hiding the truth. Do you think that by getting rid of Fang Yi, you can get rid of the shame of defeat? I advise you to stop as soon as possible. There is no wall that is impenetrable!"

Xue Jinghan revealed Shangguan Yu's plan in one sentence, and Fang Yi suddenly realized why he encountered this disaster today.

Shangguan Yu had never expected that the eldest young master of the Xue family was so insightful and could expose his elaborate plan in one sentence.

Shangguan Yu and Shangguan Muzhan exchanged glances. At this point they were trapped in a dilemma. Did they really have to kill the young master of the Xue family?

Xue Jinghan observed their expressions and knew that the two were hesitant.

"General Shangguan, now that things have come to this, you can either release the hostages or eliminate me and my men as well. But you need to think carefully about how the Xue family will respond and whether the Shangguan family can bear this heavy punishment!"

Upon hearing that Xue Jinghan entrusted his life and death to him, Fang Yi felt a warm current in his heart. It seemed that Xue Jinghan was indeed a trustworthy friend.

Shangguan Yu weighed the pros and cons on his inner scale for a long time, and finally chose to put down his butcher knife.

Putting aside the question of whether he could successfully kill all these enemies, even if he could do it, would he be able to erase all traces of this series of events?

Once the Shangguan family and the Xue family completely fall out and destroy each other's future head of the family with their own hands, they will develop a deep hatred that will last until one of them dies. What's more, there is the Xuanyuan family who is eyeing them covetously. Any slight mistake may lead to the Shangguan family being swallowed up.

Thinking of this, Shangguan Yu's voice became soft: "In terms of seniority, I am older than you, so today I will call you my nephew. You can take the person away, but what happened in the general's mansion today..."

His implication was clear: he could shoulder all the responsibility for the defeat in the war, and at worst he would be held accountable or dismissed from his post. However, the charge of framing and harming his comrades was a burden that no one could bear.

Xue Jinghan naturally heard the key to the words, took a step forward, and said in a loud voice: "I, Xue Jinghan, swear in the name of the Xue family that if anything about today's events is leaked, I am willing to be punished by being struck by five thunders and die without a burial place!"

In the eyes of the big families, the reputation of the family is more important than Mount Tai. Seeing Xue Jinghan make such a solemn vow, Shangguan Yu's worries disappeared, and he waved his hand to signal Xue Jinghan to take his men away.

Looking at the backs of the people filing out, Shangguan Muzhan's face was gloomy: "Uncle, are we just going to let them go like this? Won't there be trouble later?"

Shangguan Yu waved his hand impatiently: "This is the only way for now. We are not at the point of completely falling out with the Xue family. You should not take the initiative to provoke them, lest they push him to the limit and make things worse."

In Xue Jinghan's mansion, the servants were busy treating Fang Yi's wounds. Bai Yujing and Lu Qi, who heard the news, also rushed over. After hearing the whole story, the two were furious, and the death of Zhan Tianyou shocked them even more. Fang Yi comforted them: "This matter ends here, and don't mention it again in the future. A little pain is not important. What really hurts me is the sacrifice of 30,000 Yunzhou soldiers and Wu Taishou."

Everyone fell silent. Xue Jinghan waved his hand to let the servants leave, walked to the table, and carefully poured a cup of tea for each person. He knew that these brothers had followed Governor Wu for many years and it was difficult for them to accept the cruel reality.

Fang Yi looked at Xue Jinghan and said gratefully: "Brother Xue, today it was all thanks to you risking your life to save us from danger, otherwise we would have died in the general's mansion long ago."

Xue Jinghan smiled and said, "It's okay. Didn't you save my life before? Now we are even. Haha."

Fang Yi responded with a smile: "Today, I will formally introduce my brothers to you. Come here, everyone." After that, he waved to Bai Yujing and others.

"This is Bai Yujing, the talented scholar from Lushan Academy; these two are my brothers who have shared joys and sorrows, Chang Zhen and Lu Qi."

Fang Yi introduced them one by one, and Xue Jinghan bowed respectfully to each one.

It was late at night, and everyone was talking happily until they left. Xue Jinghan stood at the door, watching the four people go away, and heaved a sigh of relief. He knew that from today on, Fang Yi would regard him as a true friend.