Ning Chen's eyes were sharp. Staring up at Zhang Tianlun on the wall, he said it one word at a time: "Never tasted defeat."

Zhang Tianlun gave a sinister smile. "Then you're about to get a taste. This emperor will give you one."

The corner of Ning Chen's mouth twitched.

Zhang Tianlun suddenly beckoned to someone behind him.

A striking, full-figured woman came gracefully forward.

Zhang Tianlun shouted, "Ning Chen, do you know who she is?"

Ning Chen thought for a moment. "Yunniang?"

"Exactly!" Zhang Tianlun looked thoroughly pleased with himself. "Ning Chen, you had someone get in touch with Yunniang because you wanted to get into Xiangzhou through the north gate. Now here she is, standing beside me. You get it now?"

Ning Chen raised an eyebrow. "Get what?"

Zhang Tianlun suddenly burst into gloating laughter. "Ning Chen, it seems you're not that smart after all... Then this emperor will spell it out for you. Those fifty thousand men you sent to attack the north gate aren't coming back.

It looks like you all overlooked something. Besides Nanyue's support, this emperor has the Zhaohe Kingdom.

Ning Chen, this emperor had thirty thousand Zhaohe troops. Guess where they are now?"

Ning Chen clapped and said in that snide voice of his, "Wow... you're so smart. Just like my neighbor's dog."

Zhang Tianlun couldn't help frowning. "Ning Chen, what do you mean by that? Don't tell me you already guessed this emperor had the Zhaohe set an ambush along the way?"

Before Ning Chen could answer, Zhang Tianlun answered his own question at the top of his voice, "Impossible. This emperor had the Zhaohe army go to ground nearly half a year ago and made it look like they'd gone home to the Zhaohe Kingdom. There's no way you could have guessed."

Ning Chen snorted. "Fine. Say I didn't guess. So what? Without the fifty thousand I sent to attack the north gate, I still have a hundred and ten thousand men. That's plenty to break into Xiangzhou and take you alive."

"Take this emperor alive?" Zhang Tianlun's face darkened. "Ning…