Zhang Xin stood at the edge of darkness, eyes scanning the silent outline of Chang'an.
The wind was still.
Too still.
For a man about to force his way into the imperial capital, silence was never comforting—it was suspicious.
Every gate, every shadow, every wall…
could hide death.
He exhaled slowly.
This was the moment where strategy stopped and fate began.
The Gamble at An Gate
Chang'an had multiple gates.
But the one they needed—An Gate—faced directly toward the imperial heart of the city.
And inside it…
were Dong Zhuo's most trusted troops.
Zhang Xin's gaze sharpened.
If Yang Yi fails me… this becomes a slaughter.
Yet he had chosen to trust him.
Not blindly—but carefully.
Logic supported it.
Xun You believed in him.
So did Zhang Xin.
But war had never been a place where "belief" guaranteed survival.
Minutes stretched like years.
Then—
CREEEAAAK—
The sound of a gate moving in the night.
A torch waved from within.
A signal.
Yang Yi appeared at the gate.
"Lord!"
His voice cut through the tension.
"It's done!"
The First Step Into the Capital
Zhang Xin did not hesitate.
"Yu Jin."
A sharp command.
"Vanguard forward."
"Understood!"
Yu Jin moved instantly, leading two thousand infantry toward the open gate.
Behind them, Zhang Xin raised his hand slightly.
A silent order.
Cavalry waited in the darkness—ready to retreat, ready to charge, ready for betrayal.
He did not relax.
Not even slightly.
The Breach
Inside An Gate—
dead bodies already lay scattered.
The smell of blood lingered.
Yu Jin narrowed his eyes.
"Enter."
The army flowed in like a tide.
But the moment they crossed—
"ENEMY ATTACK!"
Shouts erupted from the walls above.
Dong troops reacted instantly.
Arrows flew.
Steel clashed.
The quiet night exploded into chaos.
Yu Jin didn't flinch.
"Split formation!"
"One group takes the wall—one secures the gate!"
Blood and fire swallowed the entrance.
The city had awakened.
The Alarm in the Imperial Palace
Deep within Chang'an—
Dong Zhuo woke with a start.
"What?!"
His personal guard burst in, panicked.
"Zhang Xin's army has entered An Gate!"
Dong Zhuo froze.
For a moment—
he didn't understand the words.
Then reality struck.
"…An Gate?"
His voice dropped.
"That gate… was supposed to be sealed by my trusted troops."
Silence.
Then—
a bitter laugh.
"So even my Xiliang soldiers…"
His expression slowly collapsed.
Not rage.
Not panic.
Just emptiness.
"Have they also betrayed me?"
Collapse of Faith
Dong Zhuo stood unsteadily.
The empire he had seized.
The army he had built.
The men he trusted most—
now opening the gates for his enemy.
A thought surfaced in his mind:
If even they abandon me… what is left?
But the guard shouted urgently:
"Chancellor! The situation is not hopeless! Only a few traitors opened the gate! Most troops are still fighting at the walls!"
That struck something in Dong Zhuo.
He slowly straightened.
"…Still fighting?"
His eyes sharpened again.
Then cold determination returned.
"Good."
The Counterattack Begins
"Send orders to Xian Gate and Fu'ang Gate!"
"Crush the intruders at An Gate before reinforcements arrive!"
"Yes, sir!"
Orders flew through the night.
Then Dong Zhuo turned.
And walked toward the palace.
His guards followed.
Confused.
Uneasy.
Until they realized—
they were not heading to the battlefield.
They were heading to the deepest heart of Chang'an.
The Final Card
Inside the palace halls—
Dong Zhuo stopped.
He looked toward the inner chambers.
And smiled faintly.
"…Zhang Ziqing."
"You want to save the Son of Heaven?"
His expression darkened.
"Then let me see…"
"whether you dare to take a city with the emperor hanging above it."
Outside—
the sound of battle grew louder.
Inside An Gate—
Yu Jin's forces continued to push forward.
And in the darkness beyond the city walls—
Zhang Xin watched quietly.
Waiting.
Calculating.
Listening.
Because the true battle for Chang'an… had only just begun.