As the sovereign of a realm—especially a mediocre ruler—Zhao Shun possesses no fewer than six palaces. Four are located within the imperial city, one in the summer palace situated in the western outskirts of the capital, and another in the sheep palace in the southern suburbs. The summer palace serves as a retreat for summer, while the sheep palace is used for hunting and leisurely outings. The four palaces within the imperial city are constructed according to the seasonal needs—summer, spring, autumn, and winter. The summer palace is nestled along the artificial lake, shaded by trees and vegetation; the winter palace—the one currently on fire—is oriented to face south, ensuring constant exposure to sunlight throughout the day. The spring palace lies adjacent to the imperial garden, and the autumn palace is positioned on a modest hill within the western precinct, offering a scenic view of autumn landscapes. With the winter palace now destroyed and uninhabitable, the imperial guard, under the escort of Emperor Zhao Shun, proceeds in a grand procession to the summer palace by the artificial lake. Initially, the commander of the imperial guard had opposed this move, as the recently escaped assassin was clearly a water spirit—residing by the lake would place the emperor's neck directly in the path of danger The candlelight was bright, and the opulence of the chamber rivaled that of the imperial bedrooms at the Winter Palace. Zhang Yuanqing rested his hands behind his head, gazing blankly at the roof beams stretching across the ceiling. He reviewed the current plot of the story once again: Although Zheng Longtu claimed that Tuoba Guanghe intended to "nourish enemies to strengthen himself," even Zhang Yuanqing found that plan unconvincing—let alone the seasoned political player at the helm of the Zheng family? Therefore, the Zheng family had other strengths that allowed them to feel confident in their alliance with Tuoba Guanghe. These strengths—most likely the Imperial Advisor. Collected his thoughts, he turned over and sat up, summoning a maid and instructing her: "With the long night stretching on, I have no mind for sleep. Go and invite Lady Wan to come. I wish for her to attend upon me tonight." "Lady Wan?" The close attendant paused, gently reminding: "Your Majesty, Lady Wan attempted to assassinate you today and was rescued by her allies..." "Not her," Zhang Yuanqing waved a hand. "I mean another Lady Wan." Another Lady Wan? Another Lady Wan! The maid seemed to recall something, and for a moment couldn't contain her astonishment, her face going pale with disbelief. Then came the expression of utter collapse of faith. What in the world is this? Bring someone else in and execute her at the Midday Gate! Zhang Yuanqing looked at her with growing displeasure. "Do I need to repeat myself?" He had just been attacked, and the imperial guard troops of the Imperial Office were stationed outside the palace hall—possibly with eyes and ears of the Zheng family. To summon Lady Wan without any apparent reason would surely raise suspicion. Therefore, being invited to the imperial bedchamber is a seamless and perfectly logical reason—Zhao Shun had once been saved by Wan Mei, and now facing an assassination attempt, he lacks security and longs for the steady support of someone who once saved his life. She stammered, "Yes, yes... I shall immediately go and request it..." and hurriedly bowed and walked away. If any of the attendants were to speak out, I would surely be ruined in the palace—yet it doesn't matter; my responsibility is Zhao Shun's responsibility, and Zhao Shun's responsibility is not mine. Zhang Yuanqing yawned wearily and, without realizing it, dozed off. Until a deep, resonant call reached his ears: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I've come!" followed by a gentle but firm push on his shoulder. Zhang Yuanqing jolted awake, his gaze sharp. Upon seeing the steady, composed figure kneeling at the bedside, he relaxed his tense muscles, smiled, and said calmly, "Wan Mei has arrived!" The graceful, dignified lady with a square face and eyes like copper bells bowed her head gently: "Your Majesty, I have come to attend upon you." Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuancheng silently shifted his gaze from the Eastern noblewoman—her face always making him involuntarily think of the Terracotta Warriors. "Ahem!" he cleared his throat and spoke with authority, "Everyone, step back. I wish to engage in intimate conversation with Lady Wan." The attendants and eunuchs in the antechamber were startled and hurriedly retreated. Once all had left the chamber, Lady Wan straightened her knees and, with sturdy strides, walked to the bedside and sat down. Zhang Yuancheng subtly shifted back, asking, "Lady Wan, what are you doing?" With a sincere, unpretentious smile, Lady Wan replied, "I've come to attend upon you, Your Majesty. As the saying goes, 'There are ears on the other side of the wall.' But when I speak to you on your imperial bed, no one can hear." "Then just sit by the bed and stay put—should you move, I'll call for help." Zhang Yuanqing suddenly regretted his hasty actions, remaining composed and asking, "Where are the three female assassins?" Wan Meiren replied, "The three assassins have been secured at the bottom of the lake, enclosed within a protective barrier; they are safe." "Wan Meiren, there are ears on every wall," Zhang Yuanqing reminded her to speak more softly, then inquired, "Have you managed to identify the mastermind behind this plot?" Wan Meiren shook her head, "They haven't revealed anything yet. Without the Emperor's permission, I've refrained from using private punishments. However, under my guidance, Chu Meiren has confessed the reason behind her attempt to assassinate the Emperor." "Speak quickly!" Zhang Yuanqing urged. Wan Meiren explained, "Chu Meiren has now revealed that she was the culprit responsible for the Emperor's poisoning a few days ago. To her surprise, the Emperor has survived due to his good fortune. That day, when the Emperor visited the imperial palace, she felt deeply uneasy, fearing her plans would be exposed. Thus, she decided to carry out a second assassination attempt during the Zhang Yuanqing thought for a moment, then said, "What happens after the assassination?" Wan Ren shook her head. "Chu Mei is slow-witted, with a shallow depth of strategy. She simply cannot figure out what comes next after the assassination. I don't understand—how could someone send such an unrefined person to carry out the mission?" The one sent from the Lingjing副本... Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help but mutter that. He sat cross-legged on the bed, gently tapping his knees with his fingers, lost in thought. Chu Mei knows only that she has poisoned the emperor, but she doesn't know who orchestrated the plot behind it. This means that, since entering the Lingjing realm, she has received only the information that "Chu Mei failed in her attempt to poison the emperor." There is likely a side quest involving: "Assassinating the weak ruler." Therefore, when she sees the weak ruler inspecting the imperial palace, she becomes anxious. She agrees to serve as his consort—partly because it aligns with the side quest, and partly because she fears that if she fails to act again, she will be discovered by the Imperial City Office and the weak ruler himself. With this sense of urgency and the side quests, the three beauties never expected that their naturally opposing "indolent ruler" would turn out to be a fellow teammate in the realm. After all, this was a team-based dungeon, not a faction-versus-faction encounter, where teammates could never become narrative adversaries within the story. Zhang Yuanqing had been delighted to invite the three beauties into his inner chambers, only to nearly face a collapse in the final stages. Jiang Jingwei's testimony suddenly opened up Zhang Yuanqing's mind, clarifying many of his lingering doubts. Moreover, although the green-tea-tempered Lady Wan and Wang Ge-jia maintained strict silence, Jingwei's account in part reflected their own statements, as the three beauties' assassination attempts aligned perfectly, and they themselves were Realm Travelers. Zhang Yuanqing boldly speculated that these two had also been involved in the poisoning of the indolent ruler. Upon reflecting on this, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly recalled what Li Changshi had once said: Zhao Shun had been struck by a rare toxin composed of multiple poisons blended together, with intense effects that were mutually counteracting, thus preventing immediate death. And tonight, Zheng Longtu, in his exhilaration, revealed part of the truth: that the rare poison he had concocted couldn't have killed you—so who came up with the brilliant strategy of using poison to counter poison? The imperial physicians in the palace don't possess that level of expertise. The information now matches up. The plot is almost fully clarified... Zhang Yuanqing exhaled a long breath, his mind at ease. When descending into the next dungeon, he wasn't afraid of powerful enemies—his real fear was an unclear storyline. An unclear storyline could mean missing crucial information, and missing crucial information often led to disaster—no room for error. "Madam Wan, no, Consort Wan—do you know of the Grand Abbot?" Zhang Yuanqing, now having clarified the plot, began gathering information. "You should have said: 'When exactly did I lose consciousness?'" Ling Jun glanced at him. Fu Qingyang thought for a moment and realized he truly didn't remember. Ling Jun sighed, "After you pierced Tao Bao Guang He with a sword, you stood there motionless—your troops were cheering for you! I thought you were just showing off. But only after the Northern Dynasty withdrew their forces did I realize you'd been unconscious all along." Fu Qingyang recalled, speaking calmly, "How could I have frightened off Tao Bao Guang He otherwise? The cunning demon-witch is both sly and unscrupulous. On the battlefield, deception is key—should Tao Bao Guang He break our agreement, we would surely lose." That's why he had remained standing, eyes open throughout. The Magician of the Divine Eye turned to him and remarked, "Just mention Tao Bao Guang He—no need to bring up the demon-witch." Xue Hou Ao Tian, standing by the stove, added his assessment, "You're not even the protagonist—what's the point of showing off?" Then, he picked up the hot pot with his bare hands and said, "The medicine is ready—drink it while it's hot. I Ling Jun gently opened the bowl, poured the medicinal soup, and even blew on it for Fu Qingyang. Fu Qingyang didn’t refuse, and after finishing the soup, declared, “I think I’ve finally grasped a new sword technique.” Are you out of your mind? The three of them thought this simultaneously. Ling Jun sighed, “To rank you alongside us three mediocre ones—how disappointing for Qian Gongzi! From now on, there will only be the Third Prince, and Qian Gongzi will be officially removed.” Xia Hou Ao Tian glanced sideways at the Flower Prince, “Among the Four Princes, three have already ascended to the Sovereign rank—shouldn’t you be the one being removed?” Ling Jun shrugged, “I may be mediocre, but I never rely on others. That’s more dignified than some people who simply lie in bed and rise to Sovereign rank.” Xia Hou Ao Tian was furious, feeling that the Flower Prince’s single remark was even more humiliating than Han Xin’s humiliation of bowing beneath his horse. The Mage-Eye Emperor looked at Fu Qingyang, “How far has your technique, nearly reaching the Dao, advanced?” "Fu Qingyang shook his head slightly: 'It's not about refining sword techniques. It's about sword intent. When technique approaches the Dao, it's already on par with rules—difficult to advance further. My strike has a fatal flaw: the strength of the sword aura is limited. Even with the cloak providing support, I can't sustain a battle against opponents one level above me. Against higher-ranked foes who excel in defense, even if every strike lands, it won't wound them.' Ling Jun sighed, 'After all, not every swordsman is Fu Qingxuan.' The Mage-Eyed Emperor recalled the piercing swordlight that had cut through Tao Bao Guanghe tonight, furrowing his brow. 'Such powerful sword intent—what is the cost?' Fu Qingyang looked at him. 'It costs one's life.' This sword intent drains spiritual energy, vital essence, and burns through one's lifespan. Ling Jun: '...' The Mage-Eyed Emperor clapped, approving. 'Excellent! From now on, you'll be known as the "Life-Expending Emperor" under the Sun Sovereign.' 'When did you become the chief aide of the Primordial Sovereign?' Xiahou Aotian was deeply impressed. The Mage-Eyed King rubbed his forehead strap and smiled, "I am loyal only to my ideals." Fu Qingyang said calmly, "Before you pledge loyalty to your ideals, pledge loyalty to me first, Lingjun. What time is it now?" "Lit already approaching dawn," Lingjun replied. Fu Qingyang immediately said, "Rest for one full day. Tonight, launch a surprise attack on the northern dynasty's army camp." Lingjun's eyes brightened, "Excellent. Xiao Baoguang has just promised not to attack the city for three days. In the northern army's eyes, we must be relaxed and cautious. Resting for three days—going against the grain—will catch them completely off guard." The Mage-Eyed King shook his head, "Although Xiao Baoguang was wounded by you, the healing power of a mesmerizing spirit has already restored him. Defending the city is already a challenge; to actively march out is to court certain death." Fu Qingyang's expression grew stern, "Xia Hou Aotian, I need you to create something—a device that can secure six torches onto a single piece of wood." The Eye of Magic: After dark, you will quietly withdraw five thousand troops from the city, each man carrying six torches, to launch a surprise attack on the right flank of the Northern Dynasty's camp. Remember, make a significant noise—ensure the Northern Dynasty's scouts detect you early. "With thirty thousand troops launching a surprise assault, Tuoba Guanghe will certainly come personally to meet you. You must delay the attack for twenty minutes, while I will lead my main force to strike directly at the Northern Dynasty's camp." The Eye of Magic paused for a few seconds, then said, "With a twenty-minute delay, I estimate that around five thousand of your troops will be lost." Fu Qingyang replied coldly, "On the battlefield, warfare demands not only brilliant tactics but also steady, earthbound strategy. Tonight, I intend to inflict heavy casualties upon the Northern Dynasty's forty thousand troops." Then he began to outline the detailed plans—such as setting fire to their grain stores, slaughtering their horses, and destroying their siege equipment. After the three of them had absorbed and digested the information, Fu Qingyang said, "Summon the senior commanders of the Southern Dynasty to the War Council."