The imperial guards hurriedly withdrew, and after a few minutes, a middle-aged man in a crimson official robe stepped over the threshold and came strides ahead. Around fifty years old, he had a well-groomed, flowing beard, a lean face, and a composed, serious demeanor. His eyes were deep and solemn, as if holding the vastness and dignity of an ocean. Zheng Wenhan, styled Jinglun, was the younger brother of the Empress Zheng and the maternal uncle of Zhao Shun. A first-rank official serving as Grand Chancellor of the Hongtu Hall, he held the central power and was the most influential statesman in the Southern Dynasty. This dignified, reserved chancellor glanced at the dancers gracefully performing in the hall, furrowed his brows slightly, and coldly said, "Dismiss them!" His voice was not loud, yet it sent the dancers into a state of alarm—bowing low, retreating to the sides, so still they nearly stopped breathing. Zhang Yuanqing remained in his relaxed seated posture and spoke with authority, "Ah, Chancellor Zheng has arrived! Bring wine to the chancellor, please." Zheng Wenhan spoke coldly, his face stern. "Your Majesty, you were just attacked. Longtu sacrificed himself to protect you. Even now, his body is still cold. Yet here you are, dancing and drinking, enjoying yourself in the hall—how can this not leave the ministers heartbroken?" Zhang Yuancheng raised his wine cup, took a long swallow, and said with displeasure, "Throughout the realm, there is no land not belonging to the sovereign; throughout the borders, there is no subject not loyal to the sovereign. The Zheng family has always remained loyal to the imperial house and to the Southern Dynasty. Longtu died for your sake—what a fitting end." He radiated the air of a sovereign who believed that anyone dying for him was simply due to duty. The two attendants, Hongji Ge and Jiang Jingwei, stepping into Zheng Wenhan's shoes and considering the situation from his perspective, felt their resolve strengthen. Zheng Wenhan's gaze sharpened. Knowing well the nature of Zhao Shun, he took a deep breath, suppressing the sharpness in his eyes, and spoke in a steady, low tone: "There are assassins hidden within the palace, plotting against Your Majesty. Longtu's failure in this His tone was commanding, showing little courtesy. Zhang Yuanqing remained lounging in his seat, his posture relaxed, yet his mind subtly tensed, his expression growing impatient. He said, "Zheng Minister has been rather dull—his presence has disrupted the Emperor's leisurely mood. Last night, Zheng Commander escorted the Emperor to a side pavilion. Not long after, rain began seeping through the roof, and suddenly, a black-robed assassin appeared. To protect the Emperor, Zheng Commander stepped forward and intercepted the assailant—only to find that the assassin was extraordinarily powerful, reducing Zheng Commander to a mere silhouette in a single move. The Emperor then rushed out of the pavilion to seek help, only to find upon turning back that Zheng Commander's body was gone, and the assassin had vanished. Zheng Wenhan narrowed his eyes. "I heard from the imperial guards that you and Longtu entered the pavilion together for half a moment. Yet the assassin defeated Longtu in just one move. What did Longtu say to the Emperor before the assassin arrived?" Zhang Yuan had anticipated this question from the beginning, standing in Zheng Wenhan's perspective. From Zheng's point of view, the assassin had killed his son, Zheng Longtu, instantly. Yet Zheng Longtu and the Emperor had lingered in the side pavilion for a full minute—during that time, Zheng Longtu, who had already been plotting against the Emperor, had ample opportunity to act. Perhaps he had already revealed the Zheng family's ambitions. Zhang Yuan swiftly spun through his thoughts, maintaining his outwardly relaxed demeanor. "My three beautiful consorts have all attempted to assassinate me. I was deeply angered and reprimanded Zheng the Commander in the side pavilion. During that exchange, Zheng the Commander inquired about the details of the assassins." Among the three consorts, only Wan the Beauty was a Zheng family informant. The other two were not. Therefore, it was entirely reasonable for Zheng Longtu to seek information about the assassins. Zheng Wenhan expressed thoughtful consideration, and Zhang Yuan sensed through his emotional cues that the seasoned minister did not fully believe him. Indeed, Zheng Wenhan then asked, "Your Majesty, do you know the backgrounds of these three assassins?" Zhang Yuanqing adopted a reflective tone, furrowing his brows: "Chu Beauty was the first to attempt the assassination. She claimed she wished to avenge the fallen soldiers. Wang Ge-jie said she wanted to eliminate me, this incompetent emperor, so that the people of the realm might be saved. Zheng Xiang, tell the Emperor—am I truly an incompetent ruler?" To avenge the fallen soldiers... Zheng Wenhuan seemed to recall something, his pupils slightly constricting. After a moment of thoughtful silence, he did not respond directly to Zhang Yuanqing's words, but quickly asked, "What did Wan Beauty say?" Zhang Yuanqing shook his head: "Wan Beauty said nothing. She simply launched her attack upon entering, nearly killing the Emperor. Hmph! This lowly woman, so favored by me, has dared to plot against me. I shall execute her entire family." Zheng Wenhuan's expression remained unchanged, yet Zhang Yuanqing clearly sensed a sense of ease in him, the tension easing. Clearly, Zheng Wenhuan believed his account—believed that, during that brief moment, Zheng Longtu had been gathering intelligence. And indeed, the Wan Beauty dispatched by the Zheng family had not Suddenly, Zheng Wenhan asked, "I found a pill in the side pavilion—what is it? Was it left by the assassin?" Zhang Yuancheng had been waiting for him to ask this. He was startled, "A pill? What kind of pill? Ah, I remember now—it was the detoxifying pill that Zheng, the Commander, presented to the Emperor. It can neutralize a hundred poisons, thus making the Emperor immune to the bites of the venomous insects." This was a deliberate misdirection, making Zheng Wenhan believe that Zheng Longtu intended to deceive the Emperor into taking the pill. After all, Zheng Longtu was already dead, with no witnesses to contradict him. Noticing that Zheng Wenhan's demeanor had now settled completely, Zhang Yuancheng grew impatient and said, "Minister Zheng, if there's nothing further, please retire. Do not disturb the Emperor's leisure." Zheng Wenhan hesitated briefly, bowed formally, and then turned to leave. As he passed through the threshold, he heard H Zhao Shun's hearty laughter echoing behind him: "Ladies and gentlemen, continue the music and the dance!" A true waste, he thought, under his breath. ... Dusk. Red Chicken Brother returned to Xiang Gong after a day of traveling abroad, while De Fei and Ya Lady came to Xiang Gong under the pretext of attending to the imperial bedchamber duties. The doors were closed and the curtains drawn, and the group gathered in the deep inner chambers to confer in secret. "Red Chicken Brother clapped his hands and gave a hearty approval: 'Since this policy was implemented, the gentry, in order to secure their own positions, have begun recruiting troops and training soldiers, or investing in loyal officials to resist the northern dynasty's invasions. As a result, large numbers of displaced peasants, who had lost their homes, have actively enlisted. Among them, a man named Wu Xin rose to prominence under these circumstances and established the Shen Rui Army.' 'Wu Xin comes from a distinguished family—three scholars and two military officers have emerged from his lineage before him, but the family's prestige has declined to his generation. Nevertheless, the family's scholarly traditions remain strong. Wu Xin proved himself an outstanding military leader, commanding with exceptional skill. Initially, he received financial support from local gentry, and later, after aligning with the Southern Dynasty, gained access to imperial funds and supplies. Within just four years, he achieved a decisive victory over the northern dynasty's army of one hundred thousand, forcing them to retreat back to their northern territories.' 'At that time, the northern dynasty's most seasoned troops had been severely depleted on the battlefield. Wu Xin therefore planned to advance northward and launch a decisive campaign to eliminate the northern dynasty and "Having said that, Hong Ji-guo sighed and拍 his thighs regretfully: 'I always thought such frustrating scenes would only appear in TV dramas. I never expected them to happen in the game as well.' 'The court either fears Wu Xin will grow powerful and declare himself king, or its treasury is depleted and urgently needs time to recover,' Zhang Yuanqing urged, 'Go on.' 'The court issued twelve imperial edicts ordering Wu Xin to return to the capital, but Wu Xin refused to comply and continued his northern campaign. As a result, the court cut off his supply of food and grain. As previously mentioned, Wu Xin commanded his troops effectively and never resorted to plundering the people. Without funds or supplies, he could no longer advance north, yet he was unwilling to simply withdraw. So he led a core force of loyal troops back to the capital, hoping to convince the court to support his northern campaign.' Hong Ji-guo sighed again: 'Yet he died in the capital. The court officially attributed his death to illness. His loyal troops didn't believe this, gathered in protest, and some were beheaded, others dismissed, and still others imprisoned.' "The main force stationed in the North Province was soon ambushed by the Northern Dynasty's army, with its elite troops completely wiped out and the survivors scattering." "Such a refined and literary account—like listening to a storybook." Jiang Jingwei was astonished, thinking to himself that even among our Fire Division, there are certainly some cultured individuals who appreciate fine language. Red Chicken Brother honestly replied, "All this information came from the Ministry of War officials; I merely relayed it." "So now I'm being affected by the ripple effect?" Zhang Yuancheng sighed deeply, nearly wiping away tears, "I was just a child then, only eight or nine years old. How could this possibly concern me? It was the Empress Mother who caused this mess." "You've actually gotten into the role!" De Fei (his aunt) glanced at him critically, analyzing, "With the elite units of the Shen Rui Army lost, they no longer have the strength to carry out an assassination attempt on the palace. After the new emperor ascends the throne, he becomes enamored with beauty, giving them the opportunity they needed. Under these circumstances, the Shen Rui Army's strength can only be described as 'excellent'—at best, they “Zhang Yuanqing shook his head: ‘The plot lines are so rich, and it seems she’s pleading her innocence out of genuine concern. With my years of experience—having repeatedly navigated high-difficulty quests—I wouldn’t expect the Shen Rui Army’s subplot to be this straightforward. After all, this is a master-level A-tier quest. One of the primary adversaries has only Saint-level combat power? That doesn’t seem realistic.’” “What do you propose?” Red Chicken Brother and Jiang Jingwei asked in unison. With two advocates now in place, Xie Lingxi and the others no longer needed to ask further questions. Zhang Yuanqing pondered thoughtfully: “Wan Fei has grown up under the Empress’s care and has been nurtured by her from the very beginning. She must know many of the Empress’s secrets. Moreover, she’s significantly older than me, so when handling the Shen Rui Army, she should be both perceptive and composed.” He looked at his teammates and said, “We’ve successfully deceived Zheng Wenhan today and just survived a recent assassination attempt. I believe we’ll be safe tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll discuss the matter of leaving the palace. Li Changshi Hong Ji Ge bowed deeply, "Yes, Your Majesty!" After dinner at the Summer Palace, the sky had turned clear blue and the evening lamps were beginning to glow. Hong Ji Ge led Xie Lingxi and Jiang Jingwei, the two "ladies-in-waiting," out of the pavilion and strolled through the magnificent, fairy-like buildings. As they walked, Hong Ji Ge suddenly said, "Where's Guan Ya? Guan Ya? She's also a swordsman—could she be stationed in the military? I haven't seen Sun Miao Miao either..." Xie Lingxi observed him carefully, "Why are you so concerned about Yuan Shi's girlfriend? You've mentioned Guan Ya several times already today." Hong Ji Ge chuckled, "All these people here are ladies and gentlewomen. Jingwei isn't very bright. You and the Queen have had few challenging cooperative missions—Xiao Yuan is quiet and reserved, and Zhi Sha Palace Master has a rather odd personality. Honestly, I feel completely insecure. If only Sun Miao Miao and Guan Ya were in the capital, then Yuan Shi's poems, which have been circulating for so long, would surely have drawn them over to meet him." Jingwei protested, "Is your mother a fire master?" Xie Lingxi asked. Jingwei shook her head. "Then your father must be a real player," Xie Lingxi commented. Jingwei looked puzzled: "Why?" "Because in your father's heart, your mother isn't even considered family," Xie Lingxi said. Jingwei remained silent, her head down, walking steadily forward. After about ten seconds, both she and Red Chicken Brother suddenly realized and shouted together: "You dare to mock us fire masters!" The Consort Wen glanced again at the De Consort on her left, then at the Ya Lady on her right. Zhang Yuanqing smiled and said, "Just go on. These two beauties are my lifelong loves—my dearest companions whom I long to see every single day." Xiao Yuan and the Palace Mistress exchanged a cold, composed look. You say that, but does your girlfriend, Guan Ya, agree? Red Chicken couldn't help but comment. "Your Majesty, why have you suddenly asked about the Shen Rui Army?" asked Consort Wen, whose figure was as solid as a small mound of flesh. "I've already investigated this matter," Zhang Yuanqing said without reservation. "The Chu Beauty was actually sent into the palace by the Shen Rui Army as an assassin." Consort Wen suddenly understood and said, "Ah, so it is. The Shen Rui Army likely intends to avenge the Empress Dowager, but since the Empress Dowager has lived in the palace for so long, they haven't had the opportunity—thus, they've chosen the Emperor as their target." Partly, it's also because Zhao Shun has been so incompetent—killing him would be beneficial to the nation! thought Zhang Yuan "In fact, the God-Sharp Army has always been the late Empress's long-standing concern. Since the Emperor has asked about it, I shall speak plainly..." Just as Lady Wan was about to finish, her expression suddenly changed, and she sharply turned to look at the curtain. At the same moment, Zhang Yuanqing, the Palace Master, Xiao Yuan, Hong Ji, and the three beauties all turned their attention toward the outer hall. Under the night sky, a steady and rhythmic sound of footsteps rapidly approached, bringing a large group of people swiftly toward the imperial quarters.