Guan Ya nodded and, with two maids who had followed her into the carriage, proceeded directly through the central gate into Yang's estate. After passing through the courtyard and arriving at the rear garden, which featured the refined style of a Jiangnan landscape garden, she left the two trusted imperial maids behind and knocked on her father Yang Zheng's study door. "Guan Ya frowned slightly and said, 'Father, the palace gates are closed. I cannot return. The Imperial City Guard reports that the Emperor was attacked last night, and the assassin is still hidden within the palace. They are currently making every effort to search for the assassin. Until now, no one is allowed to enter or leave the palace—this is the Emperor's direct order.' Yang Zheng paused, then his face turned pale. 'This is serious!' Guan Ya asked, 'Father, what makes you say that?' Yang Zheng sat heavily at the table, thinking deeply for three full minutes. Suddenly, he stood up, agitated, pacing back and forth in the study. 'The Emperor was only recently poisoned, and then attacked again last night. Given the Imperial City Guard's competence, a single oversight might have been acceptable. But two consecutive attacks—this indicates that the assassin is among the Imperial City Guard. 'And the Imperial City Guard is controlled by the Zheng family...' Yang Zheng took a deep breath, his face growing serious as he spoke slowly and deliberately. 'The Zheng family intends to overthrow the throne. How dare they?'" The Yang and Zheng families have long been rivals. Yang Zheng deeply understands Zheng Wenhan's ambitions and the Zheng family's apprehension toward the Yangs, yet he hadn't expected Zheng to dare strike at the Emperor himself! Guan Ya, responding with visible alarm, remarks, "Does the Zheng family intend to rebel? This—this—what shall we do?" As a scout, Guan Ya possesses strong analytical skills and keen situational awareness. She had already deduced the situation well before returning to the palace. However, Yang's eldest daughter, Yang Yun, is naturally gentle and reserved, so Guan had to maintain her public image. Since awakening, Guan has actively explored the Yang household, gathering intelligence and leveraging her positions as Yang's eldest daughter and the Empress to gain a solid understanding of the court's political landscape. Her primary mission is to help the Yang family earn the Emperor's trust. The Yang family, led by Yang Ce as commander-in-chief, is firmly aligned with the Southern Dynasty—thus, her faction is the Southern Yang family, while her adversaries are the Northern Dynasty and the Zheng family. Starting from herself, analyzing the roles and factions of her teammates, Guan Ya believes Yang Ce is most likely Fu Qingyang—both in rank and profession, Fu Qingyang perfectly matches Yang Ce's profile. As for Yuan Shi's identity, Guan Ya suspects the current emperor, the昏君. Indeed, among the southern dynasty faction, only the paramount "king who has lost his nation"—the one who has fallen—meets Yuan Shi's rank; a Saint is certainly impossible. The only other contender for the position of emperor is Xiahou Aotian, who is also a Master. However, Guan Ya feels that, based on their hidden ratings, Xiahou Aotian simply cannot claim the emperor's title. Initially, Guan Ya was quite confident that a mere assassin like Yuan Shi couldn't possibly pose a serious threat. But today, when Yuan Shi attempted to return to the palace to reunite with her and faced resistance, Guan Ya grew concerned. The palace remains under Zheng's control, indicating that Yuan Shi is now in a precarious situation. How could a seven-tiered Day-Wandering God find himself in such a difficult position? Guan Ya's experience in tackling high-difficulty raid dungeons is neither abundant nor scarce—she still cannot yet discern the truth. But Yuan Shi must have perished. So she immediately returned to the Yang household, seeking aid from her father. Seeing her daughter visibly distressed and at a loss, Yang calmly waved a hand, displaying the composure of a senior statesman, and said, "The Emperor has been attacked twice in a short span, with the Zheng family sealing off the palace gates, barring anyone from entering or leaving—this very fact suggests that the Zheng family has not yet succeeded. The Emperor may still be inside the palace, or perhaps he is elsewhere." Guan Ya nodded gently. "That's why they wouldn't let me return to the palace. By the way, father, upon my return, I noticed several people outside the estate moving about suspiciously, so I asked the steward to retrieve them." Upon hearing this, Yang's eyes lit up, and he immediately said, "Summon the steward." Guan Ya bowed gracefully, opened the study door, and called in her personal attendant, whispering a few words. The attendant hurried off, and half an hour later, a middle-aged steward in a fine robe arrived briskly. "Lord Guan Ya immediately asked, "Have we captured the thieves outside the palace?" The head servant bowed, "Your Majesty, forgive me. I was mistaken, thinking the few thieves outside to be mere commoners. I only needed six palace guards to apprehend them, yet to my surprise, the thieves proved themselves adept—wounding several guards before calmly retreating." Guan Ya frowned and turned to Yang Zheng, "What do you think, Father?" Yang Zheng did not immediately reply. Instead, he gestured to the head servant, who withdrew. Then, after a moment of thoughtful reflection, he said, "Several skilled individuals have been disguised as ordinary merchants and pedestrians, keeping a close watch on my household..." After pausing and eliminating several possibilities from his mind, he smiled, "So it appears, the Emperor has indeed escaped the palace. When the Empress Dowager chose you as Empress, I knew she intended to use the Yang family to balance the Zheng family. I suspect she has also laid a reserve plan within the palace—otherwise, the Emperor could not have escaped." Guan Ya suddenly understood, "Once the Emperor escapes the palace, he will surely seek your assistance. Therefore, Zheng Wenhan is simply waiting for Yang Zheng stroked his beard, smiling, "Yun, stay at the estate for a while longer. Father will find the Emperor." ... On the way back along the main street of the capital, Jiang Jingwei complained, "Why not just charge straight in? With one fire ball and one wave of fire, I could reach Yang's estate. Then I'd shout, 'The Emperor is here!' Those spies would have no chance to stop us—then we'd be able to meet up with the Yang family right away." Zhang Yuanqing scoffed, "And then the spies stationed nearby would rush in, cut us down one by one, and we'd flee—only for the Yang family to come out and collect our bodies?" The Queen gave him a light tap. "Jingwei is still a child; there's no need to mock him." She explained, "Jingwei, this approach might work, but more likely, you'll fall victim to the hidden spies outside Yang's estate. Don't forget, the Master is now seriously ill and much weaker than an ordinary person." "Seeing Jiang Jingwei look unconvinced, the Queen went on to instruct: 'The more challenging the raid, the more careful and cautious you must be. Learn to advance step by step, understand both yourself and your opponents—don't rely on luck. Relying on luck will always have its setbacks; once you lose, the outcome will be a return to the Spirit Realm. Sometimes, we'd rather forgo the opportunity altogether and maintain our careful, principled approach.' Jiang Jingwei nodded, murmuring 'Oh-oh' as if she understood. Yet Zhang Yuanqing knew that for most Fire Masters, these advice and teachings often went in one ear and out the other—when emotions surged, they still ended up being bold and impetuous. Gently patting Jingwei's head, the Queen turned to Zhang Yuanqing and said, 'Master, shall we now seek out our missing teammates?' Red Chicken Brother and the Palace Mistress are Saints. They can use Saint-tier items and equipment to treat the illnesses afflicting Master." Because they were unfamiliar with the capital's layout, when they scattered to escape yesterday, they had no designated meeting point—only agreed to leave subtle signals near where each of them had taken refuge: "Odd changes, even stays; check the quadrant for the sign!" Of course, the capital is vast, and even with these signals, they might not necessarily meet. Therefore, the team also has a backup plan: to rendezvous outside the Tianji Building within the 72-hour window. The Tianji Building is where the Imperial Astrologer observes the stars and conducts celestial rituals. Zhang Yuanqing sighed, "The capital is so large—it's hard to find one's way. With the curfew now so strict, we'll definitely be unable to explore it all during the day. If we're still wandering by dusk, we'll have to stay at inns." Staying at inns is particularly risky, as inns and taverns are among the key targets for the Zheng family's search. "The safest scenario is to reach the Tianji Building before the 72-hour period ends," Zhang Yuanqing said. "What if, by the time we arrive at the Tianji Building, we just happen to fulfill the very crisis that was supposed to unfold Zhang Yuanqing muttered under his breath, "If it has to be this way, then there's nothing we can do." After walking for a full hour, he grew weary. The three of them stopped at a restaurant for lunch, then continued on toward the outer city. As they passed the gate of the inner city, they saw a steady stream of people gathered before the notice board, blocking it completely. Common citizens dressed in simple cotton garments pressed tightly against the board, their voices rising in murmurs and growing into loud protests, occasionally punctuated by angry shouts: "A foolish king!" "Absurd!" "Are they going to tarnish the reputation of the State Preceptor for generations to come?" The soldiers with swords stationed beside the notice board paid them no heed, simply allowing the crowd to continue their outbursts. Zhang Yuanqing approached and patted Jiang Jingwei on the shoulder, saying, "Clear a path!" "Move aside! Move aside! Move aside!" Jiang Jingwei plunged into the crowd, like a eel slipping into a school of fish, causing a ripple of commotion. Amid the shifting crowd, Jiang Jingwei, relying on the strength of a fire master, managed to force open a clear passage. Zhang Yuanqing and the queen managed to blend in and finally reached the notice wall, where a notice issued by the Central Authority was posted, written in regular script with modest font size. While listening to the clerk's reading, Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the notice and immediately understood the reason behind the people's growing fury. Amidst the repeated cries of "a dull ruler," Zhang Yuanqing led Jiang Jingwei and the Queen through the crowd, furrowed brows tight, and passed through the inner city gates to reach the outer city. Only after they had walked a considerable distance did the Queen speak: "Master, do you know the history of the Han Dynasty?" "Speak plainly," Zhang replied. "There was an emperor named Liu He of the Han Dynasty who reigned for only twenty-seven days, doing over a thousand absurd things. Seeing him so incompetent, the powerful minister Huo Guang convened the court officials, deposed him, and established a new ruler." The Queen glanced back toward the direction of the city gates: "Zheng Wenhan's intentions are quite similar. He merely needs to find a puppet to impersonate you, then control the Imperial Court Office, block all ministers from entering the palace, and swiftly launch a campaign to burn three hundred young boys and girls alive. After that, he can proceed with the formal deposal of the emperor." Zhang Yuanqing thought for a moment and said: "Zheng's adversaries will surely not allow him to carry out such a plan." Such an action would amount to killing a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of his own "To prevent it, only a military coup can do the trick," the queen said. "Among the court, only the Yang family has the capacity to lead such a coup. If the Yang family rises in rebellion, won't they have fallen into the Zheng family's trap? The Zheng family can then easily eliminate the Yang family—this is precisely the advantage of holding the emperor as a pawn. Should the Yang family choose to remain patient, the Zheng family can proceed exactly as planned." Zhang Yuanqing looked at the tall, graceful queen in surprise—someone who could see through such strategic depth was no mere ornament. Indeed, the returned ones were all talents. "Then, what do you think we should do?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. The queen shook her head. "I'm not sure. But from this matter, I've come to understand the importance of your side quests—only by winning the hearts of the people can you truly command the court and the capital." Zhang Yuanqing paused thoughtfully. "Let's take it step by step." He needed time to reflect on his course of action. Around three in the afternoon, they returned to the "uncle and aunt" family in the southern part of the city. The uncle had gone out to work and had By the side stood a seven-year-old girl sitting on a small stool, a pile of soiled clothes before her. With two small, rough hands, she was struggling to press and wash the clothes on the board. Each time she pressed, she exerted all her strength, her little bottom lifting off the stool. Upon seeing the three return, the aunt warmly smiled, asking, "Back? Did you find work?" Then she turned to her daughter and said, "Go, fetch water for uncles and aunts." The little girl nodded obediently, wiped her hands on her chest, and ran inside. A moment later, she came out with a clay water pitcher. She held her head high, struggled to hand the pitcher to her cousin, her face showing a timid, polite expression. Zhang Yuanqing looked at the girl's bright, large eyes, gently touched her head, and said, "Thank you, Xiuhua." The girl's name was Wang Xiuhua, the youngest daughter of the uncle and aunt, whom Zhang Yuan清 had not seen when she first arrived last night, but had just met this morning. Xiuhua shyly smiled. Zhang Yuanqing gulped down a large gulp of water, sighing in disappointment. "Auntie, we couldn't find any work." The reason Zhang Yuanqing and his two companions had left home was to seek employment—after all, their ancestral home had been completely destroyed by war, and they had come to Beijing to join their uncle. But their uncle's household wasn't particularly wealthy, and couldn't support them. Auntie sighed in equal disappointment. "If you were stronger and healthier, you could still go to the wharf and beg for a living. I'll have your uncle keep an eye out for something less physically demanding." At that moment, Zhao Xiu spoke up brightly. "Mother, Brother's clothes are all washed now." She pointed to the bamboo racks set up in the courtyard where clothes were being dried. Because she was so short, she had always had to rely on adults to hang her clothes. The queen had volunteered to help with the drying. Auntie then added, "All these are Brother's clothes—I've had Xiu wash them. From now on, I'll let her wear them first. I'm not sure if they fit well yet." "Brother?" Zhang Yuanqing Wang Xi said from the side, "Brother seldom returns home when he's not at home." "Why?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. Wang Xi replied instinctively, "Brother belongs to the Qinglong Clan—he's always fighting outside, afraid to come home." "Xi!" the aunt scolded loudly. Queen Wang's hand trembled slightly as she stepped forward, her clothes falling to the ground. The Qinglong Clan? Zhang Yuanqing's expression instantly stiffened. Queen Wang, too, stiffened and turned her head, meeting Zhang Yuanqing's gaze. The Qinglong Clan was the organization to which Wang Geji belonged—a renowned martial guild in the realm, dedicated to overthrowing the current emperor and saving the common people. Seeing the two react so dramatically, the aunt assumed they had heard of the Qinglong Clan's reputation and knew it was no longer concealable. She sighed, "That unruly son is always eager to fight and has countless rivals outside. Afraid of being drawn into their conflicts, he rarely returns home. Each time he comes, it's always a hurried visit—he leaves behind only a few coins and departs. He refuses to enjoy a peaceful life, insisting on constant battles "...Zhang Yuanqing forced himself to smile: "Auntie, from now on, I'll be your son." Hey! I'm already planning to move to a new place tomorrow. At that moment, a voice called out from outside the door: "Mother, I'm back!"