Guan Ya said: "My father told me that the Empress Dowager indeed feared that General Wu Xin would grow too powerful and threaten the imperial authority, especially as the Shensui Army grew stronger and posed a potential threat to the throne. However, there was an even more crucial reason: over several years of warfare between the two dynasties, farmlands had been abandoned, the population had sharply declined, and the treasury was drained. The Southern Dynasty needed time to recover and rejuvenate and could no longer sustain prolonged military campaigns. Wu Xin was a brilliant strategist, yet in political matters, he remained a naive young officer. He failed to grasp the subtle hints from the court and repeatedly raised loud objections in public, angrily criticizing the court and the Empress Dowager for overstepping her role and undermining the state. In fact, when Wu Xin was summoned back to the capital, he had not even met the Empress Dowager before being detained. He died three days later in the inn, officially declared to have succumbed to illness. Subsequently, his officers and subordinates who had accompanied him to the capital gathered in protest, only to be firmly suppressed." Zhang Yuanqing interjected: "I recall Red Chicken mentioned that some were killed, some Given the court's stance, how could they possibly dismiss them? They simply escaped. Being dismissed was merely the court's way of preserving its dignity. Of course, these individuals weren't crucial. After reviewing and analyzing the situation, I've concluded that the real figures worth investigating are Zhao Kai. "Zhao Kai?" Zhang Yuanqing expressed his curiosity. "Following the news of Wu Xin's death at the inn, the soldiers of Shen Rui Army who had accompanied him began to protest. The court seemed fully prepared, swiftly surrounding and suppressing these troops. Zhao Kai was precisely the officer in charge of leading this operation." Guan Ya spoke with confidence. "Zhao Kai comes from the imperial family, making him your second cousin. At the time, he served as the commander of the Iron-Corps of the City Garrison. After Wu Xin's death, the Empress Mother promoted him to the Ministry of War within a year, and within three years he rose through the ranks to become a Deputy Minister of War. After the Empress Mother's passing, Zheng Wenhan assumed control of the government and began to sideline the imperial relatives. As a result, Zhao Kai was removed from his post and became a leisurely, idle Prince of the Capital." "— Zhao Kai's father is a Prince, the younger brother of the late emperor. Since Zhao Kai is not the eldest son, he is ineligible to inherit the Prince title and is instead granted the rank of Marquis, with the title Yongyan. "This answer didn't require much thought—after all, Wu Xin was killed by Zheng Wenhan, and entrusting this matter to Zheng Wenhan would be the most secure move." "So Zheng Wenhan must have had ties with the northern court military forces for over a decade, which is why he was able to smoothly reach a private agreement with Tuoba Guanghe this time," he added. Guan Ya nodded and commented: "When Zheng Wenhan killed Wu Xin, he likely sensed Wu Xin's growing threat—a capable general whose influence was already surpassing his own. If he hadn't acted promptly to remove him, Wu Xin would inevitably become an obstacle to Zheng Wenhan's consolidation of power. "Thus, Zheng Wenhan used his familial ties to bind the Empress Dowager, cutting off her options and effectively eliminating her support for the Shen Rui Army. Zheng Wenhan is clearly the biggest beneficiary of this situation. By the way, Zhao Kai as well." Guan Ya redirected the conversation: "Go investigate Zhao Kai. As a participant, he should be the most aware of Wu Xin's death. The Empress Dowager entrusted him with handling the matter, which shows her deep trust in this senior royal prince." "Where is Zhao Kai's residence?" Zhang Yuanqing asked directly. "Anle Street, Yongyan Prince's Court," Guan Ya replied. "Go find Sun Miaomiao and have her prepare to infiltrate the Marquis's Court," Zhang Yuanqing said. "I'll be out of town for a while." — Although Sun Miaomiao is on the opposing side, her primary and secondary missions do not conflict with those of the court of the incompetent emperor, so Zhang Yuanqing did not immediately decide to switch her allegiance. In the Grand Master's view, Sun Miaomiao had already been killed in the assassination attempt at the Yang household. To the enemy's eyes, Sun Miaomiao was merely a pawn. Zhang Yuanqing believed that maintaining a state of "secrecy" was more advantageous than making her visible. "I'll accompany you," Guan Ya stood up. Zhang Yuanqing tucked the small radio into his coat and followed Guan Ya out of the spacious bedroom, boarding the carriage she had prepared for him. They left the Yang household. The wheels rolled steadily. After one hour of travel on the streets, Zhang Yuanqing finally took out the small radio and instructed the driver: "Head to the outer city." Under his guidance, the carriage wound around and came to a stop outside a large, two-winged manor in the outer city, its signboard reading "Xu Family." "Wait here for me," Zhang Yuanqing leapt down from the carriage and knocked on the door. A young man with a straightforward and honest appearance opened the door, observing Zhang Yuanqing closely. Seeing him pale, with dry hair and a cool aura emanating from his body, he was immediately startled and became alert. "Who are you looking for?" he asked. "Is Master Duan at the manor?" Zhang Yuanqing inquired. "Who are you?" the young man, named Anniu, repeated his question without answering. "Please tell Master Duan that I have fulfilled my promise. Would he be willing to assist me, a once-wealthy but now financially struggling young man?" Zhang Yuanqing said, adding, "I am a friend of Wang Beiwang." Upon hearing this, Anniu's alertness eased somewhat, and he replied, "You just wait here." Then he closed the door and hurried inside. About fifteen minutes later, Zhang Yuanqing heard a hurried footstep, followed by the door opening, and Aniu respectfully extended a gesture of invitation: "The head of the association would like to see you." Zhang Yuanqing nodded slightly, stepped over the threshold, and entered the courtyard. Beyond the threshold lay a vast forecourt, with a stone-paved path stretching twenty meters toward the main hall. "Master Duan is in the hall. Please proceed," said Aniu, bowing slightly. Zhang Yuanqing took a step forward, pushed open the lattice door of the main hall, and as light poured in, he saw Master Duan, with dark red hair and a square face, seated directly facing the entrance. The atmosphere of boldness, impatience, and fiery determination seemed to rush upon him. Beside him sat a swordsman dressed in a long robe, wearing a Dao-style hairpin, in the appearance of a lay disciple. Zhang Yuanqing raised his small microphone and smiled: "I have long admired Master Duan's reputation—your name is truly legendary." Master Duan got straight to the point and asked: "Now, I'd like to ask you—what you said yesterday at Tianji Building about 'the emperor guards the nation "Zhang Yuanqing said, "I have long since lost all means of retreat." Duan Zhongzhuan nodded. "Excellent! From this day forward, Qinglong Hall shall serve the Emperor." As the words settled, Zhang Yuanqing heard the spiritual realm's notification: 【Ping! Congratulations on completing the side quest: Subduing Qinglong Hall.】 【Ping! Activating side quest: Eliminate Zheng Wenhuan.】 ... Tianjī Building. Crisp star clouds shimmered over Zhang Yuanqing's forehead, and clear, radiant light illuminated his eyes. Vast streams of stellar and Taiyin energies flowed into his body, absorbed with eager intensity by his cells. Simultaneously, the power of the Phantom God's heart was unlocked. He had returned to Level Six. "Is the side quest simply to kill Zheng Wenhuan?" Zhang Yuanqing was filled with excitement. His core strategy had always been to eliminate the Zheng family—now the side quest aligned perfectly with his primary objective, saving him considerable time and effort. Yet, upon reflection, he found himself somewhat concerned. He had now reached Level Six. According to the progress and tier of the quest That means, after eliminating the Zheng family, they will directly face the Grand Master, an eighth-level master. The Grand Master is likely in the process of advancing to the ninth level, so his current state is probably at the peak of the eighth level. Facing an eighth-level peak, even with two professions, the seven-level initial rank forces would have little chance of victory—unless Xiao Yuan and the Palace Mistress make good progress on their tasks. If progress lags, things will go poorly. Xu Elder smiled bitterly, "Even so, Zheng Wenhan holds supreme power throughout the realm, with countless guest scholars at his court, and a large number of masters at the Small Master level. The city's garrison and the Imperial City Office have even more. Should the battle drag on, once Zheng's allies arrive to provide reinforcements, aside from Duan Master, everyone else will surely fall." Zhang Yuanqing offered no promises or guarantees, merely stating, "In times of turmoil, death is inevitable. It all depends on whether Elder Xu is willing to make a glorious sacrifice for the people of the Southern Dynasty." Xu Elder grew furious, blowing his whiskers and glaring, "A foolish emperor—don't provoke me with words!" "I am the sovereign of the Southern Dynasty, deeply involved in this matter. I have no choice but to step forward and die for the state." With the dignity of a monarch, Zhang Yuanqing bowed respectfully and added, "I also urge both of you to lay down your lives for the Southern Dynasty." ... The Tianji Pavilion. Zhang Yuanqing guided the shadow body into the carriage and returned to Yang, then severed the connection with the shadow body, focusing entirely on contemplating the "game of strategy." Only by knowing both oneself He must list both his own objectives and his enemies' objectives clearly, so that he can understand how the enemy will deploy and how he himself should respond and strategize. His goals are clear: gather the strongest forces to attack the Zheng family. Once Zheng Wenhan falls, the Zheng family's power will collapse, and then he will confront the Grand Master in a decisive battle to fully control the capital. His allies: the Qinglong Clan, the Yang family, and the gradually weakening imperial relatives. These alone are insufficient, so he must bring the Shenrui Army into the alliance. To secure the Shenrui Army's support, he must uncover the truth behind the Wu Xin case. The enemy's (the Grand Master's) objective: to extinguish the Southern Dynasty, leveraging its national fortune and dragon energy to advance toward a higher realm. Now that he has taken up residence in the Tianji Building and has gained improved public reputation among the common people, the Grand Master is in a difficult position. First of all, the Grand Master cannot personally eliminate him—his cost of fulfilling the Five Decadences of a Celestial Being is simply too high. Second, it would be utterly impossible for the昏君 to die at the Heaven's Mechanism Pavilion. Once Zhao Shun perished, the State Preceptor would inevitably face criticism, though not enough to immediately undermine his decades-long reputation. Yet, at a critical stage of his cultivation, who could predict the consequences of an unstable dragon energy? Similarly, continuing to support Zheng family's rebellion and Zhao Shun's elimination would yield little strategic gain. Once the enemy's objectives and circumstances are clearly understood, their moves become predictable. The State Preceptor's options are limited to three: first, to impede Zhao Shun's efforts in gaining public support and securing dragon energy; second, to obstruct Zhao Shun's campaign to eliminate the Zheng family and consolidate control over the court; third, to await the collapse of the Northern Dynasty's forces, then harvest the national vitality gradually dissipating from the Zhao lineage, advancing to a higher state of cultivation. Thus, the State Preceptor will adopt a defensive posture throughout this strategic game—undermining Zhao Shun's plans and patiently awaiting the arrival of the Northern forces. His primary focus, therefore, will be ensuring that every move he makes is successful and not disrupted. Right now, the two most crucial moves are to ensure that the Palace Master and the Xiao Yuan tasks keep pace with one's own progress; otherwise, facing the peak-level Dominators alone would leave him utterly overwhelmed. The other key step is to bring the Shen Rui Army into the fold. While the Shen Rui Army may not have any Dominators, it certainly boasts a large number of highly capable and powerful Saints—far beyond the three recently mentioned. This is an indispensable force. At least in the campaign to eliminate the Zheng family, the Shen Rui Army is a vital component of the operation; without them, the mission to dismantle the Zheng family would struggle to succeed. With this in mind, Zhang Yuanqing now knows exactly what his next steps should be.