The eighteenth year of Yonghe, the twenty-sixth day of the second month.

Morning.

At this moment, Emperor Yonghe was taking his morning meal under the attendance of palace servants.

He’d just taken a sip of thin porridge when Imperial Guard Commander Tang Ke and Embroidered Uniform Guard Chief Commander Feng Changxiu entered one after the other.

Aside from not wearing their swords, both were fully armed.

Emperor Yonghe frowned slightly. “What is it?”

Tang Ke glanced at the Emperor’s expression and knelt on one knee:

“Your Majesty, at the second quarter of the hour of chen, the Grand Prince was ambushed on Sajin Street. Simultaneously, fifty-two assassins flooded into Duanmu Palace.”

“Crack!”

The white porcelain spoon fell to the ground, shattering on impact.

Emperor Yonghe looked down at Tang Ke, smiling in a very strange manner. “And then?”

“The Crown Prince’s personal guards fought desperately to protect their master. The Embroidered Uniform Guard arrived in time. The Crown Prince sustained minor injuries. The Grand Prince was completely unharmed, only delayed from his wedding procession.”

A long-premeditated assassination, a desperate fight for survival, a bloodbath struggle…

All reduced to a single understated sentence in the end.

Emperor Yonghe narrowed his eyes, speaking gravely: “Has it been determined who did this?”

Feng Changxiu’s eyes shifted. He knelt and said: “Your Majesty, we have… not yet determined this.”

The Emperor’s hand on the table suddenly clenched into a fist. “Investigate! Dig three chi into the earth if you must, but find out for me.”

Feng Changxiu ground his back molars. “Yes!”

The words had barely fallen when Qin Qi, the attending Grand Eunuch of the Ceremonial Directorate, hurried in.

He bowed and walked before the Emperor, pulling a small slip of paper from his robe. “Your Majesty, an urgent report from the Bu Family Army of the Capital Garrison.”

Emperor Yonghe’s expression froze. “Read it!”

Qin Qi suppressed his pounding heart and said quietly: “Of the five divisions of the Three Thousand Battalion, the Valor Division and the Imperial Defense Division have… rebelled.”

Blue veins instantly bulged on Emperor Yonghe’s forehead. His fist pounded the table as he roared: “All of them are rebellious traitors!”

Qin Qi was so frightened he fell to his knees with a thump, head bowed, not daring to speak another word.

For a moment, the hall fell silent enough to suffocate.

The two generals of the Valor Division and Imperial Defense Division had risen to their positions through Prince Han’s connections and had once fought alongside Prince Han through life and death.

These two suddenly rebelling—did it also mean…

Cold sweat emerged layer upon layer, quickly soaking through the inner garments of the three men on the floor.

Gradually, the blue veins on the old Emperor’s face receded one by one. In their place, the corners of his mouth curved upward in a murderous arc.

“Tang Ke!”

“This subordinate is here.”

“Seal the nine city gates. Impose martial law citywide. Not even a fly may leave. Those who violate this order shall be executed without mercy.”

“This subject obeys Your Majesty’s decree!”

“Commander Feng.”

“This subject is here.”

“Within three days, the Embroidered Uniform Guard will thoroughly investigate the cause and effect of this matter. If you cannot clarify it, bring me your head.”

“Yes!”

“Qin Qi.”

“Your Majesty.”

“Take my verbal decree and transmit orders to General Bu. Command him to thoroughly investigate the Three Thousand Battalion. The ringleaders—execute their nine generations of kin!”

“This old servant receives the decree.”

After the three hurriedly departed, Emperor Yonghe felt his vision darken. He staggered backward several steps.

“Your Majesty.”

The attendants quickly moved to support him.

But Emperor Yonghe shoved them away with one sweep, his expression grim as he collapsed into a seat.

The attendants looked at his ashen complexion and said tremulously: “Your Majesty, please take care of the dragon body.”

Emperor Yonghe seemed not to hear, his eyes fixed and unmoving.

Assassinate the Crown Prince.

Assassinate the Grand Prince.

Raise troops.

Rebel.

How familiar this scene was—so familiar it seemed to have happened just yesterday.

Who in this world dared such audacity?

Who dared!!

A deep fear he hadn’t felt in ages suddenly surged up. Emperor Yonghe’s mouth opened and he spat out a mouthful of blood, his body slowly falling…

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty!”

“Someone, quickly, someone!”

…

The Grand Prince’s wedding continued, but without any celebration.

The procession that had originally gone with the Crown Prince to fetch the bride from the Wu family was entirely replaced by the Emperor’s personal guards. Not a smile showed on any face—only solemnity and the conspicuous swords at their waists.

The Wu family had been overjoyed, but seeing the wedding procession in such a formation, everyone shrank back in fright.

What was happening?

Fetching a bride, not executing someone—why was everyone carrying swords?

The bride walked out gracefully.

Zhao Yishi took the red silk from the matchmaker and, after bowing to Wu Rong, walked out expressionlessly.

The other end of the red silk was in the bride’s hands.

Lady Wu’s hand tightened. She hurried to follow. Perhaps her wedding dress was too long, or perhaps she was nervous—her foot stumbled. The maidservants beside her quickly supported her from left and right.

Zhao Yishi turned around and cast Lady Wu one cold glance, then continued walking forward.

He didn’t slow his pace one bit.

A person’s heart is only so large. It holds some for realm and state, some for parents and elders. The remaining space was all filled with that person.

Where was there any room for Lady Wu?

…

At this moment, the streets and alleys were densely packed with fully armed guards.

Twenty of the Thirty-Three Guards from the Five Military Commissions had been deployed.

Sixteen of the Twenty-Six Guards from the New Army had been mobilized.

Add to that all the Embroidered Uniform Guard…

Never mind ordinary citizens whose legs went weak at the sight—even Xie Zhifei, who’d seen grand occasions, had cold sweat in both palms.

From the day the Emperor ascended the throne, throughout his eighteen-year reign, never mind assassination and rebellion in broad daylight—there weren’t even a few people under heaven who dared speak loudly to the Emperor!

It seemed that after today, many more would die in the capital.

But Xie Zhifei’s cold sweat wasn’t solely for this matter.

Had Dong Chengfeng been successfully spirited away?

Had Second Master Zhu met up with Yan Sanhe?

How was that troublemaker doing now?

Had she been rescued?

One matter after another—he didn’t dare think too deeply about any of them. The more he thought, the more his heart pounded violently, threatening another episode.

Bodhisattva, please open your eyes and protect both Yan Sanhe and the troublemaker so they’re safe and sound.

At that moment, Zhu Qing silently approached.

Xie Zhifei leaned back slightly, Zhu Qing leaned forward slightly.

“Master, the goods have been prepared properly and delivered to the destination as previously agreed.”

Aiya, the Bodhisattva opened her eyes!

Xie Zhifei sighed softly in his heart. His legs went weak as cotton.

The most uncertain and dangerous part of the entire operation was Dong Chengfeng himself.

He was an extremely dangerous character. If anything went wrong on that end, everyone would be finished—no one would survive.

“How’s the troublemaker?”

“At the Pei residence. No news has come yet.”

“Send someone to guard the Pei residence.”

Xie Zhifei frowned and turned. “If anything happens to her, the divine woman will swallow us alive.”

“Someone’s already been sent to guard it.”

Zhu Qing spoke in a voice only the two could hear: “Master, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is already conducting a thorough investigation. In one day at most, they’ll trace it to Chonghua Palace.”

Once traced to Chonghua Palace, they’d trace it to Dong Chengfeng.

With Dong Chengfeng having vanished without reason, the Embroidered Uniform Guard would definitely not let it rest. They’d conduct a citywide manhunt, digging three chi into the earth to find him.

Including Second Master Zhu, everyone who left the city today—not one could escape. The Embroidered Uniform Guard would interrogate them repeatedly.

Xie Zhifei looked at Zhu Qing deeply, speaking in an even lower voice: “Is the corpse prepared?”

Zhu Qing nodded.

Xie Zhifei: “Notify everyone. Follow the original plan. Clean up immediately.”