plot

On the 16th day of the first lunar month, the empress fell ill.

At first, it was just a minor cold. The palace physician quickly prescribed medicine, and the Zhang brothers carried the medicine into the empress's chambers to serve her. After taking the medicine, the empress's illness improved significantly.

Just at this moment, an imperial censor submitted a memorial.

The censor reported to the empress that the governor of Bingzhou had imposed forced labor to build a Buddhist temple, disregarding the farming season, leading to a poor harvest. He also forced the people to serve in the harsh winter, causing them to starve and freeze to death. The censor asked the empress to punish the governor severely.

As soon as this memorial was submitted, it stirred up a hornet's nest.

As everyone knows, the Empress's ancestral home was Wenshui in Bingzhou. After the Empress ascended the throne, Wenshui, her hometown, was even renamed Wuxing. Now, this censor's harsh words scolded the Bingzhou governor, which was no less than pointing at her nose and scolding her.

The Queen's condition worsened due to her anger.

The brothers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong had always been at odds with this censor, so they immediately arrested him and ordered the empress's cruel officials to torture him severely.

The empress's male favorite actually arrested a court official. This incident caused an uproar in the court and the country.

As night fell, Pei Yingguan, dressed in black, opened the courtyard gate. He carefully looked around, making sure no one was around, and then stepped into the night. He twisted and turned in the darkness, finally arriving at a small house in the corner of Shendu.

Pei Yingguan raised his hand and knocked three times, followed by one short knock, and then two more long knocks. After a few breaths, the door opened and a middle-aged man led him in. The room was dimly lit by a single candle, and the weak candlelight illuminated the faces of everyone in the room, making their faces appear somewhat distorted.

"Alright, Captain Pei is here, and we're all here," a commanding female voice rang out. It belonged to Princess Taiping. "Another imperial censor has been apprehended today. This individual has a close personal relationship with my brother. In my opinion, action cannot be delayed any longer."

"I think so too," the Crown Prince was present, and he quite agreed with Princess Taiping's proposal. "We should act before the two Zhangs do. What are your opinions, gentlemen?"

"As long as everything is arranged, I can start at any time." Pei Yingguan spoke first, obviously unable to wait.

The other ministers looked at each other, and after thinking about it, they all had no objection.

"Very good. Then let's discuss the specific actions to be taken at that time."

Everyone lowered their voices, talking and gesturing as they discussed the specific course of action. What they didn't know was that their every move was under the watchful eyes of Liuyun, the commander of the Fengming Guard.

It was already midnight, and the entire Divine Capital had long since fallen into a deep sleep, but the Fengming Guard still had to send monks to patrol the various blocks within the city. This evening, it was Team C3's turn to patrol. As two members passed this block, they saw a candlelight through the window.

"It's so late, why hasn't this family gone to bed yet?" One of the team members was puzzled and planned to go and find out what was going on. However, he was stopped by Liuyun just as he was about to go forward.

"Commander?" He stopped immediately. "Why are you here?"

"My apprentices are learning magic here, and I am guarding them outside."

Liuyun's words were extremely credible, so the team member immediately gave up the investigation and left with his teammates.

Liuyun stood outside the house until dawn, and only left quietly after everyone inside had agreed on the time for action.

After the discussion, the Crown Prince and Princess Taiping's trusted servants jointly lifted a lid on the ground. The lid was opened, revealing a staircase below. It turned out that this humble little room actually had a secret passage.

"Brother, please come with me," Princess Taiping invited the Crown Prince to join her. "This secret passage leads to my princess's palace."

The prince happily went with her.

After all the dignitaries had left, Pei Yingguan took out a few masks and handed them to the ministers in the room.

"This mask can change the wearer's appearance. Once you put it on and go out, no one will recognize you."

"Thank you, Captain Pei." One of the old men took the mask and put it on his face. As expected, he turned into an old man with a completely different appearance from himself.

The old minister staggered away, leaning on his cane. A moment later, another minister donned a mask and left the hut. This continued until all the ministers had left the room, with Pei Yingguan being the last to leave.

He gathered his spiritual energy and released a spell, causing the already simple house to collapse.

It was the time of the Fengming Guards' shift change, and Team Ding Si had just begun their work. Captain Hou heard the noise and rushed over immediately, seeing Pei Yingguan standing next to the ruins.

"What is Captain Pei doing so early in the morning?"

Pei Yingguan smiled and cast a spell, turning the pile of rubble into dust. He then replied calmly, "I was practicing magic and accidentally collapsed this room."

Captain Hou looked at Pei Yingguan with suspicion, but Pei Yingguan looked calm and composed, and he couldn't see any clues no matter how hard he looked.

"Captain Hou, aren't you going to inspect other markets?" Pei Yingguan urged him with a smile, so he had to turn around and leave.

After watching Captain Hou disappear from his sight, Pei Yingguan slowly left. He went straight to the Fengming Guard Office and continued his duty as if nothing had happened.

Inside the cruel official's cell, the censor lay dying. The cruel official who was interrogating him angrily whipped him, knocking him unconscious. The cruel official then approached Zhang Yizhi and apologized.

"Please forgive me, sir. I am incompetent and have not been able to uncover anything."

"He's being stubborn," Zhang Yizhi sneered. "That's fine. The fact that he can't find out is also a sign of truth. Since he won't confess, you can save his integrity."

The cruel official returned to the cell and killed the censor with a knife. Zhang Yizhi tidied up his clothes, got on the carriage, and went straight to the Fengmingwei government office.

In the Fengmingwei official office, Liuyun, upon hearing the purpose of Zhang Yizhi's visit, rejected him without hesitation.

"Sir, please return. Fengming Guards do not accept missions without a clear purpose."

Zhang Yizhi's face turned cold instantly.

"Commander Pei, I will call you Immortal Master because of your special abilities, but you are only a fifth-rank official. Do you dare to bear the consequences of rejecting me?"

Liu Yun remained calm, "Please return, sir. The Fengming Guards are only loyal to His Majesty."

"You don't know how to appreciate my kindness!" Zhang Yizhi turned away.

Liuyun looked at Zhang Yizhi's angry back without saying a word. That night, after returning home and having dinner, he asked Pei Yingguan to stay.

"Today, Zhang Yizhi ordered me to divine for the recently deceased Imperial Censor, but I refused. He may have a trick up his sleeve. Tell the Crown Prince and the others to be extra cautious."

"Disciple understands. Thank you, Master, for telling me." Pei Yingguan thanked him with a serious face, and then pushed the door open and walked out.

That night, the house of the two Zhang brothers was robbed and an important document disappeared. Zhang Yizhi was so angry that he threw everything on the floor, but the document was lost, and he couldn't find it even if he tore his house apart.

In the Eastern Palace, Pei Yingguan burned all the documents that Zhang Yizhi had used to frame him in front of the crown prince.

"I was able to escape danger this time thanks to Captain Pei's help," the prince stood up and bowed to Pei Yingguan. "If I can get what I want this time, I will not treat Captain Pei unfairly."

After some courtesy, Pei Yingguan left the Eastern Palace and returned home in the night.

Liuyun, Pei Yingguan and Liu Mingyin all have to be on duty. Xiao Wan'er, who has not yet returned to the team, has been on vacation at home these days. The tense situation in the court did not prevent her from making appointments with others to play.

At noon that day, she asked Shangguan Wan'er to have lunch and pastries at a restaurant in Nanshi.

"I heard that His Majesty was ill a few days ago. Is he well now?"

"No," Shangguan Wan'er said with a worried look on her face. "Sister, tell me, if there is someone who is both the mentor who led you on your current life path and the master who could take your life at any time, and now you have the opportunity to break free from her control, would you join others in making sure she can no longer decide your life or death?"

As she said this, her fingers unconsciously touched the plum blossom makeup on her face again.

"Sister, are you afraid of her?" Xiao Wan'er realized in an instant who Shangguan Wan'er was talking about, but she didn't expose her.

"I'm afraid. Who around her now isn't afraid of her?"

"I don't know what you should do, sister. You have to ask your own heart. I can only hope that you won't regret your choice today." Xiao Wan'er paused and winked at Shangguan Wan'er playfully. "Don't worry, sister. Today you just came out with me for a snack and chatted about my vacation. You didn't say anything else."

"You," Shangguan Wan'er smiled and tapped Xiao Wan'er's forehead, "accompany me for a walk in Shendu City."

The two of them strolled around the various streets and markets in the capital city until dinner. Someone from the palace came to ask Shangguan Wan'er to go back, and the two reluctantly parted ways.

When I returned home, Liuyun and Liu Mingyin were both in the yard.

"Wan'er, you haven't practiced with your fellow disciples since you became the captain of Team Renjiu, right?" Liuyun called out to Xiao Wan'er, "Come here. Now you and Liu Mingyin will fight me together."

"The two of us fighting against you, Master? How about you get your brothers to come as well?"

"No need," Liu Yun said with a faint smile, "Master will not suppress your cultivation this time."

Xiao Wan'er and Liu Mingyin were both stunned.

"Master, you want us, two people in the Entry Stage, to fight you, a person in the Transcendent Stage?"

"Why, didn't that evil cultivator you fought in Quanzhou also have Transcendent Realm strength?" Seeing Xiao Wan'er standing still, Liuyun began to urge her, "Come here quickly, let me see what your current strength is."

Xiao Wan'er sighed and walked to Liu Mingyin's side.

"Master, I'm sorry." As soon as she finished speaking, she instantly fired a cluster of water arrows.

Liuyun easily dispelled the water arrows, but at the same time, Liu Mingyin circled behind him, knife in hand. As Liuyun turned to repel Liu Mingyin, vines sprouted from the water that spilled onto the ground and wrapped around him.

A storm of spiritual energy suddenly blew up from Liuyun's body, and the vines wrapped around him broke instantly.

"That's it?"

Those two simple words sparked Xiao Wan'er's fighting spirit. She unleashed various spells once again, and soon the courtyard was filled with gusts of spiritual energy.

Xiao Wan'er and Liu Mingyin's attention was all focused on Liuyun, so naturally they had no time to pay attention to anything else. After another round, she and Liu Mingyin stepped on the ground at the same time. Suddenly, a powerful energy condensed on the ground, enveloping the two of them.

"Trapping array? Master, what are you going to do?"

Liuyun didn't answer, but only looked at them deeply, then instructed: "Stay in this formation for the next two days. After two days, this trap will naturally dissipate. I have asked the West Market Restaurant to deliver meals to you every morning and evening, and all the food can be delivered into the formation. If you feel bored, read a book."

As he spoke, he placed a pile of books containing various unconventional techniques, sword techniques, talismans, and formations into the formation.

At the same time, every house in the courtyard shone with the brilliance of the formation. Pei Yingguan, dressed in military uniform, appeared in the courtyard and then left with Liuyun.