The bait that Xiao Che threw out regarding the "selection of a leader" was like a bait with a barb, precisely cast onto that arrogant big fish that had completely let its guard down.

In the following days, a drama unfolded in the imperial court, in which the regent recommended worthy individuals, putting the emperor in a difficult position.

The regent "fairly" recommended several generals who he considered "capable of undertaking important tasks," while Xiao Che continued to play the role of a "foolish emperor" overwhelmed by matters of the harem. He showed little interest in the matter, yet was "troubled" because he could not find a better reason to refuse.

This protracted struggle further convinced the Regent that Xiao Che had exhausted all his tricks and was completely under his control. He even began to semi-publicly undermine the Emperor's power in court.

However, while everyone's attention was focused on the increasingly fierce power struggle in the previous dynasty, no one knew that deep within the Kunning Palace, which had been completely reduced to a "cold palace," an invisible intelligence network that could truly determine the outcome was operating at high speed.

Kunning Palace became the most peculiar existence in the entire palace.

By day, the place was deserted and lifeless. Apart from a few palace servants sweeping, there was hardly any sign of life. Occasionally, a young eunuch from the Imperial Household Department would bring some leftovers, his face filled with undisguised contempt. Everyone knew that a disgraced empress, utterly abandoned by the Emperor, lived here—an insignificant, invisible person.

However, at night, when the entire palace falls asleep, this place becomes the true "heart".

Seemingly insignificant messages from every corner of the palace, like countless trickling streams, flowed through various hidden channels and eventually converged on this palace forgotten by the world.

And the person in charge of all this was Qin Zheng, the first female official personally promoted by Lin Wanwan.

"Your Majesty, this is today's."

Late at night, in the study, Qin Zheng presented Lin Wanwan with a stack of what appeared to be ordinary expense accounts.

Now, as the head of the six palaces' expenses, she has the legitimate power to audit the allowances and expenses of each palace. This position provides her with perfect cover, allowing her to openly enter and leave any palace and contact anyone.

Lin Wanwan took the booklet, but instead of looking at the numbers, she flipped directly to the inner compartment.

Inside, there were several very thin notes covered with tiny coded messages.

This is the real "account" for tonight.

Lin Wanwan unfolded the note and carefully read it by candlelight.

The intelligence, though seemingly chaotic and varied, actually paints a complete picture of a power struggle and conspiracy.

"...At three-quarters past Shen time, the steward of the Regent's Palace secretly purchased one hundred catties of fine iron from a blacksmith shop in the west city, reporting its purpose as: to repair the railings of the Prince's Palace garden..."

A cold smile curled at the corner of Lin Wanwan's lips. A hundred pounds of refined iron, to repair garden fences? What a joke! This batch of iron has probably already been sent to some secret hideout to be used to forge arrowheads.

She picked up her vermilion brush and gently drew a red circle next to a coordinate point in the Xicheng District on the map.

She continued reading the next note.

"...At the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), the wife of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel entered Cixi Palace and had a private meeting with the Empress Dowager for half an hour. When she left the palace, her eyes were slightly red..."

This news seemed like mere gossip among the women of the inner quarters. But Lin Wanwan knew that the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was a core member of the Regent's faction. And recently, he was locked in a fierce struggle with the royalist ministers for a crucial position.

It seems the Empress Dowager is... once again using her influence to speak favorably of her own family.

On a complex diagram of interpersonal relationships, Lin Wanwan connected the two points representing the Empress Dowager and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel with a dotted line.

The third note contained even more explosive information.

"...At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), Li, a captain of the Imperial Guards, lost three hundred taels of silver in one night at a gambling den in the palace. The creditor was a eunuch from Changxin Palace (the residence of Consort Shu)..."

"...At the hour of Hai (9-11 PM), the head chef of the imperial kitchen delivered a batch of top-quality bird's nest to Consort Li's palace..."

Each piece of intelligence, seemingly scattered, was quickly gathered, analyzed, and connected in Lin Wanwan's hands.

She pieced together these fragmented pieces of information, like a jigsaw puzzle.

Gradually, a detailed and clear "map of rebellion" took shape in her hands, marking all the enemy's troop deployments, personnel relationships, financial flows, and even their private affairs.

Before this map, all the Regent and Empress Dowager's conspiracies and schemes are crystal clear, as if laid bare on the palm of one's hand, leaving no secrets whatsoever!

Qin Zheng stood quietly to the side, watching her mistress's calm and wise profile in the candlelight, her heart already churning with turmoil!

Born into a merchant family, she considered herself to have seen many shrewd and decisive business tycoons. But she had never seen anyone like the Empress before her, who could grasp the whole picture and understand the intricacies of a vast and terrifying political situation so clearly, simply by looking at these seemingly insignificant details!

This is no longer intelligence.

This is simply...monstrous!

She felt increasingly grateful for her initial choice. To be able to follow such a master was the greatest honor of her life!

"Well done."

Lin Wanwan put down her vermilion brush, rubbed her slightly sore wrist, and gave Qin Zheng an approving smile.

"The female officials you've trained are very useful. Tell them to be careful and prioritize safety."

"Yes! Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty!" Qin Zheng's face flushed with excitement.

She paused, as if remembering something, then took out a separate note from her sleeve and solemnly handed it over.

"Your Majesty, there is one more thing." Her voice was extremely low. "This is... something I discovered by chance this afternoon while inspecting the Imperial Household Department's storeroom. I feel that this matter is of utmost importance!"

A slight thought crossed Lin Wanwan's mind.

She took the note and unfolded it.

All that could be seen was a short line of text.

"...A batch of old-style heavy armor from the previous dynasty, which should have been sealed in a warehouse the size of the Chinese character '甲', is being secretly moved out of the warehouse in batches under the guise of 'repair'. Its whereabouts... unknown..."

Old-style heavy armor from the previous dynasty?!

Lin Wanwan's pupils suddenly contracted!

She remembered that batch of armor! It was the standard armor used by the most elite heavy cavalry of the previous dynasty. Although the style was outdated, its protective power far surpassed that of ordinary military equipment today! Because it was too heavy and not conducive to large-scale warfare, it was all sealed up and listed as a forbidden item after the founding of the Great Liang Dynasty!

Unauthorized removal of sealed military equipment is a crime of equal severity to the unauthorized manufacture of weapons!

What exactly does the Regent want to do?!

Lin Wanwan immediately turned around and walked to the huge palace map, her eyes quickly searching for the location called "A-shaped warehouse".

She found it very quickly.

It was a storeroom located in the extremely remote northwest corner of the palace, abandoned for many years. Normally, apart from a few elderly eunuchs guarding it, no one paid any attention to it.

It is precisely because of its remoteness that it is suitable for doing some... shady things!

Lin Wanwan stared intently at the inconspicuous warehouse location on the map, her gaze instantly becoming extremely serious!

She knew that this batch of old armor was definitely not as simple as just being transported out and resold!

A crazy idea flashed through her mind like lightning!

She remembered!

In all the intelligence she had previously gathered about the Regent's private manufacturing of weapons and bribery of the Imperial Guard, the entire chain of evidence was missing the most crucial link—the location of the core weapons that were enough to launch a palace coup!

She had always believed that the regent had hidden the weapons in a secret location outside the palace.

But now it seems...

The most dangerous place is the safest place!

He actually... was so audacious as to hide irrefutable evidence, enough to sentence him to death, right under the emperor's nose!

At that moment, Lin Wanwan's breath hitched slightly.

She knew she had found it.

They found the final nail that would completely nail Regent Xiao Yuan to the coffin...

If they find that box, it'll be enough to sentence him to the most heinous crimes, punishable by the execution of his entire family...

Weapon illustrations!