After leaving the palace, Lin Qian looked exhausted as she walked towards the Prime Minister's residence with System 003. The streets were deserted and quiet at night, the moonlight casting a cold glow on the stone pavement. Only their footsteps echoed through the empty streets, breaking the silence.
Finally arriving at the Prime Minister's residence, Lin Qian and 003 entered the room. A faint sandalwood scent filled the room, and candlelight flickered gently in the breeze, adding a touch of hazy ambiance.
Lin Qian sat down, poured herself a cup of tea, took a sip, and began to talk to 003 about Prince Ning's hasty rebellion.
"003, why do you think Prince Ning was so reckless and hastily started a rebellion?" Lin Qian frowned, her eyes full of doubt.
003 The mechanical voice rang in Lin Qian's mind: "Host, according to my analysis, Prince Ning's desire for the throne has been long-standing. He may think that now is the perfect time, or he may have sensed some factors that are unfavorable to him, which is why he hastily started his rebellion."
Lin Qian nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "What are the chances of Prince Ning succeeding in his rebellion this time?"
003 replied, “Host, Prince Ning’s preparations for this rebellion are insufficient. Although his army is large, most of them are hastily assembled and lack rigorous training, resulting in weak overall combat effectiveness. Moreover, the court is not unaware of his actions and has already taken corresponding precautions. Judging from the current situation, Prince Ning’s chances of success are extremely slim.”
Lin Qian snorted coldly: "This Prince Ning is really overestimating himself, trying to seize the throne with such an army. It's just wishful thinking."
"A pipe dream? I doubt it." Lin Qian put down her teacup, her fingertips lightly tapping the table, the crisp sound breaking the silence of the room. "003, have you ever considered that Prince Ning might never have intended to win?"
003's electronic voice carried a hint of doubt: "Host, you mean..."
"The Prince of Ning's uprising is more like a high-stakes gamble, a desperate performance." Lin Qian stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the dark night outside, her eyes deep. A cool breeze blew into the room, ruffling her hair. "He may know his chances of winning are slim, but he needs an opportunity, an opportunity to make some people slip up."
"Does the host mean that Prince Ning is fishing?"
“That’s right,” Lin Qian said with a cold smile, “I just don’t know who this fish is, or how big it is.”
She turned around, a cold glint in her eyes: "003, help me find out who has been in contact with Prince Ning recently, especially those who seem to have no connection with him."
"Searching...Relevant information found, transferring..."
A deluge of information flooded Lin Qian's mind, making her feel dizzy. She closed her eyes, trying to process the information and find a clue among it.
Suddenly, a name caught her eye, causing her to snap her eyes open and her pupils to contract sharply.
"It's him?!" Lin Qian's voice was filled with disbelief. "How could it be him..."
This name was something she never expected, and it was the last thing she wanted to see.
Lin Qian stood there, stunned, her eyes filled with shock and disbelief. That name was like a heavy shackle, making it hard for her to breathe.
"How could it be him..." Lin Qian murmured to herself, her face as pale as a sheet. She never imagined things would develop to this point.
At this moment, the voice of System 003 rang in Lin Qian's mind: "Host, based on the current situation, since Prince Ning has left the capital and joined forces with the army, he must have a follow-up plan. We must not let our guard down."
Lin Qian took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She walked to the window, gazing at the pitch-black night outside, her unease growing stronger. A cold wind swept by, and she couldn't help but shiver.
"003, what do you think he will do?" Lin Qian asked.
After a moment of silence, System 003 said, "Host, the Prince Ning's double is imprisoned, while the real Prince has escaped. This was a premeditated move. He might launch a strong attack on the capital with his army, attempting to seize power by force. Or he might adopt a roundabout strategy, such as spreading rumors and creating chaos to weaken the court's prestige and the people's confidence. Furthermore, he is very likely to try to collude with certain forces within the capital to break through the city's defenses from within."
Lin Qian frowned, a hint of worry in her eyes: "If that's the case, then our situation will be even more perilous. We must find out Prince Ning's next move as soon as possible in order to prepare a response."
System 003 responded, "Host, rest assured, I will do my best to gather intelligence. However, this will take some time. During this period, we must not slacken our efforts, but strengthen our defenses and keep a close eye on the situation in the capital."
Lin Qian nodded, her eyes resolute: "That's right, we absolutely cannot sit idly by and wait to die. 003, immediately arrange for reinforcements to strengthen the guards of the Prime Minister's residence to ensure our safety. In addition, send people to investigate the situation in the capital, especially the movements of those forces that may be colluding with Prince Ning."
“Understood, host,” System 003 replied.
"003, help me find out who is Prince Ning's double." Lin Qian rubbed her throbbing temples. The amount of information was too much for her, even with the system modifications.
"Searching... Search complete. The Prince Ning's double is named Zhang San. He was originally a street performer who traveled from place to place. Because his appearance was somewhat similar to that of the Prince Ning, he was selected by Li Zhong, the steward of the Prince Ning's mansion, and secretly trained for several months."
“Zhang San…” Lin Qian repeated the name softly, something felt off. Even a trained street performer couldn't possibly imitate someone so perfectly, so convincingly that even the emperor and court officials hadn't noticed. Unless…
"003, is there any record in Zhang San's file regarding whether he knows any disguise techniques?"
“There is no relevant record.” 003’s answer confirmed Lin Qian’s conjecture. “But based on the analysis of existing information, Zhang San is very likely to be proficient in the art of disguise and highly skilled, otherwise he could not have achieved such a seamless imitation.”
Lin Qian walked to the table, poured herself a cup of tea, and drank it all in one gulp. Things were more complicated than she had imagined. Prince Ning's move was unfathomable; was it to deceive the Emperor, or was there another motive?
"Host, according to the latest intelligence, there are many rumors circulating in the capital about Prince Ning's rebellion, and the people are in a state of panic." 003's voice interrupted Lin Qian's thoughts.
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