Breaking through the clouds to reveal the blade
The dungeon of the Northern Frontier Commander's headquarters was bone-chilling cold, broken only by the occasional crackle of torches, shattering the stagnant silence. Wei Zheng's "deadline" hung like a sword of Damocles over the head of the "Ninth Brother" messenger. After a night of torment, coupled with witnessing the miserable despair of Zuo Xian Wang's confidants, the messenger's psychological defenses finally began to crumble.
In the darkest hour before dawn, he spoke hoarsely, his voice like a broken bellows: "...I say...I only ask...for a quick death, without bringing disaster to my family..."
Wei Zheng dismissed his attendants and left only one absolutely reliable clerk to take notes.
"...'Ninth Brother'...is not just one person." The messenger panted, his eyes unfocused, as if recalling some immense fear. "It's...a name, representing a group of people...a group of people in Daliang...who hold high positions of power, but whose hearts are with the Northern Di...or who harbor ulterior motives."
Wei Zheng's eyes fixed: "List."
"I... I don't know everything... I only know... the person I'm in direct contact with is... the owner of 'Rui Yu Xuan' in the capital. His codename is 'Qing Fei'... I pass messages and receive instructions through him..."
"Rui Yuxuan..." Wei Zheng silently memorized it. It was a well-known antique and jade shop, and the customers were all wealthy or noble. "How much do you know about the core members of 'Ninth Brother'?"
"The core... I vaguely heard... There are nobles in the palace... There are... There are those in charge of the military..." The envoy seemed a little confused and spoke intermittently, "They... They want... chaos in Daliang... Instability on the border... It would be best... to replace... an obedient emperor..."
As soon as these words were spoken, the air in the dungeon seemed to freeze! Regicide! Usurpation of the throne! This went far beyond treason and corruption; it was the heinous crime of treason!
Wei Zheng suppressed his inner shock and asked, "Who is the noble in the palace? And who is in charge of the army?"
"No... I don't know... I really don't know..." The messenger coughed violently. "Each order... is sent through different channels... 'Qingxie' simply follows orders... The copper tube... The letter in the copper tube is... It's the letter that 'Ninth Brother' gave to Prince Zuo Xian this time... A promise... A promise that if he helps them succeed, he will cede... the three towns in Hexi..."
The three towns of Hexi! That's the gateway to Daliang's northern border, a strategic point! How could they be so easily given away by these traitors?
Wei Zheng immediately ordered the copper tube to be brought and, following the trembling secret method the messenger had spoken, which would not damage the seal, he carefully began to rub it. When the thin, cicada-wing-thin rubbing paper was removed, revealing the Northern Di script and a distinctive wolf-head emblem, Wei Zheng was certain that the messenger's words were true.
"Keep an eye on him, don't let him die," Wei Zheng ordered his personal guards, then quickly walked out of the dungeon with the rubbing copy. He needed to immediately deliver this shocking intelligence to Kunning Palace in the capital in the safest way possible.
At the same time, undercurrents surged in the capital due to Han Mingyuan's suspension.
The Han residence was deserted, its usual constant stream of visitors vanishing overnight. However, the real storm lay hidden. Within the Censorate, a group of incorruptible censors, led by Han Mingyuan, were seething with anger. They couldn't believe Han Mingyuan would commit such a despicable act, believing it was a frame-up. Secretly, they began collecting evidence and investigating Wang Quan and any potential instigators.
The nobles, however, rejoiced, believing that His Majesty's move represented a crackdown on Lu Qinglan's power and their chance had arrived. Several nobles with close ties to the Cheng'en Mansion even began secretly colluding, hoping to capitalize on this opportunity to further expand their gains and squeeze more officials from Lu Qinglan's faction out of core positions.
However, they did not know that an invisible net was quietly tightening around them.
Inside Kunning Palace, Lu Qinglan's expression remained calm upon hearing Han Mingyuan's suspension. He simply said, "As expected. Your Majesty is using our power to counter our own, hoping to gauge our reaction."
Fu Yu said worriedly, "Your Majesty, Lord Han has been suspended. This means we have lost one of our most powerful weapons in the court. Should we try to rescue him?"
"No need." Lu Qinglan shook his head. "Rescuing him now would be exactly what His Majesty wants, and it would make us look guilty. Let Han Mingyuan stay home and await investigation. Let those clowns run wild for a few more days."
She walked over to a huge map of Daliang, her gaze fixed on the northern border. "The real winner lies in the north. Any news from Wei Zheng?"
"Not yet. According to the schedule, if there is progress, a fast horse should arrive tonight or tomorrow morning."
Lu Qinglan nodded, his eyes deep. "Tell our people in the Censorate to support those censors who are still working for Han Mingyuan. Let them make a fuss, the bigger the better. But be careful not to point the finger at His Majesty directly, and only target Wang Quan and his possible behind-the-scenes instigators."
She wanted to let Xiao Jingche see that framing loyal and honest people was unpopular, and she also wanted to let the government and the people see clearly who was truly upholding the government and who was forming cliques for personal gain and excluding dissidents.
As night fell, a swift horse, laden with a secret letter, traveled eight hundred miles in a hurry, and broke through the darkness, entering the capital. The messenger, instead of visiting any official offices, quietly entered the imperial city with a special token, ultimately delivering the sealed copper tube to the Kunning Palace.
Fu Yu took the copper tube and checked that the seal was correct before presenting it to Lu Qinglan.
Lu Qinglan used the secret method Wei Zheng had given her in the letter to gently open the copper tube and remove the letter and the crucial rubbing. When she saw the Beidi language on the letter and the wolf-head emblem that symbolized the Beidi royal court's highest commitment, even with her fortitude, a flash of shock flashed across her eyes, then turned into a bone-chilling cold.
"What a 'Ninth Brother'! What a thief who stole the country!" she whispered to herself, her fingertips turning slightly white from the pressure. The contents of the letter confirmed the messenger's confession, and were even more detailed and vicious!
This is no longer a simple power struggle, but treason! A heinous crime capable of overthrowing the nation!
She carefully collected all the evidence and hid it in a top-secret location. With this, she had absolute control. But now wasn't the right time to unleash it all. She needed to wait, wait for the demons and monsters in the court to rise higher, wait for Xiao Jingche's patience to run out, and wait for... the perfect opportunity to wipe out all her enemies in one fell swoop.
The sharp blade that pierced through the clouds from the Northern Frontier was already in hand. The next step was how to deliver the decisive blow.
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