The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
Zongzheng Zhaoran put down the kettle, picked up a snow-white silk handkerchief, and carefully wiped his fingers as if they were stained with something unclean.
He turned around, and his gentle, jade-like face, always radiating a warm and welcoming smile, appeared exceptionally clear and unfathomable in the candlelight.
"My second brother must be feeling quite pleased with himself right now, thinking victory is in the bag, right?" Zongzheng Zhaoran said in a relaxed tone, even with a hint of teasing, as if he were talking about something amusing that had nothing to do with him.
Mr. Ghostface, or rather, this double-dealer who had been lurking in the heart of Night Hawk Pavilion for over a decade, whispered, “His Highness Prince Ming is indeed delighted and has high hopes for the subsequent rumor offensive. He has ordered people to spread rumors that Prince Heng is favoring his lover and that Miss Jiang is resorting to any means to resist the marriage, and he is also secretly pushing the Censorate to submit its reports on rumors.”
Zongzheng Zhaoran walked behind the desk and sat down, his fingertips lightly tapping the tabletop. Spread out on it was a copy of the Inner Court Department's report on the Drunken Butterfly Flower case, which stated that "there was no evidence," as well as several vague copies of imperial censors' memorials.
"How was the result?" he asked, his tone as indifferent as if he were asking about the weather.
"His Majesty has issued an oral decree to temporarily strip Prince Heng of his authority over the defense of the capital region and order him to recuperate in his residence. At the same time, Jiang Wanzhi's confinement has been strengthened, to the point of being practically under house arrest."
The masked man replied, "The Emperor is already suspicious; the initial objective has been achieved."
“Suspicion…” Zongzheng Zhaoran chewed on these two words softly, a trace of extremely indifferent mockery flashing in his eyes.
"Suspicion is a seed. Once planted, it will sprout if you water it. Father is getting old. The older he gets, the tighter he holds onto power, and the more afraid he is of losing it. He was already wary of Ninth Prince's military power. Now, with the added suspicion that he might have close ties with the Prime Minister's office and even interfere with the law for personal reasons... this thorn will only grow deeper and deeper."
He raised his eyes and looked at Mr. Ghost Face: "However, I did not expect that Ninth Brother's reaction would be so quick and his methods so clean and efficient."
"The physical evidence and witness testimonies that we carefully prepared were all dissolved by him in just a few days. It seems that he is not entirely heartless towards this Ms. Jiang, or rather, he is less tolerant of his rights being challenged than we imagined."
The masked man was silent for a moment, then said, "King Heng is indeed no ordinary man; the efficiency of his subordinates far exceeds expectations. Our southern border was almost touched by him. I have ordered them to lie low for the time being and cut off all non-essential contact."
“Well done.” Zongzheng Zhaoran nodded approvingly. “Cutting off the tail to survive is a necessary sacrifice. Since the hard knife has been blocked, let’s make good use of the soft knife.”
"Rumors are like a knife; they kill without drawing blood, but they are most effective at destroying the heart. Let Prince Ming continue to stir things up, the bigger the better. Ideally, the whole court and the public would be talking about Prince Heng's 'rage for a beauty' and Jiang Wanzhi's 'femme fatale'."
He paused, a cold smile playing on his lips: "Let the rumors spread more convincingly. For example, how Heng Wang's men persuaded that Fuyuzhai waiter to shut up... Details are always more compelling, aren't they?"
The masked man understood immediately: "Understood."
Zongzheng Zhaoran's gaze fell once again on the Inner Court report, his eyes deep and unfathomable: "Speaking of which, the fact that we were able to so smoothly connect the Drunken Butterfly Flower with the Ninth Prince, with Jiang Wanzhi, and even with Prime Minister Jiang, thus arousing the Emperor's deepest fears, is all thanks to you, sir. If you hadn't been deeply trusted by the Prince of Ming and in charge of the details of the Night Hawk Pavilion plan, we wouldn't have been able to turn the tables and divert the disaster so precisely."
Mr. Ghost Face bowed slightly: "This is my duty. It is my honor to have gained Your Highness's trust and remain hidden until now."
Zongzheng Zhaoran seemed lost in some kind of memory, his gaze drifting to the boundless night outside the window, his voice carrying an indescribable ethereal quality: "Speaking of which, time really flies. I still clearly remember that rainy night..."
"If I hadn't overheard it that night, I wouldn't have known that my seemingly impulsive and brainless second brother had secretly colluded with a martial arts force like the Night Hawk Pavilion so early on, sowing the seeds of today's disaster."
The masked man remained silent, knowing that His Highness had recalled that crucial past event.
…………
[The Memories Begin]
That was ten years ago, on a rainy night in late autumn.
The cold rain pattered against the palace's icy glazed tiles and bluestone floor, producing a continuous, unsettling rustling sound.
The palace road was deserted, and the night patrol guards quickened their pace because of the terrible weather, wanting only to get back to their posts as soon as possible.
At that time, Zongzheng Zhaoran was only fifteen years old. He was pleased because the Grand Tutor had praised his writing during the day. After dinner, he read for a while longer and did not realize that he had missed the time when the palace gates were locked.
Not wanting to disturb too many people, he decided to take a shortcut, circling back to his residence from the Imperial Garden.
The young King Zhao wrapped his thin clothes tightly around himself and, using the occasional flashes of lightning that pierced the night sky, carefully made his way along the slippery stone path.
Just as he was passing the corner of an artificial hill, he suddenly heard a low but unusually excited voice coming from behind the hill.
He immediately stopped, held his breath, and pressed his small body tightly against the cold, damp shadow of the wall.
The rain was loud, but through the broken wall, the sounds drifted over intermittently.
"...Are you serious? Can your Night Hawk Pavilion really help me?" A young voice rang out urgently, carrying a hint of suppressed excitement and uncertainty. Zongzheng Zhaoran immediately recognized him as his fourteen-year-old second brother, Zongzheng Mingchen!
"Your Highness, rest assured." Another deep, hoarse male voice, as if it had been sanded, rang out. This voice carried a strange allure. "My Night Hawk Pavilion has been operating for many years, gathering extraordinary people and talents from all over the world. Our information and resources are all for the purpose of restoring the previous dynasty. Your Highness is the son of a princess from the previous dynasty. How can you be content to remain subservient to others for long?"
Ming Wang and Ye Ying Ge talked for a long time, while Zong Zheng Zhao Ran, hiding behind the wall, had his heart pounding and his small hands tightly covering his mouth, afraid of making a sound.
He listened with trepidation, yet also felt a thrill of uncovering a shocking secret. His second brother was secretly colluding with underworld forces! This was a grave taboo!
"Very well!" After a long silence, Zongzheng Mingchen seemed to have made up his mind, his voice resolute, "If I achieve great things in the future, I will never forget your contribution today! Night Hawk Pavilion will be my greatest contributor!"
"Your Highness is wise." The hoarse voice carried a satisfied tone. "In that case, it is not convenient to go into details here. Three days later, at the third teahouse in Mule and Horse Lane in the West Market, someone will be waiting for Your Highness. We will discuss the details then. This person is codenamed 'Mr. Ghost Face.' He will be Your Highness's contact person in the future, and he is also the strategist of the Pavilion. He will surely be able to help Your Highness achieve great things."
Then came the rustling of clothes and footsteps; the two seemed to have left quickly.
Zongzheng Zhaoran, who was behind the wall, waited for a long time until he was sure there was no more movement outside before he dared to slowly peek out.
The cold rain soaked his hair and cheeks, but he was oblivious, staring at the empty Imperial Garden with a look of shock and deep thought beyond his years.
That rainy night, that brief conversation, was like a cold, deep indelible mark, etched into the heart of the young King Zhao.
He finally realized so clearly the ruthlessness of the palace and the ferocity of power, and for the first time glimpsed the hidden ambition and methods of his second brother, who had colluded with the Night Hawk Pavilion as early as ten years ago.
Fortunately, he was reborn!
In this life, he will never let the Ming King succeed!
So, relying on his memories from his previous life, he found "Mr. Ghost Face" even earlier than the Night Hawk Pavilion and brought him under his command.
Ultimately, through a series of meticulous operations and coincidences, he was "accidentally" absorbed by the Night Hawk Pavilion, and with his extraordinary talent, he gradually gained the appreciation and trust of the Night Hawk Pavilion Master.
This extraordinary man, known as "Mr. Ghost Face," appeared before the Ming King as if by fate, and naturally became his top strategist and inside man in the Night Hawk Pavilion.
This period of infiltration lasted for ten years.
[End of flashback]
…………
The flickering candlelight pulled King Zhao back to reality from his memories.
He looked at the strategist who had been with him for many years and was also the most deeply hidden, and said softly, "Ten years of seclusion, thank you for your hard work, sir. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to know the Ming King and the Night Hawk Pavilion's every move so well, and I wouldn't have been able to use their own swords to strike at the target we wanted to cut."
Mr. Ghostface shook his head slightly: "Your Highness is a master strategist with profound foresight. I am merely following your plan. The King of Ming and the Night Hawk Pavilion think their scheme is ingenious, but they are unaware that every step they take is within Your Highness's expectations and guidance."
"This time, the disaster was diverted eastward, which not only dealt a blow to Prince Heng and weakened his position in His Majesty's heart, but also further exposed Prince Ming's impetuousness and ruthlessness, and pushed Prime Minister Jiang's family into the eye of the storm. It can be said to have killed three birds with one stone."
"Even if His Majesty investigates thoroughly in the future, all the obvious clues will only point to the Ming King and the Night Hawk Pavilion."
Zongzheng Zhaoran smiled with satisfaction. The smile was still gentle, but it carried an icy coldness that seemed to see through everything: "My good second brother, you are always so eager to do the work for others. He thinks he is using Night Hawk Pavilion, but he doesn't know that from that rainy night, he has already become a pawn on someone else's chessboard."
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the deep night outside. His voice was as soft as a breeze: "Let him keep making trouble. The muddier the water, the better. With Prince Heng losing the Emperor's favor, Prince Ming revealing his true colors, and Prime Minister Jiang caught in the middle... this situation is going to be interesting."
"What should we do next?" Mr. Ghost Face asked.
"Let's wait and see," Zongzheng Zhaoran said calmly. "Continue to 'advice' the Ming King, spread rumors, and if necessary, throw out one or two insignificant 'clues' so that the people in the Inner Court feel that there are still clues to follow, but they will never get to the core."
"We must make the Emperor's suspicions snowball, growing ever larger, yet finding no clear outlet."
"As for Jiang Wanzhi..." He paused, a complex and unreadable light flashing in his eyes, seemingly pity, yet also an indescribable emotion, "She is a variable, perhaps... she could become an unexpected pawn. Keep an eye on her for now, and report back immediately if there are any unusual movements."
"Yes." Mr. Ghost Face bowed and accepted the order.
"It's late, sir. Go back and rest. Be careful in everything you do, and don't arouse the King's suspicion."
"Your Highness, rest assured, the Ming King now trusts me implicitly." The masked man bowed, his figure slowly retreating and disappearing back into the shadows behind the screen, as if he had never been there at all.
In the study, only Zongzheng Zhaoran remained.
He stood alone by the window for a long time, then let out a barely audible sigh.
"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind... Ninth brother, second brother, when you fight tooth and nail, do you know who will ultimately control this world?"
The rain started again sometime earlier, pattering against the windowpane, like an echo of that night ten years ago.
The flickering candlelight illuminated his gentle profile and the unfathomable depths of his eyes.
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