Imperial Garden.
Zheng!
A graceful sound echoed as Little Dragon Girl gently plucked the zither strings.
Moments later, the piece came to an end.
"Little Sister Long'er, your zither skills are becoming more and more refined. You're no less than the great masters of the zither arts," the Empress praised with a smile as she sat beside Zhu Houzhao.
She especially appreciated Little Dragon Girl's temperament.
In the harem, she neither competed nor schemed.
She posed no threat to her.
"Thank you for your kind words, Elder Sister. Compared to you, I still have a long way to go," Little Dragon Girl replied calmly.
She was fully aware that the Empress was not simple.
Even with her own pure heart, she did not want to make an enemy of her.
Most importantly, she did not want to cause trouble for Brother Su Yi.
Zhu Houzhao looked at the memorial he had just received, the corners of his lips curling into a mocking smile.
"Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng. How interesting."
"Your Majesty, in recent days, the news of their duel atop the Forbidden City under the full moon has been spreading wildly. I fear there may be foul play involved," the Empress said with a solemn expression.
Little Dragon Girl lifted a cup of tea and took a delicate sip, completely uninterested in the topic of conversation.
"Your Majesty, who do you think will win between them?" the Empress asked casually.
"Neither of them. In the end, the only winner will be me."
"Is Your Majesty planning to act against them? Indeed, the two of them are bold to the point of arrogance, daring to trample upon imperial dignity. Death would be too kind," the Empress nodded in understanding.
"You're mistaken there. Ximen Chuixue is a true swordsman, born for the sword. He likely doesn't even care about such things."
"But Ye Gucheng…" Zhu Houzhao smiled mysteriously.
"Oh?" The Empress obediently nodded, never once questioning his words.
Ever since marrying him, she had come to understand how terrifying her husband truly was.
There was nothing he didn't know or couldn't do.
To him, mere martial artists like those two were no different than ants.
"What does Your Majesty intend to do?"
"I plan to use this matter to bait a trap."
"Bait?" The Empress fell into thoughtful silence.
"Come!"
Zhu Houzhao suddenly called out.
In an instant, a figure cloaked in black appeared before them.
"Your Majesty!"
The figure bowed respectfully.
Both the Empress and Little Dragon Girl were visibly startled.
The aura coming from this person was strange and dangerous.
Even among grandmasters, he was clearly at the highest level.
"I have a task for you."
As Zhu Houzhao spoke, his lips moved slightly.
Yet neither the Empress nor Little Dragon Girl could hear a single sound.
After a moment, the man in black nodded silently and disappeared without a trace.
"Your Majesty, who was that…?" the Empress asked, taking a deep breath to suppress her unease.
"He is the chief of my Shadow Guards."
"There are fewer than five people in all of Ming who know of their existence."
Shadow Guards?
So apart from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Eastern and Western Factories, the Six Doors, Zhuge Divine Marquis Mansion, and Dragon Guarding Manor, there was another hidden agency?
It seemed the Ming Dynasty was even stronger than she had imagined.
What pleased her most was that the Emperor had shared such a closely guarded secret with her.
It meant he fully trusted her now.
———
Zhuge Divine marquis Mansion.
"Uncle!"
Zhuge Zhengwo gathered with the Four Great Constables: Ruthless, Iron Hand, Life Snatcher, and Cold Blood.
"Iron Hand, what did you find out?"
"The situation is worse than expected. The whole martial world is boiling over. There must be a hidden force fanning the flames, though we don't know their intentions yet."
"Uncle, why aren't we stopping Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng? Could it really be that we're just bickering with the Six Doors?"
"This is His Majesty's order. He told us not to intervene."
"Does His Majesty not trust the Divine Marquis Mansion?"
"Uncle, is there some great secret involved?"
Zhuge Zhengwo shook his head and said nothing.
"We just need to follow His Majesty's orders and ensure the capital's security."
———
Eastern Factory Headquarters
"Chief Overseer, all of Liu Xi's remaining men have been captured."
"Then what are you waiting for? Kill them all," Cao Zhengchun barked furiously.
"Because of that useless fool Liu Xi, not only did I nearly die, but the entire Eastern Factory was almost disbanded."
"Listen well. If any of you ever do something so reckless again, I won't spare you."
"I'll make sure you live in agony, wishing for death but unable to find it."
The Eastern Factory's agents trembled in fear, their faces filled with terror.
"Chief Overseer, what about the matter with Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng?"
"Don't concern yourselves. Just maintain the capital's safety from the shadows."
"Those two arrogant ants will be dealt with by His Majesty personally," Cao Zhengchun sneered.
———
Dragon Guarding Manor
"Godfather, we failed. That Di Yun is far stronger than we imagined."
Duan Tianya and Guihai Yidao reported back to Zhu Wushi.
"Though he is only at the innate level, we two grandmasters still couldn't defeat him."
"As expected from someone ranked on the Hidden Dragon Ranking. I underestimated him."
"This matter ends here. I have a more important task for you now."
"By His Majesty's command, Dragon Guarding Manor is to closely monitor the martial artists currently in the capital."
"If anyone is found committing crimes, kill them without mercy."
Zhu Wushi gave the order coldly.
"What about Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng?"
"Ignore them."
"If they're plotting something, the truth will reveal itself in time."
———
Western Factory Headquarters
Yu Huatian looked down at his fully prepared subordinates, a satisfied smirk on his face.
Cao Zhengchun had been scolded by the Emperor and nearly killed. This put Yu in a particularly good mood.
It was the perfect time to step up and gain the Emperor's attention once more.
"Listen carefully. In the coming days, closely observe every movement in the capital."
"If you find any suspicious individuals, especially large groups, don't alert them. Just monitor them from the shadows."
"Our Western Factory's mission this time is intelligence gathering."
"The more intel we collect, the greater our merit."
———
Embroidered Uniform Guard Headquarters
The four commanders, Qing Long, Bai Hu, Zhu Que, and Xuan Wu, gathered together.
"Our mission is to keep an eye on all prominent figures from the martial world."
"If they don't cause trouble, we leave them alone."
"But if any of them make a move, arrest them immediately. If they resist, kill them on the spot."
"What about Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng?"
"Others will handle them."