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While the palace was in complete chaos, the Imperial City Guard's duty room was eerily quiet.

Chen Qiao sat at his desk, a stack of secret reports spread out in front of him.

The secret reports were piled up in a thick stack, some sent from the palace, some from the residences of the princes, some from the homes of court officials, and some from local prefectures and counties.

He looked through them one by one, and after finishing one, he put it on the left.

He looked at another copy and placed it on the left. His face remained expressionless throughout.

The lamplight cast shadows on his face, making his already serious expression even more enigmatic.

People occasionally pass by outside the door, their footsteps hurried, but no one dares to come in and disturb them.

Everyone in the Imperial City Guard knows that whoever goes in while the Commander is thinking is doomed.

Chen Qiao sat there until dusk before standing up and walking to the window.

Outside the window, the direction of the palace was brightly lit, with many people moving about.

The imperial physicians, eunuchs, and palace maids were constantly coming and going, so busy they barely had time to breathe.

The lanterns swayed in the wind, casting long shadows of those hurrying figures.

But Chen Qiao wasn't looking at those people.

He was looking further afield—at the residences of the princes.

As night fell, the mansions of the Prince of Qin, the Prince of Jin, the Prince of Zhao, the Prince of Yan, and many others were all lit up.

The lights were brighter and lasted longer than usual, so bright it was unsettling.

"Are they all moving now?" Chen Qiao asked.

There was someone behind him at some point; it was Zhou, the deputy commander of the Imperial City Guard.

He walks silently, standing in the shadows like a lurking cat.

"Reporting to the Commander, everything has been mobilized." Deputy Commander Zhou's voice was like a ghost's. "The King of Qin summoned his advisors for a meeting overnight. The seven of them entered through the back door; they are all strategists he has recruited over the years. The meeting lasted for two hours and just ended."

Chen Qiao nodded. "Where is the Prince of Jin?"

"The Prince of Jin sent someone to the Ministry of Revenue to inquire about the situation. He sent his chief secretary, surnamed Zheng, who took the Prince of Jin's invitation and visited each official in the Ministry of Revenue. He claimed to be concerned about His Majesty's health, but in reality, he was trying to gauge the situation. Some officials accepted the invitation, while others did not."

"King Zhao?"

"The biggest commotion is coming from the King of Zhao's side. He sent people to contact his old troops in the army. He dispatched three groups of people, one to the western camp, one to the northern camp, and one to the camp outside the city. They are all veterans he used to lead, and now they have all become junior colonels."

Chen Qiao smiled. "Where is the Prince of Yan?"

"It was the quietest place on Prince Yan's side. He was sitting alone in his study, and no one saw him. But the people from the Imperial City Guard discovered that a middle-aged man had gone into his residence and left around midnight. We know that man; he's an old clerk from the Ministry of Justice who worked for Prince Yan for several years."

Chen Qiao nodded. "What about the King of Chu and the King of Qi?"

"The King of Chu is at the Academy of Sciences and hasn't come out all night. It's said he's researching something new. People at the Academy say he stared at the blueprints all night, and when dawn broke, he suddenly laughed and said he was going to do an experiment. He's still inside."

"King Qi frequently interacts with envoys from various countries. Last night, he invited several envoys from the Western Regions to drink until midnight. They chatted and laughed during the meal, and nothing seemed amiss. However, after returning home, those envoys all sent letters to their respective countries."

Chen Qiao was silent for a moment, then asked, "What about the other princes?"

"They've all made moves. Some contacted court officials, some courted local officials, and some sent messengers to the Western Regions. The Seventh Prince, Guo Wan, sent someone to Bianliang to find his former teacher. The Eighth Prince, Guo Dai, went to the capital, ostensibly to visit His Majesty, but actually just toured the Imperial Hospital and spoke with a few imperial physicians. The Ninth Prince, Guo Jing, sent someone to the Imperial Academy to cultivate relationships with the scholars. The Tenth Prince, Guo Guo, was even more direct, sending someone to the Ministry of Revenue to audit the accounts..."

Deputy Commander Zhou reported each point in detail, remembering them very clearly.

Chen Qiao listened, a slight smile playing on his lips. "That's good. It's better to see it in motion. How can you tell its quality if it doesn't move?"

Deputy Commander Zhou hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Commander, is His Majesty... really alright?"

Chen Qiao glanced back at him, a calm look that sent a chill down Zhou Fudu's spine.

He worked in the Imperial City Guard for twenty years and saw countless eyes.

But Chen Qiao's glance made him feel as if he had been stripped naked and was standing in the freezing cold.

"What you should know, you will know. What you shouldn't know, don't ask."

Deputy Commander Zhou quickly bowed his head and said, "Yes."

……

The imperial study was brightly lit.

The imperial physicians were still circling around the dragon bed, each with a worried expression.

Bowl after bowl of herbal medicine was poured down his throat, acupuncture needle after needle was inserted, but the person on the bed just wouldn't wake up.

Physician Qin sat by the bedside, taking the patient's pulse again and again.

His pulse grew weaker and weaker, his complexion worsened, and the more he wiped the sweat from his forehead, the more sweat he produced.

"Physician Qin, how do we cure this poison?" a young physician couldn't help but ask.

Physician Qin wiped the sweat from his brow, his voice weak: "This old man... this old man has never seen such a poison before. It seems to be a rare medicine from the Western Regions, colorless and odorless. The poisoned person gradually falls into a coma, and finally..."

He didn't dare to continue.

In the end, everyone knows what happened.

The young imperial physicians exchanged bewildered glances, all thinking: If His Majesty doesn't wake up, the sky will fall.

No one noticed that the person on the bed twitched their eyelids slightly.

The movement was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible.

But if someone is watching, they will notice...

That was definitely not an unconscious twitch.

Then, calm returned immediately.

……

In September, the nights in Beijing are cool and still.

The lights in those princes' residences stayed on all night.

Qin Wangfu.

Guo Wen sat in his study, with several advisors sitting in front of him.

The candlelight cast their shadows on the wall, flickering on and off.

"Your Highness, most of the court officials support you. Minister of Rites Fan Zhi, Vice Minister of War Wang Dan, Vice Minister of Personnel Li Tong, and Assistant Minister of Revenue Zhang Cheng all publicly expressed their support in court today. As long as you maintain this position, the position of Crown Prince is within your grasp."

"..." Guo Wen remained silent, not saying a word.

"Your Highness?"

“I’m thinking,” Guo Wen began, his voice calm, “why Father has never appointed a crown prince.”

The advisors were stunned. "Your Highness means..."

"Twenty-four sons, each with experience, ability, and their own power. Father, do you really have no ideas at all?"

No one can answer that.

Another aide said, "Your Highness, perhaps His Majesty wants to take a closer look and see which one is most suitable."

Guo Wen shook his head. "After all these years, haven't you had enough? I'm already thirty this year, and my youngest brother is eleven. Father knows perfectly well who is what kind of person they are and how capable they are."

Then he stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the direction of the palace was brightly lit.

"I always felt that this matter was not so simple."

Guo Wen gazed at the lights and remained silent for a long time. "I've never understood my father since I was little. He taught us to read, to do things, and to be a person. But he never said what he wanted. Now he's suddenly poisoned, lying there, and the imperial physicians are helpless. But do you think—is he really poisoned?"

The advisors exchanged bewildered glances. "His Highness means..."

Guo Wen waved his hand, "It's nothing. I was just thinking casually."

He turned around, walked back to his desk, and instructed, "Keep an eye on things. Report to me immediately if there's any news."

Prince Jin's Mansion.

Guo Zhi sat in his study, holding a list in his hand.

The list was densely filled with names, all of whom were officials in the Ministry of Revenue who were close to him.

"Have you contacted them all?"

"Your Highness, we've contacted them all. They said they'll definitely lend a hand whenever Your Highness needs them," said Chief Secretary Zheng Wenyuan, his voice tinged with excitement.

Guo Zhi nodded and put down the list. "What about the Ministry of War?"

Zheng Wenyuan's expression stiffened for a moment. "The Ministry of War... has many people under the Prince of Zhao. Several old generals have connections with the Prince of Zhao, so we can't get in."

Guo Zhi smiled and said, "Third brother, you've always known how to steal. This time, let him steal it."

He pushed the list aside. "What about the Western Regions?"

“We’ve already sent people. They’re by train, and it’ll take three days to get to Talas. Once they arrive, they’ll transfer to another train to Baghdad. We have people on Wang Yanjun’s side.”

Guo Zhi nodded. "Good. Father taught us to always have a backup plan. I've had this backup plan for a long time."

Then he suddenly stood up, walked to the window, and asked, "What do you think the boss is thinking right now?"

Zheng Wenyuan thought for a moment, "His Highness Prince Qin must be thinking about how to stabilize the court."

Guo Zhi laughed. "No. He should be thinking about what Father Emperor really wants to do."

Zheng Wenyuan was stunned. "Your Highness means..." "Father has not yet established a crown prince, allowing the twenty-four princes to display their talents outside. Do you think he has truly not made up his mind, or is he waiting for something?"

“This…” Zheng Wenyuan opened his mouth, but couldn’t say anything.

Guo Zhi waved his hand, "It's nothing. I was just thinking casually. You go ahead! Keep an eye on things."

"promise!"

Prince Zhao's Mansion.

Guo Wu was not sitting in the study.

He stood in the courtyard, with a dozen or so guards standing in front of him.

The torchlight cast a reddish glow on their faces, and their eyes gleamed. "What did they say about the army?"

The leading guard said, "Your Highness, several veteran generals have sent word that they will obey Your Highness's orders. General Zhou of the West Camp, General Zheng of the North Camp, and General Zhang of the Camp outside the city have all fought alongside Your Highness and are trustworthy."

Guo Wu nodded, his gaze sweeping over his personal guards. "My brothers have followed me for so many years, I don't mince words. If we handle this well, we'll all be rich. If we mess it up, we'll all die together. Anyone who wants to quit, leave now."

Nobody moved.

Guo Wu smiled, revealing a set of white teeth. "Good. This is the kind of person from my Zhao Prince's Mansion."

He then walked to the middle of the courtyard, stood still, and said, “Pass on my message: tell those old generals to stay calm and not to make any rash moves. Now is not the time.”

The guards responded in unison, "Yes, sir!"

Guo Wu raised his head and looked in the direction of the palace. "Father, Father, now that you're lying down, your sons can't sit still anymore."

The Prince of Yan's Mansion.

Guo Gong sat in his study, with no advisors or personal guards in front of him, only a solitary lamp.

He was waiting for someone.

At midnight, the man arrived.

He was an ordinary middle-aged man, dressed in ordinary clothes, and walked silently.

He entered the study, closed the door, and stood before Guo Gong. "Your Highness."

"Check it out?"

"The investigation is complete. Everything at the Imperial City Guard is normal. Chen Qiao is working as usual, and his subordinates are on duty as usual. The number of sentries, both visible and hidden, is the same as always. There has been no increase or decrease."

Guo Gong was taken aback. "Everything as usual?"

"Yes. I have checked repeatedly, and everything is indeed as usual."

Guo Gong remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Okay. I understand."

The man withdrew silently.

Guo Gong sat in front of the lamp, his brows furrowed.

The Emperor was poisoned, yet the Imperial City Guard remained completely normal?
This is not normal.

This is very abnormal.

Given Chen Qiao's almost abnormal personality, after such a major incident, he should have immediately turned the entire capital upside down to investigate.

But Chen Qiao actually went to work as usual? Everything seemed normal?
unless……

Guo Gong narrowed his eyes.

Unless Chen Qiao knows that his father is alright.

Or perhaps Chen Qiao knows who did it.

Or perhaps this whole thing was arranged by the Emperor and Chen Qiao.

Guo Gong stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the direction of the palace was brightly lit.

"Father," Guo Gong said softly, "what exactly do you want to do?"

The other princes' residences were also brightly lit.

Guo Qian was at the Academy of Sciences, staring blankly at the blueprints.

The person next to him asked if he should go back to the manor to take charge, but Guo Qian waved his hand and said, "What's the point of going back? What's meant to happen will happen. I can still do something useful here."

Guo Qiu moved among the envoys of various countries with a smile on his face, but no one knew what he was thinking.

The envoys were all testing the waters, trying to find out if the Great Zhou would descend into chaos.

Guo Qiu chuckled and said nothing.

The seventh prince, Guo Wan, sent someone to Bianliang to find his former teacher.

The teacher has lived in Bianliang for decades and knows many people; he might be able to hear some news.

The Eighth Prince, Guo Dai, went to the capital, ostensibly to visit his father, the Emperor, but in reality, he just wandered around the Imperial Hospital and spoke with a few imperial physicians.

The imperial physicians remained tight-lipped, saying nothing. Guo Dai wasn't in a hurry either; he left after his rounds.

The Ninth Prince, Guo Jing, sent people to the Imperial Academy to cultivate relationships with the scholars there.

The scholars were discussing it amongst themselves, all saying that stability was needed, that things should be kept calm, and that chaos should not be allowed.

Guo Jing listened, nodded, and said nothing.

The tenth prince, Guo Guo, was even more direct, sending people to the Ministry of Revenue to check the accounts.

The officials of the Ministry of Revenue, trembling with fear, brought out their account books for his men to examine. They searched all night, but found nothing.

The younger princes were all in their respective residences, either gathering their advisors, making secret contacts, or observing the situation quietly.

……

The entire capital was rife with undercurrents.

There are two places that are quieter than ever before.

One of them is the Imperial City Guard.

One of them was the National Defense Army's main camp.

Inside the National Defense Army camp, Cao Bin sat in his command tent, a chessboard laid out before him.

The seat opposite him was empty, but he still ate alone.

Black pieces, white pieces, one after another, are placed.

Outside the tent, the soldiers patrolled and drilled as usual.

The commands came in a continuous stream, just like any other day.

Someone came to report: "General, the news has spread throughout the capital that His Majesty has been poisoned..."

Cao Bin didn't even look up. "Order all battalions to continue their drills as usual."

"Yes."

The man stepped back.

Cao Bin continued playing chess.

After finishing the game of chess, he finally raised his head and looked towards the direction of the capital.

“Your Majesty,” Cao Bin said softly, “you have laid out a very grand scheme.”

……

On the tenth day of the ninth month of the twenty-sixth year of the prosperous era, the capital city appeared to be in chaos, but in reality, everything remained as stable as Mount Tai.

With the capital city secure, the national defense forces secure, and the princes serving as officials and soldiers in various regions are also secure.

Because they didn't know that it was all a setup from the very beginning.

On the dragon bed in the imperial study, Su Ning lay with her eyes closed, her breathing steady.

Beside the bed, an inconspicuous eunuch stood motionless in the shadows.

He is Afu.

AI robots that came from the outer space.

Suning trusts its own AI robots the most. Although it tries its best not to use the "space world" bug to cheat, it still entrusts its personal guards to its AI robots.

More than forty years have passed, and Afu's appearance has changed from a young man to a middle-aged man, but his eyes are still so calm.

He stood there, like a statue, not even breathing. "Master, the fish are starting to bite."

However, the person in bed did not respond.

But Afu knew that his master had heard it.

Because the index finger of the hand resting on the blanket moved slightly.

That touch was very light, very light.

But Afu still saw it, because he knew his master too well.

Afu's lips curled up slightly, then he regained his composure.

...(End of this chapter)