Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 171 The Situation in Nanzhao

The night is deep.

The capital of the Nanzhao Kingdom.

The office of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

A figure in black robes sat in the main seat, while the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and his wife, dressed only in nightgowns, stood before her, their faces pale.

The Vice Minister of Personnel looked at the woman with a pained expression, and said in a hoarse voice, "Princess, the blood of the Duan royal family also flows in your veins. Do you really want to watch His Highness the Crown Prince bring this wolf from the Western Regions into the house and bury the centuries-old state and empire of Nanzhao..."

The woman's face was hidden in the shadows under her hood, and her voice was as calm as water, without any discernible emotion: "The Crown Prince is the future heir apparent, and it is only right that he inherits the throne. As important officials in the court, you are not loyal to the Crown Prince, but instead form cliques for personal gain and support the Second Prince. What is the difference between this and treason?"

"It's only natural?"

The Vice Minister of Personnel stepped forward, looked at her, and said emotionally, "The Western barbarians are wolves in sheep's clothing. Cooperating with them is no different from asking a tiger for its skin. If the two countries really occupy the southwest of Yong, their next target will definitely be us. If we watch the Crown Prince ruin the country, what does it matter if I rebel?"

"I know that the princess has a deep-seated hatred for the Yong Kingdom, but you cannot disregard the millions of people and the foundation of our ancestors for your own personal vendetta!"

He bowed deeply, his voice filled with fervent pleading: "Your Highness, the Secret Service can still turn back now. Please don't become sinners for all time!"

……

As he finished speaking, the room fell into a long, deathly silence, broken only by the occasional soft crackling of the candlelight.

After a long while, Mandala slowly rose, her black robes fluttering even without wind.

She did nothing to the couple, but walked to the door, turned her back to them, and said calmly, "This is my third and last time here. The next time I come, it won't be me. You... better watch yourselves."

After saying that, she drifted away.

The Vice Minister of Personnel closed the door, but his heart was still not at ease.

He knew that the Crown Prince and the Secret Service would not let him go.

Even if the princess didn't make things difficult for the couple, there were other people in the Secret Service. He didn't care about his own life, but...

He looked at his pale-faced wife and the two infants still in bed, and sighed deeply.

Secret Service.

Mandala entered a grand hall. Behind a table deep within the hall, Black Lotus, who was reviewing files, did not look up but asked softly, "Is Zheng Hao still unwilling to back down?"

Mandala shook her head: "He is unwilling to pledge allegiance to the Crown Prince."

Hei Lian put down the dossier in her hand, shook her head and said, "You don't need to worry about his matter. I will arrange for someone else to handle it."

Mandala did not leave immediately. She looked at Black Lotus, a rare hint of confusion appearing in her usually cold eyes, and asked, "Sister Black Lotus, is uniting with the Western Barbarians really a good thing for Nanzhao?"

Hei Lian glanced outside the hall, then held up a finger, gesturing for her to be quiet.

Then, she slowly stood up, walked to Mandala's side, sighed softly, and said, "The Secret Service only needs to obey orders; other matters are not our concern..."

She looked at Mandala and said, "Don't worry about the secret service for now. Just focus on your cultivation in the manor."

Mandala noticed the change in her tone, her eyebrows twitched slightly, and she asked, "Has something changed?"

Hei Lian did not deny it, saying, "The Jingye Division of Yong Kingdom, including one of the Seventh Prince of Jingye and three of the Sixteenth Guards, quietly left the capital half a month ago. They must be plotting something big. I suspect that their arrival in Nanzhao may be related to the Second Prince. Their upcoming actions may be dangerous, so you should not get involved..."

Although the Secret Service's influence in the capital of Yong Kingdom was far less than that in the southwest, it was still more than enough to keep an eye on the key figures of the Jingye Division.

When the Yang family was destroyed, the Jingye Division only dispatched one of the Seven Jingye Sons and a few Tiangang Guards.

Lu Feng's strength was only at the peak of the fifth rank.

This time, the Seven Masters of Jingye they sent out was Xue Yue, who possessed the strength of a fourth-rank cultivator.

Zhou Yuan, the White Tiger Guard, and Sun Yi, the Black Tortoise Guard, are also among the best of the Sixteen Guards, with strength at the mid-to-late stage of the fifth rank.

To become one of the Sixteen Guards of Jingye, their strength cannot be measured solely by martial arts prowess. Within the Secret Service, perhaps only the Director and I can handle them.

That Azure Dragon Guard, Chen Yu, is not to be underestimated.

During the Jingye Division's grand competition, he defeated four opponents single-handedly in an instant. Such a person will certainly be of great interest to the Secret Intelligence Division.

His spiritual power should be at the late stage of the fifth rank or even the peak. Even Black Lotus himself dared not easily claim victory.

There is no doubt that he concealed his strength while in Bozhou.

Mandala spoke softly, "Chen Yu..."

She would never forget that name.

He was her savior, but also the one Qingluan fell in love with. This fact remains a thorn in her side to this day.

Hei Lian solemnly said, "This person must have concealed his strength when he was in Bozhou. His strength far surpasses yours, and even I might not be his match. He is the person we should be most wary of besides the Seven Sons of Jingye. If he really comes to Nanzhao, remember not to fight him head-on when you encounter him..."

Mandala nodded slightly and whispered, "I understand..."

At this time, in the Eastern Palace.

Upon hearing the report from someone below, the Crown Prince of Nanzhao slowly opened his eyes.

A man with a sinister face stood in the hall and said in a deep voice, "Zheng Hao is indeed worthy of being the top scholar of his time. He is so eloquent that even the princess was bewitched by him. This man is stubborn and incorrigible. In my opinion, it would be better to eliminate him directly to prevent future troubles..."

The crown prince of Nanzhao raised his hand, interrupting him.

He slowly rose from the futon, walked to the window, and gazed at the deep night outside. His voice was calm, but there was an indescribable weariness in it.

“Zheng Hao is not eloquent; the Western Barbarians’ wolfish ambitions are obvious. Does he think I can’t see it? Does he think I really want to cooperate with the Western Barbarians? If Duan Jingming hadn’t used the Grand Tutor’s power to form cliques and plot rebellion, why would I need to rely on this external force to protect myself?”

"Fifteen years!"

His voice was filled with suppressed resentment: "I have been the Crown Prince for fifteen years. I have been diligent and conscientious in my duties, never daring to slack off in the slightest. Externally, I have strengthened the secret service, infiltrated the southwest of Yong Kingdom, and brought back the new salt law for the court, allowing the people to use low-priced refined salt and freeing the court from its dependence on Yong Kingdom's salt industry. Later, I joined forces with Yong Kingdom to wipe out the Yang family, relieving Nanzhao of its worries. It was I who overruled the objections of the majority. Duan Jingming won several battles against the Western Barbarians on the frontier. Does his merit surpass mine?"

The Crown Prince of Nanzhao's gaze turned icy: "He simply married the Grand Tutor's granddaughter, putting on a benevolent facade to the outside world. Using the Grand Tutor's name, he's won over countless civil officials in the court. It's laughable how these hypocrites in the court, constantly claiming to be working for the dynasty's future, while slandering me as a foolish fool who let the wolf into the house. This is merely to give them a legitimate reason to commit this rebellious act; it's utterly ridiculous..."

The man's face was grim as he gritted his teeth and said, "Your Highness need not show mercy to these traitors. The Secret Service will make them know the consequences of treason..."

The Crown Prince of Nanzhao closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, only a cold, resolute look remained in his eyes: "If there are still those who remain stubborn, show no mercy..."

……

Taihe City.

As the capital of the Nanzhao Kingdom, this is the most prosperous city in the entire Nanzhao Kingdom. At noon, the sun shines on the bustling streets, and various vendors' cries fill the air.

Amidst the bustling crowds, a figure traversed several lively streets and alleys before finally stopping in front of a spice shop called "Baixiangge".

Spices are expensive and only wealthy families can afford them. Usually, there aren't many customers. At this moment, there are no customers in the shop. A young man walked to the counter and said in a low voice in Nanzhao language, "Shopkeeper, give me one qian of agarwood, two qian of sandalwood, and five qian of styrax."

The shopkeeper looked up at the young man and said, "We have agarwood and sandalwood in our shop. As for the quality of styrax, I'm not sure if it will meet your requirements. Please move to the storeroom..."

The young man nodded slightly and followed the shopkeeper through the front hall and into the quiet backyard.

In the backyard storeroom, various spices were piled up. The shopkeeper silently pushed open the wall panel of a side room, revealing a stone staircase leading down, and said respectfully, "Please come in, sir. The other gentlemen have been waiting for you for quite some time."

Lin Xuan scanned the area with his spiritual power and sensed several familiar auras below the stone steps.

He descended the stone steps and soon arrived at a secret room. Two rows of tallow lamps on the walls illuminated the room as bright as day. Several figures were lying or sitting inside. Upon seeing someone enter, their vigilance immediately rose to its peak, but their expressions relaxed abruptly when they saw Lin Xuan. Zhou Yuan, a White Tiger Guard, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lin Xuan: "Lord Chen."

Xuanwu Guard Sun Yi also clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Lord Chen, you must be tired from your journey."

The last figure in black simply nodded to Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan returned the greeting with clasped hands, saying, "I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting..."

If he had come directly to Nanzhao, he would have been the fastest. However, he also made a trip to Sizhou and Xuanwu tribe along the way, spending a few days with Qingluan and Youmeng, and arrived here just before the deadline.

Zhou Yuan said, "We've only been here for half a day."

A thin, unfamiliar man clasped his hands in a respectful greeting to Lin Xuan and said, "Lord Chen, I am Jiang Li, in charge of intelligence matters in Nanzhao. Let me first tell you about the current situation in Nanzhao..."

Nanzhao extensively infiltrated the southwest of Dayong, and Dayong naturally wouldn't sit idly by and wait for its demise.

The capital of Nanzhao also had many spies from the Jingye Division.

Jiang Liming is ostensibly a spice merchant, but in reality, he is one of the Heavenly Guards, having been lurking in the capital of Nanzhao for many years and possessing an extremely thorough understanding of the political situation in Nanzhao.

Xue Yue and his two companions arrived a little earlier than Lin Xuan. Xue Yue had already told them about these things. Without much small talk, he led Lin Xuan to a table with a detailed chart of the relationships between the officials in the Nanzhao court.

Jiang Li was already very familiar with these things and introduced them to Lin Xuan one by one.

"The Nanzhao court appears calm on the surface, but undercurrents are surging beneath. The Crown Prince has been regent for fifteen years and maintains close ties with the Imperial Guards. The Secret Service was established by the Crown Prince himself and obeys only his orders. The Second Prince has been fighting on the frontier against the Western Barbarians for many years, achieving numerous military exploits and enjoying high prestige among the people and in the court. The Second Prince's wife is the granddaughter of the Grand Tutor of Nanzhao. The Grand Tutor has countless students, and many important officials in the court are his students. Because of the Grand Tutor's influence, they are even closer to the Second Prince..."

"Over the years, the Crown Prince has made outstanding achievements in governing the country. The Secret Service has almost completely infiltrated the southwest of Yong Kingdom. Last year, they seized one hundred sets of Xuan Guang Armor for the court and also stole Yong Kingdom's secret salt production formula, causing the price of salt in Nanzhao to plummet, completely cracking down on private salt trade and greatly enriching the national treasury. In addition, the Crown Prince overruled objections and made the Secret Service cooperate with Yong Kingdom to jointly eliminate the Yang family supported by Xifan, thus relieving Nanzhao of worries about its rear..."

Lin Xuan listened quietly.

These two... or rather, three major events of the Secret Service were all related to him or the original owner of this body.

In truth, he was also a member of the Crown Prince's faction.

Jiang Li changed the subject and continued, "If nothing unexpected happens, the Crown Prince's succession is indisputable. But the problem is that the new salt law implemented by the Crown Prince has greatly reduced the profits from private salt trade. And in Nanzhao, private salt trade is almost entirely controlled by some Nanzhao court officials. These officials are gradually turning to the Second Prince, and with the influence of the Grand Tutor, the Second Prince's influence among the court officials has already subtly surpassed that of the Crown Prince..."

"Feeling threatened, the Crown Prince secretly instructed the Secret Service to use Gu worms and poisons to control a portion of the court officials. He also allied with the Western Barbarians, almost completely suppressing the Second Prince. As a result, the Second Prince sought help from the Great Yong..."

After listening to Jiang Li's introduction, Lin Xuan did not speak, but pondered the information repeatedly.

This prince of Nanzhao was by no means an ordinary person.

Lin Xuan knew all too well how troublesome the Secret Service was, and the Jingye Division had also suffered many losses at their hands. The hundred Xuan Guang Armors that the court had stolen from them had not yet been returned.

From the perspective of Nanzhao, however, he was indeed a qualified crown prince. Domestically, he improved people's livelihoods, replenished the national treasury, and benefited the people. Externally, while disrupting enemy states, he also greatly improved Nanzhao's external environment.

If it weren't for the internal problems in Nanzhao, this country, now controlled by the crown prince, would likely cause even more headaches for Dayong in the future.

Their visit was ostensibly at the invitation of the Second Prince to assist in stabilizing the situation in Nanzhao.

In reality, they were an outside force that colluded with rebels and intended to overthrow the Nanzhao regime.

But these are not things they need to consider.

Jingye Division only stands on the side of Dayong. Once the Crown Prince ascends the throne and joins forces with the Western Barbarians, the southwest of Dayong will be in danger, and Qingluan and the Tian family will also be in a precarious situation. Lin Xuan naturally cannot just stand by and watch this happen.

Jiang Li continued, "Under the Grand Tutor's influence, most of the civil officials in the court have sided with the Second Prince. The Crown Prince can rely on the Imperial Guards and the Secret Service. Now, in order to gain the support of the civil officials, the Crown Prince has secretly instructed the Secret Service to control many officials, and many other officials are also facing threats from the Secret Service..."

He pulled a booklet from his pocket and handed it to Lin Xuan, saying, "The Second Prince is under close surveillance by the Secret Service, making it impossible for him to meet with us. This is intelligence from the Secret Service that the Second Prince has given us, containing information on the high-ranking members of the Secret Service. The Second Prince hopes that we can help him eliminate the Secret Service and cut off one of the Crown Prince's arms..."

Lin Xuan took the booklet and slowly turned to a page.

As expected of intelligence provided by Nanzhao itself, this document records the strength of the Nanzhao Secret Service's high-ranking officials in great detail, including their strength levels, cultivation methods, and attack techniques.

Although the Secret Service's strength cannot compare with that of the Night Watch Division, the Night Watch Division is also unable to muster all its forces to deal with the Secret Service.

Kong Rui, the head of the Secret Service, possesses early-stage fourth-rank martial arts strength. His cultivation technique is the "Imperial Ultimate Technique," a top-tier technique of the Nanzhao royal family. With early-stage fourth-rank strength, he can fight against ordinary mid-stage fourth-rank individuals.

The three deputy directors were mainly in administrative positions, while the directors of the intelligence and operations departments were truly responsible for the important affairs of the secret service.

Xiao Qingli, the head of the Intelligence Division, codenamed "Black Lotus," possesses mid-stage fifth-grade martial arts strength and peak fifth-grade mental power. She specializes in the mental cultivation technique "Illusion Moon Technique" and excels in stealth, assassination, and illusion.

Zhou Xiao, the head of the Operations Division, codenamed "Night Owl," is a fierce general from the military. He is a late-stage fifth-rank martial artist and practices the "Diamond Skill." His fighting style is aggressive and ruthless, and he likes to trade blows. Those below the fourth rank should try to avoid fighting him head-on.

Duan Yanluo, the chief of the Intelligence Division, codenamed "Mandala," possesses the bloodline of the Nanzhao royal family. She is at the early stage of the fifth rank in martial arts, cultivates the "Shadow Technique," and is skilled in stealth assassination, as well as Gu and poison techniques.

Wang Shou, the Deputy Director of the Operations Division, codenamed "Guardian," possesses mid-stage sixth-rank martial arts strength and mid-stage fifth-rank spiritual power. His cultivation technique is "True Understanding of Myriad Forms." He excels at disguise and disguise, so be extremely careful of him, as anyone appearing around you could be him in disguise...

A top intelligence agent, nettle...

……

Lin Xuan flipped through the intelligence reports page by page, and he was familiar with many of the names on them.

Most of them had heard of mandalas.

However, this intelligence record is more detailed.

After pondering for a moment, Zhou Yuan said, "The Second Prince should have quite a few powerful people around him. Eliminating a secret intelligence agency shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

On the surface, the Secret Service doesn't have many top-tier experts.

Even if the Second Prince of Nanzhao didn't have any third-rank experts around him, he certainly could have gathered a few fourth-rank experts.

Jiang Li explained, "The powerful figures around the Second Prince are all being watched by the Crown Prince's men, so it's difficult for them to make a move. If they act rashly, the Crown Prince might find something to use against them. Besides, those people in the Secret Service are not ordinary people. They are the ones who assassinate others, not the other way around..."

Zhou Yuan snorted coldly and said, "The Second Prince has a good plan. He leaves the dangerous tasks to us and reaps the benefits himself!"

Sun Yi thought for a moment and suddenly said, "Even if we get rid of these people in the Secret Service, wouldn't those officials controlled by the Gu worms also be doomed?"

Zhou Yuan sneered, "This Second Prince probably wishes they were dead. With so many officials killed by the Secret Service, the Crown Prince will immediately become the target of everyone's anger. Who would dare to stand on the Crown Prince's side then?"

Sun Yi didn't say anything more. This was Nanzhao's own business, and their task was simply to help the second prince ascend the throne.

Thinking of something, he spoke again: "The Secret Service is heavily guarded and has many powerful members, so it may be difficult for us to take action."

Jiang Li took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and said, "These people are within the Secret Service, so we can't do anything about them. However, they often try to coerce some officials. The Second Prince has already learned about some of their activities. This was sent by the Second Prince..."

Zhou Yuan reached out and took it, glanced at it, and slowly said, "The Chief of the Intelligence Division, Mandala, goes to the residence of Zheng Hao, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, every night to coerce people. She's a big fish. Lord Chen, why don't you let me go and meet her?"

According to the information, this Deputy Director of the Intelligence Department had only recently been promoted to the fifth rank.

She was probably the weakest among the high-ranking members of the Secret Service.

At this moment, Xue Yue, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them and said, "This woman is skilled in Gu poison techniques. Don't underestimate her. To ensure that nothing goes wrong, I should go myself."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan said nothing more.

Killing a high-ranking official is far more meritorious than killing a few lowly spies in the secret service.

He had planned to choose someone he was confident in making a move, but he didn't expect Commander Xue to even try to take this from him.

Lin Xuan took the note from Zhou Yuan and said calmly, "Commander Xue, you should hand this woman over to me. Coincidentally, I also have some knowledge of Gu poison techniques..."

(End of this chapter)