You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

The Shi residence, study.

Whenever a major event occurs, Shih Wen-ching would lock himself in this place, strictly forbidding outsiders from entering or leaving, and sit alone at his desk to ponder and review the situation.

His eyes were burning, and he held a wolf-hair brush, scribbling haphazardly on sheets of Xuan paper.

I didn't write anything, I didn't draw anything, I just scribbled randomly...

"Think again, think again, where else could there be a mistake?"

He reviewed the events again and again, and about half an hour passed before his eyes suddenly sharpened and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked!

"After tomorrow night..."

"This Southern Chen dynasty belongs to me, Shi Wenqing!"

dong dong dong...

A knock suddenly sounded at the door, and the old butler's voice came from outside: "Sir, Du Fujia, a wealthy man from Yunchuan, requests an audience."

"Finally back..."

Shi Wenqing stood up and ordered in a deep voice, "Invite him into the study."

"Yes."

……

A short while later.

An ordinary-looking old man with a wrinkled face and fair skin, who appeared to be in his fifties, appeared in the study.

"What's the situation in the capital?"

As soon as Li Chengan entered the room, he sat down in a chair and looked at Shi Wenqing with eager eyes.

"Don't worry, Eunuch Li, everything is under our control."

"The Shen family is now in a desperate situation. They are secretly gathering at their old residence and sending people to secretly contact the Imperial Guards, the Black-Clad Guards, and the Five Cities Garrison."

"Oh, those minor families under their command."

After a pause, Shi Wenqing continued, "I have already sent people to monitor these guys, and the palace has also set up ambushes according to your instructions."

"Very good." Li Chengan grinned. "If the Shen family doesn't take the initiative to step forward, it will be really difficult to deal with them."

"Once we eliminate the influence of this powerful maternal relative of the royal family, this world will belong to both of us!"

Shi Wenqing's eyes lit up: "Then, in your opinion, when would be a good time for a change of dynasty?"

"To avoid any unforeseen complications, once the Shen family has been eliminated and the situation in the court has stabilized, we should have that brat abdicate."

Li Cheng'an chuckled: "In fifteen days at most, this old servant will have to address you as Your Majesty..."

If Shi Wenqing is supported to the throne, it will inevitably provoke resistance from powerful families and cause princes in various regions to raise armies.

By then, the Southern Chen dynasty would be in complete chaos!

He could then win over and divide the Southern Chen, dragging it step by step into the mire, and eradicate the Chen clan from the root!

Upon hearing this, Shi Wenqing was greatly excited. His blood surged, his heart raced, and his fingers trembled slightly.

He suppressed his emotions, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and replied, "Your Excellency need not do this. This world should be shared by me and Your Excellency."

Li Chengan smiled and changed the subject: "By the way, what about that kid?"

"How have you been performing lately?"

"Hey, what can a lowly commoner who suddenly enjoys unparalleled privilege do?"

"Naturally, one can forget oneself and act recklessly."

Immediately, Shi Wenqing recounted Lu Zuo's recent performance in detail.

"Oh……"

Upon hearing this, Li Chengan shook his head repeatedly, chuckled, and whispered, "I thought he was unwilling to be controlled by others and would make some underhanded moves."

"As a result, they only knew how to indulge in pleasure and revel in sensual pleasures."

"It seems that all the people we sent to monitor him were unnecessary."

Shi Wenqing nodded: "The saying 'too mud to be plastered on a wall' refers to people like him."

"You're overthinking it, Father-in-law. This kind of good-for-nothing won't cause any trouble."

Li Chengan rubbed the jade thumb ring in his hand, remained silent for a moment, and said, "But these two days are crucial, and we should be more cautious."

"Lu Zuo may be utterly useless, but the Shen family is different!"

"They are deeply rooted and have been operating for a long time. They have spies everywhere, both inside and outside the court, and even deep within the palace."

"The palace needs to send more people to prevent the Shen family from kidnapping him."

"After all, he holds the title of emperor. Even if he is a worthless piece of trash, he still has some value."

Shi Wenqing clenched his fist: "Understood."

"Before a complete regime change, we must keep this scoundrel in our hands!"

"Once this lowly person has lost his usefulness, we can let him taste the bitterness of being killed by the King of Hell at midnight."

The two looked at each other, then burst into laughter.

"Hahahahaha..."

"That fool still doesn't know that this most potent poison in the world is completely incurable!"

"Hahaha~~!"

"Hahahahaha..."

After some secret investigation, Lu Zuo's death date was set: fifteen days from now!

The two then discussed the plans for the following night, deliberating on various details.

……

At this moment, in a courtyard, in the main hall.

"What?"

A young man seated in the main seat suddenly looked up: "Grand Tutor, is that really what you said?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

This young man was the same person who had met Fan Qinghui at the restaurant earlier.

And his true identity is...

Yang Guang, Prince of Jin of the Sui Dynasty!

Standing opposite Yang Guang was a monk of medium height, dressed in a light yellow monk's robe, with a solemn expression and a kind face, who looked to be in his thirties.

"This is interesting..."

Yang Guang grinned: "How did the Grand Tutor reply to Li Cheng'an?"

"Your Highness, the Grand Tutor does not trust Li Cheng'an and believes that this is a conspiracy by the Chen Kingdom to lure our army deep into enemy territory."

"Therefore, the Grand Tutor put forward the condition that Li Cheng'an first stir up trouble in the Chen Kingdom before he would cooperate with him."

"He told me to instruct Your Highness to return as soon as possible. Your noble status is not something you should do in dangerous places."

Li Chengan had only one goal: to wipe out all of the Chen family's bloodline!

With the cooperation of the Sui Dynasty, such a wish could be fulfilled even faster.

Therefore, after arriving in Nanxu, he secretly contacted Yang Su, informing him that the emperor was now a puppet and outlining his own plans.

But who was Yang Su?

The sudden surrender of this powerful eunuch from the Southern Chen dynasty seemed absurd and surreal, so naturally no one believed him.

Therefore, we set out conditions and will see the consequences before making a decision.

Yang Guang did not answer immediately, but instead frowned slightly and stared intently at his feet.

After pondering for a long time, he finally raised his head and said, "The Grand Tutor did the right thing."

"But I won't leave."

Why?

"I want to stay and see if Li Cheng'an is really as he says, helping my Sui Dynasty to disrupt the Chen Kingdom."

"besides……"

"If I'm not mistaken, a major show will unfold tomorrow night!"

"This kind of excitement is not to be missed."

"Let's also take a good look at whether Chen Shubao is really as Li Cheng'an described."

Yang Guang pursed his lips and said with a faint smile, "Even with the support of the six great families, he still became this old eunuch's puppet..."

"Oh……"

"That's a complete waste of space!"

"Master Kuci, could you perhaps find me a better spot to watch the play at the Imperial Observatory?"

The monk Kuci's expression changed drastically: "No!"

"Your Highness, you mustn't!"

"That's too risky!"

"What if someone notices..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yang Guang waved his hand and said, "As long as I am in Southern Chen, it is the same whether I am in the palace or outside."

"Besides, Master Kuci should know... that I am naturally inclined to adventure!"