Deposed? I couldn't be happier! I wouldn't even be a dog to the crown prince.

The eerie winds of Taiji Hall didn't seem to have reached the East Palace yet; the scene here remained peaceful and serene.

Inside the Lizheng Hall, candlelight flickered, and the floor heating system kept the room warm.

Li Chengqian, without any decorum, kicked away the pair of priceless gold-embroidered cloud-patterned shoes; one hung on the screen, and the other flew to the threshold. He slumped onto the soft couch as if boneless, letting out a sigh of pure bliss.

"Ah, this is the life a human being should live."

Compared to his penniless father who still worried about national affairs, he felt like he was living in a honey pot.

Just as he was about to close his eyes and drift off to sleep, the familiar mechanical voice in his mind rang out again at an inopportune time, and this time, it carried a sense of urgent protectiveness.

[Ding! High-energy warning!]

[The system has detected that Li Shimin, due to an extreme lack of security, is establishing a secret service agency called "Fangs" to conduct comprehensive and thorough surveillance of the host.]

[The "anti-involution" defense mechanism has been triggered: Since the host only wants to lie down and relax, then no one is allowed to disturb the host's peaceful slumber! Not even his own father!]

[Reward Awarded to the Imperial Guards of the Ming Dynasty (3,000 full-strength personnel)!]

[Bonus: God-tier Commander: Azure Dragon! Commander of the Thousand Households: Shen Lian!]

[Note: Flying fish robes, embroidered spring knives, and imperial privilege—the ability to execute first and report later. This is the ancestor of secret service agencies, dedicated to suppressing all dissent and spying.]

Li Chengqian suddenly opened his eyes, and his sleepiness vanished instantly.

"Fangs? Old Li can't afford to play this game!"

He sat up abruptly, a playful smile playing on his lips. He'd just finished convincing his father not to recruit the Great Snow Dragon Riders, and now he'd set up a spy agency to keep an eye on them? That's something else.

But... the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

This is really good stuff!

"System, extract!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the air in the previously empty shadowy area of ​​Lizheng Hall seemed to suddenly distort.

A chilling, murderous aura, thick with the stench of blood, instantly filled the air, even dimming the blazing charcoal fire inside the hall.

A tall, slender figure, like a ghost emerging from hell, silently knelt on one knee.

He wore a dark green flying fish robe, with a long, narrow embroidered spring knife at his waist. His face was cold and stern, as if carved by a knife and axe. His eyes held no emotion, only absolute obedience to orders.

Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Qinglong.

"Your subject, Qinglong, pays his respects to Your Highness."

His voice was deep and hoarse, like two pieces of pig iron rubbing together.

Li Chengqian jumped barefoot off the soft couch, circled the Azure Dragon twice, and couldn't help but marvel. This appearance, this aura, was far superior to that Dai Zhou who only knew how to complain about being poor.

Get up.

Li Chengqian casually grabbed a handful of melon seeds from the table, cracking them open as he gave the order, "The system... oh no, I just received news that someone is trying to plant sand in our Eastern Palace."

Qinglong stood up, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his murderous aura surging: "Your Highness, please give your instruction: kill, or dismember?"

"Don't resort to violence all the time; it's so uncivilized."

Li Chengqian spat out the melon seed shells, clapped his hands, and said, "We are civilized people, and we should win people over with virtue. Pass down the order to send out these three thousand Imperial Guards and surround the Eastern Palace like an iron barrel."

He paused, then held up three fingers, his tone becoming playful:

"From now on, in this Eastern Palace, apart from mosquitoes, any living thing that wants to enter must have its ancestors and descendants investigated for three generations."

"If someone is so blind as to come 'visiting' in the middle of the night..."

Li Chengqian pointed to the night outside the palace, his smile as bright as a friendly neighbor's, but his words sent chills down one's spine.

"Then invite them for a cup of tea and 'treat' them properly. Remember, don't kill them; we still need to send a grand gift to Father Emperor tomorrow morning."

"Yes, ma'am."

The Azure Dragon's figure vanished into the darkness in an instant, as if it had never existed.

……

Night deepened, and the moon was dark and the wind was high.

Just after the third watch of the night in Chang'an, several lithe, cat-like figures, taking advantage of the darkness, silently crept to the outside of the high walls of the Eastern Palace.

This was "Fang's" first action.

The leader was a man in black, a martial arts master whom Zhao Qian had rescued from death row. He was known for his exceptional lightness skills and was nicknamed "Grasshopper".

"Boss, is this the Eastern Palace?"

A henchman lowered his voice and said, "I heard that the Crown Prince's lame old servant is quite formidable. Do we think we can handle him?"

"What's there to be afraid of!"

"Grasshopper" spat dismissively, "No matter how capable Xu Xiao is, he's just a groom. What does he know about reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance? We're His Majesty's personally appointed 'Fangs,' specializing in this kind of thing! When we go in later, we'll only gather information, without alerting anyone, and we'll do it without anyone noticing!"

After saying that, he lightly touched the ground with his toes and floated up to the top of the wall like a falling leaf.

The movements were light and the landing was silent.

"Grasshopper" was secretly delighted: The prince's defenses are nothing special. There isn't even a patrolling watchman. It's practically a public toilet. You can come and go as you please.

He was about to call his brothers down when he suddenly felt a chill on his neck.

The feeling was like being stared at by a cold, venomous snake, and your blood froze in that instant.

"Friend, why aren't you sleeping in the middle of the night? Are you practicing your light-body skills here?"

A slightly teasing voice suddenly rang in his ears.

"Grasshopper" was terrified and turned around abruptly, only to see a face right in front of him.

The man was wearing a strange official robe he didn't recognize, and was holding a long, sheathed sword. He was looking at him with a smile.

Shen Lian, commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"You...are you a human or a ghost?!"

"Grasshopper" was terrified. Just as he was about to draw his sword, he found that his wrist was being held firmly by a large, iron-like hand.

"Shh-"

Shen Lian held up a finger to his lips and said, "Keep your voice down. His Highness just fell asleep. If you wake him up, I won't be able to explain myself."

"Since you're here, don't be in such a hurry to leave."

Shen Lian's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a suffocating indifference. He swung his scabbard and smashed it into "Grasshopper's" stomach.

"puff--"

Before "Grasshopper" could even scream, he collapsed like a boiled shrimp, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.

At the same time, several muffled groans came from outside the wall.

That was the sound of a heavy object falling and bones breaking.

Shen Lian didn't even glance at the dead dog on the ground, and waved his hand into the darkness: "Drag them away and strip them naked. His Highness said to enforce the law civilly, leave them their underwear."

"yes!"

Several Imperial Guards emerged from the darkness and dragged away these elite "fangs" who had died before they even got started, like dragging a dead pig.

That night, the Eastern Palace was quiet; not even a dog barked.

……

The next morning, at dawn.

The palace gates of Taiji Hall had just opened, and the ministers who were preparing to attend court had not even had time to exchange pleasantries when they were stunned by what they saw.

Five or six burly men were seen with their hands tied behind their backs to the two imposing stone lions at the palace gate.

These men were stripped down to only their red underwear, shivering in the cold morning wind, their noses running.

The most remarkable thing was that each of them had four large characters written in thick ink on their chest and back: "Take this as a warning."

On their faces, on the left and right sides, there was a lifelike little turtle painted...

"What...what kind of behavior is this?!"

Upon arriving for court and witnessing this scene, Kong Yingda was so enraged he nearly suffered a stroke. "In the forbidden grounds of the palace, how dare someone expose their body like this! It's an insult to civilization! An insult to civilization indeed!"

Changsun Wuji stepped forward, examined it carefully, and his expression immediately turned strange.

These people... why do they look so familiar?

It seems like he's one of Zhao Qian's men?

Just then, Li Shimin's imperial carriage arrived.

He had just gotten out of the carriage and hadn't even had a chance to enjoy the homage of the officials when he spotted the lumps of white flesh hanging on the stone lion.

Li Shimin's face instantly turned green.

Those were the "fangs" he sent out just last night!

He had high hopes for this top-notch agent, whom he intended to use to monitor the entire world!

The results of it?

It didn't even last one night in the Eastern Palace before it was stripped naked and hung up for exhibition here?

This isn't just slapping these people in the face; it's practically rubbing Li Shimin's face into the ground!

"Damn it..."

Li Shimin gritted his teeth, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, just about to unleash his thunderous rage and order his men to drag these disgraceful bastards away and behead them.

"Your Majesty! I have something to tell you!"

A loud, forceful voice, brimming with gunpowder, abruptly interrupted Li Shimin's spellcasting.

With a dark expression, Wei Zheng held a thick memorial in his hands, and like a bull ready to charge, he pushed his way out of the crowd with a fierce aura.

"The Crown Prince is utterly unruly! He condones his subordinates' violence and insults of court officials (even though they are secret agents); he is utterly lawless!"

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you issue an edict allowing this old minister to travel to the Eastern Palace to discipline him strictly!"