The Empress has abandoned me? I'll support a new emperor and destroy your kingdom!

The night was as black as ink, so thick it seemed impossible to dissolve, enveloping Lin Yuan City completely. The hustle and bustle of Lin De Palace during the day seemed to have been swallowed up by this deep darkness, leaving only boundless silence and an even more dangerous undercurrent lurking beneath.

The First Prince's residence, a secret room.

The candlelight cast Yun Jie's twisted and ferocious face onto the wall, flickering like a ghost. On the rosewood table in front of him, the "Ten Memorials on Strengthening the People and Enriching the Country," copied by his confidant, lay quietly open. Every word, at this moment, seemed to him like red-hot knives, searing his eyes and piercing his proud yet fragile nerves.

"Bang!"

The valuable Duan inkstone was slammed to the ground, ink and fragments splattering everywhere, staining the expensive carpet black.

"Bitch! That bitch!" Yun Jie roared, like a wounded beast trapped in a cage, his eyes bloodshot. "How dare she! How could she have such a thing! Who's behind her? Who's helping her?!"

He turned abruptly and stared intently at his trusted advisor, a pale-faced, sinister-looking middle-aged scholar surnamed Jia, who stood solemnly in the shadows with his hands at his sides.

"Mr. Jia! Didn't you say she had no one or no power outside the palace, and had no one to rely on except that mute old woman and the palace maid? This 'Ten Memorials'! This flawless courtroom response! Could a weak and incompetent girl who has lived in the deep palace for so long have accomplished this?!"

Yun Jie's voice was sharp with anger and a hint of barely perceptible fear.

Mr. Jia frowned, equally perplexed. According to their intelligence, the Third Princess, Yun Jin, had always been virtually invisible. Her maternal clan had fallen into ruin, she was gentle and docile, and cautious in the palace; aside from this marriage alliance, she had never done anything out of line.

The shrewdness of the content, the sharpness of the insight, and the far-reaching implications of this "Ten Memorials" are far beyond the capabilities of a mere palace woman. There must be a mastermind behind it, and certainly no ordinary person!

"Your Highness, please calm down."

Mr. Jia stepped forward and lowered his voice, "This matter is indeed strange. I have ordered people to investigate more thoroughly, especially those she has been in contact with recently. However... news from the palace suggests that His Majesty seems to admire the princess quite a bit, even granting her permission to enter and leave the Hanlin Academy. If she is allowed to use this opportunity to befriend civil officials and cultivate her own power, she may become a major threat in the future."

"A major threat? She doesn't deserve it!" Yun Jie gritted his teeth, but the fear in his eyes deepened.

He wasn't afraid of Yun Jin himself; what he feared was the "expert" hidden behind Yun Jin who could produce the "Ten Memorials," sabotage his marriage alliance, and possibly know even more of his secrets!

This person can not only help Yun Jin resolve the crisis of the marriage alliance, but also offer strategies for strengthening the country. His skills and intellect are unfathomable! If he continues to assist Yun Jin...

No! Absolutely not!

A crazy idea rose in Yun Jie's mind, growing rapidly and overwhelming his remaining rationality and risk considerations. He had to nip her in the bud before she truly gained power! At the same time, this was also a test, a test to see what kind of monsters and demons were hiding behind her!

"Mr. Jia," Yun Jie's voice suddenly turned cold and calm, carrying a chilling murderous intent, "I've raised 'Night Owls' for so long, it's time to let them stretch their muscles."

Mr. Jia's heart skipped a beat. "Night Owls" were a group of assassins secretly raised by the First Prince, each one ruthless and skilled in assassination and infiltration. They were the sharpest and most clandestine weapon in his hands. Using "Night Owls" meant there was no turning back; if exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Your Highness, please reconsider! If we act against the princess now, and His Majesty discovers it, or the Third Prince finds something to use against us..."

"Sensed?" Yun Jie sneered, interrupting him. "What's so strange about an unfavored princess dying suddenly from an illness, or being murdered by burglars? Who could trace it back to me? As for the third prince..."

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes. "He'd love for me to make a mistake! But I won't give him the chance! Remember, be swift and decisive, leave no survivors! Especially her personal maid and that mute woman, get rid of them both! I want to see if the person behind her will jump out after I kill her!"

He paused, then added, "If things don't go well, or if there's resistance... kill them without mercy, but make sure to leave some trace so I know who's protecting her!"

This is a two-birds-with-one-stone strategy: to eliminate Yun Jin and force out the person behind the scenes.

Knowing his master's mind was made up, Mr. Jia stopped trying to persuade him and bowed, saying, "Understood. Tonight at midnight, 'Night Owl' will make his move. The target is the princess's small courtyard outside the palace."

……

At the same time, an abandoned warehouse in the south of the city.

Su Che stood by the second-floor window, toying with a smooth, black chess piece in his hand. Outside, the city of Lin Yuan was dotted with scattered lights, and further away, the vast, slumbering imperial city lay in shadow. His gaze was calm, as if he could pierce through the heavy night and see some brewing malice.

Grey Falcon appeared silently behind him and whispered, "Sir, there's been unusual activity at the First Prince's residence. His 'Night Owl' assassins started receiving weapons and poisons this afternoon, and their target is suspected to be... the Third Princess in her courtyard outside the palace. The operation may take place around midnight tonight."

Su Che's fingertip gently placed the chess piece on the windowsill, making a crisp "tap" sound.

"You really couldn't hold back." He said calmly, without the slightest surprise. "How many people?"

"The first batch consists of five people. They are all skilled fighters, adept at combined attacks, poison, and hidden weapons," Grey Falcon replied. "The Crown Prince seems to be aiming for a fatal blow while simultaneously testing the waters."

"Five people... It seems he has a lot of confidence in his 'Night Owl' and underestimates Yun Jin's defenses." Su Che turned around and walked to the table, where a simple sketch of the courtyard and its surrounding terrain was spread out. "Alright, let's use these five people to give him a 'surprise'."

"Sir, how should we proceed? Should we send more men?" Grey Falcon asked. They didn't have many men left in Lin Yuan, but they were all elites.

Su Che's finger traced several key points on the sketch: the courtyard wall, the roof, the doors and windows, and the well.

"No need for a big fuss. You, me, and Night Owl—the three of us are enough." Su Che raised his eyes, a cold, sharp glint in them. "They're assassins; what we want is to silence them and intimidate them. We'll give them a silencing, a... profound 'intimidation.'"

He quickly assigned tasks, his voice as calm as ice water: "Night Owl, sneak into the courtyard an hour early and hide in the woodpile in the kitchen. Your mission is to protect the mute woman and, after she is admitted, use the 'Drunken Breeze' I gave you to block her escape route from the backyard. The dosage must be controlled; just enough to slightly slow their movements."

"Yes." The owl's voice rang out from the shadows.

"Grey Falcon, you lie in ambush on the roof of the main house with a crossbow. Prioritize shooting anyone trying to enter the house or using hidden weapons or poison gas. Don't aim to kill them, just disable them."

"clear."

"I'll guard the main gate." Su Che picked up the seemingly ordinary but actually long and narrow iron ruler made of refined steel from the table. "Since the Crown Prince wants to see who is protecting the princess, let him see clearly. However, to see clearly, there will always be a price to pay."

He looked at Grey Falcon: "Have you informed the princess yet?"

"I had Miss Qingdai deliver the message and the master's arrangements under the guise of sending 'calming spices' in the evening. The princess was initially a little flustered, but quickly calmed down and said she would stay inside, lock the doors and windows, and never come out," Grey Falcon replied.

Su Che nodded. Yun Jin's resilience and adaptability were better than he had expected. These were qualities a qualified collaborator should possess.

"In that case," Su Che put on a dark gray outer robe, covering his inner armor and iron ruler, "prepare yourselves. We'll see at midnight."

……