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

"The Third Prince and Mr. Jia have already revealed their true intentions."

Their audacity in launching a brazen attack on the imperial envoy's convoy fifty miles from the capital demonstrates their willingness to spare no expense to kill the princess.

They will undoubtedly make a big move in Beijing as well. We can no longer afford to be passively defensive.

The target of "Bingzi" is the core of Mr. Jia's underground network, which he has been operating for many years.

While his attention was drawn to the princess's journey south and the "theft" in the capital, we wiped out his stronghold, severed his arms, and seized his vital weakness!

I will turn Mr. Jia into a toothless tiger, and I will let the Third Prince know what price he will have to pay for harming those whom I, Su Che, protect!

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling, decisive quality.

Without further hesitation, Grey Falcon nodded emphatically: "Understood! I'll make the arrangements immediately!"

Inside the secret room, only Su Che remained.

He walked to the table, picked up a black chess piece, and gently placed it on the map at the location of "Loach Alley". He then picked up a white chess piece and placed it next to the Third Prince's residence.

"You want to kill the princess in the south, eliminate me in the capital, seize power in the court, and scheme in the inner palace..."

"A four-pronged approach, a clever plan."

"Unfortunately, you overlooked one thing."

Su Che's finger gently touched the white piece.

"All your schemes are built on the arm of 'Mr. Jia' and your shady powers."

"If I first sever your arms and destroy your henchmen, then expose all your despicable deeds to the world..."

"How are you going to play this game?"

A cold, mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"Third Prince, the game... has only just begun."

"And your nightmare is about to begin."

……

As night deepened, the wind and snow temporarily ceased.

Lin Yuan City slumbers in the cold winter, seemingly peaceful.

However, in those unknown corners, shadowy figures loomed, and the glint of blades was visible. A silent struggle for control of the capital had already begun.

Deep within "Loach Alley," in the back room of a seemingly ordinary gambling den.

Mr. Jia took off his snow-covered cloak, revealing his thin, gloomy face.

Opposite him sat several men with fierce eyes and a sharp aura; they were the leaders of the assassins he had secretly raised.

"Is everyone here?" Mr. Jia's voice was hoarse.

"All are ready, sir. Thirty men from 'Mudfish Alley,' twenty from 'Blackwater Dock,' and fifteen from 'Laojun Temple,' all skilled fighters, and their weapons are all prepared," a leader replied.

"Good." A ruthless glint flashed in Mr. Jia's eyes. "Target: 'Hidden Abode' in the south of the city, Su Zhe. He doesn't have many guards, but their skills are unknown. At midnight tonight, attack from three sides simultaneously, a full-scale assault! No prisoners, just his head! After the kill, immediately disperse and hide. Once things have calmed down, everyone will receive a hefty reward!"

"Understood!" The leaders' eyes gleamed with bloodlust.

"Furthermore," Mr. Jia took out a small porcelain bottle and handed it to a trusted aide beside him, "you personally go and add this to the 'sedative soup' that Eunuch Liu prepared for His Majesty. The dosage must be precise; just enough to make His Majesty fall into a deep sleep. There must be no mistake!"

"Yes!" The confidant took the porcelain bottle and carefully hid it.

After making the arrangements, Mr. Jia revealed a savage grin on his face, as if he had won.

With Su Zhe dead, the princess was left all alone in the south.

If His Majesty remains unconscious, the court will fall into the hands of the princes!

At that time, with internal and external coordination, great things can be accomplished!

However, he was unaware that his every word and action in the back room of the gambling den, even the appearance of the porcelain bottle, had been "seen" without missing a single word by the top-tier "Listening" spy hidden in the darkest corner, almost blending into the wall, and then rapidly transmitted back to the Hidden Lodge through special channels.

As midnight approached, all was quiet.

Dozens of dark figures gathered silently from three locations—"Mudfish Alley," "Blackwater Dock," and "Laojun Temple"—and crept towards the quiet residential area in the south of the city.

The area around the hermitage seemed the same as always, except for two dilapidated lanterns under the porch swaying in the cold wind.

However, those with keen senses would notice that the nearby alleys, rooftops, and even underground are filled with a chilling, dormant killing intent, colder than the cold wind.

Su Che sat alone in his study, with not documents laid out in front of him, but a guqin (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument).

His fingertips brushed across the strings, but no melody was formed; he simply waited quietly.

Waiting for the prey to arrive.

Waiting for the moment to close the net.

"Bang!"

A faint, almost imperceptible sound, like a tile loosening, came from the top of the east wall.

Immediately afterwards, similar subtle noises came from the west and north sides almost simultaneously.

coming.

A cold smile curled at the corner of Su Che's lips.

Fingers gently pressed on the strings.

The next moment, shouts of battle erupted!

Countless dark figures leaped down from the walls and rooftops, their blades flashing against the remaining snow, heading straight for the study!

Almost at the same instant, dozens of cold stars suddenly lit up in the darkness surrounding the secluded hut!

Those were crossbow bolts that had been laid in ambush long ago!

Furthermore, large nets descended from the sky, tripwires suddenly sprang up from the ground, and the camouflage at the base of the wall was lifted to reveal gleaming barbed wire and pits!

The attacker was instantly stunned!

They seemed to have stumbled into a meticulously laid death trap!

The crossbow bolts pierced the air, instantly felling more than a dozen people!

Under the large net, a tripwire suddenly appeared, and several more people fell to the ground!

Screams, curses, and the clash of weapons filled the air!

"There's an ambush!"

"We've fallen for their trap! Retreat!"

The leader of the attackers was terrified, but it was too late.

Suddenly, the study door opened, and Su Che, dressed in a blue robe, walked out slowly. He carried no weapon, only the ancient zither.

Behind him, Grey Falcon stood like a shadow, knife in hand, his eyes as cold as frost.

The surrounding walls and rooftops were now filled with men in black, armed with crossbows and with sharp eyes—the most elite action team of "Listening".

"Is this all Mr. Jia's men are capable of?" Su Che's voice was calm, yet it carried clearly to everyone's ears in the night breeze. "Since you're here, stay."

"Release the arrows!"

At a single command, crossbow bolts rained down like locusts!

The remaining attackers fell like wheat being harvested, almost all of them dead or wounded in an instant. Only two or three of the most skilled leaders managed to break through the encirclement and try to escape by scaling the wall.

With a swift movement, the Grey Falcon caught up like a ghost, and with a flash of blade light, two heads flew into the sky.

The last person had his knee shattered by a kick, and he screamed as he fell to his knees, where he was held down by two skilled "Listening" experts.

The battle began suddenly and ended even faster.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, dozens of carefully selected assassins were wiped out, leaving only corpses and a strong stench of blood in the secluded courtyard.

Su Che didn't even glance at the horrific battlefield, but simply said to Grey Falcon, "Ask the survivor where Mr. Jia is right now. Also, it's time to close the net on Eunuch Liu's side. Take the medicine delivery man, along with the medicine bottle, to where he needs to be. Remember, leave him alive, and get evidence."

"Yes!" Gray Falcon accepted the order, picked up the wailing assassin leader, and quickly disappeared into the shadows.

Su Che then raised his eyes and looked in the direction of the Third Prince's residence. His gaze pierced through the layers of buildings, as if he saw that face filled with shock and anger.

"You lost the first round, Third Prince."

"Moreover, they lost badly."

He turned and walked back to his study.

The guqin still lay quietly on the table.