Joy of Life: Me, the Second Prince? Summon Yuan Tiangang!

With a tap of the finger, one is instantly transported to the wonderful world of Chapter 129, "The Choices of All Sides."

Shen Zhong, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard of the Northern Qi Dynasty?

Although he was a mad dog, the movements of the Embroidered Uniform Guard were always being monitored by the Observation Bureau, so it was impossible for him to mobilize such a large force without warning.

The young emperor of Northern Qi?

Does that callow youth have such courage and methods?

Bitter lotus?

Although a Grandmaster is invincible, this kind of meticulous intelligence-manipulation campaign is something that a Grandmaster alone cannot accomplish.

Emperor Qing's mind raced, and suddenly his gaze fell on the secret report about the Second Prince stealing the black box that he had just thrown on the table.

The eldest prince was assassinated.

The second prince obtained Ye Qingmei's belongings.

The Northern Qi spy network was destroyed, and the military's eyes and ears were blinded.

These three events, which occurred within a few days and seemed unrelated, pointed to the west, the interior of Kyoto, and the north, respectively.

But in the eyes of Emperor Qing, the world's top chess player, this was by no means a coincidence!

This is a web! A massive web of conspiracy targeting him, and the entire Great Qing Kingdom!

Someone is deliberately stirring up trouble in the capital to attract the attention of the First and Second Princes, and has even dragged Fan Xian and the Censorate into it.

Someone is using the relic containing Ye Qingmei's belongings to stir up his nerves as emperor, making him focus all his attention and suspicion on his son.

Just as the power center of the Great Qing Kingdom was on edge and even in chaos due to internal strife, the real killer move came crashing down in the distant Northern Qi territory, directly crippling the Great Qing Kingdom's northern expedition!

"What a brilliant feint! What a clever way to fish in troubled waters!" Emperor Qing slammed the silk in his hand onto the table, and the hard rosewood table was cracked by his force.

Who is it? Who has such a grand scheme to do this?

Who could possibly orchestrate such a massive scheme simultaneously in Kyoto, the Western Barbarians, and the Northern Qi?

Countless faces flashed before Emperor Qing's eyes: Chen Pingping, Princess Li Yunrui, Ku He far away in Northern Qi, and even the seemingly cynical Fan Xian...

But he quickly rejected all of these faces.

Chen Pingping wouldn't destroy Qing Kingdom's intelligence network; it was his life's work. Although Li Yunrui was mad, she didn't have the ability to mobilize such a precise and devastating force in Northern Qi. Fan Xian was too inexperienced; he didn't have the necessary resources.

Could it be... that the Northern Qi, the Western Barbarians, or even the Eastern Yi City have formed some kind of secret alliance?

Emperor Qing took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the fury in his heart.

He knew that now was not the time to lose his temper.

As the leader of Daqing, he had to maintain absolute rationality and ruthlessness when faced with numerous mysteries and hidden dangers.

"Master Hou." Emperor Qing's voice returned to its chilling calm, but this time, the calm carried an undeniable air of menace.

"This old servant is here." Eunuch Hou quickly got up and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Issue my decree." Emperor Qing's eyes blazed, and his orders flowed like sharp swords from his lips. "First, immediately summon the Chief and Deputy Chief of the Privy Council, and the Minister of War, to the palace tonight. Tell them that if they cannot explain the affairs of Northern Qi, they will have to offer their heads!"

"Secondly, order Yan Xiaoyi to immediately lead his personal guards back to the capital and take over the defense of the nine gates. Without my tiger tally, no one is allowed to move a single soldier from the outskirts of the capital!"

"Third..." Emperor Qing paused, a complex light flashing in his eyes, "Have Gong Dian personally lead men to the Second Prince's residence. Don't even bother searching inside, just surround the Second Prince's residence completely! Tell Chengze that he's been too tired lately and needs to reflect on his actions behind closed doors. No one is allowed to enter the residence, but no one is allowed to leave. Even if a fly flies out, shoot it down!"

Eunuch Hou was greatly alarmed. The siege of the prince's residence—this was serious business.

Your Majesty is using the most forceful means to directly shut down any potential variables within Kyoto.

"Then... what about the Censorate..." Eunuch Hou asked cautiously.

"The Censorate?" Emperor Qing sneered. "Just observe and see. I'd like to see what role that old fox is playing in this mess!"

"This old servant obeys! I'll go do it right away!" Knowing the seriousness of the situation, Eunuch Hou dared not delay and turned to run outside.

"Wait." Emperor Qing suddenly called out to him again.

When Eunuch Hou turned around, he saw Emperor Qing standing in front of the huge landscape painting, his back to him, his figure appearing somewhat lonely, yet incredibly majestic.

"Send a verbal order to Fan Xian." Emperor Qing's voice echoed in the empty imperial study. "Tell him that he lost his things, and I'm very angry. But since they're lost, let him find them himself. If he can't find them..."

Emperor Qing did not continue, but the unspoken meaning sent a chill down Eunuch Hou's spine.

"This old servant understands."

The door to the Imperial Study closed again.

Emperor Qing stood alone before the landscape painting, his gaze piercing through the capital of Northern Qi, through the desolate deserts of the Western Barbarians, and finally returning to the capital.

"Trying to overturn my chessboard?" Emperor Qing's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Then I'll play along. I want to see how many of you demons and monsters will survive when I unleash the real storm!"

Kyoto was sleepless that night.

The heavy clatter of hooves shattered the stillness of the night sky, and squads of heavily armed imperial guards surged into the streets like a black tide, completely surrounding the Second Prince's residence.

The high-ranking officials of the Privy Council and the Ministry of War were summoned to the palace overnight, and the lights in the Imperial Study burned all night long.

In the dimly lit secret room of the Observation Bureau, Chen Pingping listened quietly as Shadow reported on the movements in the palace and the earth-shattering changes that had come from Northern Qi.

He stroked the armrest of the wheelchair, his wrinkled face showing no panic, only a profound and serene calm.

"The Northern Qi's spy network has been destroyed... What a grand scheme!" Chen Pingping murmured, seemingly in admiration, yet also in regret.

"Dean, the situation seems to be getting out of control," Shadow said coldly. "The matter of Northern Qi was not part of our plan. His Majesty is furious and has sealed off the Second Prince's residence. Yan Xiaoyi is also on his way back to the capital. Should we...?"

"Out of control? No, this is the real game." Chen Pingping interrupted Shadow, a strange light flashing in his eyes. "In the end, this world is not ruled by His Majesty alone. Someone has made a move in the north, which is good. The muddier the waters, the greater the chance of catching the real fish."

Chen Pingping turned her head and looked out the window at the deep night.

Chen Pingping turned his head and looked out at the thick darkness of the night. The night wind of Kyoto blew into the secret room through the half-open window, ruffling his sparse gray hair, but it could not stir the unfathomable darkness in his eyes.

"Shadow, go and relay the order to all relevant departments: the Censorate is now on high alert. But remember, without my written order, no one is allowed to interfere with the movements of the Six Ministries, the Privy Council, or the Nine Gates Commander. All we need to do is keep a close eye on things."

Chen Pingping tapped the edge of her wheelchair lightly with her withered fingers, a faint yet chilling smile curving her lips.

"This game of chess has finally reached its most exciting and intense stage. Your Majesty wants to be the one high above, controlling everything, but in this world, what game of chess will never go off track?" Chen Pingping smiled faintly, his voice so soft it seemed to melt into the night breeze. "Let's see who will die in this storm."