My father ordered me to kill the emperor, but His Majesty bestowed a princess upon me instead.

When I returned to the Censorate, Ah Liu was squatting at the door eating a cold pancake.

When he saw me, he immediately stuffed the cake into his sleeve.

"Young master, you're back!"

I looked at his sleeve.

What's hidden in the cake?

"It's not that I'm hiding it, it's that I'm afraid Minister Qian will see it and think that the food at our Censorate is too bad."

"Does he still have the mind to look at the food?"

Ah Liu thought about it.

"Too."

I didn't waste any time arguing with him and went straight to the point: "Has Manager Chen been here?"

Ah Liu's expression changed.

"I've been here before."

Where are they?

"In a side room in the backyard."

My heart sank even deeper.

If Manager Chen comes in person, it means the matter is more serious than the note.

Manager Chen was waiting for me in a side room in the backyard.

His face was darker than usual, and a medicine box was placed beside him.

As soon as he saw me, he stood up immediately.

"Young Master."

I frowned.

"Don't call me that."

Manager Chen glanced outside the door.

"There's no one here right now."

"There is a wall."

He was taken aback, then gave a wry smile.

"Young Master is becoming more and more like a person from the capital."

"Where is Xu Sandao?"

Manager Chen's face darkened.

"Missing."

"When?"

"Last night, in the latter half of the night, he was in the dark house in the south of the city. He left a letter and then disappeared."

"Where's the letter?"

Manager Chen handed it to me.

"Xin" is Xu Sandao's courtesy name.

The characters, like the person, are hard, straight, and have a sharp edge.

The young master is too slow in checking the accounts.

The master cannot wait.

If there really is an old gate in the palace, we should probe it with three swords first.

If I can get close to you, then I am close to you.

If not, use a route map.

My vision went black.

It's not that I'm sleepy.

It's anger.

Xu Sandao truly embodied the principle of "if you can solve a problem with a knife, don't bother with your brain."

I had just gotten the information about the old laundry bureau's night gate from Ji Qing when he was about to go and grope the palace.

Who delivered this message?

I asked Manager Chen, "How did he know there was an old gate in the palace?"

Manager Chen said in a low voice, "Last night, news reached the Dark Mansion that the young master had discovered the night gate of the old laundry bureau, which might be connected to the old route to the inner court."

A chill ran through me.

The news had just surfaced at the Princess's residence and Ji Qing's place, so how did it reach Xu Sandao's ears?

Unless someone deliberately passed the information to the southwest secret agent.

The goal is simple.

Let Xu Sandao touch the palace.

This exposed Shen Lie's faction.

It also exposed me.

I gripped the letter tightly.

"Who sent the message?"

"The charcoal seller has disappeared."

Another disconnection.

Shopkeeper Chen said, "Young Master, if Xu Sandao really manages to reach the palace, the Imperial Guards will definitely move."

"He will die."

"Not just him."

Manager Chen looked at me.

"The secret agents in the Southwest will also be eradicated. If the Master finds out, he will think that the Young Master is using the Emperor to eliminate his own people."

This statement is even more fatal.

Xu Sandao's death is already a big problem.

If Shen Lie misunderstands that I used the inner guards to kill his people, then the father-son relationship will completely collapse.

What's even more terrifying is that if the emperor catches Xu Sandao, he will trace the problem back to me.

I feel like I'm standing in the middle of three pots.

I know whichever side is the most heated.

Ah Liu, who was standing at the door, turned pale upon hearing this.

"Young master, what should we do?"

"Find him."

"Where to look?"

I unfolded a simplified map of the capital city.

The palace complex consists of four gates: the main gate, the East Prosperity Gate, the West Prosperity Gate, the North Garden Corner Gate, and several abandoned gates and old roads.

The old laundry bureau was located on the northwest side of the palace, near the old courtyard of the inner court servants.

There used to be a night gate there, used to transport sick clothes, dead clothes, and laundry.

According to Ji Qing, the night gate of the old laundry bureau was opened eleven years ago.

If Xu Sandao wanted to touch the palace, that would be the most likely place he would go.

Because it's the dirtiest, oldest, and most inconspicuous place.

It is also most suitable for assassins.

I asked Manager Chen, "How many men did Xu Sandao bring?"

"I'm not sure, maybe two."

"weapon?"

"A knife, a crossbow, and a Southwest gunpowder pellet."

I looked up abruptly.

"Gunpowder pills?"

Manager Chen nodded.

"For breaking locks."

I almost cursed out loud.

How to break the locks at the palace gates with gunpowder?

Did Xu Sandao think his death wasn't spectacular enough?

Yan Xiaoyi leaned against the door, unusually not yawning.

"Should we tell Gu Xingzhi?"

I remained silent.

Tell Gu Xingzhi that the inner guards are the fastest to stop people.

I can't explain why Xu Sandao fell into the hands of the Imperial Guards.

If Gu Xingzhi isn't told, and Xu Sandao actually barges in, things will become even more complicated.

Ah Liu whispered, "Young master, how about we intercept them secretly?"

I glanced at him.

"you're right."

Ah Liu was taken aback.

"what?"

"Sneak up and stop them."

"I just said it offhand."

"Well said, but speak less next time."

Ah Liu shut up.

I said to Manager Chen, "Go to the hidden house in the south of the city and keep the others calm. Tell them that Xu Sandao is on my orders to scout ahead, and no one is allowed to make any moves."

Manager Chen was startled.

"Young Master, this will put the responsibility on your shoulders."

"If we don't take on this now, all the covert operations will be thrown into chaos."

"But what about the master..."

"I'll write a letter."

I took out paper and pen and wrote to Shen Lie.

The Yongning case has already implicated old grievances in the southwest. The old laundry bureau in the palace is a clue to the old case, but not the route for the assassination.

I will stop Xu Sandao if he acts without permission.

I will give you a real account within three days.

If you go to the capital, old grievances will not be settled before new crimes are committed.

I paused when I wrote the last sentence.

That's a very strong statement.

It's like a son teaching his father how to do things.

But I wrote it anyway.

If Shen Lie really goes to the capital, the city will be in chaos.

Many people will die from him.

It will also be exploited by more people.

I handed the letter to Manager Chen.

"Send it out."

Manager Chen looked at me with a complicated expression.

"Young Master, you are becoming less and less like the Master."

I said, "I am who I am."

He was unable to speak.

I don't want to say anything more.

Before leaving the Censorate, I went to see Qian Rong.

Qian Rong sat in the interrogation room, seemingly asleep.

He opened his eyes when he heard footsteps.

"Is Lord Shen going out again?"

"Minister Qian's information network is quite accurate."

"You're walking fast."

"I need to go find someone."

Qian Rong smiled.

"Looking for Ji Qing?"

"no."

"That means finding people from the Southwest."

I stared at him.

Qian Rong slowly said, "Did someone pass on the information about the old laundry department's night gates to Shen Liexian?"

My heart sank.

he knows.

Or maybe you guessed it.

"Minister Qian, whose work is this?"

What do you think?

"A debt settlement meeting?"

Qian Rong closed his eyes.

"There are two types of people who are most afraid of old grievances. One is the person who audits the accounts, and the other is the person who doesn't talk about the accounts, but only about the knife."

"They want Shen Lie's men to make the move."

"If we take action, His Majesty will have a reason to eliminate the hidden agents in the southwest. If Shen Lie gets angry, he will enter the capital ahead of schedule. At that time, the Yongning case, the old grudges in the southwest, and the old case of the late Empress will all be covered up by the flames of war."

He opened his eyes and looked at me.

"Lord Shen, what are auditors most afraid of?"

I said in a deep voice, "The accounts haven't been checked yet, let's chop the table with the knife first."

Qian Rong smiled.

"You finally understand."

I don't want to talk to him anymore.

But before leaving, he suddenly said:

"The old laundry room's night gate has long been abandoned."

I stopped.

"What do you mean?"

"The door may be ruined, but the road may not be."

Which road is still there?

Qian Rong shut up.

That old fox is working himself to the bone again.

I looked at him.

"Minister Qian, if Xu Sandao breaks in, Ji Qing might die, Aunt Lan's lifeline might be severed, and your lifeline will be halved."

Qian Rong remained silent for a moment.

"There's a wastewater ditch next to the Night Gate that leads to the Old Clothes Well. Eleven years ago, the shroud was taken out from there."

Wastewater ditch.

Old clothes well.

well.

If Xu Sandao were familiar with stealth in the martial world, he would likely find that place as well.

I turned and left.

Yan Xiaoyi followed.

Ah Liu actually followed along for two steps.

I turned around.

"You stay."

Ah Liu opened his mouth.

"Young master, this time..."

"You will stay and guard the Censorate."

"But……"

"If any of them were lost, it would be a real problem."

Ah Liu's face fell.

"Our inn is fully booked."

"So you're the manager."

He was stunned.

I patted him on the shoulder.

"Keep an eye on the guests."

Ah Liu's eyes lit up immediately, then quickly turned red.

"Young master, be careful."

"Um."

We exited through the back gate of the Censorate.

It was already completely dark.

To the northwest of the palace, the dark shadows of high walls can be seen in the distance.

That wall, during the day, looks like imperial power.

At night, it looks like a grave.

Yan Xiaoyi asked, "Should we tell Gu Xingzhi?"

I thought about it.

Leave a letter for him.

"Write what?"

I wrote as I walked:

At the old laundry office at night, someone was rummaging through the palace gates.

I'll go stop them first.

If I do not return within half an hour, take the inner guards to retrieve the people.

Try to keep them alive.

Yan Xiaoyi looked at the note.

"You call this not telling me?"

"That's called telling us later."

"the difference?"

"I have half an hour to save people first."

He shook his head.

"You'll die from this kind of distinction sooner or later."

"It's also possible to live within this distinction."

He stopped talking.

When we arrived at the northwest outskirts of the palace, the night wind was very cold.

The old laundry room has long been abandoned, and half of its outer wall is covered with withered vines.

There were guards' patrol lights in the distance, but it was very dark here.

It was so dark it looked like it had been deliberately forgotten.

Yan Xiaoyi suddenly stopped.

"There's someone there."

I held my breath.

There were three dark figures at the base of the wall.

One of them was kneeling at the mouth of the old ditch, holding a thin knife, and was prying open the rusted iron fence.

The other person is on guard.

The third person carried a short crossbow and had a familiar figure.

Xu Sandao.

He did indeed come.

Just as I was about to speak, Xu Sandao seemed to sense something and suddenly turned around.

In the darkness, he saw me, his eyes showing no surprise whatsoever.

"Young Master."

His voice was very low.

"You've come at the perfect time."

My heart sank.

"Just what?"

Xu Sandao pointed to the old ditch.

"The door has been found."

He looked at me.

"Tonight, we're going to the palace."