After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

"Ning Baixuan...he...he has another identity..."

The kneeling left protector of the Tianli Sect spoke haltingly, his voice filled with tension, regret, fear, and disbelief.

And a strong sense of self-doubt.

I wonder if I'm overthinking things, if I've wronged the other person, or if I'm complicating things too much.

The ten fingers pressed against the ground unconsciously dug into the carpet.

It was early spring and the air was still chilly. The large red carpet inside the palace was embroidered with a majestic and ferocious five-clawed blue dragon. The dragon's piercing eyes were positioned in front of the emperor's desk, symbolizing the emperor's unapproachable gaze.

The wool carpet was soft and fluffy; when he placed his hands on it, his fingers dug in halfway.

Even with such softness, this prince in a light green mandarin jacket still had a red and swollen mark on his head from kowtowing.

Han Chang's mind was still in a state of confusion.

The cause of things is shrouded in mystery, the process of things is also perplexing, but the result of things is like a sudden, sharp slash.

The mind then involuntarily falls into a state of absurdity and incomprehension of reality.

Yongzheng stared at his son, who dared not raise his head.

Ortai and Mushu also turned their heads to look at the prince, whose temples seemed to be covered in cold sweat.

Ning Baixuan...

"He still..."

Han Chang said the last few words through gritted teeth:

"He is still... the new leader of the Heavenly Principle Sect!"

After saying that.

Han Chang broke out in a cold sweat, but felt a little more relaxed.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the previously heavy breathing of everyone instantly stopped.

Silence fell.

silence.

The entire hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

After a few breaths, Yongzheng stood up and placed his hands on the table.

…………

Ten breaths later, Niu Hulu Changbao, an imperial bodyguard, received the gold medal from the emperor and left the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

It took about sixty breaths to run from the Hall of Mental Cultivation to the Gate of Heavenly Purity.

He led ten guards out of the Qianqing Gate.

Outside the Qianqing Gate, Changbao, wearing a red feather hat and a yellow riding jacket, rode on horseback with ten guards.

Under the cover of night, he ran wildly through the palace, all the way to the Meridian Gate. When the guards at the Meridian Gate stopped him, Chang Bao slapped one of them and showed them the gold medal bestowed by the Emperor.

The garrison commander, stumbling and crawling, ordered his men to open the left side gate.

Chang Bao led ten riders at a rapid pace, exiting through the Zuoye Gate, passing through Qipan Street, and arriving at the Daqing Gate.

Upon seeing the gold medal in Chang Bao's hand, the gatekeeper of the Great Qing Gate kowtowed and shouted, "Open the city gate!"

When the Daqing Gate was only slightly open, allowing just one rider to pass through, Chang Bao had already led ten riders out of the city in a flash.

As you exit the Great Qing Gate, the shadows of people and horses flash across the ground, never stopping for a moment.

I crossed Yongdingmen Inner Street and ran to Yongdingmen. After Yongdingmen opened...

The imperial guard led his men out of the city, chasing after Ning Baixuan and Alin who had already left the city.

"Find Ah Lin and have him capture Ning Baixuan alive!"

Under the cover of night, Chang Bao gritted his teeth and spurred his horse to gallop at full speed, carrying out the order.

Chang Bao left the Hall of Mental Cultivation not long ago.

The Third Prince, drenched in sweat, also left the main hall.

"Your subject will certainly atone for his crimes and perform meritorious service tonight!"

He made a pledge, hurriedly left the Meridian Gate, went to the Nine Gates Commander's Office, and mustered five hundred men to leave the city. At the same time, he also ordered someone to return to the Third Prince's residence.

…………

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation,

Brightly lit,

A persistent sense of anxiety permeated the air.

After a surge of immense anger and even humiliation welled up within him, Yongzheng quickly regained his composure.

They even allowed their son, who harbored immense selfish motives, to redeem himself through meritorious service.

"My two beloved subjects,"

Yongzheng placed his hand on the imperial desk.

"Who do you think was the mastermind tonight, Han Qing or Ning Baixuan? And where exactly did Zhu Enbo go?"

Ortai was also in a daze at this moment, and a thousand thoughts rushed into his mind at once.

It was like having thousands of loose threads laid out in front of him, and he didn't know which one to grab to uncover the truth.

"If Han Qing was the mastermind, then everything that happened tonight makes sense. Even if Han Qing knew about our dynasty's grand plan, that can also be explained. After all, nothing stays hidden forever, and I believe Han Qing is capable of doing so."

By referring to himself as "your humble servant" rather than "your lackey," this Grand Councilor and Minister of War demonstrates that he speaks as a subject.

While resolving the emperor's doubts, he was also exonerating the Third Prince.

Yongzheng said:

"But since Ning Baixuan himself is the new leader of the Heavenly Principles Sect, things are certainly not that simple."

As he said this, a flash of anger crossed the emperor's eyes on the dragon throne, but more than that, there was bewilderment and astonishment.

When Hongchang told him about this, it was so bizarre that he momentarily thought Hongchang was talking nonsense and spouting rubbish in order to prevent his father from suspecting him.

Realizing that Hongchang was most likely telling the truth, he was shocked and bewildered, but he made arrangements in time.

When dealing with matters, he never overthinks; he cuts to the chase and gets to the bottom of things by taking down Ning Baixuan first.

But before this tangled mess could be untangled, as he looked at these loose threads, he couldn't help but hope in his heart that the mastermind behind them... might be Han Qing...

After a few breaths, Yongzheng said, "If Han Qing knew about our dynasty's grand plan, do you think he...would he not tell Ning Baixuan?"

Ortai paused for a moment, then slowly said:

According to the Third Prince, Han Qing valued Ning Baixuan highly, and even went so far as to pass on the position of sect leader to him early on.

"When the throne was passed down, Ning Baixuan did not even participate in the Southern Dynasty's civil service examinations."

"When Ning Baixuan becomes the top scholar in the Southern Dynasty and even marries the Empress of the Southern Dynasty, Han Qing's regard for him will only increase, not decrease."

"This Heavenly Principles Sect Xiangshan Conference is Han Qing's formal abdication... In my opinion..."

Ortai narrowed his eyes slightly, then said with certainty:

"No... never..."

"As long as Ning Baixuan doesn't consider the Heavenly Principles Sect an enemy, Han Qing will definitely not sit idly by once he learns of our dynasty's grand plan! He will surely inform Ning Baixuan and order him to return immediately..."

That concludes the discussion.

Ortai's eyes suddenly widened, a flash of inspiration struck him, and the rest of his sentence stuck in his throat, unspoken.

Immediately, a chill began to rise from his tailbone.

Yongzheng continued Ortai's words in a calm yet firm tone:

"...order him...to leave Beijing immediately...and return to the south...to send a message to his Empress in the south..."

Hearing the emperor's words, which coincided with his own, Ortai felt a chill run down his spine.

He abruptly turned his head, looked at Mu Shu, and said sternly:

"Lord Mu Shu, has Ning Baixuan acted strangely these past few days? Has he sent any secret messages to the Southern Dynasty?!"

Mu Shu's mouth was dry, and he quickly said:

"Ning Baixuan sent several letters to the Empress of the Southern Dynasty today. The letters were all the same, like those sent by a man to a woman, without any coded language."

"However, I intercepted them all. In addition, Ning Baixuan sent visiting cards and gift lists to more than a dozen ministers in the capital, and planned a date to visit them one by one. It seems that he intends to stay in the capital for many days."

Upon hearing Mu Shu's words, Yongzheng sat up straight and slowly shook his head, saying:

"That's not right."

He tapped his fingers on the imperial desk.