Governing the country, enriching the people, an unparalleled imperial tutor

The sound of wind seeped in through the broken window, sweeping away the dust in the room, carrying the chill unique to the deep palace.

The footsteps outside the door grew closer and more hurried, yet they deliberately kept quiet.

Based on my experience watching movies and TV dramas, this is not the normal walking style of a palace guard.

It was a deliberate, stealthy approach, done to avoid detection and with a specific purpose.

Lin Yanzhou stood still, neither panicking nor making a sound.

At thirty-eight years old, having struggled countless times in deadlocked power struggles, he had long since developed an instinct—in unknown situations, first remain calm, then observe, and finally act.

The crimson ore in his mind remained lifeless, offering no further hints or energy boosts.

All that remained was a cold, impersonal "Protect the Lord and Secure the Dynasty" mission; everything else was up to him.

To complete the mission, you must first survive.

To survive, you must first understand three things.

Where is this place? What dynasty is Xuan Shuo? What kind of deadly trap is this?

Lin Yanzhou suppressed the doubts surging in his heart, his gaze became serious, and he began to carefully scan everything around him.

The thick blue bricks underfoot have a simple, ancient pattern, and the edges are severely worn, showing signs of years of footsteps. The beams and pillars inside the hall are not decorated with elaborate dragon and phoenix paintings. The hall is solemn but not luxurious, like a side hall of the imperial palace or a deserted palace.

He walked slowly to the window, pressed himself against the wall, and peered out through the crack in the window.

The courtyard outside the palace was overgrown with weeds, and the paving stones were broken in many places, indicating that it was rarely maintained. In the distance, the palace walls stood tall with neat eaves, and the flags were of an ancient and vigorous style, unlike any of the styles of the Tang, Song, Ming, or Qing dynasties known in historical records.

The ancient atmosphere was pure and authentic, but there were no familiar traces of ancient architecture.

He had indeed traveled to a completely unfamiliar ancient dynasty.

Without the advantage of foresight or the ability to predict historical scenarios, he had to figure out and deduce every situation from scratch.

Turning his gaze away, Lin Yanzhou looked down at his own clothes.

Wearing a modern short-sleeved shirt and trousers, covered in dust, he would certainly be considered an oddity in this era, and in the deep palace, he would be immediately recognized as an outsider.

If someone sees them, their identity will be impossible to explain, and they will surely die.

This is outrageous! Everyone else who transmigrates is given superpowers. Even if they're not princes or nobles, they could at least transmigrate into a useless rich kid!

The footsteps outside the door stopped at the entrance of the palace.

Two extremely low whispers slipped in through the crack in the door, each word clear.

"His Majesty should be nearby. The eunuch reported that about half an hour ago, someone from His Majesty's entourage came to this side hall."

"The Grand Tutor has ordered that no one be left alive today. Only if the young emperor is harmed can a new order be established in the court."

"Hurry in! Search and leave without a trace!"

boom--

These three short sentences are packed with information.

Lin Yanzhou's pupils contracted slightly as he instantly connected all the clues and made his own assessment of the situation.

First, in the current court, a young emperor has ascended the throne, and imperial power has fallen into the hands of others.

Secondly, there are top-ranking officials in the court who wield great power and dare to plot assassinations against the emperor in secret, harboring boundless ambitions.

Third, his initial mission, "Protect the Lord and Stabilize the Dynasty," does not correspond to maintaining stability in the court; it is a blatant plot to kill the emperor.

Fourth, this secluded side hall may very well have been the hiding place where the young emperor escaped his pursuit.

And this stranger who appeared out of nowhere happened to fall right in the center of the trap.

Having figured all this out, Lin Yanzhou not only didn't panic, but instead calmed down completely.

After years of navigating the business world, his greatest skill is breaking through seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Those who panic die, those who remain calm live.

He quickly scanned the interior of the hall; it was dilapidated and empty, with no wardrobe for hiding. Only a huge, dusty incense table at the back of the hall, with a narrow space beneath it large enough for a person to curl up.

Without hesitation, Lin Yanzhou moved swiftly, skimming behind the incense table and crouching down to hide.

With my body pressed against the cold wooden surface, I instantly lowered my breathing to the lowest level, completely suppressing all movement.

Just as they had hidden themselves, the heavy palace doors were pushed open.

Three masked men in black entered, carrying knives. Their movements were swift and their actions highly trained, clearly not ordinary palace servants or guards, but assassins specializing in dirty work.

After entering the hall, the three quickly dispersed, their sharp gazes sweeping across the entire side hall, checking every inch.

"Empty? Where is everyone?" someone asked in a low, anxious voice.

"There's no way we could be wrong. Our informants saw the child in yellow hide in this palace area; he must be hiding nearby," another person said coldly.

The man in black, who was leading the group, had a sinister look in his eyes. He slowly scanned the surroundings and finally fixed his gaze on the dusty incense table.

"Search thoroughly! The Grand Tutor has decreed that the young emperor must die today! This matter concerns the succession of the court; the slightest mistake will result in the extermination of our entire clan!"

Grand Tutor!

Lin Yanzhou hid under the desk, his mind stirred, and he silently made a note of this key figure.

This is the powerful minister behind the scenes who usurped the young emperor's power, stirred up the court, and orchestrated the assassination plot.

This is also the first top-tier opponent he must contend with after entering the game.

The two assassins immediately stepped forward, kicking over the surrounding broken debris, and approached the incense table step by step.

Danger lurked at a moment's distance; life and death hung in the balance.

He didn't have the advantage of a godlike perspective, nor did he have any cheat codes to help him turn the tide.

Lin Yanzhou's hands clenched tightly, his muscles tense, and he was terrified. How could a good young man from a harmonious society have ever experienced such a situation? He was killed as soon as he transmigrated; he was practically the most tragic person in the transmigrator world, without exception.