Immortality: Starting with a grave, I'm invincible when burying corpses.

The scene he had witnessed in the Drunken Dream Pavilion flashed through his mind, as did his conversation with Mu An when they were drinking and carousing.

Information-gathering is always a two-way street. Mu An extracted a lot of information from him, and he also learned a lot of things he wanted to know.

The Drunken Immortal Brew is not something ordinary people can drink. People only think of him as a playboy, but little do they know that this is all a facade, designed to make the court lower its guard against the Bai family.

Bai Qingming's martial arts cultivation had already reached the Innate Realm, placing him among the top young people in the entire Southern Frontier.

He only used some tricks to deliberately hide it, which made everyone think that he was a playboy who spent his days in brothels.

Even someone with his cultivation level would get this drunk, while Mu An, who looks like an ordinary person, is completely unharmed and can even compose poems. It's obvious there's something wrong with that.

And those poems, no matter how you look at them, don't seem like something an ordinary person could recite.

Even if most of it is just speculation, it is enough to determine some things.

Princess Yongning allowed such a person to be alone in the red-light district, where he spent lavishly on money, making a name for himself in such an arrogant manner. Who else could he be targeting?

Often, clear evidence is not needed; mere suspicion is enough to lead to a decision.

Thinking about it, he raised his head and gave the Seventh Prince a carefree smile.

"Your Highness need not worry. Without an imperial edict, the Tiger Army has no chance of entering the capital."

Princess Yongning didn't bring many people with her; most were guards, mixed with a few members of the Dark Feather Guard—not worth mentioning.

Having received the answer he wanted, the Seventh Prince was visibly in a better mood. He nodded slightly, but his words remained cautious.

"My Ninth Sister has always acted erratically and disregards rules. The Tiger Legion is brave and skilled in battle, with countless experts. To be on the safe side, we still need to find them something to do."

"Your Highness is wise."

After sorting through his thoughts, the Seventh Prince walked to the map and stroked his chin as he looked at it for a while.

"I remember that the original governor of Yongning County was a member of the Cui family, and the governor of Lingzhou was also the son-in-law of the Cui family."

The Cui family is no ordinary small family. Their direct descendants mostly come from the Wenchang Hall and are naturally close to my ninth brother, who is also the Prince of Qi.

Since Ninth Sister acts so recklessly, perhaps we could subtly guide these two old men to clash.

"We will obey Your Highness's orders. Our Bai family will do our utmost to support you."

"Excellent! When I ascend the throne, your Bai family will be the greatest contributor, and the position of Grand General will undoubtedly belong to you, Qingming!"

……

In front of the gate of the Zhennan Marquis's mansion, Bai Qingming smiled as he watched the Seventh Prince walk further and further away.

Once the figure disappeared from sight, Bai Qingming returned to his study and suppressed his smile. He picked up several intelligence reports and began to examine them carefully.

"Mu An, a native of Qing'an County, Yongning Prefecture, whose father Mu Ping is deceased. He is currently the Inspector of Anshan Patrol Office, a ninth-rank official, and is twenty-two years old at the time. He has a reputation for chivalry since childhood, and his martial arts skills are superb, possibly at the level of a Grandmaster of the Innate Realm. He once led the forces of the Dark Feather Guard of Shangzhang Division to conquer Qishan..."

After reading the intelligence report over and over again, Bai Qingming sighed softly, put it down, and murmured to himself.

"Without any credibility, how could there possibly be a 22-year-old Celestial Martial Saint in the world?"

After thinking for a moment, Bai Qingming found a piece of yellow paper and started drawing on it. Finally, he drew a circle on the spot where the late empress was written and connected it with Mu An's name with an arrow.

After a brainstorming session, Bai Qingming felt he had guessed the truth of the matter.

This man named Mu An was probably one of the Empress's men, hiding his identity in Qing'an County. Now that the Third Prince wants to seize the throne, he has come out of seclusion again.

No, even the name Mu An should be fake; his real name should be Mu Ping.

This person must have achieved the status of a Celestial Martial Saint while living in seclusion, then faked his death to escape and reappeared before the world as a young man.

Thinking about it this way, the late Empress may have left the Third Prince and Princess Yongning with more than just this one Martial Saint.

Bai Qingming felt a sudden clarity in his mind, as if divinely aided, connecting all the clues and seeing the truth behind the matter.

A slight smile played on his lips, as if he were the only one sober in a world of drunks.

"Uncle Fu, have someone secretly prepare a few fine horses. You stay with me these days, and I'll test the waters first. If things don't look good, we'll retreat to the southern border immediately."

"Is the young master in trouble?"

"Don't ask too many questions. I think I've been targeted by the Martial Saint. The people from Princess Yongning's side are obviously not right. Their strength should not be underestimated."

King Wei is arrogant and conceited, and most of his forces in the capital are not considered loyal. If things go smoothly, there will be no major problems.

However, the Second Prince, Prince Qin, and the Ninth Prince, Prince Qi, are not to be underestimated. Now, with the addition of the mysterious Princess Yongning, Prince Wei is likely to be the first to be eliminated.

This is the capital, not the southern border. You're the only Martial Saint by my side; there's no guarantee we won't fall into a trap. It's best to make plans as soon as possible.

"Please be careful, young master, and do not put yourself in danger. The Marquis has no intention of involving you in this power struggle."

You should always remember that the million soldiers in the southern borderlands are the greatest source of strength for the Bai family.

……

On the other side, Mu An walked down the bustling street with his hands in his pockets.

The lanterns overhead swayed in the evening breeze, their orange glow flickering in the night sky, adding a touch of warmth to the winter day.

He would sometimes buy some snacks, and sometimes stop in front of the jugglers, walking and stopping to enjoy the sights along the way.

The strolling figure eventually stopped in front of a jewelry store, where it examined the jewelry for a long time.

"Young master, are you buying jewelry for the girl you admire?"

Mu An smiled and shook his head, gesturing with his hands to describe his needs.

"Two elders and a little girl, so give the elders something more dignified and the little girl something more fun."

The jewelry store owner was slightly taken aback, then smiled. She carefully selected a pendant and two bracelets after a while.

"People like you, young master, who are so filial to their elders and dote on their little sister, are truly rare these days."

Mu An smiled, offered no explanation, and simply handed over the silver.

At the very instant the silver was exchanged, Mu An tapped the proprietress's hand three times with a speed imperceptible to ordinary people.

The proprietress's eyes showed a moment of surprise, which she quickly suppressed. She held the silver in both hands and smiled at Mu An.

"I feel a certain connection with you, young master. I'll take this opportunity to give you a small trinket as a gift for your little sister."

As she spoke, the proprietress picked up a small cat made of green jade and handed it to Mu An with both hands.

Mu An smiled and accepted it, thanked her, then turned around and disappeared into the end of the lights.

In the dim light of the lantern, the proprietress glanced at the silver ingots out of the corner of her eye.

A line of small print caught her eye.

"The intelligence is wrong. If the Marquis of Zhennan's heir dies, then the southern border will surely rebel."

……

"Even the lotus cannot compare to a beauty's makeup; the breeze from the water pavilion carries the fragrance of pearls and jade."

"Clouds remind me of her clothes, flowers of her face; the spring breeze caresses the balustrade, the dew is heavy."

"A single glance back and a smile could launch a thousand ships, leaving all the beauties of the imperial harem pale in comparison."

Second Ring Road, Cui Mansion.

The winding stream flows through the area, shaded by green bamboo, and you continue along the cobblestone path.

After walking several hundred steps and passing through a small bamboo grove, the view suddenly opens up, and a small pavilion stands at the end of the road.