Suddenly, such an event occurred.

Amid the astonished atmosphere of the court, Wen Yuesheng looked at the guards who had just rushed into the hall after finally reacting. Her voice was cold as she ordered:

“Drag him out.”

The guards finally snapped out of their daze and hurriedly stepped forward to clean up the mess.

During this early morning assembly, someone had actually managed to bring a weapon into the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

All the guards on duty that day were bound to face accountability. The commander of the Imperial Guards knelt in the hall, his expression exceptionally grim.

Fortunately, Wen Yuesheng herself had not been harmed. Had anything happened to her, none of them could have escaped punishment.

Amid the chaos, Wen Yuesheng calmly wiped her hands with a silk handkerchief.

Her composed demeanor from start to finish drew countless gazes.

It was no secret that she was skilled in martial arts, but to ordinary people, knowing martial arts and being capable of killing were entirely different matters. Moreover, in the general perception, a woman faced with such a scene would be panicked and helpless.

But Wen Yuesheng’s decisive calmness, and her unhesitating act of counter-killing, went far beyond the comprehension of many ministers in the hall.

Even though the situation was under control, many still looked at her with eyes full of disbelief and uncertainty.

On the throne, the Emperor’s gaze deepened as he looked at Wen Yuesheng. He remained silent for a long time.

Standing among the ranks of officials below, Yan Ling, whose expression was perpetually indifferent, raised his head as most around him kept their eyes on Wen Yuesheng. His cold and frosty eyes settled on the Emperor.

His gaze passed through the countless ministers, guards, and palace attendants in the hall.

His eyes were as cold and oppressive as frost.

In the next moment, the Emperor seemed to sense something and turned his gaze.

But all he saw were the tense expressions of several officials.

The morning assembly ended amidst chaos.

The Marquis of Wu’an, who had carried a weapon into the hall and attempted an assassination, was not only executed but also implicated his entire faction. All his supporters were thoroughly purged.

The failure of the Imperial Guards led to the dismissal of two commanders.

But what drew the most attention was the fact that the Marquis of Wu’an had attempted to assassinate Princess Si Ning, only to be counter-killed by her in a completely unexpected move.

The incident caused a storm throughout the city.

Such events, whether an assassination in court or a counter-kill, had not occurred in decades.

Especially given that Princess Si Ning, who had recently gained widespread fame, had made her first public move by counter-killing. Combined with her severe measures against corrupt officials, she left the court’s civil and military officials deeply unsettled.

After the death of the Marquis of Wu’an, the voices that had persistently targeted Wen Yuesheng finally quieted down, at least temporarily.

But while the surface seemed calm, undercurrents grew ever more turbulent in private.

---

A few days later, in the afternoon, Prince Jingkang entered the palace for an audience with the Emperor.

The grand military review was imminent. With the Crown Prince(Prince Heng Guang) deposed, the command of the Imperial Guards previously under his authority had been transferred to Prince Jingkang.

He came to the palace that day to report on the arrangements for the review.

Upon entering the palace, he was informed that the Emperor was neither in the Imperial Study nor the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

A palace attendant led him to the Imperial Garden.

The surroundings were tranquil. The Emperor had a game of chess set up in a pavilion—not the usual black-and-white Go, but Chinese chess.

“Come, sit,” the Emperor said when he saw Prince Jingkang.

Prince Jingkang sat down, only to notice that the chessboard had already been played to completion. The Emperor was inviting him not to play but to observe the game.

The position he sat in was for the black pieces, while the Emperor held the red pieces.

At a glance, the chessboard was dominated by the black pieces, densely packed and fierce, forming a relentless and oppressive formation.

The black pieces gave the impression of dark clouds pressing down on a city, suffocating and foreboding.

In contrast, the red pieces controlled by the Emperor were scattered and chaotic, lacking even the basic semblance of a formation.

Yet, just as Prince Jingkang sat down, the Emperor held a single red “General” piece in his hand.

The vibrant, striking character for “General” on the piece seemed even more dazzling and prominent than the surrounding red pieces.

“Click!” The emperor placed the brilliant red chess piece through the barrage of attacks, landing it decisively atop the black king.

King Jingkang raised his gaze, letting it settle on that striking red chess piece.

After a brief pause, he remarked, “This chess piece has edges too sharp. If allowed to grow unchecked…”

He hesitated but continued, “…it could grow overly powerful and uncontrollable. At that time, its harm to me would be insignificant, but if it were to affect you, Father, or even…”

Though he stopped speaking, the meaning behind his words was clear.

Not only did the emperor understand, but even Gao Quan, standing behind the emperor, was keenly aware of the implications.

Gao Quan felt a chill in his heart. Recently, the abilities and tactics displayed by Princess Si Ning had exceeded everyone’s expectations.

And among those “everyone,” the emperor was no exception.

The Great Hui’s current situation was not built overnight.

The emperor, having reigned for less than two decades, inherited deeply entrenched issues and external threats.

Over the years, he had sought to eliminate corruption but struggled to make headway.

Perhaps many years ago, he had taken decisive action, but the result was the resurgence of the deposed crown prince, who rallied a massive rebel force and plunged the empire into chaos.

Gao Quan himself wasn’t sure how far Princess Si Ning could go, but her recent actions were already unmatched by ordinary individuals.

There was one thing, however, that stood out.

Gao Quan raised his eyes to glance at the emperor’s back… The emperor had always been wary of subordinates gaining too much power. The princess was different from Yan Daren in that regard.

After all, the emperor’s mentality was clear: no one could be allowed to snore beside the dragon’s bed.

The emperor lifted his gaze, glancing briefly at King Jingkang, and said coldly, “Si Ning is a woman.”

Unlike his ambitious sons.

Prince Jingkang fell silent for a moment before speaking. “Until now, I never imagined a woman could wield such thunderous tactics, let alone defeat Marquis Wu’an, turning the tables on him.”

“I remember when Marquis Wu’an began, he was merely an exceptionally skilled warrior.”

The royal garden offered a perfect view. King Jingkang looked up briefly, easily spotting the palace where Princess Fu Rui resided.

He spoke gravely, “That incident during the morning court the other day reminded me of something.”

“Back when Si Ning was ambushed on her way to inspect the northern garrison, she had only a maid and a driver with her. Yet the thirty to forty assassins sent after her were completely annihilated.”

“At first, people said Si Ning had a capable protector by her side. But judging by that day’s events, those assassins were likely not killed by anyone other than Si Ning herself.”

He tapped the table lightly with his fingers. “Apart from this, there’s another question I’ve been pondering.”

The emperor’s expression darkened as silence fell over the garden. In that heart-palpitating quiet, King Jingkang spoke steadily, “Since the case of Sun Mingyuan, I’ve been curious about something.”

“How did Si Ning, a mere woman who only recently took power, uncover so much evidence about court officials’ collusion and scandals?”

He paused deliberately.

Since the fall of the eldest prince, everyone avoided mentioning him before the emperor. But King Jingkang was different.

He continued candidly, “The affairs in my eldest brother’s household, involving people like the Cao family, were so well-hidden that even we brothers, who hold official positions, were unaware.”

“I cannot help but wonder: how did Si Ning obtain so much information?”

Gao Quan’s heart skipped a beat.

He stole a cautious glance at Prince Jingkang.

For years, the most prominent figures in the imperial succession struggle were the eldest prince and Prince Yong’an. Prince Jingkang, plagued by illness, had been recuperating in his residence, barely participating.

After the Liang family fell, many people even forgot about him entirely.

Yet Prince Jingkang had now added fuel to the fire at a time when the emperor was already growing wary of Princess Si Ning.

Moreover, his understanding of the emperor seemed no less profound than Gao Quan’s.

His words hit directly at the emperor’s greatest fear.

The emperor loathed officials and princes forming factions. If it turned out that someone in court was secretly aiding Princess Si Ning and providing her with such extensive intelligence…

Even the thought sent shivers down Gao Quan’s spine.

The royal garden plunged into dead silence.

The emperor said nothing, his gaze fixed on the red chess piece.

“The people of Great Hui must serve Great Hui,” the emperor said, his tone devoid of emotion. “But if one day they harbor rebellious intentions…”

He raised his hand and flicked the red chess piece off the board.

“Crash!”

The piece hit the ground with a loud crack.

“That will be the day they meet their demise.”

At this, the expressions of everyone present—whether the servants behind the emperor or Prince Jingkang—shifted slightly.

Prince Jingkang stared at the chess piece lying in the dirt for a long moment, his eyes flickering. At last, he said, “I’ve spoken out of turn.”

The emperor raised a hand, instructing Gao Quan to clear the chessboard and prepare for another game with King Jingkang.

Before that could happen, however, a servant announced Yan Ling’s arrival.

At the news, Prince Jingkang’s expression changed. Rising to his feet, he said, “I will take my leave.”

Though he had yet to report what he came for, hearing Yan Ling’s arrival prompted his swift departure.

Gao Quan hesitated briefly before instructing a servant to escort Prince Jingkang out. Watching him avoid the main gate and leave via a side path, Gao Quan felt a pang of uncertainty.

He recalled a rumor from the capital.

After Yan Ling came to power, many factions sought to win him over—be it the eldest prince, Prince Weiyang, or even Prince Yong’an.

Prince Jingkang, however, had remained conspicuously inactive.

It wasn’t that Gao Quan believed King Jingkang lacked ambition. Today’s conversation alone proved otherwise.

But why he behaved this way remained a mystery.

Perhaps, Gao Quan thought, it was due to the lessons learned from the eldest prince’s downfall.

As he pondered, Yan Ling entered the royal garden.

The October air had grown chilly.

Dressed in a black robe, Yan Ling walked briskly, his jade-like features striking against the autumn backdrop.

As the emperor watched him approach, his thoughts lingered on King Jingkang’s earlier words.

How interesting, the emperor mused. Yan Ling, who had grown up practically under his watchful eye, had never shown much interest in anyone—until now.

And the one person who caught his attention was none other than Si Ning.