Chapter 114: Planning a Rebellion

Inside the secret chamber.

Ren Ye slowly got up, a hint of confusion on his face. “This is strange… They’re telling me to seize power, but there’s no mention of a reward, nor is there a main quest.”

“That’s just how Star Gate works.” Tang Feng pouted. “The more important the mission, the less they’ll spell it out—like a ritual sacrifice, you have to figure out the details yourself. But I do think the term ‘seizing power’ is quite heavy… This is going to be big.”

“Yeah.”

Ren Ye nodded and immediately called upon the Human Emperor Sword with his mind.

Whoosh!

A stream of radiant light flashed, and the Human Emperor Sword suddenly appeared in his right hand.

“Just as I thought.”

Seeing this, Ren Ye grinned and joked, “After drinking half a pot of this fortune energy, I can finally lift it.”

The sword spirit had scolded him before, telling him to figure out why he couldn’t wield the sword. Now, the answer was clear—it was simply because he hadn’t accumulated enough fortune energy.

After a quick test, Ren Ye called out to the others, “Time is tight, and the task is heavy. Let’s head back to the prince’s chambers and discuss our plan.”

“Alright.”

“Let’s go.”

The two nodded and followed Ren Ye out of the secret chamber.

…

Two quarters of an hour later, Prince Huai’s residence.

Ren Ye, Tang Feng, Imperial Inspector Liu, Lian’er, and Second Fool were all gathered.

Seated on a tall wooden chair, Ren Ye’s expression was serious as he looked at Lian’er. “Any updates?”

Lian’er shook her head slightly. “Her Highness the Princess, as well as Chief Historian Li, have not returned to their residences.”

Ren Ye frowned and turned to Second Fool. “What about your side?”

“I had my men conduct a detailed investigation.” Second Fool clasped his fists and reported, “The commander of the Secret Intelligence Division—Wu Asi; Left Thousand-Household of the Qingzhou Guard—Zhao Shen, along with his wife Madam Chang; the widow Xu from the women’s quarters; the horsekeeper Yang Fu; and Chief Historian Li Yan… All of them disappeared around the same time as you and haven’t returned in the past few days.”

Hearing this, Ren Ye and Tang Feng did some quick calculations in their minds.

These six, plus the two of them, the Princess, and Imperial Inspector Liu, made exactly ten people. Their disappearances happened around the same time, and none had returned in days—this strongly suggested that they were all players.

However, one person had yet to reveal themselves.

Ren Ye looked up and asked, “Is there a scholar-like figure in the prince’s residence who has also disappeared?”

“My men haven’t found any such person,” Second Fool shook his head.

Damn, that scholar from the tomb is hiding real deep… But thinking it over carefully, if Second Fool couldn’t find him, it meant his status in the residence wasn’t high. He kept a low profile, so no one paid attention to his disappearance.

For now, Ren Ye decided to set that matter aside.

Looking at the two men and two women in front of him, he felt a headache coming on. This small group, plus a handful of palace maids and eunuchs outside, was all the manpower he could command. And yet, his opponent was the entire Qingliang Prefecture’s power structure.

They expected him to seize power with just this lineup?

Was this some kind of joke?!

Feeling troubled, Ren Ye rubbed his forehead with his left hand. “Our strength isn’t enough… If we’re going to do this, we need to be smart about it.”

Tang Feng agreed. “I’ve done a simple analysis of Qingliang Prefecture’s power structure. It mainly consists of two major sectors: administration and military. The military is centered around the Qingzhou Guard and the Secret Intelligence Division, while the administrative side is controlled by the Secretariat Office and the Qingliang Prefecture Prefect’s Office.

From the information we’ve gathered, Left Thousand-Household Zhao Shen and Secret Intelligence Division commander Wu Asi, as well as Li Yan, are likely all ‘foreign players.’ We can’t be sure if they’re dead or alive at the moment.

So, the best approach is to target the prefect’s office. Seize the leader to control the subordinates. If we capture the Qingliang Prefecture Prefect, we gain control of the situation.”

Ren Ye glanced at him. “You’re suggesting I send someone to invite him to the prince’s residence and assassinate him?”

“With the prince’s summons, he’ll have to come to discuss official matters,” Tang Feng nodded. “Once we control him, the entire administrative structure collapses. We could also use him to mobilize the government troops, giving us leverage to strike back.”

“Heh!”

At that moment, an unexpected sneer rang out.

The five of them froze momentarily. Ren Ye turned to look at Imperial Inspector Liu. “We’re discussing serious matters—what are you laughing at?”

Imperial Inspector Liu looked utterly baffled. “I didn’t laugh.”

“If you keep messing around, I’ll have you thrown out,” Tang Feng snapped.

“What the hell is wrong with you two?” Imperial Inspector Liu looked around in confusion. “I swear, I didn’t laugh!”

“Heh!”

Before his words even faded, another sneer echoed in the hall.

The five of them instinctively huddled together, exchanging glances. No one had seen anyone laughing.

A strange unease spread through the room. Imperial Inspector Liu felt a chill crawl up his neck as he cautiously glanced at the vast, empty hall. “Your royal grandfather… didn’t follow us here, did he?”

“Move aside, and stop stepping on my foot.”

A voice suddenly sounded right beside Imperial Inspector Liu, making him jump back two steps in fright.

However, upon hearing that familiar voice, both Ren Ye and Tang Feng visibly relaxed.

From the shadow of a massive pillar, a faint spirit form slowly materialized. He looked to be in terrible shape, but his demeanor still carried an air of superiority. “It seems… you all are in desperate need of my wisdom.”

Everyone turned toward the apparition. When they got a good look at him, they immediately recognized him—Chief Historian Li Yan.

“Shit! Old Li, you’re not dead?!” Imperial Inspector Liu exclaimed in shock, then sighed dramatically. “What an unfortunate disappointment.”

“Swish!”

The moment Second Fool saw Li Yan, his instincts kicked in—he reached for his blade and roared, “You treacherous minister! I’ll cut you down!”

“No need! No need!” Ren Ye quickly raised his hand to stop him. “Lord Li is one of us.”

Second Fool froze, his face full of disbelief. “He… he’s one of us?”

“That’s right.”

“The top lackey of the imperial court is one of us? The Imperial Inspector of the Secretariat Office, whose job is to monitor vassal princes, is also one of us? Then… who exactly are we fighting against?!” Second Fool struggled to process this revelation.

“Stand down for now,” Ren Ye chuckled as he got up and walked toward Li Yan with small, deliberate steps. “How long have you been here?”

“I arrived the moment you three stepped out of the secret chamber,” Li Yan replied, his spirit lingering in the shadows, seemingly reluctant to leave their cover.

“Then why didn’t you show yourself earlier?” Imperial Inspector Liu asked.

“Because a true strategist only makes an appearance at the crucial moment—to turn the tide.”

“…Damn, he’s even more pretentious than me,” Imperial Inspector Liu muttered, rolling his eyes.

“Enough. We need your wisdom,” Tang Feng urged.

Li Yan blinked from within the shadows and said, “We must seize power—this could be the key to accumulating strength for the final battle. Tang Feng’s analysis of the power structure was very precise, but expecting Feng Xing, the Prefect of Qingliang Prefecture, to willingly come to the prince’s residence for a meeting? That’s unlikely. He’s not an idiot. The news of the Prince Huai faction passing through the Princess’s Tomb will spread quickly. The moment you start making moves, they will too. It’s too sensitive a situation—why would he walk into certain death?”

Ren Ye nodded in agreement. “Exactly. I don’t think he’d come either.”

“Our forces are weak, so the idea of capturing the leader to break the resistance is correct,” Li Yan mused for a moment before laying his cards on the table. “My Identity Tag is Dark Agent, and my trait is Soul Form—you’ve already seen my supernatural ability, Ink World. But aside from that, I have another trump card…”

“What is it?!” Ren Ye asked urgently.

Li Yan’s voice dropped to a whisper. “The Royal Protection Decree—a contingency left behind by the late Prince Huai when he recruited me. Or rather, it was prepared specifically for you.”

He continued, “In the event of a life-or-death crisis for the young prince, I can reveal the Royal Protection Decree and summon three hundred hidden warriors scattered across Qingliang Prefecture.”

“Say no more—long live Dad!” Ren Ye excitedly pumped his fist. “So, do all three hundred men have supernatural abilities?”

Li Yan rolled his eyes. “If they all had supernatural abilities, why bother with Qingliang Prefecture? Wouldn’t it be better to just invade the moon?”

“…Fair point.”

“They’re all ordinary people—veteran soldiers who once fought alongside your father or their descendants. But their combat strength shouldn’t be an issue.” Li Yan thought for a moment. “First, we need to seize military power. Without control over the armed forces, all plans are meaningless—we’d be overturned in an instant.”

Ren Ye pondered. “You’re definitely the key figure of the court faction. Besides you, is Governer Feng Xing the banner-holder? Or is it the acting commander of the Qingzhou Guard?”

“Feng Xing is leading the charge. If my identity is exposed, the court faction will certainly rally around him, with the acting commander of the Qingzhou Guard and the leader of the Secret Intelligence Division as secondary pillars.” Li Yan frowned. “As soon as the court faction members leave the tomb, the news of you accessing the Princess’s Tomb will spread instantly. If nothing unexpected happens, they should already be gathering for an emergency meeting.”

Ren Ye hesitated for a long time before asking, “How long would it take for the Qingzhou Guard to mobilize their forces?”

“The five divisions of Qingzhou are stationed around the city. To assemble them all within a day is impossible.” Li Yan paused. “The main camp consists of only one division, roughly a thousand men, but even three hundred will be tough to handle.”

“We need to strike fast, and we can’t afford reckless action.” Ren Ye deliberated before making a firm decision. “It will be difficult to control the acting commander of the Qingzhou Guard—his family is likely in a secure location, and he might already be at Feng Xing’s residence, strategizing against us. But if we can’t get him, we can go after his subordinates instead. Our three hundred men are an elite strike force—I think we should proceed like this: The Secret Intelligence Division is small and easier to control… You take Second Fool, Imperial Inspector Liu, and Tang Feng, and start there.”

His thinking was clear and his instructions concise. He quickly outlined his plan.

After listening, Li Yan frowned. “The general idea is sound, but what will you be doing?”

“I’ll continue playing the role of a hedonistic noble and go alone to Qingliang Prefecture to meet Feng Xing.” Ren Ye clasped his hands behind his back as he spoke.

“Are you insane?!” Imperial Inspector Liu widened his eyes and shouted, “He’s literally figuring out how to kill you right now!”

“If you were in charge, I definitely wouldn’t dare go.” Ren Ye looked at him. “But since it’s an old politician, I might be able to maneuver a bit.”

“…You’re mocking me.” Imperial Inspector Liu immediately caught his meaning.

“This is definitely risky.” Li Yan furrowed his brows at Ren Ye. “Feels a bit like a one-for-one trade. Are you sure about this?”

Ren Ye carefully weighed the risks. “The longer we delay, the more stable the court faction becomes. Damn it, since ancient times, who could say they had a hundred percent certainty in seizing power?! All in, we go all in. With three hundred brave warriors, we can overturn the heavens and change the sun and moon!”

“Then let’s do it!” Li Yan, surprisingly, did not try to dissuade him further.

…

Qingliang Prefecture’s Yamen.

Feng Xing sat in his high-backed chair, his brows tightly furrowed.

Beside him, a scholar in long robes quietly asked, “Wu Asi of the Secret Intelligence Division has not returned. Neither has the Left Guard Thousand-Household of the Qingzhou Guard… The situation in Qingliang Prefecture is quite delicate. My lord, should you perhaps… speak with Prince Huai first? Leave yourself an escape route?”

Feng Xing cast him a cold glance. “Who holds the greater power—the imperial court or Prince Huai?”

The scholar was silent.

“If I go to negotiate with Prince Huai, and word reaches the capital, wouldn’t I become a cowardly turtle retracting its head at a critical moment?” Feng Xing stood up proudly. “That spoiled brat has neither military power nor loyal followers—why should I fear him? As soon as the secret order arrives and the troops are gathered, he’ll be a caged bird, trapped within my grasp, left for my amusement and disposal.”