Chapter 110

Chapter 111: Guards After leaving the private room, the black-clad agent turned and hurried out of the inn. He moved swiftly through the crowd until his figure vanished from sight. Suddenly, he appeared around another corner of the inn and, using his lightness skill, leaped into a private room with an open window. Sitting inside that room was none other than Chu Chaoci, the Sovereign of Ye Kingdom! Chu Chaoci should have already returned to his own country, yet now, while Ling Jiayue and Mu Yuheng were away on campaign, he had actually appeared in Dayi. Clearly, he was harboring ulterior motives. Once inside the private room, the black-clad agent removed the black cloth covering his face, revealing a proper, dignified face. He respectfully bowed to Chu Chaoci. “This subordinate pays his respects to Your Majesty.” “Enough. Rise. My room is close to Mu Yuyang’s, so keep your voice down and don’t alert him.” Chu Chaoci gave the order in a low voice. The black-clad agent respectfully bowed again, then quietly rose and stood at Chu Chaoci’s side, silently listening to the movements from the adjoining room. Only after Mu Yuyang angrily smashed a teacup and stormed away did Chu Chaoci reveal a satisfied smile. The black-clad agent said, “Your Majesty, this Third Prince of Dayi, Mu Yuyang, is truly an excellent weapon. If we make good use of him and plan carefully, we can take all of Dayi into our hands.” “You’re quite clever, aren’t you? Don’t you know that General Luo of Dayi has gone to Jiangnan to train troops? For now, we must use Mu Yuyang to keep General Luo in check and plunge Dayi into internal turmoil first. Only then will we be able to turn Dayi into our own possession.” Chu Chaoci narrowed his eyes as he schemed. “Your Majesty, you mean…” the black-clad agent pressed. “First, send a team of secret guards. Ideally, they will be able to kill General Luo. If they fail, frame the Crown Prince for it. As for how to set him up, surely you don’t need me to teach you. As for Mu Yuyang, keep coaxing him properly and have him cause trouble for General Luo and the Crown Prince at every turn. The more chaotic Dayi becomes, the more advantageous it will be for us.” Chu Chaoci carefully laid out his plan as he toyed with the fan in his hand, as though he were playing with the entire realm of Dayi. If Chu Chaoci were allowed to continue scheming against Dayi like this, the kingdom would likely be not far from falling apart. “Your Majesty, what about our alliance with the Sheyu Kingdom?” the black-clad agent asked again. “As for the Sheyu Kingdom, we have already reached an agreement with them. They will raise their army and attack Dayi’s Northwest, while we take advantage of Dayi’s border crisis to disrupt its internal affairs. This time, we must seize Dayi and divide it equally with the Sheyu Kingdom.” Chu Chaoci’s voice was cold. “Your Majesty is wise,” the black-clad agent flattered him. Chu Chaoci paid no attention to the flattery and merely drank his tea in silence. At this moment, Chu Chaoci was the truly cold-blooded emperor—merciless and decisive in killing. It turned out that the reason this war had broken out was that Chu Chaoci had been manipulating everything from behind the scenes. The depth of his schemes was unimaginable. His thoughts were so treacherous that he had managed to incite war among three kingdoms, all for the sake of his ambitions. It was likely that what he truly wanted was far more than half of Dayi. Yet Chu Chaoci was thinking to himself: What if Ling Jiayue died on the battlefield? The more he looked at Ling Jiayue, the more familiar she seemed. When he imagined Ling Jiayue dying, he felt as though he had returned to the moment when she had leaped from the city tower. The pain was overwhelming. It seemed he would have to write a letter to the Sheyu Kingdom, warning them under no circumstances to harm Ling Jiayue. It would be best if they captured her alive and sent her back to him. That would be ideal. Chu Chaoci put down his teacup and gave the black-clad agent a meaningful look. The black-clad agent immediately understood. He went to order the secret guards to assassinate General Luo, changing their clothing and weapons to those used by the Crown Prince’s guards. Then he sent word to Mu Yuyang, instructing him to play his part in the imperial court. After arranging everything, the black-clad agent returned to report to Chu Chaoci. Chu Chaoci gave a few faint nods, then rose and said, “We’ve been out traveling for quite some time. It’s time to return. Otherwise, those old fossils in court will complain again that I’m neglecting state affairs.” The black-clad agent said, “Your Majesty, didn’t you leave General Murong in the capital? General Murong has always handled affairs in an orderly manner, and he is utterly loyal to you. You truly needn’t worry so much. Even if you spend a little more time traveling, it will do no harm.” After hearing this, Chu Chaoci merely gave a cold laugh. “Yes. We still have General Murong.” Hearing the displeasure in Chu Chaoci’s tone, the black-clad agent did not dare say anything more. He quietly fell silent. He could not help thinking that Chu Chaoci truly possessed the mind of an emperor and trusted no one. It seemed that even General Murong was no longer trustworthy in Chu Chaoci’s eyes. After rising, Chu Chaoci boarded the carriage back to his country. The black-clad agent did not dare delay and followed close behind. The two of them traveled all the way to the border between Dayi and the Ye Kingdom. There, Chu Chaoci instructed the black-clad agent, “You go back. Mu Yuyang needs someone to supervise him at all times. This matter will be entrusted to you.” “I will not fail Your Majesty’s trust. This subordinate will certainly complete the task Your Majesty has given me,” the black-clad agent declared confidently. Chu Chaoci then departed in his carriage. After watching him leave, the black-clad agent flew back toward the city. Once there, he rented a house near the Third Prince’s Residence so that he could monitor Mu Yuyang in the future. At the same time, Third Prince Mu Yuyang received the letter sent at Chu Chaoci’s instruction. He opened it and quickly skimmed through it before saying excitedly, “The Sovereign of Ye Kingdom truly shares the same ideas as this prince. I have actually found myself such an excellent ally.” After reading the letter, Mu Yuyang hurriedly burned it. After all, being discovered to have colluded with the enemy and betrayed the nation was a grave crime. The guard serving at his side, however, had furrowed his brows deeply. Mu Yuyang was becoming more and more deranged. If he continued following Mu Yuyang, sooner or later he would die alongside him. Mu Yuyang had not yet noticed the guard’s thoughts. He continued to revel in his good mood and said to him, “Go open a jar of fine wine. This prince is going to get thoroughly drunk today. Bring all the singers and dancers I keep here as well. They can entertain this prince properly.” “Yes, master.” The guard went to make the arrangements as ordered. But seeing Mu Yuyang in this state, he felt that if he did not do something soon, the people of Dayi would all suffer because of him. That night, Third Prince Mu Yuyang indulged in song and dance at his residence, drinking until he was completely drunk. Taking advantage of the Third Prince’s drunken state, the guard quietly slipped out of the Third Prince’s Residence. With night blanketing the surroundings and no one in sight, he flew toward the Crown Prince’s Residence.