Chapter 1219 - 317: Tempest Before Piaomiao Peak, Schemes Within Gusu City

The evening was like ink, gradually permeating the flying eaves and brackets of the Forbidden City in the Capital.

Frost crystallized on the glazed tiles gleamed coldly in the setting sun, as if reflecting the Emperor’s sinister intent to kill.

Inside the Yangxin Hall, confidential reports scattered across the dragon-pattern desk like autumn leaves, the vermillion ink still drying under the flickering candlelight, resembling coagulated bloodstains.

"Rebellion! What rebellion!" The Emperor’s yellow dragon robe swept past the dragon pillar in anger, he slammed the secret report onto the desk.

The jade paperweight crashed with a piercing sound, startling the copper bells under the eaves into a jingling chorus, "Jianghu renegades dare to undermine the court’s dignity on Mount Song, treating the Great Ming Code as child’s play? Summon the cabinet, if they can’t come up with a solution within three days, they’re all dismissed and investigated!"

His voice was like thunder, shaking the eunuchs and palace maids in the hall to their knees, not daring to breathe.

In Wenhua Hall, the air was filled with the fragrance of incense.

Chief Minister Zhou Yanru, wearing a crane-adorned official attire, twiddled his goat’s beard, his gaze sweeping over the kneeling Jinyi Guard Commander Lu Bing like a hawk.

The shadows cast by the candlelight on his face flickered, revealing a touch of old cunning: "Lord Lu, that Shi Feiyang raised his arm and rallied the heroes of Jianghu in response. If the Imperial Court forcibly deploys troops, it might trigger a rebellion, repeating the White Lotus Sect’s fiasco. Does Lord Lu have a clever plan?"

The golden threads on Lu Bing’s python robe shimmered like coiled serpents under the candlelight.

He kowtowed heavily, his voice as cold as a poisoned silver needle: "Your Majesty is wise, and Lord Zhou is absolutely right. I believe we can emulate the Han era’s ’Edict of Propagation’. The Heroic Sakura Association rises on chivalry; the court might as well bestow Shi Feiyang the title of Marquis Zhen Nan, and appoint his subordinates Liao Pei, Xie Wen, and others as Assistant Generals and Guerrillas. On the surface it appears as the Emperor’s grand favor, but in reality, it divides and dissolves their forces. This way, Shi Feiyang’s followers will surely harbor grievances among themselves."

Zhou Yanru clapped in laughter, the jade ring in his sleeve clashing with a melodious sound: "Marvelous! Marvelous! Additionally, under the pretext of suppressing bandits, command Shi Feiyang to lead his troops to Yunnan to jointly manage the border with the Mu Royal Mansion. The Mu Family has been guarding Yunnan for generations, deeply rooted, surely they won’t let Shi Feiyang grow too strong? That’s called the dredger catching the clams while the Imperial Court collects the profits!" Saying this, the two exchanged a knowing smile, their eyes filled with calculation.

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Study, the atmosphere was increasingly grave.

The Emperor stood with his hands behind his back, staring intently at Bozhou’s location on the map, his gaze like a torch.

The close eunuch Wang Cheng’en held a secret letter, reporting softly: "Your Majesty, according to the Eastern Depot’s secret report, the Five Poison Sect has been frequently interacting with the Miaojiang Tusi lately, seeming to have intentions of forming an alliance. This old slave fears, could it be that the Five Poison Sect and Shi Feiyang..."

"Silence!" The Emperor grabbed the cinnabar pen and harshly circled a region on the map, the ink seeping into the silk like an alarming scar, "Instruct Guo Dunyi to secretly contact the local powers surrounding Bozhou, offering the benefit of hereditary succession, urging them to establish village militias. Should Shi Feiyang make any move, cut off his grain supply immediately! I really want to see how, without supplies, Shi Feiyang intends to resist the court!"

At the same time, above the noon gate, a silent espionage battle was unfolding.

The snow falcon trained by Xie Wen spread its wings, its feathers as white as snow, tracing an elegant arc in the dusk.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Depot’s homing pigeon cut through the clouds like black arrow shafts. The snow falcon locked its sharp eyes on the pigeon, suddenly diving down, its talons like hooks; the pigeon, however, refused to be outdone, dodging agilely, its wings flapping in the air, producing a "fluttering" sound.

In the flurry of feathers, the snow falcon and pigeon contended in the sky, this aerial duel, a reflection of the struggle between the Imperial Court and Jianghu forces.

Outside the Yangxin Hall, the north wind howled, sweeping up a ground of dead leaves.

This conspiracy unfolding within the Forbidden City, much like the biting cold wind, spread quietly, a greater storm seems brewing on the horizon. The entangled grievances between the court and Jianghu will grow more intense as these strategies unfold.

Meanwhile, far in Jianghu, Shi Feiyang remains unaware that he has already fallen into the trap woven meticulously by the court, what fate awaits him?

Winter in Gusu City was steeped in ink-like mist, the thin ice on the Moat reflecting the gray-blue city walls, resembling an unfinished painting.

The Seven Mile Shantang River meandered like a ribbon, a few dried sycamore leaves floating on the water, swirling with the dark currents as if unable to carry the city’s burdens. The willows along the banks trembled gently in the cold wind, occasionally a sparrow would dart by, startling a burst of sunshine as bright as scattered gold.

Deep in the alley paved with bluestone slabs, the vast Shi Mansion had its vermillion gates half open, the brass door ring adorned with delicate frost flowers.

In the garden, the Taihu Stone loomed sharply like a tiger, a pool of wilted lotus covered in thin snow, resembling a freeform painting casually splashed by some literati. The cold wind swept through the Nine-Curves Corridor, the bell under the eaves emitting a clear sound, mingling with the distant storytelling tunes, adding to the unique charm of Jiangnan.

Shi Feiyang stood with his hands behind his back by the study window, his moon-white robe swaying gently in the wind.

The icy blue True Qi swirling at his fingertips was forming fine frost flowers on the edge of the secret letter on the desk, strands of cold seeped along the letter’s texture, as if intending to freeze this pressure from the court.

"Grand Squad Leader!" Xie Wen rushed in, his dark outfit soaked with morning dew, the secret report in his hand crumpled from gripping.

As he unfolded the sheepskin scroll, his always composed expression suddenly changed, "The court has set up twelve military forts along the key routes of Yun Gui, all under the Mu Royal Mansion’s command. Guo Dunyi’s secretly funded ’Iron Saber Association’ has opened three martial arts schools in Bozhou, recruiting over a thousand disciples!"

Lan Xiaodie leaned against the carved doorframe, the golden bells on her wrist jingling softly. Colorful Gu insects unique to the Five Poison Sect crawled slowly along her pale fingertips, glimmering eerily in the candlelight: "Our insider reports urgently, that old dog Lu Bing is recruiting Western Regions illusionists everywhere, even offering ten thousand taels of gold to purchase the ’Heart-devouring Gu’. These measures, surely aimed to strike at the root of us."