The old man glanced over a few more times, then suddenly reached out and whistled, instantly a white dove descended from the sky, landing right on his wrist.

"The signs of the Great Tang’s decline have appeared, and this world is about to become chaotic." The old man stroked the dove’s back, took a yellow turban from his bosom, tied it to the dove’s leg, and then released it, allowing it to quickly soar into the sky.

...

In the western Shu Prefecture, the land of Shu is mountainous and full of valleys, with extremely rugged and treacherous terrain, serving as a natural barrier on the western edge of the Nine Provinces.

Inside a cave in a certain great mountain.

An elderly woman with white hair held a long staff shaped like a crescent moon at the end and a short staff shaped like a red sun at the end, sitting quietly on a clay platform. Suddenly, the stone platform began to crack visibly, as numerous fissures emerged.

The elderly woman instantly opened her eyes with delight: "The true dragon is dead! Chaos reigns in the world, and it is the opportunity for our divine sect!"

...

In a certain pavilion in the south.

Eighteen women each held an instrument and played an enchanting melody. Suddenly, a meteor streaked across the sky, and all eighteen women stopped their actions, showing a peculiar smile on their faces.

"The imperial star has fallen, destiny is renewed, why shouldn’t I become the new destiny?" the young woman holding a flute said with a smile.

"With my arrangements over the years, it’s time to exert our efforts. Now it seems, we must see who is willing to be the first spear of the uprising," the plump woman holding a pipa said.

"Even if the Great Tang is failing, it is still a dying camel bigger than a horse. Whoever dares to initiate the uprising first must face the centuries-old foundation of the Great Tang. It is necessary to first send a few reckless people to disturb the court’s view," the tall, slender woman playing the erhu said.

"The Ten Eunuchs have controlled the court for years, and some officials in various regions have long been disgusted, secretly stirring up little schemes. If we expose their plots in advance, revealing them to the world, then even those who don’t wish to rebel will be forced to fight against the Great Tang, and we merely need to support a few to reap the benefits," the fat woman playing the guzheng said.

"Compelled to rebel! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!"

For a moment, there was laughter throughout the pavilion, though many discussed fervently, upon careful listening, it felt like only one person was talking to themselves the entire time, very peculiar.

...

The emperor’s death is a shocking event that cannot be concealed from the world.

Within two days, news had reached Jiangnan, and when Liu Xian, the governor of Yangzhou Prefecture, learned of it, he was utterly shocked.

Too sudden, the emperor’s abrupt demise, a new emperor awaiting to ascend the throne, this is the most unsettling time for the Great Tang.

Everyone knows the Great Tang is currently troubled both internally and externally. Liu Xian has long harbored ambitions of rebellion, secretly preparing many things, such as sending Liu Zhizhang to the depths of Meteor Mountain to mine for gold, to use it as military supplies.

With money, weapons and armor can be forged, soldiers recruited, provisions purchased, and all this is essential for rebellion. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

But despite his thoughts of rebellion, Liu Xian is still very cautious. Though he wishes to rebel, he daren’t leap forth and declare his rebellion to the world without assurance at this moment.

He can be a follower, but certainly not a leader.

In the governor’s study.

Holding a teacup while sitting in a chair, Liu Xian asked his advisor Tong Yan beside him, "Mr. Tong, the emperor’s demise makes me feel uneasy for unknown reasons. Do you think the things we’ve done can be kept hidden?"

"Sir need not worry. We’ve always been cautious in this matter all these years, ceaselessly alert, every means of concealment is excellently covered. There won’t be any problems," Tong Yan reassured.

The thought of rebelling and seizing the throne may sound thrilling, but actually doing it is an entirely different experience.

"With Emperor Yongle dead, the Ten Eunuchs will be even more unrestrained, and once the Crown Prince ascends, he’ll have to comply as their puppet. Given the current state of the nation, someone will surely be unable to resist and jump forth to rebel, and it will be like poking a hornet’s nest, with the winds and clouds of the world changing instantly, everyone will have to choose sides," Liu Xian said, staring at the Great Tang map spread on the table, lost in thought.

As the governor of Yangzhou Prefecture, he naturally has access to information ordinary people cannot, and this military map is among them.

It clearly records the southern topography, various checkpoints, bridges, and military camp deployments all vividly displayed on the map.

Sliding his finger along a route, Liu Xian was just immersed in imagining his rebellion when suddenly someone barged in from outside, shouting in panic: "Father! Father, it’s terrible!"

Liu Xian frowned and looked up, seeing it was his elder son Liu Wei.

Liu Xian has always disliked people making a fuss, and he raised his children to remain calm no matter what happened, as only a calm decision-maker can make the best choices.

Liu Zhizhang always did this well, which is why Liu Xian favored him.

"Barging in without knocking, what manners! Get out and kneel outside, come back in after burning half an incense stick," Liu Xian reprimanded with a stern father’s demeanor.

On an ordinary day, Liu Wei would immediately comply, but today he seemed changed, completely unwilling to back down. Instead, he anxiously said: "Father, it’s no time for this; our Liu family is about to be doomed. Now, throughout Yangzhou Prefecture, there’s talk that you, the governor, are raising a private army in the nearby mountains intending to rebel."