The wind rustled softly.

The vines on the right wall quietly clung, lush and green.

The map was spread out, cities and key passes outlined in vermillion, revealing the important layout of Shangjing at a glance,

Ying Fuyan: "What do you plan to do?"

Wei Zhao’s voice was calm: "Apart from the Imperial Army dedicated to serving the emperor’s orders, there is a hidden group left by the late Emperor to secretly protect him, unknown to others."

"Their number is unknown, and no one knows the origin of these shadow guards, except the Dog Emperor who has seen them."

Wei Zhao: "These people only appear when the emperor is in danger."

"They are the Dog Emperor’s trump card."

Ying Fuyan murmured, "No wonder."

His throat tightened slightly: "When he ascended the throne, the late Emperor had not yet been buried, and he already had the idea of destroying Prince Yan’s mansion. Although not yet executed, my father noticed something strange, but it was too late."

Overwhelming accusations fell upon King Yan.

"Before my father was imprisoned, he sent out his most skilled confidant to investigate, intending to clear the charges, but... none returned alive."

This was definitely not something the Imperial Army could have done.

Ying Fuyan: "Have you ever faced them?"

Wei Zhao: "Never, he is the most wary of me. But my uncle mentioned to my father that those people possess unfathomable skills."

A moment of stillness passed. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

One could only hear the strange cries of the green crows.

Elder Ge found it too noisy, covered his mouth, and took it away.

Wei Zhao lightly traced his fingers on the stone table, speaking casually.

"The Third Prince of Liang Yue has entered the Capital. He came quietly, without revealing his whereabouts."

Ying Fuyan, evidently not in the know, showed surprise.

"Da Jin and Liang Yue have been at odds for years, did he dare come over?"

Indeed, during that battle with Liang Yue, Wei Zhao ’died’ once.

Da Jin’s people grieved as though they lost a parent, while Liang Yue celebrated as if it were New Year, waiting for adjustments to continue their attack.

Without the Wei Family Army, the chances of victory increased.

Ying Fuyan: "Is this intent... to test your strength?"

Wei Zhao: "Why is it not possible that he came to visit me?"

Ying Fuyan: ...

You killed their general, sent his head to Liang Yue’s emperor as a gift, intruded into the enemy camp in earlier years doing so many infuriating actions, yet they visit you?

Are you not aware?

Every time the Wei Family Army fought with them, it always left room for retreat, never wiping them out completely, giving them a chance to come back.

It was like teasing a dog. Never eradicating future troubles allowed Emperor Ying to need Wei Zhao, so the Duke Shun Mansion could remain unharmed.

When Liang Yue was desperate and didn’t want to fight, Wei Zhao ran there to point out their strategic mistakes, encouraging them to continue fighting and not lose heart.

How could the Emperor of Liang Yue not understand Wei Zhao’s intentions?

So, there came thoughts of excavating him.

But they never succeeded, and they were blatantly fleeced by Wei Zhao numerous times.

Really! Do you not know how frustrated you are with Liang Yue?

Wei Zhao: "He came just in time."

When he said that, Ying Fuyan knew his intention.

"Then he should be properly entertained."

Ying Fuyan: "Regarding the incident at Minister Yang’s mansion, the Dog Emperor flew into a rage, no other information was received by the palace, but Bao Pu has been summoned into the palace."

But Bao Pu is not a fake Daoist, he can calculate even what is embroidered on the Dog Emperor’s underclothes, and with Gu Fuju manipulating in the shadows, the Astronomical Bureau has to bow in submission.

If he were to say anything, it would surely leave a seed of suspicion in Emperor Ying’s mind.

Just wait and see.

Such alarming words could make Emperor Ying sleepless at night.

"When do you plan to act?"

Wei Zhao: "On the night market day."

Ying Fuyan raised an eyebrow.

"Won’t you take your sister-in-law out to stroll? Spend such auspicious days on the Dog Emperor?"

Wei Zhao listlessly: "There’s still time."

Understood.

He wants to grab everything.

After Wei Zhao hurriedly returned to Duke Shun Mansion, his brows and eyes carried a look of fatigue.

He didn’t immediately return to Huilan Garden, but went first to Ning Suxuan’s place.

He came out holding a long box in his hands.

The box looked aged, with a layer of dirt on it, as if it had just been dug out from the ground.

Though wiped, it was still quite dirty.

Wei Zhao didn’t seem to mind, heading straight to the study.

As the dark clouds of night gathered, the sky descended into twilight.

Yu Tingwan, knowing he hadn’t eaten, brought him his meal.

The young lady, strong-headed, didn’t feel tired carrying it. She didn’t stop for breath the entire way.

The study was open for her entry.

When Yu Tingwan arrived, it was Shunzi who opened the study door for her.

She stepped inside and saw Wei Zhao going through some papers. Her gaze soon fell upon the box on the desk.

In front lay piles of letters needing Wei Zhao’s reply, along with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, but now only the box remained, with everything else pushed aside.

One could see its importance.

"What’s this?"

Wei Zhao flipped through page after page, and soon picked up the memorials to the late Emperor regarding politics, people’s livelihood, and military affairs, searched from Wei Fengxing and Wei Fengyuan’s study.

There were comments in vermillion by the late Emperor, reviewing and making decisions.

Returning to the ministers, requiring their execution.

Besides these, there were many documents with the late Emperor’s handwriting accumulated by him.

Wei Zhao: "Dug out from under my mother’s bed."

Buried particularly deep.

With many mechanisms.

The kind that ordinary people couldn’t dig up.

"Why don’t you open it and take a look?"

Yu Tingwan didn’t stand on ceremony.

She put down the meal box, her fingers flexed, and with a click, used the key from the side, inserted into the lock core, and gently turned it.

Inside was a roll of bright yellow paper.

It looked like the kind that was very expensive.

Yu Tingwan had a guess in her heart.

She wiped her hand, already clean, worried about leaving a stain on it.

After preparing, she raised her hand to take it out, carefully avoiding the mud on the outside of the box.

Unrolling it bit by bit.

The paper was specially made, unlike the usual rice paper.

The edges had exquisite dragon patterns, embroidered with gold and silver threads, magnificent and solemn.

This was an imperial edict.

An empty imperial edict.

For a moment, Yu Tingwan understood Wei Zhao’s intention.

She held her breath for a moment.

At this moment, Wei Zhao also put down what was in his hand, tossed the box aside, and wiped the stain on the desk.

Yu Tingwan, in tacit understanding, after he used cloth to dry the water stains on the desk, placed the imperial edict upon it.

"Do you want to imitate the late Emperor’s handwriting?"

"Back then, the late Emperor used an empty imperial edict against the Wei Family. Can he use all his cunning methods?"

Clearly transmitting the throne to Emperor Ying, yet intentionally making three identical copies, letting everyone think that it was supposed to be passed to King Yan.

The Duke Shun who got the edict ended up like this as a ’knowing insider.’

"When the Dog Emperor ascended the throne, many speculated in their hearts that he forged the edict. Yet dared not speak."

Wei Zhao chuckled, the laughter not reaching his eyes.

"Then let that ’real’ one become completely fake."

For him to say such, Yu Tingwan knew he had no difficulty imitating handwriting.

But...

"The imperial edict bears the jade seal, this..."

Yu Tingwan: "Are you planning to carve one?"

Wei Zhao: "Too troublesome."

Yu Tingwan: ?

Wei Zhao: "The palace will be in chaos sometime later, I’ll just go and borrow to stamp it."

Yu Tingwan: ???