"Impossible." Shen Leyou, with a confident demeanor, said, "This is a security system developed by the Mo Family over many years, and it has been used in our military defense and various important fields."

"After the attack incident, I had the Mo Family send a professional maintenance team of dozens, personally led by the genius Mo Wu of the Mo Family."

"That's good." Zhong Tianque didn't care much about these trivial online matters. After all, he couldn't handle the messy affairs in reality either: "You handle it. I trust your work."

"Then I won't disturb Your Highness any longer while you enjoy your soup." Shen Leyou smiled amiably: "I'll head to the security center to keep an eye on things. I'll report to Your Highness any issues promptly."

"Thank you for your hard work, Leyou."

Shen Leyou walked out of Sun Palace, where Dongguo Chenxi was waiting in a secluded corridor.

Seeing Shen Leyou come out, he smiled and invited, "I've prepared some ginseng soup. Would you like me to bring you a bowl later?"

"Sure." Shen Leyou's smile was radiant, exuding a roguishly attractive charm: "I love having a second bowl the most because the second bowl has been simmered longer, making it richer in flavor."

Dong Zichen's pretty face turned a shade of red, charming like a ripe Karra fruit, and she softly said, "If you like it, have two more bowls."

------

"Your Highness." The bald strategist Qian Taian came from inside and asked, "What was Shen Leyou doing here?"

"He came to report that the Security Bureau plans to conduct a large-scale search in Phoenix City soon."

"That guy is detestable." Qian Taian huffed angrily, "They've been searching Phoenix City for several days, nearly turning the entire city upside down... and only now did he think to report to Your Highness?"

Zhong Tianque sighed gently, looked at Qian Taian, and said, "When someone gives face, you take it. Once it's on the ground, whose face is actually being lost?"

Qian Taian, indignant and frustrated, said in a sad voice, "Your Highness, the Shen Family is overstepping, and we need to make our voices heard."

"How do we speak out? In what way?" Zhong Tianque retorted.

It's as if he doesn't want to speak out; do you have a way to get them to loosen the grip they have on my throat...

"The Zhong Family, the Yu Family, and other loyal ministers to the Royal Family..." Qian Taian suggested: "If we gather these forces, we can at least challenge the Shen Family. At least, we should strive to gain some degree of discourse in front of them."

"We're willing to cooperate with their work, provided they also give us the necessary respect. Your Highness, they're using a soft knife to cut us, constantly wearing down our spirit and strength. Once a major crisis hits, it'll be too late to resist."

Qian Taian was very anxious, already in an emo state.

Originally, he thought that by staying close to the Crown Prince, once the Prince ascended the throne, he would have the glory of assisting the dragon.

According to merit, wouldn't his share be the largest?

At that time, he mocked Tang Fei, not seeing eye to eye, worried that the eloquent and capable Tang Fei would take his position as the number one confidant?

But as things turned out, guess what?

Tang Fei flipped the table, and the Shen Family seized the opportunity...

His position as the Crown Prince's chief strategist became awkward.

Leave? Who would dare to take him in?

Besides, where could he go? Zhong Tianque wouldn't let him go, nor would the Shen Family.

Stay? The future seemed bleak.

No voice, not even power...

When Zhong Tianque loses his value, that's when he loses his head.

He must break through and search for a slim chance for himself.

"I don't understand the reasoning you're talking about." Zhong Tianque looked at Qian Taian's haggard and gloomy face, offering comfort: "But inside and outside the palace are all Shen Leyou's people. Every time I go out, they surround me in layers... it's not easy to gather those forces."

Zhong Tianque, honored as the 'Crown Prince,' found it difficult to even meet people from the Zhong and Yu Families.

Even if they did meet, Shen Leyou's people shadowed them like shadows, making it challenging to discuss any core issues.

"If Your Highness is willing, I'm ready to pioneer the way for the king." Qian Taian straightened his back and spoke resolutely.

Zhong Tianque shook his head and said, "That's too dangerous. If Shen Leyou finds out, he won't let you go."

"If the king is humiliated, the minister must die; if the king is worried, the minister must toil. I, Qian Taian, am just a humble life; what do I have to fear?"

Zhong Tianque stood up and tightly grasped Qian Taian's hands, solemnly promising, "Master Qian, you haven't failed me, and I will not fail you."

------

Huang Youzhi was the chief of kitchens at Fengming Palace, responsible for all the dietary and sanitation needs of everyone in the palace.

As usual, he went to the backyard of Fengming Palace to inspect the meat and vegetables delivered by the suppliers.

"Why do these garlic chives look less fresh than they did a couple of days ago? Are they leftovers from your warehouse?" Huang Youzhi asked, holding a handful of garlic chives.

"Chief Huang, we wouldn't dare use leftovers to deceive you. Our boss said that everything sent to the palace must be the best, picked with utmost precision. We always deliver the freshest batch to you."

"But you know, as the weather gets colder each day, the garlic chives in the fields start wilting... We can't use those grown in greenhouses as a substitute, so they don't look as fresh as in the spring and summer."

"But you can be assured, they're definitely homegrown from Ba City... The taste is exactly the same as before. If Chief Huang feels the taste isn't right, I'll bend over and let you kick me like a ball."

Huang Youzhi looked somewhat puzzled at the young man speaking to him and asked, "What's your name? How come I haven't seen you before?"

"My name is Wang Lin, and I'm a new hire. The boss said I have a glib tongue, so he let me deliver goods to the palace." The sallow-faced Wang Lin smiled ingenuously: "I hope Chief Huang will look after me in the future."

As he spoke, he casually took a shopping card from his pocket and handed it to Huang Youzhi.

Huang Youzhi glanced at the digits displayed on the shopping card, feeling increasingly satisfied with the young man.

"Indeed, he's a smooth talker." Huang Youzhi nodded and said, "Alright, have your men move these things into the warehouse."

"Yes." Wang Lin responded and, with a wave of his hand, several workers came over to start moving items.

Huang Youzhi followed behind; he did not participate but only supervised.

As the group moved the meat and vegetables into the warehouse, Wang Lin suddenly, with some embarrassment, said, "Chief Huang, I might have upset my stomach and need to use the restroom."

"Lazy cows and lazy horses need to relieve themselves more." Huang Youzhi chuckled and, having a good initial impression of Wang Lin, waved him off, saying, "Go ahead. There's a restroom up ahead, just take a left. But you mustn't go past that door; that's the inner palace, and people like us aren't allowed in there."

"Understood. Understood. Thank you, Chief Huang. You truly are a kind man." Wang Lin expressed his gratitude repeatedly.

He clutched his stomach and dashed into the toilet, then slammed the door shut behind him.

Concentrating and quietly sensing his surroundings, he found no other human presence.

Then he took out a slender bottle from his chest.

Inside the bottle was a tube of silver liquid, and he unscrewed the cap, pouring the liquid into the toilet.

The silver liquid seemed to come to life, transforming into small, lively silver fish.

Wang Lin pressed the toilet's flush button, and the silver fish, along with the water in the toilet, were swiftly flushed away, disappearing without a trace.

In an unknown courtyard, a cool-looking girl was staring at her computer screen.

Soon, on the dark screen, silver lines began to appear.

They wove and intertwined, eventually forming a silver pattern.

With a flick of her finger, the pattern floated mid-air.

In front of her appeared the multidimensional representation of the Fengming Palace Waterway Map, like a mysterious treasure, rhythmically and beautifully spinning.

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