son, don't mess around

Chapter 830 Discovering the Secret
At dawn, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, the city, shrouded in darkness, dispelled the black fog, and a ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone down.

The sky and earth remained shrouded in gray, with faint signs of a downpour.

It's getting colder!
The streets were becoming increasingly deserted, and the entire city was shrouded in an indescribable chill.

On the streets, one can often see fully armed city defense soldiers, as well as several figures hurrying through the streets and alleys.

Mitiansi.

Chen Changqing, dressed in a black robe, strode into the hall, where several figures had been waiting for some time.

When Chen Changqing appeared, someone immediately stepped forward to report the intelligence.

Chen Changqing listened quietly as his subordinates reported on the events that had occurred in the capital, his gaze slightly narrowed.

As the war in the north dragged on for longer and longer, even though intelligence from the front lines was blocked, some news still managed to get back to the capital, causing quite a stir.

The people in the capital were already living in fear, which put immense pressure on the Secret Observatory.

As the emperor's personal guard, the Secret Observatory's duty was to monitor all officials and maintain order in the capital. However, the capital is now rife with undercurrents, and various forces are eager to make their moves. No matter how powerful and influential the Secret Observatory is, it will ultimately be powerless to act.

If this situation continues, the capital may fall apart before the outcome of the battle in the north is determined.

During this period, the Secret Observatory has captured many spies from the Xu Prince's Mansion in the north in the capital, and has also uncovered many spies who spread rumors.

But all of this is just a drop in the ocean and has little effect on the situation in the capital. Moreover, the situation in the capital is more serious than imagined, and it's not something he, as the head of the Secret Observatory, can change.

Right now, all we can do is try our best.

After reporting the intelligence from the capital, the subordinate hurriedly left again.

The hall returned to its quiet state. Chen Changqing stood by the table, gazing at the detailed map of the capital city laid out on it, lost in thought.

Although the situation in the capital is currently chaotic, everything is still under control. As long as His Majesty is still alive and Chen Changqing is in charge of the Secret Observatory, the capital will not descend into chaos no matter what.

But what worried Chen Changqing the most was something else entirely...

He had noticed something strange about the capital long ago.

After Chen Zhao's death, he took over the Secret Observatory and began to carry out sweeping reforms. He was ordered by the Emperor to eliminate the remaining supporters of the Third Prince and to settle accounts with various factions in the capital.

It was under these circumstances that Chen Changqing gradually realized the existence of a mysterious force in the capital.

The investigation yielded nothing.

For some reason, Chen Changqing vaguely sensed that the mysterious force seemed to be hiding in the shadows, its eyes fixed on him.

This made Chen Changqing extremely uneasy and vigilant. However, despite several investigations, he still couldn't find any clues.

This made Chen Changqing feel even more at ease.

It was as if an invisible pair of eyes, hidden in the darkness, were staring intently at him, plotting something in secret, ready to strike at any moment.

If this mysterious force cannot be brought to light, Chen Changqing will feel extremely uneasy, as if he were sitting on pins and needles.

Chen Changqing slowly raised his eyes, a glint of light flashing in his deep gaze. He stared out of the courtyard and murmured, "I hope I'm wrong?"

No sooner had the words been spoken than hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard.

"The leader!"

A master of the Secret Observatory strode into the front hall and reported in a deep voice, "There's movement at Cuiwei Residence."

Chen Changqing suddenly looked up: "Speak."

"Last night, the Sixth Prince, Li Chang'an, went to the palace to see His Majesty. He left the palace in the middle of the night and returned to Cuiwei Residence."

"We do not yet know why the Sixth Prince met His Majesty, but this morning, our men discovered that a carriage from Cuiwei Residence left the capital and traveled out of the city, its purpose unknown."

Upon hearing this, a look of confusion flashed in Chen Changqing's eyes: "It was him?"

"I'm not sure if the person in the carriage is the Sixth Prince, so I've sent men to secretly follow him and investigate."

"I think that the Sixth Prince is probably about to make a move."

Inside the hall, a bright glint flashed in Chen Changqing's gloomy eyes.

"Send more people to keep an eye on their movements, and don't make any rash moves to avoid exposing our identities."

Chen Changqing's gaze was deep: "Also, Cuiwei Residence, continue to send more people to keep a close watch on it. Report to me immediately if there is any disturbance."

"Yes!"

……

The sky was overcast, a harbinger of an impending storm.

Amidst the biting wind, the official road outside the capital was bustling with crowds.

From a distance, one can still see many merchants from the north and south flocking into the largest city of this dynasty. At the same time, many figures are also leaving, and everything still looks prosperous and bustling.

A carriage, hidden among the crowds on the official road, traveled south to a small mountain village outside the capital. To the south of the village lay a continuous, majestic mountain range. The area was scenic and a rare gem of a place.

At one end of the mountain's foot lies a magnificent estate, stretching across most of the mountainside, a testament to its extreme luxury.

It is unclear who owns the manor, but the manor is extremely famous. The scenery is beautiful, and it is warm in winter and cool in summer. During the hot summer or cold winter, many people come here to vacation, warm up and escape the heat.

Now that winter has just begun, the area is sparsely populated and rather deserted.

The carriage appeared silently outside the manor, and shortly after it entered, several figures in black robes appeared silently from the bushes outside the manor.

Their eyes were fixed on the distant manor, and then their gazes met.

Something's strange about this place!

"It's uncertain whether the Sixth Prince is here, but the presence of people from the Prince's residence here is definitely suspicious!"

"Quickly send someone back to report to the leader, and keep this place under surveillance. Don't alert the enemy."

"..."

Just as the black-robed figures were secretly discussing their plan, some strange noises suddenly arose from all around.

It instantly caught their attention; the group became alert and quickly turned around.

A murderous aura suddenly arose from the lush bushes.

"Who?!"

"who!"

"Shhhhh!"

From the bushes, several sword energies sliced ​​through the weeds, approaching the group.

The group looked horrified and quickly drew their swords to block the sword energy, then cautiously looked around.

At the same time, more than a dozen masked figures in black emerged from the bushes and surrounded them from all sides.

"Fell into a trap!"

This thought arose in the minds of these experts from the Secret Celestial Bureau, and they were horrified and extremely vigilant.

"Who are you?!"

In a brief moment, a master of the Secret Observatory stepped forward, took out a token from his waist, and coldly shouted, "The Secret Observatory is handling cases. Who are you? State your names immediately!"

However, no one paid any attention.

The Secret Observatory, which once struck fear into the hearts of the powerful forces in the capital, was now utterly ineffective.

The dozen or so masked men in black stared intently at them. The next second, accompanied by a low shout of "Kill!", the dozen or so masked men in black suddenly launched an attack.

"go!"

The group knew these people were up to no good and had clearly come to ambush them. They had no intention of fighting and drew their swords, ready to break through the encirclement.

"Get out!"

"You must report this message back..."

"The Sixth Prince is plotting a rebellion!!"

"..."

"Boom!" A heavy rainstorm soon followed the gloomy sky over the capital. The torrential rain roared in, accompanied by lightning and thunder, casting a shadow over the already overcast sky above the city.

This heavy rain lasted for a long time, and the entire capital city seemed to have become a 'rain city', stretching for thousands of miles with no end in sight.

The already sparsely populated capital city appeared even more deserted after being washed away by the heavy rain. Even the once bustling official roads were now much quieter.

In the afternoon, the heavy rain finally subsided, turning from a downpour into a light drizzle. The fine raindrops fell on the skin, chillingly cold, making one feel cold to the bone.

Outside the south gate of the capital, a convoy of fully armed horses galloped out of the city and headed south.

On horseback were figures clad in black robes. The dark blue robes, soaked by the rain, appeared deep and cold, exuding a suppressed and murderous aura.

The pedestrians still lingering outside the city gate quickly made way, their eyes wide with shock as they discussed the matter.

"This...this is someone from the Secret Observatory?"

"Is that the one in the lead Chen Kuishou?"

"What's going on? What are the Secret Astronomical Bureau doing sending so many experts?"

"I don't know, but something serious has probably happened..."

Some people muttered cautiously.

……

A cold wind and drizzle continued to drift in the air, and in the distance, an endless expanse of smog obscured the view ahead.

A train of horses galloped past and finally arrived at its destination.

At the foot of the mountain, vegetation grows abundantly.

The ground was covered in mud after being soaked by heavy rain, and every step you took resulted in a mixture of mud and water, making the environment extremely harsh.

The horses stopped outside the grassy path, and a dozen or so Secret Celestial Division experts quickly dismounted and rushed into the bushes.

At the head of the horses, Chen Changqing dismounted and followed closely behind the bushes, where several figures had been waiting for some time.

Chen Changqing's face remained expressionless as he surveyed his surroundings. The scene was one of utter devastation, withered vegetation indicating that a fierce battle had taken place there.

In terms of numbers, it's not a small number.

Several corpses lay on the grass ahead, their external injuries severe, their eyes wide open in death.

They had long since lost their vital signs, and the heavy rain washed away the bloodstains on their bodies.

However, their clothes revealed them to be members of the Secret Celestial Bureau.

Chen Changqing watched this scene with a cold gaze and an expressionless face.

"Leader".

A figure appeared beside Chen Changqing, saying in a low voice, "They're all dead. The time of death should be this morning. They probably exposed their whereabouts..."

Chen Changqing's cold gaze fell on the corpses, his eyes sharp: "They were all the most elite experts of my Secret Heaven Division, how could they easily expose their whereabouts?"

Faced with this question, the guard beside him said in a deep voice, "I'm afraid the other side was prepared in advance and set up an ambush beforehand... Today's events are probably a trap."

"Leader, we've fallen into their trap!"

Upon hearing this, a sharp, cold glint flashed in Chen Changqing's eyes. He looked up at the manor shrouded in dense foliage not far ahead.

At this moment, he could no longer conceal his killing intent.

He spoke coldly.

"check!"

"Find the murderer at all costs!"

"Yes!"

The drizzle, which had not yet completely stopped, now seemed to have transformed into a cage imprisoning this place. A large number of elite experts from the Secret Observatory were mobilized to surround and investigate the manor.

Countless dark figures leaped across the walls and rooftops, sweeping through the air, their terrifying and oppressive aura enveloping everyone's hearts.

Chen Changqing raised his eyes and looked in a certain direction in the capital, his gaze filled with an unyielding coldness.

……

"Your Highness, what a brilliant plan!"

A figure appeared in a teahouse in the capital, beaming with smiles: "This feint really worked; the Secret Service's attention has been diverted."

"That Chen Changqing, rumored to be exceptionally capable in the capital, wasn't he still manipulated by Your Highness?"

"He fell for the trap!"

Inside the teahouse, Li Chang'an gazed intently at the distant direction outside the capital, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"What's the current situation with the Secret Astronomical Bureau?"

"Your Highness, the Secret Observatory will certainly not let this go. They have already dispatched a considerable number of people to the manor."

Upon hearing this, Li Chang'an's gaze deepened, and the coldness at the corner of his mouth became even more pronounced: "In that case, the next step of the plan can be implemented."

"Your Highness, rest assured, I have made all the preparations. This time, I will surely present them with a great gift."

Just as he finished speaking, a slight tremor suddenly broke out in the teahouse where they were.

It's wobbling and shaking!

"what happened?"

Inside the teahouse, many people noticed the commotion and got up to check.

Li Chang'an suddenly looked up at the distance of the capital. Not long after, a plume of fireworks suddenly shot into the sky from the distance outside the capital in the south.

Although they were far apart, under the cover of night, it was like a dazzling light piercing through the darkness.

Upon seeing this, a hint of surprise and excitement flashed in Li Chang'an's eyes.

"Success!"

"Your Majesty!"

The subordinate standing next to him spoke with excitement.

"go!"

Li Chang'an suddenly stood up: "It's time to get down to business!"

"Your Majesty."

The subordinate blurted out instinctively, "Now? But Your Highness, there are still people from the Secret Observatory watching your movements. What if Chen Changqing realizes what's going on..."

"How about we wait a little longer?"

"Ah!"

Upon hearing this, a cold smile, as expected, flashed in Li Chang'an's eyes: "Wait?"

"This is the man I have been waiting for."

The subordinate standing nearby was somewhat bewildered upon hearing this: "Your Highness, what... what does this mean?"

The prince went to great lengths to divert the Secret Observatory's attention, wasn't it all to escape? Why is he now deliberately revealing his whereabouts?
A piercing glint flashed in Li Chang'an's eyes as he sneered, "No one could have predicted my methods; they all underestimated me..."

He had already made thorough preparations in his mind, and now that everything was ready, the Secret Celestial Bureau was the last thing he was worried about.

Today's feint was a 'luring the enemy into a trap' tactic he had specially prepared for the Secret Celestial Bureau!
As for Chen Changqing...

Li Chang'an's original spirit flickered with a hint of madness.

"If he's not dead, I've prepared a surprise for him."

"We're just waiting for him!"

"..."

(End of this chapter)