Daming: Dad, you are really not good at governing the country

Lin Yu's sharp eyes swept over them like a thorn in his back.

The suspicious look in his eyes made Fang Shuxiu feel nervous.

Lin Yu frowned slightly, his eyes moving back and forth between Fang Shuxiu and Cuizhu, suspicions rising in his heart.

"These two people look hurried, and there seems to be something hidden in their behavior. Could it be..."

At this time, Fang Shuxiu's face was as pale as paper, and beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down her cheeks, and each drop seemed to carry endless pain.

Seeing this, Lin Yu hesitated for a moment before finally speaking slowly. Although his tone was light, it revealed an unquestionable meaning.

“Since Madam is not feeling well, please return to your room immediately.

The palace is now heavily guarded, so madam and girls should not move around casually to avoid unnecessary trouble."

Fang Shuxiu nodded slightly, her voice weak but steady.

"Thank you, Master Lin. I know the rules."

After Lin Yu led the guards away, Fang Shuxiu and Cuizhu quickly exchanged glances, with a mixture of tension and relief in their eyes.

They know that the road ahead is full of thorns, but for the information that concerns life and death, they have no choice but to forge ahead.

The two continued to move forward, and just as they turned a corridor, they met a group of guards with stern expressions.

The guards looked alert, as if they were facing a powerful enemy.

A guard had eagle-like eyes and a cold tone.

"Where are you going? Do you have a pass?"

The neat cross-arm salute as he spoke carried unquestionable majesty.

Fang Shuxiu's heart tightened, but she tried hard to suppress her nervousness and discomfort.

She responded calmly, "I am the wife of King Jin, I suddenly felt unwell and there was no time to get the token.

If you don’t believe it, you can send someone to the banquet to ask.

I am familiar with all the guards on weekdays, but the situation today is really urgent, so I hope you can be flexible."

The guards looked at each other, with a hint of hesitation in their eyes.

Fang Shuxiu thought to herself, "If I can't get out of this quickly, something bad might happen."

Just when the atmosphere was at a stalemate, a noisy sound of stringed instruments suddenly came from the distance.

The tune was out of order, as if something had gone wrong in the performance.

It turned out that at the banquet, a musician suddenly fainted for some unknown reason, and the scene fell into a brief panic.

Fang Shuxiu was secretly delighted. "Everyone has heard it. The banquet is in chaos now. My body can't stand it anymore. I hope you can help me."

The guards hesitated for a moment, and one of them waved his hand.

“Go, go.

Fang Shuxiu and Cuizhu hurriedly turned into a narrow passage nearby that few people knew about.

The passage was filled with an old smell, and both sides were filled with dusty boxes and cages, leaving only room for one person to pass sideways.

The passage was dimly lit, illuminated only by the occasional flickering oil lamp on the wall.

The dim lights swayed in the wind, as if they would go out at any time.

Walking through it, it feels like being in a mysterious and unknown maze.

The two men moved forward cautiously, when suddenly a low roar came from the darkness.

A huge mastiff suddenly appeared from nowhere.

Its eyes flashed with a faint light, its sharp fangs bared, and it roared threateningly at Fang Shuxiu and Cuizhu.

Cuizhu turned pale with fear and whispered, "Madam, what should we do?"

Fang Shuxiu was startled and stopped subconsciously, but her years of experience helped her calm down quickly.

"Don't panic, we will find a way."

She knew that she must not panic at this moment, and quickly thought of a countermeasure in her mind.

Cuizhu looked around and found a tattered halberd next to him.

She approached the halberd carefully, keeping her eyes on the mastiff, ready to respond to its attack at any time. At the moment when the mastiff pounced on her, Cuizhu suddenly picked up the halberd and stabbed the ground in front of the mastiff.

The tip of the halberd hit the ground, making a dull sound.

The mastiff was startled by this sudden action and took a few steps back.

But it still refused to give up and kept growling around the two of them.

Fang Shuxiu thought quickly and took out a silk handkerchief with a unique fragrance from her bosom.

This silk handkerchief was imbued with the fragrance of a rare flower from the palace garden, and this fragrance was exactly what the mastiff feared the most.

She whispered to Cuizhu, "My silk handkerchief may be useful. Just hold on."

As she spoke, Fang Shuxiu gently waved the silk handkerchief towards the mastiff, and the special fragrance spread.

When the mastiff smelled it, it shuddered all over, whimpered a few times, then turned and ran away with its tail between its legs.

Fang Shuxiu and Cuizhu looked at each other, their eyes filled with relief and determination at having survived the disaster.

They didn't dare to stop and continued to grope forward in the passage.

Finally, the two of them came to a secret side door of the palace. This side door was made of heavy iron and wood, and the copper lock inlaid on the door had a cold luster.

Although there were no guards standing guard at the door, there were mysteries hidden around it.

Fang Shuxiu knew very well that this side door was equipped with a sophisticated mechanism, which, once triggered, would attract the palace guards.

The two hid in the shadows and observed carefully, and found that there would be slight vibrations on the ground every once in a while, which was a signal that the mechanism was operating.

Relying on her understanding of the palace's structure and the clues she had accidentally obtained before, Fang Shuxiu silently calculated the interval time of the mechanism and the method of cracking it.

After waiting for a long time, the two finally waited for a gap in the operation of the mechanism.

Fang Shuxiu took a deep breath and took out a specially made key-shaped magnetic needle from her bosom.

This magnetic needle was secretly made by a craftsman who was proficient in mechanical engineering and whom she found through her connections in the palace. It is said that it can disrupt the lock core structure inside the mechanism.

Fang Shuxiu carefully inserted the magnetic needle into the keyhole and turned it gently.

At the same time she pressed her ear against the door, listening carefully to the movement inside the lock.

The magnetic needle interacts with the lock cylinder, making a slight "click" sound.

Every sound seemed to strike at Fang Shuxiu's heartstrings, making her heart beat faster involuntarily.

At this moment, a strange noise suddenly came from the lock, as if some kind of protection mechanism was triggered.

Fang Shuxiu's heart tightened and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead again.

Cuizhu saw this and asked nervously, "Madam, what should we do?"

Fang Shuxiu gritted her teeth and said, "Don't worry, I have a way."

With her calmness and wisdom, she quickly adjusted the angle and strength of the magnetic needle.

After some intense operation, the lock core finally loosened with a "click" and the door slowly opened.

Fang Shuxiu and Cuizhu didn't dare to make any sound and slipped out through the side door.

Outside the door is a quiet alley. The moonlight shines on the bluestone road, casting a cool light.

They didn't dare to stop and rushed along the alley.

Finally, Fang Shuxiu and Cuizhu found the secret base for communicating with the palace and sent the information out in time.

Thanks to Fang Shuxiu's timely transmission, the court learned about the conspiracy between Sun Boda and the court minister in advance.

After learning the news, Crown Prince Zhu Biao took quick action.

He cleverly planned and utilized the subtle relationships between various forces, and quietly defeated those involved in the conspiracy one by one, successfully defusing a disaster that could have endangered the Ming Dynasty.

After Fang Shuxiu returned home, Zhu Gang valued her more and more because of her contribution in transmitting intelligence.

Fang Shuxiu then took the opportunity to fight for the welfare of the servants in the palace, and briefly mentioned the renovation of the servants' rooms and the increase of their monthly wages.

“Your Highness, the servants in the mansion now live in a simple place, work hard, and receive meager monthly wages.

If they can make some improvements, they will definitely be more loyal." (End of this chapter)