If you're made a fake emperor, why did you change the country's name?

Zhao Yu's face showed no emotion; he simply nodded slightly.

"Granted."

"Go ahead and tell the imperial kitchen to be careful and not miss the auspicious time."

Wei An felt as if he had been granted a pardon, his face beaming with a fawning smile. "Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Your Majesty! I'll go right away and make sure it's done perfectly!"

He bowed repeatedly, almost backing away, carefully exiting the main hall with hurried steps, carrying a hint of barely perceptible urgency.

Inside the main hall, the banquet between the emperor and his ministers continued as before, but the atmosphere could never be the same again.

Everyone noticed Zhao Yu's change; he was deep in thought with a serious expression.

Zhao Yu sat upright on the dragon throne, but a sense of disappointment lingered in his mind.

The mole was Wei An.

This is the eunuch who was the first person I promoted after I traveled through time, and who has always been by my side.

The idea swirled in my mind. At first, it seemed absurd, but upon closer examination, it made perfect sense.

Even the smallest mobilization of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Imperial Guard could not escape the notice of Wei An, a favorite of the emperor.

He was the first to know all his own movements.

No wonder the previous two attempts to capture Zhao Yu both failed.

No matter how fast the Embroidered Uniform Guards and Imperial Guards are, can they be faster than Zhao Yu, who can communicate in a second and then escape?

Zhao Yu slowly stood up.

All the officials in the hall stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him.

"My dear ministers, please continue your meal. I have some matters to attend to and will be back shortly."

Everyone quickly stood up and bowed, not daring to ask any further questions.

Zhao Yu strode towards the outside of the hall. As soon as he stepped out of the hall, two figures appeared behind him like ghosts.

It was Qiu Ping and Meng Qianshan who had returned.

"Your Majesty." The two clasped their hands in greeting.

Some of the more astute ministers below, upon witnessing this scene, felt a sudden jolt in their hearts.

The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the commander of the Imperial Guard who went to capture the assassin returned so quickly, and followed His Majesty silently.

And then, thinking back to that abrupt announcement just now…

A startling guess surfaced in their minds.

The arrest was a ruse; the real purpose was to lure people in!

For a moment, these officials felt a chill run down their spines, and when they looked at the table full of delicacies, they found themselves unable to eat.

……

The palace path was deep and secluded, and the red walls on both sides cast long shadows under the afternoon sun.

Wei An kept his head down and walked quickly through the corridors, deliberately choosing the secluded and deserted paths.

He was completely unaware that three figures were following him leisurely in the shadows a hundred paces behind him.

Zhao Yu and his two companions concealed their presence, their steps light and silent, like three falling leaves.

Finally, Wei An stopped in front of a dilapidated courtyard.

This is where miscellaneous items are stored in the palace, and it is rarely visited by anyone on ordinary days.

He looked around warily, and after confirming that no one was following him, he pushed open the creaking courtyard gate, slipped inside, and quickly closed the gate again.

The courtyard was overgrown with weeds and desolate.

Wei An walked quickly to a dry well and carefully took out a palm-sized bronze gourd from his pocket.

He slowly channeled his inner energy into the gourd.

On the bronze gourd, the ancient patterns began to glow faintly.

A moment later, a familiar voice came from inside the gourd.

"General, what is the matter that is so urgent?"

It was Zhao Yu's voice.

Upon hearing this voice, Wei An felt as if he had found his pillar of support, and urgently reported to his superior:

"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!"

The beggar somehow managed to find his hiding place again!

He has already sent the Imperial Guards and the Embroidered Uniform Guards over there. You should quickly find another place…”

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a sudden voice.

"No need to change it, I haven't found it yet."

Geek!

Wei An's voice stopped abruptly, and his entire body froze.

That sound...

He slowly turned around, and when he saw who it was, the color drained from his face instantly.

In the shadows of the courtyard, Zhao Yu stood with his hands behind his back, quietly watching him.

Behind him, on his left was Qiu Ping, whose face was ashen, and on his right was Meng Qianshan, who exuded murderous intent.

The two powerful beings at the Celestial Realm were like two insurmountable mountains, blocking all his escape routes.

"Shuashuashua——"

On the courtyard wall, figures moved about, and dozens of Imperial Guards dressed in flying fish robes and holding embroidered spring knives surrounded the entire courtyard.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the blade, casting dappled patterns of light that were icy and biting.

Clang!

The bronze gourd in Wei An's hand fell to the ground with a thud and rolled twice on the dusty ground.

His legs buckled, unable to support his weight any longer, and he collapsed to his knees.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."

His teeth were chattering, his lips were trembling, but he couldn't utter a single complete sentence.

"Your Majesty, spare my life...this humble servant..."

Zhao Yu ignored him.

He slowly stepped forward, bent down and picked up the bronze gourd from the ground, examining it carefully in his hand.

The gourd felt cool to the touch, and its patterns were somewhat intricate, suggesting it was a special magical communication tool.

He brought the gourd to his mouth, speaking in a calm tone, as if greeting an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Zhao Yu, we meet again."

At the other end of the gourd, there was a deathly silence.

Clearly, Zhao Yu had also heard everything that had just happened.

After a long while, Zhao Yu's voice, filled with suppressed rage, finally came out, each word sounding as if squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Damn beggar! How did you find him?"

He couldn't figure it out.

The "General" was the pawn he had buried the deepest, and also the person he trusted the most. How could he have been exposed?

Zhao Yu chuckled softly.

He didn't explain his "luring the snake out of its hole & besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" strategy, but a thought flashed through his mind.

He smirked and said sarcastically:

"Do you think you're the only one who can plant a pawn beside me?"

The breath on the other end of the gourd suddenly stopped.

"Impossible!" Zhao Yu's voice suddenly rose, tinged with anger.

"How could a beggar like you, a newcomer, possibly have anyone planted by my side?!"

Zhao Yu did not answer his question directly.

He simply told a story slowly.

"Let me tell you a story."

"Once upon a time, there were two martial artists who were both poisoned by a rare poison, and there was only one antidote."

"So they made a bet, each planting a hidden internal force within the other's body."

Whoever first finds and neutralizes the internal force planted by the other will survive and receive the antidote.

"However... the loser's fate is death."

Zhao Yu's voice was soft, yet it struck Zhao Yu's heart like a heavy hammer.

On the other end of the gourd, a long silence fell once again.

This story sent chills down his spine.

Zhao Yu's story is still based on the story in "The Undercover Agent," a story from the 20th century that is enough to terrify Zhao Yu!

The meaning of the story is easy to understand: it's about finding the traitors within each other's ranks.

The one who finds it first wins, the one who finds it last dies!

As for whether Zhao Yu had planted any spies, of course he hadn't.

Whether it exists or not is not important; what's important is making Zhao Yu feel uneasy!

Once the seeds of suspicion are sown, they will take root and sprout wildly.

beep--

Zhao Yu released his internal energy from his fingertips, directly severing the connection to the bronze gourd.

He didn't want to waste any more words with Zhao Yu.

After doing all this, Zhao Yu lowered his head and looked at Wei An, who was trembling like a leaf on the ground.