I slaughtered my way through the border at the start, I am the Great Ming's Night Raider!

After Master Zhou left, Uncle Zhao asked in a low voice, "Young Master, can the people of the Azure Dragon Society be trusted?"

"I don't trust them," Chen Yuan said, "but they can be used. People in the underworld are all about profit; as long as we can afford the price, they'll do their bidding."

"And what about the Duke of Wei?"

Chen Yuan was silent for a moment: "I trust you even less."

Uncle Zhao was taken aback.

"The Duke of Wei's plan is too perfect," Chen Yuan said. "Perfect plans often have problems. I'm wondering... why is he in such a hurry to get rid of the Duke of Cheng? Is it really for the court? Or... is he acting out of self-interest?"

"What does the young master mean..."

"I don't know," Chen Yuan shook his head, "but it's better to be safe than sorry. Uncle Zhao, these three days, you should also investigate. Investigate the Duke of Wei, investigate the people around him, and find out if he has any old grudges with the Duke of Cheng."

"Yes."

After Uncle Zhao left, Chen Yuan continued to stand by the window.

The night was deeper.

The songs on the Qinhuai River gradually faded away, and the lights went out one by one.

The city of Nanjing fell silent, like a sleeping giant.

But Chen Yuan knew that the giant beast would soon wake up.

The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, morning.

When Chen Yuan woke up, the rain outside the window had stopped, but the sky was still overcast.

A thin mist rises from the Qinhuai River, making the pavilions on the opposite bank appear indistinct, like a distant view spreading out in an ink painting.

He pushed open the window, and the damp, cold air rushed in, carrying the unique fishy smell of the river and the aroma wafting from the breakfast stalls in the distance.

Uncle Zhao knocked and came in, carrying a tray: "Young master, breakfast. Nanjing snacks: crab roe soup dumplings and duck blood vermicelli soup."

Chen Yuan sat down to eat breakfast.

The soup dumplings had thin skins and generous fillings, bursting with broth with every bite; the vermicelli soup was fresh, spicy, and refreshing, dispelling the damp chill of a Jiangnan winter. He ate quickly—a habit formed at the border, where food was meant to fill the stomach, not to be savored.

"Any news about the matter I was asked to investigate yesterday?" he asked.

Uncle Zhao lowered his voice: "It's been investigated. The Duke of Wei and the Duke of Cheng... do indeed have an old grudge."

"What grievance do you have?"

"Thirty years ago, when the Duke of Wei was still the heir apparent, he served in the Five Military Commands together with the Duke of Cheng," Uncle Zhao said. "At that time, the two fought fiercely for a vacancy as Vice Commander-in-Chief. In the end, the Duke of Wei lost and sat on the sidelines in Nanjing for ten years until the Duke of Cheng was transferred back to Beijing and he was able to turn his life around."

Chen Yuan put down his chopsticks: "Just for this?"

"That's not all," Uncle Zhao continued. "There's another one. Lady Zhang, the wife of the Duke of Cheng, was originally to be betrothed to the younger brother of the Duke of Wei, but somehow she ended up marrying the Duke of Cheng instead. The younger brother of the Duke of Wei was heartbroken because of this and died a few years later."

The hatred of being dethroned, the resentment of having his wife taken away.

This grudge has run deep.

"So, is the Duke of Wei this time..." Chen Yuan pondered, "to settle a personal score?"

"It's hard to say," Uncle Zhao shook his head. "But young master, one should always be wary of others. The Duke of Wei's plan is going too smoothly, as if... everything was prepared long ago."

Yes, the intercepted secret letter, the planted evidence, the identified hideout... everything was too perfect. Perfect like a script on a stage, with every character's entrance and lines pre-arranged.

After finishing the last soup dumpling, Chen Yuan wiped his hands and asked, "What about the Azure Dragon Society?"

"Master Zhou sent a letter this morning." Uncle Zhao took out a stack of papers from his pocket. "These are the information on the commanders of the various garrisons in Nanjing. Young Master, you guessed right, these people... are all corrupt."

Chen Yuan took it and looked through it.

The information was very detailed, listing everyone's background, resume, assets, hobbies, and vulnerabilities in a very clear manner.

Some were greedy, some were lecherous, some gambled, and some even had secret dealings with Japanese pirates...

Most shockingly, eight of the twelve commanders who had contact with the Duke of Chengguo had acquired additional properties—farms, shops, and residences—within the past month, totaling more than 200,000 taels of silver.

"Where did the money come from?" Chen Yuan asked.

"We can't find it," Uncle Zhao said. "But the Green Dragon Society said that the money went through underground banks, and the source... might be with the maritime merchants."

Maritime merchants.

Japanese pirates.

Remnants of the Han King's faction.

These clues, like scattered beads, can gradually be strung together.

"And another one." Uncle Zhao took out another piece of paper. "This is the personnel list of the Duke of Cheng's villa. In addition to the servants he brought, there are more than thirty guards, all of whom are unfamiliar faces. The people from the Azure Dragon Society recognized a few... as guards from the Prince of Han's mansion back then."

Guards of the Prince of Han's Palace.

This confirms that the Duke of Cheng was indeed entangled with the remnants of the Prince of Han's faction.

"Does the Duke of Wei know about these things?"

"He should know," Uncle Zhao said. "Given his influence in Nanjing, it's impossible that he didn't know."

That's strange.

If they already knew, why go through all the trouble of putting on a show? Why not just arrest them directly?

Unless... what the Duke of Wei wants is more than just to capture people.

As Chen Yuan was pondering this, there was a knock at the door. It was the innkeeper's assistant: "Young Master Chen, someone from the Duke of Wei's mansion has arrived, requesting that you come to the mansion for a chat."

What perfect timing!

Inside the study of the Duke of Wei's mansion, the charcoal fire burned brightly. Xu Huizu, dressed in casual clothes, was brewing tea. Seeing Chen Yuan enter, he pointed to the seat opposite him: "Sit. Try the tea I brewed, Wuyi Mountain Da Hong Pao, this year's new tea."

Chen Yuan sat down and took the teacup.

The tea soup is bright orange-red and has a rich aroma.

He took a sip; it was indeed good tea.

"Did Commander Chen rest well last night?" Xu Huizu asked.

"Very good. Thank you for your concern, Duke."

"That's good." Xu Huizu also took a sip of tea. "I invited Commander Chen here today to discuss the specific arrangements for the Confucius Ceremony the day after tomorrow. I've thought about it, and the plan still needs to be refined."

"Please speak, Your Excellency."

Xu Huizu unfolded a map, a street map of the area around the Confucius Temple: "The Confucius worship ceremony will begin at 3:45 AM the day after tomorrow. According to custom, civil and military officials should depart from their respective residences and assemble at the Confucius Temple before 9:00 AM. As the imperial envoy, Commander Chen should depart from the inn and take this route..."

He pointed to a line on the map: "Leave the inn, go through Sanshan Street, cross Wuding Bridge, and you'll reach Confucius Temple. This stretch of road is about three li (approximately 1.5 kilometers), and it takes about 15 minutes to walk. The assassination will be arranged near Wuding Bridge—there's a large flow of people there, making it easy to create chaos and also an easy way to escape."

Chen Yuan looked at the map: "Whose men are the assassins?"

"My men," Xu Huizu said, "are all skilled soldiers, adept at acting, and won't actually harm Commander Chen. They'll disguise themselves as江湖人士 (jianghu figures, people of the martial arts world), and after the attack, they'll flee towards the Duke of Cheng's villa. At that time, I'll 'coincidentally' lead troops in pursuit, 'coincidentally' catch them at the Duke of Cheng's villa, and 'coincidentally' stumble upon the Duke of Cheng and several garrison commanders in a secret meeting..."

"and then?"

"Then it would be perfectly legitimate," Xu Huizu laughed. "Hiding assassins, secretly meeting with generals, plus the evidence found in the villa... that's enough to convict him of treason."

It still sounds perfect.

Chen Yuan was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Your Excellency, I have a question."

"explain."

"The Duke of Cheng has only been in Nanjing for ten days. How could he have already made connections with so many garrison commanders? These people have been operating in Nanjing for many years. Don't they know the risks of colluding with the Duke of Cheng?"

Xu Huizu's smile faded slightly: "What does Commander Chen mean by this?"

"I just find it strange," Chen Yuan said. "Although the Duke of Cheng is a duke, he is currently a criminal—the court has not yet issued a public arrest warrant, but anyone with eyes can see why he came to Nanjing. Under these circumstances, those commanders still dare to associate with him, either they are too bold, or... they are fearless."