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

Chen Yuan took a sip of bird's nest soup before asking, "Mother didn't call me here just for a meal, did she?"

The Empress Dowager put down her teacup and waved away her attendants.

Once only the two of them were left in the hall, she slowly spoke: "What are your thoughts on what happened at court today?"

"The rewards are too generous, and I've made too many enemies," Chen Yuan said bluntly. "Yang Rong and his ilk have already made me their target."

"I know," the Empress Dowager said, "but it has to be done. You need a title now, you need power. Only by standing high enough can you see the big picture, and only then can you... protect yourself."

"What is Mother worried about?"

The Empress Dowager was silent for a moment, then took out a letter from her sleeve: "Received this morning, by urgent dispatch. Take a look."

Chen Yuan accepted the letter.

The letter came from Nanjing, and was written in Han Cheng's handwriting.

The contents were simple: traces of remnants of the Prince of Han's faction were discovered, suggesting that Zhu Zhanqi had appeared in Yangzhou but escaped during the pursuit. Additionally, a batch of letters was seized, evidence of Zhu Zhanqi's dealings with Japanese pirates.

"He still dares to show his face?" Chen Yuan frowned.

"He's not just making public appearances," the Empress Dowager said. "The letter also says that Zhu Zhanqi is secretly recruiting soldiers and making connections with regional princes in Jiangnan. His goal may not be just the throne..."

"But rather, he rebels," Chen Yuan interjected. "He wants to seize the throne like his father, the King of Han."

"Moreover, the timing was excellent." The Empress Dowager smiled wryly. "The new emperor is young, the court is unstable, and the border has just experienced a major battle... Raising an army at this time has a high chance of success."

Chen Yuan put down the letter: "What does Mother want me to do?"

"Go to Jiangnan." The Empress Dowager looked at him. "On the surface, it's to inspect the canal transport and reorganize the garrisons. In reality... investigate Zhu Zhanqi, and if necessary, execute him first and report later."

Another case of "acting first and reporting later".

Last time I went to Nanjing, this time I'm going to Jiangnan.

Chen Yuan suddenly felt as if he had become the Empress Dowager's knife, stabbing wherever there was danger.

But he did not refuse.

Because it's what he should do.

"When are we leaving?"

"After the Lantern Festival," the Empress Dowager said, "during this time, you should take good care of your injuries and also... familiarize yourself with the court. Now that you are a deputy commander, it's time for you to show your face to the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Chen Yuan nodded.

He knew what the Empress Dowager meant—although Liu Mian, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, appeared respectful, he was, after all, an old man left over from the time of Cao Jixiang, and might not be reliable.

He needs to be in charge, and he also needs to... cultivate his own people.

It was already dark when we came out of Cining Palace.

The palace began to be lit, and the palace lanterns lit up the corridors, like a luminous river.

Chen Yuan did not return to Qianqing Palace, but went to the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) headquarters.

The yamen (government office) was located on the west side of the imperial city, not far from the Ministry of Justice.

The gate tower is tall, and the two stone lions in front of it are baring their teeth and claws, appearing even more ferocious in the night.

The captain standing guard at the gate, seeing his python robe and jade belt, quickly saluted: "Greetings, Commander!"

"Is Commander Liu here?"

"Yes, in the back room."

Chen Yuan entered the yamen.

The front yard was the drill ground, which was now deserted; the middle yard housed the offices of the various departments, and the lights were still on; the back yard was the commander's duty room.

He walked to the outside of the duty room and heard voices inside.

"...Who is this newly appointed Commander Chen? I heard he used to be a night watchman?"

"More than that. Rumor has it that he is the Empress Dowager's illegitimate son..."

"Shh! Keep your voice down! How can you say things like that?"

"What are you afraid of? There are no outsiders here. Lord Liu, do you think the Empress Dowager doesn't trust us to put such a person into the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Chen Yuan stopped outside the door.

He recognized Liu Mian's voice, as well as two others, who were likely the Assistant Commander and Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Liu Mian's voice was calm: "Don't say such things again. Commander Chen is a meritorious official, and it's only right that the Empress Dowager values ​​him. Let's just do our jobs."

"But sir..."

"No buts," Liu Mian interrupted. "The Embroidered Uniform Guard is the emperor's personal guard, and they only obey the emperor's orders. Now that the emperor is young and the empress dowager is overseeing the country, we will listen to the empress dowager. Commander Chen is here, so serve him well and don't cause trouble for yourself."

There was a moment of silence inside the door.

"yes..."

Chen Yuan then pushed open the door and went in.

Three people were sitting in the duty room. At the head of the table was Liu Mian, in his fifties, with a thin face and sharp eyes. To his left and right were two deputies, both in their early forties, one fat and one thin.

Upon seeing Chen Yuan, the three of them stood up at the same time.

"Commander Chen has arrived." Liu Mian cupped his hands in greeting. "I am sorry for not welcoming you sooner."

"Commander Liu, you're too kind," Chen Yuan returned the greeting. "I'm new here and have come to pay my respects."

"Sit down," Liu Mian gestured. "Serve tea."

The plump magistrate hurriedly went to make tea. The thin assistant magistrate, on the other hand, sized up Chen Yuan, his eyes filled with scrutiny.

"How is Commander Chen's injury?" Liu Mian asked.

"It's alright," Chen Yuan said. "The Empress Dowager ordered me to come to the Embroidered Uniform Guard for training. I will need Commander Liu's guidance in the future."

"I wouldn't presume to offer guidance," Liu Mian smiled. "Commander Chen is a young hero, his fame resounding throughout the court and the country after the Battle of Juyong Pass. It is our honor to have him join the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

The words were polite, but conveyed a sense of distance.

Chen Yuan didn't mind, took the tea, and took a sip: "This humble official is not familiar with the affairs of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and would like to start by looking at the case files. I wonder if it would be possible to access the recent case files?"

A strange light flashed in Liu Mian's eyes: "Of course. What aspect would Commander Chen like to see?"

"All of them," Chen Yuan said, "especially...those involving the remnants of the Han King's faction, the Japanese pirates of Jiangnan, and the illegal activities of court officials."

The atmosphere in the duty room became tense.

The portly magistrate chuckled dryly: "Commander Chen is truly...diligent."

"Of course." Chen Yuan put down his teacup. "The Empress Dowager often says that the Embroidered Uniform Guard is the eyes and ears of the court, and must be sharp and discerning. Now that I am here, I cannot be a mere figurehead."

He looked at Liu Mian: "What does Commander Liu think?"

Liu Mian met his gaze for a long time, then nodded: "Commander Chen is right. I'll have someone deliver the files to your duty room tomorrow. However, the files are numerous, and Commander Chen is injured, so please don't overwork yourself."

"Thank you for your concern, Commander Liu."

After exchanging a few more polite words, Chen Yuan rose to take his leave. As he walked out of the duty room, he heard suppressed whispers behind him.

"...They don't seem to have good intentions..."

"...The world is about to change..."

He didn't turn around and walked straight out of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's office.

The night wind was cold, and it felt like knives on my face.

Chen Yuan stood at the street corner, looking at the imperial city that had just changed hands.

A new dynasty has begun.

A new struggle has begun.

This time, however, he was no longer a pawn, nor a weapon.

He wants to be the one who plays the chess piece and wields the knife.

No matter how many open or hidden attacks lie ahead.

He will keep going.

Because this is his path.

It was the path he chose himself.

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival.

The night in Beijing was brighter than ever before.

From Zhengyangmen to Di'anmen, the ten-mile-long street was adorned with lanterns—round, square, fish-shaped, lotus-shaped, red, yellow, blue, and green—swaying in the night breeze, illuminating the entire city like a giant lantern market.

Even the pleasure boats on the Qinhuai River would probably feel ashamed in comparison.

But Chen Yuan wasn't in the mood to admire the lanterns.

He sat in the duty room of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, with a pile of files half a person high in front of him.

The candlelight flickered, casting shifting shadows on his face.

He has been eating and sleeping here for three days, flipping through those yellowed pages one by one.