Too many female prisoners, a special forces soldier transmigrates and marries wildly.

The Imperial City, a side hall of the Wenyuan Pavilion.

The hall was brightly lit by candles, and the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.

The air was thick with a suffocating, oppressive atmosphere.

Several high-ranking officials, some dressed in crimson and purple robes, some with white hair and beards, and others in their prime, stood on either side, each with their eyes downcast and their faces solemn.

Behind the imperial desk, the current emperor, Chengping, dressed in a bright yellow robe, was about forty years old, with a thin face and deep eyes, slowly flipping through the mountain of memorials piled on the imperial desk.

His fingers were long and slender, and he turned the pages of the memorials with unhurried movements, but the melancholy between his brows made the temperature in the hall seem to drop several degrees.

Most of these memorials came from Qingzhou, from the powerful regional prince—Prince Qi, Zhao Yuankai—and Zhou Wenyuan, the Prefect of Qingzhou. Their contents were nothing more than mutual accusations. Prince Qi impeached Zhou Wenyuan for "colluding with border generals, raising private armies, plotting rebellion, and falsely accusing a prince." Zhou Wenyuan, in turn, impeached Prince Qi for "colluding with the Di and Rong tribes, smuggling weapons, plotting rebellion, and assassinating court officials." Both sides used vehement language, listing "evidence," seemingly eager to put the other to death.

What's even more troublesome is that the court officials supporting both sides have also split into two distinct factions, arguing endlessly in the court and attacking each other, almost turning the Qingzhou lawsuit into a battlefield of factional strife.

Emperor Chengping put down the last memorial, rubbed his throbbing temples, and glanced at the assembled officials. His voice was unreadable: "You have all seen it. The matter of Qingzhou has been debated for so many days; has there been a conclusion?"

His Highness remained silent for a moment.

An elderly, white-bearded, and gaunt-faced official, the Censor-in-Chief Du Yan, stepped forward first, bowed, and said, “Your Majesty, Prince Qi, stationed in Qingzhou, is Your Majesty’s nephew, serving as a bulwark for the northern frontier, and has a long history of meritorious service. Zhou Wenyuan’s accusations are mostly baseless and lack substantial evidence. Moreover, his accusation that Prince Qi ‘assassinated a court official’ is utterly absurd. This old minister believes that Zhou Wenyuan’s crimes of falsely accusing a prince and sowing discord within the imperial family should be thoroughly investigated!”

"Lord Du, you are mistaken!" Another official, Liu Jing, the Right Vice Minister of War, who was about fifty years old, with a square face and sharp eyes, immediately stepped forward to refute him. "In Zhou's memorial, there are surviving copies of the account books between the Prince of Qi and the Di Rong. The details of the transactions, the time, and the people involved are all verifiable! How can this be mere speculation? As for the assassination attempt, Zhou still has the arrow wound in his shoulder, and many of his guards were killed or wounded. How could this be fabricated? The Prince of Qi is in Qingzhou, wielding both military and political power, which has long been suspected of overstepping his authority. Now, he is secretly colluding with the Di Rong. His intentions are despicable! Your Majesty should immediately issue an edict to arrest the Prince of Qi and bring him to the capital for questioning, and send another high-ranking official to take over Qingzhou!"

"Minister Liu! How can you believe only one side of the story? The authenticity of those account books is still unknown! As the Prefect, Zhou Wenyuan is in charge of criminal matters and finances; forging a few pages of accounts would be as easy as turning his hand! This is clearly a frame-up!"

"Minister Du! You've been making excuses for Prince Qi at every turn. Could it be that you've received some benefits from him?!"

"You...you're spouting nonsense!"

Seeing that the two important ministers were about to start arguing again, Emperor Chengping frowned slightly and coughed softly.

The hall fell silent instantly. Du Yan and Liu Jing each snorted coldly and returned to their ranks.

"Alright." Emperor Chengping spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"The situation in Qingzhou is shrouded in mystery. The Prince of Qi is my imperial uncle, and Zhou Wenyuan is a capable minister personally appointed by me. I am unwilling to trust either side too easily, but I cannot sit idly by and watch the northern frontier descend into chaos, nor can I tolerate any collusion between the vassal kings and the Di and Rong tribes."

He paused, his gaze falling on a middle-aged eunuch in a dark purple robe, with a pale face, no beard, and a respectful expression, who had been standing silently in the corner: "Eunuch Wei, is there any news from the Imperial City Guard in Qingzhou?"

That middle-aged eunuch was none other than Wei Jin, the supervising eunuch of the Imperial City Guard.

He stepped forward, bowed, and spoke softly, his voice high-pitched yet clear: "Your Majesty, the Imperial City Guard in Qingzhou reports that the Qi Prince's Mansion does indeed have clandestine dealings with certain Di and Rong tribes, involving the exchange of ironware and medicinal herbs. However, the exact quantities and whether military equipment was involved have not yet been verified. The assassination attempt on Prefect Zhou is indeed true; the assailant committed suicide by poison and is suspected to be a suicide bomber. In addition…" He paused, seemingly hesitant.

"explain."

"Yes. The Imperial City Guard has also discovered that there has been some undercurrent in Qingzhou recently. In addition to the conflict between Prince Qi and Prefect Zhou, it seems that... there is a third-party force at work. The mysterious assassin organization 'Yinshan Ghost Fiend' has been frequently appearing in Qingzhou, with no clear target. In addition, there are rumors that there are scattered remnants of the former Prince Jing's faction also appearing near Qingzhou, but this has not been confirmed."

"Remnants of the previous dynasty?"

Emperor Chengping's eyes narrowed slightly. This was indeed a sensitive topic. Although the Great Yan Dynasty had been established for nearly a century, and the previous dynasty had long since vanished, rumors about the former imperial family's secret treasures and a few loyal remnants had never ceased. If these remnants were to become entangled with the chaos in Qingzhou, things would become even more complicated.

The officials in the hall also had varying expressions. Matters of the previous dynasty were taboo, and no one dared to speak lightly about them.

Emperor Chengping tapped his fingers lightly on the imperial desk, pondered for a long time, and then slowly said, "Issue an imperial decree."

Everyone immediately stood at attention and listened attentively.

"I will make my own decision regarding the matter of Qingzhou. Prince Qi, Zhao Yuankai, is my imperial uncle. He has guarded the northern frontier for many years. Even if he has committed minor offenses, it is not appropriate to act rashly. He is to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors and is not allowed to leave his residence without an imperial edict. All military and political affairs will be temporarily handled by the Qingzhou Governor's Office. Zhou Wenyuan, as the Prefectural Governor, was attacked and wounded. His loyalty is commendable. He is to recuperate peacefully. The criminal and financial affairs of Qingzhou will be temporarily handled by the Assistant Prefect."

This is a fair fight against both sides, first sidelining both to stabilize the situation.

"Furthermore, I hereby appoint Feng Zhen, the Earl of Zhongyong and Commander of the Longxiang Guard, as Imperial Commissioner, carrying my imperial edict, to proceed to Qingzhou immediately to thoroughly investigate the Qi Prince's dealings with the Di Rong, the assassination of Zhou Wenyuan, and all other illegal activities in Qingzhou. He has the authority to execute first and report later. The Qingzhou Governor's Office and the military forces of all prefectures must obey his orders and cooperate in the investigation."

The emperor has dispatched an imperial envoy, and it's none other than Feng Zhen, the Marquis of Zhongyong, a trusted confidant of the emperor and commander of the elite Longxiang Guard! This is serious!

The officials in the hall felt a chill run down their spines, knowing that the emperor was about to launch a thorough purge of Qingzhou. Neither the Prince of Qi nor Zhou Wenyuan would likely escape scrutiny.

"Furthermore," Emperor Chengping's gaze swept over the crowd again, finally settling on Wei Jin, "the Imperial City Guard has been increased to infiltrate Qingzhou and secretly investigate the movements of the 'Yinshan Ghost Fiend' and the remnants of the previous dynasty. Any news must be reported to me immediately."

"This servant obeys your command," Wei Jin replied, bowing.

"You may all leave." Emperor Chengping waved his hand, appearing somewhat weary.

"We take our leave." The ministers bowed and filed out of the Wenyuan Pavilion.

Only Emperor Chengping and Wei Jin remained in the hall. Emperor Chengping gazed at the flickering candlelight, remaining silent for a long time before finally asking in a low voice, "Eunuch Wei, how deep do you think the waters of Qingzhou really are?"

Wei Jin lowered his head and said cautiously, "Your Majesty is wise and will make your own decision. This servant only knows that the tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease. Qingzhou is located at a strategic point in the northern frontier, connecting with the Di and Rong tribes, and it also involves vassal kings, capable officials, and even secrets of the previous dynasty... This pool of water is probably not shallow. Lord Feng's journey may not be smooth sailing."

A fierce glint flashed in Emperor Chengping's eyes: "I want to see just how many demons and monsters are lurking beneath this pool! Send a secret decree to Feng Zhen, tell him to investigate freely! If the sky falls, I will hold it up! If necessary... the 'Hidden Blade' can be used."

"A hidden blade?!" Wei Jin's heart trembled violently. That was the emperor's most secretive and sharpest knife, rarely used. This time, His Majesty was determined to dig out all the festering sores in Qingzhou.

"Yes, this servant understands." Wei Jin bowed deeply.

Outside the window, the night was deep.

A storm that will sweep through Qingzhou has begun, with the imperial envoy's imminent southward journey and the secret operations of the Imperial City Guard.