The male supporting character was actually myself.

“I told you that I would do everything I could to get you anything you want.” Jiang Chen stepped forward to wipe away her tears and gently comforted her, “You don’t need to be so sad, I will make all the arrangements.”

Shen Qingluan raised her head, trembling, and said, "But...but if this comes to light one day, brother will definitely be implicated! What if someone uses this to attack you, or even falsely accuses you of treason?"

The little white cat blinked its big, pointed eyes and said, "Wow, the female lead isn't completely love-struck after all; she can actually think things through! It's probably thanks to the maid; with so much nagging around her, she must have taken some of it to heart..."

"Don't worry about that, your brother will handle it. Now it all depends on your feelings. If you truly like Shangguan Xuanyu, your brother will help you plan things out!"

Jiang Chen's voice grew increasingly deep, giving off a sense of security. He solemnly stated, "The Yong'an Kingdom's border army is restless, intending to invade our Southern Qi territory. This is also one of the most important tasks Shangguan Xuanyu has undertaken in our capital."

Brother has thought this through carefully. Although our country's strength has been far inferior to Yong'an's in recent years, we cannot sit idly by and wait for them to provoke war. I will soon use my undercover agents to stir up trouble in Yong'an's capital. If you truly desire Shangguan Xuanyu, brother will naturally find a way to prevent him from returning to Yong'an!

Those who are homeless and adrift will eventually fall into the arms of their younger sister.

If Shangguan Xuanyu were more ambitious, he might join forces with his brother to build a great enterprise. At that time, you wouldn't have to worry about anything and could just stay with him forever.

With your brother backing you up, he wouldn't dare to be disloyal to you, no matter how much courage he had.

"Really?" Shen Qingluan's heart wavered. If what her brother said was true, and Young Master Yu could turn from an enemy to a friend and work with her brother to achieve great things, wouldn't that be a happy ending for everyone?

At this moment, the only person in the world who truly cares for me and thinks of me is my brother.

As long as his power remains intact, I will have someone to rely on for the rest of my life!

Thinking of this, she stood up and bowed deeply in gratitude, saying, "Brother, you have put a lot of thought into your plans for me. I will certainly live up to your expectations! Please rest assured, brother, even if my sincerity fails to move Young Master Yu and my plans fail, I would rather break his legs and imprison him in the manor than do anything that would violate the country and the family!"

Chapter Fifteen: New Plans

"Yay!" The fluffy little dumpling jumped up and down excitedly. Flipping through the script, which indeed wasn't updating, she couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Host, your multi-pronged approach worked! Ninety percent of the time, the female lead won't betray you or the country. Now let's see how the script team responds, hahaha~"

After Shen Qingluan was reassured and left the study, Jiang Chen took out a secret report from his system space, which had been urgently delivered by an informant.

The little white cat tilted its head, unable to decipher the secret codes marked all over the place.

"This is intelligence sent back by my spies who were sent to Yong'an Kingdom," Jiang Chen explained. "To avoid interception and leaks, the secret report used only pre-arranged codes."

After receiving this confidential report today, I've come up with an even more interesting plan!

The little white cat stroked its big ears with great interest and asked, "Is it what the host was talking about with the female lead earlier, something about shared ambition and working together for a great cause?"

“That’s right. My spy runs a teahouse near the Imperial City Guard and he noticed a detail—when Huang Qianqian, the daughter of Huang Xiuqi, the current head of the Imperial City Guard, rode her horse across the street, she wore a blood jade pendant with cloud and thunder patterns and inlaid gemstones on her waist.”

Blood jade was a specialty of the Southern Qi Kingdom, and its mining, production, and sale were controlled by the royal family.

The skill of inlaying gemstones onto blood jade was possessed by only a handful of masters in the Southern Qi Kingdom. Therefore, based on the description in the secret report, I investigated the archives and found the record of that piece of blood jade with cloud and thunder patterns inlaid with gemstones.

Five years ago, the most famous jeweler in Yong'an Kingdom purchased a large quantity of goods from Southern Qi, including this blood jade.

Six months later, on the birthday of the Crown Prince of Yong'an Kingdom, a fourth-rank official presented this blood jade along with numerous treasures as a birthday gift. This was a routine lead reported by an informant planted within the merchant caravan.

So, since it entered the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, when did this blood jade end up in Huang Qianqian's hands?

It should be noted that Emperor An was inherently suspicious and ruthless. He did not allow any of his princes to enter the Imperial City Guard, which he personally oversaw, in order to avoid any entanglements that could lead to the loss of power.

Everyone in the Imperial City Guard, including Shangguan Xuanyu's father, Shangguan Yuntao, was a valiant warrior utterly loyal to His Majesty the Emperor. The high-ranking officials of the Imperial City Guard were forbidden from holding banquets or accepting gifts; unless there were hidden circumstances, items from the Crown Prince's palace could never have appeared on the daughter of the Imperial City Guard's chief.

The only possibility is that Huang Xiuqi, the head of the department, has secretly sided with the Crown Prince!

Perhaps sensing that Emperor An intended to replace him with Shangguan Xuanyu, or perhaps harboring ulterior motives all along, the scales that should have been impartial had now tipped.

Regardless of the extent of Huang Xiuqi's connection with the Crown Prince, he would certainly take action should Emperor An suddenly die and the capital city descend into chaos.

The Imperial City Guard, having controlled both the capital and the entire country, has become the central hub of power in the entire Yong'an Kingdom. To control the Imperial City Guard is equivalent to controlling Yong'an.

Shangguan Xuanyu's father, Shangguan Yuntao, was upright and loyal, and the department he led was in charge of many affairs in the capital.

When chaos erupts in the capital, he will surely remain steadfast in his principles and lead his troops to maintain stability. At that time, cracks will appear in the seemingly impregnable Imperial City Guard. Do you think someone might covet his power and secretly plot against him?

The fluffy little thing blinked its big, deep blue eyes, its gaze gradually shifting from bright and alert to unfocused, finally settling into black circles that spun around. It wobbled and mumbled, "I'm sorry, host, my CPU can't handle it... It's too complicated, I don't understand. Just tell me what to do..."

"According to the original plan, kill Emperor An during the sacrificial ceremony!"

Jiang Chen hugged its round, soft body and gently stroked its fur, a slight smile playing on his lips. "I want the simplest decapitation, not something like being struck by lightning."

I want the whole of Yong'an to know that Emperor An did not die from divine retribution but was murdered in a premeditated manner!

Every murder has a mastermind and a killer.

As for who it is... that's up to them to investigate and figure out. After it's done, don't leave yet; observe the situation. If Huang Xiuqi, the head of the Imperial City Guard, is indeed in cahoots with the Crown Prince, then you don't need to worry about what happens next. It will probably be pretty much as I predicted. Just come back and tell me the details as an observer.

If Huang Xiuqi manages to control the situation and stabilize Kyoto, then hurry back and tell me, and I'll make the next arrangements.

The little white cat rubbed its head against its host's long, slender, fair fingers and meowed, "Don't worry, host, I will definitely carry out this regicide perfectly!"

Time flies by.

In Yong'an Kingdom, which is located further north, spring arrives a little later, but the spring sacrifices have already been prepared in full swing.

According to the established custom of the dynasty, His Majesty the Emperor would pray for favorable weather and abundant harvests for the people during the annual spring sacrificial ceremony. All court officials were required to attend, making it one of the most important events in Yong'an.

On this day, all the people of Yong'an Kingdom will temporarily put aside their own affairs and join in the prayer activities.

Dragon dances for blessings, lanterns and decorations—young women and married women who have been cooped up all winter will take advantage of the beautiful spring weather to go out for a stroll, either in groups to enjoy the spring scenery or to watch the excitement on the streets. The sounds of gongs and drums and the crackling of firecrackers create a lively and bustling scene.

The people of Kyoto, in particular, are fortunate enough to witness the festival activities atop Mount Fukuyama from afar.

Even from a distance, those with excellent eyesight can recognize His Majesty the Emperor by his attire and which officials stand below him. At that time, the Grand Master of Yong'an Kingdom will personally oversee the situation to prevent any unscrupulous individuals from taking advantage of the situation to cause trouble.

Early in the morning, the palace was bustling with activity.

The concubines were naturally not allowed to go to the sacrificial site. Instead of being idle, they conducted a prayer ceremony in the palace under the leadership of the Empress, praying for the Emperor's safety and for their own offspring.

Therefore, the palace staff began preparing before dawn.

After breakfast, the thoughtful Emperor An, who was over forty years old, changed into the luxurious dragon robe used for sacrificial rites and stood in front of the bronze mirror, asking, "How is Shangguan Xuanyu doing? Has he submitted any secret reports?"

"Your Majesty, there are no secret reports today."

"It seems the capital of Southern Qi is currently under the strict control of Regent Shen Jiangchen, and the long distance makes communication extremely difficult. According to previous reports, Young Master Shangguan has already begun to approach Shen Jiangchen's sister, Shen Qingluan. With his intelligence and handsome appearance, I believe no girl could resist his charm. If we can win over Shen Qingluan, Southern Qi's confidential intelligence will be within our grasp!"

The eunuch replied in a high-pitched voice, "Your Majesty, it is time to attend the sacrificial ceremony. The Crown Prince and all the princes are waiting for you."

Emperor An leaned close to the bronze mirror and looked at the fine lines on his face, and couldn't help but sigh: "Shangguan Xuanyu is indeed a talent. Among the younger generation, I think he is the most intelligent and quick-witted."

They're just too young and haven't been tempered yet; they're not good enough, far from it!

This time, he infiltrated the Southern Qi capital to oversee the intelligence network and outmaneuver Shen Jiangchen. If he successfully completes the mission, he can hand over the Imperial City Guard to Shen upon his return. With his father, the upright and selfless Shangguan Yuntao, assisting him, Shangguan Xuanyu will be capable of handling important responsibilities within two years.

The eunuch couldn't help but wonder, "Your Majesty, Chief Huang is not yet fifty years old, he is in his prime and has no major entanglements, so why are you in such a hurry to replace him?"

Chapter Sixteen: King Murder

Emperor An glanced at him and sneered, "No connection whatsoever? I'm afraid you've already planned to make his daughter the future Empress of Yong'an Kingdom!"

The Imperial City Guard? It is my other hands and other eyes that are called the Imperial City Guard! If it is not used by me, it is a sharp blade that has lost its control. Now... I'm afraid the hilt is already in the Crown Prince's hands.

"Ha! My sons shout 'Long live the Emperor!' all day long, but deep down they all wish for my early demise so they can seize power!"

"Your Majesty, please calm down!" The old eunuch trembled with fear, cold sweat pouring down his face, and hurriedly knelt down.

"I didn't say anything to you, what are you afraid of?" Emperor An couldn't help but laugh. "Get up. I know everything perfectly well, I'm just too lazy to say some things."

After several years of preparation, we are finally well-equipped and have a strong force.

Once Shangguan Xuanyu gets down to business and can gather military intelligence for a report, that will be the time for my Yong'an Iron Cavalry to set foot on the land of Southern Qi! At that time, the flames of war will dilute the internal conflicts, and they will have plenty of things to do instead of staring at each other like fighting cocks, wishing they could peck each other to death.

This time, I have devised a plan to gradually annex the territory of Southern Qi and incorporate it into our own. The war has temporarily subsided, giving the Southern Qi court some time to fight and weaken its internal strife. Furthermore, if Shangguan Xuanyu can pass the test and stir up trouble within the Southern Qi court, I can completely destroy Southern Qi within five years.

By then, my Yong'an territory will be vast, and I will enfeoff vassal kings, transferring all those restless fellows away from the capital.

If they want more, then they should expand outwards by their own means!

The Xiongnu, the Japanese islands, and the barbarians—they have plenty of opportunities to sharpen their swords. If each of them were truly brave, skilled in battle, and intelligent, they should know to expand and conquer until their fiefdoms are vast enough, with each of the nine brothers possessing power and supporting each other. Why then would they need to fight over such a small territory?

That's what true compassion for the world looks like! Yong'an Kingdom, with its limited territory, doesn't even deserve the title of 'the world.'

After considering his plan, Emperor An smiled and said, "Let's see if Shangguan Xuanyu can seize the opportunity presented by Shen Jiangchen's sister to create a breakthrough in Southern Qi and allow us to take advantage of the situation to completely destroy the country!"

"Let's go, the sacrificial ceremony is about to begin, don't be late."

"Yes!" The eunuch hurriedly led the way with small, quick steps.

The little white cat perched on Andi's shoulder and meowed, "You've got some pretty good plans! Your own place is too small for your sons to share, so you're invading other countries? No wonder my host said that the cruel part of the story only begins after the script team finishes writing it."

You old bastard, you're definitely up to no good! After invading, you want to destroy the country!

Hehe, while you still have a mouth, say as much as you can. Once the family splits up, you won't have the chance to say anything anymore.

With a small black bundle tied around its neck, it looked like it was about to run away from home, leisurely licking its paws as it watched the complicated sacrificial procedures of Yong'an Kingdom.

Jiang Chen was thousands of miles away, sitting opposite the emperor who was engrossed in assembling Lego with dark circles under his eyes, and slowly rubbing his temples with his hand on his head.

Before the fluffy ball set off, he attached a wisp of a soul artifact to it.

At this moment, the distance was too great, and only by concentrating could one sense the surrounding environment through the Horcrux.

The sacrificial ceremony was already halfway through. Emperor An was about to ascend the altar on the not-too-high Mount Fu in the royal sacrificial garden to pray for the country. At this moment, all the princes, ministers, and even the people of the distant capital were holding their breath and watching him ascend step by step to the highest position.

"Now!" The little white cat's eyes lit up as it seized the opportunity. It took out the button that its host had chosen from its spatial storage and was about to throw it at Andy's neck.

One-time use D-rank item - Sharp Blade: Unleashes a fatal blow upon use, a prime example of pinpoint accuracy. Of course, it will miss if you don't aim, so stay focused and try to hit your target and specific location.

Jiang Chen originally wanted to find a higher-level prop for it, but after thinking it over, the fluffy ball felt that since it was just sitting on Andi's shoulder and moving around, even if it was stupid, it couldn't just stand around aimlessly. Using a higher-level prop would be too expensive, so it chose the lowest-level D-grade prop.

Its furry little paws trembled slightly as it held the button, ready to smash it against Andy's neck!

During the sacrificial ceremony, Emperor An suddenly sensed a murderous aura. His eyes sharpened, and he quickly channeled his inner strength. As a Grandmaster, he was able to find the source of the threat by following the aura that ordinary people could not detect.

"An assassin!" Emperor An shouted immediately.

"Grandmaster!" Jiang Chen was startled. Emperor An was actually the most mysterious Grandmaster!

The little white cat's props alone are definitely not enough to kill it in one fell swoop. If we find more props, it will delay the opportunity. With this in mind, he frowned slightly and forcibly controlled the soul weapon's actions!

Everything happens in an instant.

"Meow~" The fluffy ball aimed at Andy's neck and threw the prop;

"Assassins!" Emperor An instinctively sensed the danger and shouted, circulating his inner strength to defend himself.

"Whoosh!" A wisp of soul weapon attached to the little white cat attacked through the air.

The Grandmasters and Imperial Guards, who had been on standby, were shocked and on high alert upon hearing the news, searching for the assassin's hiding place and protecting the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and other important figures. However, before they could make their next move, they heard a soft "sizzle".

Andi, standing on the altar, swayed slightly, and then a line of blood appeared on his neck. He opened his mouth but couldn't make a sound, and the light in his eyes dimmed.