The Third Prince and Prince Chen were competing for the throne, so the Third Prince naturally had an exceptionally clear understanding of Prince Chen's every move.
The Third Prince also knew of the Heaven Guard Battalion. A thousand years ago, after Prince Chen was demoted and driven from the imperial capital, the Third Prince had taken advantage of the chaos to recruit many powerful warriors from the Heaven Guard Battalion.
Now that Prince Chen had returned to the imperial capital, the Third Prince had decided to turn the situation to his advantage. He had arranged for a small portion of the Heaven Guard Battalion's warriors to return to the battalion and serve as planted spies.
That way, the Third Prince could have a perfect grasp of any stirrings within the Heaven Guard Battalion.
After Lin Bai used Prince Chen's royal decree to summon the Heaven Guard Battalion's warriors, the news quickly reached the Third Prince's ears.
But the Third Prince had misinterpreted it... He believed that Prince Chen, thinking himself no match for the Third Prince and believing the throne was beyond his reach, intended to raise troops and force his way into the palace.
That was why Prince Chen had secretly instructed Lin Bai to gather the Heaven Guard Battalion's warriors.
At the same time, the Third Prince had also begun summoning the Sun Moon Pavilion's experts back to the imperial capital. One reason was to guard against Prince Chen acting recklessly; the other was to have them ready for any unforeseen need.
If the Third Prince missed out on the throne, there was a good chance he, too, would reach the point of raising troops and forcing his way into the palace.
Imperial Palace, Golden Hall.
Chu Emperor sat upright upon the Dragon Throne. A voice came from