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Emperor Yuanjing awoke with a start from his sleep. The vast hall was silent, and his personal eunuch was fast asleep on a small table.

There were no concubines or palace maids serving the emperor in his bedchamber. Emperor Yuanjing had been practicing abstinence and Daoism for over twenty years, and the emperor's bedchamber had become a forbidden place for the concubines.

The concubines' feelings about Emperor Yuanjing's pursuit of Daoism can be summarized in one sentence:

Scholars study diligently by lamplight—to the point of exhaustion.

Naturally, there were many complaints, but Emperor Yuanjing never paid attention to the opinions of his concubines. As an emperor with many children, his concubines were already dispensable.

If they had started practicing Daoism twenty years earlier, the ministers would have died remonstrating against it.

"Your Majesty is awake?" The chief eunuch, a light sleeper, woke up immediately and rushed to the emperor's bedside.

"What time is it?" Emperor Yuanjing pinched the bridge of his nose.

"At the quarter-thirty hour of Yin," the head eunuch said, turning around to pick up the teapot on the small stove and pour a cup of warm water for Emperor Yuanjing.

Having served the emperor for so many years, there are some minor matters that don't even need to be inquired about.

Emperor Yuanjing drank his tea and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. "After the ancestral worship ceremony, I have been restless. I have decided to go to Lingbao Temple to practice Daoism and calm my mind with the Imperial Preceptor."

Just as the master and servant reached the outside of the palace, they suddenly heard a loud bell ringing through the night sky and echoing in every corner of the palace.

The palace has entered a state of war preparedness.

Emperor Yuanjing frowned, his expression filled with fear as he saw a troop of imperial guards rushing towards him.

The head of the Imperial Guards shouted, "Your Majesty, an explosion has occurred at Sangbo. The Yongzhen Mountain and River Temple has been destroyed, and all three hundred Imperial Guards on duty have perished; not a single one survived."

Emperor Yuanjing stood there, stunned.

After a long silence, he said in a deep voice, "Notify Wei Yuan to immediately bring his men to the palace; notify the Grand Preceptor to come here to see me; and inform the Supervisor that the Yongzhen Mountain and River Temple has been destroyed."

That night, the Warlock of the Bureau of Astronomy awoke inexplicably, filled with fear as if it were the end of the world.

The first to arrive was the female imperial advisor, who rode on a seven-star sword, flying through the air.

Wearing a lotus crown and a Tai Chi robe with flowing sleeves, she exudes an ethereal and otherworldly aura.

She was a woman whose age was hard to guess; she was stunningly beautiful and possessed an ethereal air. She had the fair skin of a young woman, the allure of a mature woman, and the ethereal grace of someone detached from the world.

Her beauty is like something seen through a thousand mountains and ten thousand layers of snow, something that can be admired but never reached.

"Grand Preceptor," Emperor Yuanjing opened his mouth, then sighed, "The thing beneath Sangbo Lake has emerged."

The female national advisor nodded slightly, her voice ethereal and clear. "This humble Daoist already understands."

Wei Yuan arrived shortly afterward, bringing with him two gong-ringers from the Nightwatchers's office, as well as two adopted sons, making a total of four high-ranking martial artists.

In addition to the experts within the palace, a group of incredibly powerful martial artists and leaders of the Human Sect, Emperor Yuanjing was escorted to Sangbo.

More than a thousand imperial guards gathered on the shore of Sangbo Lake, holding torches. High-ranking martial artists from the army also gathered to await Emperor Yuanjing.

The Yongzhen Shanhe Temple no longer exists; the high platform has partially collapsed, and broken wooden beams float on the water.

Upon witnessing this scene, Emperor Yuanjing's brow twitched violently, and he shouted, "Where is the divine sword?"

A commander of the Imperial Guards clasped his hands and said, "We have already sent men to retrieve it."

Emperor Yuanjing took a deep breath, walked to the shore, stretched out his hand, and curled his five fingers.

A clear yellow light shone from the bottom of the water, and a three-foot-long bronze sword broke through the water and flew into Emperor Yuanjing's hand.

After carefully examining the sword and confirming that it was intact, Emperor Yuanjing breathed a sigh of relief.

The Imperial Preceptor, riding the Seven Star Sword and holding Fuchen's arm, circled once above Sangbo Lake before freezing in mid-air and said:

"Your Majesty, there is nothing unusual about Sangbo."

There was nothing unusual, but Emperor Yuanjing's eyes darkened slightly.

Wei Yuan turned to the Imperial Guard commanders and asked, "Where are the remains of the fallen soldiers?"

More than a dozen corpses were carried up, all dying in the same way, their flesh shriveled and dried up, like mummies that had been weathered for decades.

"The rest of the soldiers died in the same way as them." After reporting, a general glanced cautiously at Emperor Yuanjing: "Your Majesty, we did not detect any powerful enemy intrusion."

The leaders of the Imperial Guards knew that the real reason for this strange event was probably related to the accident at the ancestral worship ceremony the day before.

They had an even more chilling suspicion: the explosion at Sangbo and the sudden deaths of the patrolling soldiers were probably not due to a powerful enemy invasion, but rather because Sangbo was hiding some secret.

Although the generals had their own suspicions, as subjects, they knew what they should and should not say.

Emperor Yuanjing's sharp gaze swept over the corpse, then he turned his head and stared at Wei Yuan's face. "Wei Yuan, come with me to the Imperial Study."

The brocade curtains hung low, and sandalwood incense burned in the bedroom.

The princess was awakened by the sound of the bell. The moment she opened her eyes, she didn't put on her clothes, but instead drew the long sword hanging by her bedside. With a clanging sound, she rushed into the hall wearing a white undergarment that outlined her exquisite figure.

A tall, aloof beauty, carrying a gleaming longsword, her long black hair cascading down her back in a slightly languid, disheveled manner.

Her white, form-fitting undershirt accentuated her perfectly proportioned figure; she wasn't the frail type, but rather exuded the sexiness of a gym babe. If Xu Qi'an were here, he would sigh: This woman is a perfect match for me.

Your Highness.

The maid in the side hall was also awakened and rushed over in a panic, grabbing the princess's palace dress.

"Change into more formal attire." The princess's elegant features exuded authority.

After changing into light and more flattering outfits, with a crossbow on her left hip, a musket on her right, and a long sword in her hand, the princess led her guards and rushed to Emperor Yuanjing's bedroom.

The eldest princess was stopped by the imperial guards protecting the emperor's bedroom. At times like these, princes and princesses were even less allowed to approach the emperor.

Who knows if one of the princes is plotting a coup?

The princess did not force her way in. Her gaze swept over the imperial guards and she saw several familiar figures: the Nightwatchers and high-ranking warriors from various armies.

What exactly happened? If it wasn't an attack by a powerful enemy, the palace guards would never have rung the alarm bells. But if it was an invasion by a powerful enemy nation, the scene seemed too quiet, and moreover, no one from the Bureau of Astronomy had come.

The eldest princess gripped her sword, deep in thought.

At this moment, the Crown Prince and several princes and princesses also arrived with their entourage.

"Huaiqing!" The Crown Prince, dressed in military attire, looked solemn.

"The situation is currently unknown," the eldest princess said succinctly.

The alluring and seductive Second Princess, with her peach-blossom eyes, saw that the Eldest Princess was dressed in a martial attire, her brows less cold and more sharp, as if she might strike at the slightest provocation. She opened her cherry-like mouth, but ultimately chose to remain silent.

Something important is going on today, I'm too lazy to argue with Huaiqing.

A quarter of an hour later, the door to the imperial study opened, and a eunuch in blue robes came out.

"Duke Wei." The eldest princess was closest to Wei Yuan, and could be considered half of Wei Yuan's disciple.

Wei Yuan sighed, "The Yongzhen Mountain and River Temple has collapsed; it was the work of thieves, but its whereabouts are long gone."

The princes and princesses gasped in surprise. The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes, suppressing his emotions, and stepped forward. "Is it related to the ancestral worship ceremony that day?"

Wei Yuan shook his head and glanced at the Princess: "His Majesty ordered me to find out the truth and catch the culprit within half a month. I have already explained to His Majesty frankly that this case will definitely not be easy to handle."

He shook his head and left.

The eldest princess's eyes flickered.

The door to the imperial study opened again, and a senior eunuch wearing a black gauze hat and a camel-colored python robe came out.

"Your Highnesses, His Majesty requests your presence."

Led by the Crown Prince, a total of eight princes and princesses who had come to check on the situation entered the Imperial Study together.

The emperor's personal desk was placed in the front hall, which was empty. The chief eunuch led them into the inner hall, where curtains were drawn and Emperor Yuanjing was sitting cross-legged on a futon. Sitting opposite him was the beautiful and elegant female imperial advisor.

The two stood at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, maintaining the distance between fellow Daoists discussing the Dao.

Over the years, Emperor Yuanjing had been practicing Daoism under the guidance of this female national teacher, and the results were excellent. Back then, Emperor Yuanjing was burdened by political affairs, and his hair turned gray early. By his early thirties, his temples were already frosty white.

After this leader of the Human Sect cultivated Daoism for twenty years, his hair turned completely black, and his Qi and Blood and health improved.

The crown prince secretly wished he could Curse her with voodoo dolls.

The other princes felt a mixture of admiration and greed towards this Daoist nun, and awe and disgust at the same time.

"Imperial Preceptor, I am still uneasy." Emperor Yuanjing broke free from his meditation, opened his eyes, and sighed.

"Your Majesty suffers from a heart ailment, and only a remedy for the heart can cure it," the female imperial advisor said, her voice carrying the pleasant and sophisticated quality of a mature woman.

"I do indeed have a heartache," Emperor Yuanjing said, gazing at the Daoist nun's exquisite face. "I have been waiting for the Imperial Preceptor to cultivate with me."

Upon hearing this, the princes and princesses' expressions immediately turned strange.

Only the eldest princess and the crown prince remained expressionless, their thoughts running deep.

Ten years ago, Emperor Yuanjing proposed to cultivate with the Imperial Preceptor, but the Imperial Preceptor refused. Emperor Yuanjing then issued an edict to bestow upon her the title of Immortal Consort.

The Imperial Preceptor still refused, and Emperor Yuanjing, relying on the other's cultivation of immortality, had no choice but to give up.

Outsiders only thought that Emperor Yuanjing was lusting after the Imperial Preceptor's exceptional talent and beauty, and perhaps that was part of the reason, but it was by no means the main factor. The princes and princesses knew their father's character best.

With three thousand beauties in the imperial harem, what kind of woman couldn't he have?

The princess, hailed as the most beautiful woman in the capital, was once a palace maid. But Emperor Yuanjing, who was then practicing asceticism and Daoist cultivation, never laid a finger on her.

What my father longed for most was immortality.

Not receiving a satisfactory reply, Emperor Yuanjing was unperturbed. He lifted the curtain and led his children to the front hall. He sat high at his desk and said, "No need to worry, everything is fine now."

As the eldest son and leader of the princes and princesses, the crown prince bowed and asked, "Father, is this related to the unusual events at the ancestral worship ceremony?"

Emperor Yuanjing frowned, unwilling to explain.

The Crown Prince subtly winked at the Second Princess. The Princess of Lin'an, dressed in magnificent palace attire and possessing a captivating beauty, smiled, took the teacup from the head eunuch, and swayed over to Emperor Yuanjing's side, saying coquettishly:

"Father, Sangbo is a forbidden area for our royal family. If any thief could sneak into Sangbo and even damage the temple of the founding emperor, could he also sneak into the mansion in Lin'an?"

On her beautiful and charming face, she made a gesture of furrowing her brows, looking pitiful and frightened.

The second princess was the most favored because she knew how to be charming and how to please Emperor Yuanjing.

Emperor Yuanjing was a strong-willed and controlling person. He might not necessarily like the talented but domineering eldest princess, but he would definitely like the gentle, harmless, dependent, and coquettish second princess.

With his jet-black hair, the emperor, who appeared to be in his prime, patted the second princess's soft hand and comforted her, "Nonsense! The imperial palace is a forbidden area; how can thieves come and go as they please?"

The Crown Prince initiated the attack, the Second Princess assisted, and the Eldest Princess stepped forward, bowed, and said, "I just met Duke Wei at the gate. He subtly expressed his difficulties to me, and I guess he wants me to plead for a few more days."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yuanjing snorted.

The eldest princess continued, "Father, I happen to know a master detective. If he can get involved in this case, he will surely be able to solve it within half a month."

PS: 1. The Silver Alliance's special chapter thanking me was inexplicably thwarted. I suspect it's because some big shots' IDs are too arrogant and flashy, such as: Ma Shenme Teng.

I have appealed, and I should be able to get out in a while.

Second: During the May Day holiday, I will update more than 10,000 words a day, which can be considered as extra updates for the Silver Alliance.

Thirdly, my monthly ticket ranking has dropped to tenth. My new book has just been released, and exposure is very important. Please vote with your monthly tickets. I'll work my ass off to repay you.