The night in the Thang Long Imperial Capital passed, leaving behind a narrow alleyway still reeking of blood, and the manor of the Vice Minister of Personnel plunged into chaos and terror.
Early the next morning, an earth-shattering piece of news detonated like a bomb amidst the officialdom, a place typically as placid as a still lake.
Vice Minister of Personnel Vuong Tung—an official renowned for his integrity and uprightness—had been arrested by the Six Gates right inside a front pawnshop, with undeniable evidence of embezzlement, money laundering, and colluding with underworld factions!
The moment this news broke, the entire capital was shaken. No one could believe that such a highly respected official could be a maggot hidden so deeply. The factions within the court were instantly in an uproar. The faction supporting Duke Dinh Quoc gloated, considering this a heavy blow against the rampant underworld factions. The neutral factions were astounded and fearful.
And the one most infuriated of all... was Marquis Vinh An.
At Marquis Vinh An's Estate.
Within the gloomy study, the atmosphere was so frigid it felt as though it could freeze water. Marquis Vinh An stood with his hands clasped behind his back, facing a landscape painting. He didn't smash anything; he didn't roar. He merely remained silent. Yet, that silence was more terrifying than any fit of rage.
A black shadow knelt on one knee in the center of the room. "Reporting to the Marquis, all evidence has been sealed by Tao Chinh. Vuong Tung... has no possibility of escaping conviction."
"Tao Chinh..." Marquis Vinh An murmured the name, his voice devoid of emotion. "He alone could not possibly devise such a flawless plan. Setting a trap, spreading false information, and then borrowing Vuong Tung's own hands to uncover the evidence. This is not his style."
He slowly turned around. His normally refined eyes were now threaded with bloodshot veins, resembling a wounded python.
"It is Ve Nhan," he ground out every word. "It must be that little brat!"
He had lost a chess piece. An incredibly agonizing loss. Vuong Tung was not just a root; he was a root that knew far too many secrets. If he were to open his mouth...
"Marquis, should we..." The black shadow made a throat-slitting gesture.
"Fool!" Marquis Vinh An shouted. "To silence him now, inside the grand prison of the Six Gates, isn't that tantamount to a confession of guilt?"
He paced back and forth in the room, his cunning mind calculating. Duke Dinh Quoc's Estate? Unlikely. They operated openly and would not employ such underhanded methods. Then who? Who could see through the entire chessboard and manipulate the Six Gates?
Suddenly, he stopped, a venomous light flashing in his eyes.
"Tao Chinh wishes to use Vuong Tung to bite me back. But he has forgotten one thing. A dog, even when backed into a corner, will never dare to bite its master if it knows its master still holds the power of life and death over its entire family."
"Send someone to 'visit' Vuong Tung's family," he ordered. "Tell them the Marquis is deeply worried for Lord Vuong's safety, and is also very 'concerned' about the future of his son, who currently serves as a minor official in Ai Province."
A threat delivered without the use of blades. An incredibly venomous psychological chess move.
"Furthermore," he continued. "Continue investigating Ve Nhan. I refuse to believe he is truly a blank sheet of paper. Even if you have to turn the entirety of Dai Viet upside down, you must find out his origins for me!"
Within the gloomy grand prison of the Six Gates.
Tao Chinh sat opposite Vuong Tung. The previously majestic Vice Minister of Personnel now wore prison garb, his hair disheveled, but his eyes still held a stubborn gleam.
"Vuong Tung," Tao Chinh spoke, his tone placid. "The evidence is undeniable; what do you have left to deny? As long as you confess who the mastermind behind you is, this official can petition the Emperor to spare your life."
Vuong Tung merely sneered. "Tao Chinh, do not waste your breath. What I did, I bear alone. It involves no one else."
"Oh? Even the safety of your entire clan, do you not care?" Tao Chinh narrowed his eyes.
Vuong Tung froze. He knew Marquis Vinh An would certainly not spare his family. He had fallen into a dilemma. If he confessed, his entire family would die instantly. If he didn't confess, and bore the guilt alone, there might be a chance to secure a path of survival for his wife and children.
He chose silence.
Seeing the expression on Vuong Tung's face, Tao Chinh sighed inwardly. He knew this old fox would not open his mouth easily.
Right at that moment, Black Crow entered, whispering a few words into his ear. Hearing this, a bizarre light flashed in Tao Chinh's eyes. He stood up.
"Very well," he said to Vuong Tung. "If you wish to bear the guilt alone, then stay here and think it through carefully."
With that, offering no explanation, he turned and left.
Within the manor of Strategist Ve Nhan.
Tran Kien stood in the courtyard, silently practicing his saber. He paid no heed to the storm he had created outside. He knew that on this chessboard, he was merely the one lighting the fire. The ones truly battling were the two tigers: Tao Chinh and Marquis Vinh An. He had completed his mission. Now, it was time to return to his primary objective.
Lam Vy... He thought of the young girl under house arrest in the Imperial Palace. I must find a way to see her.
But what kind of place was the Imperial Palace? Heavily guarded, with experts as numerous as clouds. Even though he had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, breaking in was an impossibility. He needed an opportunity. An opportunity to openly and legitimately enter the Imperial Palace.
"Lord Ve."
Black Crow's voice rang out from behind. Tran Kien sheathed his saber.
"Is there a matter, Lord Black Crow?"
"Lord Tao invites you," Black Crow said, his demeanor somewhat strange. "Not at headquarters. At a different location."
He handed Tran Kien an address.
Tran Kien looked at the address, slightly furrowing his brows. It was not a yamen or a manor.
It was a theater.
"Lord Tao says," Black Crow continued, "he wishes to invite Lord Ve to watch a good play. And also to introduce you to a few new 'friends'."
Tran Kien remained silent. He knew this was not a simple invitation. This was a new chessboard Tao Chinh was setting up. And he, once again, was a crucial piece on it.
"Understood," he nodded. "Please lead the way, Lord Black Crow."
He did not know what play Tao Chinh wanted him to watch. He did not know who these new "friends" were.
But he knew his stage was about to shift from the martial world and the imperial court to a place far more complex and perilous.
The Imperial Palace.