Chapter 1 Getting the Mask

Sun Miao Miao, who had obtained the disguise mask from Xie Lingxi from the Junwang (Prince) Manor, looked up at the brightly lit courtyard walls of the Junwang Manor with her plain-looking male face.

She retracted her gaze, looked left and right to make sure no one was paying attention to her, then took out her natal spiritual item, the Moon, and placed it on her forehead to enter Night Tour.

She leaped over the courtyard wall, and under the protection of Night Tour, concealed all her aura and movements. She deceived the special guards and retainers of the Junwang Manor and quickly sneaked into the back courtyard.

The Junwang Manor was very large, with courtyards separated by walls. Servants, guards, and maids came and went constantly, interspersed with women and young ladies wearing gorgeous floral dresses.

Sun Miao Miao arrived in the back courtyard and happened to see a young woman around sixteen years old walking along the corridor next to the garden with a few maidservants. She had a graceful figure and a delicate porcelain-like appearance.

Seeing that there was no one around, Sun Miao Miao used her charm technique to bewitch two of them. The three, mistress and servants, continued walking with normal expressions, but they were no longer moving forward, instead pacing in place.

They themselves were not aware of this. It was a common "ghost wall" effect in charm techniques.

Sun Miao Miao immediately took out the hypnosis pocket watch from the gang's warehouse, clicked it open, aimed it at the sixteen-year-old woman, and asked in a deep voice, "Where is your father?"

This was a courtyard, and people might pass by at any time. She asked directly, getting straight to the point, without wasting any time.

The sixteen-year-old woman's eyes were empty as she answered instinctively, "My father has been buried for many years."

Sun Miao Miao was stunned for a moment, then realized she had made a mistake. She changed her question: "What is your relationship with that Zhao Kai, the Junwang (Prince)?"

The sixteen-year-old woman replied woodenly, "I am his concubine."

*You're younger than his daughter,* Sun Miao Miao muttered to herself, not too surprised. After all, this was ancient times, and a lily pressing against a crabapple blossom (an older man marrying a young woman) was standard practice for powerful figures.

"Where is Junwang (Prince) Zhao Kai?" she asked.

"The Junwang (Prince) is in the front hall listening to songs, drinking, and watching dances."

*The descendants of the Zhao family only know how to indulge in pleasure. It would be a miracle if the Southern Dynasty didn't fall,* Sun Miao Miao thought. "After he finishes drinking and watching the dances, what does he do?"

The sixteen-year-old woman said, "After the singing and dancing, the Junwang (Prince) will return to his room to rest for half an hour. Afterwards, he may go out to a banquet, or he may entertain guests at home; it's not fixed."

Sun Miao Miao immediately knew how to meet the Junwang (Prince). After asking for the location of the Junwang (Prince)'s bedroom, she canceled the hypnosis charm and used Night Tour to become invisible.

The three, mistress and servants, resumed walking forward from pacing in place. From beginning to end, they had not noticed anything unusual.

Watching them leave, Sun Miao Miao, still invisible, continued towards the inner courtyard, avoiding guards and servants, and arrived at the Junwang (Prince)'s bedroom. She directly used the Star Escape technique to sneak into the room.

The room was luxurious and spacious, filled with calligraphy, paintings, and antiques. There were many brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones on the desk, and even the paperweight was a cultural relic. It was truly extravagant.

Sun Miao Miao revealed her figure and hid behind the screen in the inner room, waiting patiently. After about forty minutes, the sound of footsteps came from outside the room, and the door creaked open.

A middle-aged man wearing brocade clothes with layers of fat came in from outside. The servant behind him stopped at the door and closed the lattice door.

Zhao Kai, sticking out his belly, picked up the kettle on the round table, rinsed his mouth, and went straight to the soft bed.

Just then, he suddenly looked at the screen on his side and shouted in a deep voice, "Who's there?"

Sun Miao Miao's clear voice came from behind the screen, "Your Highness, don't be nervous. I am here on the orders of His Majesty Qin to see you!"

Zhao Kai swallowed the shout that had reached his throat, but he didn't completely believe her. He retreated quietly, a faint green light shining from his right hand hidden in his sleeve. He said softly, "An honest person doesn't do secret things. If you represent His Majesty, there's no need to hide."

Sun Miao Miao simply walked out from behind the screen, opened her inventory, took out the Little Red Hat, and shook her small hand in front of Zhao Kai. A Yin corpse holding a small loudspeaker fell out. Seeing the means of summoning objects from thin air, Zhao Kai was shocked.

This was exactly what Sun Miao Miao had deliberately done, in order to create a mysterious and unpredictable image of herself.

After the Yin corpse holding the small loudspeaker landed, its originally hollow eyes moved slightly, emitting brilliance and spirituality.

Zhang Yuanqing's spiritual body came over, looked around to confirm the environment, and then Zhang Yuanqing raised the small loudspeaker and smiled. "Long time no see, Imperial Uncle Yongyan, your elegance remains the same."

Zhao Kai examined the Yin corpse with suspicion. "You, you are His Majesty?"

Zhang Yuanqing answered irrelevantly, "Imperial Uncle, as long as you pay a little attention to the outside world, you should know about the uproar in the Ministry of Justice a few days ago."

After speaking, he reached out to Sun Miao Miao beside him. The latter understood and took out the Imperial Jade Seal and handed it over.

Seeing the Imperial Jade Seal, Zhao Kai no longer doubted. He hurriedly lowered his body and bowed in salute.

"Your subject, Zhao Kai, greets His Majesty."

"No need to be so polite." Zhang Yuanqing returned the Imperial Jade Seal to Sun Miao Miao and signaled her to take out the Eight-Tone Box, allowing the pleasant music to spread throughout the room.

Zhang Yuanqing manipulated the Yin corpse and said, "The reason I came to see you is to ask you about an old matter."

Zhao Kai nodded slightly, "Please ask, Your Majesty."

His tone was still respectful. Although Zhao Shun was昏庸无能 (hūn yōng wú néng, muddle-headed and incompetent), in the eyes of the Zhao family members, he was, after all, one of their own, carrying an inherent protection. Although they usually called him a foolish emperor, they didn't hate him with gritted teeth like outsiders did.

"How did Wu Xin die back then?" Zhang Yuanqing's first sentence caused Zhao Kai's expression to change drastically.

"Why does Your Majesty suddenly mention these old matters?" Zhao Kai's expression changed uncertainly.

"Of course, Wu Xin died of illness. He accumulated fatigue from years of fighting and suffered from injuries. He died of a sudden illness not long after returning to the capital."

*You're talking nonsense,* Wu Xin was in his prime at the time, able to command tens of thousands of elite troops. How could he have accumulated fatigue? Zhang Yuanqing said, "Imperial Uncle, I know that this matter is of great importance, and there will be endless troubles once it is leaked, but now the Zhao family is on the verge of extinction. If you still hide it, the country will be lost."

Zhao Kai was stunned for a moment, "What does Your Majesty mean by this?"