Xiao Shunzi spoke earnestly, “I happen to have a detailed map of the imperial palace, which I offer for you heroes’ use. However, the palace guards are exceptionally vigilant. Once you infiltrate the palace, you must act with utmost caution. Wear human-skin masks to blend in, observe for a few days, and strike only when the night guards grow weary. Take care in all things and avoid alerting royal bodyguards at all costs.”

　　Tian Ci nodded and said, “Xiao Shunzi speaks wisely. I also have some trance incense my master gave me. When night falls, we can release it in the emperor’ s chambers. The guards, palace maids, and eunuchs will all be lulled into a deep sleep. That will be the moment for us to act, swiftly and silently.”

　　Tian Xi fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly, “No plan is ever foolproof. If we are discovered or if any one of us is unfortunate enough to be captured, we must not act recklessly. Remember our master’s instructions: the rest of us should quickly disguise ourselves as palace maids or eunuchs and retreat from the palace without delay. With our skills, we are no match for the royal bodyguards.” The other three nodded in solemn agreement.

　　In the seventeenth day of the fourth month that year, Censorate Officer Zhou Ziliang submitted an impeachment accusing Niu Xianke of incompetence. However, he lacked solid evidence and instead cited cryptic verses from the prophecy book Tui Bei Tu[ Which is a famous Chinese prophetic text attributed to the Tang dynasty scholars Li Chunfeng and Yuan Tiangang. The title, which translates as "Back-Pushing Illustrations", comes from the story that one author pushed another’s back to signify moving forward in time while contemplating the future.

　　] as his basis.

　　Emperor Xuanzong was enraged. Memories of Empress Wei’s rebellion resurfaced, as did the more recent insurrections during the Kaiyuan era led by Liu Dinggao, Liu Puhui, and Liu Zhicheng—all of whom had recklessly invoked the cryptic prophecies from Tui Bei Tu to justify their actions.

　　After Empress Wang’s death, Emperor Xuanzong had issued a strict decree banning sorcery and divination. Zhou Ziliang’s reliance on prophetic texts directly violated this taboo, enraging the emperor. Xuanzong ordered the Minister of Justice to have Zhou beaten with rods in the court hall itself.

　　The punishment was severe, and Zhou was sentenced to exile. However, he succumbed to his injuries en route, passing away in Lantian before reaching his place of banishment.

　　Li Linfu seized the opportunity to subtly remind Emperor Xuanzong that Zhou Ziliang had been recommended by Zhang Jiuling.

　　Zhang Jiuling had frequently opposed Xuanzong in court, and the emperor had long been looking for a chance to trouble him. This incident provided the perfect pretext. Thus, on the twentieth day of the fourth month, Xuanzong demoted Zhang Jiuling to the post of Chief Administrator of Jingzhou, effectively sidelining him from the central government.

　　In the span of just two days, the court was rocked by a series of major events. Palace guards and officials who were closely associated with Zhang Jiuling and Zhou Ziliang also found themselves implicated. Some were demoted, while others were reassigned to distant posts, scattering their influence far from the imperial center.

　　The imperial palace was the epitome of opportunism. The eunuchs who had once been close to Zhang Jiuling and Zhou Ziliang were promptly reassigned away from the emperor’s side. In their place, Li Linfu and Consort Wu Hui’s allies swiftly filled the vacated positions, consolidating their influence over the inner court.

　　Inside the palace, the hurried and chaotic reshuffling of guards and eunuchs provided the perfect opportunity. Huang Mengliang saw this as a rare and invaluable chance. With the palace in disarray, they could easily infiltrate by blending into the ranks of the newly reassigned personnel. He quickly contacted Xiao Shunzi and their inside contact in the palace.

　　Following their original plan, Huang Mengliang disguised himself as Xiao Shunzi, while Tian Ci and Tian Xi transformed into accompanying eunuchs and palace maids to infiltrate the imperial palace and lie in wait.

　　As the night deepened, the palace maids and eunuchs on duty were so weary that they slumped, nodding off in all directions. Huang Mengliang, Tian Ci, and Tian Xi silently made their way into Xingqing Palace. Once inside the room, they released the trance incense, and soon Emperor Xuanzong, along with the eunuchs and palace maids, fell into a deep slumber. Outside the room, Tian Ci and Tian Xi kept watch, ensuring no one would interrupt their plan.

　　Huang Mengliang, holding a dagger, crept silently toward Emperor Xuanzong’s bed. The emperor, deeply under the influence of the trance incense, lay unconscious, as though in a deathlike sleep. Huang Mengliang was overjoyed, and with a swift motion, he thrust the dagger toward the emperor’s heart. Just as he was about to succeed, a flying dagger suddenly struck Huang Mengliang’s palm, pinning his hand to the ground. The dagger dropped instantly. It was none other than Li Shoude, the imperial bodyguard, who had intervened at the last moment.

　　Li Shoude was a favoured disciple of Huang Fuli, leader of the Salt Gang, and had been by Emperor Xuanzong’s side ever since the assassination of Empress Wei. His martial skills were formidable. As soon as he saw the danger, he shouted, alerting the palace, while simultaneously leaping toward Huang Mengliang. With Huang Mengliang’s right hand wounded, he could only weakly defend himself with his left hand against Li Shoude’s relentless assault.

　　Huang Mengliang, once a frail scholar who had only studied martial arts for a year under Park Won-jeong, stood no chance against the seasoned fighter Li Shoude, a disciple trained since childhood. After barely parrying seven or eight moves, Huang Mengliang was swiftly overpowered and captured by Li Shoude.

　　Seeing Huang Mengliang’s failure, Tian Xi and Tian Ci grew anxious, but they knew well that the imperial guards’ martial prowess was unmatched. Without hesitation, they followed their original plan. As the palace maids and eunuchs, terrified by the commotion, scattered in all directions, they quickly blended into the panicked crowd, disguising themselves among the maids and eunuchs to make a swift escape from the palace.

　　Hearing the shouts, the imperial guards rushed to Xingqing Palace to protect the emperor. Upon finding Emperor Xuanzong and the eunuchs and palace maids in a deep, unnatural sleep, they quickly summoned the imperial physicians. The doctor, after checking the emperor’s pulse, reassured the attendants, “Fortunately, the emperor has only been affected by the trance incense. It is not serious. I have the antidote. If His Majesty simply inhales it, he will awaken within an hour.”

　　After the imperial physician administered the antidote to Emperor Xuanzong, he instructed the guards to let each of the palace maids and eunuchs who had been affected by the trance incense inhale it as well.

　　Li Shoude, commanding his subordinates, ordered a thorough search of the entire palace, instructing the guards to capture any accomplices of the would-be assassin.

　　Upon hearing the chaos unfolding in Xingqing Palace, with guards searching for the would-be assassin and the emperor still unconscious from the trance incense, Consort Wu Hui was first startled, then a look of delight crossed her face. An idea formed in her mind, and she thought to herself, “This is the perfect opportunity to rid myself of the crown prince once and for all.”

　　In her bid to support her son, Li Mao, in his struggle for the throne, Consort Wu Hui had long since established a network of spies within the palace, bribing eunuchs and palace maids. Among them was Xiao Anzi, a eunuch who had already been bought off by her, and who served close to Emperor Xuanzong.

　　Wu Hui thought to herself, “I’ve nurtured these resources for years, and now, at last, Xiao Anzi can be of use.” She then called over Niu Gui’er and whispered her instructions into his ear.

　　Niu Gui’er immediately sought out Xiao Anzi and said to him, “Xiao Anzi, your days of wealth have come. Consort Wu Hui has ordered you to go to the Crown Prince’s residence and tell him that there has been an assassination attempt on the emperor in Xingqing Palace. Request the Crown Prince to come to the palace to offer aid. If the Crown Prince inquires further, tell him that the emperor is still unconscious, and it was Gao Lishi’s suggestion to summon him. After you’ve delivered the message, you can take the money and disappear for good.” With that, Niu Gui’er handed over a large bundle of silver to Xiao Anzi.

　　Xiao Anzi, confused and puzzled, was unable to grasp Consort Wu Hui’s true intentions. He thought to himself, “Consort Wu Hui has always viewed the Crown Prince as a thorn in her side. Why would she suddenly want him to come to the palace and take credit for rescuing the emperor? There must be something shady going on, but I don’t care. Once I finish this task, I’ll take the money and disappear. No one will ever find me.” With that, Xiao Anzi weighed the silver in his hands, grinning with satisfaction as he hurried to the Crown Prince’s residence to deliver the message.

　　Upon receiving Xiao Anzi’s message, the Crown Prince immediately summoned Prince E, Li Yao, and Prince Guang, Li Ju, to discuss the matter.

　　Prince E, Li Yao, said, “Since Xiao Anzi claims that His Majesty is still unconscious, and Gao Lishi has urgently summoned the Crown Prince to the palace to offer aid, it’s likely that Gao Lishi fears the emperor might not recover. Consort Wu Hui, seeing an opportunity, could attempt a power grab, colluding with Li Linfu to issue a false edict and depose the Crown Prince. Therefore, Gao Lishi is probably trying to bring the Crown Prince into the palace to stabilize the situation.”

　　Prince Guang, Li Ju, replied, “My elder brother makes a good point. The Crown Prince should prioritize the overall map and immediately enter the palace to protect His Majesty. First, this will stabilize the situation; second, if the assassins are caught, it will be a great achievement; and third, it will prevent Consort Wu Hui from taking advantage of the chaos. If she dares to cause trouble, the Crown Prince can seize the initiative and deal with her swiftly. Time is of the essence—let us, the three brothers, go to the palace at once.”

　　The Crown Prince nodded and said, “The safety of our father is of utmost importance. With assassins in the palace, it is my duty as his son to go and protect him. There’s no time to waste. Let us go to the palace together, my brothers.” The three of them, accompanied by dozens of guards bearing torches, donned their armour, strapped on their swords, and entered the palace to safeguard the emperor and apprehend the assassins.

　　Upon entering the palace, Prince Guang, Li Ju, first sent his guards to his mother, Consort Liu’s residence, to ensure her safety. He then led his men to search the palace thoroughly, hoping to capture any remaining members of the assassin group and present them to the emperor, thus gaining favour and credit for his efforts.

　　As they reached the gates of Consort Wu Hui’s palace, Prince Guang, Li Ju, and his guards were about to enter and search for the assassins. However, they were met by Consort Wu Hui herself, emerging from the palace. With a sharp and commanding voice, she scolded, “How dare you! Who are these people, dressed in armour and wielding swords, entering the imperial palace? Are you attempting to breach the inner palace? Do you intend to rebel?”

　　Li Ju replied sternly, “I, on the orders of Lord Gao, have come to the palace with the Crown Prince to protect His Majesty and apprehend the assassins. Yet, Your Ladyship prevents me from entering. Could it be that you are hiding the assassins and are in league with them?”

　　Consort Wu Hui let out a cold laugh. “The rebels have the audacity to accuse me! Very well, let us present this matter to His Majesty and see who is truly guilty.”

　　Li Ju was unshaken, his voice calm but firm. “By all means, let us go. We shall see, once and for all, who stands as a traitor and who remains loyal.”

　　After inhaling the antidote, the young eunuchs and palace maids gradually woke up. It was perhaps due to the fact that Emperor Xuanzong, at fifty-two years of age, could not recover as swiftly as the younger eunuchs and maids.

　　It was not until an hour later that Emperor Xuanzong slowly regained consciousness. Gao Lishi handed him a cup of hot tea, his voice trembling with emotion. “Your Majesty, at last, you’ve awakened! Fortunately, General Li’s martial prowess is unmatched, and he managed to apprehend the assassin, Xiao Shunzi, just in time. He is now being held outside the hall for interrogation.”

　　Before he could finish speaking, Consort Wu and Prince Guang, Li Ju, arrived at Xingqing Palace in a flurry of shouting and commotion.

　　Li Longji sternly rebuked, “What is this madness? The imperial palace is in such uproar—what kind of conduct is this?”

　　Empress Wu wept uncontrollably, “Your Majesty, you must stand up for me! The Crown Prince, clad in armour and wielding a sword, entered the palace and even attempted to search my chambers. This is nothing short of rebellion! How could a subject enter the palace armed in such a manner?”

　　Li Ju quickly dropped to his knees, bowing deeply. “Your Majesty, I beg your forgiveness. It was the palace eunuch, Xiao Anzi, who came to the Crown Prince’s residence to summon him for the rescue mission. I followed the Crown Prince into the palace to assist in capturing the assassin. That is why I donned my armour and sword. I humbly request Your Majesty’s pardon.”

　　Li Longji appeared fatigued as he spoke, his voice heavy with weariness. “Today, an assassin dared to infiltrate the palace. Had it not been for Guard Li Shoude’s swift actions, I might have perished at the hands of this rogue. Hui Fei, Li Ju, cease your quarrels. Once I have interrogated Xiao Shunzi, justice will be served. Guards, bring him before me!”

　　The imperial guards dragged “Xiao Shunzi” before the throne. Emperor Xuanzong, his face stern, commanded, “Bold Xiao Shunzi, why did you attempt to assassinate me? Speak the truth!”

　　Li Shoude examined “Xiao Shunzi” from head to toe, scrutinizing his face with great attention. He then addressed Emperor Xuanzong, saying, “Your Majesty, this man is not Xiao Shunzi. He has used a disguise technique to assume Xiao Shunzi's appearance. There is likely a human skin mask affixed to his face.”

　　Emperor Xuanzong was momentarily taken aback, thinking to himself, “Such a skill exists in the martial world? I couldn’t discern at all that this man was in disguise.” He then turned to Li Shoude and said, “In that case, General Li, please remove his mask.”

　　Li Shoude reached out and peeled the mask from “Little Shunzi’s” face. The moment the disguise was lifted, Emperor Xuanzong’s complexion changed dramatically, his usual composure shattered. Though a man seasoned by countless storms of court and battlefield, he was left speechless for a long moment by the sight before him. The others in the hall were equally stunned, their faces reflecting shock and disbelief as they exchanged uneasy glances, none daring to utter a word.

　　Emperor Xuanzong regained his composure, though his voice carried a sharp edge as he commanded, “How dare this scoundrel mock me so brazenly! Li Shoude, inspect the villain’s face carefully—see if another mask lies beneath this one.”

　　Li Shoude tugged and pulled at Huang Mengliang’s face for a while before stepping back awkwardly. Bowing his head, he reported, “Your Majesty, there appears to be no further disguise. I cannot fathom what sorcery the villain has employed to affront the imperial dignity in such a manner.”

　　At this moment, the Crown Prince and Prince E, Li Yao, arrived outside the hall, requesting an audience. Emperor Xuanzong, frowning deeply, gestured for them to enter, instructing, “Let them come in. They shall join us in hearing this interrogation.”

　　Emperor Xuanzong fixed his gaze on Huang Mengliang, his tone sharp and commanding. “You managed to infiltrate the innermost sanctum of the imperial palace—there must be accomplices. To conspire against Us, to attempt Our assassination, what is your ultimate aim? And how did you come to bear a likeness so uncanny to mine? Speak truthfully and spare no detail, or else the tortures of the imperial prison will ensure you regret your silence!”

　　Huang Mengliang, bound yet resolute, wrestled with his dire predicament. “The die is cast,” he mused. “The crime of attempting to assassinate the Emperor is a death sentence, and there is no escaping it. Yet, if I am to die, I must ensure my death serves a purpose—something that might aid Lady Yang. Moments ago, I overheard Consort Wu accusing the Crown Prince, the Prince of Guang, and the Prince of E of entering the palace armed. This presents an opportunity. If I shift the blame for this conspiracy onto the Crown Prince, the Emperor might very well depose him and elevate Prince Shou in his stead. In that event, Lady Yang would become the Crown Princess, and if Prince Shou ascends the throne one day, she could rise to become Empress.

　　Conversely, if the Crown Prince triumphs in this vicious power struggle, he will undoubtedly eliminate Prince Shou to secure his rule, and Lady Yang’s fate would be sealed alongside him. This is a gamble, but it is the only card left to play.”

　　With these thoughts steeling his resolve, Huang Mengliang prepared to deliver the performance of his life.

　　Huang Mengliang dropped to his knees, his forehead striking the floor as he wept bitterly. Tears streamed down his face as he cried out, “This lowly subject deserves a thousand deaths! I confess my crime—I indeed have accomplices. I was acting under the orders of the Crown Prince himself to infiltrate the palace and assassinate Your Majesty!”

　　To discover how the Crown Prince reacts to Huang Mengliang’s shocking accusation, please stay tuned for the next chapter.