Master of Strange Dao

If he dies at the front, it would make sense.

As for the Crown Prince, it's a bit troublesome since he's the Regent now. Using normal methods might not work.

As for assassination, you'd need at least three Ninth Tier Peak experts to resolve it within ten breaths...

Song, counting on his fingers, offered advice, but Yu Ziqing quickly called a halt.

"Stop, I'm not planning to kill them, you're overthinking this.

I'm just narrowing it down roughly; there must be a White Water Egg among them.

I'm just collecting some information to safely try and identify which person is the White Water Egg.

That's all!

I'm not crazy enough to wipe out half of Daqian's important officials just like that!"

Song Chengyue let out a sigh of relief.

"You scared me, I thought they all offended you.

I was wondering when they offended you.

It's fine, then.

One is enough.

As long as you're not taking action, all we need to do is find out who it is and expose them.

The rest we don't have to worry about."

Previously, when Yu Ziqing asked for information like this, the people in the reports either ended up dead or hurt.

He thought Yu Ziqing was going to target several people.

He was really not imagining things.

He had struggled internally quite a bit before starting to offer strategies on how to deal with these people more reasonably.

Now, it was all a false alarm, and Song Chengyue let out a sigh of relief, feeling chilled by the scare.

"If you just need information, it's not difficult. If you're not in a hurry, I'll gather it slowly for you.

After all, their identities are quite sensitive, many things I don't have here."

"No hurry, take your time, just keep composed.

Oh, there's another thing, some people from Jinlan Mountain will be going out for training soon.

Stone is also going to Dazhen, returning home for a visit.

Perhaps another dozen or twenty years later, the young one's still a kid, but they'll go out for training too."

"Training is good, training is good indeed. Younger generations need to go out and face hardships; without experiencing life-and-death crises, they won't grow."

Song laughed heartily, considering whether to plan ahead.

Though stability is the main focus now, spies sent to Dali and Dazhen by the Jinyi Wei must still be maintained.

Being aware of the opponents' movements at all times is crucial as well.

He'd arrange things soon after.

If an opportunity arises, he wouldn't mind taking the risk to head out himself.

After leaving the Seventh Floor Ring, Song Chengyue gathered his men and began making arrangements.

Everything was logical, in line with the usual style of Jinyi Wei, and the arrangements were carried out smoothly, even offering many Jinyi Wei members opportunities to gain merit.

Of course, casually placing people, doing some "private" work, ahem, keeping an eye on people from Jinlan Mountain—that's not "private" work, it's part of the usual tasks.

Soon, Song Chengyue received the news.

Someone from Jinlan Mountain, now married into King Xiang of Dazhen, was behaving like a mad dog without restraint.

He hadn't been in Dazhen for long, and was either fighting or on the way to a fight.

Trying hard to flatter King Xiang, they seemed to throw caution to the wind, causing trouble daily with those at odds with King Xiang.

Though he couldn't win, he insisted on provoking them.

To be able to provoke multiple Sealed King's princely heirs to join hands in attacking him, that's quite a feat.

After it was all over, he stood without a change of expression, spreading the word that those princely heirs had thoroughly lost face, and that the Sealed King Manor's family discipline was lacking, always saying it would be a one-on-one, yet they ganged up on him.

In reality, the situation was that Stone challenged them all to a one-on-one, provoking them with trash talk until they exploded emotionally, unable to hold back.

Afterward, he continued spreading word about the shamelessness of other Sealed King's princely heirs.

In truth, speaking of specifics, those princely heirs indeed behaved shamelessly, violating Dazhen's traditional conduct.

Song Chengyue looked at the newly delivered intelligence, beaming with joy.

He cared little whether Stone was viciously beaten; he only saw that after being viciously beaten, Stone was able to leverage it to damage the reputation the others cared about most.

Definitely his son, doing well.

Song Chengyue thought about it, he didn't care much about Stone getting beaten, but he couldn't just do nothing, right? Bullying a few juniors would be inappropriate.

So he flipped through the files, checking if any of those Sealed Kings had any dirt.

If any dirt could be dug up, he'd quietly hand it to King Xiang.

From King Xiang, it might go to Emperor Zhen.

Hasn't Emperor Zhen always wanted to reduce the power of the princes? Isn't this perfect?

Indeed, Dazhen's Faceless Men may be on average stronger than Jinyi Wei, but in terms of professionalism, Song Chengyue truly holds them in low regard.

Consider it doing a good deed, helping Emperor Zhen.

Of course, the reason for doing such things can't be openly stated.

The Jinyi Wei spies sent to Dazhen, find them something to do first.

Dig up dirt on the Sealed Kings, severe issues if possible, if not, it's fine—save it all up.

The stated reason is using this dirt to gain leverage and see if it can control a Sealed King.

Control is absolutely impossible, Song Chengyue doesn't expect it.

But if they refuse to show him respect, or aren't willing to help with some matters, then as the Jinyi Wei Commander, he could take action, using Emperor Zhen's hand, dealing with one or two Sealed Kings, which is entirely reasonable.

No one could criticize it.

Even Emperor Qian would look and commend Song Chengyue's recent work.

If one Sealed King were dealt with, along with some disturbance, then a reward would certainly be warranted.

He might lack the ability to do good deeds, but when it comes to causing trouble officially, Song Chengyue could sit as Jinyi Wei Commander; without a trick or two, how could it be possible?

Three months later.

Yu Ziqing reached out to Song Chengyue, sighing.

"Stone was only beaten dozens of times, not even a hundred times, yet you peeled King Liang's reputation down to nothing?

Even dug up that matter of a granddaughter-in-law and King Liang's princely heir getting involved, you're really going all in.

Just in such a short time, you stirred up so much trouble, the leader of Dazhen's Faceless Men supposedly has been penalized his salary for three hundred years.

Precisely because it's obvious there's interference from other forces; why are you in such a hurry?

How are you and Stone one and the same, acting like a dog, rushing for revenge?

This really isn't like you, too rash."

"I truly didn't do it on purpose; it was a Jinyi Wei spy, failed in their duty, underestimated Dazhen's common folks, intercepted by Dazhen's Faceless Men during message delivery."

Song Chengyue strongly denied.

"Tsk, even trying to distance yourself from this with me, do you think I believe you?"

Song Chengyue was a bit speechless.

"Though I don't quite believe it myself, it's indeed true; it was an accident!

I truly didn't intend to act so quickly! Honestly!"