The Grand Marshal went back to the imperial barracks quickly, where he sent orders to the various legions stationed around Lijiang to send troops for the search. 6,000 troops arrived at sunset as Wen Zi Shan gave them instructions that they should try to minimise the harassment as much as possible. And to report back anything they heard, no matter how trivial it seemed.

  At the 2nd western palace, Yang Jian was sitting in his bed as usual, hearing the news from one of his servants, who was tasked with reporting any information about what was happening in the outside world. Jian was listening to him as he looked at the window, his eyes fixed on the setting sun. He dismissed the servant as he thought to himself, "Everything is moving perfectly. Now, let's move the dear Minister Sou out of the picture."

  The troops received their horses and maps from the imperial stud clerks and began searching immediately, flooding the streets with great numbers. One of the soldiers shouted as he read from a scroll, "People of Lijiang. We are the army troops tasked with searching the city by the emperor's orders. We are looking for the perpetrators who attacked the imperial palace. We mean no harm, and we ask that you come forward with anything you know and clear the way for us."

  The pedestrians quickly got out of the way and into their houses, but several hidden eyes looked at the soldiers, and they quickly disappeared to inform their higher-ups. When one of them received the news, he looked at the dozens of men behind him and said, "Let's go, people. Time for some doubt. Remember, these are the master's orders. There is no room for error.”

  All men nodded, and they quickly dispersed, either going in duos, trios, or even alone. The plan was simple, and they all memorised it to the heart, excited to help their master with his grand scheme. The soldiers searched for the entire night, and when the sun rose, people started going out to their work. The soldiers distributed themselves among the people in the shops, tea houses, and the streets. One of the soldiers was passing by two men talking in whispers. He overheard one of them say, his voice was filled with doubt, “Is that for real? Can a minister do this and put their hand in hand with the criminals? The other men quickly motioned for him to be silent as he eyed the passing soldier. He continued whispering, "Idiot, keep your voice down. Or do you want to be pulled in shackles by these soldiers?" The soldier noticed these words but continued walking anyway.

  Three soldiers were walking the streets looking for anything suspicious. When they crossed a tea house, they entered and began eyeing everyone. They noticed that four men were sitting at the table and whispering. One of the soldiers moved closer, trying to eavesdrop. One of the men was saying, "The troops are searching for whoever burned one of the twelve palaces and the watchtowers of the front of the imperial palace."

  The other one looked at the soldiers at the door and whispered, "And they are already here."

  The soldiers realized they had been spotted, so they quickly went outside and back in for the search. Several soldiers heard the same rumour spreading among the citizens that there is a traitor minister. Some soldiers overheard two women whispering. “I heard that the chief of the stud was the one who helped the criminals who burned the imperial palace.” The soldiers who heard the mention of the minister's position quickly looked at each other and continued their walk.

  That search continued for three continuous days. The soldiers heard those rumours repeatedly. The rumours were spreading among the public like wildfire. Soon, Wen Zi Shan was sitting in his war room, listening to the news: “The public believes that Sou Mo is the traitor?”.

  The bowing soldier in front of him nodded: “Yes, Grand Marshal. We heard these rumours from dozens of people in various places.

  Wen Zi Shan nodded and dismissed the soldier, as he looked outside the window, thinking, “Mo Yuan, is this your doing? If it is, I may have overlooked how such a monstrosity has been sitting by my side for years.”

  The same news flew to Xian Shang at his mansion. He looked at the servant behind him, exclaiming, "A rumour? What does it say?"

  The servant bowed. "It says that Minister Suo Mo of the Imperial Stud is the one who helped the gangs commit their crimes. He provided them with perfect ways in and out of the palace without being seen, and that they are the reason for both the fires of the first eastern palace and the watchtowers near the front gate."

  Xian Shang burst out laughing. “Those idiots. Sou Mo has been my most loyal subordinate for years. He won't do something so reckless. Don't pay attention to this rumour. No one will believe it.”

  The servant asked, his eyes cast down. “Prime minister, shall we investigate who started these rumours?”

  Xian Shang shook his head. “No, the city is already in enough chaos as it is. We don’t need to add fuel to the fire.”

  The servant nodded, “As you wish, prime minister.”

  He then exited the room, leaving Xian Shang alone. He looked from the window, his mind heavy with only one thing as he whispered, “Yang Jian. You have been silent for a long time. Is this your doing? Because even if the ghost is real, it must be you. I refuse to believe that two prodigies like you both can exist in the same era."

  These rumours also flew to Sou Mo’s mansion. He was in his study listening to his servant when he took one step backward, looking at the servant who told him, his face red with rage. “Who let out such stupid rumours? Does the Prime Minister know about this?”

  The servant nodded, “Yes, sir, and he ordered us not to do anything and not to investigate. He said that no one would believe it anyway.”

  Sou Mo chuckled, “Of course, no one would believe it. I have been the chief of the imperial stud for fifteen years, and I have been nothing but a loyal subordinate to the Prime Minister. You are dismissed.”

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  The servant who left the room. Sou Mo locked the door and then quickly took out five scrolls and burned them in the fire, thinking to himself, "These things, these scrolls need to go. Just in case the emperor sent someone to search this place." He then left the study, going to his private chambers.

  That same night, a quick, shadowy figure slipped into Sou Mo’s study, and he quickly hid something in the wardrobe when he heard steps approaching the door. He quickly hid behind the large desk as Sou Mo himself entered the room. He stared at the dark room; his eyes filled with suspicion. He heard something moving inside. He then sighed and said, "I must be hallucinating. Damn it. This madness is playing tricks on my eyes."

  He then closed the doors and left again. That shadow took a breath and thought to himself, "That was close. Now the master's plan is complete. And we should all sit back and wait, time to get out of here."

  On the same night, near dawn, four army generals were sitting in a tea house in a private room as they discussed the rumour. The oldest one among them was pacing in the room, his voice tired, “We have been searching for three days with no result until now. 6,000 veteran army soldiers are searching for a ghost in this damned city. There is only one explanation for this: that these rumours are true. Someone from inside the palace, most likely the minister Sou Mo, is allying with the gangs and informing them of all our moves.”

  Another one stood up. “That's impossible. The minister has been a trusted advisor and supporter of the prime minister, Xian Shang. The prime minister is a true genius. He won't authorise such a reckless act. These rumours are just a bunch of lies.”

  The oldest general looked at the one who spoke, his hands crossed. “I think this is the curtain that Sou Mo is hiding behind. No one would suspect him when he has been the Prime Minister's lapdog for 15 years. He is using the Prime Minister's intelligence as a shield.”

  Another general took a sip of tea. “I am still not convinced”.

  The oldest general continued, "Think about it. Sou Mo is the oldest and the highest-ranking minister, thanks to his relations with the Prime Minister and the support he has from other officials in the government. If the Prime Minister is removed from the play, he will be the first candidate for the position. And don't forget that this shady work isn't new to him. You all knew the paybacks and unofficial bribes he receives regularly from the mountain people to facilitate their trading. Our revenue plummeted over the past few years. He sold this as a way to enhance the trading process, but he must be bribed to pass these prices."

  The fourth general looked at them all. “Maybe he knew that the Prime Minister would refuse this and wouldn't allow him to operate on any means. That's why he went around him to the gangs. After all, no one who didn't enter the Imperial Palace before would know the ways in and out like this. They must have a mole inside the palace.”

  The general who spoke earlier straightened his beard, thinking. The oldest General continued, a slow, grim smile spreading across his face. "There is no smoke without fire, and I think that these rumours aren't too far away from the truth”. He then looked downward, his eyes cast down, “but we have no proof to back this up, and if we approach the prime minister and the emperor with just rumours, we would be the traitors in their eyes.”

  They all stopped talking, each one thinking separately, when they heard a laugh from the other side of the closed door. They all drew their swords, shouting, "Who is there?"

  A tall man with a long beard and strong build opened the door. He was holding a large iron bar and wearing a big hat that covered his eyes.

  The oldest general shouted, "Who are you?

  Another one took one step forward. “He overheard us. Let's kill him."

  The tall man closed the door behind him, his voice calm, "Don't be hasty, I am your ally."

  Another general pointed a sword at him, "Don't lie, you must be the prime minister's or Sou Mo’s spy."

  The tall man chuckled as he walked nearer to them. "If I truly were a spy, I would have quickly run to him and told him what I heard instead of showing up in front of you."

  The oldest general motioned for them to lower their swords. The tall man continued, "I can't tell you who I am, but I am here to deliver very valuable information to you."

  The old general looked at him, his eyes full of suspicion. "Information?"

  The tall man threw a scroll on the table. "Take it."

  The oldest general held the scroll up. "What's this?"

  The tall man replied, "Read it now."

  The oldest general opened the scroll and saw that it was a message. He read it loudly.

  (Dear Minister Sou Mo,

  We are so grateful for the information that you gave us on the paths inside the imperial palace. We wouldn't have succeeded without your instructions. waiting for further instructions. May the luck be on your side in your mission!

  The Grateful Liang Jin)

  The silence was deafening for a few seconds. The oldest general's eyes widened with shock. “That's impossible! Liang Jin, the head of the Red Dragon's sons? This is a catastrophe!”

  The tall man thumped his iron bar on the ground. “As you see, it's a secret message from Liang Jin to Sou Mo.”

  Another general's eyes were fixed on the scroll. “This is treason. A great treason!”

  A third one looked at the tall man, his forehead sweating. “Where did you get this message?”

  The tall man replied, “A few hours ago, I was watching Minister's Mansion, when I spotted a little boy sneaking in from the Eastern gate. So, I captured him and found this message on him. And no, I don’t have the boy right now. He escaped through the night after he was exposed."

  The oldest general asked, “Who was with you?”

  “I was alone, general.”

  The 4th general raised this sword again. "This could be a bluff…false information.”

  The tall man walked to the door. "You are free to believe this message or not. This doesn't concern me. The important thing to me is that I did my duty, but I advise you to search his house so that you may find something else to back this up. Goodbye.”

  He then exited the door without a second word and without waiting for a reply. His eyes were filled with admiration for his master. His mind was thinking, “The two bosses were right for following you, master. You are truly a genius that this empire has never seen before.”

  In the early morning, Yang Jian was sitting straight in his bed watching the sun rise. A Han clansman brought extra herbs and cotton bandages for his patriarch and then left. Liang Jin, posing as Han Yu, examined the bandages and found a secret note between them. He quickly read it and burned it in front of Jian. He then turned to him. "It's done, Master. The seed has been planted."

  Jian smiled and nodded. “That's good. The time for my return is nearing. Liang Jin approached the bed, whispering. "Master, may I ask… Are you sure that the generals would believe the message?"

  Jian replied as he tightened the bandages around his arm, "Their heads are now filled with frustration, shame, and hatred for the government because of the pointless search for days and nights. They just needed a small push in the right direction. Also, it's time for my little brother to know the truth.

  Liang Jin's eyes narrowed. “Everything?”

  Jian chuckled, his voice cold. “Only what he needs to know now."