Personnel reviews based on trust and respect quickly became mere formalities. Ye Tao and his group had initially entered Anqing with only Lu Zhen and his wife, old Uncle Liu, Xiao Jin, and the maid Sisi visible on the surface. The others were either protecting them in the shadows or later disguised as servants who found work at the teahouse, seemingly unrelated to Lu Zhen and his companions.

Guan Huan and Zhou Rui, with slight makeup and dressed as teahouse servants, didn't attract the attention of the Xiling imperial guards responsible for identifying personnel. Unbeknownst to them, Zhou Rui and Guan Huan had been bouncing around in front of those two guards and a eunuch leader countless times.

The excursion was scheduled for two days later. With the significant events in Anqing, the Xiling ruler intended to send some of his children and relatives, who were uninterested in power struggles and held dear to him, away from the city. The primary concern wasn't safety; after learning about Yunzhou's long-range aerial strike capabilities, the entire city of Anqing was potentially dangerous. Many knew that Anqing was within the Yunzhou airship squadron's range. If Yunzhou and Ye Tao truly wanted to create chaos in Anqing, the hunting lodge palace would actually be a safer location.

This time, Ye Tao, Tan Weixin, Liu Yong, Jin Ze, and the maid Sisi would be joining the excursion. They left behind a reliable and honest local hired hand to look after the courtyard they had purchased. As for their belongings left there, Ye Tao and Tan Weixin weren't concerned about the money. According to their plan, leaving the courtyard might even leave some lingering sentiment.

The journey from Anqing to the hunting grounds would take approximately two days. During this time, "Lu Zhen," despite being a tea supplier, was treated with relative equality. Tan Weixin, in a short period, won over the Third Princess and several other noble ladies who accompanied her. As Tan Weixin gradually regained her health, her figure remained slender, but the aura of detachment and composure she exuded, her extensive knowledge, and her insightful and amusing comments on various matters, both large and small, drew everyone to her side, spending the two days in the carriages.

Ye Tao and the others also noticed that the Xiling royal family and noble families' carriages, although outwardly modified, used the original chassis and shock absorption system from Ye's Workshop Danyang branch. This discovery brought a smile to their faces.

After two days of bumpy travel, they arrived at the hunting lodge palace in the evening. After settling in, Zhou Rui quietly slipped out of the palace to meet with the Special Operations Battalion soldiers who had already assembled and were awaiting orders. Previously, due to the difficulty of communication in and out of Anqing, they had only conveyed a simple order: to move to the vicinity of the hunting grounds. Zhou Rui would now communicate the specific plan to the soldiers.

The Special Operations Battalion soldiers had been digging tunnels for almost a month, which some found enjoyable and a source of accomplishment, but after a month without direct combat, they were eager for a fight. When they learned that nearly five hundred imperial guards and twenty to thirty other skilled guards and bodyguards had accompanied them to the palace, they became even more excited. Other units might be concerned about facing such a mixed force proficient in martial arts, but many members of the Special Operations Battalion came from the martial world, where they had roamed freely in previous armies, tribes, or territories based on their individual martial prowess. They had no psychological barriers when facing experts or so-called experts.

Cooperating with the Special Operations Battalion were the East Ping royal palace guards and inner court secret guards who had previously infiltrated Anqing, friends of Liu Yong, the intelligence agency's scouts and assassins, and some members of Ye Tao's guard team who prioritized Ye Tao and Tan Weixin's safety. After hearing the plan conveyed by Zhou Rui, everyone exchanged glances: Ye Jinglue's life is truly amusing; the Special Operations Battalion's mission this time is bizarre, first selling biscuits, and now pretending to be bandits.

Indeed, this lineup playing the role of bandits might be one of the most powerful bandit groups in history. There was no way there could be a bandit gang with an average combat strength equivalent to a mid-level martial artist. But, indeed, this was one way to extract Ye Tao and his group from the excursion without greatly affecting the visible and hidden threads they were involved in.

"In that case… let's do it this way." Dai Rong, Zhang Wei, Song Feng, and Barrett, four influential figures in the Special Operations Battalion, along with Zheluo, the leader of Ye Tao's guard team, and Cao Zunan, Cao Pojun's nephew who commanded the intelligence agency and the Zongmo Group, had no objections and began preparations.

Ye Tao couldn't know how much his simple, considerate words had impressed the Xiling ruler. After their group departed, the Xiling ruler summoned Sun Boping alone, not for any state affairs, but because he felt that since Sun Boping had met "Lu Zhen," talked to him, and had direct contact, Sun Boping should have a better understanding of Lu Zhen than he did. Whether Lu Zhen could be used, or even given an important role, might be gleaned from Sun Boping's opinions.

Unexpectedly, Sun Boping was looking for an opportunity to distance himself from his superficial connections with "Lu Zhen." Undoubtedly, this summons was the best opportunity. As long as he could pass the ruler's scrutiny, everything else would be fine. Although Sun Boping wasn't prepared for this, after secretly considering it, he confidently suggested, "Your Majesty… I think it's best not to use this Lu Zhen. He's only been in Anqing for a little over a month or two since arriving from Zhenzhou. Even if he is truly an outstanding figure among the younger generation of the Lu family of Zhenzhou, we still know too little about him."

"Oh? I thought you would recommend him," the Xiling ruler said, somewhat surprised.

"Purely in terms of talent, this Lu Zhen is indeed outstanding. I've also inquired about his actions from the time he arrived in Anqing until recently, befriending Xiao Xingyuan of the Jinyuan Trading Company, then seeking refuge under my banner, and then coincidentally encountering Lei Huang and his group of acquaintances. With Lei Huang's testimony, his identity should indeed be without question, but this has all been too coincidental and too fast. There are indeed some oddities here. It's possible that he's extraordinarily talented, or perhaps he's too good at ingratiating himself. Your Majesty naturally has the art of governing people and can make good use of such a person, but I'm somewhat concerned. After Lei Huang and the others returned to Taizhou, I instructed them to minimize private contact with Lu Zhen," Sun Boping said earnestly.

"Hmm… You've always been cautious and incorruptible. That's why I haven't hesitated or regretted going from guarding against you to giving you important responsibilities," the Xiling ruler nodded and said, "By the way, your Lei Huang is quite impressive now. I'm quite surprised that the Leiyin Demon Sect didn't take advantage of the Daoming Sect's decline."

Sun Boping's heart tightened, and he quickly said, "Now, the Daoming Sect is too closely linked to my Xiling court. At this time of upheaval, Lei Huang can't afford to cause chaos. Although there are many disagreements with the Daoming Sect, the Leiyin Demon Sect and the Daoming Sect are, in the final analysis, rooted in Xiling's power structure. They understand the priorities."

"Hmm," the Xiling ruler nodded in satisfaction and said, "My previous promise to allow the Leiyin Demon Sect to form a private army for self-protection still stands."

Sun Boping smiled and said, "Your Majesty, that won't be necessary. The Leiyin Demon Sect isn't like the Daoming Sect, with so many donations. The Leiyin Demon Sect is full of poor, hardworking people. Even their high-ranking priests dress simply. While it's true that they are steadfast and not greedy for material desires, it's also because they really don't have much money. Even if you allow them to form a protecting-sect army, they wouldn't be able to raise enough money. Military equipment and supplies all require a large amount of silver. Your Majesty, you wouldn't want to create an army of cannon fodder, would you?"

The Xiling ruler nodded and said, "The court won't allocate funds for the protecting-sect army, so naturally, if the Leiyin Demon Sect really wants to form an army, it won't allocate funds. Now, comparing the Daoming Sect and the Leiyin Demon Sect, one advancing and one retreating, they're about equal, which is convenient for controlling them. So, let's leave it like that for now."

"Your Majesty is wise," Sun Boping kowtowed.

"About Lu Zhen…" The Xiling ruler frowned and sighed, "Let's wait until they return from this excursion. With a few people over there, they can see what kind of person Lu Zhen really is. Or perhaps we can wait for him to stay in Anqing for another three to five months, which should give us a clearer picture. It's only at times like these that I realize how difficult it is to find people who can be used."

Sun Boping immediately reminded him firmly, "Your Majesty, even if you decide to use Lu Zhen in the future, please carefully consider the position. I've heard what Your Majesty said, and I know that Lu Zhen's words resonated with you, but Your Majesty, what Xiling needs now are capable ministers, not favored ministers. If he's promoted too quickly because of Your Majesty's favor, it wouldn't be fortunate for Xiling."

The Xiling ruler nodded. Although he had a rather stern appearance, he wasn't an unreasonable person. He knew that Sun Boping's words were indeed appropriate.

Then, the Xiling ruler's words startled Sun Boping. He had never imagined that Ye Tao, disguised as Lu Zhen, had left such a good impression on the Xiling ruler in such a short time. "That child Lu Zhen is neither arrogant nor humble, polite and well-mannered, and his appearance can be described as handsome. His demeanor and bearing are deeply pleasing to me. I only learned later that he's already married… What a pity, what a pity."

Perhaps it was because he had been a high-level spy for too long, but Sun Boping's thoughts immediately turned to the sinister: "I've never heard of the ruler having this hobby…"