The first court session after Chu Chen's return to the capital saw the arrest and imprisonment of Wu Sheng, the Minister of Rites, a second-rank official, along with the Left Assistant Minister of Rites and the Right Assistant Minister of Works.
Following the court session, news of Wu Sheng's treason, the Left Assistant Minister of Rites' acceptance of substantial bribes from a foreign country, and the Right Assistant Minister of Works' collusion in massive local corruption spread throughout the capital within an hour.
Simultaneously, rumors circulated about the omnipresent nature of the Imperial Guards, suggesting that even sealed chambers offered no protection against their surveillance. This latter revelation struck greater terror into the hearts of noble families and powerful officials, leaving countless individuals in a state of anxious unease, fearing that their past misdeeds might have been discovered and reported to Chu Chen, the "Great Demon."
By custom, many officials would gather in small factions after court. However, after these events, civil and military officials dared not even stand too close to their colleagues, let alone discuss matters unrelated to state affairs.
In a peculiar way, this led to a more efficient operation of the imperial court.
In the Imperial Study, the Empress regarded Chu Chen with curiosity and asked, "Chu Chen, how did you come to know such confidential matters about Wu Sheng?"
Internally, she was astonished by the formidable intelligence-gathering capabilities of the Imperial Guards and, for the first time, felt a genuine sense of apprehension. If the secret chambers of a second-rank minister could be infiltrated, what about her own palace, which was far less secure? Were there Imperial Guards present? Did Chu Chen, her subject, possess a vast amount of information about her? Such a thought was truly terrifying!
"Your Majesty, it was a matter of coincidence," Chu Chen replied respectfully. "Relying on the dividends from the Royal Merchant Association, I have accumulated a large sum of money, which I invested in the Imperial Guard organization, recruiting many personnel. Among them are not only our own people but also individuals from other countries, such as Chen, with whom we fought last year."
The Empress narrowed her eyes, tapping her fingers lightly on the table. "You're not going to tell me that the envoy Wu Sheng met was also one of your Imperial Guards, are you?"
"Not exactly, Your Majesty. It's just that when he departed from Chen, he felt secure within his own country and did not conceal his movements much. My Imperial Guards discovered him, reported it, and tracked him all the way. Upon his arrival in Yunyue, after his secret meeting with Wu Sheng and as he was leaving Shuangyue City, he was incapacitated by a drug administered by my Imperial Guards. Through a combination of his cultivation and the drug, we were able to ascertain the content of their conversation in the secret chamber. I then deduced and transcribed it," Chu Chen replied with an expression of utmost sincerity, loyalty, and a touch of reverence.
The Empress's heart eased, and she chuckled. "I thought your Imperial Guards were truly omnipotent. So, it turns out you obtained the intelligence through underhanded tactics."
"Your Majesty, it is merely a matter of deception in warfare. Given that our nation and Chen engaged in conflict last year, we must remain vigilant," Chu Chen said with a smile, knowing that he had largely overcome this hurdle.
"However, Your Majesty..."
"However, what?"
"Because Chen and our nation had a conflict, my Imperial Guards could focus their attention. But for other nations besides Chen, my Imperial Guards are not yet widespread, and we cannot achieve such monitoring. We can only gather widely circulated public information."
Chu Chen did not finish his sentence, but the Empress understood his meaning. Her expression immediately turned grim. "Are you suggesting that besides Wu Sheng, there are other officials in the court who have engaged in treason?"
"I have two suspicions: one is an official in the Ministry of Works, specifically a Yuanwailang in the Tiancao Division, and another is a Yuanwailang in the Ministry of Revenue's Tax Division. Although these two officials are of humble rank and position, the departments they serve are extremely critical. However, the Imperial Guards have found no clues, and I fear alerting them or causing unrest among the officials, so I dare not act. I hope Your Majesty will be vigilant."
"These traitors! They deserve to die!" The Empress did not doubt Chu Chen's words, especially given the precedent of Wu Sheng. If a Minister of a department could commit treason, it was not difficult to understand how other countries might bribe officials of the sixth or seventh rank. However, she was somewhat surprised that the Imperial Guards could not find any evidence against these two minor officials. She mused, "These Imperial Guards are not as terrifying as they seem; perhaps I have been overly jumpy."
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. I will instruct the Imperial Guards to keep a close watch on this matter. However, progress may be slow in the short term, as their positions are of relatively low importance," Chu Chen interjected at the opportune moment.
The Empress snorted and said, "There's no need for such trouble. I will grant you a writ. Order the Imperial Guards to arrest them directly. Can you obtain intelligence using those underhanded methods?"
"It will certainly succeed!" Chu Chen exclaimed joyfully. "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
The Empress nodded and reassured him, "I know that the matter of Wu Sheng has caused people to be overly fearful of the Imperial Guards. Your cautious approach is understandable, but concerning these traitors, it is an exception! There is no need to hesitate. Once one is discovered, directly use the Imperial Guards' special authorization to arrest and interrogate them!"
"Yes! With Your Majesty's words, I am much more at ease. I will surely root out these individuals for Your Majesty. However, I ask Your Majesty to maintain composure afterward." Chu Chen offered a word of caution at the end.
The Empress nodded with a stern face. "Proceed boldly. I can handle it."
"Yes!"
After discussing matters, the Empress dismissed Chu Chen.
Upon leaving the imperial city, Chu Chen immediately rushed to the Imperial Guard headquarters to convey the instructions. The matter of officials engaging in treason was indeed true, and investigations were ongoing. The only deviation from his account was that the envoy who met Wu Sheng in the secret chamber was indeed an agent of his Imperial Guards; this was the only point Chu Chen had lied about.
Zhu Wushi, who had left Yunyue, arrived in Chen and, with the help of the blood qi pills provided by Chu Chen, thrived in Chen. Furthermore, he infiltrated the Chen court by leveraging the current spiritual energy resurgence, posing as an alchemist and Qi Refiner. Although he did not participate in specific affairs, he had the privilege of attending court sessions, which provided significant convenience for the Imperial Guards in Chen.
As soon as the envoy left the capital of Chen, he was eliminated and replaced by an Imperial Guard who impersonated him and traveled to Yunyue. This was why the information obtained was so precise. The blood qi pills Chu Chen had initially provided were intended to facilitate the Imperial Guards in Chen, allowing them to somewhat improve their cultivation and approach the Body Refining realm, thus making their operations easier. He had not anticipated Zhu Wushi's ingenious maneuver, which showcased his talent for deception, living up to his purple-tier "Factions and Collusion" and "Purple-tier Ambition" talents. Although this differed from his original plan of making Zhu Wushi the Prime Minister of Chen, the objective had still been achieved, and perhaps, with the momentum of the spiritual energy resurgence, it might even surpass the original plan.