In the haze of smoke and rain, an earth-shattering conspiracy quietly unfolded. Princess Wanning, a member of the royal family who is regarded as the pride of the sky, has become a pawn in the power game. Her infatuation with King Cheng was like a moth to a fire, and finally set herself on fire. And Shen Yurong, a seemingly weak man, has a hidden edge and uses the hand of the princess to cling to power. Xue Fangfei's "resurrection from the dead" unveiled the tip of the iceberg of this conspiracy. The secrets of the Huaixiang gold mine, the ambition of the king, and the calculation of Li Xiangguo, every step is interlocking, pushing Wanning into the abyss. When the truth is revealed, we can't help but ask: Does Wanning realize that she is just an outcast? What is Shen Yurong's real purpose?
Princess Wanning's infatuation and Shen Yurong's ambition
Princess Wanning, as the pearl of the royal palm, has been favored since she was a child. Her beauty and intelligence have been spread as a good story in the capital, and countless nobles have fallen for it. However, there is only one person in Wan Ning's heart - Cheng Wang. King Cheng is the emperor's own brother, handsome and talented. Wanning's love for King Cheng is like a surging river, endless.
At a banquet in the palace, Wan Ning met King Cheng for the first time. At that time, King Cheng was in the prime of life, with extraordinary conversation and elegant manners. Wan Ning was attracted by his temperament and couldn't extricate herself from it. She began to frequently appear near King Cheng's mansion and came into contact with King Cheng for various reasons. However, King Cheng didn't seem to be impressed by Wan Ning's enthusiasm and always kept a polite distance.
Wanning's infatuation attracted the attention of many people in the court, including Shen Yurong. Shen Yurong was born in a famous family, but he was unable to find a high position in the court because of his family's downfall. He was keenly aware of Wan Ning's love for King Cheng and decided to take this opportunity to cling to power.
Shen Yurong began to frequently go in and out of the princess's mansion, and won Wanning's favor with her literary style. He deliberately showed his admiration for King Cheng in front of Wan Ning, so as to shorten the distance between him and Wan Ning. Wanning gradually regarded Shen Yurong as a confidant, and often confided in him her love for King Cheng.
Shen Yurong took advantage of Wanning's trust and began to spread rumors in the court that Wanning and King Cheng had a special relationship. These rumors soon reached the ears of the emperor and aroused the emperor's vigilance. In order to quell the rumors, the emperor decided to choose a son-in-law for Wanning.
At this moment, Xue Fangfei appeared. Xue Fangfei is the daughter of Xue Huaiyuan, the commander of Huaixiang County, and was selected as one of the candidates for the horse because of her talent and appearance. Wanning was extremely dissatisfied with this, she was unwilling to marry a man she had never met, and she was unwilling to give up her love for King Cheng.
Shen Yurong saw the opportunity and offered advice to Wanning. He suggested that Wan Ning could use her power to put Xue Fangfei in a disadvantageous situation, thus losing her position as a concubine. Wan Ning followed Shen Yurong's advice and began to secretly target Xue Fangfei.
However, things turned out far more than Wan Ning expected. At a banquet in the palace, Xue Fangfei accidentally fell into the water, and after being rescued, she disappeared inexplicably. rumors circulated in the capital, some people said that Xue Fangfei was assassinated, and some people said that she fled in fear of marriage. Regardless of the truth, Xue Fangfei's "death" became an important turning point in this power game.
Xue Fangfei's "death" caused a shock in the court. Xue Huaiyuan, as Xue Fangfei's father, began to investigate his daughter's whereabouts everywhere. However, in the course of his investigation, Xue Huaiyuan was imprisoned on charges of embezzlement. The occurrence of this series of events seems to point to an elaborate conspiracy.
Wan Ning was perplexed by these events. She begins to wonder if she is being used, but she can't let go of her attachment to becoming a king. Shen Yurong took the opportunity to get closer to Wanning and became her most trusted person.
At this moment, King Cheng suddenly showed interest in Wanning. He began to appear frequently in the princess's mansion and had a good conversation with Wan Ning. Wan Ning was overjoyed by this, thinking that her infatuation had finally paid off. However, she didn't know that all this was a well-planned drama, and she was just a pawn in this power game.
Huaixiang Gold Mine: The Key to the Power Struggle
Huaixiang, a seemingly ordinary small county, became the focus of the imperial court's power struggle because of its underground gold mines. The gold mine had been discovered since the time of the Emperor, but due to the difficult conditions of mining and the imperial court's fear of causing local unrest, it was ordered to be closed. However, over time, the existence of this gold mine was gradually forgotten, and only a few important officials of the court remembered the secret.
King Cheng, as the emperor's younger brother, is ambitious. He knew that in order to achieve his ambitions, he had to have sufficient financial support. When he learned of the existence of the Huaixiang gold mine, he immediately realized that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. King Cheng began to secretly plot to re-mine the gold mines in order to accumulate enough wealth to prepare for future political schemes.
However, it will not be easy to re-mine the closed gold mine. First of all, it needs a reliable person to control the situation in Huaixiang, and secondly, to ensure that this secret is not leaked. After careful consideration, King Cheng chose Feng Yutang as his agent in Huaixiang.
Feng Yutang was once a minor official in the Huaixiang County Government, and was dismissed by Xue Huaiyuan, the then county magistrate, for corruption and bribery. He has a grudge against Xue Huaiyuan, which just meets the needs of King Cheng. King Cheng arranged for Feng Yutang to return to Huaixiang through secret channels, and through a series of operations, he became the new county commander.
After Feng Yutang took office, he immediately began to pave the way for the plan to become king. He first cleared all of Xue Huaiyuan's old subordinates in the county government, and then began to squeeze the local people in order to cover up the truth about gold mining. Under Feng Yutang's rule, the people of Huaixiang lived in dire straits, but no one dared to resist.
At the same time, Xue Huaiyuan, as the former county commander, knew the situation in Huaixiang well. Although he has left Huaixiang, he still pays attention to the situation in his hometown through various channels. Xue Huaiyuan soon discovered Feng Yutang's abnormal behavior and began to investigate secretly.
Xue Huaiyuan's integrity and concern for the people made him the biggest obstacle to his plan to become king. King Cheng realized that if Xue Huaiyuan was not removed, his secret could be revealed at any time. As a result, King Cheng began to plot how to get rid of this potential threat.
At this moment, the news of Xue Huaiyuan's daughter Xue Fangfei's "accidental death" came. This sudden blow plunged Xue Huaiyuan into great grief. However, he did not give up his attention to Huaixiang because of this. Instead, Xue Huaiyuan began to contact the old ministry in Huaixiang more frequently, trying to find out the truth about his daughter's death.
After King Cheng learned of Xue Huaiyuan's actions, he decided to strike first. He used his influence in the court to forge a series of evidence, accusing Xue Huaiyuan of embezzlement and bribery during his tenure as the county magistrate of Huaixiang. This accusation was quickly taken seriously by the imperial court, and Xue Huaiyuan was quickly arrested and imprisoned.
Xue Huaiyuan's imprisonment cleared the last obstacle for King Cheng's plan. The mining of the Huaixiang gold mine began to be in full swing. Feng Yutang used his status as a county magistrate to force local people to participate in mining, while keeping information tightly shut down to prevent the outside world from knowing the fact that the gold mines were being re-mined.
However, things did not turn out as King Cheng wanted. Xue Huaiyuan's son, Xue Zhao, was given a map of the gold mine before his father was imprisoned. Xue Zhao realized the importance of this map and gave it to his sister Qiongzhi for safekeeping. The existence of this map became the key evidence to reveal the truth in the future.
At the same time, some people in the DPRK and China began to have doubts about the abnormal situation in Huaixiang. Some sharp-eyed officials noticed that although the taxes in Huaixiang had not increased, the amount of silver that Feng Yutang handed over to the imperial court was increasing. This anomaly has alarmed some ministers.
Just when the undercurrents of various forces were surging, an unexpected figure reappeared in everyone's field of vision - Xue Fangfei. Her "resurrection from the dead" not only disrupted King Cheng's deployment, but also brought new variables to the whole incident. How will Xue Fangfei's return affect the power struggle around the Huaixiang gold mine? Will Chengwang's secret plan be exposed? All this is unresolved, and the fate of Huaixiang has also fallen into a deeper fog.
New players in Game of Thrones
Just as the secrets of the Huaixiang gold mines are gradually revealed, the appearance of a mysterious businessman adds new variables to this power struggle. This merchant named Zhao Ming, who claimed to be from the Western Regions, entered the capital with a large number of rare goods. His arrival attracted the attention of many ministers of the court, including King Cheng.
Zhao Ming quickly gained a reputation among the capital's aristocracy with his unique spices and gems from the Western Regions. The banquets he held were extravagant and attracted many powerful people. At these banquets, Zhao Ming not only showed his wealth, but also his in-depth knowledge of the affairs of the imperial court. He often discussed court politics with the officials attending banquets, and his words revealed a special interest in the Huaixiang area.
King Cheng was wary of Zhao Ming at first, but as he made more contacts, he gradually discovered that Zhao Ming could become a powerful ally in his plans. Zhao Ming not only possessed great wealth, but also controlled the trade channels of the Western Regions, which was exactly what Cheng Wang needed. As a result, King Cheng began to frequently invite Zhao Ming to private parties, and the relationship between the two became increasingly close.
However, Zhao Ming's true identity is far from being as simple as it seems. In fact, he is the famous "Iron Courage Gate" master in the rivers and lakes. The "Iron Gall Gate" is a mysterious organization that specializes in collecting the secrets of various forces in the imperial court and using these secrets to trade. Zhao Ming's visit to Beijing this time was precisely to investigate the Huaixiang gold mine incident.
As the investigation deepened, Zhao Ming gradually figured out the truth about the Huaixiang gold mine. He realized that this was not just a simple plan to accumulate wealth, but more likely to involve the change of power of the entire dynasty. Zhao Ming decided to take advantage of this opportunity to push the "Iron Gall Gate" to a new height.
At the same time, other forces on the rivers and lakes also began to pay attention to the abnormality of Huaixiang. "Qingyun Pavilion", as a gate faction as famous as the "Iron Gall Gate", sent their masters to infiltrate Huaixiang and secretly investigate the development of the situation. Jiang Li, the young master of "Qingyun Pavilion", came to the capital in person and mixed into the princess's mansion as an ordinary maid.
The arrival of Jiang Li made the situation even more complicated. She not only has to investigate the secrets of the Huaixiang gold mine, but also needs to deal with Zhao Ming's secret competition. The contest between the two major schools has invisibly affected the situation in the imperial court.
Just when the forces of all parties were secretly competing, the imperial court also noticed the abnormality of Huaixiang. The emperor sent his most trusted secret agent, Li Mo, to Huaixiang to investigate. Li Mo is an extraordinary martial arts master, and he is also proficient in court affairs. He entered Huaixiang as an ordinary businessman and began his own secret investigation.
Li Mo's investigation soon made progress. He found that there were a large number of suspicious personnel movements in the Huaixiang County Government, and that the living conditions of the local people were far worse than the official report had been made. What surprised him even more was that he found some obvious traces of mining in the mountains of Huaixiang.
However, Li Mo's actions soon aroused Feng Yutang's alarm. Feng Yutang sent people to secretly follow Li Mo and tried to obstruct his investigation in various ways. A silent contest ensued between the two.
Just as Li Mo was about to get close to the truth, an unexpected discovery put him in a difficult situation. He found a document in the secret room of the county government, on which was written the emperor's secret order, asking for the news of the blockade of the Huaixiang gold mine. The appearance of this document made Li Mo fall into great confusion. He didn't know if this was Feng Yutang's trap or if things were really that complicated.
At the same time, Zhao Ming and Jiang Li were also aware of Li Mo's existence. The three forces are secretly engaged in a complex game. Everyone tries to use the information in their hands to get the most out of it, while at the same time having to guard against the covert actions of others.
Just as the forces of all sides are engaged in this dark war, an even greater conspiracy is brewing within the imperial court. The battle over the Huaixiang gold mine seems to be the beginning of a much bigger plan. As more forces step in, the situation becomes more and more confusing. Who will win this power game? How will the secrets of the Huaixiang gold mines affect the fate of the entire dynasty? All this has yet to be revealed.
Xue Fangfei's road to revenge
Xue Fangfei's reappearance was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up stormy waves up and down the government and the opposition. Her "resurrection from the dead" not only disrupted King Cheng's deployment, but also brought a new twist to the whole incident.
Xue Fangfei did not die as rumored by the outside world, but was rescued by a group of mysterious people. The group called itself the "Night Owl Society", a secret organization dedicated to fighting corruption in the imperial court. They told Xue Fangfei that her father, Xue Huaiyuan, was imprisoned as a conspiracy, and that behind this conspiracy was the secret of Huaixiang's gold mines.
With the help of the "Night Owl Meeting", Xue Fangfei has not only advanced in martial arts for a long time, but also mastered many court secrets. She is determined to clear her father's grievances and uncover the truth behind the Huaixiang gold mine.
Xue Fangfei first infiltrated the capital and entered the princess's mansion as an ordinary maid. She knew that the princess had a close relationship with King Cheng and hoped to get some useful information from it. In the princess's mansion, Xue Fangfei met Jiang Li, who also infiltrated as a maid. The two do not know each other at first, but soon attract each other's attention due to their unusual behavior.
By chance, Xue Fangfei found that Jiang Li was secretly checking some documents about Huaixiang. A fierce fight ensues between the two, but they soon realize that neither is the other's enemy. After testing each other, Xue Fangfei and Jiang Li decided to temporarily join forces to investigate the secrets of the Huaixiang gold mine.
At the same time, Zhao Ming also noticed these two unusual maids in the princess's mansion. He sent someone to investigate secretly, and soon discovered Xue Fangfei's true identity. Zhao Ming realized that this was an opportunity that could be exploited, so he took the initiative to approach Xue Fangfei and expressed his willingness to help.
Xue Fangfei was wary of Zhao Ming's sudden overtures, but she also knew that it would be difficult to fight against King Cheng on her own. After weighing the pros and cons, she decided to cooperate with Zhao Ming temporarily, but at the same time, she did not forget to beware of his possible betrayal.
Just as the forces of various parties are secretly contending, an unexpected discovery changes the situation again. When Xue Fangfei was sorting out the princess's personal belongings, she found a secret letter from Huaixiang. The letter mentions a mysterious organization called the "Xuantian Pavilion", which seems to have close ties to the Huaixiang gold mine.
Xue Fangfei told Jiang Li and Zhao Ming about this discovery. After discussion, the three decided to go their separate ways. Xue Fangfei continued to stay in the princess's mansion to collect intelligence, Jiang Li returned to Huaixiang to investigate on the spot, and Zhao Ming was responsible for finding out the news of the "Xuantian Pavilion".
Just when the three of them were acting separately, Li Mo, a secret agent of the imperial court, also made a new discovery. He found an old map in an abandoned temple in Huaixiang that marked the exact location of the Huaixiang gold mines. This map was very similar to the one that Xue Zhao had given to Qiong Zhi for safekeeping, but the details were slightly different.
Li Mo realized the importance of this map and immediately set off to return to the capital. However, his actions were soon noticed by Feng Yutang. Feng Yutang sent a group of elite killers in an attempt to intercept Li Mo halfway and seize the map.
Just when Li Mo was surrounded by many people, Xue Fangfei and Jiang Li arrived in time and joined forces with Li Mo to repel Feng Yutang's killers. During their conversation, the three discover that they are both investigating the secrets of the Huaixiang gold mine, so they decide to join forces.
Unbeknownst to them, however, a larger conspiracy was unfolding. The power of the "Xuantian Pavilion" was far greater than they imagined, and its tentacles had reached into the core of the imperial court. Even some of the important ministers around the emperor secretly had a connection with the "Xuantian Pavilion".
As the investigation deepened, Xue Fangfei gradually realized that the secret of the Huaixiang gold mine may be related to the survival of the entire dynasty. Her road to revenge is not just as simple as clearing her father's grievances. She is facing a big game about the fate of the country.
Just as the undercurrents of various forces are surging, an even greater crisis is quietly looming. There was an urgent report from the border, and the army of the Western Regions had begun to assemble, and it seemed that it could attack at any time. The court suddenly fell into a panic. And how will this sudden border crisis affect the situation in the Huaixiang gold mine? Where will Xue Fangfei's path of revenge go? Nothing is yet known.
The truth is revealed and the reshuffling of power
As the army of the Western Regions approached, the court fell into chaos. The emperor convened hundreds of civil and military officials to discuss countermeasures, but the parties disagreed, and the court argued endlessly. At this moment, Xue Fangfei, Jiang Li, and Li Mo broke into the main hall with their discoveries.
The three of them made the secrets of the Huaixiang gold mine and the conspiracy of the "Xuantian Pavilion" public. They exposed the fact that King Cheng colluded with Feng Yutang to mine gold mines without permission, and also pointed out the severity of the infiltration of the "Xuantian Pavilion" into the imperial court. This revelation was like a bombshell, instantly detonating the entire court.
Cheng Wang faced the accusations, and at first tried to quibble. However, when Xue Fangfei took out the secret letter evidence collected from the princess's mansion, King Cheng was speechless. Feng Yutang saw that the situation was not good and tried to escape, but was stopped by the forbidden army who had already laid an ambush.
At this time, Zhao Ming also appeared in the court. He not only confirmed the statements of Xue Fangfei and others, but also further revealed the true face of "Xuantian Pavilion". It turned out that the "Xuantian Pavilion" not only colluded with the army of the Western Regions, but also planned to take advantage of this border crisis to seize the power of the imperial court.
When the emperor heard this, he was furious. He immediately ordered a thorough investigation of the "Xuantian Pavilion" and ordered the forbidden army to blockade the capital to prevent anyone from escaping. For a time, there was a lot of noise inside and outside the capital, and a large number of officials and businessmen were arrested.
However, it doesn't end there. During the interrogation, an even greater secret emerges. It turned out that the mastermind behind the "Xuantian Pavilion" was actually the crown prince. The crown prince has been holding back for many years, secretly cultivating power, just so that he can one day replace the emperor.
This astonishing truth shocked everyone. The emperor was so grief-stricken that he ordered the crown prince to be deposed on the spot and imprisoned. At the same time, the emperor also realized that his years of deafness had put the imperial court in such a dangerous situation.
In this huge political storm, the fortunes of many people have changed dramatically. King Cheng was removed from all his positions and grounded forever; Feng Yutang was sentenced to death; And those officials who were implicated in the "Xuantian Pavilion" were also severely punished.
At the same time, Xue Fangfei's father Xue Huaiyuan was finally rehabilitated. The emperor personally ordered not only to restore Xue Huaiyuan's official position, but also to posthumously crown him as a loyal martyr. Although Xue Fangfei washed away her father's grievances, she didn't feel much joy when she looked at the situation in front of her.
In the midst of this great political upheaval, some new forces began to emerge. The "Qingyun Pavilion" represented by Jiang Li, because of his contribution to this incident, won the trust of the imperial court and became one of the new centers of power. Because of his outstanding performance, Li Mo was entrusted with an important task by the emperor to clean up the residual poison within the imperial court.
However, the most striking change is the rise of Zhao Ming. He not only exposed the conspiracy of the "Xuantian Pavilion", but also played an important role in the subsequent border crisis. Zhao Ming used his connections in the Western Regions to successfully resolve the crisis of the war, causing the army of the Western Regions to retreat without a fight. This series of contributions made Zhao Ming the hottest upstart in the court.
However, the rise of Zhao Ming also caused dissatisfaction among some old ministers. They believed that Zhao Ming's origin was unknown, and it was afraid that such a heavy use of him would be detrimental to the imperial court. But the emperor seemed to have great trust in Zhao Ming, not only giving him high-ranking officials, but also often summoning him to the palace for secret talks.
As the situation stabilized, the problem of the Huaixiang gold mine was also resolved. The emperor ordered that the gold mines be nationalized, and all the proceeds were used for disaster relief. This decision was widely supported by the people, and the prestige of the imperial court was greatly enhanced.
However, just when everyone thought that the turmoil had subsided, a new problem quietly surfaced. It was discovered that in the secret file of the "Xuantian Pavilion", there was an even greater secret hidden, and this secret seemed to be inextricably linked to the royal family. What exactly is this secret? And how will it affect a dynasty that has just experienced great upheaval?
At the same time, among the people, a peculiar prophecy began to circulate. The prophecy mentions that an even greater change is coming, and this change will completely change the fate of the country. In the face of this mysterious prophecy, both the government and the opposition fell into a strange atmosphere.
It was in this eerie atmosphere that an unexpected figure reappeared in everyone's sight. The appearance of this person seems to indicate that a new era is coming. However, whether this new era is a blessing or a curse remains to be answered.