After rebirth, I joined forces with my mortal enemy to seek revenge.

Inside Taiji Palace, the Secretariat and the Outer Provinces resembled a giant beast crouching within the palace walls, their lanterns flickering in the shadows. Because the Crown Prince had mobilized a large number of Jinwu Guards for the Heavenly Sacrifice, the number of Jinwu Guards patrolling the Secretariat and the Outer Provinces had decreased. As dawn gradually replaced night, the starlit clouds dissipated, and the palace attendants raised long poles, plucked down the palace lanterns, and blew them out.

Then, candles lit one after another in the official rooms of the government offices across the imperial city, heralding the arrival of morning. Listening closely, one could hear the rustle of people in the wind, the rustling of footsteps, and the sounds of fetching water, chopping wood, and lighting fires in the public kitchens. Then came the whispered conversations of eunuchs and servants, mingled with the clatter of young eunuchs being punished for slacking off by older ones.

In the official residence of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Pei Jiaoran sat at her desk. Next to her lay a memorial in fresh handwriting. This was the memorial she was preparing to present to the Emperor of Wei today.

Sighing, Pei Jiaoran stood up and walked to the window, pushing it open and standing with his hands behind his back. He quietly watched the weeping eunuch in the courtyard. Although it was still dark, it was indeed the time when those in lower positions were most alert, and also the time when those in higher positions were most likely to lose their vigilance.

The guards, tense for so long, finally relaxed when the chief officer gave the order for a shift change. They left the scene as planned, sleepy eyes thick. They didn't notice the pair of eyes staring at them from the second floor.

Pei Jiaoran returned to his desk when the bells rang from the tower. The mingled sounds of voices and footsteps drifted into his ears from the corridors and public buildings below.

Pei Jiaoran sat at her desk, her fingertips gently caressing the edge of the memorial. She had revised it several times, carefully considering every word, aiming for just the right amount of expression without leaving any room for misinterpretation.

"Mr. Pei, have you stayed here all night?" The timid voice of the eunuch came from outside the door.

Pei Jiaoran looked up and saw a childish face through the half-open door. It was a newly transferred young eunuch, only twelve or thirteen years old, but his eyes had already learned the caution and fear unique to the palace.

"Come in." She said lightly.

The young eunuch pushed the door open quietly, holding a vermilion lacquered wooden tray in his hand. "I saw that your light was on all night in the kitchen. I thought you probably haven't had breakfast yet, so I asked me to bring it to you." As he said this, he put down the wooden tray and went to clean the room.

The sesame porridge was piping hot. Pei Jiaoran's eyes lingered on the steaming porridge for a moment, then he shifted his gaze to the eunuch who was tidying up the scattered books and memorials on the bookshelf, and curled his lips.

"What's your name?" Pei Jiaoran asked.

"My humble name is Wang Bao." The young eunuch lowered his head and spoke in a voice as thin as a mosquito.

"Wang Bao." Pei Jiaoran put down his teacup. "Who's on duty at Lizheng Hall today?"

Wang Bao hesitated, as if weighing whether or not to answer the question. "In reply to Prime Minister Pei, Yuan Judang is personally on duty today."

Pei Jiaoran nodded thoughtfully, then lowered her head to look at the memorial on the table. She picked up the bowl of porridge. Amidst the steaming heat, she saw Wang Bao's shoulders tense unnaturally as his back turned toward her. She calmly brought the bowl to her lips, but paused at the last moment.

"Wang Bao." Pei Jiaoran's voice was calm, but his fingertips were already on the dagger hidden beside him. "How long have you been in the palace?"

"Replying to Prime Minister Pei, I have been in the palace for one year and three months." Wang Bao answered with his head down. His voice was still weak, but his eyes flickered for a moment.

"Not that long." Pei Jiaoran sighed with a smile. She suddenly put down the bowl and looked directly into Wang Bao's eyes. "How are your parents at home?"

This question was like a sharp arrow, and Wang Bao froze for a moment. Then he forced himself to remain calm and said, "My parents are in good health. Thank you, Mr. Pei, for your concern."

"That's such a pity." Pei Jiaoran said gently.

Wang Bao's body trembled violently, and when he turned around, a cold light flashed in his sleeve, and a short knife as thin as a cicada's wing stabbed straight at him.

Pei Jiaoran turned his head slightly to avoid Wang Bao's movement, grabbed his wrist, pressed hard on the Neiguan acupoint, and with his other hand, strangled Wang Bao's throat. Wang Bao dropped the dagger in his hand in pain.

After glaring at Pei Jiaoran fiercely, Wang Bao pulled out another dagger hidden in his sleeve and attacked again. The cold light flashed like a venomous snake spitting out its tongue, aiming straight at Pei Jiaoran's throat.

Seeing this, Pei Jiaoran tugged at Wang Bao's captured hand, pulling it towards him. Using the momentum, he spun around and kicked at his arm. With a crisp snap, Wang Bao's grip suddenly loosened, and the dagger fell again. But before Pei Jiaoran could breathe a sigh of relief, he saw the other man swiftly raise his leg, and another cold light slashed upwards from below!

Pei Jiaoran put his hand on the table and used the force to jump into the air. The dagger brushed past her waist. The moment she twisted her body, she kicked Wang Bao's knee fiercely. Wang Bao groaned and fell to his knees.

Staring coldly at Wang Bao, Pei Jiaoran swiftly dislodged his jaw. "Did Yuan Zhengze send you to kill me?" She stepped on his knife-wielding wrist and said in an icy voice, "What did he promise you? Money or freedom?"

Upon hearing the commotion, the patrolling Jinwu Guards rushed over, breaking down the door and entering to protect the current Minister of the Central Secretariat. Seeing the overturned tables and chairs, the scattered scrolls, and the scattering of pens, inkstones, and brushes on the floor, and then looking at Pei Jiaoran, who was holding a eunuch captive, his eyes widened.

"Mr. Pei, are you okay?" asked the general of the Jinwu Guard.

Hearing this, Pei Jiaoran raised his eyes and signaled the Jinwu Guards to step forward, "Search him."

As soon as the three words were spoken, two Jinwu Guards quickly stepped forward to replace her, one responsible for searching her body and the other responsible for continuing to restrain Wang Bao.

After a moment, one of them took out a copper token from the inside of Wang Bao's shoe and handed it respectfully to Pei Jiaoran.

"Prime Minister Pei, this is a pass from the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

Looking at the token in the hands of the Jinwu Guard, Pei Jiaoran curled his lips and said, "Tie him up. Bring him with me to see His Majesty."

As soon as the order was given, the two Jinwu guards immediately tied up Wang Bao and stuffed a cloth ball into his mouth.

Pei Jiaoran leaned over and looked at Wang Bao. "It must be painful to have a dislocated jaw, right?"

A trace of fear flashed in Wang Bao's eyes, but he still turned his face away stubbornly and shouted: "Mr. Pei used Yuan Jue'er to get rid of Zhang Jue'er. Now he wants to kill Yuan Jue'er! I am here today to avenge Zhang Jue'er." After saying that, he struggled to break free from the grip of the Jinwu Guards and slammed his head against a pillar beside him, bleeding on the spot.

Even the strongest skull would be reduced to a bloody mess when it hit a pillar as thick as a man's arms. The muffled sound seemed to still echo in my ears.

"I deserve to die for not being able to control this thief." The leading Jinwu Guard Langjiang quickly pleaded guilty.

"That's all right." Pei Jiaoran glanced at Wang Bao's body. His terrifying words before his death still echoed in her ears. She smiled and said, "He truly is a man of steel. Let Yuan Zhengze come to the Secretariat to collect him and ask him how he taught people."

The Jinwu Guards' general took orders and led his men to drag Wang Bao's body away, with Pei Jiaoran following closely behind. The body left a long trail of blood on the veranda. The eunuchs and servants who had been busy on the veranda saw this scene and knelt on the ground, silent as a mouse.

Eventually, the body was thrown into an empty room, waiting for the Ministry of Internal Affairs to come and claim it.