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

On his way out, Pei Jiaoran ran into Yuan Zhengze. He appeared to be indifferent, discussing something with the eunuch beside him. Pei Jiaoran curled his lips and slowly walked away. Before he had taken a few steps, Yuan Zhengze called him back.

Turning back, Pei Jiaoran raised his chin slightly, a smile on his lips, and looked at Yuan Zhengze who was trotting towards him.

"It's the original giant pendant." Pei Jiaoran said slowly.

"I heard General Li is ill? You two have always been close friends. I wonder how General Li is doing? Do you need to call in a royal physician? Your Majesty is deeply concerned about General Li." Yuan Zhengze smiled. "Right now, the Right Shence Army is empty. If General Li can return soon, Your Majesty will be relieved."

Upon hearing this, Pei Jiaoran relaxed his brows and said, "The Li family is a noble family. I think someone from the family will handle this matter."

Yuan Zhengze's face suddenly darkened. Although he was now a close minister to the emperor, honored with the title of "Guiyuan," he had been forcibly excluded from the circle of power. He navigated the world in a manner highly recognized by both the court officials and the imperial power. This was hardly a respectable life for him. Yet, he also knew that this was the best situation Pei Jiaoran could manage. The emperor wanted respect, and so did the court officials.

It was a pity that I couldn't kill him with one strike this time, and I didn't know what Pei Jiaoran and the Emperor of Wei were plotting. A huge sense of crisis spread in my heart.

Thinking of this, Yuan Zhengze smiled unnaturally, "Since that's the case, I'll send someone to visit General Li to express my gratitude."

Upon hearing this, Pei Jiaoran just smiled faintly and left.

Yuan Zhengze looked at Pei Jiaoran's receding back, and slowly clenched his fingers in his sleeves.

As dusk fell, two chests filled with rare treasures were carried into Jia Gonglu's study. Each chest was sealed with a date and the words "sealed in the province." But at the end of the seal, the vermilion seal of the Shen Ce Army was prominently printed.

Glancing at the wooden box in front of him, Jia Gonglu shifted his gaze, a look of understanding in his eyes. After years of hard work in the court, how could he be greedy for temporary wealth?

"This is a little gift from me. I hope Mr. Jia can accept it." Yuan Zhengze looked at Jia Gonglu opposite him.

"Hasn't Yuan Jue always had his own ideas?" Jia Gonglu didn't show it, but deep down, he already had a deep dislike for Yuan Zhengze. He was unabashedly greedy for power, showed no gratitude to those who supported him, and was a double-dealer. He had secretly poisoned Li Xiujing in an attempt to control the Shen Ce Army, but it was unclear how successful it would be.

Yuan Zhengze smiled apologetically, "Lord Jia. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wu has been unable to return to the capital, and I resorted to this desperate measure out of desperation. Logically, I shouldn't have done this, but Pei Jiaoran is a man of such wits that he borders on the devil. If I hadn't taken precautions earlier, I would have been a prey to the chopping board, a prey to others, and followed in the footsteps of Zhang Rang. I've read a few books and can read a few words. We eunuchs won't forget the lessons of those past."

"Alright. Since Li Xiujing is seriously ill, why don't you replace all his men, Yuan Juegong? You've been moving around for a while now, so I bet there's some progress, right?" Seeing that Yuan Zhengze was still trying to hedge his bets, Jia Gonglu didn't bother to give him face anymore. "His Royal Highness the Prince of Wu is already on his way back. If you want to show your loyalty, you must demonstrate it. When the day comes when His Royal Highness the Prince of Wu needs you, as a loyal eunuch, you must choose your side. Don't let His Royal Highness the Prince of Wu and His Majesty down, and end up being seen as a traitor."

After this, Jia Gonglu drank his tea, apparently unwilling to speak again. Yuan Zhengze, while expressing his support for the King of Wu, had a rather ambiguous attitude and could not be fully trusted. His gift today wasn't necessarily a statement of his position, but rather a temporary one, a plea for his protection. This would prevent the King of Wu from later accusing him of not contributing.

Therefore, Yuan Zhengze had no choice but to risk his life for the time being and seek cooperation with him. Even if the King of Wu blamed him in the future, he would give him a decent hand for his sake. If he did not help Yuan Zhengze at this critical juncture, he would most likely turn against him.

Yuan Zhengze was startled when he heard this and quickly said, "Mr. Jia has misunderstood. Although Li Xiujing is seriously ill, he has left many people to keep an eye on me. How could I dare to make any drastic moves? I could only mobilize them secretly. However, Pei Jiaoran and Li Xiujing have been running this place for many years, and I have only been in office for a short time. I am willing but unable to do anything."

Seeing Jia Gonglu staring at her gloomily, Yuan Zhengze said immediately, "However, I have made some minor personnel adjustments. These people have all received my favor. If Your Highness the Prince of Wu needs anything, you can dispatch them at will. There is also something else, Lord Jia, that you should know."

"What's the matter?" Jia Gonglu asked with a frown.

"Today, Pei Jiaoran went to see His Majesty and sent this servant away. I don't know what they talked about, but then Pei Jiaoran left with a painting." Yuan Zhengze sighed, his eyes filled with worry. "Pei Jiaoran has been seeing His Majesty frequently these past few days."

Listening to Yuan Zhengze's words, Jia Gonglu recalled Pei Jiaoran's remarks in the Council of State, and said, "Your Majesty is currently seriously ill and unable to attend court. The Crown Prince and the King of Wu are both absent, and the other princes are still young and unable to shoulder the heavy responsibility. Given Pei Jiaoran's intelligence, she wouldn't have divided the government affairs among the three ministries. She has most likely recommended a highly respected relative to Your Majesty."

After all, he had dealt with this young yet gifted Minister of the Central Secretariat for many years. He still understood her.

"A highly respected relative?" Yuan Zhengze asked in surprise.

"Your Majesty's brother, Prince Huan Yuanjing of Han. She invited the highly respected princes to come forward, eliminating the opportunity for court officials to control government affairs. This is something that Your Majesty deeply appreciates." Jia Gonglu narrowed his eyes. "Yuan Jue'er had better refrain from any rash actions in the next few days. With Prince Han in charge of government affairs, she can focus her energy on dealing with us."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Zhengze remained silent, frowning in thought. While he was still pondering, Jia Gonglu asked him to leave on the pretext of needing to rest.

While the two were having a secret conversation, Pei Jiaoran finally returned to his residence in Wubenfang.

Mu Yue walked into the room and caught a glimpse of Li Xiujing reading by candlelight. As if nothing had happened, she walked to the clothes rack and undressed layer by layer. Then she went to the dressing table, pulled out the medicine box, and took out the hemostatic powder and bandages.

Li Xiujing frowned and put down his book when he saw Pei Jiaoran treating her wound. He took the medicine bottle and bandage from her and began to apply the medicine to her.

"What's going on?" Li Xiujing whispered.

"Yuan Zhengze is so impatient now that he's sent someone to assassinate me." Pei Jiaoran frowned. "Your Majesty is aware of this." She pointed to the scroll beside her. "Your Majesty gave me this. Why don't you unfold it and take a look?"

As they spoke, Li Xiujing had already applied the medicine to Pei Jiaoran. Following her instructions, he unfolded the scroll. A painting titled "Duke Zhou Assists King Cheng" came into view.

"Your Majesty wants you to assist in the administration? Huo Bolu was also given this map by Emperor Wu of Han in the past." Li Xiujing said.

"I'm different from Huo Bolu. He has Huo's blood flowing in his veins, and Huo Qubing paved the way for him. He's been extremely cautious and careful for decades to achieve this honor." Pei Jiaoran laughed self-deprecatingly, "And I, as a lone minister, will pledge allegiance to the imperial power."

This painting is more of a warning than a reminder.