Steal my marriage? Turn around and marry the tyrant to take the throne

The Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The officials responsible for tracking down Xiongnu spies and remnants of the Fatu Temple were kneeling side by side before the imperial desk.

Nangong Xuanyu stared at the urgent report in his hand, his eyes unfathomable.

An official, forcing a smile, said, "Your Majesty, please forgive us! We have failed in your grace..."

"Since I received the imperial decree to investigate, I have not dared to slacken my efforts and have been searching day and night. Indeed, I have found several Xiongnu spies and strongholds in the capital where they had been active."

"But these outposts, like the West City Fur Shop, were all deserted overnight..."

"Their evacuation was orderly. Important items and documents inside the house were destroyed or taken away, leaving only some cheap and heavy household items."

"The horses and carriages in the stables were nowhere to be found, and the wheel tracks on the ground were messy, which was obviously a deliberate attempt to confuse the direction."

"They left the city with a pass, and because their paperwork was complete, the soldiers guarding the city did not check it carefully..."

Nangong Xuanyu's voice suddenly turned cold: "The Xiongnu actually have a travel permit from the Great Zhou?!"

The Vice Minister of Works was sweating profusely: "It was...it was a counterfeit Ministry of Works tally, almost indistinguishable from the real thing...It wasn't until we discovered the outpost was vacant and traced the clues to the city gate records that we found the truth."

"At that time... by then the thieves had long since gone..."

Nangong Xuanyu asked with a cold laugh, "So, you just stood by and watched the Xiongnu pack their things in the capital, take fake travel permits, and swagger out of the city?!"

"Your Majesty, calm down!"

Another official said in a panic, "We immediately ordered strict checks at the checkpoints along the way and dispatched fast horses and elite cavalry to pursue them in the possible directions."

"But... but the thieves were extremely cunning. They split up their forces multiple times along the way, disguising themselves as caravans, refugees, and even funeral processions, creating a series of deceptions."

"Our pursuing forces have repeatedly missed their targets, delaying our journey..."

"Until yesterday, we received an urgent report from the outpost that the last suspected target had crossed the northern border pass and entered the edge of the southern grasslands. It was too late to catch up..."

Nangong Xuanyu's eyes flashed with a cold light: "Break through the pass?!"

"What are the soldiers guarding the pass doing?!"

The commander kowtowed repeatedly, pleading, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"

"According to the report from the garrison commander, that group possessed... a valid and verified pass issued by the Northern Frontier Garrison. They claimed to be a merchant caravan heading to the grasslands for trade, and the list of goods and personnel matched perfectly."

"Moreover, the group is mixed with genuine Hu merchants, whose identities are difficult to verify..."

"Although the garrison commander felt something was amiss, the documents were complete and there were no clear instructions to intercept them, so he had no choice but to let them pass."

"By the time the pursuers arrived with His Majesty's urgent edict, it was already half a day too late..."

Nangong Xuanyu laughed in anger: "Very well, very well indeed!"

"The capital, passes, and official documents have become the Huns' free pass to come and go as they please!"

Clearly, this infiltration by the Xiongnu was not as simple as espionage.

They have a complete plan, and it is very likely that they will work with corrupt elements in the government from within and without!

From infiltration and communication to emergency evacuation at critical moments, they even obtained government documents that were so realistic they could be mistaken for genuine, to cover their retreat.

How long would it take to operate this?

It is very likely that the Xiongnu people began infiltrating the Zhou Dynasty as early as the time of the late emperor.

After all, it was no secret that the late emperor was incompetent and obsessed with women. How could the Xiongnu possibly let such a golden opportunity slip by?

Nangong Xuanyu couldn't help but think more deeply.

If the Xiongnu had been hiding so secretly, why did they suddenly withdraw?

Could it be... that they've already accomplished their ulterior motives?

What is their purpose?

Nangong Xuanyu glared at the kneeling officials and roared, "So, after all this time, you only found a few empty houses?!"

The officials kowtowed, crying, "We are utterly incompetent and deserve to die! We beg Your Majesty to punish us!"

Looking at them, Nangong Xuanyu felt a surge of rage!

Killing these fools now would be pointless; it might even alert the real mole and allow them to hide even deeper.

The emperor said in a deep voice, "I will remember your crimes for now!"

The officials were overjoyed, exclaiming, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your mercy!"

Nangong Xuanyu coldly ordered, "Search every single one of the captured strongholds again, leaving no stone unturned! Especially the burned documents; try to recover even a single word."

"Furthermore, thoroughly investigate all government offices involved in forged travel permits and transit documents! Ministry of Works, Prefect of the Capital, and relevant garrisons in the Northern Frontier, find out for me who provided convenience to the Xiongnu and who secretly affixed the seals!"

"The fact that the Xiongnu were able to leave so cleanly and efficiently means that there must be an inside agent in the capital who is extremely familiar with the court's procedures."

"Dig deep along this line, investigate from the top! I want to see who dares to betray their country and collude with the enemy!"

The relevant officials kowtowed deeply: "Your Majesty, we obey the decree! We will do our utmost to atone for our crimes and perform meritorious service!"

An official said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, there is one more thing..."

"While we were investigating the Xiongnu spies and the remnants of the Fatu Temple who were colluding with them, we learned from a captured traitor that... those remnants are active in the capital and seem to have connections with people in the palace..."

Nangong Xuanyu's deep eyes narrowed dangerously: "People from the palace?"

"Yes."

The official respectfully replied, "However, the rebels were vague in their explanation, only saying that the instructions came from inside the palace and that their identities were kept secret. Every time they contacted each other, they did so in an extremely secretive manner."

"They only knew how to follow orders and didn't know the other party's specific identity. But one thing is certain: she was undoubtedly a palace concubine..."

The official's voice grew softer and softer, as he dared not look at the emperor's face, which had instantly turned incredibly sinister!

When Nangong Xuanyu first heard that the remnants of Fatu Temple were connected with people in the palace, he only thought that Empress Dowager Gongsu had been operating in the palace for decades and had deep roots in the system.

Xingchen, taking advantage of his status as a high-ranking monk, planted countless hidden agents within the inner court and the outer court.

Although the initial purge resulted in a great deal of bloodshed, it was impossible to guarantee that no one escaped.

Unexpectedly, the one colluding with the remnants of Fatu Temple was actually a palace concubine!

The moment they were associated with Fatu Temple, the emperor would immediately think of being cuckolded...

At this moment, the air pressure around Nangong Xuanyu was frighteningly low!

However, for the sake of imperial dignity, he could not reveal these secrets, and only managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth: "...I know!"

"I will have someone investigate this matter thoroughly. You may all leave."

The ministers, as if granted a general amnesty, exclaimed, "We take our leave!"

After they left, Nangong Xuanyu pressed his fingers hard against his throbbing temples.

The young emperor, wielding absolute power, always prided himself on being a wise ruler.

But this time, the Xiongnu spy escaped right under his nose, and there were women in his harem who were colluding with the remnants of the Fatu Temple.

For an emperor, this would undoubtedly be a huge stain!

The first name that popped into Nangong Xuanyu's mind was—

Jiang Xining!