The emperor faked his death? Never mind, I will ascend the throne directly!

After the court was dismissed, Li Chengfeng rubbed his eyebrows and felt a throbbing pain in his temples.

These ministers won't stop until the very last moment.

He dismissed the eunuchs and palace maids beside him, leaving only his trusted confidant Xiao Liuzi behind. "Go, call Zhao Sheng and Tie Zhu."

Li Chengfeng asked Xiao Liuzi for help from Song Zelin. He was Song Zelin's eyes in the palace, and nothing could escape his observation.

It was this guy who discovered Li Chenghao's secret rebellion in the palace.

This time, Xiao Liuzi was stunned. He had some impression of these two names. It seemed that they were people from the martial arts world that His Majesty met during his incognito visit to Xijing.

The emperor always summoned ministers in the main hall, but these two people had unknown identities, yet he summoned them privately. It seemed that his majesty attached great importance to them.

Xiao Liuzi did not dare to delay, so he bowed and stepped back to look for the person himself.

Soon, Zhao Sheng and Tie Zhu arrived at the imperial study.

Zhao Sheng still looked smart and capable, while Tiezhu scratched his head in a simple manner and stood aside stiffly, like an iron tower.

Li Chengfeng smiled when he saw the two of them. "No need to be polite. Please sit down."

"I dare not, I will just stand."

Tiezhu was flattered and waved his hands repeatedly.

Zhao Sheng sat down gracefully, a look of inquiry in his eyes. "I wonder what instructions His Majesty has for us two?"

Li Chengfeng didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "Zhao Sheng, I want you to establish a civilian intelligence organization called 'Hidden Dragon'."

Zhao Sheng was startled, but he remained calm and asked, "Your Majesty, what is the duty of this 'Hidden Dragon'..."

Li Chengfeng's lips curled up into a meaningful smile. "I want you to be my eyes and ears, spread out across the streets and alleys, collecting intelligence, monitoring the officials, especially..."

He paused, then spoke word by word, "Qi Daokun and his party!"

"Your Majesty, this..."

Zhao Sheng was a little hesitant. Collecting intelligence and monitoring officials was a serious crime!

"I know what you are worried about."

Li Chengfeng waved his hand, "I will provide you with all necessary resources and support, including..."

He took out a thin booklet from the drawer and handed it to Zhao Sheng, "Here."

Zhao Sheng opened it and found that it was covered with dense lines and symbols.

This is a method of investigation created by Li Chengfeng based on his memories of his previous life, using the modern mechanism of the Sky Eye.

"This is a set of intelligence collection and analysis methods I have summarized based on the experience of my predecessors. It is called 'Sky Eye'.

"If you practice like this, this 'Hidden Dragon' will be my eyes and ears in the future!"

Zhao Sheng took the blueprint and looked at it carefully. The more he looked at it, the more shocked he was. This method was so ingenious and interconnected that he had never heard of it before!

He raised his head, his tone filled with admiration, "Your Majesty, this 'Heavenly Eye'... is truly miraculous!"

"I hope you can quickly establish Hidden Dragon, recruit personnel, and train them to master the Sky Eye. In the future, I will develop Hidden Dragon into an army directly under my command—the Hidden Dragon Army!"

Li Chengfeng's eyes flashed. He needed a force that was completely loyal to him to fight against those old guys in the court.

"I accept the decree!"

Zhao Sheng solemnly put away the drawings. He knew that he was about to undertake an important mission.

Li Chengfeng turned to look at Tiezhu, this man of great strength, honest and trustworthy.

"Tiezhu, you are a skilled warrior. I want you to be my personal guard and be responsible for protecting my safety."

Upon hearing this, Tiezhu's face flushed with excitement. He knelt down with a thud and kowtowed profusely, "Thank you, Your Majesty! I...I will protect Your Majesty until my death!"

"Get up, I believe in you."

"Also, I need you to secretly investigate the various forces in the capital, especially those related to Qi Daokun and Cheng Qitian. Report everything to me, no matter how big or small."

Tie Zhu patted his chest and assured, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I may not have any other skills, but I do have the ability to get information!"

Li Chengfeng nodded, discussed some details with the two, and then let them leave.

In the capital, Zuixianlou is not just a restaurant, but the capital's largest entertainment venue, a place where high-ranking officials, wealthy businessmen and tycoons often linger.

Beneath the surface of prosperity and peace, countless secrets are hidden.

In the deepest part of Zuixian Tower, there is a hidden secret room.

The luxurious furnishings are in stark contrast to the hustle and bustle outside, and the air is filled with a faint scent of sandalwood, which brings peace of mind.

A woman was reclining on a soft couch covered with snow-white fox fur, dressed in luxurious silk, and her every move was graceful and noble.

Her slender fingers gently turned the jade bracelet in her hand, her eyes deep, as if she could see through everything.

"Tell me, what's going on in the court these days?"

Her voice was cold, yet with a hint of charm, like a plum blossom blooming in the snow, irresistible.

A man in black knelt on one knee and reported in a low voice: "Master, the court has been undergoing changes in recent days. His Majesty has established a new organization called 'Hidden Dragon', led by Zhao Sheng. It seems that they are secretly investigating all officials..."

The woman gently fiddled with the jade beads without saying a word.

The man in black continued, "Also, Qi Daokun and his gang have been active recently, and they seem to have noticed something..."

The woman remained silent, but a barely perceptible ripple flashed across her brow.

"Also, King Pingxi Liu Feng has been recruiting troops on a large scale recently..."

After the man in black finished speaking, he secretly raised his eyes to observe the woman's reaction, but saw that she remained calm.

"Continue to pay attention to Li Chengfeng's every move, and ignore everything else." The woman finally spoke, her voice as cold as jade, without a trace of emotion.

"Yes, OP." The man in black took the order and retreated.

The woman put down the jade beads in her hand and looked at the flickering candlelight. Her eyes were deep, and no one knew what she was thinking.

At the same time, Zhang Yuan, who was far away in Hexi, received a secret letter from the capital.

The letter was written by Li Chengfeng himself. Although it was just a few words, it revealed immense trust.

"The situation in Hexi is complex. Continue to observe secretly and do not act rashly."

"When the time is right, we will support Liu Feng's army."

After reading the letter, Zhang Yuan immediately burned it.

His Majesty still had a trick up his sleeve, and he felt relieved.

Fortunately, their emperor was not alone.

But in Hexi, this seemingly peaceful land, undercurrents are surging. If you are not careful, you will be doomed.

Pingxi Palace.

After receiving the imperial edict, Liu Feng immediately called Lu Mingyuan to discuss military training matters.

"Mingyuan, I'll leave the recruitment of soldiers to you. Be sure to select strong and capable men. It's better to have fewer than the wrong ones."

After a few days of contact, Liu Feng became more and more trusting of the Minister of Revenue sent by the Left Prime Minister to assist him.

He also saw through Lu Mingyuan the wisdom of the contemporary emperor.

Lu Mingyuan clasped his fists and accepted the order, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will do my best to live up to Your Majesty's trust."

In the next few days, the Pingxi Palace was bustling with activity.

Lu Mingyuan posted notices everywhere to recruit soldiers.

He was worried that no one would respond to the call, so in addition to the financial support from Liu Feng through the palace, he also paid out of his own pocket to increase the compensation for recruiting soldiers.

Liu Feng personally trained the new recruits, with strict requirements and no mercy.

On the parade ground of the palace, the shouts of killing were deafening, the soldiers were sweating profusely, and their morale was high.

In just half a month, an elite force of 10,000 soldiers took shape.

They were dressed in uniform black armor, holding sharp spears, and their eyes were full of desire for war and loyalty to Liu Feng.

The night sky was dotted with stars. Liu Feng stood in the yard, looking up at the starry sky.

He also knew about the disaster in Hexi, but he was more worried that powerful officials would come to power and rot the core of Daqian.