Legend of the Embroiderer

Li Zhao stood quietly in the dark and secret basement, surrounded by an old and decayed smell.

His right hand tightly grasped the important scrolls and letters that were related to life and death, as if they were his last straw.

At this moment, a figure appeared silently at the door.

Li Zhao suddenly looked up, and when he saw who it was, his heart was instantly filled with shock - it was actually the Crown Princess! How could she be here?

Is she also part of this conspiracy? Countless questions swirled rapidly in Li Zhao's mind.

When he saw the Crown Princess's sincere eyes, a glimmer of hope ignited in Li Zhao's heart. Perhaps, things were not that simple...

"Who are you? Why are you helping us?"

Li Zhao took a deep breath, tried to calm himself down, and asked in a deep voice.

His eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, staring straight at the seemingly weak yet mysterious woman in front of him.

The Crown Princess smiled slightly, but that smile revealed a bit of helplessness and bitterness.

She slowly raised her head, a barely perceptible determination flashing in her eyes: "Your Highness, please believe me, I absolutely did not voluntarily participate in their plan.

I am just a chess piece that can be manipulated at will.

But throughout these long, dark days, I have never ceased my thirst for justice, constantly searching for an opportunity to stop their evil deeds. Now, I have finally waited for this moment, hoping to make amends and help you uncover the truth behind this thick fog.

Hearing this, Li Zhao frowned slightly, his doubts growing stronger. "Who are they? And who are these 'they' you're talking about?"

The Crown Princess took a deep breath, as if she wanted to expel all the anxiety and fear in her heart with this breath.

She lowered her voice and spoke slowly, "They are not just ordinary opponents in the palace, but a group of evil forces secretly colluding with neighboring countries.

They hid themselves extremely deeply, and their real purpose was to completely undermine the series of reform measures being implemented in the palace, thereby plunging the entire court into chaos. And I... Sigh!

"Speaking of this, the Crown Princess couldn't help but sigh softly, a look of pain on her face, "I'm just a tool in their hands to pass on various confidential information."

Hearing this, Li Zhao's heart was shocked. He never expected that the matter would be so serious.

The calm character he had cultivated over the years allowed him to quickly calm down. He fixed his gaze on the Crown Princess and asked, "Crown Princess, if this is so dangerous, why did you take the risk of telling me this?"

The Crown Princess smiled slightly, but that smile was filled with helplessness and bitterness that was difficult to conceal:

"Because I myself am a victim of this conspiracy. They seized upon my weakness—my family—and used it as a threat, forcing me to participate in their shady plan. However, as time went on, I became increasingly unable to tolerate watching the fruits of the palace's reforms being destroyed. Therefore, even at the risk of great danger, I hope to do my utmost to atone for the mistakes I have made."

After hearing what the Crown Princess said, Li Zhao nodded thoughtfully to show his understanding.

He felt a surge of admiration and trust for the woman before him. "Well, if that's the case, then we can't delay any longer. The most urgent task is to act quickly, find out their true purpose by all means, and decisively prevent their conspiracy from succeeding. Otherwise, the consequences will be disastrous!"

Princess Li Zhaohe flipped through the scrolls and letters with a serious expression, her eyes eagerly searching each page of text, hoping to dig out more crucial clues to solve the mystery.

Over time, they gradually gained something.

It turns out that these seemingly disorganized documents actually record in detail the specific plans for a series of reform measures within the palace.

From the appointment and removal of officials to the adjustment of the financial system, to the revision of etiquette norms, etc., all are the results of careful design and deep consideration.

Just as the two men secretly marveled at the comprehensiveness and foresight of these reform plans, other secrets about the envoys from neighboring countries began to surface.

Suddenly, a letter caught their attention like a flash of lightning.

The letter read: "Your Highness: The reforms you are promoting have already touched upon the vested interests of countless people. The so-called embroidery supplies are merely a cover-up, and our true goal is to ensure that your reforms end in complete failure. Now, the 'final plan' is ready to be launched, and even if you understand everything, I'm afraid you will be powerless to reverse the situation and find it difficult to stop its unstoppable pace. - Mysterious Man"

After reading the letter, Li Zhao felt a sudden shock in his heart, and a chill instantly rose from his spine.

Because he suddenly discovered that the content of this letter was surprisingly similar to the letter he had accidentally found in the school before. However, in comparison, the letter in his hand now obviously contained a lot more critical and terrifying information!

Suppressing the fear in his heart, Li Zhao took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and continued to read the other scrolls.

As expected, the following scrolls also recorded many detailed plans and arrangements for palace reforms, and even contained some confidential information involving envoys from neighboring countries...

"The contents recorded in these scrolls clearly appear to be inextricably linked to the identities of the envoys from the neighboring country."

Li Zhao frowned slightly and spoke softly in a low voice, his heart filled with doubts and confusion, as if shrouded in a fog. "Could it be that this envoy from the neighboring country is secretly colluding with those evil-minded opponents in the palace?"

At this moment, a very subtle, almost inaudible sound of footsteps quietly entered their ears like a ghost.

Li Zhao and the Crown Princess instantly became highly alert. The torches in their hands, which were originally burning brightly, swayed slightly due to nervousness. The jumping flames barely illuminated the dim environment around them.

"Who's there? Come out!"

Li Zhao's face was solemn, and he suddenly raised his voice and asked in a deep voice. His voice kept echoing in this closed basement, as if trying to break through the darkness to explore the true face of the mysterious figure.

As he asked this question, the footsteps suddenly stopped, as if they were cut off by an invisible hand.

Then, there was a faint gasping sound, coming intermittently from the depths of the darkness.

Li Zhao's heart suddenly rose to his throat, and a strong sense of uneasiness surged in his heart.

He knew very well that at this moment there must be someone hiding in the dark, silently watching their every move.

Without any hesitation, Li Zhao moved as agile as a cheetah, and hid in the corner nearby in a flash.

He held the scroll tightly against his chest, as if it was his last straw. At the same time, he paid close attention to the movements around him, ready to deal with any possible emergency at any time.

Li Zhao was slightly stunned, then he recognized the voice: "Su Mengyao? Why are you here?"

Su Mengyao walked out of the darkness, also holding a torch in her hand, with a trace of fatigue on her face: "Your Highness, I was worried that something might happen to you, so I followed you. I must stop them."

Li Zhao was shocked, and then realized that Su Mengyao's appearance was not accidental.

He asked in a deep voice: "Who are you? Why are you helping us?"

Su Mengyao smiled slightly, a hint of determination flashing in her eyes: "Your Highness, I did not voluntarily participate in their plan. I was a pawn they used, but deep down in my heart I always wanted to stop them. I hope to make up for my mistakes and help you find the truth."

Li Zhao was filled with shock. He realized that the mastermind behind this struggle might not be simply opponents in the palace, but might have some connection with the neighboring country.

He must bring these scrolls back to the palace as soon as possible and interpret their contents with Su Mengyao.

"Crown Princess, you must wait for me." Li Zhao prayed silently in his heart, with a hint of determination in his eyes.

In the woods outside the palace wall, a pair of eyes were watching Li Zhao's actions coldly. The other party seemed to have noticed his intention, but a sly smile appeared on his face.

"Your Highness, do you think you can stop us?" the other man whispered, a cold glint in his eyes. "The 'Final Plan' has already been launched, and you can no longer stop it."