My low-key cultivation of immortality was discovered by the emperor in my diary.

The soldiers obeyed and soon brought a middle-aged man dressed in fine clothes and covered in sweat to Chu Lengyu.

He was Lin Yue, the leader of the Lin family's merchant caravan in Zhenbei City.

Lin Yue was roughly pushed by the soldiers to Chu Lengyu. As soon as he saw Chu Lengyu, he knew that her noble and composed demeanor made her someone he could not afford to offend.

For him, titles like "Imperial Advisor" or "National Advisor" were unimportant; his life was what mattered.

He was a man of principle, and he quickly knelt down, his voice trembling: "Imperial Preceptor, spare my life! I am just a businessman, I would never dare to collude with corrupt officials!"

Seeing this, the surrounding soldiers glared angrily and shouted, "You unscrupulous merchant, how dare you argue! Without caravans like yours, how would those corrupt officials dispose of their stolen goods?"

Lin Yue was covered in sweat and felt an unprecedented sense of crisis.

He had been hiding in the shadows, watching these soldiers suddenly go berserk, rebelling against their superiors and killing their generals. He was afraid that they would get carried away with the killing and kill him too.

He quickly explained, "Your Excellency, although I have business dealings with officials in the city, I have absolutely no involvement in any corruption. Our caravan is simply trying to survive and has no choice but to deal with them."

His words were earnest, as if he had many unavoidable difficulties.

Chu Lengyu listened quietly to Lin Yue's explanation, but Lin Yue felt immense pressure under her gaze.

He dared not conceal anything any longer and confessed in detail the transactions between the caravan and the city officials.

After listening, Chu Lengyu said calmly, "Lin Yue, if your caravan is truly free of collusion and embezzlement, I will naturally not make things difficult for you. But if you have concealed anything, you will bear the consequences."

Lin Yue kowtowed repeatedly: "Grand Preceptor, please see the truth! Grand Preceptor, everything I have said is true, not a single word is false! If I have lied, may I be struck by lightning!"

"Oh?" Chu Lengyu stretched out her hand, her palm crackling with lightning. "Since you speak so confidently, why not try this lightning and see if it can truly fulfill your vow?"

He thought that being struck by lightning was just a vague rumor, how could he know that the woman in front of him could actually do it?

"This, this...!" Lin Yue's face turned pale, and his legs went weak, causing him to fall to the ground.

He hurriedly begged her for mercy again, saying, "Your Excellency, please spare me! I... I have something to say. I have indeed done some wrong things, but compared to others, they are nothing!"

In a desperate attempt to save his life, Lin Yue suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with determination: "I am willing to expose a shocking secret! Your Highness, he... he has actually colluded with the Rong tribe in secret, selling supplies to support the enemy army!"

These words caused an uproar. The soldiers were shocked and enraged, their eyes blazing with fury, as if they wanted to tear Lin Yue apart alive.

They were fighting the Rong tribes day and night, yet someone was secretly funding the enemy army?!

Under immense pressure, Lin Yue continued, "This is absolutely true. I saw it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears. Every few months, Prince An would conduct secret transactions with the Rong tribe, exchanging iron pots, cloth, and other supplies for their warhorses, women, and children. He would then use other caravans to sell these 'goods' to other countries, making huge profits from it."

"How long has this deal been going on?" Chu Lengyu asked in a cold voice.

"It's been going on for at least a decade." Lin Yue kowtowed, bursting into tears, and choked out, "Although I discovered this, I dared not utter a word!"

Although the Lin family still wielded some influence in Jiangnan, in this border region, he was no different from any other caravan leader.

Although he unexpectedly discovered this shocking secret, Lin Yue never dared to reveal it and kept it tightly in his heart, not daring to tell anyone.

The four kings and eight dukes wielded immense power; if he dared to divulge even a single word, he would likely have already been beheaded.

"Do you have any evidence?" Chu Lengyu asked again.

Even without evidence, she still intended to kill Prince An. However, having more evidence would allow her to follow the clues, uncover more people behind the scenes, and bring them all to justice.

Complete the task of eradicating evil!

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue respectfully lowered his head and said, "I have a secret ledger that I am willing to offer up."

……

When the emperor opened his diary today, he saw that Chu Lengyu had recorded her every move from yesterday in great detail.

He immediately realized another use for the diary.

She not only cut through the natural barrier, but also penetrated deep into the enemy camp, single-handedly annihilating the Rong tribe's army.

For the first time, the diary also included several lifelike illustrations, which both excited and pleased the emperor.

Fortunately, this sword immortal was on the side of Great Xia.

After returning to Zhenbei City, Chu Lengyu reinforced the city walls and carefully investigated the military pay and equipment. The results were more serious than previously imagined, which infuriated the emperor.

The Rong tribes are eyeing us covetously, and Zhenbei City cannot be lost. It is hateful that Prince An is greedy and insatiable, appointing people based on nepotism, embezzling military supplies, enriching himself, and forcing good people to become bandits!

They also colluded with the Rong tribes, secretly exchanged favors, and emboldened the foreign tribes!

The emperor hurriedly copied down the confessions and details of the caravan's smuggling, knowing without a doubt that Chu Lengyu had already wiped out all those corrupt officials.

The Rong tribes are no longer a threat, and with Prince An in the capital, they are too late to react. This is the best time to eradicate this malignant tumor!

However, we'll have to wait until Chu Lengyu returns in a few days to discuss everything.

The emperor suppressed his anger; the angrier he got, the clearer his mind became.

He knew perfectly well that she would be in charge of everything, and he was just there to set things up, drum up the drums, and clean up the mess.

Let's return to the morning court session of this day.

Prince An brought up the fact that the city walls of Shenjing City had been destroyed.

The emperor sneered inwardly, but showed no sign on his face, quietly watching him perform below.

Sure enough, after some court officials praised him, Prince An continued, "Actually, when I saw the damaged city wall yesterday, I was reminded of Zhenbei City. The city wall is the foundation of defense against the enemy and must not be lost. I am willing to lead troops to repair the city wall."

"Repairing the city walls is the Ministry of Works' business, Prince An need not worry. You've finally returned to the capital, so why not take a good rest and recuperate?" the Emperor said.

Standing in the court, Prince An did not give up easily in the face of the emperor's response, and gave another minister a wink.

He knew perfectly well that the affairs of Zhenbei City had always been the cornerstone of his power and were crucial to the expansion of his influence.

Now that the emperor seems to be targeting the four kings and eight dukes, he cannot sit idly by and wait for his doom.

After receiving the hint, the minister stepped forward and flattered him, saying, "Prince An is guarding the border, which is truly arduous. I have heard that the Rong tribes have been stirring up trouble again since the beginning of winter this year. Is this true?"

“Indeed. Your Majesty, I have been on the border for many years and know the Rong people far better than others.” Prince An spoke eloquently, appearing to be a loyal and patriotic ruler. “In recent years, the Rong people have become much stronger and have repeatedly invaded our borders. If I had not personally been in charge, I fear that a great disaster would have already occurred.”

The ministers in the court began to whisper among themselves, some with worried expressions, while others nodded to themselves, seemingly agreeing with what Prince An had said.