I play the role of Jiajing in Zongwu: What crime have I committed?

Zhen Ping stopped thinking about it, since the Kirin Scholar had already said it wasn't true, so it definitely wasn't!

After a while, Mei Changsu's eyes suddenly lit up.

"I suspect that the Tengxiang Four Guards were able to ambush the enemy in advance because the news was leaked before the Duke of Qing raised his army."

"Give way?"

"That's right, it was either leaked to the Suspended Mirror Bureau or the Eastern Depot."

"Firstly, they are the royal family's henchmen; secondly, in an emergency, only they can freely enter and leave the palace."

"If we can find out who knew about the Duke of Qing's plan in advance and leaked it to them, we can follow the clues and find those two Grandmasters."

As Mei Changsu finished speaking, he suddenly sat up straight and his speech quickened.

"Li Gang, immediately send a message to Mr. Thirteen, instructing him to secretly investigate all personnel from the Eastern Depot and the Suspended Mirror Bureau who have had contact with the Duke of Qing and his cronies."

"Let's see if any of them know who leaked the information. Every trace leaves a mark; we're bound to find some clues."

Li Gang solemnly clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your subordinate will take care of it immediately!"

He was about to leave when Zhen Ping's words made him pause and turn back.

Zhen Ping asked, "Sect Master, what should we do about the Jiangzuo Alliance?"

"After repairing Wanshou Palace, they're now repairing Sanqing Mountain. The imperial court is treating us like laborers. Why should our Jiangzuo Alliance contribute both money and effort?"

"Yes, the imperial court is really targeting us!"

Li Gang's face also turned red, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"They made us finish building the Wanshou Palace, and now they want us to build temples for Taoists. At this rate, our Jiangzuo Alliance might as well change its name to the Jiangzuo Construction Team."

"If you ask me,"

A cold glint flashed in Zhen Ping's eyes, and a ruthless thought hardened his heart.

"Let's just rebel against them! With the power of my Jiangzuo Alliance, we might just be able to challenge the imperial court."

"I think it's a good idea!"

Li Gang echoed emphatically, "Just because we haven't shown our power doesn't mean we're pushovers!"

"Nonsense!"

Listening to their back-and-forth banter, Mei Changsu suddenly shouted angrily, a sickly flush rising on his pale face.

His gaze swept over the two of them like a knife.

Do you take rebellion for granted?

With a shout, the room fell silent instantly, even his little guard Fei Liu stopped playing around.

Mei Changsu slowly rose to his feet. His gaze swept across the courtyard, as if piercing through time and space, looking toward the tragic event of blood and fire twelve years ago.

Do you think rebellion will solve the problem?

Even if we win, will the injustice done to the Crimson Flame Army be cleared?

"No, that would only cement the Crimson Flame Army's reputation for treason in history!"

"What I want is not dynastic change, not rivers of blood; I just want that high and mighty emperor to admit he was wrong."

"Make him say it himself: the Chiyan Army are loyal subjects!"

???

Is this right?

Li Gang and Zhen Ping scratched their cheeks, feeling that something was wrong, but they couldn't quite put their finger on it.

The next second, the two of them suddenly became assimilated by Mei Changsu.

I couldn't help but admire how high our sect leader's level of awareness is!

If Zhu Houcong heard this, he would probably laugh himself to death.

So many people from the Jiangzuo Alliance are playing along with you, Meng Zhi has even risked his life for it, and you say all you want is an apology.

This is pure idiocy!

Chapter 68 Unwavering Loyalty

As the group was discussing, they suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the door, and a Jiangzuo Alliance disciple rushed in to report.

"Reporting to the Sect Master, the Grand Preceptor of the Great Liang Dynasty, Master Xiaomeng, the head of the Taoist Heavenly Sect, and Eunuch Yan, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, have arrived. I have led them to the main hall to await their arrival."

After the statement was finished, the room fell silent.

Li Gang and the others looked at each other in bewilderment.

They were just discussing the renovation of Sanqing Mountain when they didn't expect the newly appointed Imperial Preceptor to personally come to their door.

Mei Changsu's eyes flickered slightly, and a faint smile appeared on his lips: "What a coincidence."

He straightened his robes and said to Lin Chen, "Let's go, let's go and meet this newly appointed Imperial Advisor."

Inside the main hall, Xiaomeng, dressed in a plain white Taoist robe, sat upright in a grand chair, sipping tea.

Yan Song, standing to the side, laughed and said, "Grand Preceptor, this is a trivial matter of delivering the imperial plaque. I can handle it myself. There's no need for you to come in person."

Xiaomeng smiled slightly, her voice as cold as frost.

"It's alright!"

"In the future, our Taoist ancestral temple will be located in Jiangzuo, so it is only right that we come to pay a visit to this leader of the Jiangzuo Alliance."

As she said this, a hint of interest flashed in her eyes.

"Furthermore, I would also like to see who this Sect Master Mei is, the one whom Langya Pavilion calls 'whoever possesses him possesses the world.'"

Just as Yan Song was about to reply, he suddenly heard a light footstep coming from under the corridor.

Xiaomeng looked up and saw Mei Changsu, wearing a fox fur cloak, walking slowly towards her.

Then his gaze suddenly sharpened, his eyes piercing like a sword as he looked at the two people beside Mei Changsu.

The white-robed young man on the left gently waved his folding fan, seemingly lazy and casual, yet his aura was completely natural, and the energy he exuded was actually comparable to his own.

What alarmed her even more was another boy with a youthful face.

Judging from his appearance, he was clearly just a teenager, yet he had already entered the Grandmaster realm.

At this age, his skill level is comparable to what he was when he was learning martial arts at Tianzong.

Two great masters!

One of them is an unparalleled genius.

This small Su residence is surprisingly full of hidden talents!

She suddenly recalled Zhu Houcong's guess that day.

"If we're talking about who else in the martial arts world can get two grandmasters to take action, it's probably only the Jiangzuo Alliance and Langya Pavilion."

This situation is exactly as described!

Xiaomeng became even more certain that Meng Zhi's death must have been the work of the Jiangzuo Alliance!

Mei Changsu's face was as pale as paper, yet he smiled and bowed respectfully.

"Your Excellency, Imperial Preceptor and Eunuch Yan, I am unwell and unable to greet you from afar. I hope you will forgive me."

"Master Mei, you're too kind."

Xiaomeng's voice was as cold as ice, and she said with disgust, "People say he is a genius of Qilin and a talent of Jiangzuo Meilang. Seeing him today, I can see that his reputation is not as good as his face."

"A small Su residence actually houses two Grandmasters; Sect Leader Mei, you have quite the grand scheme."

Mei Changsu seemed oblivious to Xiaomeng's disgusted tone, and coughed lightly as he adjusted his fox fur coat.

"You flatter me, Imperial Advisor. This is Lin Chen, the Master of Langya Pavilion, a good friend of mine."

"And this man is indeed my guard."

"Lin Chen?"

Xiaomeng's gaze narrowed slightly as she began to carefully examine the elegant man in white before her.

He held a folding fan, a smile playing on his lips, seemingly nonchalant, yet giving off an air of unfathomable depth.

"So you are the Master of Langya Pavilion."

Her voice was cold and tinged with scrutiny.

"Rumors in the martial arts world say that Langya Pavilion only deals in intelligence and never gets involved in court disputes, but today Pavilion Master Lin has personally come to Jinling to lend a helping hand to Sect Master Mei."

"This seems to violate the rules of Langya Pavilion, doesn't it?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen swished open his folding fan and covered his face with a soft laugh.

"Your Excellency, you misunderstand. I have come to Jinling merely to visit an old friend."

Xiaomeng snorted coldly.

"That would be for the best. Nanjing is under the emperor's nose; it cannot tolerate martial artists acting recklessly!"

As the atmosphere in the hall grew tense, Yan Song quickly stood up with a forced smile, his slender eyebrows furrowed in embarrassment.

"Sect Leader Mei, His Majesty has been talking about you quite a bit these past few days."

He swayed his body and walked up to Mei Changsu, his orchid finger raised high.

"That's why His Majesty personally inscribed this calligraphy as a sign of his favor."

As he spoke, he waved to the door, and four eunuchs came in, huffing and puffing as they carried in a gilded plaque.

The plaque was covered with a bright red silk cloth, and the four corners were adorned with bright yellow tassels, clearly indicating that it was a gift from the emperor.

Yan Song grabbed a corner of the silk cloth and ripped it off suddenly.

The four gilded characters "赤胆忠心" (meaning "utter loyalty and devotion") are prominently displayed, showcasing powerful and vigorous calligraphy.

"Giggle~"

Yan Song's slender eyebrows narrowed into slits with a smile.

"Sect Leader Mei, look at His Majesty's high praise for you!"

He walked around the plaque once.

"If you hung this at home, it would bring honor to your ancestors and blessings to your descendants!"

Mei Changsu stared at the four large characters, a dark and unfathomable look flashing in his eyes.

Utterly loyal!

The former Red Feather Camp was also praised by Emperor Liang for its unwavering loyalty, but in the end, it still failed...

It's ironic that karma is so cyclical; I'm now wearing the guise of Mei Changsu, and those four words have landed on me again.

He suddenly coughed violently, and a sickly flush rose on his pale face.

"Ahem... This humble subject thanks Your Majesty for your grace."

Standing to the side, Lin Chen fanned himself, a half-smile playing on his lips, and leaned closer to the plaque: "Eunuch Yan, did His Majesty say anything else when he inscribed the words?"

"His Majesty said that although you come from a background in the martial arts world, you are sensible and understand the bigger picture."

"They even specifically instructed me to convey a message, hoping that the Jiangzuo Alliance would continue to maintain this 'loyalty,' continue to serve the imperial court, and bring benefits to the people of the world."

Mei Changsu lowered his eyes and smiled lightly: "I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's favor, but the Jiangzuo Alliance is unworthy of such praise."

"Oh my, you're being too modest!"

Yan Song slapped his thigh, laughing so hard his eyes disappeared from his grin.

His Majesty has high hopes for you!

"Look at this plaque inscribed with 'Unwavering Loyalty'—how many officials in the entire court can receive such an honor?"

Mei Changsu suddenly laughed after hearing this.

He reached out and ran his hand over the raised gold paint on the plaque, his fingertips pausing slightly on the character "赤" (red), a hint of bloodlust flashing in his eyes.