Volume 1, Chapter 35: The System's Assistance

Several imperial agents immediately scaled the walls and broke in. The guards at the entrance were subdued before they could even react. Sounds of fighting soon erupted within the courtyard. Zhu Youjian walked up to the main gate, unhurried and composed.

"Open the gate," he said flatly.

The gate creaked open, revealing the scene within. Several guards lay sprawled across the courtyard, all incapacitated. Zhu Youjian stepped inside and headed straight for the main quarters. Pushing the door open, he found the room empty. The bedding on the bed was still warm, showing that Li Fu had only just departed.

Zhu Youjian scanned the surroundings and suddenly spotted a letter on the table. He picked it up, unfolded it, and let out a cold laugh.

"That old fox..."

The letter read: "Awaiting your arrival."

Zhu Youjian crumpled the letter and tossed it to the floor. "Search!" he ordered.

The agents immediately began searching the room. Soon, they discovered a hidden compartment beneath the floorboards. Inside was a stack of documents. Zhu Youjian picked them up and examined them, a cold light flickering in his eyes. These were proofs of Wen Tiren’s dealings with the Manchu invaders.

"Keep searching," he commanded.

The agents then found a concealed door in the wall. Opening it revealed a tunnel. "Pursue them!" Zhu Youjian ordered at once.

Several agents lit torches and descended into the tunnel. It was a long passage that extended toward the north. After about a quarter of an hour, a light appeared ahead. Zhu Youjian quickened his pace and reached the end of the tunnel. Pushing open the exit, he found himself at a manor outside the city walls. Under the moonlight, the manor was deathly silent.

Zhu Youjian signaled for the agents to search with caution. Soon, they discovered horse hoof prints in the backyard. "They headed north," an agent reported.

Zhu Youjian nodded. "Pass the order to seal the city gates."

He entered the main room of the manor and inspected it carefully. It was very tidy, though clearly recently tidied up. The tea on the table was still warm. Zhu Youjian opened a cabinet to find it empty, but he discovered a hidden compartment at the bottom. Inside lay an account book, meticulously detailed, recording every transaction with absolute clarity. As he flipped through it, the cold glint in his eyes grew sharper. This was irrefutable evidence.

He closed the account book and walked to the window. The sound of the night watchman's drum drifted from afar; it was already the third watch.

"Continue the search," he ordered. "Do not leave a single corner untouched."

The agents immediately sprang into action. Soon, they discovered a stockpile of weaponry in the backyard woodshed. Zhu Youjian examined them; they were all recent arrivals. "Take them back," he instructed.

As the agents began moving the weapons, one of them discovered an iron box in the corner of the shed. Inside was a letter. Zhu Youjian took it and unfolded it. It was a secret letter from Wen Tiren to Li Fu, detailing their entire plan.

Zhu Youjian kept the letter and gave the manor one last thorough search. Only after ensuring nothing had been overlooked did he lead his men away.

It was already the fourth watch when they returned to the city. Zhu Youjian did not return to the palace but went straight to the Eastern Depot.

"Interrogate them," he said, handing the captives over to Wei Zhiren.

Wei Zhiren accepted the order and left. Zhu Youjian walked to his desk and began reviewing the seized documents. These were the evidence; not one could be missed. He read through them one by one, occasionally making marks. It was not until the horizon began to pale with the first light of dawn that he finally set the papers aside.

"Issue an imperial decree," he said to Wang Chengen.

"This servant is here."

"From this day forth, search all shops strictly. Anyone found possessing weaponry or gunpowder is to be executed without mercy."

Wang Chengen acknowledged the order and departed. Zhu Youjian wrote another secret decree, ordering Zheng Zhilong to strictly monitor the maritime trade routes. None of these people would be allowed to escape.

He stood up and walked to the window. The east was glowing white; a new day was about to begin. But he knew this was only the beginning. Those hiding in the shadows would soon surface.

He returned to his desk and continued reviewing the documents. Behind every single one hid a dark secret—these were his weapons.

"Your Majesty," Wei Zhiren approached. "They have confessed."

"Speak."

"Li Fu did indeed head north. And..."

"And what?"

"They have another stronghold outside the city."

A sharp light flashed in Zhu Youjian's eyes. "Where?"

"At the Qingyun Temple in the north of the city."

Zhu Youjian sneered. "Very good." He stood up. "Pass the order: surround the Qingyun Temple."

"Yes!" Wei Zhiren left to carry out the command.

Zhu Youjian then spoke to Wang Chengen: "Go and summon Sun Chanting."

"Yes."

He walked to the map and stared at the red dots marked upon it. These were their strongholds. Not one would be spared. Just as he was about to continue reviewing the documents, he spotted a secret mark—a symbol he knew well. It was the mark of the Donglin faction.

"Just as I thought..." he sneered.

At that moment, Sun Chanting strode in. "This subject pays respects to Your Majesty."

"Rise," Zhu Youjian said calmly. "Take your troops immediately and blockade the north of the city."

"This subject obeys the decree."

"Remember," Zhu Youjian added, "do not let a single one escape."

"Yes!"

Sun Chanting left. Zhu Youjian continued to review the documents, examining each one with care. These were his proofs. Not one could be spared. It was not until the sun rose that he finally put the documents down.

"Issue an imperial decree," he said to Wang Chengen.

"This servant is here."

"From this day forth, strictly investigate all merchant guilds across the land. Anyone showing signs of dissent is to be executed without mercy."

"Yes."

He walked to the window and watched the rising sun. A new day had begun, but the darkness was far from over.

Zhu Youjian sat at his desk and opened the system interface. Moonlight filtered through the latticed window, casting a silver glow upon his dragon robe.

[System Status]
Level: LV2
Funds Generation: 2 taels/minute
Special Feature: Intelligence Station Monitoring
System Mall: Enabled
System Warehouse: Enabled

He clicked on the Intelligence Station interface:

[Intelligence Station Status]
Level: LV3
Coverage: One hundred miles
Agents: 50
Intelligence Gathered Today: 30 items
Credibility: 90%

Zhu Youjian carefully reviewed every piece of intelligence:
- Wen Tiren’s henchmen are assembling outside the city, numbering about a thousand.
- A Manchu envoy has secretly entered the capital to meet with members of the Donglin faction.
- Merchant guilds across various regions are secretly hoarding weaponry.
- Maritime trade routes are showing unusual activity.

He opened the System Mall:

[Available Items]
Musket: 20 taels/piece
Gunpowder: 20 taels/catty
Armor: 20 taels/set
Telescope: 20 taels/piece
Medical Kit: 20 taels/piece

"Current funds..." Zhu Youjian checked his balance:
[Current Balance: 8200 taels]
(Increasing by 2 taels per minute)

He opened the System Warehouse, where the previously purchased equipment was neatly stacked:
Muskets: 100
Gunpowder: 100 catties
Armor: 100 sets
Telescopes: 100
Medical Kits: 100

Zhu Youjian pondered for a moment, then opened the intelligence agent roster. The status, location, and tasks of every agent were clearly recorded. He noted that Cao Huachun’s shops had infiltrated the various merchant guilds and were providing a steady stream of information.

[Intelligence Update]
- Suspicious caravan spotted in the west of the city, suspected of transporting weaponry.
- Several large merchant shops in the south of the city are secretly colluding.
- Merchant ships at sea are preparing to depart.

Zhu Youjian sneered and opened the System Mall. He prepared to purchase another batch of equipment:
[Purchase List]
Muskets: 300
Gunpowder: 300 catties
Armor: 300 sets
Total: 30,000 taels

Seeing that his balance was insufficient, he temporarily abandoned the idea. Instead, he opened the Intelligence Station upgrade interface:

[Upgrade Requirements]
Level: LV3
Required Funds: 15,000 taels
New Features:
- Expanded intelligence collection range
- Increased agent limit
- Improved intelligence credibility

Zhu Youjian thought for a moment and decided to save his funds to upgrade the Intelligence Station first. Suddenly, the system issued a prompt:

[Task Update]
- Collect 100,000 taels
- Expand the intelligence network
- Eliminate the traitorous faction
Reward: System Experience +30%

He checked the detailed information of the Intelligence Station once more:

[Agent Distribution]
South: 10
North: 10
East: 10
West: 10
Daily intelligence per person: 30 items

Zhu Youjian analyzed the data carefully. Every feature of the system was his weapon; the key was how to use them effectively. He began planning his next moves:
- Continue collecting funds to upgrade the station as soon as possible.
- Expand the intelligence network and strengthen monitoring.
- Use the System Mall to purchase equipment.
- Closely monitor the movements of the traitors.

As he was thinking, the system issued another prompt:

[Urgent Intelligence Update]
- Wen Tiren’s henchmen are secretly contacting shops in various regions.
- Suspected preparations for large-scale action.

A cold light flashed in Zhu Youjian's eyes as he immediately pulled up the map interface. Various intelligence points blinked in different colors, indicating different alert levels. He carefully checked the details of each point:
- Red: High alert, weaponry discovered.
- Yellow: Medium alert, suspicious activity.
- Green: Low alert, normal trade.

The red dots in the west and south of the city were particularly eye-catching. Zhu Youjian clicked for details:

[West City Stronghold]
Personnel: Approximately 2,000
Weapons: Muskets, gunpowder
Movement: Preparing to move south

[South City Stronghold]
Personnel: Approximately 2,000
Weapons: Long swords, bows and arrows
Movement: Waiting for an opportunity

He also checked the situation at sea:

[Maritime Monitoring]
Suspicious merchant ships: 5
Estimated load: Over a thousand pieces of weaponry
Destination: Unknown

Zhu Youjian pondered for a moment and opened the System Mall. Although he didn't have enough funds for a large batch of equipment, he could purchase some essentials:

[Purchase]
Medical Kits: 20
Telescopes: 20
Total: 1,000 taels

He stored these items in the system warehouse for future use. He then checked the progress of the Intelligence Station upgrade:

[Upgrade Progress]
Current: 85%
Estimated completion time: 30 days
New feature after upgrade: Remote monitoring

Zhu Youjian nodded with satisfaction. With the system's help, everything was under his control.