Ruyan nodded with gratitude on her face.

She realized that the situation was more complicated than she had imagined, and Gai Nie might be the key to their clan's breakthrough.

At the same time, the Xiongnu princess received information from her confidant.

She sat in the golden palace, lost in thought.

There was indeed a force in the court that was planning the assassination, which made her very wary.

In secret, she decided to lay a dragnet, not only for the assassination incident, but also to find out those undercurrent opponents.

After discussion, Ying Yuan and Gai Nie decided to take action and secretly deploy their forces to prevent further assassinations from happening.

One morning a few days later, Gai Nie stood in the middle of the courtyard, deep in thought and speechless. The autumn breeze gently ruffled his hair, and he seemed exceptionally calm.

He has arranged reliable personnel to investigate any clues of those hidden forces.

Amidst her thoughts, Ruyan slowly walked over, with a rare firmness in her eyes.

"Brother Gai Nie,"

Ruyan whispered, but her tone revealed a power that could not be ignored, "Someone in my family may be involved with these forces. After repeated consideration, I decided to provide some clues to help you."

Gai Nie was slightly startled, then he smiled and asked in a gentle voice: "What made you make this decision?"

Ruyan took a deep breath and looked at the shadows of the trees not far away. "To protect the people I want to protect, and to stop waiting passively. The changes within the family made me realize that only action can change the situation."

Gai Nie nodded, with a hint of admiration in his eyes, "Your courage is worthy of respect. If we want to find out the mastermind behind this, we need mutual trust and cooperation."

At the same time, in the meeting hall of the imperial palace, Ying Yuan was discussing with his confidants while vigilantly monitoring the movements of the Xiongnu princess.

Ying Yuan understood that in this game, the forces of all parties were converging at an inevitable intersection.

"Strengthen the palace defense,"

Ying Yuan ordered in a deep voice, "All suspicious persons must be strictly investigated, and the opponents in the undercurrent must not be given the opportunity to take advantage of us."

The confidant nodded in acceptance, knowing that they had to be extra cautious in their current actions, as only in this way could they help His Majesty stabilize the overall situation.

The Xiongnu princess sat in her magnificent room, fiddling with the intelligence she had just received.

Her plan gradually took shape as the information came in.

She smiled and muttered, "Gai Nie and Ying Yuan thought they could control the situation, but they didn't expect that I had already planned it."

She understood that the most important thing in this contest was not who was stronger, but who could make the most unpredictable decision at the critical moment.

As the actions of all parties unfold intensively, a contest of strategies within strategies gradually gains the upper hand.

In this game, no one can predict the final outcome.

At noon, Gai Nie and Ruyan reunited again.

After hours of deliberation, they were ready for the next move.

The leaves in the yard rustled, as if playing the prelude to a legend that was about to begin.

“It’s time to reveal the truth.”

Gai Nie said, his eyes firm.

The night in the palace was shrouded in silence, with only the occasional breeze breaking the tranquility.

Ruyan carefully avoided the patrolling guards, silently reciting the plan that Gai Nie taught her.

This was her first time entering the palace as a maid, and she couldn't help feeling nervous, but when she thought of Gai Nie and the responsibility she shouldered, she clenched the broom in her hand.

"Ruyan, you can do it."

She encouraged herself in her heart, looked around, and after making sure that no one was paying attention, she quickly crossed the corridor and headed towards the side hall on the east side.

At the same time, Gai Nie was vigilantly observing the movements around him in the shadows outside the palace wall.

He knew that this was not the time to be careless, as any small mistake could put Ruyan in unpredictable danger. Although he had enough trust in Ruyan in his heart, he still did not dare to slack off.

In another corner of the palace, Ying Yuan frowned and quickly read the report handed over by his confidant.

"These servants, who seem harmless on weekdays, actually harbor such thoughts."

Ying Yuan muttered, quickly calculating his next move in his mind.

"Your Majesty, do you want to investigate and question them one by one?"

Ying Yuan waved his hand and said in a deep voice: "There is no need to alert them and let them think that we are completely unaware. The truth often needs to be revealed unexpectedly at the most unexpected time."

Just as undercurrents were surging in the palace, the Xiongnu princess had already accelerated her plan.

She ordered her confidants to deliberately create chaos to distract the royal family.

She knew very well that in order to gain the upper hand in this struggle, she had to disrupt the enemy's formation first.

"Heh, Gai Nie and Ying Yuan thought they had the upper hand, but they didn't know that changes in the situation never favor anyone."

The princess paced back and forth in the room, with an imperceptible light flashing in her eyes.

A moment later, there was a sudden noise from a side hall in the palace, and servants ran around in panic in groups.

The originally orderly environment suddenly fell into chaos.

And at this moment, Ruyan finally found a good opportunity and approached the heavy door of the secret room that she had never noticed.

She subconsciously touched the door, as if sensing the complicated truth hidden behind it.

"Is that the point?"

Ruyan's heart beat faster and she felt inexplicably excited and nervous.

She quickly used the hidden weapon in her sleeve to pry the door lock and successfully opened a gap.

Not far away, Gai Nie gently pushed aside the branches that blocked his view. After confirming that Ruyan had successfully entered the palace, Gai Nie quietly retreated into the shadows, waiting for the timely rescue signal.

Gai Nie knew that the most critical step in this struggle had begun, and the only thing Gai Nie and Ruyan could rely on was their extraordinary courage and unexpected strategies.

Just as Ruyan was about to explore the secret room further, a slight noise made her stop in her tracks.

Is it a psychological perception, or is there someone watching from behind?

She held her breath, the only sound in her ears being her own heartbeat.

"Who?!"

She exclaimed inwardly, imagining the variables she might face.

However, the current situation did not allow her to think too much. She could only adjust her breath, continue to calm down, and carefully investigate every clue that might reveal the truth.

Ruyan tried her best not to make any sound, and her eyes quickly adjusted to the dim room.

The symbols carved on the wall look like some kind of ancient writing, hiding traces of secrets.

As her mind quickly analyzed the possible meanings of these symbols, her fingertips unconsciously slid lightly across the wall.

"These symbols don't seem like ordinary records."

She whispered, forcing herself to calm down.

At the same time, Ying Yuan was outside the palace and met Gai Nie.

The two stood beside a secluded path, carefully discussing their next plan.

Ying Yuan observed the slightly swaying shadows in the distance. Those were the spies from various forces taking action.

Ying Yuan whispered, "Any clues Ruyan can find will be a turning point for us. We must plan ahead and use this information to turn the situation around."

Gai Nie nodded, his expression focused and cautious: "Indeed, the princess will never stay still in the palace. Her purpose is to disturb people's hearts and even let the hostile forces restrain each other." (End of this chapter)