After the death of the Brown Lion, Lin Fengzhi found an excuse to lead the praetorian in raiding two of the Fourth Prince’s strongholds as a warning.

Without his army, the Fourth Prince had lost real power. No matter how many assassins he commanded, they were nothing more than underlings—hardly a match for high-ranking officials like Lin Fengzhi, who controlled the praetorian.

Lin Fengzhi’s actions were seen as a declaration. Though it wasn’t clear whom he supported, it was evident he opposed the Fourth Prince. As a result, many powerful factions distanced themselves further from the Fourth Prince, weakening his influence even more.

Meanwhile, the Sixth Prince had been clashing fiercely with the Fourth Prince, neither willing to back down. Their feud had escalated to the point where it seemed they were ready to destroy each other.

The Fourth Prince grew increasingly ruthless, targeting even those princes who refused to align with him. He had one poisoned and another assassinated while traveling.

As for Liu Yunyao, she remained eerily silent, as if she had no intention of joining the struggle.

Yet she wasn’t spared from assassination attempts. Poisoning her meals had become a recurring tactic. Despite Hongling’s vigilance, the food from the imperial kitchens wasn’t always safe. Sometimes, Liu Yunyao only realized she had ingested poison after eating.

Fortunately, she had cultivated the Ten Thousand Toxins Scripture beforehand. The moment poison entered her system, the technique activated automatically, converting the toxins into a source of power.

The Fourth Prince had also sent assassins skilled in invisibility, but the moment they approached Liu Yunyao’s training chamber, the Vespera eliminated them effortlessly. To the Vespera, these low-level killers were hardly worth a glance. Thus, the Fourth Prince found himself powerless against her.

Only after solidifying her spiritual strength did Liu Yunyao finally ask Hongling about the situation outside the palace.

"The capital is in complete chaos," Hongling reported. "The Fifth and Eighth Princes were both eliminated by the Fourth Prince’s schemes. The Sixth Prince’s Black Guard has been nearly wiped out. But the Fourth Prince isn’t faring much better—he’s running out of capable men.

"Their bloodshed has grown so extreme that influential ministers dare not openly take sides. They’re all waiting to see how this plays out. Our own forces remain intact, suffering little damage. But they’re uncertain of your stance. There are even rumors that you’ve given up on the throne..."

It took Hongling a while to summarize the situation outside.

"Where are the Fourth and Sixth Princes now?" Liu Yunyao asked.

"The Sixth Prince left the royal city to recruit mercenaries from nearby regions. The Fourth Prince has returned to the frontlines—likely to gather more troops," Hongling replied.

Liu Yunyao nodded in agreement. "Perfect timing. We’ll let them fight it out while we reap the benefits. First, we need to win over some of the major factions in the royal capital. It’s time for me to make an appearance. Go make the arrangements—no need for too many guards."

"Understood." Hongling immediately gathered a few maids and a small squad of guards to await Liu Yunyao’s departure. Meanwhile, Liu Yunyao summoned the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon and the Vespera, instructing them to follow her—one openly, the other in the shadows.

The moment Liu Yunyao stepped out of the palace, both the Fourth and Sixth Princes received word of her movements.

"Just as I thought—that girl is coming out to pick up the pieces!" the Fourth Prince fumed. However, he was too far away to act personally, so he ordered his remaining forces in the capital to gather their best fighters and ambush Liu Yunyao along her route.

The Sixth Prince, on the other hand, had no intention of making a move against her. His forces were severely depleted, leaving him powerless to challenge Liu Yunyao. For now, his priority was recruiting more men before taking any action.

Liu Yunyao began by visiting the major factions that had previously supported her, reaffirming her stance and securing their continued loyalty. These factions had wisely conserved their strength during the conflict and were more than happy to ride her coattails to victory. They all pledged their support without hesitation. Liu Yunyao then set her sights on the factions that had defected to the Fourth Prince, intending to use her allies to eliminate some of the peripheral obstacles.

She personally visited each one. These factions, already weakened by the struggle between the Fourth and Sixth Princes, crumbled under her pressure. Moreover, the Fourth Prince’s heavy-handed rule had brought them no real benefits. With Liu Yunyao’s forces pressing the attack while she extended offers of alliance, many quickly switched sides.

Only two factions proved more stubborn. The first was the Fang Clan, located just outside the royal capital. Though they held no official titles, their martial prowess was formidable—a long-established family of elite warriors. The clan leader’s only daughter, Fang Feiyan, was already betrothed to the Fourth Prince. The Fang Clan was fully committed to his cause, hoping to see Fang Feiyan ascend as queen one day. Many of the Fourth Prince’s martial warriors were, in fact, from the Fang Clan.

The second major faction backing the Fourth Prince came from his mother’s lineage. Lin Yuan’an, the deputy commander of the border garrison, was the Fourth Prince’s maternal uncle. It was to him that the prince had fled to borrow troops, which was why he had left the capital in the first place.

These two factions formed the core of the Fourth Prince’s power. Without dismantling them, toppling him would be nearly impossible.

Just as Liu Yunyao was pondering how to justify moving against these two forces, she was suddenly ambushed by martial warriors.

"Take them alive!" Liu Yunyao immediately warned the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon and the Vespera. If she hesitated even a moment, these two beasts would slaughter everyone without mercy.

The nine-headed demon dragon and the Vespera subdued the assassins, leaving them wounded before handing them over to Liu Yunyao for soul-searching.

Liu Yunyao meticulously examined each one and, sure enough, uncovered the martial cultivators the Fang family had assigned to the Fourth Prince. Without hesitation, she executed the other assassins but kept the three from the Fang family alive, dragging them before Lin Fengzhi.

"Commander Lin, these three assassins belong to the Fang family. With both witnesses and evidence in hand, I implore you to take action—eradicate the Fang family and restore order to the royal capital."

As she spoke, she handed him a list detailing the hideouts, strength, and numbers of the Fourth Prince’s martial cultivators within the city.

Though Lin Fengzhi held the rank of deputy commander, his primary duty was maintaining the capital’s security—precisely the jurisdiction this matter fell under. The chief commander answered only to the Willow Forest King and handled affairs of greater imperial significance.

Liu Yunyao had sought him out precisely because she knew his relationship with the Fourth Prince had soured. Now, she was forcing him to pick a side.

Lin Fengzhi understood the gravity of the situation. If he moved against the Fang family, he would be striking at the Fourth Prince’s foundation—effectively declaring his allegiance to Liu Yunyao.

After a moment of deliberation, he replied, "Maintaining order within the city is my duty, of course. But to mobilize forces beyond the capital and eradicate the Fang family... that would require a direct decree from the king." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Liu Yunyao feigned reluctance but eventually conceded with a sigh. "Very well. However, I trust you won’t let these assassins within the city slip through your fingers, Commander Lin?"

"Rest assured, Princess! These petty criminals are nothing to the Imperial Guards. Not a single one will escape!" Lin Fengzhi thumped his chest in assurance.

He figured that dealing with these minor operatives gave the Fourth Prince no grounds for complaint. As long as he avoided targeting the prince’s core forces, the Fourth Prince wouldn’t see him as a mortal enemy. That was why he felt confident making this promise.