After quelling the frontier rebellion against all odds, the capital city blossomed once more with hustle and bustle. Streets teemed with carriages and crowds; hawkers' cries formed a symphony of daily life, weaving through alleyways. Market stalls overflowed with treasures: silks rippled like molten sunset clouds in the breeze, porcelain glowed with artisans' pride, and fresh produce perfumed the air, drawing crowds into a chorus of bargains and laughter. In teahouses, patrons clinked cups and celebrated peace—yet beneath this tranquility, danger coiled like a hidden serpent, waiting to strike.
Humiliated in battle, the enemy plotted vengeance from shadowed dens. Their greedy gaze fell on the palace, heart of the nation's power, and they dispatched Ye Xiao ("Night Owl"), a spy as ruthless as he was cunning. Tasked with stealing state secrets, he aimed to reverse his country's defeat and reclaim dominance—a phantom in the dark, feared by all who knew his name.
Night Owl moved like a cheetah, silent as a wraith, his hawk-eyed vigilance missing no detail. On a storm-choked night, he lurked in a fetid alley near the palace, preying on a young eunuch. As the unsuspecting boy hummed, Night Owl struck—clamping a hand over his mouth, driving a dagger home with clinical precision. The eunuch's gurgling death was muffled; in moments, Night Owl wore his victim's robes, composure unbroken, as if murder were no more than changing clothes.
Inside the palace, his brutality escalated. Guards and maids who crossed him became silent casualties, their bodies hidden, blood wiped clean. The palace remained blissfully unaware, its surface calm a mask for the killer's reign—until a sunlit morning in the Imperial Study.
There, Emperor Li Yi pored over reconstruction reports, his golden dragon robe gleaming, brow furrowed with care for his people. Lin Yue, a graceful figure in pink silk, entered with ginseng tea. As she set it down, her peripheral vision caught a misplaced secret letter. Her heart raced, but her face remained serene—a lake hiding turbulent depths. A subtle glance exchanged with Li Yi; both sensed the breach.
Li Yi feigned focus on documents, eyes scanning for threats, while Lin Yue "admired" calligraphy and books, her sharp gaze probing every corner. Suddenly, she noticed a hidden compartment ajar—a whisper of intrusion. The realization chilled her: the enemy sought the letter, and the fate of nations hung in the balance.
Deciding to turn the trap, Li Yi leaked fake intel about a massive military fund shipment at court, his tone absolute. In reality, it was bait. Meanwhile, Lin Yue, through palace gossip, uncovered a suspicious new eunuch—Night Owl himself. To lure him into the open, she hosted a flower banquet, weaving the fake intelligence into riddles.
As Night Owl greedily swallowed the bait and tried to escape, guards closed in. A brutal fight ensued, but Lin Yue's trap—a net—snared him at last. Confronted, he sneered defiantly until truth serum unlocked his tongue, revealing his masters and accomplices.
Victorious yet vigilant, Li Yi and Lin Yue stood watch over the capital, knowing this was but one battle in an endless war. The palace's golden roofs shone under a serene sky, but their eyes stayed sharp—ever ready for the next shadow to stir.
Li Yi and Lin Yue quickly locked onto the suspicious target, the Night Owl. In order to lure the snake out of its hole, Lin Yue personally and meticulously planned a trap. She held a small flower-viewing banquet in the beautiful back garden of the palace in her own name and invited many palace maids and eunuchs to attend.
In the back garden, all kinds of flowers vied with each other in beauty. The red ones were like burning flames, warm and unrestrained; the pink ones were like the clouds on the horizon, gentle and romantic; the white ones were like the first snow in winter, pure and spotless. The fragrance of the flowers filled the air. When the gentle breeze blew, the flowers swayed gently, as if showing off their beauty to people, and also as if telling the wonders of spring. Butterflies fluttered among the flowers. Sometimes they stopped on the petals, as if whispering with the flowers; sometimes they spread their wings and flew high into the distance, like a moving and beautiful picture scroll.
The Night Owl was naturally among the invited guests. When he received the invitation, although he had some doubts in his heart, he thought that this might be a good opportunity to obtain more information, so he readily accepted the invitation. He thought that in this lively banquet, it would be easier to obtain information and he could better hide his identity. A hint of cunning could be seen in his eyes.
At the banquet, Lin Yue was all smiles and chatted happily with everyone, like a happy little bird. Her laughter was clear and melodious, as if it could dispel all the darkness. She deliberately arranged a riddle game and hid the false information about the military pay transportation in the riddles. She smiled and said to everyone, "It's rare for us to gather today. I'll give you a riddle. Let's guess together. If you guess it right, there will be exquisite rewards." Everyone actively participated, and the Night Owl also pretended to be full of enthusiasm and joined in. On the surface, he had a beaming smile, but in his heart, he was secretly calculating how to obtain the key information. His eyes flickered from time to time, revealing a trace of anxiety. When he heard the clues about the military pay transportation in the riddle, he was overjoyed and almost showed a complacent expression on his face. He thought he had obtained crucial information and couldn't wait to pass it on. His hands trembled slightly, which was a manifestation of the mixture of excitement and nervousness.
The Night Owl tried to pretend to be calm. While everyone was immersed in the joyous atmosphere of the game, he quietly moved towards the edge of the banquet, like a sneaky mouse, carefully observing the surroundings. His eyes constantly scanned the people around him, for fear of being discovered. Every small movement revealed his nervousness and unease. He was going to secretly leave the banquet and meet the contact person outside the palace. Just as he turned around, the guards that Li Yi had already arranged for suddenly surrounded him like divine soldiers descending from the sky.
When the Night Owl saw the situation was not good, he was shocked. His heart suddenly contracted, as if it was tightly grasped by an invisible hand. But he quickly calmed down. A fierce and determined look appeared in his eyes, like a wild beast cornered, ready to make a final struggle. He immediately drew out the dagger at his waist. The dagger glinted coldly in the sunlight, as if telling of its sharpness and coldness, and also foreshadowing the impending danger. He brandished the dagger and roared loudly, "Whoever dares to come close, I'll kill them!" He tried to fight his way out and escape from this dangerous place. His voice was full of madness and despair.
The guards engaged in a fierce battle with the Night Owl. The Night Owl was highly skilled in martial arts and his methods were ruthless. Every move aimed at the vital parts, and each move was life-threatening. His moves were sharp and fierce, making people tremble with fear. He was agile in his movements and rushed left and right in the guards' encirclement, like a crazy wild beast, constantly looking for a chance to break through. His eyes were full of madness and murderous intent, making people shudder.
However, Li Yi's guards were not afraid at all. They were well-trained and closely coordinated,
forming a solid defense line, like an impregnable city wall. They held long spears and surrounded the Night Owl, gradually narrowing the around. Their eyes were firm, full of loyalty to the emperor and a sense of responsibility for the country. Everyone was willing to give everything for the country and the emperor.
In the intense confrontation, the Night Owl gradually fell into a difficult situation. His strength was gradually running out, and he was also injured in many places. Blood stained his clothes, and the bright red blood was particularly dazzling in the sunlight. But he still stubbornly resisted and refused to give in easily. His heart was filled with unwillingness.
At this time, Lin Yue stood aside and calmly observed the battle situation. Her eyes were sharp, like a keen falcon. She noticed that when the Night Owl was avoiding the attacks, he always habitually fled towards the west. She immediately had an idea. She quietly whispered a few words to the guards beside her, "You deliberately show a flaw on the west side and lure him there. I've set a trap there in advance." The guards understood her intention and, according to Lin Yue's instructions, deliberately left a gap in the encirclement on the west side.
When the Night Owl saw this, he thought he had an opportunity. A glimmer of hope rose in his heart, like a ray of dawn in the darkness. He immediately rushed towards the west. As soon as he rushed over, he triggered the trap that Lin Yue had arranged in advance. A large net fell from the sky and tightly covered him. The Night Owl struggled desperately, but the more he struggled, the tighter the net became, just like a wild beast trapped in a net. Finally, he was captured alive. His eyes were filled with anger and despair, as if roaring at the injustice of fate.
The Night Owl was brought in front of Li Yi. His face was full of anger, and hatred flashed in his eyes, as if he wanted to devour Li Yi. His teeth chattered, which was a sign of extreme anger. He still refused to confess the mastermind behind the scenes, like a hard stone, refusing to yield. No matter how Li Yi interrogated him, he kept his mouth shut and didn't say a word.
Li Yi sat upright on the dragon throne, his eyes as sharp as torches, looking directly into the Night Owl's eyes, and he sternly shouted, "Do you think you can escape punishment? Tell me who your mastermind is, and maybe you can be given a lighter sentence." But the Night Owl just looked coldly at Li Yi and didn't say a word. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, showing a mocking smile, as if mocking Li Yi's interrogation. Disdain and arrogance could be seen in his eyes.
Li Yi knew in his heart that the enemy must have taken great pains for this operation. This Night Owl was probably strictly trained and had a firm belief. It would not be easy to make him speak easily. This would be a difficult contest.
Just when the interrogation reached an impasse, Lin Yue suddenly thought of a way. She had someone prepare some specially made knockout drugs. This kind of knockout drug was carefully developed by the imperial doctors in the palace. It had gone through countless trials and improvements, and each trial embodied the painstaking efforts of the imperial doctors. This kind of knockout drug could make people relax their vigilance and tell the truth when they were in a semi-comatose state.
Lin Yue personally fed the knockout drug to the Night Owl. Soon, the Night Owl's eyes became blurred and his consciousness gradually became hazy, as if he had fallen into a chaotic dream. Under the effect of the knockout drug, the Night Owl finally opened his mouth and confessed the enemy country's conspiracy and the other spies lurking in the palace. His voice was low and hoarse, and every word revealed the sinister intentions of the enemy country, like sharp blades, stabbing at Li Yi and Lin Yue's hearts. Shock and anger could be seen in their eyes.
Li Yi and Lin Yue quickly took action. They led the guards and, according to the clues confessed by
the Night Owl, like a group of brave hunters, rounded up all the spies lurking in the palace. Those spies were caught by the guards before they could react, and their conspiracy completely failed. This thrilling anti-spy operation finally ended in victory for Li Yi and Lin Yue.
However, Li Yi and Lin Yue were well aware that this was just one of the many plots of the enemy country. They stood on the tower of the imperial palace, looking at the prosperous scene of the capital city. They knew in their hearts that in the future, they still needed to remain vigilant at all times, like the guards of a lighthouse. No matter how severe the wind and rain were, they would stick to their posts, safeguard the peace of the country, and prevent the enemy country's plots from succeeding again. They knew that this war to defend the country was far from over. There were still more challenges waiting for them in the future. They would continue to shoulder the heavy responsibility of protecting the country and the people, move forward bravely, and never back down.