SWNOVELXO Chapter 460
The Jin Kingdom's specialized institution for training spies and agents is called the Shuliu Pavilion.
On the surface, it appears to be an educational academy, but in reality, it has dedicated personnel scouring the streets for beggars, orphans, and abandoned children aged four to six.
Before these children can form their own sense of right and wrong or develop a worldview, they are indoctrinated with extremist ideologies, teaching them to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of the Jin Kingdom.
They are trained to be ruthless, unscrupulous, and utterly cold-hearted.
All the children who undergo this training must face a final assessment when they reach the age of twelve. Those who fail become playthings or slaves for the Jin nobility, and most do not live long.
Only those who pass are sent to various other countries. The Jin Kingdom offers them no assistance; they must rely on their own efforts to infiltrate the centers of power in those nations.
If their true identities are ever exposed, the Jin Kingdom will disavow them, as they are essentially stateless individuals within the Jin Kingdom.
Strictly speaking, they are not citizens of the Jin Kingdom, or rather... they have never been officially recognized by the government.
Outwardly, the Shuliu Pavilion even presents itself as a charitable organization.
Many children who have lost their parents and have no relatives willing to care for them are sent here.
Every year, the Shuliu Pavilion publicly solicits donations, and the government funnels money through a few collaborating imperial merchants to fund the training of these spies and agents who serve the Jin Kingdom.
"Coo, coo, coo..."
A carrier pigeon coos on the windowsill, and a pair of large hands seize it, removing the secret message tied to its leg. The pigeon flaps its wings a few times before settling among a flock of other pigeons in the courtyard.
A young boy, expressionless, feeds the pigeons.
The hidden door to the secret passage opens, revealing a slender figure flickering in and out of view behind the dim candlelight.
"Saintess, a message has arrived from our spy in Great Yan."
The woman turns, revealing a face of unparalleled beauty, so striking that the servant dares not even look up. He places the secret message on the Saintess's desk and respectfully retreats.
"Yanran!"
A middle-aged man in a golden dragon robe emerges from the other end of the secret passage and pins the woman against the wall without giving her a chance to speak. His suffocating kiss falls like a storm.
Every Saintess, while appearing noble and untouchable, is ultimately nothing more than the emperor's plaything.
They have no power to refuse.
"Your Majesty..."
Su Yanran places her hand on the old emperor's chest: "Our agent in Great Yan has sent a message. Wouldn't you like to read it first?"
The old emperor's shrewd eyes are filled with desire: "No rush. It's been a long time since I've seen you. Doesn't your body... miss me?"
His calloused fingers brush over Su Yanran's cheek, like countless caterpillars crawling across her skin, making her nauseous.
Jin Kingdom's Southern Royal Palace—
A piece of paper is brushed with vinegar, revealing the words: "Great Yan plans to frame Jin by assassinating Fusang."
"What a clever move, cutting the ground from under our feet. The emperor of Great Yan is becoming more and more cunning."
But how exactly do they plan to frame the Jin Kingdom?
The Southern Prince swings the jade pendant hanging from his belt, his expression casual. No one would suspect that this prince, who seems to be only interested in traveling and leisure, is actually the most ambitious of them all.
If Great Yan successfully assassinates Fusang, Goryeo will inevitably be dragged into the conflict. How Great Yan plans to frame Jin is something for his brother, the emperor, to worry about.
What the Southern Prince needs to focus on is how to gain Great Yan's trust and forge an alliance with them after they frame Jin.
Shuliu Pavilion—
Inside the pale green curtains, a woman lies naked, covered only by a thin white gauze. Her alluring figure is tantalizingly visible beneath the sheer fabric.
The old emperor reluctantly puts on his clothes and pats Su Yanran's long, shapely thigh: "I'll visit you again soon."
The secret message on the desk is also taken away by the old emperor.
The note reads: "Great Yan has spies infiltrating Goryeo. Warn the King of Goryeo to be cautious."
The old emperor of Jin sneers: "Summon the envoy from Goryeo to the palace. I have an important message for Jin Fengyu."
Even though combining the two messages would reveal Great Yan's true intentions, each of them is scheming in their own way, unwilling to share information.
The old emperor wants to use Great Yan to eliminate Goryeo, ensuring that his secret plot with Goryeo to undermine Great Yan remains buried forever.
Once Jin and Fusang join forces to destroy Great Yan, Fusang will be nothing more than a side dish for Jin—a small, insignificant territory that won't require much effort to subdue.
Meanwhile, the Southern Prince is thinking about how to expedite Great Yan's plans. If they succeed, the old emperor will be seen as a traitor, and the royal family will force him to abdicate to appease the anger of Great Yan's emperor.
Among the princes of Jin, the Eastern Prince is the eldest son of the previous emperor. Now old and plagued by illness, he is no longer a contender for power.
The current emperor is the second son, the legitimate heir born to the empress. He ascended the throne as the crown prince, with his position being both rightful and justified.
The Western Prince, the third son and child of a concubine, has been quietly making moves behind the scenes, making him the old emperor's greatest concern.
The Northern Prince, significantly younger than his brothers, appears to have no ambition. The old emperor treats him well, granting him the title of a nominal general with command over fifty thousand troops.
Then there is the Southern Prince, the youngest son of the previous emperor.
He has little interaction with his older brothers and maintains a distant relationship with the old emperor. After all, his brothers are old enough to be his father, and they share little in common.
The only one he can somewhat converse with is the Northern Prince.
"Fourth Brother holds military power. Among the troops being mobilized, some are under his command. It seems that if I want to collaborate with Great Yan, I'll need to go through him."
In this chaotic game, Fusang believes that Great Yan's spies are planning to assassinate the King of Goryeo, while Goryeo, misled by Jin, thinks Great Yan is targeting the King of Fusang.
Both sides believe they are Jin's closest allies, scheming to keep the truth from each other and send the other to their doom.
The only one who knows the truth is the Southern Prince, who is waiting for Jin to be implicated so he can seize the opportunity to negotiate an alliance with Great Yan.
For the emperor and Jiang Xinyue, it makes no difference who sits on the throne of Jin.
After all, Jin and Great Yan are far apart. Even if they wanted to go to war, they would have to wait until Fusang and Goryeo were wiped out, as several small nations lie between them, making it impossible to launch a surprise attack.
Rather than engaging in a protracted war, the emperor of Great Yan prefers one of two outcomes: either Jin gets a more rational emperor, and the two nations sign treaties to respect each other's sovereignty and maintain peaceful relations, or Jin self-destructs, allowing Great Yan to unify the world.
The emperor leans toward the latter.