Map of the Kingdom's Warfare.

Summary

The chapter describes the aftermath of a fire on two large ships that resulted in the deaths of several palace maids and eunuchs. General Zhang Jin, tasked by the emperor to solve the case within three days, finds himself without leads. Despite a conversation with Pei Ju about investigating motives, he remains frustrated. He later meets General Zhang Xuan, who shares a clue about stolen soldiers' tokens that may relate to the fire. Zhang Xuan suggests that a notorious bandit, Wang Wu Xiong Kuo Hai, could be involved and offers to help find him. Zhang Jin provides a command token for access to the military camp. As night falls, the emperor, Yang Guang, is on his dragon boat with Empress Xiao, when Zhang Jin urgently demands to see him, warning of danger. Suddenly, an assassin disguised as a dancer attempts to kill the emperor but fails, resulting in chaos as guards respond to the threat. The assassin ultimately takes her own life to avoid capture.

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