Lan Yue had remained hidden too long, and now the chessboard had shifted beneath her feet. Jeng Minh could sense it through the chain: the subtle hesitation in her network, the small missteps, the faint anxiety in her communications. She was calculating, patient, but even the most meticulous strategist could be cornered.
Bai Ye entered the study, face pale. "Reports from the border provinces. There are uprisings—coordinated, yet precise. Cities rebel, supply lines falter, and officials who once seemed loyal… have turned. It's as though the empire itself is shaking."
Jeng Minh's eyes narrowed. "She's escalating. This is no longer subtle influence. She's testing the boundaries of the empire, forcing us to reveal our hand—or misstep. And she believes she is in control."
He unfurled the map, tracing the affected provinces. "Her plan is bold, risky, and desperate. By creating chaos at the borders and within key provinces, she seeks to force loyalty tests and exploit fear. If we react hastily, even slightly, the entire empire could fracture."
Bai Ye swallowed hard. "What do we do?"
Jeng Minh smiled faintly, a predator assessing its prey. "We turn her recklessness against her."
He began orchestrating a multilayered counterstrategy:
Controlled Exposure – Provincial governors were instructed to publicly suppress minor uprisings while privately maintaining covert stability. Rebel leaders were captured or neutralized subtly, their actions used as evidence of overreach by Lan Yue's network.
Decoy Operations – Trade routes and military detachments were subtly shifted, creating the illusion that the empire was overextended. Lan Yue would believe she was drawing Zhou Chen's forces away, unaware it was all part of a prearranged plan.
Psychological Pressure – Strategic leaks suggested cracks in her support, forcing her to divert attention and resources to defend perceived vulnerabilities. Every move she made would now play into a carefully woven trap.
Within days, the tide shifted. Provinces once thought vulnerable stabilized, uprisings collapsed before gaining momentum, and Lan Yue's agents began to falter under the illusion of inevitable failure.
Then came the pivotal moment: a clandestine meeting of her remaining network was intercepted. They spoke openly of desperation, fearing exposure and defeat. Jeng Minh reviewed the transcripts, the chain thrumming like a war drum. "Now we strike… invisibly. She believes she is orchestrating chaos, but in truth, she is cornering herself."
Bai Ye's voice was tense. "And if she senses the trap?"
"She will try," Jeng Minh said, eyes cold. "But a mind as meticulous as hers is also predictable when cornered. Fear and impatience make mistakes. The stronger web bends the weaker, and that web… is ours."
As night fell over the capital, the chain pulsed insistently, a signal that the decisive phase was at hand. Lan Yue's reckoning was imminent. The duel of shadows had reached its crescendo: one misstep, one exposed weakness, and the empire would reclaim control entirely—or risk descending into chaos if he miscalculated.
Jeng Minh's lips curled into a faint, confident smile. "Prepare, Bai Ye. The final moves begin tonight. The shadow believes it hunts the empire… but tonight, the hunter becomes the hunted."