As night fell, the streets of the capital gradually became quiet, but the lights in the palace were still bright. Zhu Kai was busy in the study, while Gu Wenzheng and other staff members were also handling urgent matters at their respective posts. Suddenly, a guard rushed into the study.

The guard panted and said, "Your Highness, new signs have been found near the dock in the south of the city. It looks like the Shadow Alliance is secretly transporting supplies."

Zhu Kai put down the brush in his hand, with a trace of worry between his eyebrows: "It seems that the 'Shadow Alliance' has not restrained itself because of our attack, but has become more secretive. Gu Wenzheng, what do you think?"

Gu Wen was standing nearby, holding a map of the capital, on which he marked the events that had occurred in recent days. "According to the intelligence we have, the activities of the Shadow Alliance are mainly concentrated in the south and east of the city, and the docks are their important transshipment points. This time, the supplies are likely related to their frequent mobilization in recent times."

"We need more detailed clues," Zhu Kai said, "Send spies to the vicinity of the dock and try to figure out what they are transporting."

"Yes, Your Highness." Gu Wen Zheng agreed, turned around and told his men to prepare for action.

At this time, footsteps were heard outside the door, and another guard hurried in: "Your Majesty, the West Factory seems to be paying close attention to the movements at the dock, and they may take action tonight."

Zhu Kai's eyes suddenly became sharp: "It seems that we are not the only hunters. Gu Wenzheng, notify everyone to be vigilant tonight to prevent any accidents."

Gu Wenzheng nodded and left the study to arrange the task. Zhu Kai stayed alone and fell into deep thought. He realized that the relationship between the Shadow Alliance and the West Factory might be much more complicated than he thought. The contest between these two forces was not only about the struggle for power, but also about the safety of the country.

After a while, Zhu Kai made a decision. He would go to the dock to check the situation in person. He changed into casual clothes, quietly left the palace with a few loyal guards, and sneaked towards the dock.

When they approached the dock, they found it unusually quiet, with only the occasional barking of a dog in the distance. Zhu Kai signaled the guards to hide, and he took advantage of the cover of night to slowly approach the dock warehouse.

"It's strange. It's so late and there's not a single person on the dock." A guard whispered.

Zhu Kai responded in a low voice: "Don't be careless. The more this happens, the more it shows that there is a problem. We have to be careful."

Just as they were watching carefully, suddenly, the door of the warehouse was opened, and several dark shadows quickly moved some boxes out from inside, and then quickly loaded them into a small boat docked on the shore.

"Your Highness, those are people from the Shadow Alliance!" one of the guards exclaimed.

Zhu Kai made a quick judgment: "Follow them, but don't reveal your identity."

They followed the boat until it entered a narrow river and finally stopped at a remote river bend. Zhu Kai and others hid in the dark and saw the people from the Shadow Alliance move the box into a seemingly ordinary house.

"This should be a base of the Shadow Alliance," Zhu Kai said softly, "Let's go back first and bring people to search tomorrow morning."

The guards nodded in agreement, and the group returned to the palace quietly. The next morning, Zhu Kai led the elite forces of the palace to surround the house. However, when they broke into the house, they found that no one was in the house, and all the supplies were gone.

"Did they get the news in advance?" Zhu Kai asked with a frown.

"Your Highness, here are some damaged document fragments," a guard handed over a few pieces of paper, "maybe they were left behind by the Shadow Alliance."

Zhu Kai took the fragments and carefully identified the words on them: "The information revealed by these fragments is very limited, but at least we know what the Shadow Alliance is planning."

Gu Wenzheng also arrived at the scene at this time: "Your Highness, we just received news from the Western Factory. They also sent people to the dock last night, but they also failed to catch anyone from the Shadow Alliance."

"It seems that the Shadow Alliance is on guard against both us and the West Factory," Zhu Kai pondered, "We must reconsider our strategy."

After returning to the palace, Zhu Kai immediately convened an emergency meeting to discuss the next plan with his staff. The atmosphere in the meeting room was tense, and everyone knew that this time the opponent was unusually cunning.

"We must find the core figures of the Shadow Alliance," Zhu Kai said firmly, "Only by cutting off their connection at the source can we completely disintegrate this organization."

"Your Highness," Gu Wenzheng suggested, "We can use the known clues to try to infiltrate the Shadow Alliance and disintegrate them from within."

"This is indeed a solution, but it is very risky," Zhu Kai said. "We must ensure the safety of the infiltrators while also ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of the information."

"Your Highness," an aide interrupted, "We can also take advantage of the conflict between the Shadow Alliance and the Western Factory and let them consume each other to buy us more time."

Zhu Kai nodded in agreement: "This is also a feasible strategy. But no matter what, we can't let our guard down."

After the meeting, Zhu Kai left Gu Wen Zheng alone, and the two continued to discuss the details in the study.

"Gu Wen Zheng, how do you think we should choose the infiltrator?" Zhu Kai asked.

"Your Highness," Gu Wenzheng thought for a moment and said, "I think we should choose someone who is both capable and trustworthy. This person must not only be able to deal with complex situations, but also be able to make the right judgment at critical moments."

"You are right," Zhu Kai nodded, "I have thought of a candidate. He used to be my trusted guard, but later left the palace due to family reasons. His name is Lin Feng. He is not only a martial arts expert, but also smart and brave."

"Lin Feng? I've heard of this name," Gu Wenzhen said thoughtfully, "If he is willing, he is indeed a suitable candidate."

"I will meet him in person and persuade him to join our plan," said Zhu Kai.

That afternoon, Zhu Kai, along with two guards, disguised himself and went to Lin Feng's residence. Lin Feng lived in a small courtyard in the east of the city and led an ordinary life. Zhu Kai's arrival surprised him a little, but he soon regained his composure.

"Your Majesty," Lin Feng bowed respectfully, "I didn't expect you to come to visit in person."

Zhu Kai smiled and said, "Lin Feng, I came here this time to ask you for something."

Lin Feng showed a curious expression: "Please speak, Your Majesty."

Zhu Kai briefly introduced the situation of the Shadow Alliance and the difficulties the palace was currently facing. "We need a reliable person like you to go to the Shadow Alliance to collect intelligence and help us completely destroy this organization."

Lin Feng was silent for a while, then said firmly: "Your Majesty, I am willing to accept this mission. Although I no longer work for the palace, I always remember your kindness to me." Zhu Kai nodded gratefully: "I know this mission is very dangerous, so I will do my best to support you."

In the next few days, Zhu Kai and Gu Wenzheng worked out a detailed action plan and prepared a fake identity and necessary props for Lin Feng. Lin Feng quickly integrated into the Shadow Alliance and gradually gained its trust. Through various means, he gradually mastered the core information of the Shadow Alliance and secretly passed this intelligence to the palace.

Zhu Kai discovered that there was actually a bigger conspiracy behind the Shadow Alliance. They were not just a simple criminal organization, but had a more far-reaching political purpose. Zhu Kai realized that if the Shadow Alliance's plan was not stopped in time, it would bring an unprecedented crisis to the Ming Dynasty.

"Gu Wenzheng," Zhu Kai said, "We must speed up our actions and cannot wait any longer. The Shadow Alliance's plan has already begun to be implemented, and we must get ahead of them."

"Your Majesty," Gu Wenzheng said, "We have prepared everything and are only waiting for your order."

"Okay," Zhu Kai said firmly, "Gather everyone, we will take action tonight."

That night, Zhu Kai led the elite forces of the palace and raided several key strongholds of the Shadow Alliance according to the intelligence provided by Lin Feng. After a fierce battle, they successfully arrested the main leader of the Shadow Alliance and seized a large amount of evidence.

"Your Highness," Gu Wenzheng reported excitedly, "We have taken control of the situation. The core forces of the Shadow Alliance have been almost completely wiped out."

Zhu Kai breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you for your hard work. The most important thing now is to organize these evidences and ensure that the crimes of the Shadow Alliance can be thoroughly exposed."

After several days of hard work, Zhu Kai compiled all the evidence he had collected into a book and submitted it to Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu Yuanzhang was very satisfied with Zhu Kai's performance, ordered a thorough investigation of the case, and rewarded the meritorious officials.

"Zhu Kai," Zhu Yuanzhang said, "you have performed a great deed this time. I will reward you handsomely."

Zhu Kai knelt down to express his gratitude: "Thank you, father, for your grace. I just did what I should do."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and nodded: "Okay, you go back and rest first, I will take care of everything."

Zhu Kai returned to the palace and learned that the case of the Shadow Alliance had been successfully resolved. He felt relieved. He knew that this success was inseparable from the efforts of everyone, especially Lin Feng's contribution, which was indelible.

"Lin Feng," Zhu Kai said to Lin Feng, "You completed this mission very well. I have decided to let you return to the palace to take on a more important position."

Lin Feng said gratefully: "Your Majesty, I am willing to serve the palace, even if it means going through fire and water."

Zhu Kai patted Lin Feng on the shoulder: "I believe in you. We still have a lot to do in the future. Let's work hard together."

With the destruction of the Shadow Alliance, the capital finally returned to its former tranquility.

Zhu Kai stood in front of the window of the study, his eyes piercing through the darkness of the night, as if he wanted to see through the undercurrents surging in the palace. His brows were tightly knitted, and the secret letter in his hand had been read over and over again countless times, but every time he read it, he felt a new sense of uneasiness.

"Your Highness, it's late at night. Do you need to rest?" Gu Wen Zheng asked softly, with a hint of worry in his voice.

Zhu Kai shook his head, his voice low and powerful: "No, I can't rest yet. The information revealed in this secret letter makes me feel an unprecedented crisis."

Gu Wenzhen walked to Zhu Kai's side, and his eyes also fell on the secret letter: "Your Highness, every word in this letter is full of conspiracy. It seems that someone in the palace is planning something."

Zhu Kai nodded, his fingers tapping lightly on the window frame, making a crisp sound: "Yes, I can feel the power of this undercurrent. It is silent, but everywhere. We must find out the truth behind it."

He turned and walked to the desk, picked up a pen, and began to write something on the paper. His handwriting was neat and powerful, and every stroke revealed determination and wisdom.

"Your Highness, what do you plan to do?" Gu Wen Zheng asked.

Zhu Kai did not answer immediately. His eyes swept across the study and finally stopped at an ancient book on the bookshelf. He slowly walked to the bookshelf, took down the ancient book, and gently opened it.

"This records some secret passages in the palace. Perhaps we can start from here." Zhu Kai's voice was calm and firm.

Gu Wenzheng's eyes flashed with surprise: "Your Highness, do you want to use these secret passages to explore the source of the undercurrent?"

Zhu Kai nodded: "Yes, these passages are the unknown secrets of the palace. They may lead us to find the answer."

He closed the ancient book, turned to Gu Wenzheng and said, "Get ready, we will act tonight."

Gu Wenzheng took the order and left, while Zhu Kai continued to pace in the study, his mind quickly thinking about the details of the action. He knew that this struggle had just begun, and he had to be fully prepared to ensure the stability of the Ming Dynasty.

The palace was quiet and mysterious under the night sky. Zhu Kai and Gu Wenzheng quietly passed through the corridors and came to a seemingly ordinary wall. Zhu Kai gently pushed a brick on the wall, and the wall slowly moved away, revealing a staircase leading to the underground.

"Your Highness, this is the entrance to the secret passage." Gu Wen Zheng said in a low voice.

Zhu Kai nodded, and he walked down first, followed by Gu Wenzheng. The stairs wound down and finally came to a spacious basement. There were several oil lamps lit in the basement, and the weak light cast swaying shadows on the walls.

"This should be the passage leading to the depths of the imperial palace." Zhu Kai said in a deep voice, his eyes scanning the surroundings, looking for possible clues.

Gu Wenzheng nodded, his eyes also searching the basement: "Your Highness, look over there."

Zhu Kai looked in the direction of Gu Wenzhen's finger and found a hidden secret door. He walked to the secret door and gently pushed it open, revealing a passage leading to the depths.

"Let's keep moving forward." Zhu Kai's voice was low and powerful.

They walked slowly along the passage. The air in the passage was damp and cold, and the walls on both sides were covered with moss. The footsteps of Zhu Kai and Gu Wenzheng echoed in the passage, and they were particularly clear.

Suddenly, Zhu Kai stopped and fixed his eyes on a corner in front of him. He could sense that there seemed to be an unusual atmosphere there. (End of this chapter)