Chapter 40 – You’re My Second Parent in This Life

When they arrived at the imperial palace, Kan Chaoyan and his group headed straight to the Imperial Study.

Only Kan Chaoyan was summoned inside to meet the Emperor.

Captain Liu and Mu Nanjin waited outside in the courtyard.

Suddenly, Mu Nanjin said out of nowhere, “Looks like it won’t go smoothly.”

“What?” Captain Liu blinked, puzzled. “What won’t go smoothly?”

“The plan with Prince Sheng’s men. Since he didn’t come to the capital, the delivery can’t go through.”

“…!” Captain Liu immediately glanced around and lowered his voice. “This isn’t the place to talk about that. We’ll discuss it when we get back.”

“Oh.”

Mu Nanjin didn’t say anything more, but she couldn’t stop her thoughts from running wild.

【Prince Sheng must’ve realized the Emperor knows about his rebellion, that’s why he didn’t dare come to the capital himself.】

Captain Liu, however, thought she was mistaken.

After all, very few people even knew the Emperor had begun investigating Prince Sheng, so it was impossible for news to have leaked.

And outwardly, the Emperor and Prince Sheng had always maintained a close relationship. There was no reason for Prince Sheng to suspect anything yet.

As for why he didn’t come to the capital this time, the more likely explanation was Mu Nanjin herself.

She wasn’t just capable of projecting her thoughts outward; she could also reveal secrets no one else could possibly know. Prince Sheng was probably afraid that if he met the Emperor in her presence, she would expose their plan to rebel, so he sent his son to the capital instead.

In truth, whether or not Prince Sheng came didn’t matter much.

What they really wanted was proof of his treason, something they hoped to uncover through Mu Nanjin’s unique ability.

A short while later, Kan Chaoyan emerged from the Imperial Study.

“Mu girl,” he said, “I’ve got a task for you.”

Mu Nanjin tilted her head. “What kind of task?”

“To help His Majesty select a few loyal and trustworthy shadow guards.”

Kan Chaoyan intended to use her ability to discern which of the shadow guards were truly loyal to the Emperor.

“You want me to select shadow guards?” Mu Nanjin blinked, unsure if she had heard right.

Such an important matter, handed to a mere Ordinary Jinyiwei of the Ninth Rank?

Captain Liu sighed and explained, “There’s plenty of work for the Jinyiwei, but not much you can handle. You can’t catch criminals, you can’t protect officials, so all that’s left are lighter tasks. If you can’t even manage picking a few guards, I’ll have no choice but to send you to clear the sewers.”

Mu Nanjin’s jaw dropped. “Clear the sewers? The Jinyiwei do that too?”

“That’s supposed to be the Ministry of Works’ job,” he said dryly, “but they’re often short-handed. When that happens, they borrow people from us.”

Mu Nanjin: “…”

Kan Chaoyan led them to the training field.

The moment they arrived, he barked, “All of you, assemble here, now!”

The shadow guards instantly stopped their drills and formed ten orderly rows before them.

【Whoa, whoa, whoa, so many muscle-bound men!】

Mu Nanjin’s eyes sparkled as she looked over the shirtless men before her.

【Broad chests, tight eight-pack abs, power rippling through every muscle… this is pure temptation for every woman alive!】

【Comrade Kan, you are my second parent in this life. Next time there’s a job like this, don’t forget me!】

Everyone: “…”

Kan Chaoyan cleared his throat. “His Majesty will be reselecting his shadow guards. Whether you stay or not depends on whether you can pass through Guard Mu’s test.”

All eyes turned toward Mu Nanjin.

And she looked right back at them, thoughtful.

【Mmm, very good. The shadow guards all look decent, sharp features, chiseled faces, eyes full of power and resolve…】

Captain Liu’s mouth twitched. This is supposed to be a guard selection, not a beauty pageant.

At last, he couldn’t stand it anymore and snapped, “Mu Nanjin, take this seriously! If you pick the wrong man, it won’t just cost your job, it’ll cost your life!”