Chapter Sixty-Two: The Types of Intelligence

Wei Xiaobao listened to Zhu Hao’s harsh reprimand, nearly burying his head in the ground, not daring to look up again. Yet he timidly explained, “Your servant truly did not place any informants by Your Highness’s side, but secretly stationed intelligence agents in the Palace of Heavenly Purity. This matter was done without Your Highness’s approval, decided after discussing with Master Gongsun. If Your Highness wishes to punish me for this, I have no complaints whatsoever!”

Upon hearing Wei Xiaobao’s explanation, Zhu Hao instantly understood. Indeed, if Wei Xiaobao had intelligence agents in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, then his conversation there with Cui Wensheng would naturally reach Wei Xiaobao’s ears. It seemed he had truly misjudged him, but as Wei Xiaobao’s master, Zhu Hao found it difficult to apologize.

He pondered for a while, then took a deep breath and said, “Rise now! Tell me, why did you and Gongsun Ce decide to place intelligence agents in the Palace of Heavenly Purity?”

Wei Xiaobao trembled as he rose and bowed. “Your Highness, I dare not conceal anything. This idea originated from Master Gongsun, who is the acting chief of the Bureau of Intelligence and holds authority over investigative directions. At the time, Master Gongsun said the Palace of Heavenly Purity is the power center of the entire imperial palace. Controlling its movements means controlling the palace, and even the fate of the realm. His reasoning seemed sound, so I agreed to his suggestion. I acted on my own initiative and await Your Highness’s punishment.”

Zhu Hao mused inwardly, “Gongsun Ce, Gongsun Ce! You truly are extraordinary, thinking ahead of me in matters I never considered. A minister of three stars, indeed exceptional!” Though he felt some dissatisfaction over Gongsun Ce and Wei Xiaobao acting without permission to monitor the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Zhu Hao also knew that to let his subordinates work efficiently, he must delegate power and not doubt those he employs. If he insisted on meddling in every detail as the Bureau of Intelligence grew, he'd have no energy left for other affairs.

Thinking thus, Zhu Hao smiled and said to Wei Xiaobao, “Gongsun did no wrong, and you acted well. I will not blame you, but I hope that before any major action by the Bureau of Intelligence, you notify me first. I do not wish for today’s situation to repeat.”

Wei Xiaobao quickly replied, “Your servant obeys! I shall remember Your Highness’s words. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave to attend my duties.”

Wei Xiaobao now feared Zhu Hao intensely and wished not to linger in his presence, for the longer he stayed, the more uneasy he felt.

Even Zhu Hao himself could not pinpoint when Wei Xiaobao had grown so fearful of him—perhaps it happened unconsciously, without any clear moment.

Hearing Wei Xiaobao’s words, Zhu Hao laughed and said, “What’s this? You seem most unwilling to stay with me. Am I really so terrifying? Do you think I’ll eat you?”

It was merely a jest, yet Wei Xiaobao immediately knelt and pleaded, “Forgive me, Your Highness! I dare not! I only fear that lingering here might delay Your Highness’s important affairs.”

Zhu Hao now understood Wei Xiaobao’s fear and sighed inwardly, “This loneliness of power is truly not a baseless rumor. Unknowingly, I’ve acquired the aura of a ruler, and the once lively Wei Xiaobao now fears me so. I wonder if this is a blessing or a curse—perhaps it’s simply a stage I must pass on my road to maturity.”

With that thought, Zhu Hao took a deep breath and said, “Rise and speak! I do not intend to blame you. Upon your return, send all intelligence agents to the vicinity of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, and if possible, place some inside. From now on, unless otherwise instructed, report any information from the palace to me every hour; if there is anything unusual, report immediately!”

Wei Xiaobao made no unnecessary comment, nor did he ask Zhu Hao’s reasons. He simply bowed respectfully and said, “Your servant obeys!”

Zhu Hao nodded, signaling Wei Xiaobao to withdraw. After he left, Zhu Hao sat alone in his chamber, his mind restless, thinking of the gravely injured Guo Mengdie and his unconscious father, unable to find peace.

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In a secluded corner of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Empress Guo was venting her fury at her personal maid, Spring Peach. “Useless! Absolutely useless! How could I have such a hopeless brother? If only my elder brother were still alive, surely…” She stopped abruptly and sighed deeply, then softened her tone, “How is Mengdie? Is her injury severe?”

Spring Peach quickly replied, “Your Majesty, this servant is unsure. The Prime Minister’s people only told me a little; they did not share details, and I dared not ask.”

Empress Guo nodded. “Let us hope Mengdie survives this ordeal; otherwise, I do not know how I could ever face my deceased brother, who died for my sake.” Her expression turned stern as she asked, “Spring Peach, tell me—did that fool slip up anywhere? Did Consort Liu suspect that I intended to place a cursed object in her palace to accuse her?”

Spring Peach shook her head first, then seeing her mistress’s unease, tried to comfort her. “Your Majesty, I do not know if Consort Liu suspects anything, but judging from what the Prime Minister’s people said, it seems she remains unaware. When the Marquis searched, he started with the Fifth Prince’s side chamber, where he encountered Miss Zhi and wounded her, then took her back to the mansion for treatment. He did not search Consort Liu’s main chamber, so Consort Liu likely does not know the purpose of their visit and has not noticed anything.”

Restless in his own chamber, Zhu Hao could never have imagined that the disaster nearly befalling his mother and himself was thwarted by Guo Mengdie. If he knew the truth, he might feel relief or perhaps sorrow.

Empress Guo, thinking her conversation private and cautious, was overheard clearly by an inconspicuous eunuch in the corner. She believed herself to be in control, but little did she know, every move was being closely watched by agents of the Central Bureau of Intelligence established by Zhu Hao.

When Zhu Hao, still uneasy in his chamber, received Wei Xiaobao’s report about Empress Guo’s conversation with Spring Peach, he broke out in cold sweat, cursing inwardly, “That old witch is truly vicious! Damn it, my mother and I almost fell victim to her poison! She is truly wicked!”

If it had been before Zhu Hao’s time travel, anyone claiming to use the art of curses would have been laughed off, much like the saying “draw a circle to curse you.” Such disbelief stemmed from his previous era—a wholly atheistic age. But the current Ming Dynasty was the opposite; people revered spirits and gods, believed that Heaven watched over their actions, and that true deities existed. Curses were believed to bring misfortune, and the art of curses was considered the most malicious of all. Anyone deemed to have used such sorcery would face execution and the destruction of their family. Had Empress Guo’s scheme succeeded, Consort Liu would surely be doomed, and Zhu Hao himself would not escape calamity.

After hearing Wei Xiaobao’s report, Zhu Hao’s face darkened as he ordered, “I command you, by any means necessary, to keep that venomous Empress under constant surveillance. Any abnormal behavior must be reported as top-level intelligence!”

This “top-level intelligence” that Zhu Hao mentioned was his later classification system for the Central Bureau of Intelligence, dividing intelligence into three main categories and twelve sub-levels: A, B, C, D; Heaven, Earth, Mystery, Yellow; Universe, Cosmos, Flood, Wilderness.

The three main categories were: “Imperial Palace Intelligence,” “Ming Dynasty Domestic Intelligence,” and “Foreign Intelligence.” The twelve sub-levels related as follows: A, B, C, D for “Imperial Palace Intelligence”; Heaven, Earth, Mystery, Yellow for “Ming Dynasty Domestic Intelligence”; Universe, Cosmos, Flood, Wilderness for “Foreign Intelligence.”

Currently, the Central Bureau of Intelligence could only monitor the palace. The domestic and foreign categories were merely established in structure, with no actual intelligence collected yet. Thus, the eight sub-levels for domestic and foreign affairs were empty shells for now.

Within each main category, the four sub-levels marked urgency and importance:
“A-level intelligence” pertains to matters both urgent and important within the imperial palace.
“B-level intelligence” is urgent but not important.
“C-level intelligence” is important but not urgent.
“D-level intelligence” is neither urgent nor important.

“Heaven-level intelligence” is urgent and important for Ming Dynasty affairs.
“Earth-level intelligence” is urgent but not important.
“Mystery-level intelligence” is important but not urgent.
“Yellow-level intelligence” is neither urgent nor important.

“Universe-level intelligence” is urgent and important for foreign affairs.
“Cosmos-level intelligence” is urgent but not important.
“Flood-level intelligence” is important but not urgent.
“Wilderness-level intelligence” is neither urgent nor important.

Zhu Hao further decreed that the first sub-level of each category must be reported directly to him; the second to Gongsun Ce, who would then review and report to him; the third could be handled routinely by the Bureau of Intelligence; the fourth would be archived for reference, needing no reporting.