Po and the Five were training together in the Jade Palace's Training Hall, with Shifu supervising. Suddenly, Mr. Zeng, the palace messenger, pushed open the door of the Training Hall and hurriedly ran toward Shifu. After whispering a few words to Shifu, he looked shocked and immediately halted the training.

Shifu addressed the students: "Several individuals in plain clothes have arrived, claiming to be imperial commissioners sent by the court. If they are telling the truth, it is likely that the court has a significant mission for us."

Shifu led everyone to the main gate of the Jade Palace. When he opened the gates, Po saw that their guests were several birds dressed in civilian clothing. One of them was dressed more elegantly, resembling a wealthy gentleman, while the others appeared to be his assistants and guards. The gentleman greeted Shifu briefly and then handed him a letter and a seal. Shifu, with a look of suspicion, accepted the letter and seal, first reading the contents of the letter and then carefully examining the seal.

After some time, Shifu's doubts disappeared. He introduced the gentleman to everyone as an imperial commissioner sent by the court. The commissioner stated that he had important matters to discuss with Shifu in private. Shifu instructed the students to return to their dormitories while he held a closed-door meeting with the commissioner.

Shifu led the commissioner and his entourage to the conference room, while the students, following Shifu's instructions, returned to their dormitories. On the way, Po realized that this situation was highly unusual.

The government rarely sent people to the Jade Palace. The last time Po encountered government officials at the Jade Palace was two years ago, in 1886. That year, the Jade Palace hosted the Dragon Warrior tournament to select the Dragon Warrior. At that time, the Jade Palace had invited many guests to attend the celebration, including kung fu masters from other regions and several provincial government officials. After Master Oogway unexpectedly chose Po as the Dragon Warrior, Po even took a group photo with these guests.

Not long after Po became the Dragon Warrior, he defeated Tai Lung, who had escaped from prison. This event shocked the entire Chinese martial arts community at the time, as Tai Lung was one of the most skilled kung fu masters in history. However, after Tai Lung's death, only a small investigation team of a dozen police officers came to the Valley of Peace to investigate. They collected sufficient testimonies and evidence before leaving. At the time, the police told them that, in the eyes of the government, this was merely a prison break incident and not a significant matter.

After the students returned to the dormitory, Po asked the Five if today's event was normal. They replied that it was highly unusual. The government rarely paid attention to the Jade Palace, usually only sending representatives to participate in celebrations during major festivals. Occasionally, government officials would come to the Jade Palace to order them to carry out missions for the government. Ten years ago, the Jade Palace was tasked with protecting an imperial prince during his southern tour. Even for such an important mission, the government officials had arrived openly to deliver the orders, not in secret.

This secret visit by the imperial envoy suggested that the matter he brought was even more significant than protecting the prince.

Po heard the dormitory door open, and Shifu entered alone. Shifu said that the envoy had already left the Jade Palace. They were still in the Valley of Peace, staying at the only inn in the village at the foot of the mountain. Po noticed that Shifu looked troubled as if the envoy had brought bad news. Shifu ordered the students to gather in the conference room, where he would explain the situation to everyone.

Po and the Five entered the conference room. In the centre of the room was a table with several chairs. On the table were a steaming teapot, a few teacups with leftover tea, and a stack of documents. Shifu moved the teapot and teacups to the corner of the table and then neatly arranged the stack of documents.

Shifu announced: "The imperial court has ordered the Jade Palace to carry out a sabotage mission against the Peafowl Rebellion. I will stay behind, and all of you will participate in this mission. You will depart in a week to meet the envoy at the inn in the village below, and they will arrange the rest."

Shifu picked up one of the documents on the table and said, "This is the original order." He handed the order to the students, allowing them to pass it around and read it.

Po asked, "Did they provide or hint at any useful details about the mission?"

Shifu replied, "No. They said the mission details are confidential. However, I can make a reasonable guess." The red panda picked up another document from the table, which was a map of China. He unfolded it and spread it out on the table.

Shifu explained, "They said this is a major sabotage mission. If it succeeds, the Peafowl Rebellion will kneel and surrender. Destroying a few railway bridges and warehouses won't achieve this effect. However, if we destroy a crucial arsenal, that would be different."

Shifu pointed at the map with his staff and said, "The rebellion's largest arsenal is located here, in Gongmen City, Guangdong Province."

Shifu took out several large photographs from the stack of documents. The images showed a massive factory and its internal production workshops.

He said, "This is the Gongmen arsenal. I suspect this will be your target."

Tigress said, "This is the heart of the rebellion. This mission is extremely difficult and dangerous."

Shifu solemnly replied, "Yes. I can confirm that this mission will be more dangerous than any you have undertaken before. There is a real possibility that you may not return."

Shifu sighed and said, "Apart from the immense risks, this mission also carries little honour. The Peafowl Rebellion is not what the government claims—a group of bandits and thieves. I prefer to call them by their true name, the Gongmen Society ('The Society')."

It was the corruption and incompetence of the empire that led to the birth of the Gongmen Society and the rebellion. Since 1840, China had been in decline. Internally, wave after wave of large-scale peasant uprisings caused immense damage to the country. Externally, China had fallen behind Western nations in science and technology.

Based on the information I have gathered over the years, "The Society" has implemented numerous social reforms within the territories they control. Over the past 20 years, the much stronger imperial army has failed to eliminate "The Society." Instead, they have grown stronger. This shows that these so-called bandits and thieves are far more capable than the imperial government.

Po asked, "So are we fighting against good people?"

Shifu thought for a moment and said, "I wouldn't call them good people, but I would say they are more progressive and bring positive changes to society."

Po continued, "Can't we refuse this mission? I feel that carrying it out is wrong."

Shifu firmly replied, "No. If we refuse, it would be illegal. The government would arrest us, and the Jade Palace would lose all the privileges granted by the government."

Crane added, "After that, there would be no more Jade Palace."

Then Shifu reminded them, "There's one more thing. This mission is top secret, known only to those in the Jade Palace. You must never mention this mission to anyone outside, including your closest friends and family."

The students replied, "Yes, Master."

Author's Note:

This story originated from an idea that Lord Shen attacked the panda village for a justifiable reason. Eventually, this idea evolved into a 19th-century AU. This story also references historical events from late Qing Dynasty to Republican-era China.