Chapter 1 The Conspiracy Unveiled

　　Sensing the doubtful gazes from below, a cold glint flashed in Jiang Chen's eyes.

　　He decided to stop speaking and directly ordered, "Men, spread this bai yu fen (white jade powder) on the stone slab, write the four characters 'Rebellious Traitors Plotting', and then sprinkle water on it."

　　As his voice fell, a squad of imperial guards emerged from the crowd and walked towards the stone slab in the square, carrying out Jiang Chen's instructions.

　　This inexplicable action attracted the attention of the surrounding clan members and ministers, curious about what the Emperor was up to.

　　Jiang Chen swept his gaze over the dense crowd below, knowing what they were thinking, but he was not worried at all, calmly waiting.

　　Those so-called blood letters were actually just a chemical reaction of cobalt chloride turning red when exposed to water, a trick used by many folk magicians to deceive people.

　　Earlier in the palace, he had noticed damp water stains around the walls where the blood letters appeared.

　　And afterward, those clan members and ministers who reported encountering blood letters all saw the 'strange phenomenon' while preparing to bathe.

　　These clues confirmed Jiang Chen's deduction.

　　The cause of this phenomenon was cobalt chloride!

　　However, few people knew the properties of cobalt chloride; only some Taoists used it for alchemy, calling it bai yu fen (white jade powder).

　　If Jiang Chen weren't a modern person, he probably wouldn't have thought of this tonight.

　　Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the imperial guards quickly prepared, using pre-prepared brushes to dip into the bai yu fen (white jade powder) and smear it on the stone slab.

　　Because it was ground so finely, the bai yu fen (white jade powder) disappeared from sight the moment it touched the stone slab, blending into the dark cyan surface.

　　Even with the surrounding lights shining brightly, no one could see any clues.

　　At this point, some of the more astute ministers had begun to realize something.

　　Could it be that those rebellious traitors were using this substance to fake the strange phenomenon?

　　They were eager to pour water on it to verify their thoughts, but without Jiang Chen's permission, no one dared to act.

　　Only after he had aroused the curiosity of the people below and the cobalt chloride on the stone slab had been applied several times did Jiang Chen solemnly order, "Men, sprinkle water!"

　　"Do it gently, a small amount at a time, and don't ruin the shape of the characters!"

　　As his voice fell, the prepared imperial guards immediately obeyed, picked up the buckets of water next to the stone slab, and carefully sprinkled clear water.

　　This scene caused the ministers and clan members who had been waiting for a long time to subconsciously hold their breaths and crane their necks to look.

　　They saw that the moment the water droplets touched the stone slab, strands of bright red seeped out, climbing and spreading rapidly across the dark cyan surface, eventually forming the four bright red characters 'Rebellious Traitors Plotting'!

　　This scene was exactly the same as the 'blood letter phenomenon' they had seen a few moments before!

　　The crowd's pupils first contracted, and then they looked up in silence, glancing at each other.

　　So, so it was like this!

　　Those blood letters that had scared them out of their wits were actually such a simple trick… These rebellious traitors who had fooled them deserved to die!

　　Thinking of their previous panicked and undignified appearance, the faces of some clan members and ministers were extremely ugly, and their eyes revealed a strong sense of coldness.

　　For these top nobles, nothing was more important than face.

　　Having made such a big fool of themselves today, they would no longer have the face to mix in the top social circles of the imperial capital.

　　They must find these damned rebellious traitors and throw them all into the imperial prison to avenge tonight's shame!

　　The crowd shared a common hatred and quickly reached an agreement, immediately requesting Jiang Chen to investigate the rebellious traitors thoroughly, and offering to provide unconditional assistance and cooperation with the investigation.

　　This result, which completely exceeded his plan, caused Jiang Zuo Wang's brow to furrow, his dark eyes filled with unwillingness as he stared intently at Jiang Chen at the head of the platform, his heart seething with murderous intent.

　　How could things have developed like this?

　　Why did this dog Emperor Jiang Chen know about these folk secret techniques?

　　He had worked so hard to plan for so long, not to become a stepping stone for the dog Emperor to enhance his prestige!

　　A grim look flashed in Jiang Zuo Wang's eyes, and his hand hidden in his sleeve clenched tightly, suppressing his extreme emotions.

　　He couldn't lose his composure in public!

　　Moreover, losing one move didn't mean losing the entire game.

　　As long as the magician he had painstakingly invited was not exposed, there was still a chance to recover… This dog Emperor wouldn't be so lucky every time to find a way to crack the scheme!

　　Withdrawing his gaze, Jiang Zuo Wang slowly retreated behind the crowd, covertly making a gesture towards the dark corner behind him.

　　Dog Emperor, let you be smug for a while longer; soon, this Wang will turn the tables!

　　Unaware of the gloomy gaze in the shadows, Jiang Chen stood with his hands behind his back on the sacrificial platform, looked down, and said lightly:

　　"Rumors stop with the wise. My actions tonight are not only to expose the conspiracy of the rebellious traitors, but also to warn you, my beloved ministers, to use your brains more when encountering things, and not to listen to the wind and rain, being deceived by others without even knowing it."

　　"In addition, the rebellious traitors are cunning and will surely have other tricks to use. Ministers, please remember to pay attention to the surrounding environment for me. If you find anything unusual or feel that something is wrong, report it directly without delay."

　　"Remember, it's better to kill a thousand by mistake than to let one go!"

　　Hearing this, the crowd's expressions turned stern, and they nodded in agreement.

　　After this incident, they had formed a feud with these rebellious traitors, and even if Jiang Chen hadn't given the order, they wouldn't have let these traitors go.

　　"Your Majesty, rest assured, your subjects will never coexist with the rebellious traitors!"

　　"Yes, Your Majesty, these rats who are causing trouble in the dark must be caught and severely punished!"

　　"…"

　　Looking at the actively responding ministers, a hint of satisfaction appeared in Jiang Chen's eyes.

　　He raised his hand, signaling the crowd to be silent, and was about to say a few words of encouragement to conclude the matter when a thunderous roar suddenly came from a distance, drawing everyone's attention away.

　　‘Rumble!’

　　The strange noise came from the dense forest a few meters away, approaching rapidly, carrying a pungent smoky smell, and rushing towards the square!

　　Immediately, the crowd became chaotic.

　　The unknown fear made the ministers and clan members lose their minds, and coupled with the pungent smell in the air, everyone showed expressions of panic and surged towards Jiang Chen on the sacrificial platform, who was protected by a heavy guard.

　　The crowded people caused the imperial guards to subconsciously grip their spears tightly, sweat beading on their foreheads.

　　If these people were so crazy, what would they do if they accidentally injured His Majesty?

　　But if they took action and injured these high-ranking officials, they wouldn't be able to bear the consequences afterward.

　　Jiang Chen glanced at the opposing crowd below, his brow furrowing slightly, but he didn't panic. Instead, he gave Jing Yue and the other dark guards a look.

　　The latter quietly flashed away, disappearing into the depths of the night.

　　The imperial relatives and ministers were gathered together, which was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity for the rebellious traitors. Jiang Chen had anticipated that the evening's actions would definitely have accidents when formulating the plan.

　　He was prepared for this!

　　He was just waiting for the other party to come to his door, turn themselves in, and give him their heads.

　　‘Rumble!’

　　The explosion continued to approach, accompanied by a roar…