"What does His Majesty mean by this?"
Shangguan Lin's words were choked with anger. He couldn't quite agree with the Emperor's methods.
He could tolerate it before, but now he realized that the Emperor often went to any lengths to achieve his goals.
He wondered if Ximen Yao had provoked him, which was why he was being treated this way. Even if the assassin had entered Qingfeng Pavilion, it didn't mean Ximen Yao was guilty.
Furthermore, if someone could easily kill the Northern Crown Prince's subordinate, they must have high martial arts skills. How could they have been discovered by Song Yuan? The implication was obvious, and he didn't believe his Imperial Brother couldn't understand this.
"The assassin entered Qingfeng Pavilion, which is surely related to Ximen Yao. With the continuous secretive events in the palace, besides the deeply calculating Ximen Yao, who else do you think it could be?"
Shangguan Yao reprimanded Shangguan Lin righteously, his eyes cold as they fixed on Prince Lin.
"Ximen Yao's martial arts are unfathomably profound. Song Yuan and the palace guards are likely no match for him. Imperial Brother, it would be best for you to go with Song Yuan to apprehend the culprit."
After issuing his command, Shangguan Yao did not even glance at Shangguan Lin's grim expression and turned to leave with a group of eunuchs.
Behind him, Song Yuan called out loudly, "Your subject obeys the decree." After the Emperor left, Song Yuan stood beside Shangguan Lin with his guards and cautiously asked, "Your Highness, this matter?"
The Prince's mood was clearly terrible. Although Song Yuan and Shangguan Lin had a good relationship, he dared not say much at this time.
Shangguan Lin stared coldly in the direction his Imperial Brother had left, unable to speak for a long time. Forcing him to capture Ximen Yao was something only his Imperial Brother could do.
Ximen Yao was someone he had painstakingly found and brought into the palace himself. Now, being told to arrest him was a great embarrassment.
Although he had suspected Ximen Yao, tonight's incident was clearly a conspiracy. He refused to believe that the Emperor, being so astute, would not understand this.
Ye Wuyun, who had been watching the scene unfold from behind Shangguan Lin, calmly stepped forward and dismissively uttered a cold remark.
"Serves you right, you brought it upon yourself."
With that, he led his subordinates past Shangguan Lin from behind and left the palace without so much as a glance.
In the darkness, Shangguan Lin's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. A ferocious chill emanated from him as he gritted his teeth and yelled, "Ye Wuyun?"
However, the receding figure paid him no mind. Song Yuan, standing beside him, shivered slightly and took a step back, awaiting his command. After a long moment, Shangguan Lin waved his hand and ordered, "Let's go, head to Qingfeng Pavilion to arrest the person."
In the study of Jingfu Palace.
Shangguan Yao's handsome, sculpted features were cast in a layer of cold frost. The glazed palace lamps illuminated his dark pupils, which were filled with a sinister, bloodthirsty gleam. His lips were pressed into a tight line as he reclined on the soft couch behind the desk.
Below him stood two lean, tall men, standing expressionlessly and unmoving in the study, awaiting the Emperor's questioning.
These two were Shangguan Yao's secret dark guards, appearing and disappearing like phantoms. Even the Empress Dowager was unaware of their existence; they were Mingyue and Mingri.
"How is it? Who exactly was that assassin?"
Shangguan Yao's cold voice rang out. He had secretly deployed these two dark guards into the palace long ago, lurking in the shadows and monitoring the movements around Qingfeng Pavilion.
Mingyue, clad in dark brocade, respectfully cupped his fist and replied, "Reporting to Master, your subordinate saw several assassins. The leader seemed to be someone by the Empress Dowager's side, a woman named Jiaye."
As the Emperor's dark guards, Mingyue and Mingri were well aware of everyone in the palace, thus they recognized Jiaye, who served by the Empress Dowager's side.
"Jiaye."
Shangguan Yao's pupils darkened. He knew of the woman named Jiaye; she possessed formidable martial arts skills and had always been working for his mother.
However, he never dreamed that his mother would send her to kill Yan Yu's subordinate in order to frame Ximen Yao.
Did she not realize that such actions could easily lead to a rupture in relations between the two countries? Or did she believe that with Ximen Yao as a scapegoat, it would suffice no matter what?
Although he currently agreed with her viewpoint that Ximen Yao should be eliminated, as this person could not be controlled and thus must be removed.
He already knew that he intended to get rid of Yun Mo. If this matter were leaked, he would be seen as a despicable Emperor by the world. Moreover, he was extremely intelligent; keeping him around was a threat.
However, upon thinking of his mother's unilateral actions, her willingness to go to any lengths to eliminate someone, Shangguan Yao, as Emperor, could not turn a blind eye. His face grew grim, and without a word, he coldly waved his hand, "You may both withdraw, and ensure no one discovers you."
"Yes, Master."
Mingyue and Mingri acknowledged and retreated.
In the study, Shangguan Yao closed his eyes slightly, his slender brows furrowed tightly. His thick eyelashes fluttered intermittently, indicating that he was not resting but deep in thought.
The assassination of Yan Yu's subordinate was carried out by Jiaye and her associates, clearly under the Empress Dowager's orders.
As for the others, they were likely Ye Qingtian's subordinates. He had always been subservient to the Empress Dowager, doing anything she asked without question or reason.
The more Shangguan Yao thought, the darker his expression became. How many people would he have to contend with? What treacherous currents lay beneath the imperial power? A ruthless resolve surged within him.
He would surely advance towards the center of power step by step. This hard-won imperial throne would not tolerate even a shred of infringement. His eyes snapped open, revealing a crimson hue, and he coldly called out, "Xiao Tingzi."
Xiao Tingzi rushed in from outside, running in with trepidation, "Your Majesty."
"Rest."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Xiao Tingzi breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out His Majesty merely wanted to rest, which had startled him. He quickly came over to attend to his master and escort him back to his sleeping quarters to rest...
The night was dark and heavy, devoid of stars or moon.
Apart from a few wisps of dim light filtering through the corridors, there was no other illumination. Yun Xiao, accompanied by Wanwan, Xiuxiu, and the young ones Xiao Yuan and Xiao Zhao, returned to Jinhua Palace.
Along the way, eunuchs and palace maids occasionally passed by. Yun Xiao, with a mischievous grin, playfully startled these eunuchs and maids, causing them to immediately stand at attention, respectfully and cautiously, their eyes fixed on the ground, daring not to glance sideways lest they invite trouble.
Recently, the "foolish" Empress's glorious deeds had spread throughout the entire harem. She dared to confront both the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, so these minor figures wisely kept their distance.
Yun Xiao wore an innocent and harmless expression, her clear, watery eyes darting from one person to another. Finally, she magnanimously let these palace maids go and walked past with her retinue.
As soon as she had gone, the eunuchs and maids behind her simultaneously let out a sigh of relief, rubbing their shoulders and shaking their arms as if they had endured great hardship. One young eunuch reminded the others, "Let's go quickly, the Empress won't come back, will she?"
As if pursued by wolves, they scurried away. Yun Xiao, however, had not walked far. She could still faintly hear the young eunuch's words from a distance, and couldn't help but look back. The dim glow of the palace lantern illuminated her face, casting an obscure shadow, with only a smile gracing her lips.