The news that the Yao Yue Lou's pleasure boat had been wiped out reached the various mansions, and the reactions of their masters varied.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, who do you think made a move against the Yao Yue Lou?" Fu Yao asked curiously.
"Whoever made the move, it has nothing to do with this humble prince." The Crown Prince held his teacup and slowly took a sip. The rampant influence of the martial arts world was not a good thing for the imperial court. Letting them fight amongst themselves would save trouble.
"The Yao Yue Lou had many good things in it. Could it be that someone was jealous of the treasures in the Yao Yue Lou and attacked it?"
"Stupid!" The Crown Prince tapped Fu Yao's head. "If the assailant truly coveted the treasures, they wouldn't have set it ablaze. They would have found a way to snatch them. With such a blaze, the pleasure boat is completely burned. Do you think the things inside could have been preserved?"
"In that case, it must have been an enemy?"
"More or less. The Yao Yue Lou deals in intelligence and specifically auctions off illicit items. When you walk on the path of vice too often, you're bound to encounter trouble." The Crown Prince fiddled with his teacup, a half-smile on his lips. "However, such a vast power, hidden within the imperial capital, is indeed unsettling. It's good that they were annihilated, but the influence of the Yao Yue Lou spans the entire realm. Eradicating them completely would not be an easy feat."
"Your Highness speaks wisely."
Wen Ruyu, fanning himself, looked at Nangong Yu, who was calmly reviewing official documents. He couldn't help but ask, "Did you get involved in this?"
"This king would have liked to get involved, but there was no room for it. We followed them, but couldn't even catch a single escaped fish."
"It seems our future consort was quite furious this time," Wen Ruyu whispered. "Such a grand gesture, aren't you afraid of a major incident?"
"If the matter isn't made public, how can the people behind it be lured out?" Nangong Yu said softly. He had secretly followed last night and watched Xiao Man skillfully command her subordinates to ambush and kill. It reminded him of her in the past—meticulous and cold-blooded.
"Could the master behind the Yao Yue Lou be the State Preceptor?"
"Who knows," Nangong Yu said slowly. "Even if it isn't him, he should know who the owner behind the Yao Yue Lou is. I suspect she already knows."
"You mean, she knows who the mastermind is, and she acted to teach them a lesson?"
"This is just the beginning," Nangong Yu said slowly. "From my understanding of her, if she acts, she will eradicate the roots. The Jiu Yu Lou is a good example." Su Dan Novel Network.
"Could the master behind the Yao Yue Lou be the Crown Prince?" Wen Ruyu asked hesitantly. After all, Xiao Man had been trying to persuade the other princes to join forces against the Crown Prince. Judging by the situation, it could very well be the Crown Prince.
"If the Crown Prince had such a powerful intelligence organization at his disposal, he would not still be the Crown Prince," Nangong Yu sneered. "What worries me now is what role the State Preceptor is playing in all this. Since his disappearance, he has vanished without a trace. His ability to hide is truly formidable."
"Indeed, our men searched everywhere but could not find the State Preceptor's whereabouts."
"Continue searching. The Yao Yue Lou in the imperial capital has been wiped out. I don't believe he can sit still!"
When the news reached the Chu Prince's mansion, Nangong Yan spat out a mouthful of blood. His already pale complexion became even more so. "Your Highness, please take care of yourself."
Nangong Yan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "This king is fine. Were there any survivors at the scene?"
Zhu Yun shook his head. "No, not a single survivor. Even the master of the pavilion was shot dead, and all the goods on the boat were burned. We suffered heavy losses."
"Investigate who did this! This king will have them torn to pieces!"
"We have already sent people to investigate, but Your Highness, we probably cannot make any major moves for the time being. So many deaths will surely attract the attention of the imperial court."
These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head. A cold glint flickered in Nangong Yan's eyes. "Anyone capable of annihilating the Yao Yue Lou overnight in the imperial capital can be counted on one hand."
"Are there that many?" Zhu Yun was somewhat surprised. The Yao Yue Lou's strength was not low. Each stronghold was guarded by countless experts, and the skills of the pavilion master and the two special envoys were unfathomable. Yet, this time, the Yao Yue Lou's stronghold was destroyed, and neither the pavilion master nor the special envoys managed to escape.
"The Yao Yue Lou enjoys a great reputation in the martial arts world, but compared to the imperial court, it is nothing to fear. In the vast imperial capital, to destroy a stronghold of the Yao Yue Lou without alarming anyone is not something an ordinary person can do."
Zhu Yun's eyes darted. "Could it be His Highness Prince Qin?"
"He has the ability, but it's unlikely to be him." Nangong Yan swallowed a pill, suppressing the churning blood qi within him. "Those who could accomplish this are none other than my brothers, the Emperor, the General's Mansion, and the Prime Minister's Mansion."
"The General's Mansion and the Prime Minister's Mansion?" Zhu Yun was confused. If the Emperor acted, it would be easy to silently annihilate a Yao Yue Lou stronghold. But how could the General's Mansion and the Prime Minister's Mansion do it?
"Old fox Wen Chang is not simple. His son, whom he raised himself, is also not someone to be trifled with." A hint of admiration flashed in Nangong Yan's eyes. If Wen Mohan could be used by him, his great enterprise would surely succeed.
"We have no feud with the Prime Minister's Mansion."
"Yes, we have no feud with the Prime Minister's Mansion, nor have we offended the General's Mansion. Who exactly is stabbing this king in the back!"
"Your Highness, could it be the Crown Prince?" Zhu Yun scratched his head and asked. If there was anyone in the vast imperial capital who had enmity with His Highness, it would be the Crown Prince, who, as the heir apparent, was deeply entrenched in the imperial capital. Coupled with the support of the Empress's maternal uncle's mansion, destroying a branch of the Yao Yue Lou would not be a problem.
Nangong Yan's eyes deepened. "Highly likely."
"Then this matter..."
"Do not act rashly for the time being." Nangong Yan rubbed his temples. "The item that person wants has not been found. I don't know if the information is reliable. Has the item been found?"
"No, Your Highness. This subordinate finds it strange. They initially asked us to auction off the Phoenix Bead, and now they want us to get it back. Isn't that redundant?"
"What do you know? The Phoenix Bead was brought out to see how many people coveted it. Now that we want it back, naturally, such an important item cannot fall into the hands of others," Nangong Yan said gently. "However, this king does not understand why the Phoenix Bead would be in Wu You's possession?"
"Our people searched everywhere but did not find the Phoenix Bead. Is the information truly reliable?"
"The message came from that person. It won't be wrong." Nangong Yan tapped his knee with his fingers. "Who does Wu You usually interact with the most?"
"The young monks at the temple. However, we turned the Gan Ye Temple upside down and still couldn't find the Phoenix Bead. Could it be that the Phoenix Bead is no longer at Gan Ye Temple?"