Chapter 31: Wu Weizhong Has Disappeared

"Let us leave the matter of Mr. Ling Donglai at that," the Emperor Cang said, his tone seemingly casual.

The Emperor had already informed himself regarding Ling Donglai. Five years ago, Huangfu Yuwei had petitioned him for a supreme treasure of the imperial house, the Red Sun Pellet, specifically to neutralize the Nine-Leaf Blood Linglong within the Wang family. The Emperor was well aware of these circumstances. Furthermore, over the years, Huangfu Yuwei had requested vast resources from him, and he had granted them all.

Even among monarchs, there exists familial affection, yet in the heart of a sovereign, certain things are held more precious than kin—precious enough that one might sacrifice familial bonds without hesitation. Moreover, the Emperor felt a sense of guilt toward Huangfu Yuwei, and though those treasures were rare, he had never been stingy with her.

Combining this with the situations of Liu Yunxiu and Ning Buqi, the Emperor had roughly surmised that these resources were linked to the newly emerged Celestial, Ling Donglai. The Nine-Leaf Blood Linglong and the other resources were undoubtedly used for his benefit. Of course, the Emperor was only partially correct; in the memories implanted by the System, the Nine-Leaf Blood Linglong had indeed been used by Ling Donglai, while Huangfu Yuwei had used the Red Sun Pellet to absolve Wang Yu of the crime of stealing it. As for the remaining resources, they had been expended on the Eight Swords of King Yue.

Hearing the Emperor’s directive, Liu Yunxiu and Ning Buqi ceased discussing Ling Donglai. With their superior having spoken, they dared not disobey. Long years at the side of a monarch had taught them exactly when to speak and when to feign ignorance.

"Your Majesty, I have an urgent matter to report!" Ning Buqi knelt again, performing a salute. In his heart, he silently cursed Liu Yunxiu as an old fox.

"What is it?" the Emperor asked without lifting his head, seemingly captivated by the memorial in his hands.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, while investigating Mr. Ling Donglai, I unexpectedly discovered... I discovered..." Ning Buqi stumbled, rearranging his words, his voice dropping to a somber tone. "I discovered that Young Master Wang Yu was subjected to a large-scale assassination attempt while traveling to the capital!"

"Who was responsible?" The Emperor’s voice was flat, devoid of any discernible emotion.

"Judging by the weapons left at the scene, one group appeared to be mountain bandits and outlaws, while another utilized equipment belonging to the Imperial Guard. We also found remnants of numerous damaged heavy crossbows! There were also signs that several Grandmaster-level martial artists had been active in the surrounding forest," Ning Buqi said cautiously, already contemplating how to proceed.

After all, the next part was the truly troublesome aspect. If handled poorly, he could easily draw the Emperor's wrath.

"The Imperial Guard, heavy crossbows, and multiple Grandmasters?" The Emperor seemed to take a sliver of interest, his pen moving lightly across the memorial as he asked with a faint, enigmatic smile, "What else did you find?"

Hearing that specific tone, a cold sweat broke out on Ning Buqi's back. Having served the Emperor for so long, he knew all too well that this was the demeanor the sovereign adopted when truly enraged.

"Your Majesty, according to a joint investigation by Minister Liu Yunxiu and myself, three hundred soldiers from the Third Battalion of the Imperial Guard secretly left the capital some time ago. Recently, the battalion commander, Zuo Pinglai, announced that these three hundred soldiers had been dismissed and replaced by others."

Hearing Ning Buqi lump him into the statement, Liu Yunxiu felt a surge of annoyance; this was a blatant attempt to drag him into the fray.

"Furthermore, the three Venerables of the Worship Hall—Chen Zishu, Chen Zili, and Chen Ziyi—previously announced they were entering seclusion. However, Minister Liu and I unexpectedly discovered that these three had long since left the capital, and their whereabouts remain unknown!" Ning Buqi paused, but braced himself to continue.

"Even the Worship Hall is involved! I fear those three will never return," the Emperor looked up, casting a cold, piercing glance at Liu Yunxiu and Ning Buqi, his expression thoughtful.

Although Ning Buqi had not explicitly stated that the signs of the Grandmasters belonged to the three from the Worship Hall, the Emperor had clearly grasped the underlying implication. As for the comment that they "would never return," since Wang Yu was under the protection of a Celestial-level powerhouse like Ling Donglai, they were indeed gone—or more accurately, they were dead.

"Was it the Crown Prince, the Eldest, or the Third Prince who did this?" The Emperor returned to his emotionless state and questioned Ning Buqi.

To mobilize the Imperial Guard and also command the Venerables of the Worship Hall—only a handful of people in the capital were capable of such feats. The affairs of the capital could not escape the Emperor’s ears; the conflicts between the princes and the entanglement between the Crown Prince and Wang Yu were all clear to him, allowing him to quickly narrow down the suspects.

"I dare not say!" Ning Buqi lowered his head slightly before speaking.

"It wasn't your doing, speak!" The Emperor stared at him for a moment before looking back down, a hint of displeasure creeping into his tone.

"According to my investigation," Ning Buqi paused again, "the Crown Prince's confidant, Wu Weizhong, had been in contact with Commander Zuo Pinglai and the three Venerables before the incident occurred!"

"The Crown Prince did it?" the Emperor murmured softly.

Neither Liu Yunxiu nor Ning Buqi dared to respond to this. They both knew perfectly well which remarks were safe to engage with and which were not.

The Emperor shook his head slightly. He did not wish to dwell on it further. None of his sons were simple characters, and he could not immediately discern who was truly behind the plot. On the surface, the Crown Prince was the prime suspect, with many clues pointing directly at him, but what lay buried in the shadows? Who could truly know?

"Is there anything else?" The Emperor asked impatiently, noting the hesitant look on Ning Buqi’s face. These old men were never straightforward.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Wu Weizhong has vanished!"

"Vanished?" The Emperor smiled slightly. This made the situation even more interesting.

With Wu Weizhong missing, his sons were suspects, but so was Wang Yu. To the mastermind, Wu Weizhong’s disappearance ensured the secrecy of the plot, burying the truth he sought to hide. To the other princes, capturing Wu Weizhong would provide a chance to uncover the truth, earn the favor of the Eastern-Pacifying General’s estate, and strike at the true mastermind. As for Wang Yu, he had even more reason to snatch Wu Weizhong away, if only to find out who had tried to kill him.