"Speak!"
As soon as Qingyu steadied himself, Ye Lingyuan's furious roar exploded in his ears.
"Your Highness, Physician Immortal Yu Chan wishes to take her leave and bid you farewell in person."
The oppressive atmosphere in the study caused fine beads of cold sweat to break out on Qingyu's forehead.
"Who leaked it?"
Ye Lingyuan's voice was chillingly cold.
While his return to the manor wasn't deliberately hidden, only his trusted confidants knew.
Tonight was the full moon, and his whereabouts were absolutely not to be revealed to anyone at this time.
"Your Highness, this..."
Qingyu was hesitant to speak.
Although that person hadn't directly revealed the Prince's whereabouts, they had given Physician Immortal Yu Chan some hints.
"Speak!"
Ye Lingyuan's cold shout echoed again.
"Your Highness, your return to the manor was not leaked by anyone."
Qingyu chose to withhold that matter, giving that person another chance.
After all, though that person was a bit loose-lipped, they were not betraying their Prince.
"Qingyu, are you tired of being the commander of the First Division?"
A cold glint flashed in Ye Lingyuan's eyes.
Qingyu's expression hadn't escaped his notice.
The fact that someone could make Qingyu choose to conceal for them meant they were no ordinary person.
Qingyu hastily knelt and said, "Your subordinate would not dare!"
Ye Lingyuan's eyes, dark and luminous, fixed on Qingyu with his piercing gaze.
Qingyu was drenched in sweat, suddenly feeling as though he had been seen through.
His heart was in turmoil, but in the end, a flicker of determination appeared.
Ye Lingyuan's voice grew even colder, and then he slammed the table, shouting towards the study door, "Qingfeng!"
Qingfeng appeared swiftly in the study and knelt on one knee, "Your subordinate is here!"
"Effective immediately, you are in full charge of Yemei!"
Qingfeng was taken aback and looked at Qingyu in confusion.
Yemei, the foremost assassin organization in the Three Kingdoms, along with the foremost intelligence organization Yechu, were powers secretly cultivated by the Prince.
And Qingyu had always been the head of Yemei.
Now, Ye Lingyuan suddenly handing Yemei over to him for management was equivalent to dismissing Qingyu.
Coupled with the palpable chill emanating from the Prince, it wasn't difficult to guess that Qingyu had made a grave mistake.
"Hmph?"
Ye Lingyuan, not receiving a response from Qingfeng for a long time, lowered his voice by another three degrees.
Qingfeng quickly regained his senses, clasped his fist, and said, "Your subordinate obeys!"
It wasn't that he lacked loyalty, but the Prince's decisions never changed due to anyone's pleas.
If there was anyone in this world who could change Ye Lingyuan's decision, it would only be Zi Linling.
Ye Lingyuan waved his hand at Qingfeng.
Qingfeng understood and withdrew from the study.
Ye Lingyuan's sharp gaze fell back on Qingyu and he said, "Go and complete the handover with Qingfeng, then go to the execution chamber and receive one hundred lashes."
Qingyu breathed a sigh of relief. He knew the Prince was not going to pursue the matter further.
Although he had been dismissed from his post, he bore no resentment.
"Yes! Your Highness, your subordinate takes his leave!" Qingyu said, turning to exit.
"Come back!" Ye Lingyuan's voice lacked some of its sharpness.
Qingyu, filled with apprehension, knelt again and asked, "Does Your Highness have further orders?"
"After you receive your punishment, go directly to the Zi residence and secretly protect the Princess Consort! If there are any further slip-ups..."
Thinking of Zi Linling, a hint of tenderness flashed in Ye Lingyuan's eyes, only to be quickly submerged by sternness.
"Your Highness, please rest assured, if there are any further slip-ups, your subordinate will present his head!"
Qingyu vowed with conviction.
However, he hadn't expected that the task Ye Lingyuan was now assigning him was so crucial. And precisely because of this, his position could be considered a demotion in appearance but a promotion in reality.
"Go!"
Seeing his demeanor, Ye Lingyuan's voice softened again.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Qingyu bowed and retreated from the study.
Ye Lingyuan gently took a painting from a scroll tube. As the scroll unfurled, the chill on his body rapidly receded.
The woman in the painting smiled faintly, turning her head. Who else could it be but Zi Linling?
"Qingyu, you will coordinate all overt and covert resources to protect her!"
Qingyu paused for a moment, then bowed again, "Your Highness, please rest assured! As long as Qingyu lives, no one will be allowed to harm the Princess Consort in the slightest!"
Ye Lingyuan nodded and said, "Go!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
After confirming that Ye Lingyuan had no further instructions, Qingyu went to find Qingfeng.
Ye Lingyuan caressed Zi Linling's lips in the painting, and the smile on his face instantly bloomed.
Two breaths later, Ye Lingyuan's icy voice echoed from the study, "Have Qingdian come to see me immediately!"
"Yes!"
A shadow guard responded and vanished from the spot.
"Send word to Situ, telling him to summon Bai Yuchan back to the valley quickly!"
"Yes!"
Another shadow guard responded and vanished from the spot.
Ye Lingyuan's fingertips traced Zi Linling's eyebrows in the painting and he said, "Lin'er, although I cannot clip your wings or blunt your edges, I will clear the obstacles for you!"
"The Zi family of the Empire? It's best not to touch my bottom line, or I won't hesitate to erase you from the map of the Azure Dragon Empire!"
Then, he carefully rolled up the painting and began to read the official documents on his desk.
A moment later, Qingdian appeared in the study.
She knelt on one knee, clasped her fist, and bowed, "Greetings, Your Highness. May I ask why Your Highness has summoned your subordinate?"
Ye Lingyuan did not look up and said coldly, "Qingyu is no longer the commander of Yemei."
Qingdian was stunned. She had already heard this news on her way here.
She didn't know what had happened in the study, and naturally didn't know what mistake Qingyu had made.
And now, she couldn't understand why Ye Lingyuan was telling her this.
Qingdian tentatively asked, "Your Highness, may I ask about Commander Qingyu..."
Ye Lingyuan put down the brush in his hand and looked at Qingdian with cold eyes, "Because of you!"
"?"
Qingdian looked bewildered. What did this have to do with her?
"Bai Yuchan!"
Ye Lingyuan reminded her.
In fact, the moment Qingyu chose to grit his teeth and remain silent, he had already guessed.
However, he didn't understand why Qingdian had done this.
Qingdian's body stiffened, and she changed to kneeling on both knees, saying in trepidation, "Your Highness, please investigate!"
"Investigate?"
Ye Lingyuan sneered, "Are you saying that the news of my return to the manor wasn't leaked to Bai Yuchan by you?"
Qingdian's face turned deathly pale.
She dared not deny it, nor did she wish to deny it.
She dared not because if Ye Lingyuan said this, he must have had evidence or found clues.
And she was unwilling because she did not want to deceive Ye Lingyuan in any way.
"Your subordinate will accept whatever punishment Your Highness deems fit!"
She stubbornly refused to explain.
The reason she had hinted at Bai Yuchan was because Bai Yuchan harbored the same feelings for Ye Lingyuan as she did.
And her intention was to test whether Ye Lingyuan would fall in love with anyone other than Zi Linling.