Murong Chong turned his head to look at Murong Yingxue. It was rare to see her not being willful, so he nodded slightly and spoke softly.
"Yingxue, go rest. I'll be fine. I promised Godfather I would take care of you, and I will."
At this moment, Murong Yingxue didn't think about whether she was treated as a sister or a woman. As long as her Brother Murong was well, she was content.
"Mm."
Murong Yingxue nodded, and the others' eyes were also a little red.
Murong Chong waved his hand, signaling Murong Yingxue and Ximen Yao to leave. "You two, go out."
Ximen Yao then helped Murong Yingxue out. Truthfully, the young lady hadn't rested for many days. Now that the Palace Master had returned, she could finally relax and rest.
When only the three of them remained in the room, Murong Chong flipped over and stood up. He glanced at Zhui Feng and Zhui Yue, then spoke in a cold, biting tone, "I'm going into the secret chamber to recuperate my cultivation. You two guard me."
"Yes, Palace Master."
Cloud Water Villa had a secret chamber specifically for cultivation. The walls of the chamber were inlaid with a lot of extreme ice. Ordinary people would not be able to bear it if they entered.
However, cultivating in this secret chamber had the effect of improving internal power. Moreover, within Cloud Water Villa.
There was a peerless martial arts manual, the Six Meridian Divine Heart.
This was a manual for cultivating internal energy. It had the functions of repairing and enhancing internal power. When his Godfather died, he told him that this manual was hidden in a secret compartment within the secret chamber, and didn't say anything else.
Now that his internal power was damaged, if he wanted to recover quickly, he could only cultivate this Six Meridian Divine Heart manual.
Murong Chong entered the secret chamber and did not come out. Zhui Feng and Zhui Yue dutifully guarded outside, never leaving.
The next day, the people of Cloud Water Villa learned of this. Everyone could only wait quietly.
One day, two days, three days...
Several days passed, and Murong Chong still did not appear. Everyone couldn't help but worry. However, Zhui Feng and Zhui Yue said that their master had been in this state before. When he cultivated, he would enter a state of oblivion, so they told everyone not to worry.
However, at this time, Shangguan Lin and Yi Yuxuan returned. They had inquired about the news.
Yun Xiao was not kidnapped by the Emperor that night. This news made Yun Mo breathe a sigh of relief, but he was still anxious. If Xiao'er was not in the Emperor's hands, who had taken her away? Without any news of her, how could a father rest assured? Even Yun Zhen had no news.
However, Shangguan Lin brought back another piece of news that made Sima Qingyun very happy.
The two of them entered the Prime Minister Sima's residence and took away all of Prime Minister Sima's family, hiding them.
Now, even if Shangguan Yao remembered to deal with the Sima family, he probably wouldn't be able to find them.
Within Cloud Water Villa, there was a sudden mix of joy and sorrow.
However, everyone was waiting for news. All matters could only be planned after Murong emerged from the secret chamber. If his cultivation had truly recovered, they would immediately rush to the capital. This matter should not be delayed any longer.
...
In the imperial palace, although the Emperor still held his morning court, the ministers could see that the Emperor's complexion was very haggard and he seemed to lack energy.
All the court officials couldn't help but worry. Within the Eastern Qin realm, there had been no wars recently, nor any natural disasters or adverse weather. Why did the Emperor look so unwell?
Could it be a health problem? However, who dared to openly discuss this matter? Strangely, the usually sickly Lord Ye had begun attending morning court, which was another surprising event.
In Jingfu Palace.
Shangguan Yao leaned powerlessly on the soft couch. There was no one in the hall, only the bronze double-eared tripod burning incense, filling the vast hall with a captivating fragrance.
The hall was silent.
The colorful brocade cushions made Shangguan Yao's complexion appear even paler. Dark circles were visible beneath his eyes, indicating his sleeplessness. He looked haggard and uneasy.
Ye Qingtian, dressed in a dark purple robe, stood in the center of the hall. His charming and deep features were etched with heartache as he slowly spoke.
"Your Majesty, why be troubled? Things haven't reached that dire a point. We can still find a way to salvage the situation."
"How to salvage it?"
Shangguan Yao opened his eyes, his irises a deep red, with a hint of ferocity.
"Take back the Ministry of War and kill Lan Qinglun. Now we can appoint our own people to control the military power."
Ye Qingtian spoke calmly. He was now completely on his son's side. If he didn't help him now, he would only be waiting to die.
"Killing Lan Qinglun might not be easy. What if the Tiger Tally is not in his hands? If we do this, it will only draw the attention of the ministers. Without the Tiger Tally, it's all in vain."
"Does Your Majesty forget Lord Ye? He has always been in charge of the Tiger Tally. We can have him forge a fake one. Then, with this fake Tiger Tally, we can bring elite troops from cities near the capital for backup. Don't forget, this world originally belonged to the Shangguan family. If we were to fight, harming those common people, even if Murong Chong were to regain the throne, it would be a heavy blow to him. Moreover, those common people would surely complain. Even if we don't fare well, he shouldn't expect to either."
A sinister cold glint appeared on Ye Qingtian's face. The usually elegant and refined man revealed extreme ruthlessness.
A spark flashed in Shangguan Yao's eyes. He repeatedly nodded in agreement, "Good. You handle this matter."
"Yes, your humble servant obeys."
Ye Qingtian clasped his hands and prepared to withdraw. Then, he stopped as if remembering something and turned back to Shangguan Yao, "Your Majesty, I heard the Empress Dowager is ill. Your Majesty should go and see her."
Unexpectedly, the usually sickly person's eyes suddenly widened, and he spoke fiercely.
"Why should I go see her? She deserves to die. It's already my limit not to have killed her. Is she still my mother? She is no longer."
Ye Qingtian sighed but said nothing more. He turned and strode away.
They were only thinking of dealing with that person now. Who would care about that woman? If they were killed, it was all that woman's fault.
Who knew that fate would have other plans? When Ye Qingtian rushed to the Ye family, he heard the tragic news.
Ye Siyuan had been murdered in his home. The killer was none other than the famous courtesan Zi Chan. The murderer was caught on the spot, but it was confirmed that this Zi Chan was Ye Siyuan's lost daughter.
As for how the Ye family dealt with the murderer afterward, Ye Qingtian was completely uninterested. He only felt enraged. It seemed that everything was going wrong now, and he was being constrained everywhere. In a fit of anger, he ordered the arrest of the Minister of War, Lan Qinglun.
In the secret prison, Lan Qinglun was subjected to torture. Ye Qingtian personally carried out the torture, forcing Lan Qinglun to hand over his military power. However, Lan Qinglun was not someone who feared death. With a cold smile, he spoke loudly.
"This is your fate after the 'rabbit is dead and the hound is cooked.' There's no need to waste your breath. If you want to kill me, kill me. If you want to flay me, flay me. The Tiger Tally is not in my hands."