126: Chapter 119: The Anger of the Crown Prince 126: Chapter 119: The Anger of the Crown Prince “Minister Wang, you certainly made us wait a long time!”

A group of generals and dukes suddenly adopted a congenial facade, a stark contrast to their prior complaints, causing the Crown Prince to curse under his breath at these sly old men.

It seemed that whether civil or military officers, those who achieved high positions were often cunning and duplicitous.

“I was delayed by some matters and am a day late, causing the esteemed lords to wait.

For this, I am to blame.” Wang Ye remained as humble as ever.

After welcoming Wang Ye ashore, everyone quickly inquired about the situation inside.

“The message transmitted by General Xu Ming is indeed genuine, it appears there has been no tampering with the contents of the message amidst the fog,” Wang Ye admitted honestly.

“Moreover, while on the river, other than seeing the undead at the riverbed, I did not encounter anyone else.

The mastermind behind this foggy array has hidden very well.”

Upon hearing this, the Duke of Qin nodded, “Minister Wang, how many people do you think we should send to support Nanming Prefecture?”

Wang Ye said, “Currently, the defense forces in Nanming Prefecture are less than eight thousand strong.

Although Lord Mu Hongqing has discovered the pattern of the array and temporarily stabilized the situation, they are sufficient for defense but not for offense.

Even if no new undead emerge from the riverside, we cannot ignore those roaming undead in the countryside.

With the numerous districts surrounding Nanming Prefecture and a population exceeding ten million, if left unchecked, a massive swarm of undead could arise.

We must quickly develop a rescue plan.”

“Minister Wang speaks the truth,” the Duke of Qin acknowledged upon hearing this.

“Although Minister Wang hails from a civil official background, you have given thorough consideration to the strategic situation, truly talented despite your youth.”

“The lord flatters me.”

“And what about the situation in Lyuzhou?” the Duke of Qin shifted the conversation.

Wang Ye’s expression remained unchanged as he spoke earnestly, “Lyuzhou is rather unique…

Although their military strength is meager, the Emperor had made some arrangements well in advance.

The defense forces are not weak, and for now, the situation has stabilized.

In addition, due to the Magistrate Chen Qing’s swift response in rallying the countryside into the city early on, most citizens from the surrounding districts have entered Lyuzhou City and have been safely settled.

They indeed require some support, but the situation there is complex.

So…” Wang Ye narrowed his eyes, “I suggest that General Hong Lie lead the team to support Lyuzhou.”

“Hong Lie?” The Duke of Qin gave Wang Ye a profound look, while the expressions of the other dukes around them were inscrutable.

It was clear that the Emperor had other plans for Lyuzhou, and the Azure Dragon Heritage was likely something the Emperor had long been informed of.

Now, by having Hong Lie, a loyalist to the Emperor, go to Lyuzhou, it was evident he did not want the Duke of Qin’s power interfering.

It seemed that even with Liu Yu gone, this disciple of Liu Yu remained loyal to Emperor Siao…

Unable to hold back, the Crown Prince spoke softly, “Lord Wang Ye, the situation in Lyuzhou is complex, and with the emergence of the Azure Dragon Heritage, if possible, I wish to send Lord Fei Jun to Lyuzhou.”

“Absolutely not!” Both the Duke of Qin and Wang Ye shook their heads in opposition.

The Crown Prince’s expression grew even darker, “Why not?”

“When Lord Fei Jun left the capital, Princess Royale repeatedly cautioned against letting him take risks.

I took responsibility to ensure his safety.

Should anything happen, I cannot explain it to Princess Royale,” the Duke of Qin said.

“The lord is correct,” added Wang Ye.

“The mastermind behind the foggy array remains unidentified, and the appearance of the Azure Dragon Heritage has already caused enough turmoil.

If Lord Fei Jun also goes, with two of the Four Spirit Heritages gathered, it may only add more complications!”

The Crown Prince took a deep breath, but in the end, he did not insist forcefully and instead said in a lowered voice, “Lord Wang, please come with me.

I have some questions to ask you.”

Wang Ye frowned, observing the state of the Crown Prince, he suddenly had some conjectures — could the Crown Prince know?

But that should not be the case.

The Emperor should not have told the Crown Prince about the matter of the bloodline so soon.

Following the Crown Prince to a location not too far away, the Crown Prince signaled to Fei Jun, who nodded and with a wave of his hand, conjured a barrier of flame around the three of them.

Fei Jun focused on maintaining the barrier, while the Crown Prince, with no intention of concealment, went straight to the point and said, “Minister Wang, I ask you, does Lyuzhou…harbor the blood of my Imperial Family?”

This sudden query made Fei Jun, who was controlling the barrier, shudder throughout his body, almost unable to maintain stability.

What does this mean?

Does His Majesty have an illegitimate child in Lyuzhou?

Did he actually know?

Wang Ye’s eyes lit up.

Who had informed the Crown Prince?

What was their motive?

Did they intend to further muddy the waters?

Observing the dark expression on the Crown Prince’s face, Wang Ye silently shook his head; it was no wonder the Emperor had ultimately started to consider a change of heir, seeing how the Crown Prince lacked the patience.

“It is…”

“There actually is one?” The desire to kill in the Crown Prince’s eyes was unmistakable, spreading through the air, “Is it really necessary to go to great lengths to hide in Lyuzhou?

Could it be…”

With such caution, could it be that they’ve inherited the Golden Crow Bloodline?

“As Your Highness suspects.” Watching the Crown Prince in such a hurry, Wang Ye couldn’t help but find it amusing, and to that end, he straightforwardly added, “Indeed, they have inherited the bloodline, and…

it is exceedingly pure!”

Boom!!

The flames of the Golden Crow exploded, startling everyone outside.

What had the Crown Prince asked Wang Ye about to warrant such a tantrum?

Duke of Qin and others pondered thoughtfully, that Lyuzhou…it wasn’t something as simple as just an Azure Dragon Heritage.

Fei Jun, who was controlling the barrier, frowned deeply, “Your Highness, please calm yourself!”

Then he glanced reprovingly at Wang Ye, implying that he was purposefully fanning the flames, wasn’t he?

Fei Jun knew well how narrow-minded the Crown Prince was, having observed him from childhood to adulthood.

As for the Crown Prince’s half-siblings who had inherited the Golden Crow Blood, there were none left in the Harem—it was partly because the Golden Crow Bloodline was challenging to pass on, but there were also numerous incidents where the Crown Prince’s hand was suspected.

The half-brothers and half-sisters who showed exceptional promise as children were often persecuted by the Crown Prince—Fei Jun remembered at least three princes and princesses who died under suspicious ‘accidents’.

Fei Jun himself, being an inheritor of the Golden Crow Blood, was sent down the path of a magician early on by his mother, to avoid suspicion, which led to a relatively good relationship, akin to that of decent cousins, with the narrow-minded Crown Prince.

Yet, he had not expected that after the Empress’ death, the Emperor, who always protected the Crown Prince, would so swiftly entertain other ideas.

However, he had his suspicions as to why; the Crown Prince has been drained of his essence by the Thousand-Faced Fox—which, though not publicly rumored, led to the Crown Prince visiting the Imperial Physician every so often.

Anyone could have guessed there was a problem.

He was almost certain that the Crown Prince faced a significant issue in producing an heir.

Recently, his mother had warned him repeatedly to be cautious around the Crown Prince and to avoid provoking suspicion.

For should none of the Emperor’s new children inherit the Golden Crow Blood, he, as a child of a family allied to the Imperial Family, was at significant risk of becoming embroiled in the battle for succession.

This was not an unfounded anxiety, as bloodline families did not place much importance on surnames.

Being of Siao Family descent and possessing a high purity of Golden Crow Blood, he faced the risk of being adopted over if the Crown Prince were unable to fulfill his duties.

Yet, it never crossed his mind that His Majesty had left a contingency in Lyuzhou.

Now it’s clear, even his own cousin harbored such suspicions toward him; today it became known that a true-blood of the Siao family had emerged in Lyuzhou—him keeping his cool would be a damn miracle!

As expected, in the next instant, the Crown Prince’s cold voice said, “Minister Wang, which side do you plan to stand on?”

“What would Your Highness like me to do?” Wang Ye said with a laugh, “His Majesty has gone to great lengths to protect this new bloodline, with Lady Zi Yue personally guarding it.

Even if I have the heart to pledge loyalty to Your Highness, I don’t have the capability.”

“Father sent Lady Zi Yue to Lyuzhou?” The Crown Prince’s expression grew increasingly gloomy, “Just to protect that bastard?”

Zi Yue, the number one magician, had always been shrouded in mystery, and even he had never seen her.

Unexpectedly, for the sake of a bastard, the court’s top magician had been dispatched!

Truly, what a loving father he had!

A bastard?

Wang Ye secretly snickered, the bastard you speak of seems to be of your own doing….

“If Your Highness has no further matters, this subordinate will take his leave.” Wang Ye said, smiling as he excused himself, but that smile, in the eyes of the Crown Prince, was exceedingly irritating.

“Minister Wang!” the Crown Prince warned coldly, “I advise you…

best not choose the wrong side.”

Wang Ye was speechless.

The Emperor Siao was incredibly cunning, and the Empress was quite a wise person; how could they have raised such a fool for a son?

He was indeed curious; with what this fellow before him knew, what kind of storm could he possibly stir up?

What exactly was the person secretly passing information thinking?

After exiting the array, Wang Ye went straight to the Military Officer Shen Yinian, “My lord, my next destination is Nanyang.

There are some matters I need to discuss with you privately.”

These words made Duke of Qin and others nearby stunned.

The matter in Lyuzhou was one thing, but why did the trip to Nanyang also need a private talk?

Could it be that the Emperor had arranged something in Nanyang?

Shen Yinian himself was taken aback—he could not recall any secret mission from His Majesty that had to do with the Shen Family alone.

Yet he didn’t say much, and after moving aside with Wang Ye, he activated an array.

“Minister Wang, if you have something to say, don’t beat around the bush.

Out with it.”

“To inform my lord, it’s not that this subordinate intends to beat around the bush, but this matter is too crucial to the Shen Family, and I estimate you wouldn’t want outsiders to know.”

“Oh?” Shen Yinian frowned, “What is it exactly?”

“Second Master Shen…

there’s been an incident!”

The usually composed Shen Yinian nearly lost his grip on the array on hearing this, his eyes bulging as he looked at Wang Ye, “What did you say?”

“This is from Magistrate Chen Qing of Lyuzhou City, with testification from Senior Murong Yunji of the Siao Family—there should be no mistake.

Shen Yiyun, Second Master of the Shen Family, was murdered more than half a month ago!”

“This…” Shen Yinian took a sharp breath, struggling to suppress the towering emotions within him and asked calmly, “Do you know who the murderer is?”

“I don’t know…” Wang Ye shook his head, “According to Senior Murong Yunji, the place where Second Master Shen was murdered was just two streets away from her, yet there was not even a reaction to cry for help!”

“Two streets?” Shen Yinian looked incredulous, “That’s impossible!”

Two streets were as good as under the nose for his elder sister-in-law; it was impossible for someone to murder a member of the Shen Family right under Murong Yun’s watch, let alone Shen Yiyun, who was one of the strongest in the Shen Family!

They say he was a once-in-a-century genius for the Shen Family, but when his second brother became famous, he was still in his mother’s womb.

Even his eldest brother, who their father valued the most, treated his second brother with utmost courtesy.

The reason the clan head is the fifth brother now is only because the second brother didn’t want to manage affairs.

“But it is indeed so….” Wang Ye said, “The Second Master died of poison, and in the team of magicians sent to Lyuzhou by His Majesty, aside from Lady Zi Yue, the others were also attacked, including Lord Heiyun, they, too, died of poison!”

“Poison?” Shen Yinian’s eyelids twitched.

“Ninth Master Shen is an Insect Sorcerer as well as a Poison Sorcerer, isn’t he?” Wang Ye asked softly.

“Old Jiu is in Lyuzhou, too?”

Wang Ye nodded, detailing the situation of Old Jiu from the Shen Family, leaving Shen Yinian silent for a long while.

He hadn’t expected that this calamity would also involve the Shen Family.

Now that his second brother and Old Jiu had run into trouble, it was extremely distressing.

He wondered how the fifth one and the others were faring.

“You didn’t pull me aside just to tell me this, did you?” Shen Yinian, regaining his composure, asked.

Wang Ye nodded, his voice low as he asked, “Dare I ask Minister Shen, is Old Ancestor Shen…

studying the Dragon Transformation Technique?”

As soon as those words came out, a towering murderous intent rose in Shen Yinian’s eyes!!

“Minister, best keep your cool…” Wang Ye sighed, “You surely can’t kill your junior in front of so many people, can you?”

Shen Yinian suppressed his murderous intent and asked coldly, “Where did you hear about it?”

The Dragon Transformation Technique, even within the Shen Family, was known to only a few; it was the secret to why Old Ancestor Shen had lived for a thousand years!

“I learned it from the Magistrate of Lyuzhou City,” Wang Ye did not hesitate to sell out Chen Qing.

“Chen Qing?” Shen Yinian’s gaze turned inscrutable, muttering, “Truly an anomaly!”

“Let’s not discuss whether he is an anomaly or not.

I believe his conjectures make some sense.” Saying this, he leaned closer to Shen Yinian’s ear and recited Chen Qing’s deductions.

“What is the background of this young man?

How could he understand so much about the Dragon Transformation Technique?” Shen Yinian’s gaze was perplexed.

Even he himself had limited understanding of his father’s Dragon Transformation Technique.

How could this young man in his twenties know so many secrets?

But if what he suggested were true, it was indeed possible that his second brother…

“I understand…” Shen Yinian took out a jade amulet and handed it over, “Take this amulet with you to Nanyang.

The Shen Family will accord you the same respect as they would me and will comply with your requests.

Whatever you wish to investigate, the fifth will fully cooperate with you.

Regarding what that Chen surnamed lad said, you may investigate, but do not draw hasty conclusions.

Also…

if you’re looking into this matter, be careful.

Trust no one except for the fifth brother!”