If the Meng Family is truly a pawn of the Crown Prince, then this suggests that the Crown Prince tacitly approves of those pirates invading his own country. But the Crown Prince isn't foolish—doing so would only push himself onto a path of complete betrayal and isolation, which is absolutely impossible.

That being the case, the Meng Family must be misleading others—or more specifically, misleading the Imperial Court or even the Emperor.

Then what about Prince Yun? Could this be Prince Yun's handiwork?

Although Yang Ruxin wasn't very familiar with Qi Jingyun, she had interacted with him several times. Setting aside personal prejudices, that man was capable, and indeed ambitious.

Moreover, his mother now holds the Phoenix Seal in the harem. So, anyone aligned with him would naturally want the Crown Prince to fall. However, she didn't believe that man would stoop to conspiring with outside forces to invade his own country.

A man who has fought and killed on the battlefield since childhood, bearing the title of "War God"—how could he possibly allow or tolerate the invasion of his nation?

Of course, this was merely her intuition; it couldn't be considered definitive.

Still, she couldn't shake off the feeling that things were far from simple—that there had to be someone else behind it all.

Imagine, if the Meng Family gets into trouble one day, for example, when their collusion with the pirates is exposed, the Crown Prince would certainly be implicated. And the first assumption everyone would make is that Prince Yun had played a sinister hand, as he would stand to benefit the most at that time…

But the Emperor despises conflict among his brothers. When that day comes, he would surely harbor resentment against Prince Yun, and in such a scenario, wouldn't this be a perfect two-birds-with-one-stone plan?

But then, who is the person executing such a masterstroke?

For now, the only individual she could think of was Prince Han. But if she could think of it, others likely could as well—would such a person leave an obvious loophole like this?

Unable to figure it out, Yang Ruxin decided to stop pondering over it for the moment. However, she would still inform Gu Qingheng and have him investigate Prince Han, to see if there were any other clues to uncover.

The second target to investigate is the Flame Sect.

Regarding the Flame Sect, it is quite renowned in the south. It is said that the Sect Hierarch, named Flame, is an extraordinarily powerful figure rumored to be a disciple of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, possessing a semi-immortal body capable of saving people from dire situations.

"Young Mistress, did you know? The Flame Sect isn't very prevalent in the north, but it's highly sought after in the south. Not only can they treat various complex illnesses, but they also help their believers escape suffering. Moreover, they are considered the Guardian God of the Dasong lineage…"

"What kind of complex illnesses?" Yang Ruxin frowned slightly. "Is it something like replacing people's hearts, livers, lungs, and kidneys?"

"Yes." Du Juan nodded. "As long as one reveres the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, no matter what kind of illness someone suffers from, they can be healed…"

Yang Ruxin's eyes narrowed slightly. It confirmed her suspicions—the kidnapping of children and the creation of those herbalists were indeed the work of the Flame Sect.

"What about the Dasong lineage?" For some inexplicable reason, Yang Ruxin thought of that ancient tomb and the historical figure King Kang.

"Lord Luo said that after the Northern Song Dynasty fell, a Zhao Family offshoot in Zhao Cheng founded the Great Qian Dynasty. However, in truth, King Kang Zhao Gou, who should have rightfully ascended to the throne as the true heir of the dynasty, was instead imprisoned by Zhao Cheng… The Flame Sect supports the Zhao Family's legitimate line, protects the descendants of the Zhao Family's rightful heirs, and adheres to divine will. Once the time is ripe, they will reclaim the empire that belongs to the Zhao Family…"