Chapter 182 - 126: Crown Prince: Brother Quan Fu, What Are You and the Imperial Princess Doing?!

Chapter 182: Chapter 126: Crown Prince: Brother Quan Fu, What Are You and the Imperial Princess Doing?!

Fa’an Temple’s back mountain ended at a steep cliff.

Zeng Anmin merely gave it a cursory glance before losing interest and heading down the mountain. He wore a long blue-green scholar’s gown today, concealing his sharp aura amidst the verdant mountains. His pace was steady, neither fast nor slow. As he walked, a thoughtful light flickered in his eyes.

Consort Xi.

Mr. Huang.

Ren Weizhi.

These three names gradually connected into a single line in Zeng Anmin’s mind. He could sense that the series of cases that had occurred recently must be heavily tied to Consort Xi.

"But what is her motive for orchestrating this chain of cases one after another?" Zeng Anmin wondered, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes. By now, he had reached the foot of the mountain.

Assuming Consort Xi was indeed the mastermind behind the scenes, what exactly was she trying to achieve by committing so many crimes? First of all, as evident from Lou Tong’s poisoning case, she colluded with the Eastern Sect and hid the green-bellied snake in the capital. This also proved that she was colluding with the Demon Race. Ren Weizhi served as her accomplice in all of this.

"So what does she actually want?" Zeng Anmin recalled his father’s words. "Consort Xi comes from a noble background. If it’s purely for wealth..."

Zeng Anmin remembered that Lou Yingqi had suffered this great calamity because he held evidence of the Ministry of Revenue’s Ren Weizhi, Prince Qi, and Consort Xi embezzling disaster relief funds. If the mastermind behind the scenes was Consort Xi, this reason would be far too flimsy. After all this effort, sacrificing so many lives, just to embezzle some money?

Ridiculous.

Zeng Anmin shook his head, scattering this line of thought from his mind. Looking at the green-roan horse at the foot of the mountain, he mounted it without any change in expression.

"Hyah!"

With a soft shout, the horse raised its front hooves and set off down the main road. Right now, he needed to gather more intelligence and clues regarding Consort Xi, as well as this Mr. Huang. A sharp glint flickered in Zeng Anmin’s eyes. As for where he could get the most direct understanding of Consort Xi... His gaze turned toward the direction of the Imperial Palace.

"Should I seek out the little fatty?" Zeng Anmin rubbed his chin lightly as he rode. However, the moment this idea surfaced, he immediately rejected it. "No, not after Ren Xueliang exposed the little fatty’s identity in the Imperial College. The little fatty has already become the center of attention in the palace. It definitely wouldn’t be good to visit him at a time like this."

Zeng Anmin pondered for a while, and a peerlessly magnificent figure slowly surfaced in his mind.

"Could it be that I have to seek out the Eldest Princess?" he wondered. "Well, it’s not impossible..."

Zeng Anmin raised an eyebrow and touched the Jade Pendant at his waist. Cracks had already appeared on it. He figured he must currently be a primary person of interest for the Eldest Princess, who also served as the greatest backer his father could ally with in the court at this moment. It was safe to say that ever since their meeting at the Liu Mansion, the relationship between their two factions had developed into an extremely reliable alliance.

"Perfect. I’ll give the Eldest Princess an opportunity to show concern for her subordinate."

Taking off the Jade Pendant at his waist, he tucked it securely into his robes. Having made up his mind, he hesitated no further and headed straight toward the Imperial Palace.

In the Imperial City’s Yongning Palace.

The Eldest Princess held a confidential missive in her hand. It was densely packed with several lines of small, neat characters. She looked at the letter indifferently, the corners of her lips unconsciously curling into a satisfied smile.

"The Dragon Inspection Map... the scholar case... Qi Xianlin... King Jiang’s rebellion case.

"The downfall of Prince Qi... the poisoning of Lou Yingqi’s son...

"Zeng Liangjiang... sixteen years old... comprehended the two intents of ’Calligraphy’ and ’Archery’ after entering the Imperial College. Once he steps into the Sixth Grade of the Confucian Dao, he can directly condense a Dharma Aspect and break through to the Fifth Grade...

"A peerless genius of the Confucian Dao."

Looking lightly at the letter, she muttered softly, "Neither father nor son is simple.

"Heh, this is for the best... They can be of use to me."

With that said, she gently tossed the secret letter into a nearby brazier, watching as the paper slowly turned into a pile of ashes. Then, the Eldest Princess slowly stood up, fully displaying her exceedingly proud and voluptuous figure.

"Strike the bell," she ordered slowly.

The Palace Maids standing nearby all responded with extreme reverence, "Yes, Your Highness."

The Eldest Princess stepped out of the room and into the courtyard. Before long, a clear DING DING of the bell echoed through the courtyard.

Although the little green-roan horse was not a premium steed, it was more than enough for traveling around the capital. It didn’t take long for Zeng Anmin to arrive at the gates of the Imperial City.

As the capital’s final line of defense, the Imperial City was naturally built to be extremely formidable. After dismounting, Zeng Anmin looked up at the towering walls that stood over ten zhang high, as well as the robust patrolling guards and their well-fed horses. His mind flashed back to the Illusion Array Examination he had participated in at the Eastern Palace, and the scene of Prince Qing leading an attack. He still had no idea how that bastard had managed to fight his way in.

"Please, right this way."

Seeing the extremely respectful Garrison approach him, Zeng Anmin unconsciously straightened his posture. "That’s right, I am now the Eldest Princess’s man," he thought smugly.

"Thank you," Zeng Anmin said with a chuckle. He took back the Token the Garrison had inspected and returned it to his Preparation Space.

After their meeting at the Liu Mansion, the Eldest Princess had given him two things in total. One was the Jade Pendant at his waist, which had already saved his life once. The other was the Token he had just put away, which allowed him free entry and exit to the Imperial Palace at any time, granting him direct access to the Eldest Princess’s Yong’an Palace.

Following the Garrison all the way into the palace, Zeng Anmin took several winding turns. Had it not been for his excellent memory, he probably would have gotten completely lost in the maze of palace paths.

It was huge.

Far too huge.

The sheer expansiveness of the Imperial Palace felt no less than that of Liangjiang Commandery’s County City.