Chapter 298 - 130: Zhao Ci Falls into the Dream-Eating Gu Trap, the Saintess Tearfully Sacrifices Her Eldest Son

Chapter 298: Chapter 130: Zhao Ci Falls into the Dream-Eating Gu Trap, the Saintess Tearfully Sacrifices Her Eldest Son

「After the morning court session.」

「In the Imperial Study.」

Zhao Huan still looked as ancient as ever, his body slightly hunched as he bent over his desk, reviewing memorials.

From time to time, he would summon ministers to question them.

He was as diligent in his rule as he had been in his youth.

But his fatigue was becoming more and more apparent.

When it was time for lunch, he ate in the Imperial Study, as was his custom.

Two simple stir-fried dishes and a small bowl of white rice—a characteristically frugal meal.

When he was halfway through his meal, Eunuch Li hurried over. However, he didn’t dare disturb Zhao Huan’s meal and simply stood quietly to the side.

Only after Zhao Huan finished eating at his own unhurried pace did Eunuch Li quickly present him with a warm, damp towel.

Then, he spoke in a low voice, "Your Majesty, word has come from the Imperial Clan Court. We’ve found the movements of those Demon Sect villains!"

"Oh?"

Zhao Huan was slightly surprised. "So quickly?"

His surprise was genuine.

Ever since the Demon Monarch’s failed assassination attempt in the palace, the Demon Sect had been a thorn in the Court’s side.

The Demon Sect’s survival to this day was only partly due to the diminished threat after losing their Demon Monarch.

The main reason was that the vermin were far too skilled at hiding.

The cost of annihilating them completely would far outweigh the benefits.

Even after the incident in the Northern Three Prefectures, when the Imperial Clan Court launched a massive roundup of Demon Sect members, they only managed to destroy one branch and capture a group of low-to-mid-level members.

Granted, with a branch destroyed, the Demon Sect had suffered heavy losses.

But it was far from a crippling blow.

It was clear just how good these people were at hiding.

Just a few days ago, the Imperial Clan Court had discovered traces of Demon Sect members in Lingge and even killed several of them, but they couldn’t figure out their intentions.

’How many days has it been, and they’ve already figured it out?’

Eunuch Li nodded. "Yes!"

Zhao Huan asked coolly, "What are they planning?"

Eunuch Li quickly presented a list. "They appear to be monitoring certain individuals. This is the list of suspected targets compiled by the Imperial Clan Court. They say the Demon Sect members seem to have their sights set on the Junior Officials in Lingge."

"Junior Officials?"

Zhao Huan’s brow furrowed slightly. He took the list and examined it closely. It was densely packed with several hundred names, followed by their age, place of origin, and the year they became officials in Lingge.

The last page of the list included a summary, stating that there was nothing particularly special about these Junior Officials.

The only commonality was that within each group of potential targets, one was always a newcomer from the recent Prefecture Examination.

The speculation was that the Demon Sect might intend to harm these people.

Zhao Huan looked thoughtful and smiled faintly. "It must have been quite difficult to identify so many suspected targets, wasn’t it?"

Eunuch Li understood his implication and quickly replied, "Prince Gong says that the Demon Sect members have been careless in covering their tracks recently. He suspects there’s a traitor in their midst intentionally leaking their movements to us. Prince Gong has ordered his men to stand by and has cleared up all the suspicious activities we’ve uncovered, awaiting Your Majesty’s command."

A half-smile played on Zhao Huan’s lips. "That boy, Lao Qi... his insight is getting sharper and sharper."

Eunuch Li smiled and flattered, "It is all thanks to Your Majesty’s excellent teaching!"

Zhao Huan gave a noncommittal response and simply asked, "What do you think has gone wrong within the Demon Sect?"

"If Your Majesty’s guess is correct, and the Demon Monarch is truly about to return..."

Eunuch Li’s expression turned grave. "This incident is most likely another round of internal strife within the Demon Sect, stemming from disagreements on how to deal with the Demon Monarch. I cannot guess the specifics, Your Majesty, but Lady Jing... she should be the one helping us."

Zhao Huan nodded slightly, clearly agreeing with this view.

If Gu Xiangzhu hadn’t killed so many people last time, he never would have connected the matter to the Demon Sect and the Demon Monarch.

After this latest development, he was almost certain that Gu Xiangzhu was the one resisting the Demon Monarch.

’But...’

’What exactly is the Demon Monarch’s situation right now?’

’It feels as if this person has appeared, yet not completely.’

’The entire Demon Sect is fighting over him, but he himself has yet to show his face.’

’So why are they targeting these Junior Officials?’

Zhao Huan didn’t know the internal reasons, but he could guess that the Demon Monarch was far from his peak strength.

Eunuch Li asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, how should we handle these people?"

Zhao Huan said coolly, "Let Lao Qi have a free hand. The priority is to maximize the Demon Sect’s casualties. If necessary, some of the Junior Officials can be sacrificed."

"Yes!"

Eunuch Li nodded firmly.

Zhao Huan closed his eyes to rest for a moment, then suddenly asked, "You just came from the Imperial Clan Court. What is the current situation with the competition between the mansions?"

Eunuch Li quickly replied, "All the mansions are currently doing their utmost. The Ninth Prince’s Mansion and Prince Ying’s Mansion are neck and neck, but they still can’t quite keep up with the Tenth Prince’s Mansion."

"Oh?"

Zhao Huan was somewhat surprised. "And what if we disregard the achievements of the Pill Workshop?"

Eunuch Li sighed with emotion. "I am already disregarding the Pill Workshop’s achievements. It is as if the Tenth Prince has suddenly become enlightened. In cultivation and strategy alike, he is now a dragon among men!"

He then recounted the performance of the Tenth Prince’s Mansion in great detail.

But after listening, Zhao Huan was not pleased.

Instead, his brow furrowed.

He had previously allowed Zhao Ci to establish his own mansion merely to chasten the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince.

Later, when he saw Zhao Yong and Zhao Xie neglecting their duties, wanting to set aside their grudges to suppress Zhao Ci together, he had intervened. He did so only to make the two factions fight each other, which in turn gave Zhao Ci a chance to develop in peace.

It was just that Zhao Ci was developing far too quickly.

If he continued this unstoppable momentum, the powers behind the Crown Prince Faction and the Fourth Prince Faction would probably stop trying.

’What’s the point of a whetstone if you let it sit idle?’

Zhao Huan’s brow furrowed slightly. "The next time Zhao Yong and Zhao Xie return, summon them to the Imperial Study."