Faced with the aggressive Li Feng, Emperor Xia was furious but couldn’t let it show.
Although Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion didn’t have as many soldiers as Prince Zhenxi’s Mansion, it controlled 400,000 troops in the Northern Territory, including 150,000 elite Wind Snow Cavalry. They constantly clashed with the Northern Desert Iron Cavalry, and their combat strength was not to be underestimated.
Furthermore, the northern defensive line stretched for thousands of miles. If Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion had any rebellious thoughts, the Northern Desert Da Kuo Royal Court would surely take advantage of the weakness. The consequences would be unimaginable.
Emperor Xia could only say, "Rest assured, General Li. I have already identified the true culprit and will announce their identity soon. I will capture them as quickly as possible."
Li Feng raised an eyebrow. "Oh? May I ask, Your Majesty, who is the culprit? Is it truly the Da Kuo Royal Court and the Southern Barbarian Hundred Races?"
Emperor Xia fell silent for a moment, then picked up a file from his desk and handed it to Li Feng. "Please, General, take a look."
The file detailed the properties of the Broken Yang Pill, a unique and bizarre poison from the Southern Barbarian Hundred Races. The victim’s Yang Meridian would gradually wither, leading to the complete loss of male function, effectively turning them into a eunuch. It was also a recent creation of the Southern Barbarian Hundred Races.
It also included several testimonies from spies, claiming to have seen agents from the Da Kuo Royal Court meeting with palace eunuchs, and Southern Barbarian Witch Doctors frequently active along the border... There was a considerable amount of such miscellaneous information.
"Your Majesty means to say," Li Feng said after reading, a sharp glint in his eyes, "that according to your evidence, the matter concerning the Third Prince was a joint effort between the Northern Desert and the Southern Barbarians?"
Emperor Xia said in a low voice, "It’s not just the Third Prince. The Fifth Prince was also poisoned with the Broken Yang Pill. The method of the attack on the Empress also bears similarities to the Southern Barbarian Witchcraft and Gu Skill. Therefore, I suspect this is a meticulously planned conspiracy by the Northern Desert Da Kuo Royal Court and the Southern Barbarian Hundred Races, intended to destabilize my Great Xia from within and create chaos, so they can launch a full-scale invasion to pillage our lands in the future."
In truth, he might not have fully believed his own words. However, in his view, there was over a ninety-percent chance that the Da Kuo Royal Court and the Southern Barbarian Hundred Races were the masterminds; only some of the details might be wrong.
At this moment, he needed an enemy—one that could temporarily divert the attention of Prince Zhenxi’s Mansion, Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion, and the Celestial Treasure Pavilion.
The Northern Desert and the Southern Barbarians were undoubtedly the best targets. The possibility of their involvement was the highest, and a growing body of related evidence seemed to prove it.
Li Feng grew pensive, seemingly somewhat convinced.
’Based on the evidence, it does point to an external enemy and seems to have little to do with an internal one.’
’Besides, I’ve investigated thoroughly. None of the other Princes or Princesses have the capability to pull off something of this magnitude.’
’But I’m a veteran of the battlefield. My instincts tell me it’s not that simple. There must be something else going on here.’
’However, since Emperor Xia is willing to offer an explanation and point the finger at the Northern Desert and the Southern Barbarians, this might not be a bad thing for Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion. And even if the Northern Desert and Southern Barbarians weren’t directly responsible, they must be connected to it somehow.’
’The Prince’s Mansion could then justifiably demand that the Imperial Court send troops for revenge, use the opportunity to expand our army, request provisions and funds, and even seize more power and resources in the Northern Territory.’
"I understand. I will report Your Majesty’s words to the Prince and Princess, word for word," Li Feng said, cupping his fist in a salute.
Emperor Xia relaxed slightly. "Thank you for your trouble, General."
After seeing Li Feng off, Emperor Xia hadn’t even had a moment to catch his breath when a eunuch came to report, "Your Majesty, Chief Shopkeeper Qian Wanguan of the Celestial Treasure Pavilion requests an audience."
Emperor Xia’s head throbbed. He knew this was about the Fifth Prince, Xia Wushang. After all, the Celestial Treasure Pavilion was Xia Wushang’s maternal family.
The Celestial Treasure Pavilion was a business behemoth in the Great Xia Dynasty, its wealth rivaling that of the entire nation. It controlled over ten percent of Great Xia’s silver coin circulation and more than twenty percent of its various trades.
The Fifth Prince, Xia Wushang’s, maternal grandfather was the previous Pavilion Master of the Celestial Treasure Pavilion. Although he had since retired behind the scenes, his influence remained astounding, and he held a pivotal position within the Pavilion.
It was said that if he encountered the right opportunity, this old Pavilion Master might even glimpse the Extraordinary and step into the True Monarch Realm.
Qian Wanguan was the current Chief Shopkeeper of the Celestial Treasure Pavilion and also Xia Wushang’s grand-uncle on his mother’s side. His status in the Pavilion was revered.
This man was over two hundred years old, with a portly figure, a round face, and small eyes. He was always smiling, looking like a genial merchant who valued harmony to make a fortune, seemingly posing no threat.
But Emperor Xia knew that behind that smiling face was a terrifying power capable of mobilizing hundreds of millions in silver and controlling the nation’s economic lifeblood. He absolutely could not underestimate it in the slightest.
"Send him in," Emperor Xia said wearily. He knew the next conversation would be unpleasant.
Qian Wanguan entered the hall with a measured stride, dressed in exquisite silks and satins. He wore six Gemstone Rings on his ten fingers, exuding an overwhelming air of wealth. Furthermore, these were no ordinary Gemstone Rings; they were all High Level Mortal Artifacts or better, each possessing a different effect.
He smiled and bowed. "This humble merchant, Qian Wanguan, pays his respects to Your Majesty."
"Shopkeeper Qian, there is no need for such formalities. Are you here about the Fifth Prince?" Emperor Xia said with a wave of his hand and a broad smile on his face.
Qian Wanguan’s smile didn’t waver, but his eyes held no warmth. "Your Majesty is wise. I watched the Fifth Prince grow up. Now that he has met with such a disaster, the old Pavilion Master is grief-stricken. He has been bedridden for days, unable to eat or sleep well. Everyone at the Celestial Treasure Pavilion, from top to bottom, is filled with righteous indignation. We are determined to get justice for the Fifth Prince, find the culprit, and subject them to death by a thousand cuts."
He paused, still smiling, but his next words sent a chill through Emperor Xia’s heart and made his face darken. "The Pavilion’s Elders have discussed this. If the Imperial Court cannot capture the culprit soon, then I’m afraid the thirty-six Celestial Treasure Pavilion branches in the Northern and Western Territories will have to close temporarily. After all, the world is not at peace, and business is hard to conduct."
He uttered the two words "close temporarily" lightly, as if they carried no weight.
But Emperor Xia knew what this meant. The Celestial Treasure Pavilion controlled the trade lifelines between Great Xia, the Western Regions, and the Northern Desert. Once their branches closed and the trade routes were cut off, not only would the Imperial Court’s tax revenue plummet, but the provisions, funds, and armament supplies for the Border Army would also be jeopardized. This, in turn, would cause problems for Great Xia as a whole.
What was even more terrifying was that if the Celestial Treasure Pavilion were to secretly fund Prince Zhenxi’s Mansion and Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion... even his own position on the throne might become unstable.
"Shopkeeper Qian, are you threatening me?" Emperor Xia’s voice turned cold as he stared indifferently at Qian Wanguan.
Qian Wanguan bowed, his smile unwavering. "I wouldn’t dare. I am merely stating the facts. The Celestial Treasure Pavilion is in the business of making money, and we seek stable and profitable routes. Now that even the Fifth Prince has been harmed within the palace, we humble merchants are terrified. We don’t dare to continue our business."
This was killing with a soft knife—the hardest to defend against and the most difficult to handle.
Emperor Xia stared at Qian Wanguan’s smiling face, wishing he could cleave him in two with a single sword strike.
But he couldn’t. For now, he didn’t dare. The wealth of the Celestial Treasure Pavilion was the lifeblood that kept Great Xia running. If they truly fell out, the Imperial Court probably wouldn’t last long, and the consequences would be dire.
Finally, Emperor Xia gritted his teeth and said, "I already have clues. A mountain of evidence indicates that this was the work of the Northern Desert Da Kuo Royal Court and the Southern Barbarian Hundred Races. Shopkeeper Qian, you may also look at the relevant evidence. Therefore, I have decided to dispatch troops to the Northern Desert and launch a punitive expedition against the Southern Barbarians. We will avenge the Fifth Prince, the other Princes and Princesses, and the Empress, and make the Northern Desert and the Southern Barbarians pay a sufficient price."

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