Chapter 500
Chapter 500 The Disposal
"Indeed, there is no other way." The Emperor nodded solemnly. "We shall select ten young men of good moral character within our great Hua Empire and present them to the Goryeo princess. She may choose among them, and I shall grant titles and rewards accordingly. What does Master Gu think of this?"
The plan was sensible, and Gu Shunzhang had no objections. He nodded with a smile, and thus the matter of the marriage alliance was settled. Many in the palace felt regret for Lin San, especially those who knew of his relationship with the princess. However, they also admired his wisdom. When it came to weighing the significance of the Goryeo princess against the Great Hua princess, Lin San had clearly made the right choice.
Though he had refused a woman for seemingly no reason, Lin Wanrong's feelings of regret were lessened when he thought of the sincere affection he shared with Qingxuan and Xian'er.
Once everyone had composed themselves, the old Emperor scanned the room with piercing eyes, his voice suddenly grave. "The reason I have convened all of you for this royal council meeting is that something of great importance has occurred within our court—"
The room fell silent at his words, like a clap of thunder reverberating in their ears. In this sensitive and uneasy moment, the expressions of the officials were solemn, and no one dared even to cough.
The Emperor sighed, his eyes sharp as he locked onto Chen Biqing. "Minister Chen, you are the imperial censor, and you have been investigating this case with Lin San. What exactly has happened? Speak quickly."
Chen Biqing's face turned pale, and he had an inkling of why the Emperor had chosen him and Lin San to conduct the investigation.
"Your Majesty, honored officials, under the Emperor's orders, Lin San and I have been investigating the arson at the royal mansion and the disappearance of Prince Cheng," he reported, his voice quivering, his forehead slick with sweat. "Lin San, with his keen intellect, discovered a secret underground chamber in the lake behind the royal mansion during our investigation—"