Chapter 248
Seeing that Emperor Mingxi showed no reaction, he continued, "Luo Yu, the brother of Luo Feng, misused public resources for private gain, lending them to his sibling to serve as a base for an assassin organization. I privately believe that the Cao Gang was unaware; it was solely the doing of Luo Yu himself."
Another official stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I believe Minister Xue is correct. Over the years, the Cao Gang..."
[Master, the person behind this Cao Hu is not only Sima Jing; he has another master, Xiyan, the ruler of Western Qiang.
This time, Luo Feng was acting on the orders of the Fengyu Pavilion from Western Qiang to steal the high-yield potato seeds.
As for capturing you, it was a joint plot by Gan Sheng and Xiyan. They received information that you possess even better things here.
Because the spies' rank was not high enough, they only knew that capturing you would make obtaining the high-yield seeds easy.]
"Do they think that after having sent people to assassinate me before, I would still be willing to cooperate with them?
Little Zhu, if someone really comes to abduct me, we might as well go with them."
[Does Master intend to go personally to eliminate those two?]
"They have made attempts on me several times. What's improper about us taking their lives?"
[Master, mere mortals, even if they are emperors of the mortal realm, are nothing but ants of a slightly higher status. Why trouble yourself to go personally?
Once my divine power recovers a bit, I can take their lives even from thousands of miles away. Please be patient, Master.]
"Alright then. I'm not really one to endure the hardships of long journeys either. When my divine power recovers enough to control an aircraft and soar through the nine heavens, then I might travel to the other kingdoms."
Wu Yong in the crowd: Please take me with you JPG.
He unconsciously sucked in his increasingly plump waist and bulging belly, feeling for the first time in his life the impulse to lose weight.
A gleam flashed in Emperor Mingxi's eyes. Soaring above the nine heavens—how exhilarating that must be!
Places close to the sky, I wonder if other immortals live there.
As for being called an ant or the like, Emperor Mingxi thought that familiarity breeds indifference; he was already numb to it.
These two ancestors can do whatever they please, as long as it's not directed at him.
Master, beyond the five kingdoms that surround Dayan in this world—across the deserts and the Gobi to the west, the oceans to the east, the high mountains and vast marshes to the south, and the grasslands to the north,
there are vast lands and dozens of countries and tribes, with customs, cultures, and cuisines all different from here.
Although this world is much smaller compared to my Lingxu Mountain, it is indeed worth a visit.]
The Dayan monarch and his ministers exchanged glances. There was such a vast world beyond the six kingdoms?
Vast lands—they wanted them!
Abundant resources—they wanted them!
A large labor force—they wanted them!
"By the way, Little Zhu, does Sima Jing know Cao Hu's true background? How much does he know about this operation by the Fengyu Pavilion?"
[Master, Sima Jing naturally knows Cao Hu's background. It was precisely because Cao Hu had Xiyan backing him that he caught Sima Jing's eye.
As for the plans to steal the potatoes and abduct you, he was not directly involved but was aware of them.
The Sima family provided financial support to the Luo brothers through Cao Hu, and the Fengyu Pavilion helped him eliminate rivals.
That Xue Zhipan who stepped forward earlier to claim the Fengyu Pavilion had nothing to do with the Cao Gang is a Langzhong in the Ministry of Personnel, responsible for capital inspections.
He is Sima Jing's man. The information about the potatoes and you was also leaked to Sima Jing through him.
The Dayan branch of the Fengyu Pavilion originated from the Feng family of Western Qiang and is also under their control. Therefore, although Luo Feng is the Pavilion Master of the Fengyu Pavilion, he and his brother Luo Yu sometimes have to take orders from Cao Hu.
The true master of the Dayan Fengyu Pavilion is still the old Pavilion Master, Feng Yang.]
"These relationships are truly tangled! This Xue Zhipan's eyes are shifty. Since he's Sima Jing's man and is also defending Cao Hu, could he be involved too?"
[Master, the world is like a giant chessboard, with intricate connections. Various forces may seem unrelated on the surface, but secretly they are often intertwined.
Take this Xue Zhipan for example. He has indeed secretly pledged allegiance to the Sima family and has received considerable 'tribute' from Cao Hu.
But for money, he didn't just leak information to Sima Jing; he sold the same information to multiple parties.
Youtan, the Tianxing Tower, and even several major noble families in Dayan—he sold them all.]
"I didn't expect that. This man looks unremarkable but actually knows so many channels?"
[Luo Feng's mother, Luo Xue of the Luoxia Mountain Villa, is a close friend of He Qisha from the Seven Swords Manor, and this He Qisha is Xue Zhipan's brother-in-law.
Most of his information about the Jianghu comes from his brother-in-law.
And matters of the court, he informs He Qisha, which then spreads throughout the Jianghu sects.
Thus, there are no secrets in the Dayan court.]
Emperor Mingxi gritted his teeth. No secrets in the Dayan court—it truly lives up to its name as a sieve!
At this moment, he wished he could tear Xue Zhipan limb from limb, but until he thought of a pretext to deal with him, he had to endure a little longer.
"So, because of this Xue Zhipan's promotion, I've become the target of several assassin organizations? He actually dares to trade information about this immortal lord for money.
I'm afraid he'll earn the money but won't live to spend it!"
[Don't be angry, Master. This Xue Zhipan doesn't have many days left to live.]
"Oh? Why do you say that, Little Zhu? This Xue Zhipan looks only about forty. The saying that mortals have short lives refers to commoners. He's an official, well-fed and fat—how could he be short-lived?
Is there something going on? Tell me quickly, I'm dying of boredom at this morning court!"
Everyone immediately pricked up their ears as well, using one ear to enjoy the gossip and the other to listen as this Xue Zhipan and another person loudly extolled Sima Jing's hardships in governing Jiangnan and the Cao Gang's meritorious service in court.
[Master, the day before yesterday, Xue Zhipan secretly met with the Third Star Pavilion Master of the Tianxing Tower. They are old acquaintances, and the meeting place was chosen at the Huichun Pavilion.
During their transaction, they were overheard by the Drunken Rakshasa, who was disguised as a dancing girl. She learned that the Tianxing Tower intended to steal the potatoes.
She then sprinkled the secret drug 'Seeking Fragrance' on them. Just from the name, you can tell this drug is a tracker.
Ordinary people can't smell anything from this drug; even an old hand like the Third Star Pavilion Master didn't notice.
After they left, the Drunken Rakshasa followed the Third Star Pavilion Master and discovered a Tianxing Tower safe house in Shangjing City.]
Drunken Rakshasa! Wei Ping and Cai Xuan exchanged glances. They had been searching for this woman for a long time, and she had escaped right under their noses twice.
They thought the situation was tense and she must have left Shangjing City to lay low for a while, but she never left!
"It's this Drunken Rakshasa again. I heard a while ago that Wei Ping and the others have been looking for this person. She's actually connected to the Xue family too.
They still haven't caught her?"
[Of course not. Master, have I ever told you that this Drunken Rakshasa is of dual nature?]
"Dual nature? You haven't mentioned this before."
[Because the Drunken Rakshasa is of dual nature, Wei Ping and the others only know her female side. They don't realize that each time she escapes, she changes into her male form.]
How infuriating! Wei Ping clenched his fist. While pursuing the Drunken Rakshasa, he had indeed encountered a handsome, elegant scholar.
And Cai Xuan encountered someone dressed as a shop assistant, carrying a food box, clearly out delivering meals for a customer.
The two exchanged glances. After court, they needed to find a painter to sketch the appearances of those suspicious individuals they had seen!