Chapter 139: Dad’s Bewilderment

Jianhong’s expression was exceedingly grim.

His voice was piercingly cold as he cast a glance at the eunuch beside him. “Summon Lou Yingqi to the hall!”

His tone carried a bone-chilling frost that brewed a suffocating atmosphere, weighing heavily on everyone’s hearts.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Not daring to delay, the young eunuch jogged out of the hall.

The matter at hand was of grave importance. It was so severe that even the Profound Array Department could not bear the consequences. No matter how formidable Celestial Master Xu was, he wouldn’t risk universal condemnation to shield his disciple.

Inside the grand hall, the suffocating silence lingered. Everyone stood in place, waiting quietly as time ticked by.

Finally, under the young eunuch’s guidance, Lou Yingqi slowly appeared in the imperial court.

“I pay my respects to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty.” The moment he entered, Lou Yingqi bowed respectfully to Jianhong.

Emperor Jianhong slowly met Lou Yingqi’s lowered head, his voice deep and resonant. “I hear that Lou Tong has been cured of his poison?”

Lou Yingqi kept his gaze fixed straight ahead and replied respectfully, “To answer Your Majesty, with the help of Director Bai, the culprit has been found, and my son has been saved from the brink of death.”

“Who is the culprit?” Emperor Jianhong stared at him unblinkingly.

“It was a Seventh Grade Cyan Viper.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire court fell into dead silence.

Emperor Jianhong slowly closed his eyes. Beneath his Dragon Robe, his hands tightly gripped the armrests of the dragon throne as myriad thoughts drifted through his mind.

This matter could be treated as something major or minor. If blown out of proportion, it would implicate the lives and fortunes of hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of officials in the Capital City. If minimized, it was simply a case of the Demon Race refusing to give up their wicked ambitions, attempting to murder an official of the Holy Dynasty.

However, Prince Qi had just fallen, and a batch of officials had already been thrown into the Imperial Prison. If they probed any deeper into this case, would the Capital City even survive the upheaval?

Quickly, Emperor Jianhong weighed the pros and cons in his heart. Yet, he could not be the one to say it. If the words came from his mouth, the imperial family’s dignity would be completely swept away.

So, who was the most suitable person to speak up? Emperor Jianhong slowly swept his gaze across the assembled ministers. Anyone his eyes landed on immediately lowered their heads in silence.

At this moment, no one dared to step forward and define the nature of the case. Once the verdict was set, if old accounts were ever dug up in the future, the person who spoke would be the first to fall!

For a time, the entire court was plunged into deathly stillness.

Suddenly, a loud THUD echoed through the hall.

Lou Yingqi threw himself to his knees, his voice a sorrowful wail. “Your Majesty! The Demon Race harbors malicious intentions, seeking to trap me in injustice! I beg Your Majesty to uphold justice for me!”

The officials were all taken aback by his outburst. They realized who was the most suitable person to define the nature of the case. Who else could it be but the victim himself?

Even Emperor Jianhong paused for a moment. As he stared at the wailing Lou Yingqi, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

“The Demon Race!” Emperor Jianhong seized the perfect excuse, his voice dripping with incomparable coldness. “Sooner or later, I will settle the score with them!

“Rest assured, my beloved Minister Lou, I will never chill the hearts of my subjects! Nor will I chill the hearts of the common people!”

Lou Yingqi looked up with hope, tears of gratitude shimmering in his eyes. “Your Majesty is wise and brilliant!”

“Mm.” Emperor Jianhong nodded slowly.

The court officials also let out a collective, quiet sigh of relief. The case was formally closed just like that. As for whether His Majesty would investigate secretly in the shadows—what did that have to do with them?

“My beloved ministers, is there anything else to report?” Emperor Jianhong asked expressionlessly, looking at the crowd.

Meeting the Emperor’s gaze, Zeng Shilin slowly stepped forward. “To answer Your Majesty, the position of Northern Commander of the Imperial City Department is currently vacant and needs to be filled as soon as possible. The security of the Capital City cannot be left in disarray for even a single day.”

Upon hearing this, several figures in the court narrowed their eyes.

The position of Northern Commander of the Imperial City Department supposedly had nothing to do with Zeng Shilin. No matter whose turn it was to speak, it was certainly not his place to bring this up.

But the previous Northern Commander was Prince Qi, and it was Zeng Shilin who had advocated for Prince Qi’s downfall. Which faction did Prince Qi belong to? The Eunuch Faction! He was the number one general under the Imperial City Director, Ji Qing.

Currently, Director Ji Qing was away from the court, leading troops to suppress the Demon Race in the Northern Territory. Therefore, Zeng Shilin was seizing this exact opportunity to speak out. The Eunuch Faction could not be allowed to plant their people in the position of Northern Commander again.

Right after he made this proposal, the current Chief Minister, Li Zhen, slowly stepped forward and bowed. “To report to Your Majesty, Minister Zeng’s words are absolutely correct. All security in the northern part of the Capital City is under the jurisdiction of the Northern Commander. If no one assumes the post soon, I fear it will cause chaos.”

Seeing Li Zhen step forward, the old man’s lips curled up slightly. After bowing respectfully, Zeng Shilin retreated to his original spot.

As long as his goal was achieved, that was enough. He had spoken up for one purpose and one purpose only: to ignite a conflict.

“Does the Elder have a candidate in mind?” Li Zhen held immense weight in the court, so Emperor Jianhong naturally sought his advice first.

“I do not have one for now,” Li Zhen shook his head and retreated to his position as well.

Emperor Jianhong’s gaze then shifted to Zeng Shilin. “Minister Zeng, since you raised this proposal, I presume you already have someone in mind?”

Standing among the crowd, the old man feigned surprise and shook his head blankly. “I was merely worried about the security of the Capital City. As for a candidate… I don’t have one for now.”

“Is that so?” Emperor Jianhong remained expressionless. “The position of Northern Commander is of vital importance. As a Cabinet Scholar, Minister Zeng has a duty to advise. Proposing a few names for my consideration would also be fine.”

The old man pretended to think for a moment before replying, “Hmm… I believe it would be best to promote someone from among the Directors. After all, the Directors are already familiar with the affairs of the Imperial City Department, which would make handling matters much more convenient.

“If you must force me to choose, I think Bai Ziqing would be the most suitable.”

The old man naturally knew that his precious son and Bai Ziqing had already formed an unbreakable network of connections.