Chapter 140
Chapter 140: Shocking the Imperial Capital
Upon hearing Li Tian Yi’s words, the queen fell silent, lost in thought. Her brows soon knitted tightly together as she asked, “You mentioned earlier that Li Zhu’s death might be related to the Heavenly Brocade Guard. How could this be? Even if Fu Qi Wen were granted a thousand courages, would he dare to kill a prince?”
Li Tian Yi gently shook his head. “Your servant merely heard rumors. It’s said that before the Third Prince disappeared, he visited the Heavenly Brocade Guard, seeking the Eighth Prince. Shortly after leaving there, he vanished, only to reappear now as a corpse.”
“The Eighth Prince again?” the queen narrowed her eyes, seeming to recall something. Suddenly, she fixed her gaze on Li Tian Yi and said, “I had someone investigate the Eighth Prince’s background and discovered something rather interesting. The one who brought him back from that distant little town was a female constable. Strangely enough, she happens to be Marquis Cang Yuan’s daughter. Don’t you think this coincidence is too remarkable?”
Li Tian Yi didn’t appear surprised by this, calmly nodding. “Your servant was also aware of this matter. It is precisely why I mentioned earlier that I intend to investigate thoroughly into the Third Prince’s murder.”
The queen stared at him for a long moment before withdrawing her gaze. With a dismissive wave, she said, “You decide on how to proceed. My only demand is that everything is resolved clearly before His Majesty emerges from seclusion. After all, a noble consort has died within the palace, and now a prince has met the same fate. Surely, you know better than anyone how furious His Majesty will become when he learns of this.”
Li Tian Yi sighed softly, his expression turning grave. He respectfully cupped his hands and bowed, “Your servant understands and will spare no effort in capturing the culprit.”
“Very well, you may leave. Do not return until you have found the murderer,” the queen said curtly. She then lifted her porcelain cup, intending to sip her tea, yet it was evident she had no appetite for it. Annoyed, she placed the cup heavily back onto the side table.
Li Tian Yi bowed once more and withdrew from Feng Yi Palace. As he stepped outside, he glanced back briefly. Hidden both openly and secretly within the palace were nearly a hundred skilled martial artists. Several elderly eunuchs, in particular, possessed unfathomable martial prowess.
[The queen is truly frightened.]
Li Tian Yi shook his head. Since Consort Ji’s demise, fear had gripped every concubine in the palace. Even the Imperial Palace, which should be the safest place, now felt threatening. One could only imagine their anxiety at this moment.
With news of Li Zhu’s death spreading, an enormous upheaval was imminent across Shang Yang City. Pondering this, Li Tian Yi stood with his hands clasped behind him, gazing toward the gates of the palace, murmuring quietly, “This Eighth Prince is truly intriguing. A mere apprentice from a martial school in a small town, yet he grows more mysterious the closer I look. Just how deeply involved could he be with these incidents?”
In less than half a day, mourning cloth draped every corner of the Third Prince’s mansion. News of Li Zhu’s death quickly spread throughout the Imperial Capital, sending shockwaves through the court and the common folk alike.
Since the founding of Great Li, the events of these few days were unprecedented in the capital.
A noble consort dead in the Imperial Palace, a prince slain in the Imperial Capital.
When these tidings reached the ears of the common folk, they were stunned beyond belief. Some even wondered gloomily whether this signaled the Great Li dynasty’s imminent fall.
Observant people also noticed that, following Li Zhu’s death, security at the remaining princes’ residences multiplied dramatically. Armored soldiers now patrolled constantly outside, blocking access and placing several nearby streets under martial law.
Inside the Great Li prison—
Beneath the dim flicker of oil lamps, Li Zhi stood behind iron bars, facing a middle-aged man who had just finished relaying recent events. Li Zhi’s brow furrowed deeply, his expression strange.
Clearly, he had never imagined that Shang Yang City, seemingly calm as still waters mere days ago, could suddenly undergo such tumultuous upheaval.
“When did such a reckless person appear in the Imperial Capital? A noble consort, and now even a prince, dead. If this continues, is there anyone left they wouldn’t dare kill?”
Li Zhi felt nothing in particular regarding the death of the Third Prince, Li Zhu. [A defeated opponent—if he died, so be it.] What truly surprised him was that someone dared to act so audaciously under the very gaze of the emperor.
This was the most terrifying realization. No sane person would ever act so recklessly, disregarding all consequences. After all, no matter how powerful one’s martial strength, confronting Emperor Yuan Wu and the wrath of the entire Great Li Empire was tantamount to courting death. Even the leaders of the Four Great Sects wouldn’t dare commit such an atrocity openly.
At this moment, the middle-aged man outside the cell, Shen Qi Ming, thought for a moment and spoke carefully, “Your Highness, before I came here, I heard that Third Prince Li Zhu’s maternal grandfather, the Right Chancellor, has joined forces with the Second Prince to surround the headquarters of the Heavenly Brocade Guard. Although details remain unclear, rumor says it’s related to the Third Prince’s death.”
Hearing this, Li Zhi’s expression subtly shifted, though he said nothing. Before Shen Qi Ming’s arrival, an operative from the Shadow Spy Division had already informed him of another critical development: the Heavenly Brocade Guard had abruptly decided to attack Fallen God Peak, one of the Four Great Martial Sects.
If his judgment was correct, Commander Fu Qi Wen was already on his way there.
But in Li Zhi’s eyes, Fu Qi Wen’s move was akin to suicide.
Fallen God Peak’s power was far more formidable than outward appearances suggested. Fu Qi Wen might command the Heavenly Brocade Guard and possess considerable martial prowess, yet Fallen God Peak held at least three masters who could easily kill him.
Even without those supreme masters, if the nine peak lords of Fallen God Peak united, they could effortlessly crush the entire Heavenly Brocade Guard.
Previously, when His Majesty tasked Li Zhi to select one of the Four Great Sects for extermination, he had considered his options carefully. Fallen God Peak was certainly not among them.
[Does Fu Qi Wen genuinely not understand Fallen God Peak’s strength, or is he intentionally seeking death? He even brought along the Eighth Prince…]
Li Zhi’s eyes narrowed slightly. He never intended to move against Li Mu Sheng, yet the prince had willingly involved himself in the Heavenly Brocade Guard’s suicidal mission against Fallen God Peak. Such reckless ignorance could only mean courting death. Li Mu Sheng would have no one else to blame.
Thinking thus, Li Zhi shook his head and glanced once more toward Shen Qi Ming outside the cell, finally asking:
“The matter I entrusted you with previously—has there been a reply yet?”