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Chapter 162 The Prince Case

Looking at Fan Caiyi's appearance, Su Daoshan couldn't help but look away guiltily.

From the conversation between Xie Xunbai and Fan Caiyi, he vaguely guessed that the information he provided might have inadvertently caused some trouble to this senior sister.

"Wanchang City... and we still need scholars..."

Su Daoshan was thinking in his mind, and suddenly remembered the first time he met Fan Caiyi, he heard her mention that the Dao Seed of Wen Dao that he had obtained seemed to be prepared for a secret realm plan that she had been planning for a long time.

"Could it be that she was talking about Wanchang City?"

The atmosphere was silent for a while. Xie Xunbai and Meng Qiaofu looked at each other, both of them had a headache.

They are the ones who know the relationship between the secret realm in Wanchang City and Fan Caiyi the most, and they also know the meaning of this incident to this girl with a strange life experience and countless hardships since childhood. But now...

The two exchanged glances and made a decision.

Xie Xunbai said to Fan Caiyi, "Caiyi, you will not be joining the extermination of refugees this time. You have just entered Daoshan, and the situation is chaotic now. You should just stay in Yishan City. In case anything happens, you will have someone to take care of you."

"I..." Fan Caiyi was caught off guard and opened his eyes wide, "Stay in Yishan City?"

She suspected that she had heard it wrong. But as soon as she thought about it, she understood... Han Gu had the intelligence of Wanchang City, and after communicating with the military, he would definitely get involved in Wanchang City. The Fifth Uncle asked her to stay in Yishan City to completely exclude herself, so as to avoid any problems at that time...

Fan Caiyi's pretty face flushed red, and she said angrily, "No, I want to go."

"The master's decision must not be violated." Xie Xunbai said with a stern face.

Fan Caiyi angrily cast his gaze towards Meng Qiaofu: "Fourth Master..."

Woodcutter Meng looked at Xie Xunbai with a confused look, and then seemed to understand something. He sighed, looked up at the sky with a helpless look, pretending that he heard nothing.

This scene made Su Daoshan almost laugh out loud.

He finally understood that this fourth uncle he had just met, although rough in appearance, was actually the most cunning and liked to pretend to be a good person.

Before, when he fought with Ma Wenrui of Yunjing Sect, he sent Bao Shouyi to him as a whetstone to hone his martial arts skills, and the other party was very grateful. Now, it was clearly him and Xie Xunbai who exchanged glances to make the decision, but he looked helpless and blamed others.

Xie Xunbai coughed awkwardly and looked at Su Daoshan: "Your Senior Sister Fan will live in your house these days. It will be convenient for her to teach you martial arts."

As he spoke, Xie Xunbai took out two jade tokens of martial arts techniques and handed them to Su Daoshan, "These two martial arts techniques are also unique skills of Han Valley. One is called Ice Armor Technique, and the other is called Wind and Snow Pulse Cutting Technique."

"Ice Armor is a defensive technique. When you practice it to the extreme, it can greatly enhance the body's defense. The muscles and skin will be as hard as iron, and it is difficult for swords and guns to penetrate. And the Wind and Snow Pulse Cutting Technique is a small close combat technique. It can cut off the opponent's qi and blood and control the opponent. These two techniques were originally intended to be passed on to you after you have mastered them. But now that you have mastered the previous four techniques, you are qualified to practice them."

Meng Qiaofu, who was standing by, also seemed to have recovered his hearing. He nodded and said with a smile, "It is always good to have many skills. If you can learn quickly, learn more. If you encounter a tough opponent, you will have more ways to defend yourself."

"Yes." Su Daoshan took it respectfully, not knowing whether he was happy or worried. He was happy because he had two more unique skills in his hand, and it sounded like they were highly complementary to his previous four skills. He was worried because he didn't expect these two uncles to hand over the hot potato of Senior Sister Fan to him.

"Living in my house means that I am asked to help look after her. But if I let her teach me martial arts, how can I live a good life?" Su Daoshan made up his mind that he would go back and serve this lady well, and then stay away from her. He must not give her a chance to vent her anger.

Su Daoshan thought about it, hesitated for a moment, and said: "In addition, I have something else to report. Although it is a private matter, it concerns the safety of family relatives, so..."

"What's the matter?" Xie Xunbai said, "Just tell me."

"Disciple received news that the Kyoto Investigation Bureau sent a man named Sun Zheng to Xiazhou. Now he has arrived near Beijun and contacted some evil sects. It seems that he wants to harm my family..." Su Daoshan said.

"Detective Bureau?" Xie Xunbai and Meng Qiaofu looked at each other and frowned.

Xie Xunbai said coldly: "They are persistent."

Su Daoshan was observing the expressions on the side and keenly discovered that although Xie Xunbai and Meng Qiaofu frowned, they did not seem to care. It seemed that they neither took it to heart nor were they surprised at all.

Thinking about this, Su Daoshan put on an appearance of respectful inquiry and asked, "I wonder which great god in the capital has the Su family offended to the point that the Investigation Bureau has to be mobilized..."

Su Daoshan knew that the Su family's affairs were not a secret. If families like the Mi family and the Zhou family knew about it, it would not be too difficult for Han Gu and Xie Xunbai to find out. Even if they didn't know it before, they would definitely know about it after becoming Han Gu's direct disciple.

Sure enough, after hearing Su Daoshan's question, Xie Xunbai looked a little surprised: "You don't know?"

"I have never been worldly-wise... Although I grew up in the Su family, family affairs have always been handled by the adults, and I have rarely been involved," Su Daoshan said with a bashful bow, "Please help me, uncle."

Unworldly...Xie Xunbai and Meng Qiaofu looked at each other with strange expressions.

This kid appears dull on the surface, but actually he is smarter than a monkey. If he is not worldly-wise, then there are probably few people in this world who are worldly-wise... Of course, they don't know that Su Daoshan is actually another soul. They just think that this kid has been pretending since childhood and they deliberately didn't ask.

"This is not a secret..." Xie Xunbai said, but turned his head to look at Fan Caiyi. Su Daoshan followed Xie Xunbai's gaze and saw Fan Caiyi turning away with a cold face.

"Look at the expressions of Fifth Uncle and Senior Sister Fan... Could this matter have something to do with Senior Sister Fan?" A thought suddenly flashed through Su Daoshan's mind.

Xie Xunbai sighed and said to Su Daoshan, "Do you know about the prince case fifteen years ago?"

"I've heard a little bit about it, but I don't know the details." Su Daoshan said respectfully.

The Crown Prince case mentioned by Xie Xunbai is well-known in Xi State. This case happened fifteen years ago and the content is very simple. It is said that the late emperor was critically ill at that time and the Crown Prince was supposed to succeed him. However, the night before the late emperor died, he suddenly issued an edict to depose the Crown Prince and ordered him to be imprisoned. Then he passed the throne to the third son, who is now the emperor.

The reign title was Yongtai.

As the saying goes, the fewer words, the bigger the matter. Once this case came out, everything turned upside down overnight, and the series of huge and profound changes that followed still affect the mainland's situation today.

However, although the matter was known to everyone, the specific details were top secret after all, and it was difficult for ordinary people to know the inside story. This was even more so for Su Daoshan. His original personality was dull, so he could only read books and not care about worldly affairs, so he only heard about this great change.

When he was speculating about the troubles of the Su family, Su Daoshan had guessed through various clues that this might be related to the case. Because his grandfather Su Jingyan resigned from office and returned home shortly after the new emperor ascended the throne when the case broke out. Now, when Xie Xunbai mentioned it, it was indeed true.

Xie Xunbai pondered for a moment and said, "Speaking of this case, among the four sons of the late emperor, the eldest and third sons were both legitimate. They were also the only two candidates qualified to inherit the throne. The eldest son Qin Weisheng was both civil and military, generous and kind. He was made the crown prince thirty years ago and was deeply supported by civil and military officials. His prestige in the army was also very high. In particular, the Fiery Army of the four field armies followed him in his battles and was loyal to him. It is not an exaggeration to call them his personal army..."

Su Daoshan listened, and his mind moved slightly. Xiazhou was one of the defense areas of the Fiery Army. Yishan City had a battalion of the Fiery Army stationed there all year round. He had watched them grow up, but he didn't know that the Fiery Army had such a relationship with the former crown prince.

"…Since ancient times, the eldest son has been the orthodox lineage. In addition, Qin Weisheng himself was born in the Yunyin Sect, one of the four super sects. He has outstanding talent and noble character. He has been favored by major sects early on. Therefore, in the eyes of many people, there is no suspense in the fight for the throne."

Xie Xunbai said this, sighed, and continued.

"But I didn't expect that on September 19, fifteen years ago, the night before the late emperor passed away, everything turned upside down. The eldest son Qin Weisheng was deposed, and the third son Qin Weixuan, who had always been unpopular, ascended to the throne..."

"Why?" Su Daoshan asked in confusion. The dethronement of the crown prince was not uncommon in history, whether in this world or the world he came from. But training a crown prince for more than ten years and then dethroning him at the last minute was simply unheard of and unseen. Not to mention how important the position of crown prince was, a single move would affect the entire body, affecting the imperial power and the family's rise and fall. Just to say that it was a denial of the late emperor himself as his father.

The affection between father and son, the education cultivated over many years, vanished in one day. Which father would make such a decision?
Therefore, in Su Daoshan's opinion, the former prince must have committed an unforgivable crime.

However, Xie Xunbai smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying, "Who knows? Not only do you want to know the truth, but all the major sects, noble families, and the military also want to know..."

Su Daoshan's heart skipped a beat, and he asked in shock, "Is there not even an explanation?"

Xie Xunbai shook his head silently.

Su Daoshan's pupils dilated slightly. He didn't expect such an answer.

You know, since the new era, the human world has been torn apart. Humans gather in cities that are not poisoned by the phantom fire, relying on city walls and exorcism arrays to survive. It is called a country, but in fact it is just a union of isolated cities.

Under such circumstances, the power of the emperor is very limited. Otherwise, the imperial family, the clans and the noble families would not rule the world together. This also means that even the throne of the emperor is not decided by the late emperor alone. When all the major forces in the world have reached a consensus, it is fine to suddenly overturn the heir who everyone has recognized, but at least give an explanation...

If there is not even an explanation, then what basis of trust is there between each other?

Thinking of this, Su Daoshan realized that his previous understanding of this world was still too shallow. He originally thought that this was already a cruel and chaotic world, but he didn't expect that the situation was much more complicated than he imagined!

"Then our Su family..." Su Daoshan asked.

Xie Xunbai looked at Su Daoshan with a strange expression on his face, and said, "Originally, your grandfather Su Jingyan was from the line of the third prince Qin Weixuan..."

"Oh?" Su Daoshan opened his mouth wide. He had never expected this answer. When Xie Xunbai mentioned the case of the crown prince, he had already made a rough guess in his mind. He thought that if there was anything wrong with the Su family, they must have been on the wrong side. But he didn't expect...

Before Su Daoshan had digested this information, he saw Xie Xunbai's expression getting more and more strange, and he said: "However, it is said that the day before the incident, your uncle brought a valuable gift and publicly went to the Prince's Mansion to pay a visit..."

Xie Xunbai only said this and stopped talking. Su Daoshan was completely stunned.

The late emperor was dying, and the two dragons were fighting for the throne. At such a sensitive moment, someone from the Third Prince's camp openly went to the Crown Prince's mansion to pay a visit... Even a fool would know what it meant.

That means the situation is not good and you need to change your allegiance!

"Is this my grandfather's decision? No...that's not right!" Su Daoshan's thought flashed through his mind and he immediately discovered the problem.

"Although my grandfather was only a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Revenue, my great-grandfather Su Qihong was Taizu's confidant. He was a third-rank official, conferred the title of Viscount, and was in charge of the defense of Kyoto. Although such an identity is not prominent among the founding nobles, it is definitely in the core circle. My grandfather grew up in such a circle since he was a child. Not to mention that he is a far-sighted and mature person, even if he is a fool, he would never do such a thing at the last minute."

"Not to mention that you are a lowly fifth-rank official who is insignificant in either camp and doesn't need to show up at all, even if you want to join the crown prince, the head of the family must come forward in person to show the most basic etiquette and sincerity. There is absolutely no reason to just send a son..."

"Won't such a stupid behavior offend both sides?"

As for someone who could do such a thing... Su Daoshan immediately figured out the truth: "This was my uncle's own decision! He just thought that the late emperor was dying and that the eldest son Qin Weisheng was sure to win. But he didn't expect..."

At this time, some fragmented memories in the original body's mind were finally connected together. Su Daoshan suddenly realized.

No wonder the Su family, including Uncle Qiu and other elders, all looked grim and hesitant when talking about the past. No wonder the Su family lived in peace for more than ten years after returning to Yishan City. No wonder the Mi family dared to attack the Su family now that someone in Beijing had spoken...

"But," Su Daoshan asked in confusion, "it's been more than ten years since this happened. Why did the Investigation Bureau come to my house now..."

Xie Xunbai raised his eyebrows and said, "Emperor Yongtai got to the throne by luck. Think about it, with his background, how could he have held on to that position without some murderous tactics? Moreover, even if he cared about his brotherly love and his face, his subordinates would not be soft-hearted. This kind of thing is a life-and-death struggle. If they don't get rid of the former crown prince's supporters in the court and the public one by one, how can they feel at ease?"

As he spoke, Xie Xunbai snorted coldly and said, "The Investigation Bureau is just the most vicious mad dog among them. Over the years, both the government and the people have been bitten by them. In addition to clearing up the accounts, they have a more important purpose, which is to find someone..."

"Who?" Su Daoshan asked curiously.

"Qin Weisheng's flag bearer." Meng Qiaofu at the side said, "He is also the host of the Changting Army, the Crown Prince's secret guard."

Xie Xunbai nodded and said, "Qin Weisheng has been the crown prince for fifteen years, and his roots are deep. Especially his secret guards, the Changting Army, which had great military exploits in the past. Most of these people were dug out after he was deposed. Some died, some were disabled, and only a hundred or so people fled. They can no longer cause any trouble. But the problem is that in addition to these ordinary secret guards, the Changting Army also has nine mysterious elders...

"These nine people have different identities. It is said that some of them are big figures in the court, the army and the sect. On weekdays, they are scattered all over the country and do not participate in the missions of the Changting Army's secret guards. They will only take action when they receive orders from Qin Weisheng. Therefore, during the incident that year, none of these nine people were caught, and no one even knew who they were..."

As he spoke, Xie Xunbai cast his gaze towards Su Daoshan: "If you were Emperor Yongtai, would you be able to sleep well?"

Su Daoshan shook his head quickly. Qin Weisheng was the crown prince back then, and those who could be ranked among his secret guard elders must have extraordinary identities. Each of them could be a big thunder. Moreover, if these people were big figures fifteen years ago, then what level of strength and status would they reach fifteen years later? God knows if there are such a few among the important officials in the court today.

It would be strange if Emperor Yongtai could not sleep well unless these hidden dangers were dug out.

Xie Xunbai continued, "Besides the Crown Prince, only one person knows the identities of these nine people, and that is the flag bearer of the Dark Guard. Although he does not directly command the Dark Guard, he is the link between the Crown Prince and the Dark Guard, and transmits the Crown Prince's orders. In terms of status, he is even higher than the Dark Guard Commander..."

Following Xie Xunbai's explanation, Su Daoshan quickly understood the role of this flag bearer - since he was a secret guard, the identities of the secret guard members naturally had their own special secrecy, and accordingly, their organization and mobilization also required a set of corresponding secret rules.

For example, codes and tokens.

This was not difficult for Su Daoshan, who had loved watching spy movies since childhood in his previous life, to understand. The role of this flag bearer was almost equivalent to the military token used by the prince to mobilize the secret guards. Only he could mobilize the secret guards, and only he knew the secrets of their identities.

The secret guard commanders and elders below are nothing more than specific executors.

"Until now, this person has not been found?" Su Daoshan asked.

Xie Xunbai shook his head and said, "The prince's Changting Army has always been extremely mysterious. And this flag bearer is even more elusive. Even the prince's bedmate and the most trusted confidant have never seen this person... Over the years, the Investigation Bureau has been tracking down the case, and I don't know how many people have lost their families because of this..."

As Xie Xunbai spoke, his eyes involuntarily turned to Fan Caiyi. Su Daoshan followed his gaze and saw the girl with her back to him, looking into the distance, with no expression on her face. Her slender figure looked unusually thin in the wind.

However, his mind was no longer focused on Fan Caiyi. He just felt a chill in his heart and asked in disbelief, "So, the Su family is also a suspect?"

This is a crime that could lead to the extermination of an entire family!
Once you get involved with this kind of thing, no matter whether it is true or false, and no matter whether you are really involved or not, the end result is the destruction of your family.

Xie Xun nodded, then patted Su Daoshan on the shoulder and comforted him, "But you don't have to worry. Things are not as dangerous as you think. First of all, your family has a relationship with the emperor when they were in the palace. Your position is low and you resigned quickly. If the investigation bureau is too excessive, it will make the emperor look mean and ungrateful... Otherwise, they would have taken action directly before, so why would they instigate the Mi family?"

Su Daoshan nodded thoughtfully.

Xie Xunbai smiled and continued, "This time they only sent Sun Zheng for this reason. And Sun Zheng's arrival was not a coincidence. Yishan City is now the location of the front-line camp, and many heroes have gathered. How stupid would he be to attack the noble family at this time? In addition, you have already entered Han Valley and made meritorious service in the past two days. You are also well-known in the army. The Investigation Bureau wants to target your family, but they have to think twice. Besides..."

He smiled coldly, snorted and said, "This Xi Kingdom is not ruled by the Chaoge alone."

(End of this chapter)