Slender willows sway in the breeze

Chapter 94 The Imperial City is Unstable

Bei Chenyao was sitting at his desk reviewing memorials when he saw Liu Sijun arrive. A gentle smile appeared on his face: "Master Liu, it's been a long time. Your appearance has brought a bit more life to my Yangxin Hall."

Liu Sijun bowed respectfully and said, "Your Majesty is too kind. I have not been able to take Your Majesty's pulse for a long time, and I feel truly guilty. I have come today to check Your Majesty's health."

"Thank you for your concern, Master Liu."

Bei Chenyao smiled and placed his hand on the pulse pillow, saying, "But have you gained anything from your month of cultivation in the Holy Land?"

Liu Sijun's heart skipped a beat, recalling that the Empress had asked the same question yesterday. He then cautiously replied, "The Holy Land is rich in spiritual energy. I am extremely grateful to be able to cultivate there."

"Your Majesty's pulse is steady and strong, there is nothing to worry about, you just need to pay attention to rest on weekdays."

Bei Chenyao nodded slightly and smiled, "Master Liu's medical skills are superb. With your words, I am relieved. By the way, I have heard some things about you and Marquis Molin... I believe in your character and that you would not do anything that would violate etiquette or damage your reputation. However, in this palace, there are many people and many rumors. You will need to be more careful in your future actions."

Liu Sijun quickly bowed respectfully and said sincerely, "Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty."

At this moment, a young eunuch whom we have never seen before entered: "Your Majesty, Marquis Molin is requesting an audience outside the palace."

"Xuan."

Bei Chenyao said, "We were just talking about him a moment ago, and then he arrived."

Don't talk about people during the day, and don't talk about ghosts at night.

That makes a lot of sense.

Gu Changzhou stepped into the Hall of Mental Cultivation, his face cold and stern. After bowing respectfully, he straightened up and said solemnly, “Your Majesty, I have come here with two important matters. First, there have been rampant rumors in the capital about me and Alchemist Liu, all of which are false. I find it unbearable and have come to implore Your Majesty to grant me permission to thoroughly investigate the mastermind behind this and clear Alchemist Liu’s name.”

After saying that, he frowned slightly, his gaze sharp.

Bei Chenyao raised an eyebrow slightly, withdrew his gaze from Liu Sijun, and said calmly, "Yes, continue."

Gu Changzhou continued, "Secondly, recently several clandestine forces have been operating in the capital, their actions are secretive, and I am worried that they may pose a threat to the stability of the capital. I would like to discuss this with Your Majesty."

Bei Chenyao frowned, his expression turning serious. He raised his eyes and asked, "Oh? What have you discovered about this hidden force?"

Hidden forces...

Is this something she can hear?
Liu Sijun quickly said, "Your Majesty, I still have medicinal herbs to organize in Yangshou Palace, so I will take my leave first."

"Ah."

As Liu Sijun walked past Gu Changzhou, she heard Gu Changzhou transmit his voice: "The capital city has been rather unstable lately, so you should be careful."

Upon hearing this, Liu Sijun did not stop walking and went straight out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Gu Changzhou continued, "Your Majesty, I have discovered that some forces often gather in remote areas on the outskirts of the city late at night, and then quietly sneak into the imperial city. Although they try their best to conceal themselves, there are still abnormal fluctuations of spiritual energy that expose their tracks." Bei Chenyao's eyes sharpened, and he stared intently at Gu Changzhou, signaling him to continue.

"After tracking them down, I discovered that these forces mostly ended up around the residences of several princes and some important officials. I am worried that they may be colluding with the princes and important officials, attempting to secretly disrupt the situation in the capital, seek personal gain, and thus threaten the stability of the capital."

After saying that, Gu Changzhou frowned, his face full of worry.

He knew all too well that if things were really as he suspected, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Bei Chenyao's expression instantly turned serious. He slammed his hand heavily on the armrest of his chair, causing the aura of spiritual energy that had been flowing on it to flicker violently from the impact. He roared, "Hmph, my princes and high-ranking officials are so disobedient! If they are truly in cahoots with these clandestine forces, I will not let them off lightly! Marquis Molin, do you have any concrete evidence?"

Gu Changzhou shook his head slightly and replied, "Your Majesty, there is currently no conclusive evidence. However, judging from their routes of action and the timing of their appearances, they are highly suspicious. I have arranged for people to continue to monitor them secretly, but they are extremely cautious and meticulous in their actions. It will take some time to obtain evidence."

Bei Chenyao stood up and paced back and forth. His dragon robe swayed with his steps, and a faint dragon aura emanated from it, but it could not hide the frustration and anger in his heart at this moment: "This matter concerns the foundation of the capital. We must not let them run rampant. Marquis Molin, I will send you more people. You must find out the truth as soon as possible."

Gu Changzhou clasped his hands in a salute and said with a serious expression, "Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty. I will do my best to speed up the investigation. However, the situation in the capital is complicated at present, and I am worried about alerting the enemy. I hope Your Majesty will allow me to secretly and flexibly allocate manpower in order to deal with any emergencies."

Bei Chenyao stopped and looked at Gu Changzhou with deep eyes. After a moment of thought, he said resolutely, "Granted. I grant you the authority to act as you see fit. However, you must remember that all actions must prioritize the stability of the capital. Do not ruin the overall situation by being too eager for quick results."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will keep this in mind and act with caution," Gu Changzhou replied respectfully.

Bei Chenyao sat back down in his chair, resting his hand on his forehead as if deep in thought. After a moment, he slowly said, "Lord Molin, the rumors and gossip cannot be ignored either. The people inside and outside the capital are already in a state of panic. If those false rumors are allowed to continue to spread, they may cause even more trouble. You need to quell the rumors as soon as possible, find out the mastermind behind them, and restore peace and order to the capital."

Gu Changzhou replied, "Your Majesty, I understand. I will handle these two matters properly and live up to Your Majesty's expectations. I will take my leave now and go to expedite the arrangements for manpower to investigate."

After speaking, Gu Changzhou bowed respectfully again, then turned and steadily withdrew from the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Stepping out of the palace gates, Gu Changzhou looked up into the distance, his gaze deep and cold. He pondered to himself that while the imperial city appeared calm on the surface, undercurrents were surging beneath, various forces were intertwined, and dangers lurked everywhere.

After leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Liu Sijun flew back to the Palace of Longevity on his sword. His expression remained unchanged, but he kept Gu Changzhou's words in mind.

She landed in front of the palace gate and indeed sensed several faint presences lurking nearby.

Liu Sijun entered the Longevity Palace without making a sound. After returning to his room, he carefully checked the room for any abnormalities. Only after confirming that there were no abnormalities did he relax and sit on the couch.

She rested her chin on her hand, pondering to herself whether those people who were secretly watching her were after her or wanted to use her to deal with Gu Changzhou.

It's no wonder she thought that way.

Because it just so happened that at this time, rumors about their ambiguous relationship were flying everywhere. Some said that they had known each other for a long time, and that because Mo Linhou liked her, he chose the one with the lowest cultivation level instead of the many excellent alchemists in Yougu Palace.

Liu Sijun didn't understand this either.

(End of this chapter)