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Chapter 546 Not Bad
Wenren Luo's teapot has finally been polished.

If we don't get it sorted out soon, this thing will go crazy.

Xu Yuan heard from Yu Yunhang, who lived next door to Wenren Luo, that he was often awakened in the middle of the night by a cry of "My baby" from next door, filled with obsession!
Now that this treasure is complete, it immediately has a use.

No one has ever seen the power of Wenren Luo's new "treasure".

This was perfect for disguising himself as an "assassin," trapping Mr. Lu, and killing Imperial Censor Dai.

To make Imperial Censor Dai fake his death, it's obviously not enough to just announce his death to the outside world.

You have to do the whole thing when doing a show.

There must be spies from various factions within the Quyang Prefecture branch.

If the act isn't genuine, it's easy for others to see through it.

And everyone in the branch office witnessed how the teapot trapped Mr. Lu during the night:

A big, round lump!

I don't know what it is.

Some people tried to help, but they couldn't break the thing at all.

All the onlookers then believed it: Mr. Lu was trapped and Imperial Censor Dai was killed!

……

In the northern capital, the Jinxiu Bookstore immediately erupted into chaos.

The president of the academy, Mr. Mo Yuan, the Minister of Rites, immediately wrote a letter requesting to personally go to Quyang Prefecture to investigate and advocate for the students of the academy.

His Majesty sent them back.

However, hundreds of students from the Jinxiu Academy knelt outside the Donghua Gate of the Imperial City for a long time without daring to rise.

This is a fine tradition of the students of Huangming Academy.

Some of them were quite talented, and they wrote some indignant poems!
Unfortunately, he left behind few masterpieces.

The Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties—the talented scholars of previous eras have exhausted all the good poems they could write. My Ming dynasty is far inferior to the previous dynasties in terms of poetry, and there's nothing we can do about it.

But the heart of the ruler and father is as hard as iron.

If you're willing to kneel, then kneel.

He even sent an old eunuch to inform the students: "Kneel properly, but don't dirty my imperial city gates."

The old eunuch led 120 burly eunuchs from the Imperial Horse Stables to watch over them, ensuring they left no trash behind.

The second to jump out were the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review.

They jointly submitted a petition: "We are the ones who should investigate this case."

Your Majesty, you see, this so-called "talent" from a small place didn't consider things thoroughly, which gave the villains an opportunity to take advantage of him, and ultimately led to the death of Imperial Censor Dai.

The Department of Purification also submitted a memorial, strongly advocating for Xu Yuan's protection.

However, the old prince remained inactive.

The old prince had previously insisted that the person chosen to investigate the case of Consort Yi must be someone who could benefit him.

That was the time when His Majesty permitted everyone to "cry and make a fuss."

But not anymore.

His Majesty had made his decision, so the old prince stood obediently to the side and watched, not daring to interfere.

Your Majesty, you may do as you please.

The court officials might not be unable to understand, but they still wanted to challenge the imperial power.

But the old prince felt as if he had forgotten something today.

It wasn't until evening, after the old prince had gone to bed, that he suddenly sat bolt upright, slapped his forehead, and shouted, "Guards! Guards!"

The guards outside thought something had happened and rushed in quickly.

The old prince pointed outside and shouted, "Go and keep an eye on the princess immediately! She is not allowed to leave the manor for the time being!"

"Yes!" The guards hurried off.

The old prince also got up, dressed, and hurried to the "Princess's Residence".

His men might not be able to keep an eye on his daughter.

His daughter practices the "Mind-Based Method".

The old prince was halfway there when the head guard turned back and knelt down in front of him with a thud: "Your Highness, the princess... is missing!"

The old prince sighed and stamped his foot: "This girl, oh dear!"

It was still a bit cold at night, and the old prince was only wearing a single layer of clothing, shivering from the cold.

He paced around anxiously twice, still reluctant to give up the annual income of two million taels; he still had to save them.

……

Xu Yuan immediately led his men and the officials in charge of the investigation to Quyang Prefecture to investigate the case.

Wenren Luo, along with Fu Jingyu and Zhang Meng, were secretly monitoring the Jinxiu Bookstore branch.

Wenren Luo carried a "Harmony Wheel" so he could contact Zang Tianlan at any time.

Sheng Shancai arrived at Quyang Prefecture at almost the same time as Xu Yuan.

Sheng Shancai brought the Emperor's decree: "Lord Xu, you have only three days to find out the truth behind the murder of Imperial Censor Dai."

The consequences of not being able to find out the truth are self-evident.

The emperor chose you to handle this case, and you've turned it into this mess.

The emperor has lost face!

After that, Sheng Shancai stayed in Quyang Prefecture.

……

The old eunuch in charge of the seal quietly appeared behind a pillar in the imperial study.

He stood there without saying a word.

It was as if his figure was hidden by the pillar, but His Majesty would definitely know that he had come.

After a while, the emperor's voice came: "Who has come this time?"

With the death of Imperial Censor Dai, various factions in the capital city began to stir.

The old eunuch in charge of the seal stepped forward quietly and whispered, "Your Majesty, Prince Rong is kneeling outside."

The emperor frowned and picked up the memorial again to read it.

The old eunuch in charge of the seal then quietly withdrew.

A full hour passed, and the emperor still showed no intention of letting Prince Rong in.

The old eunuch in charge of the seal came out, a whisk draped over his arm, and said in a high-pitched voice to the old prince kneeling outside the imperial study, "Your Highness, please return."

Supported by two eunuchs, Prince Rong rose shakily, sighing, "His Majesty does not wish to see us, and we cannot kneel like those scholars who do not appreciate the Emperor's favor. We will go back now."

The old prince walked with faltering steps, alone, through the long palace road of the imperial city, flanked by vermilion walls fifteen feet high.

A gust of cold wind blew by, ruffling the old prince's beard. The old prince's eyelids twitched, and he squinted.

A long sigh escaped my lips.

Everyone in the entire Northern Capital knows that you are His Majesty's most beloved princess.

But so what?

If you disobey him, he won't even give you a chance to speak!
I am his own brother, and despite my advanced age, I knelt outside his door for two hours, but I still didn't get to see him.

He doesn't need family; all he wants are obedient servants.

The emperor had indeed secretly sent people to keep an eye on the Prince's residence.

The emperor knew better than the prince when Princess Ruicheng had secretly slipped out.

……

The emperor granted Xu Yuan even greater power, and all officials in the entire Quyang Prefecture were at his disposal.

Xu Yuan investigated with all his might, but found no clues.

The records of the Purification Department did not mention any "craftsmanship" that would leave a sour tea smell after use.

It seems we're stuck here.

When Xu Yuan first discovered that Imperial Censor Dai had lost his memory and was being controlled in Chang County, he even wondered if the old emperor had orchestrated it all himself.
The old emperor could easily have orchestrated a seven-year plan and made Censor Dai "obediently submit."

But there's a major question here: why would the old emperor want to smear himself?
Whatever the old emperor's purpose, there must have been a better option.

The entire Quyang Prefecture cooperated fully with Lord Xu.

At this moment, nobody wants to take the blame; it's best if this blame is firmly placed on Xu Yuan's head.

……

Princess Ruicheng, dressed in simple clothes and wearing a plain hairpin, originally planned to rush to Quyang Prefecture without stopping after leaving the palace.

She thought for several days but couldn't come up with any way to send the message to Xu Yuan quietly.

She has a few people she can trust, but she doesn't dare entrust such a big matter to them.

Upon hearing that Imperial Censor Dai had been killed, Princess Ruicheng immediately realized that Xu Yuan was in an unprecedented crisis.

He immediately activated the "Mind Method," and without looking back, changed his clothes and ran out of the palace.

As I left Beidu and stood on the vast northern land, a gust of wind blew in my face.

Princess Ruicheng's hair danced wildly.

She calmed down.

However, her "heart-based method" began to vibrate violently.

If she doesn't follow her heart and head straight to Quyang Mansion to tell Xu Yuan that secret, her level will definitely drop!

But she also knew very well that if she really went, she wouldn't be helping Xu Yuan, but rather harming him.

An impulse driven by emotion clashes with one's own reason.

Princess Ruicheng stood there for a moment, then slowly turned around—a mouthful of bright red blood gushed from her cherry lips.

But Princess Ruicheng stubbornly turned around and headed northwest, circling the city wall.

With each step he took, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

After vomiting seven times, her skill level had dropped from fifth-rate to sixth-rate!
Her Highness felt dizzy and weak, but she still managed to roughly figure out the direction and then staggered toward the Supervisor's "Observation Platform".

In this world, there are only two people who can persuade His Majesty to change his mind.

The Dragon King of the Grand Canal and the Superintendent!
The air shifted slightly, and a figure slowly emerged. Gazing at that stubbornly advancing back, a hint of pity appeared in their eyes.

……

Before nightfall, a secret report was delivered to the Imperial Study, to the Emperor's desk.

"Princess Ruicheng left the city, changed her mind at the last minute, coughed up blood, trekked for twenty miles, and knelt down at the foot of the Observatory."

The emperor glanced at it indifferently and then tossed it aside.

After a long while, the emperor's cold snort finally rang out in the imperial study.

……

Three days passed in a flash, and Xu Yuan still hadn't found the murderer.

Sheng Shan immediately captured Xu Yuan and escorted him back to the capital!
Zang Tianlan, Wenren Luo, and Miaoyan Zhenren could only watch, not daring to make a move.

All of Xu Yuan's men were also captured.

They will all be implicated.

Sheng Shancai then said to Zang Tianlan, "His Majesty has decreed that you should also return to the capital."

They weren't imprisoned because of the Superintendent's influence.

When Xu Yuan and his party were escorted out of Quyang Prefecture, countless eyes were watching from the city walls and in the dark alleys.

Many people secretly felt a sense of shared sorrow over the passing of their comrades.

Chief Constable Hua was one of the people in the shadows.

She saw Xu Yuan in the prison van, his face pale, yet he still tried his best to maintain his upright posture and dignity.

They saw Yu Yunhang in shackles, being pushed and shoved by the Imperial City Guards, his body going limp, and he collapsed to the ground.

Seeing the final scene, Liu Hu wept bitterly and refused to leave, only to be dragged along the ground by two captains who carried him by chains...

Chief Constable Hua returned without making a sound.

A feeling of lightness and smugness filled my heart!
We don't even need to lift a finger; the Ming Dynasty's court has already started fighting and descended into chaos on its own.

This credit... should of course be attributed to me!

The Seven Star Genin was already severely injured and unable to do anything.

There's no way they can compete with me for credit!
Moreover, how to report to the association is naturally up to me.

……

The Quyang branch of Jinxiu Bookstore fell silent.

However, the courtyard where Imperial Censor Dai once lived remains heavily guarded.

Although Xu Yuan was escorted back to the capital, the court will inevitably send someone else to investigate in the future.

A dignified censor cannot simply die without explanation; there must be some kind of accountability.

But now, the only people responsible for guarding this place are Wenxiu from the book club and the constables from the prefectural government.

Although there were multiple layers of guards, both overt and covert, their skill level was too low.

As night deepened, a gray figure quietly appeared outside the bookstore.

Then he slid along the wall into the courtyard. He easily bypassed the sentries and entered the yard.

The body of Imperial Censor Dai is still in the courtyard.

Given the seriousness of the case, Xu Yuan ordered the coroner from the prefectural government to examine the body, but did not immediately burn it.

Even if Xu Yuan wanted to burn it, no one else would allow it.

If you, Xu Yuan, can't solve the case, others will have to perform autopsies and investigate again.

To prevent the corpse from undergoing strange changes, the prefectural government specially borrowed an auspicious object.

It is a stone lion as tall as a person.

The stone lion was placed in the center of the house, right next to the corpse.

Two constables guarded the body inside the house.

The two were feeling very uneasy and kept talking to each other to bolster their courage.

The gray figure slipped in, glanced outside the door, and seemed to think that having someone watching was troublesome.

Just as I was hesitating and trying to think of a solution, something covered my head!
Then drag it away silently!
The whole process was swift and quiet.

Even the two constables inside the house and the two sentries in the courtyard did not notice.

……

Xu Yuan was taken to Beidu.

This time, instead of making him wait outside the imperial city, he entered the imperial city directly through Di'anmen.

Di Youzhi and the others were left in that row of houses.

When they entered Di'anmen, they were stopped.

The other party was wearing the same official uniform as Sheng Shancai, that of a commander of the Imperial City Guard.

He was tall and thin, with narrow eyes, a nose like a bird's beak, and sinister eyes.

With a flick of his wrist, he unfurled a black cloth hood and covered Xu Yuan's head with it.

Sheng Shan frowned and raised his hand to block it.

"Sang Jiu, His Majesty did not give such an order!"

Sang Jiu said coldly, "This man is a registered criminal! If anything happens to him, can you take responsibility?"

Sheng Shan didn't argue with him, but insisted, "His Majesty didn't give that order!"

Sang Jiu pushed his hand away, and Sheng Shan then reached out with his other hand.

They braced their arms against each other, exerting their strength subtly.

Sang Jiu's gaze grew increasingly cold and sinister, but Sheng Shancai refused to budge an inch!
Finally, Sang Jiu gave a cold laugh and withdrew his hand.

“Sheng Shancai, if these criminals cause any trouble in the capital, it will be your responsibility!”

Sang Jiu waved his hand: "Let's go!"

His men immediately followed him.

Xu Yuan stood calmly to the side the whole time.

Sheng Shan waited until they were far away before saying, "Go on, don't take it to heart. You are loyal to the Emperor, and I, the commander, cannot let such people humiliate you."

"Thanks," Xu Yuan said.

Xu Yuan could roughly guess the source of Sang Jiu's hostility towards him.

It's no wonder he snatched the job himself.

The case of Consort Yi is a hot potato for others.

However, for the Imperial City Guard, the "henchmen of the emperor," it was a highly coveted position.

Historically, such large-scale cases that could implicate a wide range of people have always been a good excuse for the secret police to expand their power.

Sheng Shan then led Xu Yuan to a secluded, dark room.

"You just wait here. There's water and food on the table. Just call for help if you need anything."

Sheng Shan only gave one instruction before leaving.

But Xu Yuan sat motionless.

He dared not touch the water or the food.

There are already precedents to learn from.

The shackles on Xu Yuan's body had already been removed when he entered the imperial city.

After sitting for a while, Xu Yuan reached out his hand behind him. Da Fu hesitated for a moment, but still stuck his head under the palm of the rice trough and let him stroke it a couple of times.

It seems like Fan Zhezi is in a bad situation.

Never mind, let's comfort him.

The relevant files of the Imperial City Guard clearly record that Xu Yuan was accompanied by a craftsman's animal that was easily overlooked.

But Sheng Shancai and his men still overlooked it...

Even Sang Jiuqianhu, who was hostile to Xu Yuan, didn't notice Da Fu.

And so, Dafu followed them into the imperial city in a grand manner.

It was getting dark.

Dafu lay beside Xu Yuan for a long time, then wobbled up and squeezed out through the crack in the door.

Fan Zhezi refuses to eat, but I'm hungry.

Dafu was about to go out to find something to eat.

There were two captains guarding the gate.

It walked right past the two of them, who were chatting idly and didn't notice Dafu.

Unfortunately, there was a small hole under the wall next to it.

This little hole is quite peculiar; it's round at the bottom but has two "horns" at the top!
An orange cat successfully poked its head out from inside.

The two "horns" at the entrance of the cave look as if they were specially made for two cat ears!
"Meow-"

The cat crawled out of the hole.

Despite being overweight, it was incredibly agile, leaping and landing right in front of Dafu!
The meow startled the two captains, who looked over and saw Dafu.

Suddenly, both of them were sweating profusely.

I remembered!

The two exchanged a glance and both understood each other's meaning: hold back!

They had been walking around the imperial city for many years and knew that the cats in the imperial city were somewhat different from those outside.

There are almost no minor evil spirits in the imperial city, all thanks to these "imperial city cats".

Although the goose was large, there was more than one imperial cat.

If the Imperial City Cat eats this goose... then no one will know that we unintentionally brought this goose in as well?
"Meow-"

The cat meowed again, and four more cats silently emerged from the small hole!

On the locust tree next to it, the branches and leaves swayed, and a royal cat popped out.

It stood high above, its posture agile, unlike the five fat animals below.

Therefore, it exudes an air of arrogance.

Five cats on the ground slowly surrounded Dafu.

The big goose looked blankly out as it came out looking for food. It wanted to eat those little evil spirits, but it could tell at a glance that these cats were not evil spirits.

But what are these cats going to do as they surround me?
Dafu didn't understand—until one of the cats raised its paw at him.

"Meow!"

The two captains stared in disbelief as a fight broke out in the courtyard.

Cat hair is flying everywhere!

The first orange cat to emerge had just jumped up when Daifuku slapped it across the face with its flipper.

It was hit so hard that it spun around in the air a few times before crashing to the ground with a miserable cry.

Daifuku has an extremely keen eye; he can always find the weaknesses of these Royal City Cats and the best moment to strike.

The battle was extremely "fierce".

It broke out quickly and ended just as quickly.

The ground was covered in fluff, black, yellow, white...

The Imperial City Cats, who roamed freely within the Imperial City, all received a blow from Dafu, yet they couldn't even touch a single feather of his.

"Meow meow meow……"

The five royal city cats quickly darted back into their hole.

Two more were vying for space, crowding together in front of the cave entrance...

Finally, all five cats ran away.

Dafu still found it very confusing.

How did they end up fighting?
The main issue is that a fight was fought, but no results have been achieved yet.

In the past, if you got into a fight, you could at least grab something to fill your stomach.

Dafu suddenly looked up—the arrogant black cat on the locust tree shrank back and silently disappeared into the branches and leaves.

Dafu staggered away.

The two captains at the door looked at each other in bewilderment: What, what, what should we do?
Dafu had already staggered out of the yard, but how come there wasn't a single evil spirit in such a big place?

As Dafu searched, he wandered further and further away...

……

As dawn was breaking, Sheng Shancai arrived again, opening the door with an excited expression: "Lord Xu, the Emperor summons you!"

Xu Yuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He straightened his clothes and followed Sheng Shan out. They walked for a full quarter of an hour in the imperial city before arriving at a building.

"Wait here," Sheng Shan said before going inside. He came out shortly after and let Xu Yuan in.

Xu Yuan never expected to meet the most esteemed man in the Huangming Dynasty so "easily"!
After entering the imperial study, Xu Yuan quickly glanced at the man above him.

Then he knelt down and said, "Your subject Xu Yuan greets Your Majesty."

The emperor hadn't slept all night, yet his face showed no sign of fatigue.

He didn't let Xu Yuan get up, and was looking at a document in his hand.

After a long while, the emperor slowly spoke, but not about the case of Imperial Censor Dai: "That girl Ruicheng is still kneeling below the Observatory of the Supervisor, wanting to ask the Supervisor to say a word to save your life."

Xu Yuan felt a pang of heartache.

"Your Majesty, I am ashamed!"

The emperor tossed down the memorial in his hand, which landed with a thud in front of Xu Yuan: "Pick it up and take a look."

Xu Yuan picked up the memorial and found that someone had indeed gone to Imperial Censor Dai's courtyard at night to check on the body.

Wenren Luo, in cooperation with two third-rate officers from the Imperial City Guard, secretly captured the person.

They handed him over to the Imperial City Guard for questioning, while the guards continued to keep watch to see if anyone else would come.

No other fish took the bait, only this one.

The Imperial City Guard conducted an emergency soul examination and then sent the results back.

When Xu Yuan saw the words "Prince Yong" on the memorial, his body trembled: "Your Majesty..."

The emperor interrupted him: "Come forward and speak."

"As you command." Xu Yuan stepped forward, stopping a zhang in front of the emperor.

The old eunuch in charge of the seal stretched out his foot to block the way, indicating that this was enough.

Xu Yuan stopped.

"I like that girl Ruicheng very much. She recommended you. You are a capable person."

She did very well this time; my affection for her was not in vain.

Xu Yuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief; His Highness should not be punished too severely.

But Xu Yuan was still wondering, why did His Highness go to ask the Supervisor for help?

What happened in between, something he didn't know, that made His Highness think he was in a hopeless situation?

The emperor reached out his hand.

The old eunuch in charge of the seal immediately took the memorial from Xu Yuan's hand and handed it to the emperor with both hands.

The emperor lightly tapped the memorial and said, "My son is still restless."

When Imperial Censor Dai went to Chang County, Yong Wang's men sensed an opportunity.

They manipulated Imperial Censor Dai with magic and then pulled Mr. Lin's soul back from the underworld.

If they can alter Imperial Censor Dai's memories, they can certainly alter Mr. Lin's as well.

Moreover, his methods were extremely sophisticated; when Xu Yuan examined Mr. Lin's soul, he didn't find any flaws.

The emperor sneered, "I never expected that after all these years, that rebellious son would still have such a talented subordinate!"

Xu Yuan kept his head down and couldn't reply.

The emperor didn't let him speak, but looked at him and said, "You did a good job on this task."

(End of this chapter)