Film and Television: The Collector Who Rampages Across the Heavens

Chapter 83 The Murderer?

"I'm not joking with you; I'm speaking from the heart."

Su Li spread her hands, looked at them with a smile, and continued, "I came here specifically to tell you all that you can eat and sleep well here. I might release you in three to five years."

Three or five years?

Everyone turned pale upon hearing this. Staying in this dungeon for so long would drive them crazy.

Xiao Jingrui's heart sank, and he couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, is it really necessary to do this?"

"I killed so many people from the Chu delegation, do you think I'd regret it?"

Su Li lost interest in continuing the conversation, waved her hand, and turned to leave.

"You all get some rest. I'll come see you again when I have time."

Yuwen Nian slammed her fair hand against the fence and shouted, "Hey, are you serious, you bastard? I don't want to stay here!"

"Let me out right now, do you hear me?"

Su Li didn't respond. Although he was interested in this girl, she had just been locked up and was in a terrible temper.

Lock her up for a while, toughen her up, and then bring her out for some discipline.

At that time, they will do whatever they are told, and they will definitely be very obedient.

After all, only those who have lost their freedom truly understand how precious it is.

Under the protection of the guards of the Prince's Palace, Su Li returned to Jinling City. Just after passing through the city gate, she heard a deafening roar. A cloud of smoke and fire could be seen rising from a corner of the city, coloring a large part of the sky.

The loud noise was so great that some of the ground shook.

"Private sex parlor?"

Su Li's lips curled up slightly. There was no doubt that this was yet another blow from Prince Yu to the Crown Prince.

In the original story, Mei Changsu told Prince Yu about this news, intending for him to submit a memorial impeaching the Crown Prince. However, this guy escalated the matter and, at Qin Banruo's instigation, blew up the private fireworks factory.

This time is clearly the same. Seeing that the Crown Prince is in trouble, Prince Yu will certainly not let go of this opportunity to kick him while he's down.

"Let's go take a look."

Su Li led her team to the explosion area, where the roads on both sides were covered with rubble and some houses were still burning.

Dozens died, hundreds were injured, and there was a chorus of wails.

"Leave two people behind, the rest will help with the rescue."

Su Li gave the order, and the guards of the Ling Prince's Mansion all bowed and saluted.

Before long, Prince Jing and Princess Nihuang of Prince Mu's mansion arrived with their respective guards. They both showed reluctance at the sight of the tragic scene.

"So many people were killed or injured?" Prince Jing's face turned grim, and he said in a deep voice, "They were all hardworking people. I never expected that their homes would be gone in the blink of an eye, and the entire street would be burned to the ground."

While inwardly lamenting Prince Yu's ruthlessness, Mei Changsu, draped in a large cloak, looked at Su Li and asked, "Does Your Highness Prince Ling consider this a natural disaster or a man-made one?"

Without even lifting her eyelids, Su Li said, "Who knows? Maybe it was an accident!"

Upon hearing this, Nihuang chimed in, "In this dry climate, even a tiny spark can cause gunpowder to explode. There wasn't a trace left at the scene. Who can tell if it was a natural disaster or a man-made one?"

Mei Changsu hinted meaningfully: "As far as I know, this private fireworks factory has a powerful background. The fact that so many people were injured or killed in this explosion will inevitably affect many people, and even His Majesty the Emperor will have to take notice of this matter."

"You tell me, how could this be a natural disaster?"

Mei Changsu did not explicitly state who was behind the private fireworks shop, but no one present knew.

Prince Jing spoke through gritted teeth, his voice filled with anger.

"To do something so utterly reckless and cruel, merely to strike at the Crown Prince, is despicable!"

Princess Nihuang smiled, her bright and spirited face carrying a hint of mockery, and said, "This Prince Yu has quite a bit of his father's charm—"

Although Su Li didn't hear it being directed at him, he still felt somewhat embarrassed.

What he did in secret was no less than what Prince Yu did, and perhaps even more ruthless.

There's no way around it; fierce struggles between royal families are commonplace, and some are even more ruthless, like mutinies and rebellions. Casualties like this, with hundreds of casualties, are child's play.

Su Li did not stay at the scene for long. After seeing that there was no major problem, she said goodbye to the three of them.

Back at the Prince's residence, Gong Yu, Xin Liu, and Xin Yang all gathered around to ask what had happened during the loud noise in Jinling City.

"The private fireworks factory was blown up, burning down an entire street and causing hundreds of casualties."

97

"This has nothing to do with us, let's continue—keep the music playing and keep dancing!"

Su Li walked into the main hall with one of the girls on each side, their slender waists flanking her. The two sisters and Gong Yu exchanged a glance.

This prince watched as Xianyu drank and made merry every day, but in reality, he secretly kept everything firmly in his grasp.

He wasn't interested because there was nothing he could use it for.

As expected, a turmoil broke out in the court the following day. Led by Prince Yu, the officials attacked the Crown Prince for secretly opening a gun emplacement, which resulted in hundreds of casualties. If he was not severely punished...

How can we quell public anger and handle public opinion?

Emperor Liang knew that Prince Yu was deliberately suppressing the Crown Prince, but the facts were out in the open, and he could not show favoritism.

"The Crown Prince is hereby confined to the Eastern Palace to reflect on his mistakes; he shall not be allowed to leave without imperial decree."

Xie Yu is dead, Consort Yue has not yet returned to power, and the Crown Prince has met the same fate.

Prince Yu was overjoyed, feeling that he was not far from becoming the crown prince.

But Mei Changsu poured cold water on his hopes, directly asking, "Does Your Highness really think you can rest easy now?"

"What do you mean, sir?" Prince Yu asked, frowning.

"Although the Crown Prince has lost power, he still holds a high position, and His Majesty still favors him. Once given the opportunity, he will surely rise again. Secondly, there is your rival, Prince Ling."

Mei Changsu spoke with a smile on his face, but his sharp fangs were unseen.

"You think Lao Ba will compete with me?"

Prince Yu, deep in thought, tapped the table with his left hand and said, "As far as I know, he hasn't shown any ambition to seize the throne since arriving in the capital. If I deliberately suppress a prince now, letting the officials know what good this prince can do?"

Mei Changsu snorted coldly: "Your Highness, don't be fooled by Prince Ling. This man is cunning and scheming. He has been involved in several actions against the Crown Prince."

Your Highness may not believe it now, but we must be on guard.

After being reminded, Prince Yu nodded: "What you said is right. I have to be wary of Xiao Jinglin and Xiao Jingdan. These two have made great achievements in the army and have a lot of connections. If the country changes, I will have no power to fight back."

Compared to the other princes, these two are my hidden potential rivals.

Mei Changsu was taken aback. He had originally meant to remind this guy to keep an eye on Prince Ling, but how did he end up including the honest and simple Jing Dan as well?

He wanted to argue, but swallowed his words back down.

Explaining it to Prince Yu, given his suspicious nature, would only make things more complicated, so never mind.

Spring buds are quietly peeking out, and the willows along the roadside are gradually turning green.

The streets of Jinling City remained bustling and lively, with vendors hawking their wares in many places, and a man and a woman dressed in martial arts attire walking among the crowds.

-

"Sister Dong, you look much better. People who practice martial arts recover really quickly."

The woman beside him, with a bright and radiant presence, a slender and tall figure, and a dashing black and red samurai outfit, was none other than Xia Dong.

Su Li took advantage of the clear, sunny weather and the fact that the other person was free to meet up.

"Finally, I don't have to lie in bed anymore. My body has been a bit sore for so long, and my hands are itching since I haven't been practicing martial arts."

Xia Dong blinked her bright eyes, a smile playing on her lips as she looked at the young prince beside her, and said with a smile, "Your Highness, Prince Ling, has fought in the Northern Army for many years, achieving numerous military exploits. Your martial arts skills must be quite good as well!"

"Fortunately, in large-scale military campaigns, the main role of a commander like me is command, and personal martial arts skills do not play a significant role in war."

Su Li's physique is extraordinary, but he can't endure the kind of martial arts training that lasts for ten years.

So far, my personal strength is still a step below that of masters like Yue Xiuzhe and Zhuo Dingfeng, but it's enough for me!

"That's good, then that's really impressive. How about we have a competition?"

Su Li wanted to refuse, but seeing the curiosity and fighting spirit in the woman's eyes, she had no choice but to nod in agreement.

The two mounted the horses brought by the guards and rode out of Jinling City to find an open space.

The guard swung his long sword and cut off two tree branches, which he then respectfully handed to the two men.

"Sister Dong, I'm telling you beforehand, you have to go easy on me."

"Begging for mercy before even starting, Prince Ling's style is truly extraordinary—" Xia Dong teased with a smile. Su Li smiled, used a tree branch as a sword, and rushed towards Xia Dong. The long sword flew out and slashed, but the other party lightly hooked it to block it and threw a punch at him.

Su Li neither dodged nor avoided, but directly reached out and grasped the pink fist. The other party had considerable strength, but it was still far inferior to his own.

He used a one-handed over-the-shoulder throw, and Xia Dong felt unable to break free. Xuezi lightly touched the ground and leaped into the air, doing a somersault.

During this process, the branches in the hands of the two still clashed together like swords, sometimes chopping, sometimes hacking, sometimes slashing.

In other words, the two of them controlled their strength just right, otherwise the branch would have broken in two long ago.

Martial arts are inherently more intense the fight becomes, and swordsmanship also accelerates with each battle.

Seeing that it was about time, Su Li leaped in front of Xia Dong with a swift movement and slashed at him. Xia Dong instinctively made a blocking motion.

"Pfft!"

The two branches collided and instantly exploded into countless fragments, scattering in all directions.

Xia Dong frowned and was about to step back, but Su Li was fast and appeared in front of her in the blink of an eye. He reached out and grabbed her slender waist, causing her to retreat more than five meters away against the wind.

"alright!"

Xia Dongtao's cheeks flushed slightly as she felt the boy's hot breath. His arms held her tightly in his embrace, and she couldn't help but speak.

This was the first time in all these years that she had been this close to a man.

"Sister Dong!"

"Um?"

"I asked you about something at the Prince's residence last time. I wonder if you have an answer now?"

Su Li looked at the woman in his arms with her delicate and bright face, almond-shaped eyes and cherry lips. Even though she had passed her most beautiful youth, she was still outstanding.

Xia Dong stiffened upon hearing this, and immediately pushed herself away from the boy's embrace, tidying her hair.

"Your Highness, please do not bring this up again. I am already engaged, how can I remarry, let alone to Your Highness?"

That's enough for today, I'm leaving.

After saying that, she mounted her horse and rode away.

"Sister Dong, I won't give up."

Su Li shouted at the departing figure, who froze, but did not stop and rode away on her horse.

He didn't care at all; a strong woman is afraid of being pursued by a good man, as he was a guy with multiple girlfriends.

He knew exactly how to deal with a girl like Xia Dong; every time he met her and got close to her, he would greatly increase her favorability.

A few more tries and we'll be in no time.

At this moment, a guard from the Prince's mansion arrived and delivered a letter from a spy from the Green Robe Tower.

"Now I know!"

The above text describes the disappearance of the Chu delegation. A month has passed, and the large delegation of over a hundred people has still not reached the border. The Chu side has also sent people to inquire about the matter.

Emperor Liang ordered his men to investigate and learned directly from the counties they had passed through that the trail disappeared near Luoshan.

A few days ago, Xia Chun from the Suspended Mirror Bureau was sent to Luoshan to personally investigate the case. He has now obtained specific information and is currently meeting with the Emperor.

"You're saying that the entire Chu delegation of over a hundred people was murdered?"

Emperor Liang's face showed shock, and he stood up abruptly from his dragon throne.

"Yes, Your Majesty, after receiving the news, I went directly to Luoshan. After a thorough search, I found a large number of burned remains. Although the human figures were no longer visible, based on the remaining information, it was confirmed that they were indeed the missing Chu Kingdom delegation."

Xia Chun's expression turned grave. Who on earth dared to be so bold as to kill an entire delegation of over 100 people?

What is the purpose? What do you want to do?

"Are Xiao Jingrui and that Prince Ling also dead?" Emperor Liang hurriedly asked.

"Your Majesty, please forgive us, but the remains have all been burned and exposed to the elements for so many days that it is impossible to tell who is who. It is very likely that—everyone has been murdered."

Xia Chun lowered his head and said in a deep voice.

"Someone come here!"

"Here—" Gao Zhan quickly stepped forward.

"Let Princess Nihuang enter the palace, as well as Prince Yu, Prince Jing, Prince Ling, and the Crown Prince," Emperor Liang ordered.

With such a major incident, Southern Chu must be planning something big. In addition to catching the murderer, Daliang must also be on high alert at the border to prevent the other side from using this as an excuse to start a war.

Soon, the group gathered in the study after receiving the news. When they learned that the entire Chu State group had been killed, they were all shocked.

"How could this be? How could anyone dare to attack the Chu delegation within the territory of Daliang?"

Prince Jing was the first to disbelieve it and expressed his anger. After the case at the Ningguo Marquis's residence, he had become acquainted with Xiao Jingrui, Yuwen Xuan, and several others.

But unexpectedly, news of his murder came in the blink of an eye, which he couldn't accept for a while.

"Father, isn't there even a clue? What benefit would harming the Chu delegation bring to those murderers?" Prince Yu asked, utterly perplexed.

Princess Nihuang frowned. The Mu Prince's Mansion was on the front line of resistance against Southern Chu, so she knew more. Instinctively, she said thoughtfully, "Could it be to provoke a war? Is it against Southern Chu's own people, Dayu, or Northern Yan?"

Su Li also said, "Let's catch the murderer first, so that Southern Chu doesn't have an excuse to start a war."

Emperor Liang nodded, agreeing with his statement.

"That's what I think too, Xia Chun?"

"Your subject is here—"

"You have three days to catch the murderer, or you will be severely punished."

Xia Chun was stunned. What a joke! How can you catch someone without even a clue?

But he still said, "Yes—"