Starting with being handed over to the Imperial Concubine, building a family with a thousand-year hi

"Oh? There's a result?" Lin Wen looked up, her eyes full of anticipation.

"I've uncovered the background of the person who brought Elder Su into the palace back then!" Wei Zhongxian's voice was tinged with excitement. "This person was once the leader of a gang of ruthless bandits. He killed Su Mu's birth mother and then sent the ten-year-old Su Mu into the palace in exchange for money!"

"Is he still alive?" Lin Wen asked.

"He was already dead. Su Qingshan found him and killed him three years after Su Mu entered the palace!" Wei Zhongxian replied. "What we found was his son, who was one of the people who participated in the raid on Su Mu's family back then. He also knew Su Mu's true origins—Su Mu's father, indeed, was the son of Su Da, the king of the Xichuan Kingdom!"

"So, Old Ghost Su is actually a member of the Western Sichuan royal family?" Upon hearing this, Lin Wen's eyes flashed with a ruthless glint, and he sneered, "Very good, very good! A remnant of the Western Sichuan royal family, plus his other crimes, is enough to make him die ten times over!"

Harboring an assassin is a capital offense; colluding with divine judgment is a capital offense; as a descendant of the Western Chuan royal family, attempting to overthrow the Great Qian Dynasty is an even greater capital offense! With so many serious crimes piled up, even the Emperor cannot protect him! Moreover, the Emperor would never tolerate a remnant of the Western Chuan royal family holding a high position and controlling the power in the palace!

"We also have conclusive evidence of Su Mu's collusion with the Divine Judgment!" Wei Zhongxian continued to report. "Su Mu purchased a residence in the city, and mysterious figures have been frequently seen entering and leaving at night these past few days. We captured one of them, and after interrogation, it was confirmed that this person is indeed a master of the Divine Judgment!"

"What did he say?" Lin Wen asked urgently.

"That man confessed that after being punished, Su Mu had been secretly contacting the Divine Judgment in the library!" Wei Zhongxian said confidently. "Those two letters accusing him are irrefutable evidence, and the captured Divine Judgment experts can also testify to it. The evidence is conclusive and irrefutable!"

"Go!" Lin Wen immediately ordered, his eyes filled with murderous intent. "Take men to the library immediately and arrest Su Chen! If you can capture him alive, hand him over to the Emperor for punishment; if he dares to resist, kill him on the spot and bring his body back to the Emperor!"

"Your Majesty, Su Mu probably has a Grandmaster backing him!" Wei Zhongxian hurriedly warned, still harboring concerns.

"That Grandmaster is most likely the old man from the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and he probably already perished at the Sacrificial Ceremony!" Lin Wen's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable certainty. "The Emperor and the royal experts haven't made a sound, merely pretending ignorance, simply intending to use that old man's name to deter those with ill intentions! Steward Wei, don't worry, just send people to handle it!"

"yes!"

Wei Zhongxian accepted the order, left Fenghe Palace, and went straight to Shangwu Palace. To prevent the news from leaking, he only summoned a few absolutely trusted experts. Given his high status in the palace and the fact that he was acting on the Empress's orders, gathering manpower was easy for him; there was no need to ask anyone else.

Wei Zhongxian was already a master at the peak of the Grandmaster level. Without the intervention of a Grandmaster, he was confident that he could take down Su Mu by himself!

As night deepened, all was quiet.

Wei Zhongxian, accompanied by a martial arts school master and four imperial palace experts at the Innate Realm, leaped over the wall and landed silently in the courtyard of the library.

"Mr. Su, come out!" Wei Zhongxian's voice rang out in the courtyard, carrying a hint of cold authority.

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Mu walked slowly out of the study, his expression calm and showing no sign of panic.

"I wonder what the purpose is of Steward Wei bringing people here so late at night?" Xiao Anran also hurriedly came out of the room, her eyebrows furrowed, and questioned Wei Zhongxian.

Feng Bao was also awakened by the noise. He did not step into the courtyard, but stood guard at the gate, watching the people in the courtyard with a vigilant expression.

"Your Highness, we are here on the orders of Her Majesty the Empress to apprehend the wanted criminal Su Chen!" Wei Zhongxian announced, his voice booming throughout the courtyard.

"A wanted criminal?" Xiao Anran was taken aback, then realized what he meant, her expression darkening slightly. "It's just burying the body of an assassin, not a serious crime. How can you call it a wanted criminal?"

"This isn't as simple as just protecting the murderer!" Wei Zhongxian shook his head, his tone icy. "Su Mu is a descendant of the Western Sichuan royal family. He colluded with Divine Judgment, Xu Qian'er, and others, plotting to assassinate the Empress. He was the one who secretly orchestrated all of this!"

"Do you have concrete evidence? Do you have the Emperor's decree?" Xiao Anran pressed sternly.

"The evidence is conclusive!" Wei Zhongxian's voice was firm. "Her Majesty the Empress is the head of the harem. Apart from members of the royal family, the power of life and death over criminals in the palace rests with her!"

"Although I am not a member of the royal family, I am the Grand Eunuch of Loyalty and Filial Piety appointed by the Emperor. Without the Emperor's personal decree, no one can touch me, not even the Empress!" Su Mu said calmly, looking at Wei Zhongxian with a calm gaze. "It would be best if Eunuch Wei personally wrote a letter requesting the Emperor's permission. It won't be too late to arrest me then."

According to the rules of the Great Qian Dynasty, the Empress had no right to dispose of the Grand Eunuch appointed by the Emperor without authorization. Even if the Emperor wanted to make a move, he had to go through the proper procedures and issue an imperial edict.

"I can capture you first, then report to the Emperor!" Wei Zhongxian said coldly, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "If you surrender, you can still explain yourself to the Emperor; if you dare to resist, don't blame me for killing you without mercy!"

"Wei Zhongxian, I order you to stop immediately. Let me retrieve the Emperor's decree before we talk!" Xiao Anran roared, then turned to leave.

"Princess, I cannot comply!" Wei Zhongxian showed no respect for Xiao Anran. He knew that this matter could not be delayed and had to be resolved quickly.

"You bastard! You just wait!" Xiao Anran was furious. Knowing that he could not stop Wei Zhongxian, he had no choice but to leave in a hurry, wanting to see the emperor as soon as possible and stop this farce.

"I'm warning you, if you don't follow the rules, today will be your death day!" Su Mu's gaze fell on Wei Zhongxian, his expression still calm.

He had long anticipated this day, but before making his move, he wanted to gauge the Emperor's attitude. However, even though the Emperor had not yet expressed his opinion, he didn't care at all.

"Arrogant!" The martial arts school master beside Wei Zhongxian sneered, his eyes full of disdain.

Since Wei Zhongxian dared to come, he had already made thorough preparations and was not afraid of Su Mu's threat. His divine sense instantly spread out, firmly locking onto Su Mu. His whole body surged with rich true essence, and he tightly gripped a bronze mace in his hand, the mace gleaming with a cold light.

"Attack!" Wei Zhongxian shouted, no longer hesitating, and charged towards Su Mu first.

He knew in his heart that there was no time to waste; he had to kill Su Mu before Xiao Anxun arrived! By then, Su Mu would be dead, unable to defend himself, and all his crimes would be proven true, with no one able to overturn his case!

Whoosh!

Wei Zhongxian's aura surged, and his figure moved like lightning, rushing to Su Mu in the blink of an eye. The bronze mace in his hand, carrying the force of a thunderbolt, smashed fiercely towards Su Mu's head. The true essence on the mace was dazzling and its power was astonishing.

"Hmph!" Su Mu snorted coldly, neither dodging nor avoiding, and directly punched the bronze mace.