Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

"Go on."

Chu Mingkong continued to review the events of the previous night:

"It's strange. The people who turned Choi Yong against him and the assassins should be in cahoots. They probably wanted to use me to kill Choi Gap-jin and put me in a bad situation."

But tonight, for some reason, the person who turned Cui Rong against him appeared at the Cui family's East Mansion without even wearing clothes, and soon began to forcibly kill Cui Jiazhen.

Considering the father and son's penchant for stirring up trouble among men, I have a bold and highly credible guess!

Chu Mingkong's gaze sharpened, like the glint of light Conan flashes when he sees through the culprit:

"That naked middle-aged man was trying to use Pi Yan's seduction to turn Cui Rong against me and plot against me. However, Cui Jiazhen knew the situation at home and found out that his son was having an affair with such a hot man without inviting him along. As a result, the father and son broke off their relationship!"

The lobbyist was caught in the act of adultery and fled to the courtyard. After I discovered him, he unexpectedly died. The assassins, thinking the matter had been exposed, couldn't wait for me to go and kill Choi Gap-jin in my madness, so they had to take matters into their own hands.

Shangguan Rong was stunned after hearing this, unable to speak for a long time. What on earth was going on?!

Chu Mingkong sighed with emotion: "This is the consequence of messing around with men. Behind the bizarre assassination case, a series of love and hate stories are also involved. A middle-aged man's lewdness destroyed the East Mansion overnight."

Shangguan Rong's train of thought was completely swayed by his words. Watching him righteously berate the Cui family father and son, she couldn't help but mutter under her breath:

"Don't look down on others. I was dressed as a man, and you still messed with me. You and the Cui family father and son are birds of a feather..."

Chu Mingkong chuckled, "If everyone dressed as a man was as beautiful as Rong'er and also had a gorgeous figure, I wouldn't mind being one of them."

“Vulgar…” Shangguan Rong scolded, giving him a disdainful look.

Chu Mingkong's nonsense just now was just to make her happy. Although he looked down on her when he spoke, it was still better than him being cold and indifferent and saying nothing at all.

"So, what did Rong'er realize about the situation?"

"You only give me so little information each time, and it's always so strange. How am I supposed to help you think of anything?"

Shangguan Rong clenched her fists, wanting to hit him, but she held back, afraid that he might actually get angry and disturb her in the middle of the night. So she voiced her thoughts:

"The sudden attack by those assassins on Cui Jiazhen must have been due to some unforeseen event. The cause was most likely the death of the envoy responsible for seducing and turning the assassins. Even though the assassins changed their plans, their goal remained the same."

They previously wanted to use Cui Rong to provoke you, hoping to use him to kill the Cui clan chief. Now that they're doing it themselves, they definitely want to achieve the same goal.

Reminded by Shangguan Rong's suggestion, Chu Mingkong remembered something:

"Oh! When I was watching near Tianxiang Tower, I sensed that those assassins had Yin Cores hidden on their bodies. I guess they wanted to use the residual Yin power at the scene to frame me afterward."

When I finished off Cui Jiazhen, I was worried about this, so I used the extreme Yang power you gave me, Rong'er, to kill him instead.

This was a lucky accident; it concealed his whereabouts, since he was the only one in the capital who could use extreme Yin power to commit evil deeds.

"As expected of Rong'er, even after I've been rambling on for so long, you've managed to figure out the truth for me!"

"You know you're talking nonsense?" Shangguan Rong didn't expect him to say it so confidently. She suddenly asked, "...Then what did you do after leaving the Cui residence?"

He went to practice dual cultivation with Jin Yuzhen in the carriage.

"It's not convenient to talk about this," Chu Mingkong said, looking troubled.

"Then don't say it!"

Shangguan Rong's tone turned somber again, and she turned away in dissatisfaction, not wanting him to appear in her sight.

But then I realized it was dangerous to have my back to him.

He hurriedly lay back down.

Chu Mingkong stopped trying to scare her. He looked towards the Cui residence and said, "Although I think my excuses are sufficient, why do I have this feeling that someone is really eyeing me?"

I hope this won't affect my plans to relax with the girls tomorrow.

Chapter 42 Jinyu, do you still have your virginity mark?

Entering the Heavenly Palace offers not only better learning and cultivation resources, but also a compelling prospect for future advancement.

For most ordinary people, the idea of ​​transcending the world and entering a powerful, secluded sect for cultivation is just wishful thinking. But at the Heavenly Pole Academy, accepting the patronage of various forces within the empire at least allows them to send more of their monthly allowance home.

Chu Mingkong was confined to his study, and students from the academy kept a close watch on him from a distance. Even after he left the study, people continued to keep watch on him in shifts all day long.

The scene of Jin Yu throwing herself into his arms was naturally witnessed by everyone.

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In a secluded paradise where singing and dancing are commonplace, surrounded by peach blossom forests, a ditch flows through the forest, with wine cups floating on its surface.

"Fifth Prince, this is the intelligence we just received. Please take a look!"

A handsome man dressed in a golden robe and wearing a royal jade pendant sat on the seat and received a message from his confidant.

The letter mentions that Princess Jinyu acted intimately in front of Chu Mingkong's secluded study.

Upon learning this news, the spies questioned the city guards patrolling the capital at night, as well as the night watchmen who beat drums and gongs to warn of "the weather is dry and the fire is dangerous." They discovered that after Princess Jinyu left the palace, she encountered Chu Mingkong near the Tianji Academy, and several Tianji students were also witnesses.

After being persuaded to leave, Chu Mingkong quickly disappeared from sight.

But a strange thing happened: Princess Jinyu's phoenix carriage did not immediately return to the palace. Instead, it stopped in a secluded place, and then the carriage began to shake violently.

The Fifth Prince was no saint either; how could he not know what this meant?

Most importantly, the evidence was seized by the guards planted in the palace!

When Princess Jinyu's personal maid, Yueqing, was dealing with the Phoenix Chariot for her mistress, the guards knocked her unconscious. Inside the Phoenix Chariot, they discovered a scene of chaos after a "fierce battle," as well as a dress stained with "blood"!

"Sister Jinyu actually had an affair with that scoundrel Chu Mingkong? It seems she most likely lost her virginity through a secret affair." The Fifth Prince looked at the secret letter, extremely surprised.

They are all members of the royal family and know each other well. Jin Yu is also a proud person and cannot be attracted to someone just because they have good looks.

In the room, a young scholar, dressed in a "refined" manner, with his belt half undone and his clothes disheveled, sat up straight, released a young man with delicate features from his arms, and said:

"Your Highness, what news is there?"

The Fifth Prince did not hide anything and summoned someone to read the secret letter aloud to everyone.

These are all his trusted confidants, men and women, all of whom he trusts and who would never betray him, because they are both his retainers and his "lovers".

Both men and women!

The Fifth Prince believed that shared interests were insufficient to win people over, because people's desires for benefits are fickle. However, he could fully trust these people based on shared interests and a close, intimate bond.

Although the Fifth Prince also disliked romantic relationships with men, it was only by using such twisted relationships to win over those around him that he could feel at ease.

Once the matter is accomplished, there will be no need to keep these people around.

"It's not surprising. Princess Jinyu was probably robbed of her favor during the Qing'an Street incident. I'm afraid her admirers will be saddened."

A man with smeared smears on his face said in a shrill voice, "Although it was a matter of mutual consent, Princess Jinyu's body was taken by Chu Mingkong, which is a huge mistake on his part!"

"How is the Cui family doing?" the Fifth Prince asked.

Someone replied, "Everything is in order. It is highly likely that Chu Mingkong was responsible for Cui Jiazhen's death. I just don't know how he used the power of extreme yang. Could it be that he specifically left a bottle of Princess Jinyu's saliva with him?"

"If we want to frame him, we lack the crucial piece of evidence, but we can draw the biggest suspicion to Chu Mingkong. At that time, Cui Rong will also be there to testify against him."

Recalling Choi Yong's existence, some people nodded:

"Hmm, Cui Rong is not up to much responsibility, but starting tonight, he is the head of the Cui family. This title means that even his farts will represent the Cui family's flavor!"

"Yes, the credibility of Chief Cui Rong's testimony that Chu Mingkong murdered Cui Jiazhen cannot be ignored, but it's still a pity... According to the plan, it should have been the easily angered Chu Mingkong who publicly killed Cui Jiazhen, but the current situation is less than satisfactory."

"The situation tonight changed so drastically for some reason. Li Ming was attacked without cause and his whereabouts were repeatedly discovered by the traps set by the Cui family. That old bastard Cui Jiazhen is still ruthless. He may seem to be blinded by wine and women, but he has probably been keeping an eye on Cui Rong's movements all along. Otherwise, Li Ming would not have been discovered so quickly."

"But he still died. Cui Rong was an easy child to control. After the court session tomorrow, we should first target Chu Mingkong to ensure the Fifth Prince's secure position as Crown Prince, and then eliminate Cui Rong. The Cui family has declined in recent years, but their family network of connections still exists. This is a fortune, an unclaimed treasure! With His Highness the Crown Prince inheriting the Cui family's wealth accumulated over so many years, his position as Crown Prince is secure, and no one can shake His Highness the Fifth Prince's path to the throne."

The Fifth Prince's face lit up with joy, and one corner of his mouth turned up. He had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time since he lost to the Crown Prince.

That useless eldest prince, whose cultivation is inferior to his, can easily equalize his years of hard work and effort just because of the crown prince's protection. He is not willing to accept this!

In the arena, a messenger wearing a black cloak and a ghost mask spoke up. If the crown prince's confidants were here, they would recognize him as the "Holy Envoy".

"Your Highness, I wish you every success. But I must remind you, has Your Highness had anyone try the 'Extreme Abyss Yin Soul Pill'? This pill still needs improvement, and test subjects are indispensable. Once the pill is completed, Your Highness will be able to use the power of extreme Yin like Chu Mingkong!"

The Fifth Prince said, "I have already sent someone to talk to Cui Rong. I hope there will be some pleasant surprises."

------------

The next day, the sky was overcast and gloomy.

The rooster crows at dawn, but the sky is not yet clear. However, the routine morning assembly will not be postponed because of the weather.

Today's court assembly welcomed a rare guest: the Fifth Prince.

Cheng Gao, the chief eunuch who usually assisted the emperor, spoke up on her behalf after receiving a nod of approval from Empress Pei:

"Fifth Prince, have you come today with something to report?"

Finally, they'd reached this point... A confident smile crept across the Fifth Prince's lips as he struggled to suppress his excitement:

"Yes, I have three crimes that need to be questioned by Prince Chu Mingkong of Xiling!"

The civil and military officials all twitched at the corners of their eyes. This fifth prince... is he not afraid of death?

Your eldest brother, who was stripped of his title as crown prince, hasn't even passed his seventh day of mourning yet!

Moreover, today's court meeting was originally supposed to discuss the assassination of the Cui family patriarch last night, and everyone's primary suspect was Chu Mingkong, but no one dared to ask first.

There are a few ministers in the court who support the Fifth Prince's faction, but they are unaware of the Fifth Prince's private plots. This can be interpreted as them not following the Fifth Prince's clique in their mischief.

They advised, "Your Highness, Fifth Prince, please be careful what you say!"

"I acted out of conscience, but I couldn't stand seeing a guilty person taking advantage of their injuries to bite people like a mad dog, running rampant in the capital with no regard for the law!"

The first accusation is that Chu Mingkong defiled Imperial Sister Jinyu's body and ruined her virginity!

After speaking, the Fifth Prince took out Jin Yu's phoenix carriage and Yue Qing, who was tied up in a pretzel, from his storage ring.

"Your Majesty, Eunuch Cheng Gao, and all ministers, please look at the situation inside the Phoenix Carriage! I have sealed this Phoenix Carriage with magic, but the 'scent of men and women' inside is still strong."

With Empress Pei's permission, Eunuch Cheng Gao went over to confirm the situation.

"This is indeed Princess Jinyu's phoenix carriage!"

He lifted the carriage curtain and looked inside, and was especially shocked when he saw the dress stained with "red blood".

High in the imperial court, behind the beaded curtain, Empress Pei frowned slightly.

Even if this were true, it shouldn't have been brought up in the imperial court, especially not suddenly and publicly. This was an attempt to humiliate Jin Yu and incite resentment among her admirers, leading them to denounce Chu Mingkong.

In their quest for the crown prince position, they did... far too ugly things.