Lei Chen continued: “This matter is also linked to the previous incident with Ling Yue as well. I do not know from where my Father managed to hear that the news that Young Miss Jun had come her under Jun Xie’s invitation. As Ling Yue’s recovery from her injuries had wrecked my Father’s plans, where he was no longer able to use Ling Yue to achieve his own ends, he decided to vent his frustrations on Jun Xie by falsely accusing him of injuring the Fourth Prince. But I had gone to the Empress’ Palace last night and saw that my Fourth Brother had not sustained any injuries. My Father’s current actions, is obviously making use of that superfluous reason in order to kill him!”
Lei Chen’s words were throwing Xiong Ba and Qu Ling Yue into a state of shock. It was true that when they had found Qu Ling Yue’s injuries to be highly bizarre and Xiong Ba was just about to interrogate the physicians when Imperial Physician Li was suddenly murdered mysteriously. Although the incident had not been taken to court, Xiong Ba and his people had been able to gain a rather good idea on what had really happened.
“Young Master Jun has been implicated in this all because of me!” A worried and highly apologetic expression immediately came onto Qu Ling Yue’s face. When she had been made an unwitting victim when she had been injured previously, she had already dragged Jun Xie into trouble once, and now, because he had wanted to save her at that time, Jun Xie had been implicated another time.
Lei Chen secretly observed Xiong Ba and Qu Ling Yue’s reactions and he was finally able to feel a little more relieved.
His words, were only half true with certain fabrications injected into them. Besides the people who were privy to the truth of the matter, no one would have guessed that the reason that Jun Xie’s was being persecuted so severely was all just because of an inconspicuous ring on her hand.
The Emperor had even invited Jun Xie to attend the state banquet last night and he had not shown any animosity then. But the Emperor had suddenly ordered for Jun Xie to be killed the very next day, which had caught everyone off guard.
With just a few lines, Lei Chen had shifted the blame for the Jun Xie’s persecution onto Qu Ling Yue and although Xiong Ba and her might have their own reservations about the matter, they wouldn’t be able to discover any other reasons for it as the Emperor would never allow any information about Jun Xie holding the Ring of Imperial Fire to reach anyone’s ears!
Soon, Xiong Ba and Qu Ling Yue were seen to have fully believed Lei Chen’s words as the sequence of events meshed up very well from the beginning to the end, which gave them no reason to suspect anything otherwise.
“Seeing little brother Jun being forced to face such a calamity, I am however helpless to do anything although the heart is eager. To be entirely honest, even as the Crown Prince, I am currently being secretly watched by the Imperial Guard Army and I have invited the two of you here just to ask if you are given the opportunity, would you be keen to seek redress for the injustice you have been made to suffer?” Lei Chen asked once more.
Qu Ling Yue was about to speak when Xiong Ba stopped her.
“In this matter, we have undoubtedly dragged Brother Jun into it. But Your Highness should know this. The Thousand Beast City has absolutely no intention of becoming hostile to the Fire Country. We can help Brother Jun escape from the Fire Country, and as for anything else, I’m afraid we will not be able to comply.” Although Xiong Ba was grateful that Jun Xie had lent a hand to help them, and feeling ashamed that they had caused Jun Xie to be innocently implicated, but he had to put the interests of the entire Thousand Beast City at the forefront of his mind. As one of the Clan Hall Chiefs, he could not afford to be emotional when the matters involved the entire Thousand Beast City.
Qu Ling Yue tugged at Xiong Ba’s sleeve anxiously, seemingly wanting to say something, but she was stopped by Xiong Ba another time.
Lei Chen was still scrutinizing the reactions of Xiong Ba and Qu Ling Yue secretly and although he
was smiling in his heart, he showed no trace of it on his face.
“I’m afraid that Hall Chief Xiong might have misunderstood me. In this matter, you are not required to do anything else other than to merely bring little brother Jun into the Imperial Palace and nothing else.” Lei Chen said.
“Bring into the Imperial Palace? In that regard, I believe that Your Highness is in a much better position to do it than us.” Xiong Ba replied warily.
Volume 10
Chapter 915 : “Intricate Plot (6)”
Lei Chen then laughed bitterly and shook his head. “It is not that I am unwilling to do it, but because Father suspects that I have hidden little brother Jun from him and before Jun Xie is found, even if I am to go into the Imperial Palace, I will not be allowed to bring anyone in with me. But it is a completely different case for Hall Chief Xiong and your people. Trust me, you just have to carry out that simple task and the debt that my Father still owes to you will naturally be repaid to you through someone’s actions.”
Xiong Ba’s face creased up in a deep frown in thought. If it didn’t involve pitting them against the Fire Country, he would be very glad to help Jun Xie.
Qu Ling Yue could not hold herself back any longer. She ignored Xiong Ba’s repeated attempts stopping her from speaking and she blurted out quickly: “What Senior is trying to say is that Young Master Jun is within the Crown Prince’s Residence at this moment?”
Lei Chen nodded.
Qu Ling Yue immediately replied: “We can agree to Senior’s suggestion!”
Xiong Ba’s eyes widened up in shock. “Young Miss! You!”
Qu Ling Yue looked pleadingly at Xiong Ba. “Uncle Xiong, the entire incident had begun all because of me. Moreover, didn’t Uncle Xiong say it before? The Fire Country has really gone too far this time and it is only because the Fire Country holds such overwhelming might that it is preventing us from being openly hostile to them. But now, we are presented with an opportunity to help Young Master Jun and at the same time seek redress for the injustice I suffered, why should we reject that? Unless….. Uncle Xiong can really bear to see the injustice Ling Yue suffered go unaddressed?”
As she spoke, Qu Ling Yue’s eyes welled up with tears.
Xiong Ba’s heart wrenched when he saw that and he immediately tried to comfort the girl. Finally, under Qu Ling Yue’s tearful wheedling and coaxing, Xiong Ba found himself completely defenceless and could do nothing but agree to it.
“I hope that Your Highness will think the matter through thoroughly. Although our Young Miss is willing to help, but we still will not wish for this matter to cause any problems.” Xiong Ba reiterated his stand, serving both as a warning and a reminder.
Lei Chen nodded instantly.
“Then….. Do we need to bring Young Master Jun away from here first?” Qu Ling Yue asked.
Lei Chen nodded and immediately turned, staring at a certain spot at the back.
Qu Ling Yue and Xiong Ba followed his gaze and at that moment, they froze in place!
About two hours after Xiong Ba and Qu Ling Yue entered the Crown Prince’s Residence, the two people finally came back out. The Imperial Guards who were secretly watching checked carefully to see whether there were any additional person with them. All they saw was Qu Ling Yue carrying a little sheep in her arms but they did not see anything else out of place.
After the two people climbed up into the horse carriage, Qu Ling Yue leaned back against the seat and her small hand slowly stroked Lord Meh Meh who was in her arms.
Xiong Ba’s eyes were still filled with shock as he sat opposite “Qu Ling Yue”.
“Young Master Jun…..” Xiong Ba’s voice was trembling slightly as he uttered out that strange form of address.
“Qu Ling Yue” who had her eyes and head lowered lifted up her head at that moment, the pair of clear eyes glinting with a cold chill.
“Thank you Hall Chief Xiong.” The slightly cold voice said, the words coming out from “Qu Ling Yue’s” mouth.
Xiong Ba gulped, trying his very hardest to ge
t himself more accustomed to the unfamiliar “Qu Ling Yue”.
And within the Crown Prince’s Residence, Qu Ling Yue had changed into a maid’s uniform and was seated at the table with Lei Chen enjoying tea, her gaze involuntarily turning to look outside the window.
“I really hope Young Master Jun’s plan can be carried out smoothly.” Qu Ling Yue said softly. When Xiong Ba and her saw Jun Xie having changed his looks to looked exactly like her, the two of them had been stunned. They had not expected that all of it had been Jun Xie’s plan to pose as her in a complete substitution.
Qu Ling Yue had changed out of her clothes original clothes and let Jun Xie wear them, and Jun Xie had left the Crown Prince’s Residence with Xiong Ba impersonating as her.
Volume 10
Chapter 916 : “Intricate Plot (7)”
Qu Ling Yue had changed out of her own clothes and given them to Jun Xie to wear, allowing Jun Xie to disguise as her to leave the Crown Prince’s Residence with Xiong Ba.
Even the Imperial Guards secretly guarding outside would not be able to suspect anything strange going on.
Lei Chen lifted his cup of tea and raised it up towards Qu Ling Yue.
“I am grateful for Ling Yue’s help this time. I know that you have no intentions of seeking revenge and you are doing this just to help me and little brother Jun.” Lei Chen had once thought of getting closer to Qu Ling Yue to win the favour of the Thousand Beast City, and that had enabled him to know Qu Ling Yue’s personality very well.
With Qu Ling Yue’s innocent heart, she would not harbour any thoughts of vengeance. She had shown herself to be pitifully hurt and aggrieved earlier before Xiong Ba only to coerce Xiong Ba to agree to the plan.
“Why is Senior saying that? Am I not also doing it for myself?” Qu Ling Yue said, smiling sweetly at Lei Chen.
Lei Chen lowered his eyes. It must be said that Qu Ling Yue was truly a very nice girl and he had once wanted to make use of her for his own revenge. At that moment, he could not help but despise himself for having harboured such malicious intentions against the girl before him.
She was really a fine girl and he no longer had the heart to taint her.
Only wishing that she would live healthy and happy henceforth!
The Imperial Guards outside followed the Thousand Beast City’s horse carriage all the way back to the inn the people from the War Banner Academy were occupying. After making sure that only “Qu Ling Yue” and Xiong Ba were the only people who alighted from the carriage, they had even gone to check the carriage after it was parked in the backyard of the inn to make sure that no one was hiding in it before they left to report it to Yuan Biao.
The Immortals’ Loft and the Crown Prince’s Residence still remained guarded by the Imperial Guard Army.
An entire day had passed and Yuan Biao still haven’t found a single trace of Jun Xie. When he had reported the news to the Emperor seated within the Palace, the Emperor had smashed a jade slab on his table in fury.
“Useless trash! With so many Imperial Guards and you still allowed a little brat to escape? Are you telling me my Imperial Guard Army is filled with an entire bunch of useless good for nothings! ?” The Emperor stared furiously at Yuan Biao who was kneeling before him in the Imperial Study. The longer the matter dragged on, the more fearful he grew of the matter about the Ring of Imperial Fire being exposed.
“Have you searched the Crown Prince’s Residence! ?” The Emperor roared in rage.
“I have. Jun Xie is not in the Crown Prince’s Residence.” Yuan Biao answered.
“Then go look around and check everywhere within the Imperial Capital! I want Jun Xie found as soon as possible!” The Emperor continued to roar, and then suddenly having thought of something, he said. “Go to the Grand Adviser’s Mansion! Go check there!”
Yuan Biao was shocked as he raised his head in puzzlement, looking at the Emperor almost blubbering in unchecked fury.
“Your Majesty? You are asking your subject to go search the Grand Adviser’s Mansion?”
“It must be the Grand Adviser! It must be him! When that pretty face returned to the banquet with Jun Xie, I should have thought of it! He shows himself to be uninvolved in the affairs of the country but he was conferred the title as the Grand Adviser by the elder brother of the First Emperor of our line! He had been very close to that man. It must be him! Must be him! He must have seen the Ring of Imperial Fire as well. He must be wanting to….. Go now!” The fear and terror in the Emperor’s heart grew deeper and deeper.
Besides the Imperial Family of the Fire Country, no one else knew that the current Grand Adviser Wen Yu was actually an old man over a hundred years old. From more than a hundred years ago, he had appeared, and the reigning Emperor at that time was still the elder brother of the First Emperor of the current line. He had then conferred the title of Grand Adviser onto Wen Yu and had disappeared after that. The First Emperor had inherited the throne only to carry on his elder brother’s will which only further solidified Wen Yu’s position.
Through the generations of Grand Advisers, they had always held exemplary good looks, a fully white mane draped behind the shoulders. Towards this unusual occurrence, the generations of Emperors had always told everyone else that it was due to the inheritance of the Grand Adviser’s powers blessed by the Heavens. Only those who were part of the Imperial Family through the generations were made privy to the fact that the Grand Adviser, had only been Wen Yu, the one and the same person!
As it was because of this myth passed down through the generations, that made the Grand Adviser’s position irreplaceable in the hearts of the people in the Fire Country!
Volume 10
Chapter 917 : “Curtains Up (1)”
“Your Majesty! Throughout the generations of Emperors, none have said that they have the right to search the Grand Adviser’s Mansion! If Your Majesty really does that, I’m afraid…..” Yuan Biao reminded the Emperor immediately, that the Grand Adviser’s Mansion must not be subjected to a search.
Although the Grand Adviser Wen Yu held a position of high reverence in the hearts of the people, he had very seldom interfered with the affairs of the Fire Country. And the air of mystery that surrounded the Grand Adviser had always discouraged anyone from daring to antagonize him.
Someone who was past a hundred years of age, but still possessed the looks of a twenty something, could not possibly be an ordinary person!
Even a man like Yuan Biao did not dare go stir up any trouble with the Grand Adviser.
With Yuan Biao’s quick reminder, the Emperor was suddenly shocked back to regain his senses and the maniacal expression on his face slowly subsided.
“Forget that….. Forget that….. You just get some men to keep watch outside the Grand Adviser’s Mansion and only when they discover any suspicious persons, can they then take action.” The Emperor’s wild rage calmed, and in his mind, the instructions left behind by his Father, the previous Emperor, suddenly rose up from his memory.
[Never ever show the Grand Adviser any disrespect!]
Those were the last words the late Emperor had told him when he was handed the throne. He had remembered those words for many years after he ascended the throne, but with Wen Yu’s nonchalance, he had gradually forgotten all about it. Now that he had remembered it again, he suddenly felt a chill creep into his heart.
The Grand Adviser Wen Yu, was a person even the First Emperor had been quietly respectful of and if he were to openly go against the Grand Adviser…..
The Emperor felt a shudder suddenly crawl up his back.
Yuan Biao saw that the Emperor had finally calmed himself down and he discreetly blew out a breath in relief, immediately asking to take his leave after receiving his orders.
The Emperor was still feeling worried and he dispatched more guards outside the Empress Dowager’s Palace. He also sent out his orders, that he must be informed in the first instance if the Grand Adviser or the Crown Prince comes to the Imperial Palace.
After making all the necessary arrangements, the Emperor collapsed in exhaustion, falling back in a slump into his chair.
The Imperial Guards had continued with their search and that had caused much fear and anxiety to spread among Imperial City’s people.
And just a few days after that, news that Xiong Ba and the other people from the Thousand Beast City were leaving the Fire Country’s Imperial Capital was heard a the Emperor was suddenly reminded of how he had made use of Qu Ling Yue in that previous incident and although his scheme had failed at that time, the Thousand Beast City had remained mum and had not dared openly show hostility towards the mighty Fire Country. The Emperor was nevertheless not foolish enough to leave the matter to fester as he knew that the Thousand Beast City held a highly significant amount of power themselves. Left with no other choice, the Emperor decided that he did not want to establish for himself a potential enemy such as them.
Immediately, the Emperor specially invited Qu Ling Yue, Xiong Ba, Feng Yue Yang and Qing Yu of the Thousand Beast City into come into the Imperial Palace, in an attempt to warm up their relationship a little, or at least convince Xiong Ba to not deliver a report that sounded too harsh when he gets back.
Xiong Ba and the others accepted the invitation and made their way towards the Imperial Palace. The Emperor had already ordered for people to wait at the palace gates and when they saw the guests approaching, they immediately went forward to welcome the guests, quickly leading them in to go before the Emperor.
“I heard that my esteemed guests will be returning to the Thousand Beast City soon and as I was feeling highly apologetic about the incident from before, where something like that was even allowed to occur in the Fire Country, I have taken the blame upon myself decided that it was all due the lack of care the Fire Country had shown to all of you.” The Emperor said, looking smilingly at Xiong Ba, then swinging his eyes to look remorseful at Qu Ling Yue standing just at the side.
Genius Doctor: Black Belly Miss Volume 10 Page 5