They deliberately chose to have their conversation in an open courtyard because they were worried that there might be a secret room nearby where they could eavesdrop.

Originally, the upstairs wasn't too far from the courtyard, and their conversation couldn't be hidden from someone with profound cultivation. However, Qin Guangyuan took out a strange stone and placed it on the table, and the two upstairs realized they couldn't hear anything anymore.

"That's a soundproof stone produced by the National Royal Academy. It can prevent sound from leaking out within a certain range," Qiu Honglei, who was knowledgeable, explained immediately.

"The National Royal Academy?" Zu An was taken aback, but immediately realized that this was the highest institution of learning in the Great Zhou Dynasty, just like the Imperial Academy in ancient times.

The most outstanding talents from prestigious schools like Mingyue Academy would be sent to the Imperial Academy in the capital for further studies, and graduates there would be able to serve as officials in the imperial court.

In fact, students who can enter the Royal Academy are already qualified to become officials. However, everyone wants to reach a higher level of cultivation in the academy. The higher your cultivation level, the higher your starting point in officialdom and the brighter your future prospects. Therefore, no one chooses to enter officialdom so early.

"What should we do if we can't hear what they're saying? Should I ask Shuangyue to try to get closer?" Qiu Honglei asked anxiously.

"No need, I have a way." Zuan closed his eyes and began searching for small animals near the yard. Small insects were ignored, and the most common animals were rats. Unfortunately, rats were easily killed if they got close.

So he finally chose to control a tabby cat, and lazily strolled over.

Cats are so cute, these people shouldn't be disgusted by them, right?

Sure enough, the tabby cat was spotted by the group as soon as it passed by, but after realizing it was just a cat, they breathed a sigh of relief and stopped paying attention.

"Brother Cheng, what brings you here in such a hurry?" Qin Guangyuan sat upright, his demeanor extremely composed.

Qin Yongde, on the other hand, sat much more casually, leaning lazily against the chair as if he had no bones.

As for Chu Youzhao, her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were slightly glazed, making her look exceptionally alluring.

Cheng Gang looked away in surprise, thinking to himself that this third young master of the Chu family was really handsome. If he were from an ordinary family, I would definitely get my hands on him and have some fun with him.

Although he didn't consider himself a man, he felt he could handle someone as beautiful as Chu Youzhao.

He coughed lightly, putting away his fanciful thoughts, and replied, "As you all probably already know, the assassins captured in the last assassination attempt have confessed that the mastermind behind it was the Prince of Qi."

"This is clearly a frame-up!" Chu Youzhao slammed her hand on the table. After drinking, she was much more flamboyant than usual.

Qin Yongde smiled nonchalantly and said, "Even we can see that it's a frame-up, how could the Emperor not see it?"

Qin Guangyuan frowned: "I'm afraid the Emperor will pretend not to notice."

Qin Yongde's smile froze, and Chu Youzhao's brows furrowed, clearly understanding how likely this was.

Cheng Gang said, "Young Master, you are indeed insightful. My father also thinks so. The Emperor may want to use this assassination incident to target the Qi Prince's faction. Because my father is in a rather delicate situation right now, it is inconvenient for him to discuss with the Duke of Cheng and the Duke of Wei. So he contacted you through me to exchange ideas."

Zuan upstairs nodded secretly. So it turns out this guy has been coming to the brothel all day to cover up his true intentions.

Qin Guangyuan asked, "Has your father been able to find out the origins of those assassins?"

Cheng Gang shook his head: "I don't know. I only know that their leader is a young woman with long hair and the cultivation of a Grandmaster."

"A young woman, a Grandmaster?" Chu Youzhao's voice suddenly rose. She was always annoyed that she wasn't a man, otherwise she could save the Chu family a lot of trouble.

But now that she hears that a young woman has become a grandmaster, how can she not be amazed and impressed?

Qin Yongde laughed and said, "Youzhao, don't be fooled by appearances. People with profound cultivation can maintain their youth forever. You may see her as a young woman, but in reality, she is an old woman."

Zu An's expression was strange. "If you're so capable, try saying that in front of Yun Jianyue. She'll be surprised if she doesn't rip your brains out."

So, how old is the leader's sister?

At this moment, Chu Youzhao continued, "She appears to be a young woman with long hair, and is also a Grandmaster. Logically speaking, it should be easy to find out her identity."

Qin Guangyuan shook his head: "It's not that simple. Although there aren't many Grandmasters in the world, almost all of them live in seclusion, and it's very difficult for outsiders to find out about them."

Qin Yongde, who had been sitting casually, sat up straight: "Ordinary people may not know, but His Majesty should be able to guess who it is."

Qin Guangyuan gave a wry smile: "We've come back to what we said at the beginning. The Emperor may very well use this opportunity to deal with the Qi Prince's faction."

Cheng Gang nodded: "My father thinks so too. As the Left Guard General, he is a key figure in the Qi Prince's lineage who controls the Imperial Guards. He is probably one of the people the Emperor wants to get rid of. So these days, my father has been taking the initiative to draw everyone's attention to an Embroidered-Robed Envoy."

Zu An thought to himself, "No wonder Cheng Xiong kept biting me like a mad dog; he was looking for a scapegoat."

"The Embroidered-Robed Envoy?" Qin Guangyuan nodded. "I've heard of him."

Each major family has its own informants within the palace, so it's impossible that they wouldn't be unaware of the major events that have occurred there in the past two days.

Cheng Gang gritted his teeth and said, "The original plan was very detailed, but that embroidered-robed envoy is a bit strange. He always manages to escape danger, making my father's plan a complete waste. Now my father's situation is getting worse and worse."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!