Then, he slowly raised his head, his gaze fixed firmly on the hall, his voice loud and resolute.

As if to convey his inner resolve to every corner, he said, "Your Majesty:"

Recently, there have been a series of bizarre disappearances, with 16 people still missing so far, and the number is still rising.

Your humble servant has been investigating for several days, but the clues behind the scenes are hard to find. I am ashamed that I have failed to relieve the people's worries and quell the chaos in the city. This is a dereliction of duty and I deserve to die.

I now humbly request Your Majesty to grant permission to order the Shadow Guards to conduct a covert investigation and assist in finding the hidden traces and unraveling this mystery and chaos.

Your humble servant will lead your troops to cooperate fully and will certainly not fail Your Majesty's trust. I humbly beseech Your Majesty's permission; I await your command with utmost trepidation.

When Ye Xingli saw Lu Yunqi step forward, his eyes instantly sharpened like an eagle's. Without hesitation, he immediately took steady and firm steps to stand shoulder to shoulder with Lu Yunqi.

The two stood upright, like two drawn swords, their expressions solemn and serious, their faces seemingly shrouded in a layer of frost born of worry.

They raised their hands simultaneously, their movements perfectly synchronized, as they meticulously adjusted their hats and clothes.

His fingertips gently brushed across the crown, smoothing out even the slightest wrinkle on his court robes. Every movement was filled with respect for His Majesty, exuding solemnity and reverence.

Then, the two bowed deeply with utmost respect, offering a grand salute to the emperor who sat high above on the dragon throne.

After Lu Yunqi finished speaking, Ye Xingli continued, his voice firm and loud, echoing clearly in the spacious and solemn hall like a great bell.

Every word seemed to carry immense weight: "Your Majesty:"

I have heard of this matter and have gone to investigate with Lord Lu. However, after days of searching, we are still trapped in a mystery and have not been able to find the key to breaking the deadlock.

I am filled with anxiety and unease, and deeply ashamed that I failed to relieve the people's suffering in time.

Now I humbly beg Your Majesty's grace to allow me, Lord Lu, and I, along with the Shadow Guards, to jointly weave a net to find the whereabouts of that cunning villain.

Your humble servants will exert all their efforts, day and night, to capture these traitors and restore order to the people. We humbly beg Your Majesty's mercy and grant our request.”

The Emperor sat regally on the dragon throne surrounded by nine dragons, exuding nobility and majesty. His bright yellow dragon robe was like flowing flames, radiating an aura of supreme imperial power.

He stood ramrod straight, his expression solemn, his gaze sharp as two icy beams of light, piercing directly down at Ye Xingli and Lu Yunqi, who stood side by side at the head of the table.

That gaze seemed to possess a penetrating power, as if it wanted to dissect the hidden thoughts deep within their hearts one by one.

Then, he turned his body slightly, the hem of his dragon robe swaying gently, and his gaze slowly shifted to Qin Qianluo beside him.

Qin Qianluo's usually serene face was now filled with shock. Her slightly widened eyes and tightly pursed lips betrayed her astonishment.

With just one glance, the Emperor's mind became as clear as if the clouds had parted to reveal the sun, and he saw through the intentions of the two men perfectly.

He knew perfectly well that their request for him to send his shadow guards to assist in the investigation was merely a pretext, not their true purpose.

Their real intention was to attract Qin Qianluo's attention through this incident and use her to advance the case.

An uncontrollable anger welled up in the Emperor's heart. These two dared to set their sights on Qin Qianluo; they were truly reckless and audacious.

Qin Qianluo held special significance for him, and was not someone they could easily scheme against.

However, the mysterious disappearances of ordinary people in the capital have caused a great stir in the city, with many people vanishing without a trace and their fate unknown.

This is no ordinary matter; it is like a huge boulder, weighing heavily on the capital, concerning the safety of the people and affecting the stability of the entire nation.

Under such a severe and urgent situation, even though he was angry, he could only suppress it and had no suitable reason to blame the two of them.

Moreover, judging from Lin Fu's various demeanor and gestures during the morning court session, the subtle changes in his expression, and the flickering in his eyes.

Based on his keen intuition and insight honed over many years in a high position, the Emperor could almost certainly conclude that the idea was Lin Fu’s.

Thinking of this, the emperor gritted his teeth inwardly, wishing he could immediately summon Lin Fu and give him a severe scolding, but reason told him that this was not the time to lash out.

The emperor gritted his teeth, his facial muscles twitching slightly with anger, and the veins on his forehead bulging like earthworms.

He deliberately feigned a furious and uncontrollable rage, and suddenly slammed his hand on the exquisitely carved dragon throne armrest beside him.

The force was so great that it not only caused the dragon throne to tremble violently, but also seemed to cause the surrounding air to vibrate.

At the same time, he roared like thunder: "How outrageous! How could such a depraved person be hidden in the capital region!"

Despite the joint investigation by Kuang Qing and his colleagues, the thief who committed the robbery and trafficking still escaped justice.

The Emperor's gaze was like two sharp, gleaming blades, sweeping fiercely at Ye Xingli and Lu Yunqi, his eyes filled with reproach, anger, and disappointment.

He continued sternly, "Minister Ye, Minister Lu, you bear the responsibility of ensuring the safety of the people, yet you have allowed chaos to spread to this day. What should your punishment be?"

At this point, the Emperor paused slightly, a complex look flashing in his eyes, as if he were weighing the pros and cons.

He seemed to be pondering the most appropriate course of action, one that could both serve as a warning to the two men and urge them to solve the case as soon as possible.

After a moment, he frowned slightly, a hint of helplessness in his eyes. His tone softened slightly, but it still carried an undeniable air of authority.

He slowly said, "Considering the difficulty of investigating this case, we will not delve into it for now. I hereby order the Shadow Guards to go to the Jingzhao Prefecture immediately to assist in the task, and they must have results within three days."

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