Qin Lu stood frozen in place, unable to advance or retreat.
He certainly didn't want to go there.
The black aura swirling around that thing's fingertips looked eerie.
Who knows what might have happened in the past?
But if he goes back now... wouldn't his impassioned speech about loyalty to the emperor and patriotism just now become a joke?
No one noticed that Zhao Wuwang, the deputy commander standing not far behind him, was slightly bowing his head.
A subtle smile played at the corners of his lips, his eyes darkening.
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
Qin Lu, that idiot, is still as impatient as ever.
Ever since the incident at Gao Bi's villa, Zhao Wuwang had been waiting for an opportunity.
An opportunity to completely bring down Qin Lu.
He didn't care about the so-called Crown Prince's Consort or the Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion.
As for whether the one sitting on the dragon throne is the crown prince or the third prince?
Ha, who becomes emperor is none of his business.
Anyway, it's not Zhao Wuwang's turn to sit on the dragon throne.
He served whoever was the emperor.
Why become an official? Isn't it all about high position, power, and the lump sums of money and heavy authority?
His sole purpose, from beginning to end, has always been the same.
It's about overthrowing Qin Lu and taking the throne as the Commander of the Zhenling Division!
Qin Lu, relying on his seniority, has suppressed him for so many years, but now he is making one blunder after another, unable to even deal with a ghost, and almost making the Zhenling Division lose all face.
What right does such a piece of trash have to sit in that position?
Go, go...
The higher you jump, the harder you fall.
The Prince of Zhenbei spoke up at the opportune moment: "Commander Qin, my daughter-in-law invites you over. Are you deaf?"
“…”
Just when Qin Lu was in a difficult situation, Li Yuheng seemed to be getting impatient.
He raised his hand, extended his index finger, and gently tapped it in the direction of Qin Lu.
The official hat, symbolizing the identity of the Qin Slaughtering Spirit Division Commander, fell to the ground with a thud.
It even rolled half a circle on the ground before stopping right in front of the Crown Prince's seat in Xifeng.
The pearl on the brim of the hat, a symbol of rank, spun around.
Xi Feng lowered his eyes and glanced expressionlessly at the hat at his feet with his signature dead fish eyes.
Then, he slowly lifted his foot and stepped on it.
It wasn't very forceful, but it was clear enough.
Qin Lu: "!!!"
He felt as if his face, along with that hat, had been trampled underfoot by His Highness the Crown Prince.
The entire venue fell silent once again.
You could hear a pin drop.
Everyone saw the Crown Prince's seemingly unintentional but actually very deliberate kick.
Is this young master making a statement?
Li Yuheng looked with satisfaction at Qin Lu's face, which was a fascinating mix of red and blue.
He turned to the still-shaken emperor on the throne, nodded slightly, and paid his respects.
Shu Bai spoke up at the opportune moment: "Your Majesty, my wife just informed me with her divine sense that these are not ordinary vengeful ghosts, but 'Chang Gui' who have been bound and refined by evil magic. They have lost their intelligence and only know how to kill. The person behind this is despicable."
His gaze swept over the official hat that the Crown Prince had stepped on, his expression suggestive:
"As for why some people are so eager to slander my Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, even going so far as to stir up trouble at His Majesty's birthday banquet... their purpose is self-evident."
That's practically accusing Qin Lu of crying wolf.
Qin Lu's body stiffened.
Oh no, it seems I started this fire too quickly and it's backfired.
He glanced quickly at the emperor on the throne, then at the expressionless crown prince.
A profound sense of powerlessness welled up inside me.
The royal court's murky waters are indeed not so easy to wade through.
Whether it's the Crown Prince or the Third Prince, it doesn't really matter to Qin Lu who ascends to the throne.
He had secretly done some favors for the Third Prince before, but only because the prince was generous and Consort Tan was currently favored by the emperor. He wanted to gain more benefits and leave himself a way out.
Who would have thought that before they could reap any benefits or even pave a safe path for themselves, they would capsize themselves?
Being an official... it really is all about stability; you can't be greedy for things you shouldn't be.
The emperor looked at Li Yuheng with suspicion, then at the grotesque ghostly figures frozen on the ground, and finally his gaze fell on Qin Lu's pale face.
He's not stupid.
Qin Lu's behavior just now was indeed suspicious.
As for that ghost princess... although her appearance was bizarre and her methods were incomprehensible, she did indeed save him.
At least on the surface.
Consort Tan spoke softly at the opportune moment, her voice carrying just the right amount of fear and dependence: "Your Majesty, I was truly terrified just now. It was all thanks to this...the Crown Princess who came to my aid."
The emperor took a deep breath and looked at Li Yuheng, his tone complex: "You... are the wife of the heir apparent of the Prince of Zhenbei?"
Li Yuheng raised an eyebrow, said nothing, but floated back to Shu Bai's side and very naturally put his arm around Shu Bai's shoulder.
But their intimacy and possessiveness were undisguised.
Shu Bai leaned slightly closer to Li Yuheng, then looked up at the emperor and said calmly, "Your Majesty, the marriage certificate is here, and heaven and earth bear witness."
The emperor looked at the pair of humans and ghosts who were still deeply in love, and then at the still stiff and vengeful ghosts on the ground. He felt utterly overwhelmed.
What kind of mess is this?!
He waved his hand wearily: "Today's events are full of suspicious points. Qin Lu, you failed in your duties as commander of the Zhenling Division first, and then framed the prince. You are hereby relieved of your post and sent back to your residence to await further investigation!"
"Your Majesty!" Qin Lu knelt down with a thud, still trying to explain.
"Get out!" the emperor shouted sternly, clearly not wanting to hear any more of his nonsense.
At this moment, Zhao Wuwang quickly suppressed his smile, replacing it with a sorrowful and fearful expression. He strode forward, bowed, and said:
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger! Commander Qin... Lord Qin acted rashly in a moment of panic, worried about Your Majesty's safety, which is why he offended you. We, the entire Zhenling Division, failed in our duty to protect the palace and disturbed Your Majesty's presence; we deserve to die!"
The emperor was already furious, and hearing this only made him more irritated. He didn't even bother to look at Zhao Wuwang, and simply waved his hand: "Enough! The Zhenling Division is to blame for today's events! We'll deal with them after this is over!"
"Your subject... obeys the decree." Zhao Wuwang lowered his head deeply, but the corners of his mouth curled up again from an angle unseen by anyone.
It's done.
Qin Lu fell.
The Zhenling Division is finally going to be renamed Zhao.
As for how the emperor should deal with it?
Will the Crown Prince seek revenge later?
Zhao Wuwang wasn't too worried.
Once you're in the position of commander-in-chief and have real power, you can always find a way to handle things later.
Being an official is all about you stepping on me and me stepping on you; the wheel of fortune turns.
The important thing is that now, it is Zhao Wuwang who has stepped on this path!
Qin Lu's face was ashen as he was "invited" out by two imperial guards.
He knew he was finished.
He's definitely out of a job as commander.
But he also felt a sense of relief.
As long as you're alive, there's still a chance.
Qin Lu was no stranger to the ups and downs of officialdom.
Once the storm passes, with the connections he's built up over the years and his ill-gotten gains, he might just be able to make a comeback.
Who becomes emperor is not important; what matters is whether Qin Lu can continue to hold this official position and make his fortune.
Li Yuheng watched Qin Lu's disheveled retreat and curled his lip.
He lowered his head and whispered to Shu Bai, "He got off easy."
Shu Bai replied, "It's alright. Just a clown. The real trouble is yet to come.
His gaze, seemingly unintentionally, swept over the Third Prince Jing Hong beside the throne, whose head was bowed but whose lips were tightly pursed.
Li Yuheng followed his gaze and a wicked smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Yes, the 'big trouble' is yet to come."
He hadn't finished speaking.
"Ughhhhhh—!"
A bloodcurdling scream suddenly erupted from the direction of the Third Prince Jinghong's seat.
Suddenly, Jing Hong sprang out from under the table, his hands gripping his own neck tightly, his eyes bulging and bloodshot.
Beneath his skin, it seemed as if countless tiny things were wriggling and struggling, pushing his flesh up into terrifying bulges.
Thick, inky black energy surged uncontrollably from his seven orifices.
His aura instantly became violent, chaotic, and full of destructive power.
"Hong'er!" The emperor stood up in shock.
"...Hong'er?"
Consort Tan also exclaimed in surprise, but how much of that exclamation was genuine remains unknown.
Xi Feng suddenly looked up, glanced in the direction where Li Qiyang and the others were hiding, and nodded.
The target is about to explode.
Li Yuheng's eyes lit up, and he suddenly grabbed Shu Bai's hand, excitedly transmitting his voice:
"Here it comes! The show's about to begin! Shu Bai, look! A live human fireworks display!"
Shu Bai: "...You've always been very good at talking."
"Oh dear, what sympathy do I need for a piece of trash that's about to explode? Quick, get ready! As soon as it 'bangs,' we'll go change West Wind's skirt!"
Shu Bai: "..."
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