Upon hearing this, Li Xi frowned deeply, a bad feeling welling up from the bottom of her heart.
She muttered to herself, "He didn't show up? How is that possible? Does he have another plan?"
At this moment, Old Sun's expression turned very serious, and he continued, "It's not just that. We've received news that unrest has broken out in various places. Those who are waving flags in the name of disaster victims are claiming that they are going to launch an uprising."
"What?" This news caused her pupils to dilate suddenly, and the unease in her heart surged like waves whipped up by a storm.
Li Xi clenched her fists so tightly that her nails almost dug into her palms, but she felt no pain at all.
Could it be that the cult leader secretly used them to incite the disaster victims to riot?
The cult leader's plan was provided to her by a hidden informant who had been lurking within the organization.
This hidden agent is a protector who was turned by Elder Sun in the early years, and the current situation is very unfavorable to her.
The emperor will surely believe that she betrayed Jingyuan!
Li Xi's thoughts raced, each idea like a sharp blade cutting into her already taut nerves.
If the emperor blames her for this turmoil, the consequences will be unimaginable.
She must act swiftly to uncover the truth and quell the storm.
“Master, we must immediately send someone to investigate the truth behind these disturbances.” Li Xi’s voice was firm and calm.
She forced herself to pull herself out of her chaotic emotions and rationally analyze the current situation, "especially to confirm whether these so-called 'disaster relief uprisings' are really related to the cult leader."
Old Master Sun nodded, "You must be careful. If you are exposed, leave immediately. The sect leader's skill is unfathomable. I will leave first. You must also be careful. The sect leader is ruthless and must be guarded against."
Li Xi took a deep breath and then nodded firmly.
It is indeed time for Lan'er and her maternal grandfather to leave first.
Every additional person remaining here means an increase in danger.
Although Meng Zhelan was extremely unwilling, she understood the seriousness of the matter and had no choice but to make this decision.
The next morning, the saintess was assassinated when she went out of the city to give alms.
These people originally posed no threat to her, but unexpectedly, they impersonated disaster victims and sprayed medicine on the saintess, causing her to faint.
The maid and the old woman stepped forward to protect her, but were tragically killed.
Fortunately, Situ Feng arrived in time and rescued the saintess.
"Xiaoyue, Xiaoyue, are you alright?" Situ Feng looked at Li Xi with great concern.
Fortunately, it was just a common sleeping pill, and she woke up soon after.
She was heartbroken to learn from Situ Feng that the maid and the old woman had lost their lives protecting her.
"Brother, Uncle Fang must be heartbroken to lose his wife in his old age. Give him some money to settle down and let him leave."
"Okay, I'll listen to you. Get some rest!" These were all minor matters to him.
His most important task right now is to keep an eye on Li Xi and ensure her safety.
This is not only for her godfather, but also to make up for what she owes him.
So, while Situ Feng wasn't exactly a good person, he wasn't entirely without malice either.
Things went relatively smoothly, and Li Xi breathed a sigh of relief.
The most important thing right now is to find out where the cult leader went and why he didn't follow the original plan.
After all, this is crucial to the entire situation!
Speaking of the cult leader, his original plan was to go to the altar, capture the emperor alive, and use this opportunity to let Li Xi successfully capture the Prince of Liang and the retired emperor.
In this way, they can control the overall situation and gain more initiative.
However, the cult leader has suddenly disappeared, leaving everyone puzzled.
At this moment, the cult leader appeared disguised beside King Liang.
He learned of the emperor's plan, and thus devised a scheme to use this information to do the opposite.
The leader knew that while directly confronting the emperor's army might give them the upper hand for a time, it was not the only option.
In the long run, however, this will only make the situation more chaotic and will not be conducive to his ultimate grand ambitions.
Therefore, he decided to adopt a more covert and efficient approach.
The cult leader quietly approached the Prince of Liang and said in a secret language that only the two of them could understand: "Your Highness, why don't we join forces and put on a good show, so that others can fight like the snipe and the clam, and we can reap the benefits?"
Upon hearing this, King Liang's eyes flashed with surprise and doubt, but he was immediately impressed by the leader's confident demeanor and asked in a low voice, "Oh? What brilliant plan does the leader have?"
The cult leader smiled slightly and explained in detail: "We can do it this way..."
Upon hearing this, the King of Liang's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly.
After all, his father is in his prime, in good health, and can continue to rule the country for many more years.
If I wait until my father passes away, I'll probably be middle-aged by then. If I don't make some plans, this high position probably won't come my way.
What worries the King of Liang even more is that his father has many children.
Besides the deposed crown prince, several other princes were highly regarded by their father.
However, the emperor did not seem to have clearly indicated which prince he wanted to make crown prince.
This left King Liang feeling lost and unsure how to deal with this complex situation.
Now that he has such an ally, all he needs is a city as the base of his Red Lotus Cult.
He seemed to see a shortcut to the pinnacle of power, and after much deliberation, he agreed to the cult leader's proposal.
Emperor Wenyuan has been facing a series of troubles lately.
In many places, more and more disaster victims are rising up against the government, calling themselves the Red Shirt Army.
These people were filled with resentment and dissatisfaction with the court, and vowed to overthrow the corrupt and oppressive government.
They believed that only through force could the status quo be changed and the people be able to live a better life.
So they began to organize themselves and prepare to launch an uprising.
One day, the Red Shirt Army stormed into the government office in Yancheng, tied up the prefect and his soldiers, and quickly occupied the entire city.
They opened the granaries and distributed food to the starving people, while also confiscating the property of merchants in the city to support their uprising.
This move inspired many to respond to the Red Shirts' call and join the ranks of those resisting the government.
In this process, the Red Shirts gained the support and endorsement of the general public and became a powerful force.
The imperial court directly dispatched a large army to suppress the Red Shirt Army uprising.
The two sides engaged in fierce fighting, and for a time, smoke filled the air and the flames of war raged.
General Du led 20,000 soldiers, but failed to capture Yancheng and regain control of the city.
Despite General Du's constant adjustments to tactics, he was unable to breach Yancheng's defenses in other cities.
Meanwhile, other cities are facing the same predicament.
Although the imperial army was large in number, it made slow progress in the face of the Red Shirt Army's stubborn resistance.
The entire battle reached a stalemate, with neither side willing to yield, creating an extremely tense situation.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com