Prince Rong's secret hideout in Kyoto has been exposed, drawing worldwide attention.
Upon learning of this, Emperor Chengping immediately activated the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Demon-Suppressing Array, sealing off the entire capital city. He also ordered the Imperial Guards to conduct a full-scale search for Prince Rong, with no mercy for those who resisted.
The Imperial Guards were mobilized in a swift and decisive operation to search for Prince Rong throughout the capital.
The Imperial Guards launched a massive manhunt, digging deep into the ground, which drew in the fierce competition among the powerful families of Kyoto. However, they were all cautious, knowing when to stop and leaving as soon as they got involved.
Currently, Emperor Chengping is using the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Demon-Suppressing Array to monitor the capital's movements, causing widespread fear and speculation as people try to capture Prince Rong for personal gain, creating chaos.
Seeking victory amidst chaos—this was the strategy employed by Kyoto's aristocratic families to deal with Emperor Taisei.
Intelligent people can see that the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Demon-Suppressing Array is very powerful in protecting the capital. However, the array is not enough for Emperor Chengping to monitor the entire capital alone. Once there are frequent minor disturbances in the capital, Emperor Chengping will be confused and the opportunity to profit will come.
As a result, the entire Kyoto aristocratic family inexplicably reached a tacit agreement to stir up trouble, create chaos, and seek opportunities for profit.
Prince Rong, the person directly involved in this scandal, was furious. He paced back and forth in the underground chamber, roaring, "You bastard! Who betrayed me? Confess and I'll have you torn to pieces!"
"Your Highness, please calm down. This matter is probably not simple. I urge Your Highness to make plans as soon as possible..." Jian Yi, the guard, knelt on one knee to advise him, looking worried.
The guards in the hall knelt on the ground, their anger blazing.
A murderous aura filled the air. Prince Rong surveyed the room but failed to identify the suspicious-looking mole. He angrily rebuked, "I am now a sitting duck for some people. How can you expect me to calm down...?"
The secret chamber is located underground in the center of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Demon-Suppressing Array, with its entrance and exit inside the array, making it essentially an auxiliary space.
This was a hiding place left behind by Prince Rong in his plot to seize the throne, relying on the Void Stones he had collected and using the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Demon-Suppressing Array to set up a spatial formation.
They will only sneak into the space to hide as a last resort, to be the last fisherman.
The hidden layout, now exposed from within, means that the Emperor of Chengping has sealed it off with the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Demon-Suppressing Array, rendering it immobile.
Jian Yi clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your Highness, this is the most terrifying problem."
After all, this traitor hasn't completely exposed the prince's hiding place yet; otherwise, he would surely face Emperor Chengping's suppression, arrest, and imprisonment.
"Are you saying this traitor is forcing me to submit?" Prince Rong angrily rebuked, enunciating each word clearly. His voice grew lower and colder towards the end.
A fierce killing intent enveloped the entire scene, sending chills down everyone's spines.
Overwhelmed by Prince Rong's imposing aura, Jian Yi said tremblingly, "Your Highness, we must be wary of such things!"
"Very well, very well. What suggestions do you have? Speak up!" Prince Rong laughed in extreme anger, trying his best to suppress his rage, and sat back on the dragon throne to look down at the entire audience.
The guards were filled with fear and unease. Jian Yi looked around and saw that no one dared to speak. He then forced himself to offer his advice: "Your Highness, I think we could try entrapment?"
"Oh, then let's go and set a trap!" Prince Rong paused for a moment, then thoughtfully agreed. How could he know if this storm of internal spies wasn't an opportunity to turn the tide if he didn't try?
First, the traitor was definitely not one of Emperor Chengping's men.
Otherwise, Emperor Chengping would have already used the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Demon-Suppressing Array to imprison Prince Rong.
Of course, this excludes the possibility that the mole was unaware of Prince Rong's exact hiding place and that the plan was devised to break the deadlock by targeting the forces scheming against the seal of office.
After all, Emperor Chengping controlled the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Demon-Suppressing Array, protecting the entire capital. He possessed absolute control and the power to set up a trap on his home turf, giving him the potential to be the biggest winner.
Therefore, Emperor Chengping is the most likely mastermind behind this turmoil.
Secondly, rumors circulated that Prince Rong secretly conspired with Zheng Ya to seize the imperial seal, and that their apparent hostility was merely a ruse to deceive the world, allowing the two to secretly seize the seal and become the biggest winners.
For Rongqin, Zheng Ya might be the mastermind behind it all, using a counter-espionage scheme.
He led cultivators from all over the world to gather in the capital, exposed Prince Rong, and staged a grand drama of using others to kill and seize the opportunity to profit.
After all, Zheng Ya possesses the ability to protect the financial group's power, appearing and disappearing without a trace. He has the capital to become the biggest winner, parachuting in the financial power at the critical moment to win the final battle and seize the victory in this turmoil.
On the contrary, neither Wu Zetian's tireless efforts on the northern and southern fronts nor the independent actions of the retired emperor and the emperor Chengping, which yielded little result, could match Zheng Ya's abilities.
Thirdly, the elite assassin groups that the five great families had built over generations to search for the seals were not openly displayed, but Prince Rong had already discovered the clues. In order to avoid alerting the enemy and delaying the seizure of the seals, Prince Rong adopted a strategy of secretly monitoring and gathering information, and waiting for the right opportunity to act.
It is known that the elite assassin group, under the command of the five major families, not only possesses the secrets of the whereabouts of the seal and the key, but also has terrifying strength, becoming the capital for the five major families to obtain the seal and dominate the world.
Therefore, it is possible that this turmoil is not a scheme by the five major families to turn the tide against the world, using chaos to control chaos, and using others to kill to achieve victory.
However, the five major families cannot openly confront the people and forces of the world; they can only use others to do their dirty work and secretly profit from it.
Therefore, Prince Rong thought Jianyi's proposal to set up an entrapment was feasible. If they were unsure about the mole and the hidden hand, wouldn't it be clear if they just pulled off a stunt?
As a result, news spread like wildfire that Prince Rong was hiding in the western part of the city, near the underground chamber of the Fu family mansion.
The message had just been transmitted from the underground chamber to the manor next to Prince Rong's mansion on the surface via talismans when it was spotted by a shadowy figure hidden in the manor's hall. The figure smiled knowingly, finally confirming Prince Rong's hiding place.
Beforehand, the shadowy figure only knew a few words about Prince Rong having a secret underground chamber, which came from the soul search of the guards under Prince Rong's command.
However, the secret guards under Prince Rong's command, especially those who knew about the underground chambers and the personnel who liaised with him on the surface, were all his loyal followers, selected through a rigorous process.
Although there were spies infiltrated by the retired emperor among the secret guards, these were merely spies planted by the retired emperor after each prince was born. By cultivating and planting spies from a young age, Prince Rong was caught off guard and fell victim to the trap.
Emperor Chengping did not infiltrate Prince Rong's influence in the slightest?
The shadowy figure acknowledged this, knowing that the retired emperor was fully aware of the situation and thus secretly took advantage of the situation.
Currently, the shadowy figures are diverting the blame for Prince Rong's sting operation to the western part of the city, remaining neutral.
Upon receiving intelligence, Emperor Chengping immediately activated the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Demon-Suppressing Array to imprison the area surrounding the Fu family mansion in the western city. He also dispatched a large imperial guard to guard the border against any mischief by the cultivator group and led everyone in the capital to focus on the western city.
Martial law was declared in the western part of the city, and occasional riots by monks broke out, with enthusiastic scenes unfolding.
This also attracted Daiyu to pilot her interstellar spaceship to monitor the West City, providing Zheng Ya with real-world data feedback and enabling comprehensive surveillance of the West City.
Zheng Ya stood up and said, "I'll leave this to you..."
"Master, is Xie Baochai just going to ignore this?" Liu Yuan, unaware of the situation, stood up in surprise and asked, "Has something happened?"
No matter what major incidents occur, it is not the servants' business to concern themselves with them.
Zheng Ya was satisfied with his dutiful attitude and smiled calmly: "Xie Baochai, a merchant girl who has not been beaten by society but has been raised in a world of deceit and treachery, burdened by her own younger brother and surrounded by enemies, does she have any other choice?"
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