Chapter 151 Found the Secret Room
Li Xiu said confidently, "Don't worry, I've already secretly explored it, and all the mechanisms and formations inside have been activated. There's absolutely no way the prince will find it!"
Li Xiu was a bastard son of the Li family. Rumor has it that his birth mother was the favored concubine of the old Duke. With demonic blood, he was born with extraordinary beauty. Shortly after giving birth to Li Xiu, his mother died of an unknown illness.
Li Xiu was raised by the old Duke's wife and had been close to Duke Li since childhood.
After the old Duke's wife passed away, the old Duke remarried and had children one after another. He no longer cared about his two sons, one legitimate and one illegitimate.
Later, when his sons were fighting among themselves for the position of Duke, Li Xiu used some unknown means to make his brothers either go crazy or die in accidents.
In the end, he supported his eldest brother to inherit the title of Duke, who is now Duke Li.
It was also because of this that Duke Li was particularly generous to his younger brother Li Xiu, and even gave him the best courtyard in the west wing.
Li Xiu did not like being an official, but was obsessed with beauty and magic, and had a perverse and gloomy personality.
At this moment, Dongfang Qi rushed into Li Xiu's study regardless of anything.
His eyes were as sharp as a hawk's. After a few glances, he immediately noticed an ordinary vase decoration on the bookshelf.
If a wealthy family wants to display a vase, it must be a valuable antique.
The vase, which is not of great value, is placed in such a conspicuous place, so there must be something wrong.
Dongfang Qi was about to go over to check on the vase when Li Xiu stepped in front of the bookshelf and said, "Your Highness, everything in the study is clear at a glance. The person you are looking for is not there."
Dongfang Qi said, "There's nothing in the open, but there might be something hidden somewhere. Master Li, if I'm not mistaken, the vase behind you should be the trigger for the secret room, right? I suspect the East Palace's missing deputy general accidentally triggered the mechanism and was locked in the secret room."
"It's not surprising for wealthy families to have several secret rooms. And the things stored in these secret rooms are of course private and confidential. Your Highness is so offended by the mere suspicion, without any evidence. If this gets out, will your reputation be ruined? How will you make other noble families view the royal family?"
The other Li family disciples were also very excited:
"When the State of Qi was established, Emperor Gaozu kept saying he would treat the noble families well. Was this how he treated them?"
"Our Li family has been dedicated to the country and the people for thousands of years. Even the emperor himself is here to treat us with great courtesy. If His Majesty insists on trampling on us, we would rather die than accept this humiliation and bring shame to our ancestors!"
"That's right, a gentleman can be killed but not humiliated! If you insist on breaking in, you can step over our corpses!"
As they were talking, many of the Li family's sons and daughters sat cross-legged, with an arrogant attitude that a gentleman could be killed but not humiliated.
Dongfang Qi's eyes turned cold. "It's just a secret room, yet you're trying so hard to prevent me from looking inside. Could it be something truly treacherous? The more so, the more I must go in!"
"Prince, you are slandering me!" The speaker was Li Rui.
I had only heard that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was gentle as jade, respectful to the wise and humble. I had never known that he had the ability to confuse right and wrong.
Dongfang Qi said, "Whether it's slander or not, open the door to the secret room and I'll know immediately. Otherwise, I have the right to suspect that your Li family has evil intentions!"
Just two simple sentences led to a sudden turn of events.
Li Xiu finally compromised and said, "If the king wants his subjects to die, then the subjects must die. If the prince insists on seeing it, then of course there is nothing that our Li family cannot reveal."
Yet, as cunning as he was, he hadn't forgotten to set a trap for Dongfang. "But what if the person or item His Royal Highness isn't there? His Royal Highness barged in today, disturbing the women and snooping into private rooms. If word gets out, the Duke's Mansion will be in tatters. Wouldn't that make anyone feel free to come and trample on their door in the future?"
Dongfang Qi said, "I have come here to look for someone. If I cannot find him, I will be willing to apologize to Duke Li for what happened today."
"The phrase 'carrying a thorny branch to apologize' is too general." Li Xiu smiled sinisterly. "How about asking His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to issue an edict of apology?"
This is gambling with Dongfangqi's future!
Although he was the only son of Emperor Zhao of Qi, he was not supported by all the aristocratic families.
Especially the Li family, after being rejected in their initial marriage proposal to the crown prince, they had been holding a grudge and turned to marrying King Li.
Not long ago, after King Li was stripped of his title and demoted to a commoner for ambushing and killing the crown prince at Yixian Gorge, King Jin immediately extended an olive branch to the Li family.
After all the previous confrontations, what the Li family least wanted was for the prince to ascend the throne in the future.
Therefore, they would rather see the Prince of Jin gain power. Once they have the opportunity to catch the Crown Prince's weakness, they will naturally not show any mercy.
They were not afraid of being punished by Emperor Zhao of Qi later. As a powerful family with a thousand years of history, they had their own fiefdoms and raised private soldiers, which was no less than that of the vassal kings.
Unless they commit the serious crime of treason, the emperor would not dare to touch them.
This was the case with the previous case in Yushi Town.
Even if Emperor Zhao of Qi was angry, he only ordered a reprimand and suspended Duke Li from his position in the court.
In another month or two, when the storm has passed, he can be reinstated with a pretext, and it won't be considered a punishment at all.
"If Your Highness disagrees, we will die today! Your Highness will also be charged with the crime of forcing the death of a loyal minister of the noble family!"
The biggest difference between top families like the Li family and ordinary nobles is that they have the strength to challenge the royal family.
Dongfang Qi said without hesitation: "Okay, I agree. Open the secret room!"
His twin talisman couldn't sense it wrongly, especially after arriving near this area, the sense of Lin Qingyue became more obvious. He was very sure that Lin Qingyue was inside.
Therefore, no matter what reasons the Li family used to make things difficult for him, he had to break in, at all costs.
Seeing that the prince agreed, Li Xiu said no more and came over to turn the mechanism and open the door of the secret room.
However, the secret room was empty, with neither Lin Qingyue nor Hong Yao.
Dongfang Qi walked quickly to the bed and turned over the messy bed, trying to find any clues.
Li Xiu sarcastically commented, "Nothing. Your Highness, can you please just calm down? Instead of wasting time here, why not return to the East Palace and think about the wording of your edict of apology?"
Dongfang Qi lifted the quilt on the bed and saw bloodstains on it at a glance.
Li Xiutian shamelessly said, "I just like to make love with my concubine in the secret room. It's just a little habit, please forgive me, Your Highness."
Dongfang Qi said coldly, "Is this blood stain on the bed just a little quirk of yours?"
Li Xiu said, "It was a bit rough, but that's not a big deal, right?"
However, Dongfang Qi keenly smelled that it was demon blood.
If nothing unexpected happens, it should be Hongyao's.
So Lin Qingyue found Hong Yao here?
But where are they now?
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