It was only a hundred paces away, and Yin Zhe could naturally sense everything within that range, but she kept her senses very tightly controlled.
Because this matter was taboo, as the Thirteenth Sister, she naturally wouldn't do anything so outrageous, and respectfully asked Eunuch Su Quan to inform him.
His Majesty is always surrounded by secret guards at the Divine Martial Realm level, making it impossible to conceal.
Knowing that this man wouldn't speak without reason, Eunuch Su Quan didn't confirm a second time and simply turned and headed towards the Imperial Study.
With only seven or eight steps remaining, the gate opened silently, and the Empress's cold voice came from inside, "Summon Yin Zhe in."
"yes."
Yin Zhe lowered her eyes and entered the imperial study. She could see at a glance that there was no one else besides His Majesty, and she showed no intention of investigating.
Qin Minghuang stared at the opposite side; at this time, she should be overseeing Chengyuan.
There is no Divine Martial Realm expert by Xiao Liu's side, so there is always a risk, unless an unavoidable accident occurs.
After quietly laying the groundwork, Yin Zhe immediately spoke:
"Your Majesty, two things."
First, Dou Zan advanced to the Divine Martial Realm.
Knowing what was important, Yin Zhe reported the situation and explained why he was able to leave alone.
He quickly explained the process, and Xiao Liu had no choice but to pass on the technique.
It was reasonable, but ultimately it was against the rules. Yin Zhe had no intention of harming Xiao Liu and explained it to her as agreed.
Qin Minghuang's face immediately lit up with joy, "Good!"
The addition of a third-rank martial artist, especially one from the Xuanji Guard, is naturally a great joy.
The eldest and second eldest brothers traveled north and south, each with a Divine Martial Realm expert secretly protecting them, which alleviated some of the pressure on manpower.
As for the violation of the law, just emphasize it to Xiao Liu again afterward, so that she won't take it seriously, and naturally there won't be any punishment.
"The second thing is that the wealth accumulated in the Nine Gates Underground Palace exceeded expectations, but we also discovered borneol incense in it."
"I have inspected it; it is of high quality, enough for approximately three years' worth of tribute."
After hearing the previous sentence, Qin Minghuang breathed a sigh of relief; it was truly a double blessing.
But she knew Thirteen Sister; she wasn't someone who was ambitious or eager for quick success.
If that were all, they would never have left Xiao Liu behind to go to the palace alone to report.
Sure enough, Qin Minghuang's face darkened when she heard the second sentence.
She naturally understood Yin Zhe's unspoken words, which meant that Xuanji Wei might have been investigating in the wrong direction.
"who?"
According to the God of Wealth's confession, it was Qin Wenyuan, the Junior Supervisor of the Imperial Household Department.
The finest ambergris rises silently and gracefully in the gilded beast-shaped incense burner, its fragrance refined and elegant, and also has a refreshing effect.
The fact that it differs from borneol by only one character seems so inappropriate at this moment.
The aroma seemed frozen, suspended in a stagnant state.
The Empress sat upright on the wide dragon throne, her back straight as a pine tree, her fingertips tracing the memorials in front of her with extreme slowness.
Long eyelashes cast heavy shadows beneath his eyes, obscuring all the emotions within them.
His lips were drawn into a straight line without any curve, as if carved with the sharpest knife, exuding an unquestionable determination and a bottomless chill.
Suddenly, the candle wick made a very slight popping sound, and the light flickered and dimmed instantly.
It's just like eyes lurking in the dark, appearing and disappearing in a flash.
Yin Zhe stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes lowered.
What lies before me is like an iceberg, or the suffocating stillness before a storm.
Somber and oppressive!
How long has it been since I've seen my elder sister display such thunderous rage?
Hidden hibernation is not unexpected.
When the late emperor passed the throne, the court was unstable, and the Empress's murderous atrocities continued throughout the winter until the spring of the second year of the Taiwei era.
Apart from himself, none of the late emperor's sons survived.
In order to appease the remaining members of the imperial clan, the imperial sister granted her a position: Director of the Imperial Household Department.
The rank of fourth grade was high enough to be considered prestigious, placing one in the imperial court and in charge of the palace's food, drink, and daily necessities.
The Imperial Household Department was responsible for the safekeeping of gold, silver, jewels, and precious tribute items.
The Imperial Kitchen Director was in charge of imperial food ingredients and local food tributes.
The Palace Guard was responsible for storing palace textiles, writing implements, and other supplies.
It's not hard to imagine that this is a lucrative position.
Qin Wenyuan, whom the imperial clan recommended, was quite sensible and hasn't caused Qin Minghuang any trouble over the years.
Corruption... as long as the bottom line isn't crossed, the plan is to make a steady, long-term profit.
The key point is that Qin Wenyuan has a high reputation and can keep the evil spirits in the imperial clan in check.
Gradually, Qin Minghuang started to turn a blind eye.
Unexpectedly, they even dared to covet tribute items like camphor!
The Xuanji Guard is directly under Qin Minghuang's leadership, and only she and Yin Zhe know the strategy for the surprise attack on Chengyuan and the capture of the Nine Gates.
What are the chances that someone would receive this news in advance, bribe the Nine Gates God of Wealth, and prepare three years' worth of dragon brain incense just to frame a fourth-rank official as a junior official?
The chilling atmosphere in the imperial study gradually dissipated, and Qin Minghuang slowly spoke:
"Understood. Continue to leave this matter to Lingduo. You only need to manage the affairs of the Nine Gates."
"Don't rush to send Dou Zhan back to the palace to report for duty. Stabilize your cultivation level and protect Xiao Liu."
"yes!"
Yin Zhe left the imperial study and headed straight for the palace gate.
Ling Duo is another commander of the Xuanji Guard. He was the one who secretly investigated the matter of the dragon brain incense.
Having worked together for many years, even without specific perception, I had a gut feeling that the person outside the northwest window of the Imperial Study was indeed this one.
However, judging from His Majesty's expression, it doesn't seem like he intends to interrogate anyone; it might just be another tactic to alert the enemy.
They remained silent and indifferent, treating it merely as a transmission of information, nothing more.
Since the matter involved the royal family, her identity was far too sensitive. She wished she could stay out of it and disappeared into the night in the blink of an eye.
After several breaths of silence in the imperial study, a command was given: "Come in."
The window moved silently, and a dark figure stepped inside—it was Ling Duo, the commander of the Xuanji Guard.
He was not alone; he was carrying someone in his hand, who was hanging his head and appeared to be unconscious.
An invisible "force" spread out, completely enveloping the imperial study.
Lingduo's skills are unique, and he excels at infiltrating and gathering intelligence.
His "momentum" is extremely sensitive; even someone at the second rank would find it difficult to detect his voice without alerting him.
"Wake him up."
"yes."
Lingduo lifted the person in his hand, revealing his face. It was none other than Tongtianma, the third leader of the Nine Gates!
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