"Where is Nanfang Nan?" the fat steward asked.
"He has always valued his life and is always elusive. I really don't know anything about him," the old Taoist priest said truthfully.
At this moment, Qiu Zeyu clasped his hands and interjected, "Your Majesty, I have come here precisely for the matter of Nanfang Nan!"
Everyone looked at Qiu Zeyu, and the sage asked, "Do you know where he is?"
"Yes, he's currently hiding in Hua Man Lou. I just returned from there, and he was burned. Quickly send men to surround and annihilate him; we're sure we can capture him." Qiu Zeyu was there to reinforce, but he was outnumbered and had a weakness; he had no chance of winning against Nan Fangnan's many experts alone.
"Impossible! I just came out of there this afternoon. Hua Yuhe didn't tell me that Master Nan was there too," the old Taoist priest retorted.
"She didn't even tell you that your daughter is at Hua Man Lou. Do you think she's telling you the truth?" Qiu Zeyu ruthlessly exposed Nan Fangnan and Hua Yuhe's hypocrisy towards the old Taoist priest.
"This..." The old Taoist priest was speechless for a moment.
"Liu Xun, send someone to invite Murong Xingchen to come see you immediately," the Sage said to the fat steward.
The portly steward turned to carry out his task, and the Emperor then asked the old Taoist priest, "How much do you know about the counterfeit silver case?"
The old Taoist priest's expression tightened at first, then he deflated like a punctured balloon, saying, "This matter involves a wide range of people. Nan Nan in the south wants to restore his kingdom, and many ministers in the court have facilitated this. I don't know exactly who they are. He is naturally suspicious and won't tell me. But one thing is certain: someone in the Murong family is cooperating with him and has given him a lot of benefits. You know that the counterfeit silver they've been making is all aluminum ingots with a thin layer of silver on the outside, yet it can pass through major banks normally. This is abnormal! It's not that the banks don't know its value; it's that someone has made arrangements to treat it as genuine and put it into their vaults. If the Emperor investigates the banks, he will definitely find out the truth. I have been with him for over seven years and participated in the manufacture of counterfeit silver for over three years. I fear the counterfeit silver has already circulated throughout the country. I am guilty." After the old Taoist priest finished speaking, he kowtowed three times with a series of thuds.
Hearing this, the group was all utterly astonished. Unbelievable! Unbelievable! The Murong family had long harbored ulterior motives towards the royal family, yet feigned loyalty in court—truly treacherous and ambitious. No wonder not a single official in the court dared to speak out; were they all blind?
The sage said with a stern face, "Continue, and I will pardon you."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The old Taoist priest hurriedly kowtowed in gratitude, wiping the sweat from his brow with his single hand, and continued, "As far as I know, Hua Yuhe is merely a caged bird kept by Nanfang Nan. Hua Manlou's current fame is inseparable from Nanfang Nan's support! He often has me search for beauties from all over the land and send them to Hua Manlou to curry favor with various court officials and martial arts heroes. I have to obey his orders because I need his help. To outsiders, Hua Manlou is a place of pleasure. But those in the know understand that it is one of Nanfang Nan's contact points. Many important messages are transmitted through Hua Yuhe. Therefore, she has considerable prestige in the martial arts world, and her presence is equivalent to half of Nanfang Nan."
The Emperor frowned and asked, "This little butterfly is quite something! Do you know which court officials have been flattering her to curry favor with Nanfang Nan?"
The old Taoist priest quickly replied, "My responsibilities are not as extensive as hers, and my access to core information is limited. However, I did accompany him through an old secret! Back then, in order to amass wealth, Nanfang Nan led a group to rob Hua Manlou and killed Hua Yuhe's entire family. However, she was unaware of this and remained loyal to Nanfang Nan. Those who knew about this incident mostly died in later missions. There is also something else I have heard, but I don't know if it's true or not."
"Speak freely!" Upon hearing so many secrets, the Emperor truly felt that this person was genuinely loyal, and his tone became much more amiable.
"The current prime minister, Murong Qingyun, has entrusted Nanfang Nan to find a treasure." The old Taoist told the truth, eager to redeem himself and rescue his daughter from there as soon as possible.
The sage was surprised to find Murong Qingyun involved. His face turned frighteningly ugly, and he said in a leisurely voice, "If you dare to make false accusations, I will not let you off easily."
Deep down, he really didn't want to believe that the key minister who had helped him ascend the throne was secretly colluding with the remnants of the previous dynasty. If even the prime minister had ulterior motives, then who among the civil and military officials would truly support him? At this moment, he preferred to believe that the old Taoist priest in front of him was talking nonsense.
The old Taoist priest hurriedly swore with his left hand, "Your Majesty, I am willing to guarantee with the lives of my entire family that I have not uttered a single lie! One should not have the heart to harm others, but one must not be without the heart to guard against others!"
Seeing the old Taoist's firm and certain gaze, the sage couldn't help but have some doubts about the prime minister.
"What is Murong Qingyun looking for?" The Sage rubbed his throbbing temples and asked with a sigh.
"As far as I know, it is a long-lost martial arts manual." The old Taoist priest glanced at the Emperor with a shifty look, then lowered his head deeply and continued, "Legend has it that whoever obtains this manual will rule the world!"
"Damn it!" The sage roared, slamming his fist on the table and standing up. He wanted to kill! A furious voice inside him screamed, "Kill him! Kill this charlatan who's sowing discord between the emperor and his ministers!"
The old Taoist priest hurriedly kowtowed, "Every word I have spoken is true, and I dare not speak nonsense. Because I have a request to make of the Emperor! You see, my right arm has been cut off by the assassins sent by Hua Yuhe. If it weren't for the Emperor capturing me, I would probably be on my way to the Yellow Springs. I am willing to repent and make amends, and I will tell you everything I know."
The portly steward Liu Xun was also stunned. If the old Taoist was telling the truth, then the prime minister's intention was to exterminate his entire family. He dared not fathom the emperor's intentions and looked extremely nervous. But he still tried to comfort him, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm down! In my opinion, this old Taoist is now at his wit's end and has no reason to lie."
Qiu Zeyu then stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Your Majesty, I have also found some information about the secret manual, but I haven't had time to report it yet."
"Speak!" The Emperor's anger had not yet subsided.
"A few days ago, I learned by chance that Murong Feng severely punished his eldest son, Murong Bai, because of a piece of green jade. It is said that if you collect three pieces of green jade, you can open the treasure gate and retrieve a long-lost martial arts manual," Qiu Zeyu said slowly. "As far as I know, the Murong family has at least one piece. As for where the other two pieces are, I haven't found out yet."
The Emperor gave Qiu Zeyu a meaningful look. This young chivalrous man, though renowned throughout the land, had no desire to serve him. Had the Emperor not issued his ultimatum years ago, he would likely have remained aloof, refusing to dedicate himself to the court or the people for even a few years.
Although he did some work, there was a suspicion of him slacking off, so he said, "Master Qiu has been quite busy these days. I heard you have a girl you like?"
Serving the royal family meant being investigated and monitored; Qiu Zeyu was used to it. His father was old, and his younger brother was quite playful; he was the only one capable of handling things. So, he had worked for the royal family for five years on behalf of Qiu Ming Manor, in exchange for a lifetime of peace—he had no choice. Unexpectedly, the Emperor learned of Lan Yamei's matter as soon as it made some progress. He decided to admit it frankly, so he gave a wry smile and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I happened to encounter a vulgar woman selling barbecue on the street; it has been quite worrying for me."
Upon hearing that the woman was selling barbecue on the street, the Emperor thought, "What a vulgar woman!" So he changed the subject and asked the old Taoist priest, "Where are the other two jade pendants?"
The old Taoist priest wiped his sweat and said, "One piece is on Nan Nan! The other piece is missing."
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