Qin Changqing was unaware of Qi Feng's concerns, yet he proved far more resilient than Qi Feng had anticipated. He then methodically directed Shaou to handle the search for Lan Sinian. He also instructed Shenhai to announce to the public that the emperor had been feeling unwell and to bring the documents Lan Sinian needed to the Outer Palace. He would then distribute them to the various ministers, deferring any matters that were beyond his control.
It was impossible to keep such a major event as the Emperor's disappearance secret, let alone the fact that Lan Sinian, while feigning illness, had also made the crucial decision to close the Imperial Star Customs. Furthermore, for someone as strong as Lan Sinian to suddenly fall ill was like a fool catching a cold – it was truly unbelievable!
Immediately, a minister came to the palace in person on the pretext of visiting the sick emperor.
When Qi Feng received the news, the minister had already arrived outside the palace. He couldn't refuse even if he wanted to. He hurried to find Qin Changqing and said anxiously, "Queen, this minister has always been known for his shrewdness. I'm afraid ordinary excuses won't be able to deceive him."
Two days had passed since Lan Sinian disappeared, and they still hadn't found any clues. Qin Changqing, whose nerves had been tense, looked exhausted. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Find Xiaoxu, and then go get His Royal Highness the Prince. Hurry."
Qi Feng had been with them for years, so he naturally knew some of Lan Sinian's secrets. Hearing this, he seemed to understand a little bit and nodded happily, saying, "I'll be there right away."
The minister was invited to a garden in the imperial palace to wait for a while, and then was invited into a well-heated hall. Qin Changqing then supported the weak Lan Sinian and walked in.
The minister was particularly alarmed when he saw Lan Sinian, who was still standing tall but looked sick and needed help. He quickly stood up and asked in surprise, "Your Majesty, what's wrong? Why did you suddenly become ill?"
Lan Sinian subconsciously started to speak when he felt Qin Changqing, who was supporting him, gently squeeze his arm and waved at him. He then took his seat and coughed twice. Qin Changqing supported him while explaining to the minister, "It's for Xiaoxu's awakening."
After he finished speaking, seeing that the minister didn't understand, he continued, "Xiao Xu's ability is quite special. Under certain circumstances, he can absorb the abilities of other people with special abilities. In order to help him train this ability, Si Nian accidentally overused his abilities. At night, he accidentally caught a cold, and fell ill. Your Excellency, don't worry. Si Nian is in good health and should be well in two days."
He was so serious and earnest in his nonsense that the minister was momentarily taken aback by him. This kind of thing had happened before. If a powerful psychic suddenly exhausted their stored energy, their body would be extremely weak, and like an ordinary person, they would be infected with various viruses. Some viruses could not be quickly cured even by the Empire's powerful treatment chambers. They could only recover slowly while taking medicine and nursing, waiting for their energy to recover.
Qin Changqing's words also made him think of another thing, that is, the future heir to the empire, His Highness Qin Xu's supernatural powers seemed to be very powerful, otherwise he would not have exhausted his father's supernatural power reserves so easily. While the minister was worried about Lan Sinian's physical condition, he was also happy about the birth of a powerful heir.
Seeing that both of them looked very unhappy, he suddenly felt that his visit to the palace had only caused them trouble. He quickly said, "Since Your Majesty is unwell, I will not disturb you. However, if the Imperial Star Customs is closed for too long, it will surely cause unrest among the people. I hope Your Majesty can handle the matter as soon as possible and lift the ban on the customs."
"I understand." Lan Sinian said in a hoarse voice.
The minister left quickly, and Qi Feng, who had seen him off and returned, breathed a sigh of relief.
Qin Changqing was wiping Qin Xu's face with a towel when he returned to normal size. Qi Feng came back and praised with a smile, "It was really thanks to the little prince just now! The little prince is really amazing! That minister didn't even notice."
Qin Xu, revealing his true face, pursed his lips and smiled shyly, then shook his head and said, "It's all thanks to my little grandfather's good teaching."
The "little grandpa" he was calling was naturally His Royal Highness the Prince.
His Royal Highness smiled upon hearing this and said, "This isn't my credit. The little guy is naturally intelligent and can learn anything once taught. Our Lan family will have a successor!"
Qin Xu suddenly felt even more embarrassed. He still didn't know that Dad Lan was missing. He hadn't seen him for two days and missed him terribly. He quickly changed the subject and asked, "Dad, when will he come back?"
Qin Changqing gently stroked his head, feeling a pang of heartache in his heart. He smiled at him and said calmly, "It will be soon. You have to practice what he taught you well. When he comes back and sees your progress, he will definitely be very happy."
Qin Xu nodded vigorously, his eyes shining as he said, "I will!" He would never let his father down!
His Royal Highness the Prince already knew the whole story. A hint of worry flashed across his eyes as he looked at Qin Xu, but he quickly concealed it.
…
Immediately after the minister left, the royal family received inquiries from three clans of the Blood Party except the Blood Wolf Clan. Their clan princes came to attend the emperor's birthday celebration, but were detained by the palace. This was really too much.
A powerful noble from the Snake Clan held a press conference to directly pressure the Lan Clan. He fiercely stated before the cameras, "I had no idea how deep your Majesty's hatred for our Snake Clan was, allowing him to seize this opportunity to detain our prince!... If your Majesty's actions were motivated by the Queen's people, then I apologize for my people's past misconduct. However, the Bat Prince and the Locust Prince had nothing to do with this matter. I hope your Majesty will not allow these personal grudges to affect the relations between the eight clans!"
He downplayed the brutal invasion of the Earth by the Snake Clan and deliberately said that Lan Sinian "put personal interests above public interest". His purpose was naturally to guide public opinion and point the finger at the royal family.
This single stone stirred up a thousand ripples. Many in the Empire were unaware of the remote asteroid's brutal invasion by the Snake Clan. For a time, many actually believed the Snake Clan's claims, believing the royal family's actions were excessive. How could personal vendettas affect the greater good? As emperor, Lan Sinian couldn't afford to neglect his duties simply to favor his empress! However, some found flaws in his words and questioned what he meant by "inappropriate behavior of his people." Were the Snake Clan bullying the weak? Or had the Earthlings accidentally offended your nobles?
The two sides with different opinions soon started a heated debate online. Some people believed that during the live broadcast of the emperor's birthday celebration, the situation of these three clan princes was obviously abnormal. It was more like they were bullying the weak and wanted to attack the young prince Qin Xu, but were knocked unconscious by the young prince whose bloodline suddenly awakened. The royal family therefore investigated the purpose and responsibility of their actions, and they did nothing wrong.
Another group of people laughed loudly at them, saying that they were not there but were just like they were there, as if they had opened their clairvoyance. At the same time, they loudly denounced Lan Sinian for his incompetence and the corruption of the royal family, saying that if they continued like this, it would be the end sooner or later!
At the same time, someone started spreading rumors, claiming that the Blue Clan was blatantly detaining the three clans of the Blood Party because the emperor had decided to go to war with the Blood Party. Look, the Imperial Star Domain is now under martial law, and the Imperial Star has even directly closed the customs. This is a sign that a war has broken out between the two sides!
Overnight, the empire was in turmoil, as if the war would reach the civilians' doorsteps the next day, and everyone was in danger.
…
Qin Changqing hadn't slept all night, watching Shenhai handle this public opinion incident. He was leaning back in a chair in his study, resting his eyes. Suddenly, there was a knock on the study door, and he whispered, "Come in."
The one who opened the door was Shaou. He had a worried look on his face. It was obvious that what he was about to say was not good news. "Your Majesty."
"What's the matter? Tell me." He was prepared for worse news.
"Empress, a serious and nasty incident occurred at the Imperial Star Customs today," Shaou said with a look of concern. "A group of people spread rumors at the Star Port Customs that a war between the royal family and the three Blood Clans was imminent, and told the people waiting at the Star Port that they couldn't return... Many people were influenced by their words, and some passengers clashed with the soldiers guarding the Star Port..."
Qin Changqing keenly noticed that he hadn't finished speaking yet, so he said in a deep voice, "Go on."
"...The conflict eventually resulted in bloodshed. A passenger was hit by a stray bullet and died after attacking a soldier." Shao lowered his head slightly, his voice deep and hoarse.
Qin Changqing's heart instantly fell into an unfathomable abyss.
He lowered his head and supported his forehead with his hand, so that no one could see his expression.
Shaou was a bit anxious. In this situation, no matter the soldier's situation, public opinion would ultimately favor the passenger who lost his life. Most people tend to identify with the vulnerable and sympathize with them. Furthermore, the Serpent Clan's deliberate manipulation of rumors had spread, making it extremely easy for the public to side with the Empire. If not handled properly, it would undoubtedly lead to even more dire consequences.
The room was silent for a long time. Just when Shaou couldn't help but speak to persuade him, Qin Changqing finally spoke.
He gently stroked the bulge in his belly beneath his clothes and said calmly, "Reopen customs and try to appease the passenger's relatives. As for the soldier, isolate him and check his background."
When Shaou heard him say "reopen the customs", he became anxious. If the customs were opened, His Majesty's disappearance would be like a drop in the ocean. How would they find him in the future?
At this moment, there was a knock on the study door again.
They both turned around at the same time and saw Shen Hai walk in with a stern face. He was not as emotional as Shaou, and his face was always stern at all times, but at this moment, his unchanged expression made people feel less depressed.
Before Qin Changqing could ask, he spoke first, "Queen, we have found a place where His Majesty is most likely to go."
"Where is it?!" Qin Changqing stood up suddenly, staring at him intently.
"The former residence of His Majesty's elder brother."
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