Chapter 26

Xue Jin'an's voice was not loud. It retained that calm, emotionless tone—the kind one might use to ask "What's for dinner?"—yet it struck like a massive boulder crashing down, leaving everyone's eardrums ringing.

Although the terms "throwing the match" and "actually useless" were being heard for the first time, not a single person of note in the room was slow-witted. By connecting them to the context, they grasped the meaning instantly.

So, the Seventh Prince was mocking the Imperial Guard—the very force hailed as the strongest combat power of Great Qi and elite soldiers—to the Emperor's face, right? Right?

While it was true that noble families loved stuffing their juniors into the Imperial Guard over the years, and while Chu Wenjing—that stubborn ox—had often impeached the Guard for dereliction of duty, drawing a salary for doing nothing, and being mere wine-sacks and rice-bags, still... still... in short, Seventh Highness, isn't it a bit too arrogant to file a complaint against the Imperial Guard right in front of them and the Emperor?

So, is it true that anyone associated with Consort Zhen is just as stubborn as a mule? Is this the confidence a favored consort provides?

Those who understood the implication complained silently in their hearts, but in the presence of the Emperor, they all lowered their heads, holding their breath, not daring to look at the Emperor’s current expression.

The atmosphere in the hall shifted from quiet to deathly silent; even the crisp sound of stones hitting the board ceased abruptly.

Thump! Thump! A series of knee-to-floor impacts echoed. Amidst the subtle clatter of armor, the commander, deputy commanders, and middle-ranking officers of the unit all knelt in unison. They then crawled forward on their knees, pressing their foreheads to the ground just as the Fifth Prince had done, unable to rise.

The Emperor, who had been about to take a sip of tea, was nearly choked by Xue Jin'an's relentless, sharp remark. He furrowed his brows and forcibly suppressed the urge to cough. His expression was grim, as if he were on the verge of an outburst, making the atmosphere even more frigid.

In truth, the Emperor was indeed furious, though not at Xue Jin'an, but out of pure dissatisfaction with the Imperial Guard. He was well aware of the current state of the Guard; he had intended to purge them ever since Chu Wenjing first reported the issue.

However, the Great Qi had not been founded long, and the prestige of the ancestors still lingered. Those who had conquered the world alongside the founding Emperor were not yet all dead, and those individuals were the foundation—and the source of confidence—for the noble families.

It is said that each new emperor brings his own court, and even a new official brings three fires of change, let alone a new emperor. But as mentioned before, the frequent turnover of power made the political situation unstable, and barbarians at the borders were watching like tigers. The Emperor's goal was to implement new policies while stabilizing the court.

His methods could be firm—after all, if the master is strong, the ministers are weak, and without firmness, it is easy to be hoodwinked by the collective efforts of the court officials. Yet, his methods could not be too rigid; at necessary times, one must even turn a blind eye and proactively yield some benefits. The military tactic of "besieging three sides and leaving one open" remains effective in politics. If one leaves no room for others, forcing people into a corner where they might bite back like cornered dogs is bad for everyone.

The erosion of the Imperial Guard by noble families had begun during the previous reign. His own stubborn push for new conscription policies, which had won the hearts of the people and secured the border legions, had, in a way, accelerated the corruption of the Imperial Guard.

Noble scions needed somewhere to go, and the Imperial Guard stationed in the capital was a good position. The Emperor had intentionally or unintentionally allowed the infiltration of the Guard; this was the result of political maneuvering.

The Emperor looked at the Imperial Guard kneeling on the floor. At a glance, more than half were familiar faces from noble families. That Deputy Commander Wei, who had risked his life to protect the Emperor, was someone he had personally promoted from the Bureau of Imperial Attire, intending to cultivate him to take over as commander in a few years.

Though the Bureau of Imperial Attire lacked the glory and status of the Imperial Guard and had a poor reputation—often labeled as the "Blood-Stained Robe Guards" who were "clothed in silk, stained with sins"—it was an armed force completely mastered and trusted by the Emperor. Unfortunately, it was an intelligence agency; even with many skilled experts, it could not be brought into the open.

The Emperor’s mood worsened instantly, his gaze turning as cold and sharp as blades.

"You couldn't protect the throne, and you couldn't catch the assassin. Is it that you are truly this incompetent, or was this intentional?" The Emperor suspected there were accomplices among those present.

In fact, the Emperor suspected more than just the Imperial Guard. The fact that the assassin could escape under the eyes of the Guard during the pursuit meant not only that there were other insiders but also that the assassin was intimately familiar with the Imperial Palace.

There must be members of the royal family involved behind the scenes. Which prince, or which consort in the harem?

At the same time, the Emperor realized that compared to an assassination, this was more like a probe—a performance. There had been three assassins, yet not one of them had actually lunged for him. They had taken two hostages, but both were unharmed, suffering only minor skin abrasions.

Oh, the Fifth Prince's wound had been inflicted by the Seventh, and in the end, the assassin had discarded the Fifth Prince, claiming he was in the way. If that was the case, why not just stab him to death?

So, were the hostages, the Fifth and Sixth Princes, truly just unlucky, or were they intentionally chosen? The Emperor narrowed his eyes, scanned the room, and said in a light tone, "It seems there are quite a few people who want me dead."

"Your servant is terrified! Your servant deserves death!" As soon as these words were uttered, the entire group knelt down in unison, even the old man playing chess with the Emperor lifted his robes and knelt.

Thus, Xue Jin'an, who remained seated, became all the more conspicuous. However, Xue Jin'an paid no mind to this; even if he had noticed, he wouldn't have cared.

Xue Jin'an was deep in thought. Following the Emperor's words, he reorganized the logic of the entire event, working backward from the result to deduce the cause, constructing a tree diagram akin to a parallel universe.

Then, he discovered a key point: Was the target me?

He and the Fifth Prince had appeared together. When the Fifth Prince learned the Emperor had arrived early, he said he didn't want to go, yet his footsteps never faltered. Xue Jin'an had also noticed Cui Zui and felt that the coachman was a bit strange, causing him to pause for a brief moment.

In other words, the Fifth Prince was half a step ahead of him. If the assassin had rushed over to grab a hostage, grabbing the Fifth Prince would have been more convenient. Yet, the opponent had completely bypassed the Fifth Prince and lunged directly at him.

Afterward, the assassin helping the Fifth Prince avoid a lethal blow, Zheng Xi misidentifying the Sixth Prince, and the assassin's poison—everything had an explanation. The suspicion rate for Consort Rong suddenly spiked to 90 percent.

Beyond that, Consort Rong must have had an accomplice. If this assassination was merely a probe... crime novels often wrote that killers like to return to the scene of the crime. First, to confirm if any evidence was left behind and to follow the police's progress; second, to admire their own handiwork.

So, was the killer still at the scene?

Xue Jin'an looked up sharply. Then, he thought: There are too many suspects. Can't it be like in that elementary school detective show, a classic "choose one of three"?

"A triangle is the most stable shape!" Xue Jin'an, stuffed with suspect data, rambled internally.

At that moment, a young eunuch hurried in, whispered something into Li Hechun's ear, and Li Hechun reported it to the Emperor in a low voice before quietly withdrawing.

Li Hechun covered his lips, his voice barely audible, but from the lip movements he occasionally leaked, Xue Jin'an knew that the consorts of the inner palace were about to arrive.

Xue Jin'an had noticed clues while scrolling through the live streams earlier. Now, opening the trending list for a look, it was indeed all about the assassination.

The top three hashtags—#EmperorAssassinatedAtUpperStudyRoom#, #FifthPrinceInjured#, and #SixthPrinceTakenHostage#—were followed by "Explosive" tags so red they seemed ready to bleed.

With such a massive commotion involving the princes, it was impossible to hide. Even the Empress Dowager, who rarely left her palace, had been helped onto her palanquin by Nanny Su and was on her way.

Since the consorts were women, the ministers had to avoid them.

Sure enough, the Emperor frowned and waved at the crowd. "The assessment is postponed for today. Everyone, return."

While he said the assessment was postponed, it actually meant the matter was far from over.

"We take our leave." The group bowed and retreated quickly and orderly, leaving only Prince An and the princes behind; half of the guards were also cleared out.

Li Hechun reappeared, directing the maids and eunuchs to clean the hall quickly and quietly. The Fifth Prince was also helped up from the floor.

Before long, chaotic footsteps could be heard from outside, where it had just turned quiet.

A beautiful woman in red court robes, covered in pearls and jewels, appeared first. Her robes fluttered like butterfly wings, her hair slightly disheveled, and her expression was filled with panic and terror. She directly pulled the newly standing Fifth Prince into a tight embrace, tears streaming before she could speak.

Her eyes were shattered, and she wept silently, looking as delicate and pitiful as a pear blossom in the rain.

*Consort Rong must have been choked by her blush,* Xue Jin'an thought. His high-definition camera swept over, clearly revealing her exquisite and perfect makeup.

The Fifth Prince, caught off guard and embraced, seemed to have been choked as well, his whole body shivering.

Although Xue Jin'an didn't understand why blush should be applied to the eyelids and nose, they naturally had their own meanings and purposes for makeup. It was not something a straight-machine spirit like him could critique.

Following closely behind Consort Rong was a woman in light-colored court robes. Her makeup was plain, her features refined, and her temperament cool and detached. She walked hurriedly, supported by a maid, her demeanor remaining dignified and graceful.

"Mother—boo-hoo—" The moment the Sixth Prince saw her, his eyes turned red, and he charged toward her like a cannonball.

Consort Shu did not immediately embrace the Sixth Prince. Instead, she turned him around to ensure he had no other injuries before tentatively reaching out to touch his neck. Her fingers stopped just before contact, and she gently pulled him into her arms, whispering with a sigh of sorrow, "My Ping'an..."

Ping'an was the childhood nickname of the Sixth Prince, Xue Chenping.

"Mother, I... I'm not in pain... boo-hoo... not in pain..." The Sixth Prince buried his head in her neck, sobbing while trying to comfort her.

While the Sixth Prince was having a moment of deep maternal affection, the Fourth Prince was in a world of trouble.

The Fourth Prince had felt something was wrong as soon as he heard Xue Jin'an had stabbed his Fifth Brother. He had been quietly hiding in the crowd, using his brothers' bodies to shield himself, but he hadn't expected the Sixth Prince to run over and expose him directly.

Xue Jin'an's gaze looked over as expected. The Fourth Prince was extremely flustered, yet he was pinned to the spot by Xue Jin'an's stare.

Seeing his favorite "battery" again, Xue Jin'an couldn't help but take a few extra looks at the accessory storage housing it. He was slightly unhappy to find that the battery's health had dropped to 95 percent.

*Has it not been fixed after such a long time in repair? The imperial physicians are incompetent.* Xue Jin'an felt like fixing it himself.

*Hmm, I'll go check it out tonight.* Xue Jin'an set himself an itinerary.

The Fourth Prince hunched his shoulders and hid back into the crowd. Regaining his sense of security, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

The Third Prince, who had seen it all, sneered disdainfully. "How old is Little Seven? You're scared like this? Coward."

The Fourth Prince clutched his chest, his face deathly pale, and retorted stubbornly, "I'm in pain from my wound! I'm not afraid of Xue Jin'an!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Fourth Prince shuddered, a familiar chill creeping up from the bottom of his heart.