PFC Chapter 178 Everyone has their own agenda
Chapter 178 Everyone has their own agenda
"what?!"
Li Jing lost his voice, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.
The Shen family is a thousand-year-old family, serving as important officials in three dynasties. They hold a pivotal position in the entire Dayu Kingdom, with prestige second only to the royal family.
He hadn't expected that the eldest son of the Shen family, that renowned genius, would also be present.
Instead of intervening, they aided and abetted the evildoers!
This filled Li Jing with deep anger, and then he sensed a strange sense of crisis.
Could it be that the Shen family has harbored ulterior motives...?
"Duke, is there nothing you wish to say to me?"
Li Jingshen took a deep breath and looked at the old man standing at the head of the court with a stern face.
The old man, with slightly graying temples, wore a python robe and jade belt. He stood with his hands behind his back on the steps of the palace, his hunched figure exuding an air of majesty.
He looks to be over fifty, but his real age is over two hundred.
Shen Huaimin.
A veteran of two dynasties, the only non-royal duke since the founding of the Great Yu Dynasty, whose merits overshadowed the emperor and whose power was immense.
"This old minister is foolish and does not know what Your Majesty wishes to hear?"
Shen Huaimin stepped forward, cupped his hands slightly, and his eyes were like a deep, still pool, without the slightest ripple.
Old fox!
Li Jing cursed inwardly, his face darkening slightly. He said, "Old Duke, don't pretend you don't know. I'll ask you, why did your grandson lend his sword to the thief?"
"Is he plotting a rebellion? Or does this represent the Shen family's intentions?!"
The last few words were tinged with intense questioning and anger.
The hall was quiet; all the ministers seemed to be mute, not daring to utter a single word.
"This old minister also does not know what happened."
Shen Huaimin shook his head, feeling equally confused.
As far as he knew, Shen Ming had very little contact with the Second Prince and should have no enmity with him, so how could such a thing have happened?
He knew that no matter how he explained, it would be a waste of breath, and the emperor would certainly not believe him.
"You're telling me you don't know?"
Li Jing was taken aback, then chuckled in exasperation, and said, "Since the Shen family entered the court as officials, neither the late emperor nor I have ever mistreated them, have we?"
"And you, the grandson of the Duke of Shen, colluded with traitors to indirectly kill my son. How can I trust you? How can the world view me?!"
The roar grew louder and louder, engulfing the entire hall.
Li Jing's chest heaved, his sinister eyes fixed on Shen Huaimin, clearly not believing the latter was unaware of the situation.
"It's all because the old ministers failed to discipline their children properly."
Shen Huaimin bowed slightly, saying neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Your Majesty, please speak freely. I will do my best to fulfill your request."
As a seasoned veteran of officialdom, he naturally knew that the emperor was creating momentum and laying the groundwork to make him feel guilty and then let him manipulate him.
Seeing the old man's calm and unwavering demeanor, Li Jing clenched his fists tightly in his sleeves.
"You old fool, I will wipe out your Shen family one day!"
He secretly hardened his heart.
If it weren't for the fact that the Shen family had too deep a foundation, involved too much interest, and had the Xuan Tian Sect as their backing, the Shen family would have been destroyed long ago.
Li Jingqiang suppressed the murderous intent in his heart, but forced a smile on his face: "I knew the old Duke had no ulterior motives. I was overthinking things just now, hehe..."
He paused, then lowered his voice: "Although the Second Prince was not killed by Shen Ming, he is still implicated. Your Shen family bears an unshirkable responsibility for this matter, and it is your Shen family that should resolve it."
"Your Majesty, this........."
Shen Huaimin's eyes narrowed slightly, and he immediately sensed something was wrong.
Someone else killed the Second Prince, so why is the Shen family being left with this mess?
Even the Marquis of Zhennan and the head of the Wang family couldn't do anything about the other party, which was obviously extremely troublesome.
He was about to politely decline when Li Jing quickly interrupted him, "Old Duke, your cultivation is unparalleled in the entire dynasty. You are a military genius. There is no one more suitable than you."
"Here's what I'll do. I'll give you 100,000 Imperial Guards, and have General Shen Hong oversee the operation. As long as you capture the traitor who killed my son, I'll reward you handsomely!"
Li Jing pondered, a calculating glint in his eyes.
Shen Hong, the fourth master of the Shen family, is a military general who commands 100,000 troops. If we can take this opportunity to get rid of him, we can eliminate a major threat.
"Your Majesty, this old minister is advanced in years and in poor health, and is unable to shoulder this heavy responsibility. Your Majesty should seek a more capable advisor."
Shen Huaimin looked troubled.
The more the emperor said this, the more unusual it seemed to him, and he dared not agree.
"Oh, Elder Shen, you are too modest. I believe in your abilities. As long as you make a move, you will surely succeed."
Li Jing waved his hand, his tone softening, and even his address changed from "Old Duke" to "Old Shen".
"There's no time to lose, Elder Shen, you should depart as soon as possible. I await your good news... Court adjourned!"
Li Jing patted the old man's shoulder heavily and said in an unquestionable manner.
Immediately, he turned and strode away, in high spirits.
After the officials had left, Shen Hong strode over, his face grave, and said, "Father, the emperor is clearly using our Shen family as a pawn. Should we really go?"
Shen Hong was a capable middle-aged man who exuded a strong military aura.
Although he was a muscular burly man, he was also shrewd and knew that this mission was anything but ordinary and could very well result in mutual destruction.
"I have no choice but to go..."
Shen Huaimin sighed.
He wouldn't be too afraid if the emperor played dirty tricks behind the scenes, but this time the other party used an open strategy.
The Shen family was in the wrong to begin with, and since the emperor insisted it was their fault, they could only swallow their anger and resentment.
Unless the Shen family wants to become the target of public criticism and be despised by the people of the world.
"That dog emperor is still as suspicious as ever."
Shen Hong cursed under his breath, looking displeased.
"Notify the army to assemble. We can only take it one step at a time now."
Shen Huaimin stroked his gray beard and walked out of the main hall, deep in thought.
"What is Ming'er thinking? It's not wise to clash with the royal family at this time..."
He looked up and gazed in the direction of the Imperial Treasure Pavilion, a look of confusion flashing in his eyes.
..........
at that time.
The garden of the First Prince's residence.
You're saying my second brother is dead?
Upon hearing the news of his only rival's death, Li Zheng froze, and the teacup in his hand instantly slipped from his grasp.
"Click——"
The teacup shattered into pieces, and the water, mixed with tea leaves, splashed all over his expensive brocade robe.
"Haha, good riddance!"
Li Zheng was not angry at all; on the contrary, he was overjoyed and stood up abruptly, laughing loudly without any restraint.
"Do you know who did it? This prince should really thank him properly..."
Li Zheng had an irrepressible smile on his lips, feeling completely relaxed.
Although his abilities and allies far surpass those of the Second Prince, the situation could change before his position as Crown Prince is firmly established.
Now, that variable has disappeared; he is the only prince of the Great Yu Dynasty and the only heir to the throne!
"Your Highness, the one who killed the Second Prince was Li Jing's son, Li Wudao..."
One of the attendants recounted the story in detail, his expression strange: "Speaking of which, this is the same person who caused a ruckus at the Ministry of Justice a few days ago and abducted the prisoners."
"It was all done by the same person. Interesting."
Li Zheng was quite surprised, then said with amusement, "I didn't expect that the person that lord was looking for would appear so quickly, and would inadvertently do this prince such a great favor."
After a long pause, a sinister smile appeared on his handsome face:
"Contact that official and tell him that I have found the person and will deliver him safely, but I cannot guarantee whether he will live or die."
The servant was about to respond.
Suddenly, a cold wind swept in, and without warning, a figure completely wrapped in a black robe appeared, its face obscured.
"Sir, why are you here?"
Li Zheng was stunned, a hint of awe appearing on his face.
"You don't need to get involved in that kid's matter for now. Hold your position. I have other things for you to handle."
The man in black robes had a hoarse and strange voice, as if it were intentional.
This person was none other than Cheng Yuanliang, the former peak master of the Xuantian Sect and now an elder of the Demon Clan.
"In the next few days, try to gather as many people as possible, and bring them to the City God Temple in the north of the city. I have a great use for them."
"Yes."
Although Li Zheng found it strange, he didn't dare to ask any further questions.
He had witnessed the black-robed man's methods firsthand; they were ruthless and merciless, and within the vast dynasty, there was probably no one who could rival him.
"After this is done, will the conditions you previously agreed to still stand?"
Li Zheng steeled himself, a greedy glint in his eyes.
There was a flash of light.
A scimitar stained entirely with blood appeared in the black-robed man's hand and was casually tossed over.
This aura... it's a low-grade Heavenly Rank spiritual artifact!
Li Zheng's eyes were instantly glued to the blade, stroking its exquisite patterns, his breathing quickening.
Seeing this, Cheng Yuanliang sneered inwardly, but outwardly, hidden beneath his black robe, he showed no sign of anything amiss, and said in a hoarse voice:
"Rest assured, once it is accomplished, I will certainly help you become the emperor of Great Yu."
Li Zheng nodded like a chick pecking at rice.
This time, he finally believed it.
Being able to casually bestow upon him a Heaven-Rank Spiritual Artifact, and possessing unfathomable strength, such an existence would have no problem taking over the Great Yu Dynasty.
"Li Wudao, so what if your cultivation progresses quickly?"
"Once my Heavenly Demon Bloodlust Array is fully refined, not only you, but the entire imperial city will be reduced to ashes, to be buried with my son!"
Cheng Yuanliang sneered inwardly, his black robe flashed, and he vanished without a trace.