Chapter 512: Brothers' Duel of Arts

The atmosphere in the Hall of Nurturing Heart fell into deadly silence; though they had been confronting Xiao Yin head‑on, the situation suddenly took a sharp turn for the worse.

It was clearly said that Xiao Yin was corrupt and perverting the law, that as an Imperial Envoy inspecting salt‑merchant taxes in Yangzhou he had colluded with another Imperial Envoy, Gu Kang, and embezzled the illicit funds.

Before this public security case could be cleared up, another, even bigger case suddenly surfaced.

At Huangjue Si, while Crown Prince Xiao Ting led the princes in praying for blessings and dispelling calamity, he suddenly vanished into thin air.

If only one had disappeared, even two would have been tolerable.

Emperor Longqing's face changed drastically in an instant; he shot to his feet and stared fixedly at Xiao Yin before him.

He was actually quite pleased that his sons were praying for his blessings and longevity.

After all, his health had been deteriorating day by day; not only did the concubines in the Imperial Harem copy sutras, but his sons also voluntarily offered to pray to Buddha for healing, to ward off disaster for their father.

Originally a very filial act, Emperor Longqing also supported it, feeling greatly relieved at heart.

Who would have thought that nothing would happen early or late, but today, after he had Xiao Yin apprehended and brought to the Hall of Nurturing Heart, news suddenly came from Huangjue Si, and Emperor Longqing's face changed somewhat.

Xiao Yin feigned surprise, quickly raised his head to look at Emperor Longqing before him, and slapped his hands down hard, saying, "What can be done? How could this happen?"

"Brother Prince, shouldn't you look again? Huangjue Si is located on the mountainside; it was said that in earlier years demons and monsters appeared there, so a temple was built on this peak and a dragon was used to suppress them…"

Seeing Emperor Longqing's face change so much, Xiao Yin found he could not go on.

He hurriedly lowered his head and closed his mouth.

Xiao Yin's nonsense only confirmed Emperor Longqing's suspicion.

His sons have now completely vanished without a trace; as the Imperial Uncle, Xiao Yin, talking about demons and monsters is clearly just stabbing him in the heart.

Imperial Concubine Cao, standing nearby, could no longer hold herself together; her face turned ashen, her eyes reddened, and she burst into tears before Emperor Longqing.

"How could such a thing happen? Please, Your Majesty, save my son Zheng'er!"

Duke of Cao had originally intended to seize Xiao Yin in one fell swoop to avenge the Cao clan's blood‑deep grudge, but unexpected complications arose.

His cloudy eyes slowly turned to Xiao Yin, who knelt nearby; Xiao Yin's face remained normal, and he even felt a faint sense of smugness.

Duke of Cao's brows knotted tightly; this fellow's audacity was too great—he had actually hidden all the princes.

But how could this happen?

The princes' attendants always accompanied them, and Huangjue Si is an imperial temple with exceptionally tight security; who knows how Xiao Yin managed it?

At this very moment, that person had everything under control, and they truly had no way to respond.

Emperor Longqing's hand slowly clenched into a fist, his chest aching with rage, as if a bloody taste filled his throat and eyes.

"Xiao Yin!" Emperor Longqing almost spat the two words from between his teeth.

"I am here!" Xiao Yin solemnly kowtowed to Emperor Longqing and said, "Your Majesty, the matter of the nephews is of utmost importance."

"Put aside the matter of achievements for now; I, your younger brother, have certainly not been corrupt or perverted the law, nor have I taken the Cao clan's money—I implore Your Majesty to investigate clearly!"

"However, to prove my innocence, I intend to go downstairs myself."

"Your Majesty should still be attending to the princes' affairs; this is a major matter."

Isn't that exactly a major matter?

Emperor Longqing gave a cold snort, fixed his stare on Xiao Yin before him, and said, "With you here, it's already a major matter."

Now Emperor Longqing is being roasted over a fire; if he were to release this bastard in the Hall of Nurturing Heart and exchange him for his sons, he simply could not swallow that indignity.

He flicked his wrist, his face darkening: "Take him! Remove the Prince Rui's crown and send him to the Ministry of Justice."

Xiao Yin kowtowed properly and said, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty! Long live the emperor, long live, long long live!"

Xiao Yin performed this act splendidly, then rose properly, took off the crown symbolizing the Prince's blessings from his head, and handed it to the nearby eunuch.

It was as if he were handing over a toy he never liked, done somewhat casually; the eunuch watching felt his heart skip a beat, and the duel between these two brothers grew ever more splendid.

Xiao Yin turned and followed behind Xiao Tongling, then was placed onto a carriage and escorted to the prison of the Ministry of Justice.

The officer who had received the news came out to meet him, yet his attitude toward Xiao Yin was exceedingly respectful.

This lord must not be offended, for you know he has weathered many ups and downs in the officialdom of Southern Qi, always rising unexpectedly.

He later returned to the center of power, and anyone who had tried to deal with him came to a bad end.

Xiao Yin kept walking toward the cells and arrived at the second cell from the east.

The old man carefully unlocked the cell door and opened it, inviting him in.

Xiao Yin strode into the cell and then sat down calmly.

Those outside dared not stare, and hastily stepped back.

Xiao Yin slapped his palm against the wooden post and looked at Gu Kang sitting in the neighboring cell.

Although the easternmost cell was a condemned one, it was actually quite comfortable.

On the poplar wood table sat a full set of white jade teacups, and on the other side lay a large stack of books.

Seeing the scene on that table, Gu Kang had already written many practice sheets inside, feeling as if he had come to the prison to practice calligraphy, and there was even a boxwood chair.

Even the few food boxes placed at the door were exquisite, so the meals inside must be good as well.

Xiao Yin gave a cold smile and said, "I say, disastrous brother‑in‑law, are you in prison or doing the postpartum month?"

Gu Kang had already noticed Xiao Yin being thrown in, and couldn't help but let out a wry smile.

Sure enough, Emperor Longqing intended to catch them both in one sweep; this time he had not gone along with the emperor's wishes, was thrown into prison, and this was exactly what he had anticipated.

But he also understood that to Emperor Longqing he was merely a blade of grass, while the true quarry the emperor sought was none other than Xiao Yin, who was now looking at him.

Gu Kang slowly rose and paid his respects to Xiao Yin, saying, "Greetings, Prince."

Xiao Yin's gaze swept over Gu Kang's room, and he coldly said, "Don't waste talk on useless things—how is the arrangement of your quarters any different from mine?"

Xiao Yin's room contained only a pile of messy grass, feeling damp and reeking horribly.

But looking next door at Gu Kang's quarters, which were kept so clean, Xiao Yin's anger flared instantly.

"Madame Jiang also told me she was worried about what hardships you might suffer; had I known earlier, I would have told your elder sister not to worry about you—you little fox, always taking advantage without ever suffering loss."

"By the way, how could you have gotten all these benefits? Do tell me."

Gu Kang smiled faintly: "I was originally the Minister of Justice; everyone here used to be my subordinates. As long as the emperor doesn't kill me, I will have a day to make a comeback. How dare they offend me? Moreover—"

Gu Kang slowly took out a banknote from his bosom, lightly flicked it in front of Xiao Yi, then put it away, smiled, and said nothing more.