Chapter 515: Been Schemed Against

Xiao Yin had already sensed that Emperor Longqing had a request of him, yet he remained this obstinate; he slowly knelt down and kowtowed, saying: "Subject, I obey the edict."

Emperor Longqing, seeing Xiao Yin say that, actually relaxed a bit, not expecting Xiao Yin to immediately continue.

"I have been tossing and turning in prison, unable to sleep at night; now my body has suffered greatly."

"Three days' time, for me, is rather tight; if I cannot find the Crown Prince and the others within three days, I will atone with my death!"

As the two words "apologize" just left Xiao Yin's mouth, Emperor Longqing jumped in surprise; this bastard, is he trying to restrain me?

Emperor Longqing's eyes flashed slightly, he ground his back teeth and coldly laughed: "Beloved official, you should still pay attention to your health."

"The Yangzhou case has already been investigated and the truth revealed; it was the Cao clan's petty members who deliberately kept false accounts to frame you and Gu Kang."

"As for the Yangzhou matter, I will not pursue it; now you must wholeheartedly solve the Huangjue Si case."

Emperor Longqing obviously had already compromised, no longer pursuing Xiao Yin's embezzlement of salt taxes in Yangzhou.

Even Gu Kang was released from prison, but after coming out, he proactively knelt before Emperor Longqing to resign his office, saying he wanted to cultivate himself and nurture his nature for a few days.

The words Emperor Longqing just spoke have slapped his own face; naturally he cannot let him resign, but he allows him to rest at home for several months.

On this side, Xiao Yin led his troops toward Huangjue Si; in less than two days—no need to say three—he brought the Crown Prince and the remaining princes back to Jing Cheng.

Crown Prince Xiao Ting walked down the long corridor, turned sideways and stared fixedly at Xiao Yin strolling beside him; his heart could not help but overflow with hatred.

"Thank you, Imperial Uncle, for saving me!" Xiao Ting said these words, almost grinding his teeth.

Xiao Yin paid no heed to the Crown Prince's intense hatred toward him, smiling faintly: "I am your Imperial Uncle; when my own nephew encounters trouble, as an Imperial Uncle, how could I not rescue him?"

Xiao Ting never imagined Xiao Yin had done such a great deed, yet he could still walk calmly beside him, even presenting himself as his lifesaver?

He wished he could rush forward and give Xiao Yin a severe beating, but his combat ability was utterly insignificant before Xiao Yin.

【18> He could only glare resentfully at that man, stepping a few steps closer and speaking low: "Xiao Yin, don't think I don't know what you've done."

He could only glare hatefully at that man, stepping a few steps closer to Xiao Yin and speaking in a low voice: "Xiao Yin, don't think I don't know what you've done."

"You actually hollowed out half of Huangjue Si's mountain, setting up mechanisms and secret passages, trapping us brothers inside."

"No matter how flawlessly you did it, I will surely uncover the truth and leave you nowhere to hide."

Xiao Yin froze for a moment, then smiled faintly without speaking.

Suddenly a hurried footsteps came from behind them; Xiao Yin remained composed, watching Commander Xiao walk up to Xiao Ting, bow in salute, and glance at the smiling Xiao Yin standing to the side.

He lowered his voice: "Report to Your Highness, I led men to Huangjue Si, only to find the pine and cypress on the summit split by lightning, and the hollow beneath the trees collapsed as well."

With a puff, Xiao Yin on the side chuckled and sighed: "By rights it should be the start of autumn, yet there's still such a thunderstorm! How strange!"

"Could it be a heavenly omen? We should ask those officials of the Imperial Astronomy Bureau to help; we ought to cast a divination."

Xiao Ting abruptly turned his head, looking at Xiao Yin in disbelief.

What thunder and lightning?

He's not a three-year-old child; how could even fierce lightning split half a mountain?

That summit had been hollowed out by Xiao Yin; only if some fire oil were placed and blown up half of it would that be real.

Xiao Yin's fellow's actions are really too fast—just after pulling them out of Huangjue Si, he directly leveled the summit of Huangjue Si.

Earlier, the emperor father again ordered all under heaven that the Yangzhou case was closed; if we were to arrest Xiao Yin again using the Yangzhou affair, it would be even more inappropriate.

After all, he is the ruler of a state; one cannot say something and then not count it, or count it and then not say it.

Commander Xiao also felt wary of Xiao Yin; just how did this person scheme? Step-by-step planning.

When Xiao Yin walked with Xiao Ting to the Hall of Nurturing Heart, a richly dressed woman rushed toward him briskly.

Seeing that Imperial Concubine Cao was about to lunge at Xiao Yin, he hastily sidestepped and smiled faintly: "Imperial Concubine Cao, please conduct yourself properly; I am the Imperial Uncle, and you still need to observe some imperial dignity—why do you keep throwing yourself at people?"

Imperial Concubine Cao had long lost her former gentleness and composure; her voice trembled slightly: "Where have you hidden my son? You've recovered all those princes, yet only my imperial son is missing."

Xiao Yin raised his brows and said lightly: "The Sixth Prince?"

"I too would like to know where Xiao Zheng went; when I rescued the Crown Prince, I didn't see the sixth brother."

Imperial Concubine Cao's face instantly paled; she suddenly burst into tears, running into the Hall of Nurturing Heart, thudding as she knelt before Emperor Longqing, pointing at the entering Xiao Yin: "Your Majesty! You killed him, you must kill him! Perhaps Zheng'er has already been harmed by him."

Xiao Yin smiled faintly, turned his face toward the astonished Xiao Ting, and said slowly: "Crown Prince, when you once brought all the princes to pray for blessings for the emperor, was Xiao Zheng ever with you?"

Everyone looked at Crown Prince Xiao Ting; if he answered that Xiao Zheng had been with them, this time Xiao Yin only brought them out but failed to bring Xiao Zheng out—that would be incompetence.

Xiao Yin gazed at Xiao Ting's eyes, which carried a hint of mockery; now the Third Prince is dead, the other princes are still so young, only two remain capable of shouldering important responsibilities.

One is Crown Prince Xiao Ting, the other is Imperial Concubine Cao's son Xiao Zheng.

Xiao Yin, however, wanted to see whether Xiao Ting would this time help Xiao Zheng.

Initially he indeed had taken Xiao Zheng away from Xiao Ting's side; this time, let's see how this slippery Xiao Ting will respond.

Indeed, just as Xiao Yin had anticipated, Xiao Ting would rather have one less competitor; this time he actually assisted Xiao Yin in eliminating Xiao Zheng, the greatest threat.

He slowly knelt before Emperor Longqing, sobbing: "Father, I have failed to look after my younger brother; I am deeply ashamed."

"When I, your subject, ascended the Prayer Platform to pray for the emperor's blessing and avert disaster, the crowd was thick and chaotic; no one expected the sixth brother to get lost."

"If the sacrificial rite missed its appointed time, that would be bad; in my panic I did not send anyone to look for the sixth brother, and I never imagined he still hasn't returned to this day—I am terrified, and I beg the emperor to punish me!"

"Nonsense, you're talking nonsense; how could my son Zheng be someone who casually avoids responsibility?"

"It must be you and Xiao Yin joining forces to deal with my son—speak! Where have you hidden him?" Imperial Concubine Cao changed her former gentleness, her voice suddenly rising several degrees.

Although she was fierce and ruthless, at this moment a flash of despair crossed her eyes; she realized that this time her son was likely schemed against.