Chapter 1244

Tang Jiu Cheng slowly nodded; the other party's words just already hinted at his power — to use a hundred men to kill one of his disciples, to use a hundred thousand to utterly erase Falling Cherry Palace from this world. Only a hegemon who rules one side could have such ambition and strength, and such a young man possessing such strength is rare.

Zou Yong said, bewildered: 'He has nothing to do with the affairs here; why intervene?'

Tang Jiu Cheng said darkly: 'I don't understand political matters, nor am I interested; if it weren't for you, I wouldn't wade into this muddy water.'

Zou Yong's face showed embarrassment: 'Son has caused trouble for Father.'

Tang Jiu Cheng shook his head and said: 'This person is absolutely an outstanding figure among the younger generation; even if you cannot become friends with him, you should not make such an enemy.'

Zou Yong gave a wry smile and said: 'This matter is truly not what I, the son, wished; I have long known this person has ulterior motives, so I have been on guard against him everywhere, yet I did not expect to still be one move behind.' The situation has come to this point, Zou Yong can only sigh that his skill is inferior; whether in martial arts or scheming, he is always a step short compared to the opponent. What puzzles him is: if this Hu Dafu is indeed Hu Xiaotian, why would he dare to actively come to the door to challenge? Does he not fear exposing his identity? Or does he already have reliance?

Tang Jiu Cheng said: 'Is it truly unrelated to you, the matter of Xue Lingjun?'

Zou Yong felt both laughing and crying: 'Father, how could I, the son, do such a foolish thing? The one who wants to eliminate Xue Lingjun is Li Chen Zhou; I would not draw fire upon myself. This matter should be a conspiracy between Hu Dafu and Xue Lingjun; and Xue Lingjun today had an appointment with me, yet deliberately stood me up, making me wait empty for over an hour. Upon hearing the news that Kou Zisheng was killed, I then left...' Speaking up to here, Zou Yong's mind suddenly lit up; these seemingly unrelated matters, if carefully considered, seem to have some inexplicable connection; could it be that everything is retaliation caused by the killing of Li Changxing?

Tang Jiu Cheng said: 'Absolutely no risk-taking; he has a grudge against the Variegated Gate. Regardless of whether he is Hu Xiaotian or not, you must immediately tell this clue to the Old Monster of Bei Ze; killing a person does not necessarily require us to act personally.'

Zou Yong nodded, and at that moment he suddenly heard a call from outside the building: 'Young master! Young master! Eunuch Liu has arrived!'

Zou Yong bowed with clasped fists to his father, then quickly walked out of the small building.

Eunuch Liu's face was flustered; upon seeing Zou Yong, his first words were: 'Young Master Zou, do you know the whereabouts of the Eldest Princess?'

Zou Yong frowned somewhat gloomily. Just now Hu Xiaotian had left, and now another palace person arrives; he replied unhappily: 'How would I know about the affairs of the Eldest Princess of Da Yong?'

'It's not Xue Lingjun; it's our Eldest Princess who has suddenly lost contact!'

Zou Yong gaped in shock, only then realizing the situation was far more serious than he had imagined.

Hu Xiaotian led a group of Golden Scale Guards, carrying the corpse of the slain Golden Scale Guard, to the royal capital. Outside the palace gates they shouted in unison; actually Hu Xiaotian's side's commotion had already alarmed the royal capital garrison, the commander of the royal capital garrison, Pang Zhishan, stood on the city wall, observing the movements below. He shouted: 'Who is so bold as to make a racket before the royal capital? If you disturb the king's rest, we will certainly execute you all!'

Hu Xiaotian shouted: 'We are the Golden Scale Guards attending the Eldest Princess of Da Yong, and we have come specially to seek justice from Your Majesty, the great king of your state!'

Upon hearing that they were attendants of the Eldest Princess of Da Yong, Pang Zhishan's attitude changed immediately. He shouted loudly: 'Da Yong is a state of propriety; you should understand diplomatic etiquette. No matter how great the matter, please wait until tomorrow to speak. How about this: you first explain the situation to me, and tomorrow I will find an opportunity to report to the king.'

Hu Xiaotian shouted: 'We cannot wait until tomorrow; that traitor Zou Yong has abducted our Eldest Princess and slaughtered our Guards. If we do not see the king tonight, we fear we will all fall victim to his treachery!'

Pang Zhishan was startled upon hearing this; abducting the Eldest Princess of Da Yong and killing the Da Yong Golden Scale Guards — this is no trivial matter. Although Zou Yong enjoys favor in the court, his reputation among the Bohai court and populace is poor, especially among military officers who mostly regard him as a catamite clown, despising his conduct. Pang Zhishan hesitated, undecided, and his aide beside him whispered: 'General, our Eldest Princess has also lost her whereabouts; do you think these two matters might be...'

Pang Zhishan bit his lip, finally making a decision: 'Go see the chief steward Fu; report this matter to him first. As for whether to inform the king, that will be up to him to decide.'

'Yes!'

Pang Zhishan also said to the guard beside him: 'Liu Shan, you take twenty brothers and follow me out to check it out.'

When Hu Xiaotian led the Golden Scale Guards in crying injustice outside the palace gates, someone had already secretly reported to the palace's chief steward, Fu Yanshou. Upon receiving the news, Fu Yanshou immediately went to the Mu'en Palace to report to the still-unresting Bohai King, Yan Dongsheng.

Upon hearing that Da Yong's Eldest Princess Xue Lingjun had also suddenly lost her whereabouts, Yan Dongsheng was startled, even more shocked than hearing news of his sister's disappearance, and he exclaimed in astonishment: 'How could this happen? Why is this? Everything was fine, so how did they suddenly lose contact?'

Fu Yanshou said softly: 'Your Majesty, more than ten Golden Scale Guards of Da Yong have gathered before the palace gates, shouting their grievances, demanding to see the great king, and they are even carrying the corpse of a Golden Scale Guard.'

Yan Dongsheng clenched his fists from tension: 'A Golden Scale Guard has died?'

Fu Yanshou nodded: 'This has been confirmed; it is said they were killed when they went to the Jing Shui Estate to demand someone.'

Yan Dongsheng felt somewhat confused: 'What is going on? Why did they go to the Jing Shui Estate to demand someone? And how did they come into conflict with Zou Yong?'

Fu Yanshou hurriedly related everything he knew to Yan Dongsheng; after hearing it, Yan Dongsheng was also dumbfounded, and he muttered: 'Did Zou Yong really make an appointment for the Eldest Princess and my royal sister to go out together?'

Fu Yanshou nodded: 'This should be correct, but according to the information we have so far, Zou Yong did not wait for the two Eldest Princesses at the agreed place, so this matter likely has nothing to do with him…'

Yan Dongsheng angrily retorted: 'Who says it's unrelated? If it weren't for his invitation, how would the Eldest Princess of Da Yong have gone out? It was precisely because of the appointment that she lost contact; are those Golden Scale Guards not going to him to demand the person, but instead coming to me?'

Seeing Yan Dongsheng's thunderous fury, Fu Yanshou dared not speak; only after his breath had somewhat calmed did he offer: 'This matter is indeed suspicious; recently there have been many rumors unfavorable to Young Master Zou.'

'It's because his backside is unclean!' Yan Dongsheng exclaimed in exasperated anger, and he abruptly rose from his throne.

Fu Yanshou thought he was about to leave, and hastily advised: 'Your Majesty, those Golden Scale Guards are in a rage; now is not a suitable time for an audience.'

Yan Dongsheng glared at him and said: 'Who said I want to see them? What status do they have? What qualifications entitle me to receive them?'

At this moment, another report came from the little eunuch outside; Fu Yanshou hurriedly went out to see what was happening. When he returned, his face grew even more grave, and he reported softly to Yan Dongsheng: 'Your Majesty, the person leading the Golden Scale Guards here is the son-in-law of the old man Qiao of Wan Changlong, Hu Dafu… he… this time he actually brought the Phoenix Dance Nine Heavens Order personally granted by the Dowager Empress Jiang of Da Yong; this token is equivalent to the Dowager Empress herself coming.'

Upon hearing this, Yan Dongsheng's face changed abruptly; although the Da Yong token cannot command him, the lord of Bohai, he dare not slight the prestige of a superior state. He does not know who this Hu Dafu is, but he knows all too well who the Dowager Empress Jiang of Da Yong is; even the former ruler of Da Yong, Xue Shengkang, would show added respect to her mother, and although the Dowager Empress has retreated for many years, that does not mean she has lost influence in Da Yong; by producing the Phoenix Dance Nine Heavens Order, the other side is clearly trying to compel him to grant an audience.

Yan Dongsheng pondered repeatedly in his mind, undecided.

Fu Yanshou looked at Yan Dongsheng with a bitter expression; one must know that the disappearance of the Da Yong Eldest Princess and the killing of her entourage Guards are no minor matters; Da Yong will certainly not let it go, and once investigated, the small state of Bohai absolutely cannot bear the consequences.

After long hesitation, Yan Dongsheng finally made a difficult decision: 'Go, let Hu Dafu enter the palace; I wish to see him myself.'

'Yes!'

'Besides, Da Yong has not yet sent another envoy.'

'Li Chen Zhou!'

'Yes, go see him at once and tell him everything that happened exactly as it occurred, to see how he will handle this.' Yan Dongsheng's thoughts were already in disarray.

Fu Yanshou obeyed the order: 'I, your servant, will take care of this right away.' Turning around, he had not yet stepped out the door when Yan Dongsheng thought of another matter: 'Besides, you… you go summon Zou Yong to come before me!' Yan Dongsheng was obviously filled with resentment.

Fu Yanshou sighed: 'I, your servant, dare say something I shouldn't, but I estimate he has already gone to West Mountain at this moment.'

Yan Dongsheng's face was overlaid with a mixture of shame and indignation; West Mountain is the residence of the Queen Dowager, and Zou Yong's going there is surely to seek aid. Recalling the recent rumors, Yan Dongsheng burned with anger, gnashing his teeth: 'If it is proven that he is related to Xue Lingjun's disappearance, I will certainly not spare him!'

After consideration, Zou Yong still went to West Mountain; the situation is developing in a direction unfavorable to him. At this moment Zou Yong finally realized that the earlier rumors spreading about his defiling the palace were certainly not coincidental, and the person likely behind this public opinion offensive is Hu Dafu. No matter how outsiders view his connection to Xue Lingjun and Yan Dongqing's disappearance, Zou Yong knows clearly that he has no relation whatsoever to their disappearances; he even believes that Xue Lingjun and Hu Dafu colluded to plan all of this.

Zou Yong originally wanted to look for Li Chen Zhou, but after deliberation he realized that Li Chen Zhou could not solve the urgent crisis at hand, and perhaps only the Dowager Empress could help him resolve his immediate danger.

Although it was already near midnight, the Dowager Empress had not yet gone to sleep; her daughter had originally said she would come to West Mountain tonight to keep her company, but so far there has been no word at all, leaving her unable to feel at ease—what should have come did not, and what should not have come arrived unexpectedly. If it were the past, Zou Yong's arrival might have brought her an unexpected joy, but now the Dowager Empress not only feels no delight, she feels somewhat puzzled.

'Why have you come at this late hour?'

Zou Yong's expression darkened as he said: 'Dowager Empress, save me!'

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