Chapter 83: Run away!

The troops brought by Prince Pingnan filled the view, dark and dense; the soldiers who had seen battle exuded a lethal aura, naturally able to suppress the palace guards who strolled leisurely every day in the Imperial City.

They were like humanoid weapons that would charge at a single order, full of terrifying momentum.

The few officials originally escorting Mu Yuanzhi had already let go, fearing they'd become targets for Prince Pingnan.

Having gained freedom, Mu Yuanzhi gratefully nodded to Prince Pingnan.

She didn't care why Prince Pingnan had brought troops into the capital, what he intended, or how it concerned her; that was something the Pei family should worry about.

Prince Pingnan walked slowly, the sound of his armor rubbing making Pei Shangling's scalp tighten; he wanted to reprimand but was stopped by Xiao Yichen's gaze.

He certainly understood that now was not the time to act rashly.

"Prime Minister Xiao, Fourth Prince, why have you surrounded my Pingnan Wangfu?" Prince Pingnan stood beside Mu Yuanzhi before beginning to casually reprimand them.

His entire aura was completely different from before at the family banquet; Mu Yuanzhi finally realized this was once a high-ranking vassal prince, whose presence was beyond ordinary comparison.

Xiao Yichen explained in a steady tone: "Young Master Jin is suspected of the arson and extermination case at the Minister of Justice's Residence; we act on imperial orders to apprehend him and bring him to justice."

"Nonsense!" Prince Pingnan waved his hand, "Though my son is unruly, his nature is not evil."

Xiao Yichen: "May I ask, Your Lordship, where is your son now? And why is your Pingnan Wangfu residence in the capital left vacant?"

"You know he's always away from home, never sure where he's going; this time he's probably off playing with a few unreliable servants—rest assured, I'll catch him soon and give you an answer."

Prince Pingnan said, frowning and sighing, "But you can't decide this; I'll still go to court and speak directly to His Majesty!"

Pei Shangling tried to intervene, but Xiao Yichen gave him a slight shake of the head, so he could only endure.

Watching helplessly as Mu Yuanzhi followed Prince Pingnan away.

"She's gone mad! Just following Prince Pingnan like that, if she's mistaken for a rebel she could be executed on the spot!" After Prince Pingnan withdrew his troops and left, Pei Shangling jumped in anger.

Xiao Yichen wore a worried expression, "The urgent task is to quickly find out exactly how many troops Prince Pingnan brought into the capital and whether any other vassal princes have responded."

The entire capital suddenly fell under danger, yet they only just learned of it!

"I'll go find the Crown Prince; he controls half the military authority and can mobilize the capital's garrison just in case!"

"Alright, we'll split up; I'll investigate Prince Pingnan."

Meanwhile, Mu Yuanzhi followed behind Prince Pingnan, hesitated a moment, then decided to ask: "My lord, where has Rongjin gone?"

Facing Mu Yuanzhi, Prince Pingnan's expression instantly softened, smiling broadly: "Princess, rest assured, Rongjin will be fine."

Couldn't he tell her? Although Mu Yuanzhi had already guessed as much.

Was Prince Nan also involved in these matters?

Then he had been pretending too convincingly before? Like father, like son?

"You're my daughter-in-law, I have no fear in speaking my heart to you; as his father I don't know what he's up to, but he left something behind—once it appears, I'll know what to do." Prince Pingnan furtively slipped a letter into Mu Yuanzhi's hand.

Mu Yuanzhi opened the letter full of doubts; it contained nothing but Young Master Jin's nonsense, and the signature wasn't a name but a seal stamped with the characters "Frost Descent."

What does that mean?

Prince Pingnan knew Mu Yuanzhi didn't understand, so he told her the origin of that seal.

As it turned out, even during Emperor Taizu's reign the court had a secret agency that handled cases that couldn't be made public, safeguarding imperial authority and national stability; they operated in the shadows, unknown to anyone, and "Frost Descent" was the code name of that special organization.

This secret agency has been passed down through generations, obeying only the emperor.

Naturally, as one of the four hereditary vassal princes, Prince Pingnan knew of this secret agency; he just never imagined his worthless son was also a member of "Frost Descent."

"I don't understand; if so, why would Father Emperor order his arrest?" Mu Yuanzhi asked.

Could it be that the arena case and the Minister of Justice's Residence case weren't orders from the Emperor for Rongjin to act?

Was it because they feared the Minister of Justice, who upholds imperial law, breaking it would shake public trust in the imperial family, so they secretly dealt with it?

Prince Pingnan's smile turned inscrutable; he stopped answering Mu Yuanzhi's questions and instead diverted the conversation with everyday chatter.

At the Imperial City gate, Prince Pingnan finally let the troops he had brought stay behind, though he did not set down his sword.

Normally, officials aside from Xiao Yichen, who had special permission, were not allowed to bring weapons into the Imperial City, but the gate guards didn't know whether they had received advance word or the Emperor had issued some order, turning a blind eye and letting them through.

"Princess, I'll go ahead to court; I won't see you back to the palace." Prince Pingnan said.

"My lord… be careful." Mu Yuanzhi didn't know why she blurted out those words.

Prince Pingnan stared for a moment, then burst into laughter as if a thousand taels had fallen from the sky, continually praising how worthwhile it was to have such a daughter-in-law for his son.

Mu Yuanzhi's mind was in turmoil; returning to Weiyang Palace left her uneasy, and Qilin, upon hearing the news, rushed over anxiously: "Senior sister, are you alright?!"

"I'm fine." Mu Yuanzhi briefly told Qilin what had happened today to put him at ease.

Qilin digested the information, while Mu Yuanzhi didn't know how much he could understand.

"Qilin, I really don't know what to do now," Mu Yuanzhi sighed.

That scoundrel Rongjin didn't tell her anything at all and just ran off!

"Could it be that the current emperor's ascension is illegitimate?" Qilin said solemnly.

"Shh!" Mu Yuanzhi's eyes widened suddenly; she nervously glanced around, making sure the doors and windows were shut before relaxing, "Don't talk nonsense—this is a matter of losing your head!"

Qilin sat down to analyze with her: "Senior sister, think about it—aside from this, there's no other possibility; the former emperor never intended to pass the throne to the present emperor, so the current emperor doesn't know that your brother-in-law is that… whatever 'Cold Dew' person!"

"It's Frost Descent."

"Frost Descent, Frost Descent."

Qilin's words sounded absurd at first, but they actually make sense.

If that's true, then Rongjin is essentially acting on his own; without the emperor's protection, such a hidden identity is punishable!

"Senior sister, you've gotten yourself into a mire, it's dangerous; why don't we run away? The world is vast—we could flee to another country; how far could the emperor's reach extend?" Qilin had actually thought about this for a long time; now was a good chance to say it!

And so it was decided—run away!