Chapter 556

First Volume, Chapter 556: The Di Diplomatic Envoy

On their way out of the palace, the Civil and Military Ministers walked behind Qin Feng, who paced ahead with his hands behind his back.

His gaze flickered uncertainly; his mood was heavy, with not a trace of pride from having gained the upper hand.

After today's standoff in the Imperial Court, not only the Liang Emperor, but the entire Li Imperial Clan, would see him as a thorn in their eye, a splinter in their flesh.

They would want to remove him at once.

Qin Feng could have used a smoother, more seasoned approach to make the Liang Emperor wary of him.

Too bad…

Qin Feng had no vast, multi-generational foundation like the Lin Family or the Powerful Clans of the Nan Jing.

In Qin Feng's hands, there was only the Northern Border's violent machine.

Thus, Qin Feng could only choose this method—fastest to bear fruit, most brutal, with the greatest side effects.

Won? It seemed he had won, but not completely.

Qin Tianhu and the officials from the Ministry of War and the Taolin Party walked silently behind Qin Feng.

Watching Qin Feng's deep, shadowed back, Qin Tianhu couldn't help but sigh softly.

Today's actions were not wrong of Qin Feng—he acted for the Northern Border and the Qin Family.

Since Qin Feng returned to Beijing, Qin Tianhu had become extremely low-key.

Especially in the Imperial Court, unless absolutely forced, he never spoke a word.

As the saying goes: speak more, err more; speak less, err less.

Qin Tianhu would give the Liang Emperor no chance to strike; as long as he diligently held his post as Minister of War without fault,

that was the greatest help he could offer Qin Feng.

Now, with Qin Feng so forceful, the Liang Emperor would naturally hesitate to act—he would never dare to dismiss Qin Tianhu on a "fabricated" charge.

Moreover, the Imperial Ancestral Precedent still restrained the Liang Emperor.

Unless there was a grave crime, even the Liang Emperor could not easily remove a Minister.

The external threat has been quelled; now comes the reckoning of internal troubles.

Qin Feng cannot fall.

Once Qin Feng falls, everyone who supports him will be wiped out root and branch.

…

Inside the Lin Family's DaTang, the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense.

Lin Taibao sat on the master's chair, staring at the tea cup before him, silent for a long while.

The Minister of Justice sat beside him, equally mute.

Soon, a servant rushed in.

"Master, a noble guest has arrived at the gate."

Lin Taibao frowned: "Could it be the Imperial Consort?"

The servant shook his head like a rattle, his eyes filled with fear.

"It is the Second Prince."

Learning the Second Prince had come uninvited, Lin Taibao frowned slightly but kept his composure.

He rose at once and personally went out to greet him, accompanied by the Minister of Justice.

Before they even stepped out of the DaTang, the Second Prince appeared before them.

He brought only the White Clothes guest with him.

Lin Taibao and the Minister of Justice exchanged a glance and bowed in unison.

"Old Minister, pays homage to His Highness."

Li Qian ignored them entirely, walked straight through between Lin Taibao and the Minister of Justice, and entered the DaTang.

He sat down on the master's chair without ceremony.

He took the Medicine Pouch from the White Clothes guest and gently rubbed his forehead wound.

Earlier, in the Grand Hall, the Emperor had vented all his anger.

Though the rage was entirely Qin Feng's doing, it was Li Qian who bore the brunt.

Li Qian's heart was already filled with resentment.

"Lin Taibao, Minister of Justice, no need for formalities—please be seated."

"I've come here today for one reason, and I'm sure both of you know what it is."

"Let's cut the nonsense—speak plainly: what suggestions do you two have for eliminating Qin Feng?"

Lin Taibao couldn't help but find it amusing.

Back when the Second Prince had the support of Grand Commandant Gao, how glorious he was?

Rumors even claimed the Crown Prince's seat belonged to him alone.

Now, his situation was pitiful.

He had his skull cracked open before the Civil and Military Ministers—and dared not utter a sound.

Where had his former pride gone?

Lin Taibao and the Minister of Justice exchanged another glance, then sat down without further ado.

"Since His Highness is so direct, if I were to hedge now, I'd only seem hypocritical."

"Since Grand Commandant Gao was dismissed, His Highness's position has declined day by day."

"I mean no mockery of His Highness—we are, after all, fellow sufferers."

Fellow sufferers…

Li Qian's lips curled into a wry smile.

Once, the Lin Family held absolute power, unmatched in glory.

But after the death of the First Prince, the Lin Family's status plummeted.

Though a dying camel is still larger than a horse, they remain a powerful clan—nothing more.

In the past, Li Qian and the Lin Family had little entanglement.

Only as Qin Feng grew increasingly powerful did they reluctantly band together for mutual protection.

Today in court, Lin Taibao tried several times to speak up for Li Qian, but at the last moment, swallowed his words.

He had assumed that Qin Feng's open defiance of the Sage would inevitably burn him alive.

He merely intended to watch from afar.

But the outcome surprised Lin Taibao.

Qin Feng had publicly forced the current Sage to bow his head.

How arrogant! How powerful!

Since even the Sage dared not confront him directly, Lin Taibao's further interference would only bring him humiliation.

Now, allying with the Second Prince to confront Qin Feng was undoubtedly the best choice.

Did Qin Feng not grow to this power solely because of the Sage's past indulgence?

In the future, the Sage will still indulge—but not Qin's family.

He will indulge every force capable of—or even merely interested in—destroying the Qin Family.

"Your Highness, there are two matters in today's Shedynasty that are of paramount importance."

"The first is the Two Nations' Peace Talks."

"The second is Clear the Emperor's Side."

Upon hearing this, Li Qian tossed his Medicine Pouch to the White Clothes guest and fixed Lin Taibao with an intensely serious gaze.

"Taibao, you are truly a National Pillar—your words strike straight to the heart."

"Now that Qin Feng has become the Sage's thorn in the flesh, removing him will surely restore you as the Sage's trusted confidant."

"And your loyal act of rooting out evil for the nation, I shall remember forever."

Li Qian had made his meaning perfectly clear.

If Lin Taibao cooperates with Li Qian to eliminate Qin Feng entirely, whether under the current Sage or after Li Qian inherits the Herald.

The Lin Family will be granted preferential treatment—this is a feat spanning two generations!

Lin Taibao let out a light laugh, his cunning fully revealed.

"Your Highness might as well offer something tangible."

Li Qian narrowed his eyes: "Are my promises not enough?"

Lin Taibao's smile deepened: "Does Your Highness not know how Qin Feng rose to power?"

"The Sage intended to use Tiger to Devour Wolf—to leverage Qin Feng's strength to destroy my Lin Family—but instead, he nurtured a tiger that turned against him."

"Put plainly: when the Qin Family falls, my Lin Family will be next."

"The Sage has suffered one setback—he will be far more cautious, far more ruthless from now on."

"If Your Highness can elevate the Imperial Consort to Empress, my Lin Family will devote ourselves utterly to you—body and soul, even unto death."

Li Qian had long anticipated that this old fox would seize the chance to extort.

He simply hadn't expected such a massive demand.

He wanted to depose the Empress!

Only when the Imperial Consort becomes Empress, the mother of all under Heaven, can the Lin Family stand unmoved.