Chapter 921: First Volume, Chapter 921: Zheng Shu Ye Xiao

First Volume, Chapter 921: Zheng Shu Ye Xiao

The Imperial Palace, Imperial Study.

Li Yu knelt on the ground, his expression more solemn than ever; he had been in the Imperial Study for half a Envoy, during which time, aside from bowing and uttering "Your Majesty," he had not made a single sound.

The Di King perused imperial memorials from various regions and showed no intention of acknowledging Li Yu.

At that moment, a guard's voice came from outside the door.

"Your Majesty, the battle in Qingshan County has been quelled. Qin Feng has escaped peril. Lü Zhu Guo… has been beheaded."

Upon hearing this, the Di King finally laid down the memorial, casting a cold, piercing glance at Li Yu.

"Minister Li, are you planning to remain kneeling like this forever? Don't you intend to say anything to me?"

Li Yu took a deep breath and said gravely: "Your servant is worthy of death a hundredfold. Even if Your Majesty orders me executed on the spot, I shall harbor no resentment."

Li Yu knew full well that he bore responsibility for Qin Feng's ambush—after all, Ye Xiao had been involved, aiding Lü Li in suppressing the news; otherwise, Qin Feng's situation would never have become so perilous. Even though Qin Feng had escaped unharmed and no irreversible disaster had occurred, Ye Xiao, as the Di King's eyes and ears, had secretly colluded with a court official—this alone was a grave violation.

As head of Ye Xiao, Li Yu could be punished lightly for dereliction of duty, or severely for deceiving the sovereign.

How this matter is resolved depends entirely on the Di King's stance.

To kill or not to kill—this rests solely on the Di King's whim.

In past times, when domestic politics were stable, the Di King could have easily turned his attention to properly disciplining Li Yu—even if he did not execute him, he should have first dismissed Li Yu from office and ordered him home to reflect, with future reappointment contingent on administrative needs.

But now, the nation is in crisis, and talent is urgently needed; Li Yu's position is uniquely irreplaceable—no mere appointee could fill it.

Moreover, the Di King knew clearly that Li Yu's loyalty to him was unquestionable.

The collusion between Ye Xiao and Lü Li had caught Li Yu completely off guard; for Li Yu, even calling it "unmerited disaster" would be an understatement.

The Di King naturally did not wish to punish Li Yu, but the current situation was extremely thorny.

Ye Xiao had become entangled in this affair. Even if the Di King trusted Li Yu, what would Qin Feng think? If Qin Feng believed the Di King was deliberately shielding Li Yu, it would only provoke greater trouble.

The Di King pondered silently, weighing his options, and did not rush to declare his decision.

Li Yu, as the Di Kingdom's Spy Chief, was far too astute—he immediately realized that the sovereign's silence was itself a declaration: it left Li Yu to decide how to resolve this matter.

Li Yu said gravely: "Your Majesty's favor toward your servant fills me with profound gratitude, but this matter is of grave consequence. A single misstep could render all prior efforts futile."

"Yet even in this sensitive period, we must not lose our composure. Even if we must make amends, we must not act recklessly—if we exhaust all our cards now, how shall we contend with Qin Feng in the future?"

Li Yu's meaning was clear.

If Li Yu were killed, Qin Feng would surely be delighted—after all, Li Yu was one of the Di Kingdom's staunchest Imperial Party members, possessing both ability and prestige and extensive connections. Li Yu's death would be like pulling a tooth from a tiger's mouth, inflicting severe damage upon the Di King.

Eliminating such a major threat so easily—Qin Feng would likely wake laughing in his dreams.

But the issue lies in Li Yu's actual role in this incident—it could be either major or minor.

If Li Yu is not killed, Qin Feng cannot find fault. If Li Yu is killed, it merely adds a trivial embellishment to Qin Feng's gains.

Moreover, the person Qin Feng truly cares about now is certainly not the "relatively neutral" Li Yu, but Lü Li's faction members—after all, if you cut the grass but leave the roots, the wind will bring it back.

And with Lü Li dead, the remaining Eagle Party members will all be terrified, inevitably launching a series of self-preservation—or even desperate, last-ditch—actions. At this moment, these faction members are far more likely to draw Qin Feng's attention.

The Di King nodded, sighed deeply, and said earnestly: "Since Qin Feng arrived in Wang Du, he has expended tremendous effort to combat the Eagle Party. Yet he remains an outsider. Even if he dominates Sangzhou and the Liang Kingdom North Border, within my Di Kingdom's rear area, he must abide by our rules. Unless I permit it, Qin Feng can do nothing."

"As long as the Eagle Party remains, we can maneuver against Qin Feng—he will be forced to divert attention to this troublesome opponent."

"Alas, man proposes, heaven disposes. I never anticipated that Lü Li would lose his mind and deliver Qin Feng such a grand gift."

"Heh, it truly proves the old saying: those who survive great calamities are blessed with great fortune."

"Now, even if I am unwilling a hundred times over, to appease Qin Feng, I must abandon the Eagle Party as a card."

Li Yu knew clearly his life was now safe, so he relaxed and spoke freely: "Your Majesty, I have two matters to report."

"The first is the Zheng Shu of Ye Xiao."

Although the Di King showed no outward sign, inwardly he despised Ye Xiao utterly.

As the sovereign's trusted eyes and ears, an espionage organization endowed with countless privileges, to secretly collude with court officials was an unforgivable violation—this had struck the Di King's most sacred nerve.

The Di King had remained silent, waiting for Li Yu to speak first.

"Zheng Shu of Ye Xiao? Tell me—how will you carry it out?"

Li Yu did not answer immediately but asked in return: "Has Your Majesty heard of Qin Feng's purge of the Brocade Uniform Guard?"

The Di King nodded. He had already heard of this from Ye Xiao: not long ago, Qin Feng had ruthlessly slaughtered key members of his most trusted Brocade Uniform Guard, and even the Brocade Uniform Guard Envoy Mo Li had resigned under Qin Feng's orders. Worse still, Qin Feng had assigned Tianji Camp Guards to supervise the Brocade Uniform Guard—any minor transgression would be met with immediate execution.

At first, the Di King found it unbelievable.

After all, the three greatest espionage organizations in Heaven were: the Liang Kingdom's Black Guard Corps, Beixi County's Brocade Uniform Guard, and the Di Kingdom's Ye Xiao.

Originally, Ye Xiao had been the strongest—but after prolonged covert rivalry with the Brocade Uniform Guard, its strength began to decline.

The fools of the Black Guard Corps had aided Li Yong in the Forced Palace Coup, only to suffer a Great Purge, their power plummeting further.

Now, the Brocade Uniform Guard had become the undisputed number one espionage organization in Heaven.

And yet, such a powerful and fiercely loyal organization had been thoroughly purged from within and without by Qin Feng himself—equivalent to self-mutilation. Was there any more foolish act in the world?

But now, the Di King had suddenly awakened to the truth.