diskusbooks Chapter 231: Meeting the Saint (Part )
Chapter 231: Meeting the Saint (Part )
"Who dares to shout here?"
At that moment, a solemn voice came from outside the door. In an instant, everyone in the room knelt on the ground and bowed in the direction of the newcomer.
Tao Yao heard them shout in unison: "Your Majesty."
Tao Yao's heart tightened, and she turned to look in the direction of the voice. Song Zhishou had already knelt on the ground. Among the crowd, only Tao Yao was still standing.
In the chaos, Tao Yao felt Song Zhishou pulling at her clothes. She looked down and saw that he had a serious expression and gestured for her to kneel down and pay her respects.
Tao Yao was stunned and had no time to react, but she felt a cold gaze sweeping over her.
The man who came was wearing a crimson brocade robe, with a solemn and majestic expression. He was looking down at everyone in the room from a high position. It was the emperor.
The emperor's gaze swept across the crowd, finally settling on Tao Yao. He asked, "You, why don't you kneel?"
Tao Yao's soul seemed to have been lost for a moment, and for a moment she didn't know what to do or how to respond. Fortunately, Song Zhishou, who was standing by, was sharp enough and used his strength to pull Tao Yao down and kneel down.
His knees slammed heavily on the ground, and it was as if his lost soul finally returned to his body. Tao Yao woke up as if from a dream, and saw clearly the pair of dragon boots on the feet of the man in front of him.
"Has the prince not been found yet?" asked the emperor.
No one in the room could answer. Tao Yao's heart sank. Even the emperor didn't know where Chu Huanjun was.
At that time, another voice came from behind - it was Zuo Tang.
Zuo Tang, wearing a dark black crane cloak, stepped over the threshold. Perhaps it was because he was in high spirits due to the good fortune he had just experienced, but he looked so energetic today. Despite being an elderly man, he looked like a rejuvenated old man, looking much more radiant and handsome than usual.
He walked slowly to the emperor's side, bowed again, and spoke slowly, "Your Majesty, General Zhenbei Hou has dispatched a unit of his troops to search for His Royal Highness Prince Yi. Prince Yi is seriously injured, and even if he wants to leave, he won't be able to leave the capital in a short time. I believe that as long as we send more people and conduct a comprehensive search of the capital day and night, we will be able to find His Royal Highness Prince Yi within three days."
Upon hearing this, the emperor sighed helplessly and frowned, saying, "Send two more elite troops to search. Three days is too long. It would be best if I hear news about the prince before sunset today."
"Uh……"
Zuo Tang's face showed an embarrassment, and he said teasingly: "Your Majesty, those elite troops are the foundation of defending the city gates. Now is the time of war. If the elite troops are transferred to do other things, I am afraid..."
Before he could even finish his words, the emperor's face was already showing displeasure. Zuo Tang, the prime minister second only to the emperor, had been in office for too long, becoming arrogant due to his favor. He actually dared to contradict the emperor in front of so many people.
At that moment, everyone couldn't help but gasp.
Serving the emperor is like serving a tiger, and Zuo Tang knew this truth. It was obvious that his previous words were a deliberate test, and he was not afraid of angering the emperor at all.
Before the emperor could say anything, Zuo Tang quickly added, "Although transferring elite troops could easily expose the truth, finding His Royal Highness Prince Yi is the most important matter right now. If news of his disappearance were to spread among the people, it would be detrimental to their peace of mind. Your Majesty, this is the most correct decision at this moment."
Tao Yao's heart was moved, and she couldn't help but curse Zuo Tang in her heart for being so heartless and ruthless. He actually had two faces. In front of others, he was a loyal minister, sweet-mouthed but treacherous; behind others, he was a treacherous minister, whose methods were more vicious than those of snakes, scorpions and demons.
"It's just that right now, there happens to be someone who can help Your Majesty find the whereabouts of His Royal Highness Prince Yi as soon as possible."
Zuo Tang took a step back and bowed to the emperor.
"Who?" asked the emperor.
Zuo Tang smiled, raised his hand, and pointed his finger at Tao Yao who was kneeling in the crowd.
"This woman is the adopted daughter of General Zhenbei Hou, Shi Taoyao. Your Majesty must have heard of her name before, from the case of the sudden death of Jiangnan merchant Zhou Yan... I've heard that His Royal Highness Prince Yi has been very close to Shi Taoyao recently. Perhaps no one else would know where His Royal Highness Prince Yi has been except her."
Tao Yao was shocked, and her thoughts were in a tangle for a moment.
She clearly didn't know Chu Huanjun's whereabouts, so why did Zuo Tang push her out? What exactly did he want to do?
"Oh?" The emperor's gaze slowly fell on Tao Yao, examining her from head to toe. He said calmly, "You are the youngest daughter of the Marquis of Zhenbei... Didn't the Shi Mansion declare you dead some time ago? So you're not dead... You're still alive. Does the Marquis of Zhenbei know about this?"
Tao Yao was shocked again, and cold sweat broke out in his clenched fists.
"I don't know the whereabouts of His Royal Highness Prince Yi. Now that His Royal Highness's whereabouts are unknown, I am very anxious. If it is true as Lord Zuo said, and I really know His Royal Highness's whereabouts, then I would not risk my life to break into the palace and cause a commotion. I would just go and find His Royal Highness myself. Please forgive me, Your Majesty. I have nothing to say."
"Then, do you know that Prince Yi is planning a rebellion and seizing the throne?"
The emperor changed the subject and asked this question, and Tao Yao was stunned.
Seeking power... usurping the throne?
Tao Yao had only heard these four words in TV dramas before, but now they were really in front of her, and were applied to Chu Huanjun. Tao Yao was horrified for a moment.
The emperor's cold gaze was like a heavy knife, firmly placed on Tao Yao's neck, making it impossible for her to breathe. Tao Yao couldn't help but tremble all over. From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Zuo Tang and Zuo Qiu beside her, looking at her with smiles on their faces. That look almost suffocated her.
For a moment, Tao Yao's thoughts were like a tangled mess. The instinct to survive was like a raging fire, burning fiercely in her heart, but the lack of words was like an overwhelming flood, extinguishing the fire and leaving her with no strength left.
"I'm asking you something."
Tao Yao's clenched fist nearly struck the ground, but instead it hit the soft carpet. Her freshly trimmed nails were incredibly sharp, and due to her nervousness, they dug into the skin of her palm, drawing blood.
The pain in her hand snapped Tao Yao awake. She thought rapidly for a moment, took a deep breath, and answered frankly, "Your Majesty, Lord Zuo is correct. I am indeed close to His Royal Highness Prince Yi, but not as close as Lord Zuo claims. Your Majesty, as His Royal Highness Prince Yi's father, I believe that you should know your son best. If His Royal Highness Prince Yi truly harbored ambitions to usurp the throne, how could he, given his cautious nature, have revealed such a major matter to me, the daughter of General Zhenbei?"