RPAGF Chapter 54 The Marquis's Mansion Gains 5 Shadows
Chapter 54 The Marquis's Mansion Gains 5 Shadows
These shadowy figures mostly engage in intelligence gathering and assassination.
According to the intelligence they gathered, the true mastermind behind the Shadow Organization is after the throne of the Great Yao Dynasty!
The Royal Study Room of the Imperial Palace.
Behind the huge golden nanmu desk sat a middle-aged man with a thin build and pale skin, dressed in a yellow dragon robe.
This person is none other than the current emperor.
The spacious imperial study was covered with a cloud-patterned carpet, on which stood a man in a black python robe, his hands at his sides.
Her features were refined and noble, her eyes, slightly glistening with tears, conveyed a hint of compassion. Yet, her demeanor was dignified; a sudden glance from her could give one the illusion that she was a god high above, looking down upon the mortal realm.
This man was none other than the Crown Prince, Xiao Jiye.
"The investigation into the Shadow case has yielded some results. The organizers are likely plotting a rebellion," the Emperor began, but he immediately started coughing.
The crown prince looked at his father with concern.
"Father, please take care of your health." He quickly stepped forward, poured a cup of tea for his father, and handed it to him with both hands.
The emperor coughed for a while, then took a sip of tea before stopping.
"My health is just like this," the Emperor sighed. "In the past few years when I was bedridden, the Empress Dowager controlled the government and supported the power of Consort Xian, her maternal family."
“Even the commander of the palace guards is one of Consort Xian’s people.”
"Over the years, the Prince of War, born to Consort Xian, has also achieved great military exploits and now commands 200,000 troops."
"Although Dong Qian is also my son, he is ruthless and cruel. I am not at ease entrusting the country to him. I still want to put the country in your hands."
"You're not unaware that the War King is eyeing your position..."
"Does Father Emperor believe that the Shadow case is related to the War King?"
The emperor did not answer, but looked at him and asked, "What do you think?"
"Your subject believes that it may indeed be related to the War King, but it is not necessarily that the War King personally trained him."
"The War King is far away on the frontier, and we are also keeping an eye on the Consort Xian and the Empress Dowager in the palace. Your subject believes that the War King has other accomplices."
"Then who do you think it is?" the Emperor asked.
"I cannot be certain yet, but in any case, he must be a person of high rank and great power, otherwise he would not have such a large scale."
"Unfortunately, we can't make any big moves. If we do, we risk alerting the enemy. In the current situation, if the War King were to rebel and force the emperor to abdicate, the chances of success would be very high. We should investigate this matter discreetly."
Over the years, His Majesty has not dared to drastically eliminate the War King's power, for fear of pushing the War King too far and causing him to rebel.
"However, this time, thanks to the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion, such a huge hidden danger under the imperial city has been eliminated," the Crown Prince said.
"The Marquis of Dingbei's family is known for its unparalleled loyalty and righteousness. I instructed the Marquis of Dingbei to assist you in ascending to the throne, and he has indeed worked diligently and wholeheartedly to assist you over the years."
"In this capital city, there are not many people we can trust anymore. Marquis Dingbei is one of them. He has made another contribution this time, so he should be rewarded well," the Emperor said, stroking his beard.
“We’ve already confiscated a large number of secret guards, and these guards are highly trained. The Empress Dowager strongly opposes us keeping them in the palace. Wouldn’t it be a waste to dismiss them? Why not hand them over to the Marquis of Dingbei for management? We’ll feel more at ease if we entrust them to him,” the Crown Prince suggested.
The imperial guards in the palace are the Empress Dowager's men. Over the years, the Emperor has had no troops at his disposal in the palace.
There had been previous attempts to establish their own armed forces within the palace, but the Empress Dowager disagreed, making it impossible to do so.
It's impossible to make these five hundred Shadow Guards the Emperor's personal guards. As long as the Commander of the Imperial Guards remains with the Empress Dowager, this plan cannot be accomplished.
“That makes sense. I will summon him immediately.”
When the imperial summons reached the Marquis of Dingbei's residence, the entire household was deeply grateful for the emperor's grace.
Moved by the Emperor's trust, the Marquis of Dingbei was willing to entrust these secret guards to his management.
Not only that, but he also bestowed upon them a thousand taels of gold, a thousand shi of grain, and five hundred bolts of fine silk.
Qin Wanying thought that the Marquis's mansion had actually benefited from the disaster. Although Qin Wanying had been assassinated, she had not only escaped danger but had also gained a lot of money and five hundred secret guards.
In addition, it also dealt a heavy blow to Yan Danyang, destroying his Shadow organization and confiscating his weapons. This incident probably made the Emperor realize that Xiao Dongqian had accomplices in the capital.
It wasn't convenient for him to directly say that Yan Danyang did it, since Yan Yuelan was still the Crown Prince's fiancée, but the Emperor might suspect him in the future.
This battle weakened the power of the male and female protagonists, creating obstacles for their rebellion and making it more hopeful to change the tragic fate of the Marquis's mansion.
However, after this incident, the male and female leads will likely focus their attention on the Marquis's mansion, and they will need to be extra careful in the future.
Yan Mansion.
Yan Danyang was sitting at the table in the main hall.
Yan Yuelan stood to the side.
Suddenly, Yan Danyang slammed his fist on the table, making a loud noise.
The blue tea set on the table trembled slightly, and tea spilled onto the table.
Yan Yuelan swallowed hard, but remained silent.
"This time, our attempt to steal a chicken backfired spectacularly. Not only did we fail to kill Qin Wanying, but we also suffered heavy losses!"
"Five hundred secret guards! Do you know how long your father trained them? They were all selected from various places with good physiques, raised and trained from childhood. How much money and effort were invested?"
"Putting everything else aside, just look at that Gu worm. Planting one is incredibly difficult, it costs a fortune, and the success rate is extremely low. Yet it was broken so easily! We don't even have an antidote!"
"Now, the secret guards we painstakingly trained have all become the Marquis's men! That Marquis of Dingbei did nothing, yet he gained five hundred secret guards without lifting a finger!"
Yan Danyang became increasingly angry as he spoke, and stood up abruptly, pacing back and forth in the room.
"So many weapons, all made of the best materials! Tens of thousands of them, just confiscated like that! All my money is gone! I'm so angry!"
Yan Yuelan's face was deathly pale. She lowered her head and said, "Father, please calm down. It's fortunate that this matter didn't involve the Yan family."
Yan Danyang turned around and pointed at Yan Yuelan, saying, "The Yan family isn't involved? How do you know the Yan family isn't involved! Perhaps the Emperor has already figured out from the clues that the Yan family was behind this! Even without evidence, he might already be suspicious!"
"You acted too rashly in this matter! You went straight for the assassination and ended up being outmaneuvered!"
"You're not allowed to leave the house for the next few days. Just stay home and reflect on your actions. You're not allowed to go out without my permission!"
Having said that, without waiting for Yan Yuelan's reply, Yan Danyang flicked his sleeves and stormed off.
Yan Yuelan remained standing in the same spot, her expression a mixture of grievance and resentment.
Qin Wanying, this time, I lost. Next time, I will definitely not lose to you.
Yan Yuelan began to think about Qin Wanying.
For some reason, when she saw Qin Wanying, she always felt that Qin Wanying was a very special person.
She felt a vague sense of crisis when facing Qin Wanying.
It was as if this person would ruin her entire plan and destroy everything she had.
Moreover, even though it was her first time meeting Qin Wanying, she had the feeling that this person was once her defeated opponent, but was about to make a comeback and trample her underfoot.