Upon hearing about a “monk” claiming to be an “old acquaintance” seeking audience with him, Li Qitian’s heart was already filled with suspicion. In this vast world, the only monk who wouldn’t fear his imperial majesty and dare call himself an old acquaintance was likely Tianji Zi alone.
Li Qitian’s expression showed undisguised urgency: “What token did you mention? Bring it for me to see!”
“Yes.” Seeing Li Qitian’s anxiety, the guard hurriedly presented a brocade box.
When opened, the box contained a jade pendant with familiar bamboo-joint patterns and lustrous color that made Li Qitian suddenly stand up in fury: “Quickly! Arrest that old thing for me!”
The guard was so frightened by Li Qitian that his whole body trembled. He hastily bowed in acknowledgment and rushed out in panic.
This jade pendant was what he had given to Tianji Zi after the fortune-teller had helped divine the fates of himself, Pang Xiao, and Ji Zeyu years ago. The divination from that time had remained in Li Qitian’s heart for years—he was not the Purple Star Emperor, a fact that had always troubled him deeply.
Actually, he had harbored murderous intent toward Tianji Zi even then.
Though he had presented the jade pendant in person, he immediately ordered Tianji Zi’s assassination in secret afterward.
However, Tianji Zi was like a slippery eel, impossible to catch.
Initially, some news about Tianji Zi would still reach him, and he would immediately order pursuit, but every time they came up empty. After he ascended to the throne, Tianji Zi disappeared without a trace. Who would have thought that when he reappeared, he had already defected to the Tatars.
Li Qitian was determined to kill Tianji Zi. Ever since ordering swift pursuit, Li Qitian had maintained a cold expression with extreme displeasure on his face.
Everyone present could clearly see Li Qitian’s unusual state. Even the Empress Dowager dared not say much and slowly set down her ivory chopsticks.
Seeing everyone watching him, Li Qitian said: “Tianji Zi has appeared outside the palace gates. I have already ordered his swift capture. Earlier reliable intelligence revealed that Tianji Zi has already defected to Khan Wutejin, wholeheartedly siding with the Tatars. For him to dare appear before us during the Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration clearly indicates he has some scheme.”
“Your Majesty speaks truly.” Nobles and ministers immediately echoed his words: “Tianji Zi is neither proper monk nor proper Taoist—truly a treacherous person. The Tatars eye our Great Zhou covetously; Tianji Zi must have come to gather intelligence!”
“To gather intelligence, he wouldn’t need to expose himself. This minister believes he must have some grand conspiracy.”
Under Li Qitian’s watchful gaze, every minister expressed extreme indignation, offering the most malicious speculations about Tianji Zi’s arrival.
Li Qitian listened to everyone’s discussion with great confidence in his heart.
He refused to believe that under his very nose in the imperial capital, Tianji Zi could still manage to escape!
Amid everyone’s discussion, no one noticed the slight change in Qin Yining and Pang Xiao’s expressions at the beginning.
They exchanged glances, both thinking of the note they had received some days ago.
Tianji Zi had warned Pang Xiao: “Stay safely at home to ensure peace.”
But now, following imperial orders to attend the birthday banquet, they had no choice but to leave home and come to the palace.
If Tianji Zi truly meant what they thought, might they already be trapped without knowing it?
Tianji Zi acted cautiously with cunning thoughts that ordinary people couldn’t fathom. Since he dared to show himself, he must be fearless, certain they could never catch him. They didn’t believe Li Qitian could capture Tianji Zi. What Qin Yining and Pang Xiao worried about most was whether they had already fallen into a trap without realizing it.
Seeing the imperial relatives whose thoughts were no longer on the birthday celebration, and looking at Li Qitian who only cared about capturing Tianji Zi and ignored even her birthday, the Empress Dowager could only helplessly suppress her displeasure.
The Empress Dowager would have to depend on Li Qitian for the rest of her life—how could she dare make Li Qitian unhappy at this moment? Yet as a mother, on her birthday she had first been upset by her daughter, then so neglected by her son. Her heart remained deeply unsettled.
Just as everyone harbored their own thoughts and waited anxiously, footsteps suddenly came from outside. A guard approached Li Qitian, knelt, and presented an envelope with both hands.
“Your Majesty, when we went out, that monk had already disappeared. He only left this letter.”
Li Qitian stared at the letter, truly grinding his teeth in anger. In his heart, he had already cursed Tianji Zi, that troublemaker, thoroughly.
Fearing the letter might be poisoned, he ordered: “Li Guanwen, read it to me.”
Li Guanwen smiled bitterly inwardly but maintained a calm and composed exterior, displaying a resolute appearance as if ready to face death: “This servant obeys Your Majesty’s command.”
He bowed forward, received the envelope with both hands, carefully tore it open, drew out the thin sheet of paper inside, and smoothly unfolded it.
Upon seeing the characters written on it, Li Guanwen hesitated: “Your Majesty?”
Seeing this, Li Qitian knew the letter’s contents must be unusual. Noticing that Li Guanwen hadn’t been poisoned, he immediately beckoned to Li Guanwen.
Li Guanwen stepped forward and presented the letter to Li Qitian.
Li Qitian looked down and was immediately shocked speechless by the mere twelve characters on the paper.
He snatched the letter and read it carefully again. Li Qitian’s expression became increasingly inscrutable.
The nobles present all watched the Emperor’s reaction with curiosity.
What exactly was written on that letter?
After a long while, Li Qitian finally let out a cold laugh. He casually tossed the letter to Li Guanwen: “Read it.”
Upon hearing this, Li Guanwen immediately obeyed the command. In the characteristic hoarse voice of eunuchs with its sharp, high-pitched undertones, he rhythmically recited: “Yan’s dragon vein, beneath Sui Mountain, ninth day of ninth month, golden light appears.”
Upon hearing this, everyone couldn’t help but look at each other in bewilderment.
Even the sullen Empress Dowager found her attention drawn to this phrase from the note.
“Dear ministers, what are your thoughts on this?”
An imperial relative said: “Your Majesty, this minister believes this is impossible. What kind of place is Sui Mountain? It’s not far from our capital—it’s the burial ground of successive emperors of the former Beiji Kingdom. The Great Yan Dynasty was located in the south. How could their country’s dragon vein possibly appear in the imperial tombs of the former Beiji Kingdom?”
Another person said: “Perhaps that phrase about dragon veins refers to the Great Yan Dynasty’s treasure?”
“That would be even more absurd.”
“Yes, it’s impossible.”
Everyone present knew that Li Qitian had ordered the entire area around the original earthquake disaster zone to be surrounded and was still searching inch by inch for the treasure’s whereabouts. Moreover, they could confirm that the treasure must be hidden there. Under Li Qitian’s close surveillance, the treasure couldn’t possibly have been quietly transported to the capital.
How could the treasure that should be near the Great Yan Dynasty’s former capital appear in Beiji’s imperial tombs?
“But wasn’t there a rumor recently that the treasure had appeared in the capital?” someone else asked.
The ministers began discussing this matter.
Most people didn’t believe the treasure would be hidden in the Beiji Kingdom’s imperial tombs.
But some thought that rumors don’t arise from nothing—the recent rumors about treasure in the capital must have some basis. Perhaps it really was hidden in Sui Mountain.
Li Qitian listened to these people’s discussions without immediately taking a stance. He took in everyone’s expressions before raising an eyebrow and looking at Pang Xiao: “Pang Zhixi, tell us what you think.”