The next day at morning court.

New complications arose.

After the internal strife in the Eastern Ling Kingdom, the young new emperor ascended the throne and quickly formed alliances with two countries near the Eastern Ling Kingdom, borrowing one hundred fifty thousand troops. This created a situation of evenly matched confrontation with the Great Jin soldiers who had landed in Eastern Ling, and the battle situation became deadlocked.

Among the common people, various rumors were also running rampant.

“In the last battle, we thoroughly defeated the Eastern Ling Kingdom. We should have stopped then, but no—we had to land in the Eastern Ling Kingdom. Having entered their territory, do we think we can withdraw unscathed? Is that possible?”

“Great Jin is already large enough. Why covet that tiny speck of land that is the Eastern Ling Kingdom? Even if we incorporate it into our territory, what of it? It can never bring back the lives of so many soldiers!”

“Just who made this decision? It’s simply laughable!”

“Have you forgotten? When we lacked provisions during the campaign, it was the Empress Dowager and the Yun family who gathered the supplies. They just provided some silver, but the soldiers are paying with their lives!”

“The current Emperor and Empress Dowager don’t regard the lives of common people as mattering at all!”

“Look instead at Prince Cheng—to help the common people drive away illness, he’s bringing the Heavenly Maiden toward the capital, continuously bestowing sweet dew along the way!”

“Alas, the Heavenly Maiden was bestowed by heaven. She should have descended upon our capital, by the current Emperor’s side. Why is she by Prince Cheng’s side?”

“Need you ask? It must mean that Prince Cheng is the legitimate heir…”

“Shh! You dare say such words? Don’t you want to live?”

“It’s true! Prince Cheng is the Late Emperor’s own son. He naturally has the qualification to inherit the throne. If not for the Empress Dowager controlling the government, how could the Imperial Grand Prince have ascended…”

“Stop talking! Stop talking!”

“…”

Various rumors spread through every street and alley of the marketplace.

Now there were internal troubles and external threats, attacks from both sides. The court ministers each wore worried and bitter expressions.

Yun Chu spoke coldly. “Prince Cheng is using the Heavenly Maiden and sweet dew to bewitch people’s hearts, inciting the common people to question imperial authority. His heart deserves execution!”

“Empress Dowager, we must dispatch troops, otherwise in less than three days, Prince Cheng’s people will reach the capital!”

“Yes, Empress Dowager, we cannot continue to observe the situation. Quickly send people to disperse the common people and make them return to where they should be!”

Chief Minister Li stepped forward. “Those common people have had their minds bewitched. They cannot simply be dispersed at will. If they’re unwilling to leave, then what should be done?”

“Then we can only meet them with weapons.”

“Yes, we must use military force to suppress and disperse them. We cannot let this rabble come to the capital.”

“The capital is truly in a state of anxiety now…”

“Let them come,” Yun Chu said indifferently. “If the people don’t all gather, how can we expose this heaven-deceiving lie?”

Countless common people had been bewitched. Some common people who hadn’t followed Prince Cheng also wanted to become part of the group. Without exposing this fraud, these common people would forever believe in their hearts that it was the current Emperor and Empress Dowager who killed their Heavenly Maiden…

What she was more worried about now was the safety of Seventh Prince Shun.

After court was dismissed, Yun Chu kept her elder brother Yun Ze behind to speak privately. “Elder Brother, I want to ask you to personally make the trip and exchange Noble Consort Yuan for Prince Shun and Lord Xiang.”

When Prince Shun first went to Ningzhou, he could still write letters back. Now he had lost contact, which most likely meant that Prince Shun had grasped key evidence and been detained.

Yun Ze knew this matter could not be delayed.

He immediately led people to Zimeng Hall and brought out Noble Consort Yuan.

Noble Consort Yuan had been under house arrest there, anxious all day. Finally seeing someone other than the Imperial Guards, she hurriedly asked, “Lord Yun, what is Prince Cheng’s situation now? Where are you taking me?”

Yun Ze directly stuffed Noble Consort Yuan into a carriage, exited through the palace side gate, and raced at full speed toward Ningzhou.

Prince Cheng was bringing two hundred thousand people from the Ningzhou direction. Because there were so many people, their speed was very slow—walking and stopping repeatedly. After three days of travel, they had only covered half the journey. In about three more days, they would reach the capital’s territory.

But Yun Ze rode swiftly, and in half a day’s journey, he encountered Prince Ning’s procession. He had the guards beside him hide Noble Consort Yuan first before walking toward them.

It happened to be evening. Prince Ning’s group had found a place near a river to spend the night, setting up many tents. Tens of thousands of common people sat on the ground. There were simply too many people—a dense mass of humanity everywhere: adults, children, elderly… everywhere the eye could see were people.

Just as Yun Ze dismounted, soldiers guarding the outer perimeter of the crowd stopped him. “Who goes there? This is Prince Cheng’s territory. Do not trespass!”

“I am a member of the Yun family from the capital, a third-rank court official, Yun Ze,” Yun Ze said. “I have urgent business and request an audience with Prince Cheng.”

The guard went in to report first, and only after a long while walked back out. “Lord Yun, please come inside.”

Yun Ze brought only one attendant and followed the guard, passing through the dense mass of common people toward the innermost tent.

He carefully observed the expressions of these common people and found their gazes somewhat dull, staring blankly in one direction. Despite so many people being present, it wasn’t overly noisy. This was clearly abnormal.

Arriving at the tent entrance, only then did the guard say, “Lord Yun, our Prince is inside. Please.”

Yun Ze looked up and saw that on the inner side of this tent, there remained one last large tent. Two maidservants stood guard at the tent entrance.

He guessed that inside that largest tent should be the so-called Heavenly Maiden.

He didn’t look further and walked inside.

He raised his eyes to see seated in the central uppermost position a young man—precisely the sixteen-year-old Sixth Prince Cheng.

Standing to Prince Cheng’s left and right were over a dozen advisors. Standing in the first position among the advisors was an old acquaintance—Xie Shi’an.

Chu’er had indeed guessed correctly—Xie Shi’an had pledged allegiance to Prince Cheng.

“Greetings to Prince Cheng.”

Yun Ze cupped his hands in salute.

Prince Cheng sat in his chair and spoke leisurely. “Lord Yun, it’s been a long time. Coming all this way from such a distance, what brings you here?”

“When Ningzhou was troubled by the epidemic before, the court dispatched Lord Xiang and Prince Shun to come assist. Now they have lost contact,” Yun Ze got straight to the point. “I wonder if Prince Cheng knows the whereabouts of Lord Xiang and Prince Shun?”

Prince Cheng was about to speak.

Xie Shi’an, standing to his lower left, said indifferently, “Prince Shun did indeed come to Ningzhou. After delivering the court’s silver, he left. Where he went, we also do not know.”

“Right, Seventh Brother came for a visit and then left,” Prince Cheng nodded. “He’s always been fond of amusement. He must have gone off to play somewhere.”

Yun Ze raised his head. “Let’s speak plainly then. If Prince Cheng wants Noble Consort Yuan’s life, then hand over Lord Xiang and Prince Shun.”

“What do you mean!” Prince Cheng suddenly stood up, furiously enraged. “You dare harm my birth mother? Who gave you such audacity!”

Xie Shi’an beside him frowned.

He had taught him so many times, yet how could Prince Cheng still be so unable to conceal his thoughts, writing every emotion on his face? He was very easy to manipulate.

“Noble Consort Yuan is a consort of the Late Emperor. I naturally will not harm her,” Yun Ze said calmly and composedly. “But the prerequisite is that Lord Xiang and Prince Shun are missing not a single hair.”

Prince Cheng gritted his teeth in anger.

He had thought Yun Ze came as an envoy for the court to persuade him to redirect his procession of two hundred thousand people.

He never expected that Yun Ze actually wanted to use his birth mother to exchange for Seventh Brother’s life.