Great Zhou Martial Immortal

Chapter 22 No need to ask.
"Can't find it?"

Beside the underground river in the underground palace, Qiu Shenji's face was ashen: "This garden is behind Changyin Pavilion and Yixiang Garden. It's crowded with people and dignitaries. Most of the people who come and go are high-ranking officials and nobles. Ordinary people with only mortal cultivation can't be transported here by surface means! The bones in the blood pool must have been transported here underground by a mechanical tiger dragon! How could we not find any clues by searching along the river? Have you really searched thoroughly?"

"Your subordinate is practically digging three feet into the ground..."

Yan Siping gave a bitter look and made a promise. He was also puzzled: "The mechanical tiger dragon is quite noisy. Logically speaking, it shouldn't be far away. The farther it travels, the easier it is to be discovered... But the brothers have chased it along the river for five or six miles and searched every corner, but there are really no clues... General, could this tiger dragon just be a smokescreen?"

"stupid!"

Qiu Shenji glanced at him sideways and said coldly, "A creature like the Tiger-Dragon can roam freely across rivers and seas, and can also step on waves to go ashore. It moves with ease. How many people can only dream of encountering such a creature! The East Sea Sinking Iron and the South Sea Submerged Wood are also fifth-grade rare treasures. If the Turkic thieves use such treasures as bait, wouldn't they be ripping out their hearts and flesh to set up a feast to lure people into their trap? Do you think they are all as stupid and dull as you are!"

Yan Siping's Adam's apple bobbed twice, somewhat embarrassed, and he immediately smiled ingratiatingly, "General, you have such keen eyes and can see through the yin and yang! How could my blockhead be any better than you?"

"Stop spouting this useless nonsense! Send more people to search!"

Qiu Shenji remained unmoved by his flattery, his expression growing increasingly grim: "Do you know why the Prince of Wei suddenly returned to his residence?"

Yan Siping, who had been leading the search, noticed that Wu Chengsi had already left and shook his head to indicate that he did not know.

"Because the princess was furious, she destroyed half of the royal palace with the 'Taiyi Flying Star Technique'!"

Qiu Shenji gripped the hilt of his ring-pommel sword tightly. The words Qu Baichuan had relayed flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help but feel regret. Li Lingyue's reaction was far beyond his expectations. She hadn't interfered at all when Wu Youji had attacked before! He hadn't expected such a strong reaction this time, so disregarding the Emperor's feelings and directly stating her position to the Wu family: "If she treats the Prince of Wei this way, what about you and me? If we can't find anything this time, we'll settle both scores together, and we both know the consequences!"

We gave you the clues, and you even stole the credit, but you ended up finding nothing...

What will Li Lingyue's reaction be?
What will Empress Wu's reaction be?
Yan Siping trembled, and Lu Chenyuan's words immediately flashed through his mind: "Those who suspend someone from office without evidence shall be punished for false accusation! If censors and prime ministers hastily believe his words and dismiss capable officials, resulting in the oversight of treacherous cases, they shall be punished the same as those who made false accusations!"
Cold sweat instantly broke out on the back of his neck. He panicked and started babbling incoherently, cursing, "This...this...how could the princess...what are we going to do...these treacherous scoundrels have been hiding so well! Damn them!!"

Qiu Shenji was agitated and paced back and forth: "Have you found out who the owner of the garden is?"

Yan Siping hurriedly said, "It has been found out. The owner of the garden is surnamed Pei and is known as 'Pei Jiulang'. He is a descendant of Pei Ji, the founding prime minister. After Pei Ji passed away, his descendants were not successful and the family property gradually declined until Pei Jiulang was born. This man is a business genius. He started his business at the age of twenty and in just over ten years, he had amassed a fortune. Long before Emperor Wu moved the capital, he had already bought a lot of property in the Eastern Capital."

It is said that he helped build Beili, and that Changyin Pavilion and Yixiang Garden were gifts he gave to the princess and the Prince of Wei respectively. As for this former residence of the Prince of Rinan, it was originally intended to be given to the Prince of Wei, but when Princess Qianjin heard about it, she also wanted to convert it into a bathhouse. When the Prince of Wei heard this, he was willing to give it up, but in the end, neither of them wanted it, and it was left vacant..."

Qiu Shenji, being the man he was, immediately noticed the problem and narrowed his eyes: "Who leaked this information to Princess Qianjin? It couldn't have been this Pei Jiulang, could it?"

Yan Siping nodded solemnly: "Now it seems that's probably the case. Pei Jiulang is very good at understanding people's hearts. He deliberately let the two noblemen know that the other party also had his eye on the house. Naturally, Princess Qianjin and Prince Wei did not want to cause controversy over a house, so they both generously gave it up. This gave up, on the contrary, made the house a hot potato that no one dared to touch."

Qiu Shenji sneered, "What a clever 'retreat to advance' tactic! The more humble the two noblemen are, the less anyone dares to touch this house. On the surface, it's a beautiful story of 'mutual concession,' but in reality, it's a cage meticulously designed by Pei Jiulang—trapping not only the house but also everyone else."

Yan Siping nodded and bowed: "General, you are wise! This is exactly the situation that Pei Jiulang wants. With the house unresolved, others will avoid it, which makes it easier for him to act in secret. This is much more clever than forcibly taking it!"

Regardless of his skill level, Qiu Shenji went straight to the point, asking in a cold voice, "Have you caught the person?"

"he……"

Yan Siping paused, then smiled bitterly, "He stopped showing his face five years ago... He consolidated all his businesses and handed them over to his trusted confidant, 'Tongueless Yama' Xue Wushe. Xue Wushe only appears at the beginning of each month to summon the managers to reconcile accounts, collect payments, and distribute the dividends to the lords. He's always been sneaky and secretive... For the past five years, they've been doing this. Even the managers don't know where they are, and they have no way to catch them!"

"Tsk..."

Qiu Shenji's face grew increasingly gloomy. He had thought that the Golden Lion's pursuit and catching of the thief would be simple, but the more he investigated, the more unfathomable the truth behind it all seemed. One clue after another led to a dead end. It was simply outrageous!
suddenly.

Qiu Shenji remembered something and asked, "What businesses does Pei Jiulang mainly operate? How was he able to amass such a large fortune in such a short time?"

Yan Siping glanced at him and whispered, "Lü Lü Yi."

Qiu Shenji frowned: "What?"

Yan Siping forced a smile and explained, "The General is busy with countless affairs of state, so such trivial skills are naturally beneath his notice. This [Lü Lü Yi] is an exquisite little gadget, also known in the market as the 'Linglong Box' or 'Miaoyin Shu'. It contains a mechanism of reeds in a brocade box, which can play tunes by itself without being plucked. I only saw it by chance in a music hall. This item sells particularly well among officials in the two capitals, and many young masters and ladies use it for entertainment."

The smaller musical instruments can only play simple tunes, while the more skilled ones can even play "The Qin King's Battle Song" and "The Great Music of the Divine Palace" themselves, and the music is exquisite and profound! Over the years, many skilled craftsmen have tried to imitate them, investing a lot of money, but none of them could reach half the level of Pei's shop. As a result, thanks to this, Pei Jiulang's business is booming, and he makes a fortune every day..."

Musical instruments... mechanical creations...

A flash of inspiration struck Qiu Shenji, and his eyes suddenly shone with an unusual brilliance—"The Scroll of Heavenly Craftsmanship"!
This Pei Jiulang must be related to the "Tiangong Scroll"!
They may have even learned some secret techniques, which is why they were able to create the musical instruments that are difficult for others to imitate!

No wonder the dancer, who was originally a Turkic assassin, possessed a mechanical tiger-dragon; no wonder this underground palace was so secluded, with its passages riddled with traps!
The Turkic assassins must have been working together with Pei Jiulang to be able to hide here.

No, the Turks harbor treacherous ambitions and plot to assassinate the emperor. Their actions are likely more than just cooperation; Pei Jiulang's prolonged absence suggests he has likely met with misfortune...

It's likely that Pei Jiulang was the first to discover the location where the Heavenly Scroll was hidden, and then used the secret method to amass wealth. The Turks then discovered Pei Jiulang... and as for Xue Wushe, whether he's real or not is uncertain...

Ashina Yan was a master of disguise!

It's all connected.

Those Turkic bandits are truly skilled...

Qiu Shenji's mind raced as he gradually pieced together the events. Just then, a captain of the Imperial Guard stepped forward carrying a bundle and reported, bowing, "General, Lieutenant General, the remains in the blood pool have been retrieved. Their flesh had been completely gnawed off, and their clothes were soaked and rotten, making it impossible to identify them... However, we found a few things at the bottom of the pool that seem quite unusual..."

He unfolded the bundle, revealing the contents inside.

The most striking items were a pair of silver gloves, a pair of black iron finger guards, and a teardrop-shaped cinnabar bullet.

The others were too fragmented, too broken and blurry, many of them rusted so badly that their original appearance was unrecognizable. In addition, Yu Suying's peace sticker was also among them.

Even if others looked at these things, they wouldn't be able to figure them out. However, Qiu Shenji and Yan Siping had both gone out to quell rebellions and had dealt with many martial arts sects and extraordinary people. They could tell the significance behind these items at a glance.

Qiu Shenji stared at the silver gloves, which concealed mechanisms within the fingertips, holding numerous fine silver needles. He frowned and said, "Silver gloves, Soul-Separating Needles, the needles appear without a trace, swift as a ghost... This is the 'Hand of Impermanence,' an item belonging to Mo Jiuyou of the 'Thousand Shadowless Machines' of the Huainan Hundred Crafts Pavilion, which disappeared three years ago..."

Yan Siping noticed the remaining two items and was also surprised: "These finger sleeves should be the index and little fingers, with Hundred Blade Scales embedded inside. Their owner should be Ye Qingshang, the master of mechanical arts from the Shadow Moon Sect... Isn't she dead? And this cinnabar bullet, [Tears of Longing], 'Poisonous Hand Spirit Child' Yu Linglong! This... Could it be that all the corpses in this pool are masters of mechanical arts? Who captured them? Pei Jiulang?!" "It must be for the 'Heavenly Craft Scroll'!"

Qiu Shenji was extremely anxious. So many skilled craftsmen had not died in vain. The Turks were probably already close to the "Heavenly Crafts Scroll". Now that things had come to this, if he failed to capture Ashina Yan in the end, or even lost the "Heavenly Crafts Scroll", he would not only fail to demonstrate his value and seek a way out, but he would probably die even sooner, which would give Emperor Wu an excuse to cook his lackeys!

"try to find!"

Qiu Shenji's face was contorted with rage: "Summon all the Imperial Guards. Even if it means turning the place upside down, I, the general, will find these thieves and skin them alive!"

"Yes!"

Yan Siping also knew that a critical moment had arrived, so he hurriedly returned to the Jinwu Camp to mobilize more manpower.

……

A night breeze blows, and the moonlight shines brightly.

Wu Chengsi stood with his hands behind his back in the courtyard, looking at the broken walls and ruins scattered all over the ground.

Beneath his feet lay shattered blue bricks, cracks spreading like a spiderweb. Deep within each crack lingered a sharp sword aura, faintly gleaming with cold light. His gaze swept across the surroundings—

The main building on the east side had collapsed, and the vermilion beams and pillars were broken into several pieces with smooth, mirror-like surfaces. The west wing corridor was even more devastated, with the originally exquisitely carved railings completely shattered and wood chips scattered all over the ground. The white marble steps in the center of the courtyard were cracked in the middle, and a trace of cold air seeped out from the depths of the cracks, which were traces of the Taiyi True Qi.

"Father."

A trembling voice called out from behind.

Wu Chengsi turned around and saw his wife, Gong, holding their young sons Wu Yanji and Wu Yanxiu tightly by the pillars.

Gong Shi's usually dignified hair was disheveled, and her face still bore traces of tears. Her two little ones were pale, each clutching their mother's clothes tightly, their eyes filled with terror.

"How dare she..."

Gong's voice choked with emotion as her gaze swept over the ravaged mansion: "This was a residence bestowed by the Emperor! Taiping, she..."

"shut up!"

Wu Chengsi shouted angrily to stop them, his eyes sweeping over the servants around him with a sinister look. Gong Shi immediately fell silent, but she could not hide the resentment in her eyes.

In the corner, the eldest daughter, Wu Lingyun, who had just reached the age of marriage, was squatting on the ground, her trembling fingers caressing her most beloved zither—now broken in two, with each string snapped. It was "A Pool of Waves," a zither bestowed upon her by the Emperor on her birthday last year. The girl raised her tearful eyes and looked in the direction of Princess Taiping's residence, a hatred beyond her years igniting in her eyes for the first time.

A night breeze swept by, stirring up dust from the ground.

Wu Chengsi murmured, "What a fine... 'Taihua Qing Shuang'. What did His Majesty say?"

Fang Jing, another head steward of the Prince of Wei's residence, bowed and replied in a very low voice, "Your Highness, after the incident, His Majesty immediately summoned the princess to the palace..." He paused, glancing around out of the corner of his eye, "...Just now, Shangguan Daizhao came in person. According to her, His Majesty was initially angry, but the princess said something to her, and His Majesty's anger turned to joy. The mother and daughter chatted for a long time in Yingxian Palace. He specially ordered Shangguan Daizhao to go to the Shanggong Bureau to select pearls from the South China Sea, Shu brocade, and gold and silver as rewards to calm the nerves of the Princess, the Heir Apparent, the Eldest Miss, and the Second Young Master. Before leaving, Shangguan Daizhao also specifically instructed that she said..."

Fang Jing found it increasingly difficult to speak.

Wu Chengsi asked expressionlessly, "What did you say?"

Fang Jing gritted his teeth, his voice almost inaudible: "Speak... His Majesty, considering the Prince's recent hard work, need not concern himself with some trivial matters..."

Wu Chengsi raised an eyebrow and suddenly smiled.

In the distance, Gong Shi held her sobbing young son, her nails digging deeply into her palms.

"Well said... No need to concern yourself with it."

Wu Chengsi laughed, but the gloom in his eyes deepened. He said, word by word, "For a cat, a bitch! She destroyed half of my palace, yet she told me 'I don't need to care'... Fine, as her cousin, I should indeed be more magnanimous... Immediately tell Wu Youji to get over here!"

Fang Jing swallowed hard, looked up at the moonlight, and hesitated, "Your Highness, it's almost 9 PM now, the Prince Consort might..."

"sleep?"

Wu Chengsi sneered: "If his beloved wife isn't in bed with him, how can he sleep? Go and wake her!"

"Yes……"

Fang Jing was initially in a heavy mood, after all, there is a saying: "When the ruler is worried, the minister is disgraced; when the ruler is disgraced, the minister dies." The prince is not the ruler, and he is not the minister, but the meaning is the same. However, when he heard the last sentence, he almost laughed out loud.

This prince consort is truly pitiful, especially after the princess took her anger out on the Wu family, completely disregarding his dignity, and even sending that male favorite to her own bedchamber right in front of him. Now he has become a laughing stock in the entire capital.

The first time could be fake.

This time, under the watchful eyes of everyone, even if it was fake, it has become completely real.

After tonight, the "fake" label on Lu Chenyuan can be removed, and the whole world will have to reassess his worth...

Lao Tzu said, "Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise, and a blessing may be a misfortune in disguise." Lu Chenyuan was slapped by the prince, but he also became the princess's lover because of it. It is really hard to say whether it is a blessing or a misfortune.

Life is truly unpredictable.

Fang Jing sighed inwardly, composed himself, and strode out of the palace.

(End of this chapter)