Chapter 42: A Conspiracy Potent Enough to Detonate the Realm

An hour later.

Li Chengen of the Tiance Mansion, along with Changsun Wangqing, commander of the Cangyun, and the high-ranking officers of both armies, gathered together at the Prince Su Estate.

Yan Yimei of the Profound Armor Secret Guard and Lian Chengbi, the deputy commander of the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry, had all arrived.

Zhu Jinzhen ordered his men to distribute the intelligence discovered by the Tiance Mansion to everyone present. "This is the intelligence intercepted by the Tiance Mansion. Take a look. Toemuqier has truly spared no expense this time."

Li Chengen had already brought along the intercepted items.

Just as Zhu Jinzhen had anticipated, the items fabricated by Northern Yuan to frame him consisted of an official seal and an imperial decree bearing Temuqier's grand jade seal, with the contents following a similar vein.

Zhu Jinzhen remained entirely unperturbed by these.

Even if the items had not fallen into his hands, and had instead been properly delivered to the Ming cabinet by Northern Yuan's operatives to be placed directly before Emperor Zhu Houzhao, Zhu Jinzhen would not have feared them.

However, that was not where the trouble lay.

Lian Chengbi asked in astonishment, "Your Highness, this dragon ball..."

According to the intelligence intercepted by the Tiance Mansion tonight, apart from the documents, seals, and imperial decree forged by Northern Yuan to frame Zhu Jinzhen for treason, there was another piece of news explosive enough to shake the entire world.

The Water and Fire Dragon Pearls had reappeared in the world.

Furthermore, they were located within the borders of Shaanxi!

Zhu Jinzhen nodded and said quietly, "The news may well be true."

"Since Northern Yuan intends to lay such a grand scheme, they would never deceive the world with false information, or they would inevitably invite ruin upon themselves. Temuqier is fiercely ambitious; he is not so foolish."

"It is rumored that the Water and Fire Dragon Pearls were lost many years ago, and legend has it that two divine dragons are hidden within them. As long as the Water and Fire Dragon Pearls are united, one's martial power will increase vastly, and eternal life can even be attained. Have they fallen into the hands of Northern Yuan?"

"No!"

Zhu Jinzhen looked at Lian Chengbi, the corners of his lips curling up. "They have fallen into my hands."

Lian Chengbi's pupils constricted, revealing an expression of utter disbelief.

The members of Cangyun and the Tiance Mansion turned to look at him with knitted brows simultaneously.

Only then did Lian Chengbi realize he had lost his composure, and he quickly straightened his expression.

"Your Highness, this subordinate lost his composure."

"No matter!"

Zhu Jinzhen waved his hand, his expression playful. "According to the intelligence intercepted by Tiance, in order to deepen the reality of my treason and collusion with foreign enemies, Temuqier specifically mentioned in this imperial decree how I killed Kublai Khan on the battlefield back then and seized the Water Dragon Pearl from him. He hypocritically congratulated me, stating that once the Fire Dragon Pearl within Shaanxi is found, achieving immortality will be within reach."

This was why Zhu Jinzhen had summoned the commanders of Tiance and Cangyun in the dead of night.

Changsun Wangqing had already carefully reviewed the intelligence several times, her pretty face hidden beneath her Sky-Net mask cold as frost. "Back during the battlefield slaughter, Kublai Khan was cut down by Your Highness's sword, and many people witnessed it. However, whether the Water Dragon Pearl was truly on Kublai Khan's person has never been verified."

"Temuqier is using this as a pretext to claim that Your Highness obtained the Water Dragon Pearl and now seeks the Fire Dragon Pearl to attain immortality and step into the realm of the Terrestrial Immortals. Coupled with the detail Temuqier specifically included in the decree—that the Fire Dragon Pearl is likely hidden within Shaanxi—he intends to redirect the flames of suspicion not only onto Your Highness, but across the entire Shaanxi province."

"His intentions are utterly venomous."

Although this matter was entirely false, everyone present was well aware of it.

Yet once this news leaked, outsiders would not view it that way.

The logic was simple: in the eyes of those people, Northern Yuan would never use Kublai Khan, a former emperor of exceptional talent and strategy, as a pretext to fabricate a nonexistent fact.

Coupled with the condition specifically mentioned by Temuqier in that imperial decree—that one of the terms for Zhu Jinzhen's cooperation with him was the use of a secret method utilizing the Water Dragon Pearl to sense the whereabouts of the Fire Dragon Pearl—

"The union of the Water and Fire Dragon Pearls can drastically enhance one's martial power and even grant eternal life."

"I am plotting to obtain the Water and Fire Dragon Pearls in order to step into the Terrestrial Immortal realm and seek immortality."

"If this news spreads, I fear I will not be able to clear my name no matter how many mouths I have." Zhu Jinzhen gave a self-deprecating smile. Temuqier's grasp of human nature was truly formidable; he was certain that if this news got out, the Great Ming would inevitably descend into chaos.

"Your Highness..."

Cao Xueyang wore a look of worry.

"The simplest analysis of behavioral motivation ultimately boils down to two words: interests."

"Temuqier is exploiting this point, piling misfortune upon me just as the imperial court already harbors deep suspicion toward Your Highness. If the imperial decree falls into the hands of those with ulterior motives, I am afraid no matter how suspicious the emperor is of Your Highness, he will not remain indifferent." Changsun Wangqing clenched her fists, murderous intent surging in her heart as she wished she could immediately lead troops into Northern Yuan and flatten Dayidu.

"An imperial decree is something sacred and inviolable to ordinary people."

"But to Temuqier, he can produce as many as he pleases."

Zhu Jinzhen shook his head, sneering coldly, "Do you believe that while the Tiance Mansion was intercepting this imperial decree, certain people within Shaanxi had already 'accidentally' obtained the contents of the decree?"

The most effective method of framing someone has always been to intertwine truth with falsehood, making the false seem real and the real seem false.

Zhu Jinzhen was certain that long before laying out this scheme, Temuqier had already known this imperial decree would be intercepted, and even—

"Interesting, is Zhao Min also a discarded pawn of Temuqier?"

"Her purpose was not merely to engage in a marriage alliance to probe our military strength, but rather for Temuqier to deliberately present her to me, while also intentionally delivering this imperial decree, the official seal, and these other items right before my eyes. When the time comes, they only need to leak the news to the emperor's ears?"

"Then my actions would logically transform from executing Northern Yuan secret agents into plotting behind closed doors?" Zhu Jinzhen's analysis caused the temperature in the living room of the Prince Su Estate to plummet instantly to freezing point.

Cao Xueyang stood up in anger. "I will go kill her right now."

"Sit down."

Seeing his reaction, Cao Xueyang reluctantly sat back down.

However, the murderous intent flickering in her eyes exposed her true inner thoughts.

"Since Temuqier wants to muddy the waters and direct the flames toward me, I will simply grant his wish." The corners of Zhu Jinzhen's lips curved into a smile that was not quite a smile, while his eyes remained as cold and sharp as ice. "Find someone trustworthy within the Administration Commissioner's Office, toss the items to him, and have him carry the imperial decree out."

"Once we track down the person Lu Xiaofeng is trying to see, 'deliver' it directly to him."

Who was the person Lu Xiaofeng wanted to see?

Everyone present knew very well.

Emperor Zhu Houzhao of the Great Ming, who was currently traveling incognito and whose whereabouts were temporarily unknown.

Upon hearing that Zhu Jinzhen intended to deliberately deliver the imperial decree to Zhu Houzhao, Lian Chengbi turned pale with fright. "Your Highness, you must not!"

He did not know what Zhu Jinzhen was actually planning, but once the contents and news within the imperial decree were leaked, the Prince Su Estate would instantly become the target of public criticism throughout the Great Ming.

Even the gazes of various nations across the world would converge upon them.

Perhaps whether the Great Ming fell into internal chaos or whether Zhu Jinzhen rebelled were matters of indifference to them.

However, the Water and Fire Dragon Pearls were tied to the possibility of eternal life.

That temptation was something no one under heaven could possibly resist.

By then, facing simultaneous threats from within the Great Ming and the prying eyes of Jianghu martial artists from beyond its borders, they would be attacked from both sides. A single misstep could plunge the Prince Su Estate into a disaster from which there was no recovery.