Farm Girl's Manor
Chapter 476: The Situation of the Eight Trigrams (2)_1

Chapter 476: Chapter 476: The Situation of the Eight Trigrams (2)_1

Mo Yan had thought that the three beasts that consumed the Black Lingzhi would show some change or reaction, but after waiting a long time, nothing happened, leaving her anticipation in vain.

She did not know that the reason the three beasts had no reaction was that their bodies had been transformed by the Spirit Spring Water. Furthermore, they drank Spirit Spring Water daily, their bodies almost free of impurities, which allowed them to easily withstand the potent medicinal power of the Black Lingzhi. And consuming the Black Lingzhi wasn’t entirely useless; it’s just that the specific changes weren’t visible for the time being!

...

The next day, the news of Crown Prince Xiao Ruiyuan’s assassination attempt on his way back to Jing City, and his moment of life and death, spread swiftly through the streets and alleys of Jing City like it had wings. In no time, voices discussing the matter were everywhere, and all sorts of rumors, true and false, proliferated among the people.

Guided deliberately by some with vested interests, the cries of injustice for Xiao Ruiyuan grew louder, and within three days, thousands of ordinary citizens spontaneously fell to their knees outside the palace gates, praying to Emperor Huian to thoroughly investigate the assassination attempt and provide an explanation for General Xiao, who had led the military to protect the nation and repel the Bai people.

If Xiao Ruiyuan had been assassinated while in his position as the Commander of the Five-City Bureau of Military Horses, or had suffered a defeat, these commoners might not have taken his side or spoken out for him. For this reason, more and more citizens began to protest in his favor, and some neutral officials also began to petition Emperor Huian to order a thorough investigation.

Emperor Huian, who governed the vast nation of Great Chu with order and had much praise among the people, often hailed as an "enlightened monarch," was clearly not a muddled emperor. Not only was he not muddled, but he was so angry when he received the news of Xiao Ruiyuan’s assassination attempt and his critical condition due to the same poison as the Crown Prince that he flipped the Imperial Case in fury. After calming down, he dispatched the best Imperial Physicians from the Taiyi Hospital to treat Xiao Ruiyuan in the Prince’s Mansion. At the same time, he sent people to investigate the assassination attempt quietly.

Although several days of investigation did not yield much of value, all signs pointed to a few Princes, making him suspect his sons who were constantly up to small tricks!

But no matter how bad his sons were, or how frustrated he felt inside, they were still his sons. If the matter hadn’t become public knowledge, he would have turned a blind eye and blamed the Bai people, then reprimanded his sons and compensated Xiao Ruiyuan or the Crown Prince elsewhere.

The assassination became an increasingly hot topic, and soon, rumors in the streets suggested that several Princes sought to seize the Crown Prince’s position, sending many assassins in a futile attempt to eliminate General Xiao, the right-hand man of the Crown Prince.

The rumors were so vivid that the common people couldn’t help but believe them, feeling increasingly sorry for Xiao Ruiyuan. The great hero in their hearts, who had risked his life for Great Chu and barely survived battles, had nearly been killed by his own kin in power struggles, which was absurd and frustrating!

Even those who did not hold much reverence for Xiao Ruiyuan felt chilled by such rumors. If it were indeed the work of several Princes, it would show an utter disregard for the bigger picture. Indiscriminately targeting a meritorious official could lead in the long term to no one daring to serve the Imperial Family—who then would protect the lands of Great Chu and ensure the safety of the common people?

With this in mind, even those who initially didn’t care joined the ranks praying for justice, creating a crowd so dense at the palace gate that officials, on their way to court each day, had to enter through another gate, and petitions for investigation piled up like snowflakes on Emperor Huian’s Imperial Case.

With things escalating to this point, even if Emperor Huian wanted to turn a deaf ear and calm the public, it was no longer an option. Unexpectedly, before he could order a trusted minister to "thoroughly investigate," someone came forward with evidence directly implicating the sixth son, King Kang, who, upon reaching adulthood, was confirmed to have harboured over three hundred assassins. Just days before, these assassins had ambushed Xiao Ruiyuan on his way back to Jing City.

This revelation caused an uproar throughout the court!

Without waiting for Emperor Huian to verify the claims, the rumor of King Kang harboring assassins to kill Xiao Ruiyuan was publicized, causing the already suspicious common people to believe even more in a conspiracy. The bolder citizens took advantage of the night’s cover to throw buckets filled with filth at the gates of King Kang’s Mansion.

No matter what Emperor Huian thought, to calm the public ire, he had no choice but to order King Kang to be confined to his mansion and to verify the authenticity of the evidence.

Chu Heng, who had insisted on staying in the Prince’s Mansion to recover, heard of King Kang’s investigation and a deep irony flashed in his eyes.

Compared to ten days earlier, when his life could have faded at any moment, he was now free from the torment of the Heart-eating poison, looking much better, and his wounds were healing remarkably fast with the nourishment of the Spirit Spring Water and the miraculous medical skills of Doctor Gui.

Chu Heng, sitting in a wheelchair, was pushed into the room, his mood seemingly upbeat, and he said to Xiao Ruiyuan with a smile on his lips, "We haven’t made a move yet, but in their haste to absolve themselves, they eagerly pushed the sixth in front as a shield. If the sixth is sensible, we might even witness a dog-eat-dog show!"

Xiao Ruiyuan shook his head and analyzed calmly, "It’s been three days since the incident, and King Kang has not spoken a word in his defense. It seems he’s been cornered by King Heng and the others, likely to bear the blame alone. I’m curious about what kind of leverage they have, which might be useful for us as well."

Hearing this, Chu Heng’s expression grew serious, "If the sixth takes the blame, even if the Emperor shows leniency out of familial care, his status as Prince is hard to maintain. From then on, he’ll be completely estranged from the position of Crown Prince. The cost is too great... it seems the leverage they have is not minor!"

Xiao Ruiyuan, aware of the stakes involved, furrowed his brows and suggested, "Your Highness should still have someone look into the matter; it might prove useful for us."

Chu Heng also had this in mind and nodded in agreement.

After discussing their next moves and perhaps buoyed by their good spirits, Chu Heng eventually couldn’t resist asking about the Black Lingzhi.

Xiao Ruiyuan had never intended to hide it, but since the matter involved the woman he fancied, he had to be cautious, and hesitation soon showed on his face.

Surprised by this reaction, Chu Heng, knowing his cousin to be decisive, stared at Xiao Ruiyuan for a long while, gradually formulating a bold guess in his mind...

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