Rumors everywhere, beating the grass to startle the snake
"Zhuge Consecrated, the records in the Imperial Clan Court are all related to the Imperial Clan and cannot be accessed at will," the head of the Imperial Clan Court said with a troubled expression after hearing Zhuge Xiang's words.
"Now that the King Fenghe is about to rebel, Your Majesty has personally appointed me as the Grand Marshal to suppress the Rebel Army. The King Fenghe is also a member of the Imperial Clan, so it is only right for me to come and review the relevant information. Why are you making such excuses? Are you perhaps an accomplice of the King Fenghe?" Zhuge Xiang frowned and said in a low voice, directly accusing him of treason with a single sentence.
"I wouldn't dare, I absolutely wouldn't dare," the steward of the Imperial Clan Court said hastily, his face changing drastically after being startled by Zhuge Xiang.
The fact that King Fenghe was plotting a rebellion was common knowledge in the Great Tang Dynasty. Who would dare to get involved in such a matter at this critical juncture? Moreover, Zhuge Xiang was the marshal who led the million-strong army that was suppressing King Fenghe's Rebel Army, so his words carried even more weight.
"Since that's the case, why don't you lead the way?" Zhuge Xiang said with a fierce expression, his brow furrowed. With his cultivation at the Dao Seeking Realm and his status as the marshal of a million-strong army, he could practically walk sideways in the Great Tang Dynasty.
"Yes, Marshal, this way please..." Nodding and bowing, the head of the Imperial Clan Court even changed his way of addressing Zhuge Xiang, no longer calling him "Offering Respect" but "Marshal."
He respectfully led Zhuge Xiang to the archives of the Great Tang Imperial Family, and carefully served him from the side.
However, Zhuge Xiang glared at him and said, "This is none of your business. Get out of here. Remember, I'm here today to review confidential information. If it's leaked, you'll be charged with treason and executed without prior notification!"
"Yes, yes, yes, this humble official will take his leave now," the steward of the Imperial Clan Court hurriedly nodded and left in a panic.
While the Imperial Clan Court) controlled various records of the Great Tang Imperial Family and even had the power to punish them, it was ultimately a department with little real power. Compared to Zhuge Xiang, it was naturally far inferior. In terms of reputation, the Great Tang Dynasty's Cultivation Technique were unparalleled in their prestige; in terms of real power, the command of a million-strong army was awe- Human Heart. Who would dare underestimate it?
Speaking of the Imperial Clan Court, the amount of information here is truly vast. How many princes and their descendants are there in the Great Tang Prince? Their births, marriages, academic achievements, assignments, and so on, all must be recorded in great detail. At a glance, the information here is even more abundant than the stone tablets in the Hidden Technique Forest of the Asura Sect.
However, given his cultivation level at the Dao Seeking Realm, Zhuge Xiang's Divine Sense was incredibly powerful. His Divine Sense surged forth like mercury spilling onto the ground, enveloping the entire database. Soon, Zhuge Xiang found the information he wanted.
A yellowed booklet simply stated that when the current Great Tang Emperor was born, he had a Twin Brother, but the twin brother died before he could even be named and was buried on Mati Slope of Chang'an City.
He died shortly after birth, so naturally no information was left behind. Upon seeing this, Zhuge Xiang put down the booklet and then went to Mati Slope of Chang'an City.
Mati Slope, though called a hillside, is actually a geomantically auspicious place, rich in spiritual energy and with a treacherous terrain. Although it is only the tomb of an infant, it belongs to a member of the Imperial Clan. Therefore, even after more than a thousand years, the tomb can still be seen, only showing some signs of wind and frost.
Without a word, Zhuge Xiang split the tomb open with a single palm strike. Inside the tomb was a Jade Casket over two feet long, golden in color and carved with Dragon Pattern, clearly a standard reserved for members of the Imperial Clan family.
With a flick of his finger, the Jade Casket shattered. Zhuge Xiang frowned slightly. Sure enough, the Jade Casket was completely empty. There wasn't even a trace of a corpse, let alone any bones.
Seeing this, Zhuge Xiang was certain that the Great Tang Emperor currently sitting on the Imperial Throne was indeed this man who had died young. But what exactly happened back then? Why did everyone believe he had died prematurely? And how did Ying Qianshan manage to switch him out so secretly?
Over the years, has the current Great Tang Emperor been raised by Ying Qianshan? And when did this switch begin? Although the current Great Tang Emperor's identity has been confirmed, there are still too many questions waiting for Zhuge Xiang to resolve.
With a wave of his hand, Zhuge Xiang restored the tomb to its original state and then left. He returned to the King Fenghe's Mansion and told the King Fenghe and the others about what had happened.
"So that's how it is. The emperor who was switched out was also from my Li Clan. No wonder he was able to enjoy the fortune of my Li Clan even after being switched out," King Fenghe said with sudden realization after hearing Zhuge Xiang's words.
This emperor substitution is no joke. It's not something that can be done by just grabbing anyone. At least one simple point is that the Great Tang Imperial Family is the Li Clan. If it weren't for this lineage, no one else could possibly sit on the Imperial Throne. That's because the Li Clan's fortune would definitely reject such a person.
"Now that things have come to this, what should we do next? The tomb is empty, and we have no Evidence to prove that the current emperor is just a fake." Although he understood this and knew the Truth of the matter, Eunuch Lin still didn't know what to do next.
"It's very simple. The only method we'll need in the future is to announce that the current emperor has been replaced. However, such sudden news always raises suspicions. So, what we need to do now is to create public opinion so that the people of the world are mentally prepared for the possibility that the emperor has been replaced," Zhuge Xiang, his eyes gleaming with wisdom as he revealed his plan.
Zhuge Xiang considers himself a very simple person. He doesn't like to waste his brainpower on scheming as long as things can be solved cleanly. However, when it really comes to stratagems, Zhuge Xiang's mind is absolutely sharp. For example, right now, without anyone noticing, King Fenghe and the others are asking Zhuge Xiang for advice on their next plan.
"You mean... to Stirring the Grass to Startle the Snake?" Upon hearing Zhuge Xiang's words, Eunuch Lin was slightly taken aback, and then said.
"Indeed, Stirring the Grass to Startle the Snake might not be a bad thing," Zhuge Xiang nodded, acknowledging Eunuch Lin's guess. "Releasing this news now, whether anyone believes it or not, will give the world a heads-up. Then, when we present the Evidence, it will be more easily accepted."
"Alright, I'll get to it now and spread this news," King Fenghe said with a nod, giving instructions to have people spread the word throughout the country that the Great Tang Emperor was not actually him, but a fake who had been replaced.
Regardless of whether the news is accurate, the sheer volume of such shocking news has certainly had a groundbreaking effect, and many people are now discussing its veracity over tea or dinner.
Public opinion and rumors are born from this. Even baseless rumors can spread like wildfire, let alone when someone deliberately stirs things up. So, this news, as if it had wings, quickly swept across the entire Great Tang Dynasty.
Inside the Great Tang Imperial Family, the emperor had summoned the three imperial Imperial Preceptor. The three Imperial Preceptor stood quietly before the Great Tang Emperor, and the chief White National Teacher, spoke first, "Your Majesty, what brings you here to command us?"
"Today, I have summoned you all here for only one matter," the Great Tang Emperor, seated on his Imperial Throne, said. "Zhuge Xiang claimed he would enter the Demon Sealing Tower for a month of seclusion, and I agreed. However, I discovered that for more than half a month, he has been wandering around the Great Qin Empire. This crime of deceiving the emperor is unforgivable. Now that Zhuge Xiang has returned to Great Tang, I need the three of you to bring him to me immediately."
"Zhuge Consecrated?" Upon hearing the emperor's words that he was actually going to take action against Zhuge Xiang, the three Imperial Preceptor were all slightly surprised.
"Indeed, I know that you all have some connection with Zhuge Xiang, but I hope you will not cross the line between personal relationships and loyalty," the Great Tang Emperor said with a nod, his face dark, revealing his anger.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Seeing the emperor's anger, the three Imperial Preceptor dared not utter another word, nodded, and accepted the decree.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened..." Just then, the emperor's newly appointed personal Eunuch rushed in, his face grim, and said, "There are rumors all over the country, saying... saying..."
At this point, the Eunuch felt a sense of fear and dared not continue.
"Say what you have to say all at once," the Great Tang Emperor said, frowning with displeasure. He disliked the new Eunuch's tendency to leave things unsaid.
Seeing the Your Majesty's displeasure, the Eunuch dared not hesitate any longer and said, "Right now, rumors are flying all over the country, saying that Your Majesty is an imposter and not the real emperor at all."
Upon hearing such rumors, the three Imperial Preceptor were slightly taken aback, then smiled to themselves and shook their heads inwardly.
These rumors circulating in the marketplace are truly outrageous! They dare to spread such absurd and absurd rumors? The emperor is a fake? How could that be? The fate of the entire dynasty could be inherited by anyone who sits on the Imperial Throne?
Snap!
The three Imperial Preceptor did not believe the rumor at all. However, to their surprise, the emperor reacted very strongly upon hearing it. He slammed his fist on the Dragon Throne, breaking off the dragon head on the armrest. He stood up abruptly, furious. "Who dares to spread such rumors? Find them! I will make them vanish into thin air and exterminate their entire family!"
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!" Seeing the Son of Heaven's fury, the Eunuch knelt down in terror, kowtowing repeatedly. The three Imperial Preceptor also stood with their hands at their sides, exchanging glances secretly, all feeling that the Your Majesty's reaction to this rumor seemed a bit too strong. (To be continued...)