"Understood."
Ming Yue nodded slightly.
She first bowed to Qin Anlan, then continued, "According to Bright Moon Pavilion's investigation, Chou Yin, who stopped the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate from slaughtering the Liu Family, was not merely one of the First Prince's men."
"As early as sixty years ago, he had secretly pledged himself to the Empress and became the spy she placed at the First Prince's side."
These words made Qin Zizai and Qin Gengxin suck in another sharp breath.
Chou Yin had long been the Empress's man, yet he had acted under the banners of the First Prince and the Left Prime Minister to stop the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate from slaughtering the Liu Family.
What was the Empress trying to accomplish with this?
The two of them felt that the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate had already been drawn into a vortex.
The vortex of the nine princes vying for the throne.
"Young Lord!" Qin Gengxin clasped his hands and said, "This matter concerns both the First Prince and the Empress. It is a matter of the imperial court. The Marquis has long made his stance clear: regarding the nine princes' struggle for the throne, our Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate must not intervene ahead of time."
"Therefore, this matter..."
Before Qin Zizai could say anything, Qin Anlan waved a hand and cut him off.
"Since they have already made their move, our Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate cannot let others use us as a blade."
"As for Father Marquis's words, you may report this intelligence to him and ask him to decide."
As he spoke, Qin Anlan shifted his gaze to Ming Yue and said,
"Ming Yue, immediately mobilize everyone in Bright Moon Pavilion to handle something for me."
"Please give your orders, Young Lord."
"Keep an eye on Ye Qingyun and Liu Ruxue for me. I want to know every detail of their every move."
The Heavenly Flame Empire's matter of the nine princes vying for the throne was no secret.
Naturally, Qin Anlan could not possibly involve himself too early.
Much less could he become someone else's blade.
But dealing with Ye Qingyun was already an urgent matter.
Qin Anlan would not waste time.
He would not allow Ye Qingyun, this Child of Destiny, to grow and strengthen.
Only to deal with him after he had become a major threat.
Nip trouble in the bud and pull up weeds by the roots.
That was Qin Anlan's principle in life.
"Understood."
Ming Yue nodded.
With Bright Moon Pavilion's intelligence network, monitoring Ye Qingyun and Liu Ruxue would pose no problem at all.
Just as Qin Anlan finished arranging everything, a maid hurried over to report.
She told Qin Anlan something.
The Empress had summoned him.
Qin Anlan narrowed his eyes and fell into thought.
Why did the Empress wish to summon him at this time?
To probe into what had happened to the Liu Family, to observe the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate's attitude, or to win over the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate?
Most likely, all three.
No matter what, Qin Anlan intended to
make a trip to the Xuanyuan Imperial Palace.
Heavenly Flame Empire, Northern Plains.
The Xuanyuan Imperial Clan had founded the Heavenly Flame Empire, and its legacy had endured for hundreds of thousands of years.
The myriad races submitted, the four seas became one, and all was flourishing.
Yet behind that flourishing facade lay many hidden dangers.
In the East Sea, the southern frontier, the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains of the western border, and the Northern Plains, many forces still lurked that refused to submit to the Heavenly Flame Empire.
These forces were also the Heavenly Flame Empire's greatest headache.
On the surface, they had been beaten into submission by the Heavenly Flame Empire.
Yet they frequently rebelled.
Two years ago.
The leaders of the Northern Plains' Seventy-Two Tribes joined forces to rebel against the Heavenly Flame Empire.
In one stroke, they seized the two provinces in the north of the Heavenly Flame Empire.
Such a large-scale rebellion shook even the imperial court of the Heavenly Flame Empire.
The current Divine Marquis of Zhenguo, Qin Zhenxian, was personally appointed Northern Expedition General by Emperor Xuanyuan.
He mobilized an army of eight hundred thousand and marched in mighty force to suppress the Seventy-Two Tribes of the Northern Plains.
Under Qin Zhenxian's command, the Heavenly Flame Empire's soldiers won battle after battle.
Not only did they successfully retake the cities captured by the Seventy-Two Tribes of the Northern Plains,
they also pressed their advantage and surrounded the main army of the Seventy-Two Tribes of the Northern Plains.
Upon a boundless wasteland stretching hundreds of thousands of miles, with no end in sight.
Wails and screams rang without cease, shaking heaven and earth.
Countless well-disciplined, superbly equipped soldiers were frantically slaughtering the experts of the Seventy-Two Tribes of the Northern Plains.
Their attacks were vicious, cold, and merciless.
Other than enemies, even the elderly, the young, women, and children found it hard to escape their slaughter.
It was called a great battle, but in truth, it was a one-sided massacre.
In the void, a white-haired old man with a formidable aura was coughing up blood without end.
His entire body had long been dyed crimson with blood.
His aura was terrifying. He was a peak Saint Lord expert.
Only a single step away from entering the Quasi-Emperor realm.
Unfortunately.
He was now gravely wounded, barely able to preserve his life.
Even his expression had become utterly listless.
Before him stood a middle-aged man clad in a python robe, his features resolute and his bearing extraordinary.
The man wore no expression as he looked down from above, quietly admiring the massacre before him.
His aura was restrained, as deep as an abyss.
He inspired instinctive awe, unfathomable and inscrutable.
This man was none other.
Than one of the Heavenly Flame Empire's foremost powerful nobles, the current Divine Marquis of Zhenguo, Qin Zhenxian.
"Qin Zhenxian, you dog! You clearly promised me before that once my tribe surrendered, you would guarantee the safety of everyone in my tribe."
"Who would have thought that you, a dignified Divine Marquis of Zhenguo, would break your word and go back on your promises?"
The old man stared fixedly at Qin Zhenxian and roared in unwilling fury.
Hearing the old man's hysterical questioning,
a faint sneer appeared at the corner of Qin Zhenxian's mouth.
"You do not even understand the simple principle that all is fair in war, yet you have lived for tens of thousands of years. You have truly lived into a dog's belly."
"You Seventy-Two Tribes of the Northern Plains have received great favor from my Heavenly Flame Empire, yet you suddenly rebelled. You deserve nothing but death."
"By Emperor Xuanyuan's command, this Marquis must thoroughly exterminate you bandits to the last."
"What a fine line—having received great favor from the Heavenly Flame Empire."
"You of the Heavenly Flame Empire treat the people of our Seventy-Two Tribes of the Northern Plains as slaves, trampling our dignity without restraint."
"And now you seek to wipe us out completely. You are utterly devoid of conscience."
The old man's face twisted savagely, his eyes blazing with fury.
If looks could kill, Qin Zhenxian would already have been cut into ten thousand pieces.
Watching helplessly as his clansmen died one after another beneath the butchers' blades of the Heavenly Flame Empire's soldiers.
Under his extreme rage, his expression had long since twisted beyond recognition.
He roared madly, "Qin Zhenxian, this old man will fight you to the death!"
As he spoke, the old man frantically circulated all the spiritual power in his body.
Like a mad dog, he charged toward Qin Zhenxian.
"A mayfly shaking a tree, knowing not its own strength."
Qin Zhenxian showed not the slightest concern at the sight.
The mocking smile on his lips only became more pronounced.
"This Marquis knows that cultivating to your level was no easy feat. I originally intended to place a soul-shackle upon you and make you serve the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate."
"Since you insist on seeking death, then do not blame this Marquis for showing no mercy."
As he spoke, Qin Zhenxian waved his hand.
A massive, illusory handprint suddenly emerged in the sky.
Before you continue