Qing Li's calm words rang in their ears like a thunderclap.
Ji Ruxue sprang up from the bed and ordered Hong Yu:
"Mobilize every resource at our disposal. I want to know exactly what happened to the Left Wei Guard!"
"Also, go confirm things with Jun Tianxiao. He may not be the Commander of Left Wei Guard, but Zhao Yun is one of his subordinates. He should be able to find out something from him."
"Yes."
Hong Yu bowed slightly, then turned and hurried out of the Imperial Study.
Watching Hong Yu leave, Ji Ruxue lay back down on the bed, once more a languid enchantress, and waited quietly.
She had thought it wouldn't take long this time, but a full hour passed before Hong Yu returned to the Imperial Study.
And the stern calmness on his face was gone, replaced by an exceedingly rare look of panic.
Ji Ruxue remembered the last time she had seen him wearing that expression. It had been the last time...
Perhaps Hong Yu's expression had stirred her emotions. Ji Ruxue slowly sat upright, a hint of urgency entering her voice as she asked:
"How did the investigation go?"
Hong Yu didn't even have time to catch his breath before hurriedly reporting what he had learned.
"Your Majesty, our spies can't get any information out of the Left Wei Guard."
"Marquis Anle went to the Left Wei Guard Barracks this morning and still hasn't returned to his manor. We can't learn the latest news from him."
"Right now, unless someone enters the Left Wei Guard Barracks through the proper channels, there's no way for us to find out what happened to the Left Wei Guard."
Ji Ruxue hadn't expected that, after investigating for so long, all they would have to show for it was a handful of unknowns.
She found it absurd and looked at Hong Yu with displeasure.
"How did it take you so long to find out so little?"
Hong Yu knew this time he had made a mistake and failed to distinguish what mattered most. He hurriedly begged forgiveness.
"Please forgive me, Your Majesty. The reason I took so long to report back is that Marquis Anle has gone missing."
"What? He's a living, breathing man. How could he go missing? And he has Zhao Yun with him, a man on par with a Peak Spirit Transformation Realm expert!"
"If he wanted to flee, hardly anyone in the entire capital could stop him without a trace, aside from the old monsters in the Void Refinement Realm."
"And he only left this morning. It hasn't even been a full day. How can you be sure he's really missing?"
While Ji Ruxue vented, Hong Yu took the opportunity to steady his breathing before speaking again:
"Your Majesty, I immediately sent Xuan Niao Guard agents to the Left Wei Guard Barracks and Anle Marquis Manor."
"The Xuan Niao Guard agents sent to the Left Wei Guard Barracks were stopped outside."
"When they tried to force their way in and contact Zhao Yun, twelve early-stage Spirit Transformation Realm Body Cultivators suddenly appeared."
"Perhaps out of consideration for your presence, they only beat the Xuan Niao Guard agents until they were gravely wounded, then tossed them outside the barracks and left them there."
"Our spies had to drag those agents back."
"According to their report after they woke up, the exact situation with the Left Wei Guard remains unknown, but they have indeed entered a state of readiness for war."
"They suspect that Zhao Yun, Commander of Left Wei Guard, may have met with misfortune."
"Judging by the Golden Core Realm Body Cultivator who appeared beside Duke of Wei a week ago, those twelve Spirit Transformation Realm Body Cultivators probably also belong to the Wei State Duke Mansion."
"Bang!"
"This is utterly outrageous!"
"Is the Wei State Duke Mansion planning to rebel?"
Hearing that the Left Wei Guard had brazenly attacked her Xuan Niao Guard agents,
Ji Ruxue was so furious she shattered the table with a single palm strike. She wanted nothing more than to rush out and teach them a lesson herself.
But reason told her that this was far from over.
"What about Marquis Anle? Why do you say he's missing?"
This was the first time Hong Yu had seen Ji Ruxue lose control like this. He lowered his head and pretended he hadn't seen a thing.
"According to the Xuan Niao Guard agents sent to Anle Marquis Manor, Marquis Anle entered the Left Wei Guard Barracks this morning and hasn't returned."
"Based on his routine over the past week, Marquis Anle only visited the Left Wei Guard Barracks in the mornings, and always returned to his manor for lunch before noon."
"But today Marquis Anle didn't return, nor did he send word through his attendants or guards."
"Judging by what happened to the Xuan Niao Guard agents sent to the Left Wei Guard Barracks, both Marquis Anle and his general Zhao Yun may have met with misfortune."
"But at this stage, we don't have enough information. Most of our conclusions are based on speculation, so for now we're listing them as missing."
"However, if both men really have met with misfortune, then judging by Zhao Yun's ability to fight a Peak Spirit Transformation Realm expert to a standstill,"
"the enemy must be at least in the Mid Void Refinement Realm to have eliminated him without a trace."
After hearing Hong Yu's report, Ji Ruxue's head began to buzz. Her eyes were briefly clouded with confusion.
She truly hadn't expected things to develop like this.
Hadn't she merely taken a quarter of the Wei State Duke Mansion's military power?
Hadn't she merely failed to punish Lü Qingjian in time and restore the Wei State Duke Mansion's face?
How had things ended up like this?
And what was a Mid Void Refinement Realm cultivator doing in the Left Wei Guard Barracks?
What about the other guards...
Ji Ruxue suddenly came to her senses and fixed her gaze on Hong Yu.
"What's the situation with the Left and Right Xiao Guards and the You Wei Guard?"
Hong Yu kept his head lowered. He couldn't see Ji Ruxue's expression, but her scorching gaze made him uneasy.
"Your Majesty, Meng Qianxue has stepped down as Commander of Right Wei Guard and has now returned to the Wei State Duke Mansion."
"The position of Commander of Right Wei Guard has been filled by another candidate appointed by Duke of Wei."
"The Left and Right Xiao Guards have also begun mobilizing for war. There have been no personnel changes, but the number of guards stationed on the walls and at the city gates has increased several times over."
Silence fell over the Imperial Study.
Ji Ruxue lay weakly on the bed. The Commander of Left Wei Guard had apparently been forcibly replaced, and the one who acted was at least in the Mid Void Refinement Realm.
The Commander of Right Wei Guard had also been replaced at the same time. It was hard to be sure the new commander wasn't in the Void Refinement Realm.
With two Void Refinement Realm experts commanding their Military Formation, they could grind the three Void Refinement Realm Deans of Taihua Academy to pulp.
Even she, a cultivator in the early stage of the Body Integration Realm, was wary of a cultivator army formation. She might not die, but she certainly wouldn't come out of it unscathed.
It seems I'll have to make some sacrifices, Ji Ruxue thought to herself.
Then she looked at Hong Yu, who stood meekly with his head lowered, and felt at a loss.
It seemed she really had lost her temper just now. Even Hong Yu, who was usually so lively, had been frightened into a meek little lamb.
"Hong Yu, have the Xuan Niao Guard secretly deliver an order to Yun Congnan and Qiu Ziqin. They're to take those who don't belong to Lü Qingjian's faction—"
"and withdraw from Taihua Academy for the time being. Make sure no one gets wind of it, especially Lü Qingjian."
At the order, Hong Yu jerked his head up as if he'd heard something unbelievable.
He asked in surprise, "Your Majesty, is that really necessary?"
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