My Turn to Take the Stage

Wang Daoyuan and the White-robed Youth both froze.

A question surfaced in their minds.

How did he know His Majesty had personally come to Two Rivers Prefecture?!!

"What nonsense are you spouting?!"

Wang Daoyuan reacted swiftly. His eyes widened, terror surging through his heart.

Only a handful of people in all of Two Rivers Prefecture knew the secret of His Majesty traveling incognito.

This was a matter of utmost secrecy.

Whoever dared leak it would face the death penalty!!

Who had told him?!

And he had blurted out this earth-shattering secret in front of so many people!

At that thought, cold sweat streamed down Wang Daoyuan's back as he desperately searched his memory.

Back at the apothecary, he hadn't told this brat about it, had he?

Zeng Anmin's gaze remained calm.

He knew that after saying this, he would soon meet His Majesty.

And his plan could swiftly proceed.

The root of his father's imprisonment was the loss of the Dragon Survey Map. If he could find it, every problem would be solved as easily as a blade through bamboo.

Just as expected.

Just as Wang Daoyuan, beside himself with rage, was about to seize him, a leisurely voice rang out:

"Hand him over to me."

Zeng Anmin immediately turned toward the source of the voice.

He saw the White-robed Youth slowly drifting over from afar.

The White-robed Youth possessed an uncanny beauty. Though his hair was entirely white, every strand was incomparably sleek!

His eyes, rippling with light, drifted coolly over Zeng Anmin's face.

After a moment, his lips curled into a bewitching smile as charming as a young maiden's.

"If you cannot answer for your words, you will wish you were dead."

His tone was light, as though he were merely discussing some ordinary matter.

As the words fell, he arrived. In the blink of an eye, he had already floated before Zeng Anmin.

Zeng Anmin sighed inwardly.

This guy moved even more smoothly than his hair...

Zeng Anmin had barely been able to make out the movement by which he had drifted over in the blink of an eye.

"I not only know where the Dragon Survey Map is, I also know who the true culprit is—the one who plotted against my father!!"

Zeng Anmin looked openly at the White-robed Youth, his voice resolute.

"If there is a single false word in this, then take my head!"

The surroundings fell silent.

A gentle breeze blew, stirring the long hair before Zeng Anmin's forehead. Beneath the warm sun, he carried a peculiar confidence unique to youth.

"Heh."

The white-haired, white-robed youth gave a faint laugh and directly extended a hand as fair as jade toward Zeng Anmin.

"In that case, come with me."

The next moment, the sensation of riding clouds and mist swept over Zeng Anmin.

His vision blurred, and the scene rapidly shifted.

One breath ago, he had been standing at the entrance of the Xuanjing Division. The next, he was already more than a dozen zhang away from its gates.

Though he felt dizzy and disoriented,

Zeng Anmin's eyes shone brightly.

He knew that his moment to perform had arrived!

Whether his father could leave prison, whether he could continue his ancestral dream of hawking and hounding, all depended on what he did next!

Two Rivers Prefecture.

Prefectural Mansion.

Within the rear garden.

A figure sat calmly upon a stone bench, his gaze sharp and his slanted brows like swords.

Clad in a full robe of purple, he held a white stone with a composed expression and placed it upon the board before him.

"Clack."

After setting down the white stone, he slowly rose and walked expressionlessly to the empty stone bench opposite him, where he picked up a black stone.

Frowning as he pondered for a long while, he stared at the sharply divided black-and-white board, unable to decide where to place it as he sank into thought.

He was actually playing chess against himself.

A young girl stood beside him, gazing curiously at the chessboard.

Grievance flickered in her wide, innocent eyes as she pouted.

"Father Emperor, why not rest a little more? We finally came down to Jiangnan, yet you will not take Ning An out for a stroll. You still spend all day thinking about this chessboard..."

Emperor Jianhong's train of thought was interrupted by the girl, yet there was not the slightest displeasure on his face.

He raised his head with a faint smile and reached out to stroke Princess Ning'an's head in comfort.

"Once I have finished handling this major case, I will naturally take you out."

Princess Ning'an's face fell. Then she turned away, puffing out her cheeks.

"Cases, cases... He is only a Governor, after all. He colluded with the Demon Race—just kill him and wipe out his nine clans. The Great Sage Dynasty is brimming with talent; can't we find someone to replace him?"

Jianhong's gaze did not shift in the slightest. He rubbed his slightly throbbing temples, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

"Zeng Shilin has rendered meritorious service to the Great Sage Dynasty. He is also a Great Scholar, and the tangled roots behind him run exceedingly deep."

"How could dealing with this be as easy as you say?"

After saying that, he lowered his head and focused completely on studying the moves upon the chessboard.

"Your Majesty, the White-robed Venerable requests an audience." A respectful, cautious voice sounded.

Emperor Jianhong continued staring at the board and gave a slight nod.

Before long, the White-robed Youth slowly appeared within the garden.

The smile had vanished from his face, replaced by seriousness and respect.

Emperor Jianhong slowly placed a stone while looking at the board. Without raising his head, he spoke.

"Have Zeng Shilin's family members been properly dealt with?"

The White-robed Youth bowed deeply, his expression solemn.

"In reply to Your Majesty, everything has been properly handled. I have come before Your Majesty this time to report an urgent matter."

Emperor Jianhong cast him a sidelong glance.

The White-robed Youth bent even lower.

"Zeng Shilin's only son, Zeng Anmin, claims to know where the Dragon Survey Map is. He also claims to know who is behind the plot against his father."

Emperor Jianhong's gaze suddenly sharpened.

Without uttering a word, he turned the atmosphere of the entire garden into an icy abyss.

The White-robed Youth's fingers trembled. His face, handsome enough to resemble a woman's, lifted beneath the oppressive pressure as he spoke with difficulty.

"Wang Daoyuan wished to trick him into fleeing, then kill him on the spot. He saw through it and obediently followed the escorting party, escaping that calamity."

"Moreover, no one told him that Your Majesty had personally come to Two Rivers Prefecture, yet he exposed it before everyone... This subordinate suspects he deduced it himself."

"With such cunning, he is certainly no man who speaks wild boasts."

Emperor Jianhong's hand holding the chess stone paused slightly before he nodded and said calmly.

"Summon him."

"Yes."

The pressure on the White-robed Youth abruptly vanished. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, rose, and walked outside.

A short while later.

Zeng Anmin was brought before Emperor Jianhong.

"This commoner, Zeng Anmin, pays respects to Your Majesty!! May Your Majesty live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!"

Upon seeing the Emperor, Zeng Anmin performed a salute.

"Pfft."

His comical words of homage made the girl named Ning An at Jianhong's side laugh.

Ning An giggled. "This criminal really does know how to rattle off auspicious phrases."

Zeng Anmin shot her a glance.

What do you know about television? What do you know about movies?

This was how it was always acted out in novels and television dramas!

But this little lady is really stunning!

Emperor Jianhong paid this no mind and merely watched the chessboard beneath his hand in silence.

"You know where the Dragon Survey Map is?"

Zeng Anmin was somewhat curious about the Emperor.

He secretly raised his head, stealing a fleeting glance before lowering it again.

Respect appeared on his face as he took a deep breath.

"In reply to Your Majesty, the Dragon Survey Map was never lost! It is still in the Map Repository of the Xuanjing Division."