The Great Gan's First Kind (Third Update!)

Even before the Ten Thousand Races Imperial Examination had arrived, merchant caravans from the Hu lands had already begun arriving in the Capital City one after another.

This made the already bustling city appear even more lively.

The imperial court had already issued an order to lift the curfew for ten consecutive days, lasting until the end of the Ten Thousand Races Imperial Examination.

Therefore, even though the sky had already darkened, the main streets remained as bright as day.

However, the Prime Minister's Mansion was uncharacteristically cold and quiet.

For several days now, Shen Kui had claimed to be suffering from a severe illness, not only closing his doors to guests but also failing to attend the morning court sessions for days on end.

From dawn until dusk, he fished and played chess, enjoying himself immensely.

Yet, this particular game of chess had been at a stalemate for half an hour.

Shen Kui felt a bit dissatisfied; he sat up from his recliner, glared at his youngest son who was scratching his head in frustration across the board, and said unhappily, "How has your chess skill dropped so much, boy? Can you spare some energy away from women's bellies?"

Shen Jin gave a dry laugh and scratched his head helplessly.

He felt that his brain matter and his life essence looked so similar that they must be the same thing.

If one was over-consumed, the other would definitely suffer.

Take himself, for instance: ever since Qingqiu Ningning had joined them, he felt as if his head had been submerged in a land of gentleness, living in a drunken stupor every day, and he had indeed become much duller.

Coupled with the troubles weighing on his mind, he simply couldn't focus his attention on the chessboard.

Shen Kui furrowed his brows and asked thoughtfully, "Your arch-rival has fallen into misfortune, so why haven't you shown any reaction these past few days?"

Shen Jin's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly smiled to explain, "Didn't you say so yourself, Father? Nothing good ever comes from getting involved with Qin Muye. As your son, shouldn't I listen to my father?"

Shen Kui thought about it; that logic held true.

But when had this boy ever been so obedient?

Something felt off.

Just as he was about to ask something else, he saw a tall, upright young man striding toward them.

"Father!"

The young man stood still before Shen Kui and bowed respectfully.

He was Shen Kui's eldest son, Shen Luo, the current Principal Seventh Rank Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Justice.

Shen Kui looked at his eldest son with satisfaction and asked with a smile, "How is the situation now?"

Shen Luo replied respectfully, "Hu Huan is absolutely furious this time. He went to the Great Sage Temple and invited many great demons to stand for him, swearing to have Qin Yanying executed."

Shen Kui sipped his tea unhurriedly and smiled meaningfully, "They certainly have confidence! When do they plan to hold the trial?"

"The Demon Official who is supposed to come will arrive tomorrow, so they have set it for tomorrow."

Shen Luo's expression was somewhat grave, "Father! Are we truly not going to intervene? Now is not the time to fall out with the Qin Family. Although Qin Yanying is hard to kill, if she is locked in a prison managed by those Demon Official, the Southwest might erupt into rebellion in just a few years."

Shen Kui set down his teacup and smiled faintly, "Rebellion, you say? Then we shall see if Qin Kaijiang dares to do it! From today on, you are not to leave the house either; just watch the changes as they unfold."

"Father..."

Shen Luo was somewhat suspicious. Although he knew that the enmity between the Shen Family and the Qin Family had existed for a long time and that a falling out was inevitable, in his view, it was far too early to break ties with the Qin Family.

Why...

Could it be that his father had already grasped a trump card that could easily keep the Southwest in check?

He felt uneasy, but seeing Shen Kui's confident demeanor, he chose to trust his father.

Moreover, the Shen Family had a good relationship with those Demon Official. If they were to obstruct them for the sake of the so-called big picture and fall out with the Demon Official faction, only the Shen Family's interests would suffer.

However, if they let those Demon Official have their way, it was truly unlikely that Qin Yanying would have a good outcome.

After all, the status of the Yayu among the Demon Official was not just talk.

Imperial Princess Mansion.

After listening to Pu Mingzhu's report, Li Xingluo's expression turned gloomy, and she couldn't help but snort coldly, "The Yayu certainly has a lot of influence to have invited all those great demons."

Pu Mingzhu sighed softly, "Although those old things care about their reputation, as long as they are sitting in the back office, the presiding judge will not dare to ignore them. Imperial Princess, this time..."

Just as she was speaking.

The doorman hurried over, "Imperial Princess, Daoist Kongxu has arrived."

"Invite him in at once!"

"Yes!"

Before long, the doorman led a puppet over with quick steps.

The puppet cupped its hands, "Did the Imperial Princess summon this poor Daoist because there has been progress?"

Li Xingluo nodded, her expression grave, "The situation is not optimistic. This time..."

She recounted the current situation exactly as it was, and finally added, "The situation is now precarious. First, we must break through the blockade of the Court of State Ceremonial, and second, we must obtain the support of the Emperor. Is the Master willing to... present the Flying Boat to the Emperor?"

"This..."

"I understand your concerns, sir. You built this Flying Boat solely to bolster the military strength of our human race, yet you worry about the Emperor's ambiguous attitude toward the Demon Official. In truth, there is no need for such worry. When one carries a sharp blade, the intent to kill arises naturally; the Imperial Father is not a cowardly man."

"The Imperial Princess speaks with reason!"

The puppet nodded: "However, how can we bypass the blockade of the Court of State Ceremonial?"

Li Xingluo pondered for a moment: "This... will require someone to risk their life!"

"Who?"

"The informant, and also... the Qin Family!"

"Once everything is accomplished, can you help General Qin clear her name?"

"I will do my best to keep her confined within the prison of the Brocade Guard."

"..."

The puppet did not speak.

Li Xingluo hesitated: "Is the sir not satisfied?"

The puppet said directly: "Indeed, I am somewhat dissatisfied. You and I have sacrificed so much, and we must still ask the informant and the Qin Family to risk their lives, only to exchange it for such an outcome. It is not worth it!"

Hearing this.

Pu Mingzhu could not help but knit her brows. Given the current status of the Demon Official, achieving even this much was no small feat, yet this stubborn old man was actually still unsatisfied.

Did he truly think the Imperial Princess could cover the sky with one hand?

Just as she prepared to say something.

Li Xingluo asked instead: "Does the sir have a better strategy?"

The puppet pondered for a moment: "I do have one, but it requires the Imperial Princess to take a bit of a risk. If it succeeds, not only is there hope to completely clear General Qin of her crimes, but we can also let those blood-drinking beasts know what the price is!"

"I am willing to hear the details!"

Li Xingluo's eyes showed some astonishment; she had not expected him to dare make such a guarantee.

The puppet's tone was filled with malice.

It made her appreciate him all the more!

Pu Mingzhu, however, was somewhat dismissive, thinking to herself that this man truly considered himself a god.

But after listening to the puppet finish.

Both women were stunned, looking at each other for a long time.

It took quite a while for them to recover their senses.

Only then did Li Xingluo exclaim in admiration: "The sir is truly a divine man!"

She had originally thought he only possessed some immature insights.

As it turned out, these methods of solicitation and division could be described as quite ruthless.

Moreover, the feasibility was extremely high!

The puppet waved his hand: "These are matters for later. Before we rescue General Qin, everything else is mere vanity."

Li Xingluo could not help but sigh: "They all say that Great Gan, with ten thousand demons coming to pay homage, is a rare and prosperous age. It is a pity that a ruler who rises by this will surely perish by it. For the sake of this false prosperity, the price paid is truly too great. Who could have imagined that just wanting to rescue General Qin would require taking such a massive risk."

Pu Mingzhu frowned and asked: "Imperial Princess! Do you think Qin Muye... would dare?"

Li Xingluo was also somewhat uncertain: "I only hope that the Capital City has not worn away his spirit over these years, and that he can still have the guts he had when the Heir offered his marrow!"

The puppet: "..."

There is no curfew in the Capital City.

At the hour of the dog, even the city gates were not closed; people came and went in an endless stream.

To ensure the normal operation of the Ten Thousand Races Imperial Examination, the various units of the Imperial Guard were all deployed to inspect the vehicles and pedestrians entering the city.

"Stop!"

A small leader of the Imperial Guard blocked a carriage, his gaze sweeping over the two teams of guards behind it.

The carriage was unremarkable.

But the people behind it clearly possessed a temperament similar to his own, and their momentum was even a notch higher. Each of them led a tall, fine horse; they were clearly not ordinary commoners.

Soldiers!

And elite ones at that!

He knocked on the door frame of the carriage: "Who are you?"

A handsome youth lifted the curtain and smiled as he handed over a waist medallion: "The Qin Family, Qin Mingri!"