The Flying Boat descended slowly, landing on the imperial carriage grounds south of the palace.
Midnight in the Capital City was quiet, just like the atmosphere aboard the Flying Boat.
Faced with Qin Yanying's relentless insistence,
Eunuch Hong looked awkward, but could only patiently explain, "General Qin, this matter isn't that simple. Think about it: if the Prime Minister really were the mastermind, would he have chosen to act on his own boat?
Great Gan now commands the respect of the four seas. Barbarians, Rong, Di, demons, and evil spirits have all submitted. There must be countless people with ulterior motives hoping to bring Great Gan crashing down, which is why they're trying to sow discord between the general and the prime minister..."
Qin Yanying impatiently cut him off. "Then why couldn't the person with ulterior motives be that treacherous prime minister?"
Eunuch Hong choked. "Well..."
Qin Yanying knitted her brows, a flash of wisdom glinting in her eyes. "The art of war says that the most dangerous place is the safest place. Maybe that treacherous prime minister is trying to hide in plain sight, making himself the prime suspect so he can clear himself. Doesn't that make sense?"
Eunuch Hong: "Well..."
The others were all dumbfounded, never imagining the matter could be explained that way.
Qin Muye couldn't help applauding. "Brilliant!"
Qin Yanying patted Qin Muye on the shoulder. "People's hearts in the capital are complicated, Muye. You still have a lot to learn from your aunt."
Qin Muye: "..."
He'd actually wondered if the Prime Minister might be the mastermind, too.
But he'd quickly ruled out the possibility.
Because as long as the real culprit wasn't caught, the Prime Minister would keep getting blamed. Judging by the outcome, he'd still suffer a huge loss to his reputation. Damn... so much for hiding in plain sight.
But Qin Yanying couldn't be blamed.
The Prime Minister's Mansion had played no small part in driving Third Uncle to his death.
When Qin Kaijiang and the emperor disagreed politically, it had also been the Prime Minister's Mansion that branded the Qin Family as rebels, advocated stripping them of the Marquis of Southern Suppression title, and demanded the entire Qin Family be exiled.
Even the reason the original owner had grown so insecure, sensitive, and twisted after returning to the capital had a lot to do with the Prime Minister's youngest son.
Even this time, he'd gone to the Flower Boat because he'd been baited into it.
It was like having a classmate who loved farting.
During class, a fart suddenly rang out, and it even seemed to come from his direction.
Even if nobody knew who it was, everyone would still turn to look.
After being fobbed off again and again, Qin Yanying grew even more annoyed. "Eunuch Hong! Whether the treacherous prime minister is the real culprit will be clear once we confront him. Do you think I can't tell black from white? Besides, setting this matter aside, we still have to settle the score for that little beast in his family bullying my Muye!"
Eunuch Hong wiped the sweat from his forehead and could only nod. "Then General Qin and the heir can wait here a moment. This old servant will go inform His Majesty!"
"Go, and come back quickly!"
Qin Yanying rolled up her sleeves and rubbed her hands together, as if warming up.
Chen Sui's temples throbbed as he watched. He quietly said, "Yan Ying, about this matter..."
Qin Yanying cut in, "Are you helping me or the treacherous prime minister?"
Chen Sui choked. "Well..."
Qin Yanying gave a scornful laugh. "Don't you dare say again that you're only helping the truth! If you already know I don't like hearing what you have to say, then just don't say it!"
Chen Sui: "..."
Watching Qin Yanying roll up her sleeves, ready to avenge her nephew, Bai Yuji was dazed for a moment.
Then she stepped forward and linked arms with her. "Aunt, how did they bully Qin Lang?"
Qin Yanying snorted. "You know about Muye offering his marrow. Ever since he returned to the capital, he's been weak and sickly, rarely meeting outsiders. Then that little beast found a woman and had her claim she'd fallen for my Muye, and then..."
"Ahem!"
Qin Muye coughed.
Realizing she'd let something slip, Qin Yanying hurriedly corrected herself. "Anyway, they took a blow at Muye! Nephew's wife, you have to remember this grudge. That woman wasn't as pretty as you, her breasts weren't as big, and her ass wasn't as perky. What gave her the right to bully Muye?"
Bai Yuji: "..."
Qin Muye: "..."
All he wanted to say was, Aunt, you really do have a keen eye!
As it happened, that little bastard's methods really were filthy. Because of the Qin Family's political stance, they had a terrible reputation among the capital's influential families. But the original owner had earned an excellent reputation among the common people by offering his marrow, so those spoiled young masters didn't dare openly clash with him.
But there were plenty of ways for those young masters to humiliate someone.
For instance, they could send his kind, gentle cousin to seduce a kidney-deficient young master into bed, then complain nonstop in bed about how useless he was, leave everything undone, and pull up her pants and run.
Then they could keep grinding away at his confidence, again and again, under the guise of joking.
Finally, they could find a few big, burly men and try to turn him gay.
If they pulled off that last step, even a righteous and devoted heir who'd offered his marrow would become a complete laughingstock.
Fortunately, the organization behind Bai Yuji had stepped in early. Otherwise, in a few more months, things might really have gone that far.
Qin Muye pinched his slightly chubby belly, feeling a pang of anguish.
To be honest, this body had so little masculine appeal because of its chubbiness.
It wasn't exactly ugly, but if he wore it back to his previous life, he might get put on Rong City's must-eat list.
No wonder that little bastard had come up with such a vile, pus-dripping idea.
Damn it!
He'd lose weight!
He absolutely had to lose weight.
Just then,
he suddenly felt someone squeeze his arm. Turning his head, he saw Bai Yuji looking at him.
"Why are you looking at me?"
"You don't have to feel sad. I'll help you get even from now on."
"..."
Qin Muye choked. She was awfully diligent about pretending to care for him. It was kind of embarrassing.
The few of them continued chatting.
Though really, it was mostly Qin Yanying talking with her nephew's wife. The two women, one big and one small, were getting along like a house on fire.
Chen Sui, the fake uncle-in-law, tried to join in several times, but Qin Yanying told him to shut up each time.
But even the liveliest conversation grew tiresome after a while.
Just as Qin Yanying was starting to get impatient,
Eunuch Hong finally came hurrying back on quick, mincing steps, panting for breath. "General Qin, Heir, Commander Chen, His Majesty will see you!"
Qin Yanying reflexively asked, "What about my nephew's wife?"
Bai Yuji hurriedly said, "Aunt, I'm a stranger here, so it really wouldn't be appropriate for me to meet His Majesty in the middle of the night. There are imperial guards protecting me here. You don't need to worry about my safety."
"What a sensible girl!"
Qin Yanying patted the back of her hand. "Then I'm sorry to leave you waiting here for a while."
Then the three of them followed Eunuch Hong toward the palace gates.
The palace walls were built entirely of basalt, with incredibly intricate and profound formations carved into them. In the night, they seemed both misty and gilded, magnificent and mysterious.
The vermilion gates stood a full three zhang tall.
As the group approached, a halo suddenly shimmered around the stone lions in front of the gates. Then they emitted a pale blue-white glow, which coalesced into the phantom of a lion beast many times their size, radiating immense pressure.
The phantom lowered its head and gently sniffed the four of them. Once it had confirmed their identities, it withdrew back into the stone lions.
"That's pretty scary!"
Qin Muye wiped the sweat from his temple. He knew that inside those stone lions were the actual Primordial Spirits of lion beasts.
Now that Great Gan had Ten Thousand Demons Coming to Court, countless great demons had submitted to the imperial court. Take the Primordial Spirit inside those stone lions, for example: its strength was at least equivalent to that of a third-rank human grandmaster. Yet after coming to Great Gan, it could only serve as a gate guard.
Great Gan's prosperity was truly unprecedented.
Qin Yanying quickened her pace, giving him earnest advice as she walked. "Muye! When you confront him in front of His Majesty, you mustn't get worked up. We're in the right. Don't let your temper turn us into the ones in the wrong. People's hearts in the capital are complicated. We generals especially need to learn to control our emotions."
Qin Muye nodded solemnly. "All right!"
Hearing the aunt and nephew say this, Eunuch Hong and Chen Sui finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Before long, they arrived outside the sleeping palace.
By the time they got there, an old man and a young man were already waiting at the entrance.
The old man stood while the young one knelt.
But the younger man was clearly unconvinced. He muttered, "Father! I just don't get it. That good-for-nothing lost it himself. Why blame us? I did set him up, but he was the one who couldn't perform. If he'd just been able to get it up, I wouldn't have been able to..."
He suddenly shuddered, feeling a fierce gale sweep toward him.
Qin Yanying launched a flying kick. "You little beast, die!"
Qin Muye: "..."
Aunt?
Wasn't she supposed to control her emotions?
Before you continue