"Gentlemen, what did you make of what that Daoist said?"
In the Imperial City, after several chief ministers had fully grasped the situation, they returned together. To preserve secrecy and avoid needless trouble, they had not brought many officials, so few people knew of it and there were only so many with whom they could confer.
Thus, after leaving that house, Meng Qingbin asked the others for their opinions on the way back.
Cen Bo let out a cold laugh. "Nothing more than the ravings of some heterodox Daoist from beyond the pale. He merely wanted to exploit the present upheaval to swindle people with grandiose claims. That he actually tried to deceive us was truly unexpected."
"Indeed." Cai Que nodded. "If not for the young prince's sake, such demonic talk could never have been allowed to pass so lightly. For now, let him continue roaming free a while longer."
Xu Yingyi also said, "Though Xu has an old acquaintance with that Daoist, I will not let private ties interfere with public duty. This matter must still be handled impartially."
Meng Qingbin's heart stirred, and he tested the waters. "Oh? Since you all say so, we should first inform Wang Gong, Ma Gong, and Xu Gong, then let them decide."
Yet Cai Que said, "The elder prime ministers have been toiling without rest these past days and are already overburdened. They still have countless matters to handle. There is no need to trouble them over such a minor affair."
"So be it."
By then, Meng Qingbin had already grasped their thoughts. He knew that although they spoke pleasantly, they did believe it to some extent—and intended to make use of it.
Such a thing was unavoidable. Not to mention this world where Divine Abilities were manifest, even in Qiu Yan's