Suotu went out quickly and returned just as quickly.
His expression did not look good.
Walking up to Chu Jinghui, Suotu reported, "Your Majesty, it... it was Wei Sizhong. He... he collapsed outside the hall."
Upon hearing that Wei Sizhong had collapsed, Chu Jinghui instinctively frowned, but he soon recovered.
He said calmly, "Since he has come along, he might as well accompany me to the Capital Outskirts for a look."
"Your Majesty, this..."
Hearing that Chu Jinghui actually intended to visit the Taoist Temple in the Capital Outskirts himself, Suotu grew tense.
Aside from the fact that the Taoist Temple was in utter disarray and utterly unfit to receive the emperor, the potentially grave consequences posed by those three thousand people, whose physical condition remained uncertain, were reason enough for Suotu to prevent Chu Jinghui from going.
"What? Am I not even permitted to take a look for myself now?" Chu Jinghui shot Suotu a glare.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I have only just uncovered those underground chambers. The situation inside is tangled and complex. I dare not allow Your Majesty to put yourself in danger."
"Though I have not campaigned north and south and won illustrious victories as the late emperor did, I have personally donned armor and taken the field, staking my life against traitors! Are a mere three thousand people supposed to frighten me off now?"
Suotu bowed. "Your Majesty's courage is known throughout the world! My concerns arise only because those people are a mixture of fish and dragons. Moreover, the mountain has just suffered a great fire and is in chaos. I fear that ill-intentioned men might learn of this and seize the chance to stir up trouble and harm Your Majesty."
Chu Jinghui sneered. "All the better! I was just hoping to see