Duke of Lu knew that Jing Jiu was very close to His Majesty the Divine Emperor, closer even than anyone could imagine.
Back then, Jing Jiu had entered the palace to meet His Majesty, and the very next day, His Majesty had stopped Consort Hu's medicine and prepared to strip Prince Jing Xin of his status.
This had thoroughly shocked Duke of Lu.
Who could have imagined that the Green Mountain Sect's influence over the Imperial Palace was so great, and so deeply concealed?
But the Zhongzhou Sect was, after all, the greatest sect in the world. In the south, it might not have been as powerful as Green Mountain, but its deep roots in Chaoge City were beyond Green Mountain's reach.
Moreover, One-Thatch Studio had taken an extremely hard line...
His Majesty was the sovereign of all under heaven. What he sought was peace for a thousand generations, so he had to consider the views of the majority and could not readily settle the matter with a single word.
Duke of Lu had deliberately said this because he feared Jing Jiu would come to resent His Majesty over the matter.
He had not expected Jing Jiu to leave his remark unanswered and instead ask to see the Little Imperial Prince straightaway. What did this mean?
The night was deep, and the imperial city was utterly quiet. Duke of Lu led Jing Jiu outside Consort Hu's palace and notified those inside by some unknown means.
No lamps were lit. The palace remained as quiet as before, and a matron quietly led them in through a side gate.
Duke of Lu stopped before the hall and continued admiring his own shadow with his head lowered.
He was unsure whether he ought to hear the conversation that followed. Since Jing Jiu had