It really sounds absurd.
A dark cloud hung over Wang Ye; he sensed that the situation in the capital was far from simple.
When he left the capital, he had already heard rumors about this; in many places, people were saying that people who had died had appeared.
When he arrived in Liuzhou, he witnessed Chen Qing's methods and was no longer surprised by the reappearance of the dead. After all, if one Spirit Eye, the streets of Liuzhou were now filled with the ghosts of the dead. Zhou Haitao, who was in charge of Liuzhou's government affairs, was even playing chess and drinking tea with the head of the dead in Liuzhou from time to time.
But this time it feels different from Chen Qing's.
The old butler who had spoken to him at noon hadn't given him any particular feeling when they were together, but now, after the people around him mentioned that he was a dead man, for some reason, a chill ran down his spine. He had a feeling that he was being watched by some sinister force.
After Yuchi Feizhan led him into the central courtyard, he saw that familiar face from a distance.
As before, this guy liked to drink and brag with his subordinates whenever he had free time. The banquet hadn't even started yet, but the group of people were already flushed and reeking of alcohol, which could be smelled from several meters away.
"Hey, Wang Ye?" Yuchi Peng immediately sat up happily. "Why are you here? Didn't you go to Jiangnan?"
The surrounding military officers clearly knew about the relationship between Wang Ye and Yuchi Peng, and quickly made room for them.
Yuchi Feizhan bowed and was about to leave when Yuchi Peng waved and said, "Fei Zhan, it's rare for you to come back, so don't keep busy. Come and have a drink. Let the servants handle the rest."
"Yes, elder brother." Yuchi Feizhan respectfully as always before finding an inconspicuous spot to sit down.
Yuchi Peng glanced at him, muttered "Boring," and then looked at Wang Ye: "Brother, when did you get back?"
"I just got back today," Wang Ye said with a smile. "I originally wanted to talk to you, but when I got here I realized it was your birthday. It's my fault, I completely forgot your birthday."
"What's the big deal!" Yuchi Peng waved his hand dismissively. "My family didn't tell me, and I completely forgot. Someone reminded me, so I just hosted a feast to celebrate. Back when I was a general, no one reminded me, and the day still passed just like that, didn't it?"
" Wei Gongcheng wouldn't forget your birthday, would he?" Wang Ye said with a smile.
Yuchi Peng was taken aback, then nodded. "That's true. Gongcheng is so thoughtful; he's never forgotten my birthday. He always makes sure my brothers and I have a great time." He then looked at the other man. "You went to Jiangnan, did you see Gongcheng? How is he now? With such a big thing happening in Jiangnan, has he been affected?"
"He's doing great," Wang Ye smiled. "Much better off than when he was with you."
"Bullshit!" Yuchi Peng immediately rolled his eyes at the other person. "Isn't that how you comfort him? His legs are inconvenient now, how can he be any better?"
As he was talking, he stopped abruptly. The other person had difficulty walking, and he hadn't been able to properly settle them in. In the end, that kid Chen Qing had kidnapped them. Thinking about it still made him feel uneasy.
Wang Ye found it amusing. He wasn't lying; Wei Gongcheng was indeed living a very comfortable life. He had met him twice when he went to Liuzhou, and he could tell that Wei Gongcheng was clearly more satisfied with his life than before. He always had a confident smile on his face, completely different from his previous humble smile. It was a feeling of youthful vigor and spirit.
He had known Yuchi for over ten years, and he had never seen this kind of emotion in Wei Gongcheng before.
That makes sense. Wei Gongcheng now controls the Underworld of Liuzhou, with millions of souls under his management. He has personally created an unprecedented underworld. This kind of thing sounds much more fulfilling than working as an assistant to some fool.
This can be seen from the fact that the other party can chat and laugh with the third master of the Shen Family. In the past Wei Gongcheng was always somewhat humble when facing a sorcerer like himself. How different he is now!
"By the way, you're back from Jiangnan. Has the matter been resolved?" Yuchi Peng asked curiously.
Upon hearing this, Wang Ye frowned and looked at the other party. Yuchi Peng's position was not low, and his status was that of a Duke. How could he be completely unaware of the current situation in Jiangnan?
After thinking for a moment, Wang Ye said, "The situation is not very optimistic."
"Still not optimistic?" Yuchi Peng immediately became anxious. "How could that be? The Duke of Qin's army, with that woman behind them, cough cough, and Her Highness the Princess leading the Golden Dragon Guard to provide support, with this force, they could easily wipe out Cloud Capital, right? Is the situation in Jiangnan really that troublesome?"
He was getting itchy to do it; he'd actually been wanting to get down to business for a while now.
"It's not that simple." A strange glint flashed in Wang Ye's eyes, but he shook his head calmly and said, "By the way, I was also wondering why Her Highness the Eldest Princess is leading the group behind us? I thought it would be you leading the group."
"I'd like to," Yuchi Peng scratched his head, "But things haven't been peaceful in the capital lately. Several imperial concubines have died tragically in the palace. His Majesty has already held the high priests in charge of palace magic arrays accountable, and even my father was fined. My Yuchi Household is responsible for the safety of the capital, so of course we can't get away with it now."
"A concubine died tragically?" Wang Ye was taken aback. "Which concubine?"
Yuchi Peng looked around, then pulled Wang Ye into the inner room. The two found a place to sit, and Yuchi Peng lowered his voice and said, "So many, Noble Consort Li, Noble Consort Dong, Noble Consort Xiao."
" Noble Consort Dong?" Wang Ye skipped a beat. " Princess Yong'an's mother has also met with misfortune?"
"Yes, she died a horrible death." Yuchi Peng lowered his voice and said, "It's said that her face was completely disfigured. Princess Yong'an was so frightened that she fell seriously ill and hasn't shown her face in the palace for a month. If Chen Qing is able to return, he'll probably have to go and see her first."
Wang Ye remained silent. Princess Yong'an was not a royal princess worthy of attention. If the emperor hadn't temporarily assigned her to Chen Qing, her fate would have been the same as the other princesses, marrying into the Kingdom of Ancient Desolation. Now that such strange things had happened in the palace, and the emperor couldn't even protect his concubines, Yong'an's situation was probably precarious.
I wonder if Chen Qing really values this fiancée. Should I tell him?
Suppressing the matter in his heart, Wang Ye asked again, "Even so, the best target for leading the team should be the Hong Household. Why is it suddenly Her Highness the Eldest Princess who has come out of seclusion?"
"I'm not entirely sure either." Yuchi Peng shook his head. "Anyway, that's how the imperial edict was issued. It was conveyed by the court's Grand Master of Ceremonies, Hou Jie. The Ministry of War and Her Highness the Eldest Princess were to lead troops to provide support. Although the decision was somewhat abrupt, the choice of personnel was convincing. However, His Majesty didn't personally convene a meeting on such a major matter, so there were indeed some discussions."
"His Majesty still hasn't attended court?" Wang Ye felt increasingly uneasy.
When he was in the capital, His Majesty had already stopped attending court for a long time. Now, with such a major matter, he didn't even attend court to discuss it with his officials.
"Let's not even talk about what happened in Jiangnan. This time, such a major incident occurred in the north, and His Majesty didn't even show his face. The imperial court's sorcerers were the ones delivering the decrees!"
"This might not be in accordance with the rules. Don't the court officials have any objections?"
"Of course we have opinions, but what can we do if His Majesty doesn't show up?" Yuchi Gong said with a wry smile, "The court officials can't exactly storm the palace, can they?"
"What's going on up north?" Wang Ye asked after thinking for a moment.
"I don't know the specifics either." Yuchi Peng's expression was also strange. "You know the Duke of Wei of Wei who rebelled. Like our Yuchi Household, he is a family that has followed the Xiao Household for many years and is highly trusted by His Majesty. Otherwise, His Majesty wouldn't have entrusted him with the management of the important northern border towns. Those northern troops are the strongest Flying Dragon Guard in our Great Jin!"
Wang Ye nodded. Although the emperor often acted unethically, he trusted his vassal families. But this time, the Duke of Wei's rebellion was bizarre, and the emperor's suppression was also very casual. He didn't even show his face and just sent a bunch of dukes.
"What about the Duke of Wei's family?"
"He has been imprisoned in the imperial jail and his case has not yet been processed."
"Something's getting increasingly wrong," Wang Ye said, turning to Yuchi Peng. "Have you seen His Majesty?"
"I have seen him." Yuchi Peng nodded. "Several major palace defense adjustments required me to personally meet with His Majesty, but His Majesty's condition was strange."
"That's strange?"
"Hmm, he looks very thin, as if he hasn't recovered from the Empress's blow. When I speak to His Majesty, I usually have to repeat myself two or three times before he responds. It seems..." Yuchi Peng seemed unsure how to put it for a moment. "Your Majesty... seems to have aged."
Wang Ye: "."
Getting old?
He was so powerful a year ago when he forced his own master to commit suicide. Has he gotten old?
Wang Ye sneered. He didn't believe it for a second. As for the claim that he hadn't yet recovered from the Empress's grief, that was even more absurd. Was the Emperor such a sentimental person?
If so, the Thousand-Faced Fox would have died long ago!!
He could even spare the murderer of his own wife; his heart, colder than ice, begs the question: has he not yet emerged from the shadow of the Empress?
That's ridiculous!
"I remember the Duke of Wei, he was still in the capital when I left, right?"
"Yes!" Yuchi Peng nodded. "At that time, the Duke of Wei was summoned back by His Majesty to report on his duties. It was said that the Duke of Wei was to return to retire and let his eldest son, Wei Jiancheng, take over his position. It was a happy retirement event that everyone was happy to see. My father even held a banquet for several days to celebrate him."
"But shortly after you left, the Duke of Wei suddenly and hastily led his personal guards out of the capital, and then the rebellion in the north broke out. The eldest princess volunteered to quell the rebellion, but was rejected. Later, the Hong Household and several other dukes led troops to the north to quell the rebellion. A few days later, for some reason, His Majesty suddenly decided to reinforce the troops in Jiangnan and handed over the remaining Golden Dragon Guard!"
"We also felt something was amiss at the time, but that was His Majesty's decree!"
Wang Ye's expression turned extremely solemn after hearing this.
Something's wrong. Something's very wrong!
Duke of Wei, you were summoned back to the capital, so why did you suddenly decide to rebel? If you were going to rebel, you shouldn't have come to the capital in the first place. What was the point of coming here?
This seems more like a last-minute decision to rebel.
The eldest princess requested permission to quell the rebellion, but this was refused. Yet, at this crucial moment in the suppression of the northern rebellion, the capital's remaining defenses were given to the eldest princess?
This is abnormal. Normally, shouldn't they leave some troops behind to assess the situation?
After all, Jiangnan never requested reinforcements from beginning to end, and with the situation in the north unclear, wouldn't it have been more reasonable for the Golden Dragon Guard to remain in the capital to provide support based on the situation?
What exactly happened in the capital?
What exactly is the emperor's situation?