Free Web NovelChapter 425: Trusting No One But Oneself
A figure slipped away from behind the long corridor.
Ye Qianning turned her head, her grip tightening on the golden sore medicine in her hand. Her face was expressionless.
After a long moment, as if she had won an internal struggle, she tossed the golden sore medicine into her spatial storage. ’Let him learn his lesson the hard way.’
「Dawn broke.」
The Capital City was shrouded in a deathly stillness, its streets completely empty.
After the all-night search the previous day, almost no one dared to venture outside. Every household had barred its doors, terrified of attracting trouble.
Early that morning, the envoys from the three nations went to the Imperial Palace to inquire about the reason for the city gates being closed. The Beili Emperor’s explanation was that a thief had broken into the palace and completely emptied Consort Yuan’s bedchambers.
He claimed there were very important items inside and that someone had seen the thief, who was a woman.
The city gates would only be reopened after the entire Capital City had been searched. He also requested that the envoys of the three nations refrain from leaving the Capital City during this time.
Nanyuan was unconcerned. The East Shu delegation had no plans to leave the Capital City for the time being anyway. Upon learning that the matter had nothing to do with them, they were content to sit back and watch the drama unfold.
The Xi Yan delegation remained impassive, but many Royal Hidden Guards had appeared around the courier station where they were lodged.
Their every move was under the Beili Emperor’s surveillance.
A full day of searching passed with no new reports or information.
The Beili Emperor’s expression was grim as he stared at the fake key to his secret chamber. He couldn’t for the life of him remember when it could have been switched. The only people who could get close enough to him were his palace concubines, the maids who served him personally, and a few of his personal eunuchs.
The Beili Emperor suddenly looked up at Mr. Li. "Who do you think switched the key?"
Mr. Li fell to his knees in terror. "Your servant does not know."
The Beili Emperor’s dark, fathomless eyes stared at the man on the floor.
Mr. Li trembled uncontrollably.
"Guards!" the Beili Emperor’s steady voice rang out. "Investigate all the concubines I have visited in the past month. Drag all the maids and eunuchs of Qianqing Palace away for interrogation."
A Hidden Guard departed from the shadows.
Mr. Li was so terrified it felt as if his soul was about to leave his body.
"Li Quanfu, how many years have you served me?"
"Your... Your Majesty, it has been eleven years."
"Eleven years. That’s not a short time," the Beili Emperor said slowly.
Sweat dripped from Mr. Li’s forehead, his face pale as a sheet.
The Beili Emperor was silent for a moment. "And I have placed a great deal of trust in you."
"Your servant’s loyalty to Your Majesty is absolute!"
"I am very interested to see just how loyal you are."
Mr. Li’s trembling intensified. He knew in his heart there was no escaping his fate.
"Guards! Drag Mr. Li away and interrogate him severely."
Guards entered. Mr. Li did not resist. He kowtowed once to the Beili Emperor before being dragged away.
The Beili Emperor’s eyes were fathomless. He trusted no one. The key he carried on his person had been switched, which proved someone close to him was disloyal. ’And if they had intended to kill me...’
He clenched his fists. ’Better to kill a thousand innocents than to let a single traitor go free.’
"Song An," the Beili Emperor said in a low voice, "select a new batch of maids and eunuchs for service. Be extremely cautious."
"Yes."
A muffled voice responded, and then the person vanished without a sound.
"Your Majesty, Consort Yuan requests an audience," an imperial guard announced as he entered.
"Send her in."
The Beili Emperor rubbed his forehead. A full day of searching, and still no leads—neither on the culprit nor the loot. ’How could so many things have been smuggled out of the Imperial Palace?’
Consort Yuan hurried in, dressed in magnificent attire. "Greetings, Your Majesty."
"You may rise," the Beili Emperor said with a wave of his hand.
"Your Majesty, has the search yielded any clues?" Consort Yuan had rushed over the moment she heard that the Ministry of War had dispatched men to the palace.
"None."
"Your Majesty, this is an extremely serious matter. For a thief to be able to empty my bedchambers without anyone noticing... if they were to set their sights on the national treasury, the consequences would be unthinkable."
