Lord of All Gods

Chapter 1304: Chapter 1304 Thoroughly Investigate

It was the same study room as before, with just Ye Liuyun and Emperor Xia chatting casually as if they were catching up.

Ye Liuyun began by sharing some of his experiences in the Extraterritorial Area, skillfully avoiding the two times he was intercepted by the imperial family.

Emperor Xia also gave Ye Liuyun a brief account of the casualties on the battlefield, as well as the progress of recruiting troops and resupplying.

They chatted for a while, not yet touching upon the main topic.

After having his fill of casual conversation, Ye Liuyun excused himself.

Anyway, he wasn’t in a hurry. What he knew was that the royal family would be worried as long as he stayed, fearing he might attract Burial God.

Indeed, Emperor Xia understood Ye Liuyun’s intentions when he noticed that he didn’t want to talk about proper business and was about to leave.

He smiled helplessly and reluctantly brought up the main topic.

"I heard that you were besieged by foreign races on the battlefield?"

Ye Liuyun, seeing Emperor Xia steer the conversation toward the point, returned to his seat.

"Indeed, and not a single unit came to support me! I’m also a private force, so I couldn’t expect the same treatment as the imperial forces. I had no right to demand support. But what baffles me is how these foreign races managed to breach the army’s defenses without any resistance!"

"What do you mean, private force? We’re all family here! Not only did you send troops in time to fight against the foreign races, you even made great contributions on the battlefield! Nobody can deny your excellent performance!" Emperor Xia began by complimenting Ye Liuyun

Seeing that Ye Liuyun didn’t react much, he knew that he couldn’t hide.

Therefore, he pretended to be angry and said, "The commanders of those armies are nothing but incompetent. They allowed the foreign races to pass through the defense lines. I will make sure they are severely punished."

"Is that so? I thought it might have been an order from the imperial family. Without such an order, how could so many foreign races cross the border and not even send reinforcements!" Ye Liuyun lightly questioned.

"Yes, there are indeed some suspicious elements in this case. Rest assured, the empire will not wrong its heroes. I promise to thoroughly investigate this matter and give you a proper explanation!" Emperor Xia promised.

"If it’s too troublesome for you, Emperor Xia, then forget it! I’m safe and sound now, so there’s no need to blame anyone." Ye Liuyun chuckled.

Emperor Xia listened and understood that Ye Liuyun was determined to hold the mastermind accountable.

Otherwise, he would not have come to the Imperial City.

If he didn’t act now, Ye Liuyun would continue to press the matter.

"Rest assured, I will handle this matter impartially. You can stay here with me and await the results!"

Then he ordered his attendants, "Go to the Grand Council and summon all the military officials here! Anyone making excuses not to come, have them brought by force."

"Yes!" a commander-in-chief replied, promptly leaving to fetch the officials.

Ye Liuyun didn’t stop him and remained calm, silently observing the proceedings. He had no intention of leaving the imperial city if he wasn’t satisfied.

Not long after, more than ten high-ranking military officials were brought over by the commander-in-chief. They stood in front of the study, where they waited for Emperor Xia’s instructions.

Ye Liuyun didn’t know Xiao Yuhong’s face, but he noticed that when one of the officials saw him, his expression changed and he seemed a little nervous.

At this time, Emperor Xia stood at the door of the study and addressed the assembled officials, "Prince Yonglie, Ye Liuyun, bravely used his private forces to break the siege for the empire and achieved great success on the battlefield."

With that said, Emperor Xia paused for a moment, then turned to the group of officials and said, "However, someone gave secret instructions to allow the foreign race to cross our borders and besiege Prince Yonglie’s city. Today, I must provide an explanation to Prince Yonglie for this matter. Whoever was behind this, step forward."

As soon as Emperor Xia finished speaking, the official that Ye Liuyun had noticed earlier appeared even more nervous.

"What? Do I need to investigate this matter in front of everyone?" Emperor Xia threatened.

There was a dead silence, and no official dared to say anything.

At that point, they had already understood what was going on!

Those with the authority to mobilize the empire’s forces were limited to just one or two individuals. Most of the officials were actually relieved to see that they had no direct involvement and were merely accomplices to those certain individuals’ actions.

Seeing that no one was willing to answer, Emperor Xia addressed the specific official Ye Liuyun had noticed earlier, saying, "Xiao Yuhong."

Shaking with fear, Xiao Yuhong responded, "I’m here, Your Majesty."

"It really is him!" Ye Liuyun thought to himself.

"Use your Sound Transmission Talisman to contact the military commanders on the battlefield. Since no one is confessing, I will personally question those commanders." Emperor Xia ordered Xiao Yuhong.

Xiao Yuhong realized he couldn’t hide the truth any longer.

If Emperor Xia personally questioned the commanders, they would not take the fall for him and would immediately reveal that it was his orders.

Thus, Xiao Yuhong didn’t use any Sound Transmission Talismans. Xiao Yuhong fell to his knees, begging for mercy, "Emperor Xia, please spare me! I made a terrible mistake!"

The other officials surrounding him did not seem particularly surprised. They had long suspected that it was Xiao Yuhong who had given the orders, and some even knew about it at the time.

Ye Liuyun remained calm, waiting for Xiao Yuhong to explain himself.

Only Emperor Xia feigned surprise, saying, "What? Are you suggesting that you issued those orders?"

The emphasis on "you" was particularly strong.

Xiao Yuhong admitted, "Yes, Your Majesty. It was a moment of blunder on my part, and I hope you can show mercy."

"What kind of grudge do you have against Prince Yonglie to commit such a grave mistake? Keep in mind that secretly mobilizing the army and framing loyal officials are both severe crimes that could lead to your possessions being seized! Be honest with me. Considering your years of service to the empire, I might consider a more lenient punishment." Emperor Xia pretended to sigh.

Upon hearing this, Ye Liuyun sensed that something was wrong.

Although Emperor Xia had not given any private signals to Xiao Yuhong, there was something unusual in his words.

First, Emperor Xia pretended that Xiao Yuhong had a personal feud with him, and then he used the threat of seizing his possessions. This was not an inquiry; it was leading Xiao Yuhong to confess to this narrative.

Xiao Yuhong wasn’t foolish! After serving beside Emperor Xia for so many years, he had a deep understanding of the official jargon in the political scene. To reach his position, he had to be highly attuned to Emperor Xia’s thoughts.

He immediately replied, "My nephews, Myriad Tigers and Wan Long, were both killed by Ye Liuyun. So I acted out of a strong desire for revenge and used my influence for personal gain."

"Oh!" Emperor Xia acknowledged with a nod, then asked, "I heard about Myriad Tigers, but what about Wan Long?"

"Wan Long was also under my orders; I told him to intercept Ye Liuyun in the Extraterritorial Area," Xiao Yuhong openly admitted. freёweɓnovel.com

He also understood that Emperor Xia probably knew about these events beforehand and that they were putting on a show for Ye Liuyun to see.

Ye Liuyun laughed coldly to himself as well. It appeared that the mastermind had significant backing, and Emperor Xia was willing to sacrifice a high-ranking official rather than expose their identity.