The figure smiled faintly. "Since you were able to trigger the projection in the Jade Hairpin, the battle for the Dao between Your Highness and the Eighth Prince must already be over."
Lu Mingyuan was taken aback by his words.
’Did Father-in-law predict I would have a conflict with Lu Yunqing?’
’Is that why he set up this projection ahead of ti?’
’Does he have sothing he wants to tell ?’
The translucent figure of Qi Xingyan continued, "The Jade Hairpin contains a wisp of my Divine Soul, a contingency for ergencies. It can be used to transmit ssages. Ti is short, so I will be brief. While Your Highness was in the Cold Palace, I secretly uncovered many secrets. In order to verify the truth, I arranged this scenario, and I hope Your Highness can see my conjectures through to the end."
These words imdiately captured Lu Mingyuan’s full attention.
’What secret could have compelled Qi Xingyan to go to such great lengths?’
’After all, he was a Ninth-Rank Chess Player in the Confucian Temple. Though not as skilled as the Tenth-Rank Nan Zhou National Preceptor, Xun Yu, he was still the Eldest Prince’s forr chief strategist. His abilities were beyond question.’
’For him to leave behind such a contingency, it must involve a monuntal celestial secret.’
"I never told you the truth about the Demoness’s case because, for you as you are now, knowing it would only have been an unnecessary burden."
Qi Xingyan spoke softly, his words instantly pulling Lu Mingyuan’s mind back two years.
"This case has always been shrouded in doubt. Everyone believed it was the work of Prince Jin’s Mansion, but they were wrong from the start. The real culprit was not you, nor was it the Second Prince."
"It was the reigning Holy Emperor."
Though Mr. Qi’s words were calm, they revealed a stunning truth.
Lu Mingyuan was surprised, but not completely shocked.
He had already gotten a sense of his Imperial Father’s intentions through divination.
Amid his surprise, he thought carefully and began to see the connections.
For the Demoness of the Demon Country to escape the heavily guarded Capital would have been nigh impossible.
No matter how perfect the coincidences, it would have been nearly impossible for anyone to pull it off without his Imperial Father’s tacit approval.
It was just that no one dared suspect the reigning Emperor of Great Yan.
It was quite a feat for Qi Xingyan to have noticed this.
The Divine Soul projection continued, "Before Your Highness took up residence in the Eastern Palace, I entered the Deep Palace many tis to investigate the Holy Emperor’s condition. I discovered that His Majesty’s health was not nearly as frail as rumored. At the sa ti, I also found that Chief Minister Elder Yuan would often enter the Imperial Garden and remain there for days and nights on end. Therefore, I suspect the Holy Emperor’s hidden assets are not limited to just the Imperial Experts."
"He went sixty years without naming an heir, only to do so now. Perhaps no one dared to question his intentions, but I had my suspicions. It wasn’t until I saw the imperial edict naming the crown prince that it all beca clear to , as if waking from a dream. The truth is, Lu Yunqing was rely a hidden pawn cultivated by the Holy Emperor. From that mont on, he beca a discarded piece."
Lu Mingyuan was not surprised by this.
’His Imperial Father was rely using the Princes as vessels for Destiny, cultivating them as a Three Religions Tripod Furnace to satisfy his own selfish desires.’
"At first, I wasn’t certain. It wasn’t until you took up residence in the Eastern Palace and I was dispatched to the Celestial Profound Continent that I realized the Holy Emperor’s true objective."
"So, I chose to give you the ancestral Jade Hairpin, intending to test my theory. If I returned to the Capital City alive, it would all have been re speculation. But if I died on the Celestial Profound Continent, then the Holy Emperor’s plot would be all but exposed."
’So that was it.’ Lu Mingyuan now understood. ’Father-in-law’s real reason for giving the Jade Hairpin was to test my Imperial Father.’
’My Imperial Father sent Qi Xingyan away because he didn’t want him involved in the affairs of the Eastern Palace.’
"While serving as the Guardian Envoy on the front lines, I learned the truth of what happened all those years ago from the Empress of the Demon Country herself."
Lu Mingyuan’s eyes flickered as he listened intently.
Qi Xingyan said slowly, "Back then, the Demon Country was defeated and the Demoness was captured. It looked like a great military victory for us, but it was all a deliberate act by the Monarch of the Great Netherworld. The troops he sent to fight were nothing but cannon fodder. The Great Netherworld intentionally gave up two continents, all to make the Demoness pay the price. Because of this, the northern advance plan that Great Yan had been preparing for a decade was all for naught. The Holy Emperor was beyond furious when he learned of this. All that effort, just for a pawn the Great Netherworld had willingly sacrificed. To salvage Great Yan’s Fortune, the Holy Emperor made a deal with the Demoness."
At these words, Lu Mingyuan’s brow furrowed.
’The Monarch of the Great Netherworld was willing to pay such a steep price just to eliminate the Demoness.’
’In other words, Great Yan’s victory was a sham.’
’The implications of this were imnse. If what Father-in-law said was true, and the world were to find out, it would be enough to unleash a political firestorm that could engulf all of Great Yan.’
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