Chapter 1942: Chapter 967: Betrothal Gifts (Liao Chen vs. Qingfeng the Taoist Priest) (Part 2)
...
After the Dragon-Phoenix twins disappeared into thin air, the palace maids immediately reported to Wu Sixi. Wu Sixi interrogated everyone in the Pavilion and then hurriedly went to the National Master Hall.
However, since the first aid kit was not present, the passage connecting to the Operating Room was closed, and Ye Qing opened the door only to see an empty Secret Room.
Upon returning to the Imperial Palace, Gu Jiao also came to the National Master Hall as soon as she heard the news.
Since the first aid kit wasn’t here, the Dragon-Phoenix twins must have been teleported somewhere else.
"Where could they have gone?" Ye Qing asked.
Gu Jiao analyzed: "Based on the information I have, the first aid kit usually teleports to coordinates nearby, specifically two fixed ones—one is the Operating Room in the National Master Hall, and the other places might include Dark Night Island. There are also two moving coordinates—one is me, and the other used to be the Godfather, and now maybe the Dragon-Phoenix twins have been added."
Ye Qing mused: "So, it either teleports to around you few people or goes to Dark Night Island?"
Gu Jiao thought for a moment: "Not necessarily."
Known fact is that tearing space requires energy, so there’s another possibility.
It ran out of energy and dropped randomly halfway.
After hearing her thoughts, Ye Qing: "This..."
While Gu Jiao and Ye Qing planned to split up with the people from the National Master Hall to find the Dragon-Phoenix twins, Xuanyuan Qi came rushing with one cutie in each arm.
Seeing the two little ones safe, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Grand Marshal." Ye Qing and Xuanyuan Qi greeted respectfully.
Xuanyuan Qi nodded: "National Master Ye."
Ye Qing: Give one of the kids to me!
Xuanyuan Qi: I’m not giving them, try taking them!
Gu Jiao received the dusty first aid kit from the driver.
Wu Sixi had already interrogated and found out that it was Zhao Yu who harbored ill intentions, wanting to harm the Dragon-Phoenix twins.
Recalling that it saved the twins once, Gu Jiao suppressed the urge to chop it into firewood.
Gu Jiao took the first aid kit to the Secret Room, connected to the Operating Room, and several people went in to check on Shangguan Yun.
Shangguan Yun was asleep.
Xiao Hen got up and glanced at the others, bowing respectfully to Xuanyuan Qi: "Uncle is also here."
"Hmm." Xuanyuan Qi nodded, holding the Dragon-Phoenix twins tightly.
Not even giving them to their father!
Alas, can’t snatch them.
Xiao Hen asked Gu Jiao and Ye Qing: "What happened just now? The Operating Room door suddenly couldn’t be pushed open."
If it couldn’t be pushed open, it meant the passage was closed; in the past, Gu Changqing hid here to heal.
Gu Jiao told Xiao Hen about the Dragon-Phoenix twins’ half-day tour of Capital City, and Xuanyuan Qi supplemented the information about them on the road.
Only then did they know the twins had landed in the hands of Liao Chen and Qingfeng the Taoist priest.
Gu Jiao pouted and muttered: "You really pick people well."
When the energy is depleted, it locates familiar aura closely, has it become a spirit?
The Dragon-Phoenix twins survived due to great fortune, had it been ordinary children, they would have fallen into Zhao Yu’s poisonous hands.
Thinking of this, Xiao Hen’s gaze turned icy: "Mother was just lamenting no chance to act against the Dong Family, Zhao Yu delivered just the right knife!"
...
That night, Xiao Hen personally went to the dungeon of the Imperial Palace to interrogate Zhao Yu.
Zhao Yu couldn’t withstand the torture; with the first presses of the torturer’s clamp, he confessed loudly, crying that he was instructed by the Dong Family.
The crime of conspiracy to harm the royal family is equivalent to rebellion and is punishable by decapitation, moreover considering the targets were the most beloved royal grandchildren of the Empress.
"I am innocent, Your Majesty!"
The master of the Dong Family knelt on the solemn Jinluan Hall, full of grievances and tears!
Shangguan Yun, aura fully unleashed, said: "Bring Zhao Yu to the hall!"
Zhao Yu was brought by the Imperial Forest Army, directly accusing the master of the Dong Family: "Master Dong... now that things have come to this, why do you still refuse to admit? You clearly instructed me to enter the palace... seeking opportunities to harm Her Majesty... since I wasn’t favored, unable to approach Her Majesty, you targeted the Little Princesses and Little Prince... you said... kill them... throw Her Majesty into chaos... then find a way to poison Her Majesty... creating a false image of Her Majesty dying from melancholy..."
The Dong Family master angrily shouted: "You lie!"
Zhao Yu said resentfully: "Whether I lie, you know clearly in your heart! You threatened my family! Forced me to harm two babies in swaddling clothes! Master Dong! How vicious you are!"
"You... you... you..." The Dong Family master was furious, stood up abruptly, and rushed to Zhao Yu, drawing the sword from the Imperial Forest Army beside him!
Xuanyuan Qi struck him with a palm, sending him flying, rendering him powerless to counter, and he fell heavily onto the cold floor, spitting blood.
Shangguan Yun struck the armrest of the Dragon Throne with her fist, coldly saying: "Drawing a sword in the hall, add the crime! Men! Drag him down and await punishment!"
The Dong Family master was no ally, he had previously tried to harm the Little Princesses and Gu Jiao in the woods.
His life, Shangguan Yun had long decided to take!
The Imperial Forest Army mercilessly dragged away the Dong Family master, whose Elixir Field was shattered by Xuanyuan Qi.
Behind him, a trail of shocking blood was left.
In the court, the officials were silent as cicadas in winter.
They understood that the Dong Family’s days were numbered.
If the downfall of the Han Family and Nangong Family was due to rebellion and self-inflicted ruin, then the demise of the Dong Family was the first guillotine deliberately lowered by Her Majesty Empress against the great families.
The Empress’s crackdown on the noble families... has officially begun!
...
After the court session, Xuanyuan Qi called to Shangguan Yun.
"Your Majesty."
"Uncle, what is it?" Shangguan Yun’s tone lost the sharpness from the Grand Hall, gaining a bit of junior’s intimacy.
Xuanyuan Qi solemnly looked at her: "The actions against the noble families, have they begun?"
Shangguan Yun nodded: "Back then, when the Xuanyuan Family suffered, none of the ten great families were clean."
Xuanyuan Qi said: "Don’t shake the nation’s foundation."
Shangguan Yun smoothly replied: "I understand, I won’t annihilate them all, some families will redeem themselves, and I will handle them based on their merits."
For example, the Su Family, she initially wanted to uproot them, but Mu Qingchen’s loyalty and accomplishments at the border pass will spare the Su Family, on condition that their power must be handed to Mu Qingchen.
Also, the Wang Family, Wang Xu is loyal and useful.
Xuanyuan Qi hesitated a bit: "That..."
Shangguan Yun smiled: "Uncle can speak freely."
"The Geng Family." Xuanyuan Qi said, "Could you spare the Geng Family?"
"The Geng Family?" Shangguan Yun pondered, then nodded, "Geng Wuming made notable contributions in the war against Jin Country, these merits I will count for the Geng Family."
The elders of the Geng Family have passed away, leaving just two legitimate sons.
When the Xuanyuan Family’s incident happened, the two legitimate sons were young and not involved in the elder generations’ crimes.
She said: "I won’t touch Geng Wuming and Geng Wuxiu, but the Geng Family’s industry... I will reclaim it."
"What will you do after reclaiming it?" Xuanyuan Qi asked.
"I’ll return it to Uncle, of course." Shangguan Yun said matter-of-factly.
The assets taken from the Xuanyuan Family should naturally return to their original owner.
Xuanyuan Qi calmly said: "Oh, it’s unnecessary."
Shangguan Yun looked at her uncle curiously: "What do you mean unnecessary?"
Xuanyuan Qi explained: "You return it to me, and I am still going to send it over."
Shangguan Yun was puzzled.
What send here and there? The more she listened, the more confused she became.
Xuanyuan Qi straightened his back, looking quite proud: "Betrothal gifts."
Shangguan Yun: "???"