The Emperor blushed, fortunately, the light was dim, and the torchlight somewhat yellow, covering his embarrassment.

"I really don’t know, is this, is this really something I did?" He rubbed his head, unable to remember anything.

"When the Second Prince was controlled by the Poisonous Insect, he constantly abused the servant, even slicing off a piece of the servant’s flesh with a knife. When he woke up, he didn’t remember anything." Bai Ruozhu spoke, "This was not your intention, Your Majesty, don’t worry too much, but the situation now is not too good, we must plan ahead."

"What happened?" Otani became nervous.

"Earlier, when we were searching for you, we suddenly saw the Signal Flare from the Palace, so we immediately returned, thinking it was released after Your Majesty was controlled." Bai Ruozhu said.

Otani awkwardly said, "It was me who released it. At the time, I really found His Majesty, but as soon as I released it, I fell unconscious."

Bai Ruozhu was speechless; they had guessed wrong again, managing to find the two of them was mostly thanks to luck.

"The news of His Majesty’s disappearance spread rapidly, many ministers entered the Palace, and the Second Prince came out to preside over the situation, yet Empress Yazi invited General Chisong into the Palace, accusing the Second Prince of plotting rebellion with us, asking General Chisong to restore order." Bai Ruozhu sighed, "The Second Prince has already been placed under house arrest. We escaped from the Palace and continued searching for His Majesty nearby. Fortunately, we had the luck to encounter you."

The Emperor’s expression changed, and he said angrily, "It’s Yazi again, what exactly is she doing..."

He paused, unsure if Yazi was also controlled. If that was the case, as someone who had been controlled by a Poisonous Insect, he should understand Yazi’s actions.

"It’s easy to invite the god, but hard to send him away. Chisong’s entrance to the Palace will not be easy to handle." The Emperor sighed again.

Tang Feng spoke at this time, "I don’t think Song Yi will allow Chisong to take the advantage of entering the Palace. His goal is to control the Imperial family, so how can he allow Chisong to profit? He is merely using Chisong against us to distract our attention, and then he will find a way to control Chisong as well."

"Perhaps he has already placed a Poisonous Insect in Chisong!" The Astrologer said, "Just how many Poisonous Insects does this guy have?"

"I think not too many. Such Poisonous Insects are difficult to cultivate, so he wouldn’t use them recklessly, only on important people."

For instance, Otani wasn’t controlled by a Poisonous Insect, but Bai Ruozhu didn’t elaborate to spare his feelings.

"If His Majesty doesn’t return to the Palace, should we just watch them fight among themselves?" Yuan Licheng asked.

Bai Ruozhu shook her head, "The Poisonous Insect in His Majesty’s body has already been killed. The breeder of the insect will surely sense it. Staying away from the Palace won’t change anything."

Yuan Licheng realized, "Then won’t he suffer backlash if his insect dies? I’ve heard the breeder will suffer when their Poisonous Insect is killed."

"I’m not sure about that. Song Yi has not appeared in a long time; who knows his current situation." Bai Ruozhu said, "But I think, for such a cautious person, he wouldn’t easily suffer backlash; otherwise, wouldn’t he be too prone to harm?"

Everyone agreed; now, the enemy was in the dark while they were in the open, and there was no knowing what Song Yi was really up to.

"The Palace must still be returned to. Otherwise, I can’t rest easy leaving Cilang and the others, and also, please help Yazi clear the Poisonous Insect." The Emperor earnestly said.

"Alright, I’ll take a look as soon as we return." Bai Ruozhu agreed, regardless of her personal feelings toward Empress Yazi, knowing the Poisonous Insect could be fed to Furball, and she wasn’t keen on seeing Empress Yazi causing trouble anymore.

The group escorted the Emperor back to the Palace, and many couldn’t help cheering upon seeing the Emperor safely return.

The ones who were knocked unconscious with Otani by the Emperor were also found by Chisong’s men, but they all claimed it was the Emperor who did it. Chisong disregarded the truth and insisted they were slandering the Emperor, forcing them all into prison.

When Bai Ruozhu and the others entered the Palace, they saw Master Puru arguing with General Chisong before a crowd of ministers.

"It was you who kidnapped His Majesty!" General Chisong shouted upon sighting them.

The Emperor’s expression darkened, "Do not speak carelessly. Thanks to the assistance of the Zhongyuan envoys, I returned safely."

"Your Majesty, you have been deceived by them." Chisong said loudly, then addressed the crowd, "After His Majesty’s disappearance, the envoys performed some Evil Technique. His Majesty was controlled by them!"

Ha, this was a load of nonsense! A puppet emperor under control, naturally the ministers wouldn’t dare listen to him, wasn’t this a perfect opportunity to overthrow the Emperor?

"Nonsense!" The Astrologer stood up, "As the head of the Astrologer Family and the most renowned Yin Yang Master of Fusang, how could I allow anyone to use Evil Technique on His Majesty?"

Master Puru chanted a Buddhist phrase, "I also vouch that His Majesty is now clear-headed and under no one’s control. Just look into his eyes to see for yourselves."

"Astrologer, you’ve been close with the Zhongyuan people lately, and Master Puru was saved by Bai Ruozhu. You two can’t help but be partial, but remember, you’re both Fusang Civilians, not Zhongyuan people!" General Chisong angrily roared.

Bai Ruozhu frowned, "Could it be that General Chisong has already been hit with a Poisonous Insect and is under control?"

Her voice was not quiet, making no effort to avoid the ears of others, quickly drawing much attention.

The Emperor hurriedly shared his and the Second Prince’s experiences, noting that erratic behavior and violent temper were signs of those afflicted by a Poisonous Insect.

Many looked at the fierce and menacing General Chisong with suspicion.

"Enough, let’s dispense with the nonsense. Release the Second Prince first, he needs time to recover from internal injuries." Bai Ruozhu said, "I’ll go remove the Poisonous Insect from Empress Yazi."

General Chisong’s eyes narrowed, "Since the envoy claims to remove the Poisonous Insect, why not do it in front of everyone, to prove the truth?"

Jiang Yichun replied, "How can my wife’s secret technique be casually observed by others?"

"Why so guilty? If you’re removing the Poisonous Insect, why avoid public scrutiny? Are you performing Evil Technique on Empress Yazi behind closed doors to control her and have her speak for you?" General Chisong sneered.

Bai Ruozhu scrutinized him, wondering if these were his own thoughts or those of his controller.

Song Yi is surely curious about how she removes the Poisonous Insect and is likely looking for a chance to find out, right?

Or perhaps she has secrets unsuited for others to see, and thus, impossible to explain formally?

But soon, Bai Ruozhu’s lips curled slightly, "Very well, if everyone wishes to see, let them. However, do not disturb me as I remove the Poisonous Insect from Empress Yazi, or else no one can bear the consequences if anything goes wrong!"

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Ten thousand words offered, asking for monthly votes, mwah~