The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 1154 - 625: Xuan Yin’s Decades-Old Scheme (Part 2)
Gongshu Tianyuan was taken aback, casting a strange glance at the woman wearing a fox mask and then looking at Zhao Douan, saying earnestly, "Brother Zhao, your bodyguard doesn’t understand manners. We brothers were talking, and she interrupted..."
The Little Fatty was still unaware of the Empress’s secret exit from the palace.
Zhao Douan was sweating coldly, glancing at the Empress, only to see her gaze fixated. She waved her sleeve, shielding the room with Divine Thought, then casually removed her mask, smiling, "Gongshu Tianyuan, are you saying I don’t understand manners?"
!!!
The Little Fatty, affectingly dramatic, had a blank expression, eyes wide as he felt the sky spinning: "Yo-yo-you... Your Majesty?! How did you..."
Xu Zhenguan sneered, "This time I came with Mr. Zhao, didn’t Heavenly Master Zhang tell you?"
Gongshu Tianyuan’s knees softened, and he kneelingly, spinelessly stammered, trembling uncontrollably while looking at Zhao Douan for help, frantically winking: Brother Zhao, save me!
Xu Zhenguan, too lazy to deal with their antics, casually unleashed a Sword Qi, smashing the Qi Sea of the young monk, crippling his cultivation.
By the time the Empress revealed her face, Tianhai was already speechless with shock.
"Interrogate. Ask why he came here, and everything he’s been through." The Empress commanded with an overflowing aura of authority.
Gongshu Tianyuan dared not delay, springing up like a spring, summoning the Wild God "Fox Immortal," once more performing his unique interrogation magic before the monarch and minister.
Tianhai, still reeling from shock, was locked into a state of truth by the fox fairy’s ghostly blue eyes.
"Speak! Why did you come to Daluo Island? Who sent you?" Gongshu Tianyuan asked.
Tianhai’s face contorted as if resisting, but he failed, murmuring, "I... I came to find Prince Jing. Back then, his subordinates saved me, raising me in the temple. I came to help him eliminate Zhao Douan..."
"No one sent me... I accidentally discovered that Princess Consort Lu Yan’er is a descendant and cultivator of the famed female sorcerer ’Pei Niannu’ of six hundred years ago in the Martial World..."
"And back in Baihua Village, I witnessed Zhao Douan summoning Pei Niannu..."
Zhao Douan’s expression constantly changed, turning his head to meet the Empress’s eyes, both revealing a trace of fear!
Lu Yan’er, this dark chess piece, was nearly buried by this little bald donkey...
One can imagine if Tianhai had met Prince Jing first, and Prince Jing had been on guard, making arrangements, like trying to ’turn’ Lu Yan’er... if they fought, this accident could very likely tip the balance of victory...
How dangerous!
Gongshu Tianyuan was equally shocked, realizing Zhao Douan had somehow silently won over Princess Lu, his eyes full of admiration, and his confidence in this battle increased significantly...
Yes, the confidence mainly still comes from the Empress...
Then, Zhao Douan inquired about Xuan Yin and matters concerning Divine Dragon Temple.
Unfortunately, although Tianhai was shrouded under the temple’s halo, he was clearly not a high-level insider, knowing very little, but there was one piece that caught the monarch and minister’s attention.
"...Long Shu Bodhisattva once revealed to me that our Divine Dragon Temple and the Western Regions Ancestral Court are actually not enemies..."
"Da Jing Master initially assassinated Zhao Douan and then defected to the Western Regions, not a real defection, but the abbot’s arrangement..."
"And over the years, the abbot secretly visited the Western Regions multiple times..."
Upon hearing this secret, Zhao Douan and Xu Zhenguan’s expressions changed once again!
Da Jing Master’s defection was actually orchestrated by Xuan Yin?
Had Xuan Yin long established a connection with the Western Regions?
Not enemies? How could it be? Haven’t East and West Buddhism always been foes, wishing to annihilate each other, to become the real leaders of Buddhism with the East and West Rivers?
"Could it be..."
Zhao Douan’s mind buzzed, suddenly seeing clearly, he murmured, "Could it be, that East and West Buddhism have been acting all along? Their relationship as enemies is just a front? The goal is to make the court and the Heavenly Master Mansion lower their guard?"
"Yes, I always wondered why Xuan Yin was so unusually indifferent to the fall of Divine Dragon Temple, such a massive foundation, given up so easily..." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
"Furthermore, despite being mortal enemies with the Western Regions, the Dharma King also has the power of a Heavenly Human there, yet no conflict occurred when Xuan Yin went to the Western Regions, and it was able to make the Western Regions Ancestral Court send troops to attack Yu Country..."
Zhao Douan suddenly realized, and then was horrified.
Xuan Yin entered the Western Regions, and then the Western Regions deployed troops.
This matter puzzled both the monarch and minister because they didn’t believe Xuan Yin would easily submit and choose to surrender to the Dharma King just because he lost Divine Dragon Temple...
Therefore, during the civil war in Yu Country, what exactly happened in the Western Regions remained a mystery.
But what if the Dharma King and Xuan Yin weren’t enemies at all? What if they were in cahoots?
Then wouldn’t everything make sense?
"I remember, back then, before Xuan Yin was even the abbot, he and Bian Ji went to the Western Regions Ancestral Court alone, reportedly fought a battle, and brought back two chests of scriptures, using this merit to earn the position of abbot, advancing to Heavenly Human. Could it be that when Xuan Yin first entered the Western Regions, he already made some kind of agreement with them?" Xu Zhenguan murmured, the Empress was no longer indifferent, shocked by this discovery.
Gongshu Tianyuan was equally overwhelmed with surprise by this unexpected joy: "This... could it be that Buddhism has been laying a plan for today’s turmoil for decades? The Divine Dragon Temple secretly supporting the Eight Princes to disrupt Yu Country, thereby giving the Western Regions an opportunity... Moreover, chaos is precisely the fertile ground for the spread of Buddhist teachings..."
The Little Fatty, thinking more and more terrifyingly, even suspected that the coup back then by Xu Jianwen might have had shadows of Buddhism... speaking of which... it seems back then the Second Prince Jianwen indeed moved very closely... very closely with Bian Ji...
Unfortunately, no matter how the three of them delved deeper, Tianhai only knew this bit of information.
As the interrogation concluded, the Wild God Fox Immortal contentedly licked its lips and returned to the bamboo tube to sleep.
And the once genius Martial Monk of the Divine Dragon Temple, Three-eyed Tianhai, had bled from all seven orifices and died.
Silence pervaded the room.
"This matter must not be publicized. The urgent task is not to explore how much Xuan Yin has schemed, but to quickly eliminate Prince Jing and resolve the chaos within Yu Country so that hands can be freed to deal with Xuan Yin."
Xu Zhenguan said in a deep voice.
Zhao Douan and Gongshu Tianyuan both nodded.
Yes, the pressing issue is still Prince Jing.
However... the information divulged by Tianhai cast a shadow over the hearts of the monarch and minister: If Buddhism’s arrangement is this far-reaching, then what they aim for must be immense.
Perhaps, the struggle with the Western Regions won’t just be limited to a territorial dispute in Xiping.
...
Outside the room.
Yu Xiu, Ji Yue, and Jin Jian sat in the pavilion like restless kittens.
After waiting for a long time, the tightly closed door finally opened.
The three of them came out from inside.
"How is it?" Yu Xiu curiously went over to inquire.
Zhao Douan said calmly, "He’s dead, summon Guo Zhun to take care of the body. Don’t let it be known."
After pausing, he said, "Moreover, everyone should prepare well these two days, maintaining top form at all times."
The three-member covert team’s hearts tensed, exchanging glances: "Is it time for battle?"
At this moment, a shadow wiggled into the courtyard, Song Jinxi cupping his hands said: "Sir, the latest news, Prince Jing’s fleet is at most two days away from Daluo Island."
Zhao Douan smiled: "Good, everything is ready, only missing Prince Jing. Speaking of which, I remember hearing Guo Zhun say that the day after tomorrow is the local Spring God Festival on the Coastal. Spread the word, on the day of the Spring God Festival, I will host a banquet at Dongxuan Lake, inviting Prince Chen and his wife, as well as all notable figures on Daluo Island, hehe... I know during this period, many people have arrived on Daluo Island."
After pausing, he added: "By the way, whoever dares not to come, don’t blame this officer for being impolite."
His gaze turned to the huge book chest placed in the courtyard, saying: "Oh, and send this thing to the fleet, let the people of the Divine Mechanism Camp prepare as well, just waiting for that scoundrel Prince Jing to land, I want to blast him to smithereens!"
...
The next day, Zhao Douan’s announcement to host a banquet on the Spring God Festival inviting Prince Chen and others spread like wildfire across Daluo Island.
For a time, countless prominent figures were shocked, realizing this would be a meeting to decide the future of the Marine Road.
...
On the third day, the day of the Spring God Festival, early morning.
Zhao Douan awoke from his dream.
——
It’s time to act...
