Chapter 1148: The Revealed Truth

Passers-by stopping to look at the bounty poster were completely bewildered. He Lingchuan overheard several people exclaiming in surprise: "Wow, she looks just like Concubine Mei." "Could it be Concubine Mei herself? I saw her leaving the palace to give alms just a few days ago, right by the shanties in the west of the city." "Impossible, absolutely impossible! Concubine Mei is beautiful and kind-hearted; how could she harm anyone?" Someone then scoffed, "Our royal family, our royalty, mmm mmm..." Before they could finish, someone covered their mouth, "Are you crazy? Do you have a death wish?" He Lingchuan and Dong Rui exchanged glances, then left the crowd and continued into the city.

He Lingchuan and the other man passed through the checkpoint as merchants without any trouble. As soon as they entered the city, they encountered soldiers escorting supplies. Dozens of flatbed carts were piled high with goods, forming small mountains. Judging by their direction, they were heading to the palace city. Nearby civilians muttered, "The city's food supply is almost completely plundered by them. What will we eat?" "The people in the palace are afraid to die." "If they're afraid, does that mean we aren't?" He Lingchuan understood. Nangong Yan's death had finally instilled fear in King Bo. He was mustering troops and seizing resources from all over to send to the palace city, essentially sharpening his spear at the last minute. Heh, if only he had known this sooner, why would he have acted the way he did?

"What's going on?" Dong Rui muttered as they entered the city. "I thought it would be us whose faces were plastered on those wanted posters." "Even if they were, you wouldn't be able to tell," He Lingchuan whispered. "The artists haven't seen us. Based solely on King Bo's description, the drawings would at most bear a slight resemblance to us." Dong Rui scratched his head. "I have a feeling that Concubine Mei's situation might be related to us." He Lingchuan brazenly replied, "Strictly speaking, the changes throughout the entire Kingdom of Bo are related to us."

The Soul-Collecting Mirror suddenly alerted He Lingchuan: "A-Hao! That thug A-Hao, whom you subjugated, says that the palace guards sent by the Deputy Commander of the Royal Guards to collect money from their gang are very well-informed. They even know what Concubine Mei had for breakfast!" He Lingchuan patted his chest, acknowledging that he knew.

To their surprise, they first passed by Nangong Yan's residence. This man had wielded immense power in the Kingdom of Bo during his lifetime, but only a few days after his death, seals were placed on the doors of his grand estate. Everyone inside had long since dispersed. Dong Rui, ever the busybody, went around to a small alley and climbed over the wall. Inside, the house had been thoroughly ransacked, with overturned furniture everywhere, and all opened chests and cabinets were empty. When he came out, he lamented: "What's the use of wielding power over an entire nation? After death, aren't you still left with nothing, your home completely looted by thieves?"

After leaving Nangong's residence, He Lingchuan's next step was to book a quiet private room at a teahouse and then summon A-Hao to inquire about what was happening in the palace. The young thug was surprisingly bruised and swollen, with two teeth missing. As soon as Dong Rui saw him, he asked in surprise, "What happened?" Hmm, it seemed the frequency of him asking that question had increased lately.

A-Hao's cheeks were highly swollen, and a light touch made tears well up in his eyes from the pain. Lingguang kindly gave him a small bottle of medicine. A-Hao applied it, feeling cool comfort as the pain subsided considerably. "I was robbed," he said. He had been carrying the silver He Lingchuan gave him, spending the past few days sightseeing and enjoying himself in the capital, even hoping to find some business to invest in. Unexpectedly, he was targeted, dragged into a dark alley, beaten, and all his money was stolen. Dong Rui found it amusing: "So, this is your day, huh?" A thug from Julu Port was robbed by local thugs in Xun City. A-Hao gritted his teeth, "Revenge, they say, is a dish best served cold. One day, Master Hao will teach them how to be proper people!" "That 'one day' might come sooner than you think," He Lingchuan said, giving him a look. "Xun City isn't peaceful. You'd best not stay here." "I was planning to return to Julu Port tomorrow," A-Hao said, looking at him eagerly. "Lord He, I beg you for a bit of guidance." He had not interacted much with He Lingchuan, but he found him mysterious and powerful. In these chaotic times, where individuals were as insignificant as dust, he earnestly hoped for advice from a powerful person. He Lingchuan smiled. "First, tell me about Concubine Mei." "Ah, yes," A-Hao immediately replied. "The palace guards aren't entirely sure what happened, only that a few days ago, the King suddenly ordered Concubine Mei's arrest, but she wasn't in the inner palace. The palace staff said she was out giving alms, but the palace guards searched the relief shelters and still couldn't find her. Then the entire city was placed under martial law for the search, and wanted posters were put up everywhere." It seemed Concubine Mei had committed a serious offense.

He Lingchuan nodded and said to Dong Rui, "It seems King Bo has also realized what's going on." "What do you mean?" Dong Rui asked, confused. "King Bo has favored Concubine Mei for the past two years, but a few days ago, he suddenly turned against her and ordered her arrest," He Lingchuan reminded him. "Have you forgotten what major events have occurred here in the last twenty days?" "Oh?" Dong Rui recalled, "Oh! We went into the palace on behalf of the Kingdom of Mu to retrieve the Luminous Lamp, the Shadowfang Guards were killed, and Nangong Yan also died!" These were all major events that happened on the same day! "Exactly. When we confronted him, King Bo naturally denied sending anyone to intercept and steal the Luminous Lamp. But he's not foolish; afterward, he probably guessed that someone was framing him." "Concubine Mei?" Dong Rui exclaimed in disbelief. "No way, she's such a delicate little beauty! You're saying she's behind all this? How, how is that possible!" A-Hao was also utterly bewildered.

"You can know a person's face, but not their heart," He Lingchuan said, counting on his fingers as he analyzed. "Whoever did this went to such great lengths; they must harbor a deep grudge against him, and their own power is insufficient to seek revenge on King Bo, so they had to leverage the power of the Kingdom of Mu. This person also knew that the Luminous Lamp was essential for the Second Prince's illness, and that it would soon be mature. This is why she was not living in the palace but in the home of a high-ranking official. These are all clues that can be easily deduced. Heh, doesn't King Bo himself know what he's done in the past? As the one involved, if he carefully reviewed and re-examined events, he would uncover far more details than we have, and perhaps it wouldn't be difficult for him to guess who shot the arrow from behind. At least that's what King Bo believes," He Lingchuan explained. "He is, after all, the ruler of a nation. Once he starts to suspect Concubine Mei, some things become easy to verify." Dong Rui exclaimed, "But the wanted charge is 'murder of a royal relative.' Which royal relative...?"

"The royal family hasn't been peaceful these past few years," He Lingchuan said. "The origin of the Luminous Lamp incident this time was that King Bo's Second Prince suffered a qi deviation, needing this treasure for recovery. So, from the Shadowfang Guards' perspective, King Bo had both the motive and the ability." While justice typically requires complete human and material evidence to catch a thief, for the Kingdom of Mu, conclusive material evidence was sufficient. As long as the whereabouts of the Luminous Lamp were found, that would be enough. Dong Rui's eyes darted around, and he suddenly said, "Could the Second Prince's madness also be the work of this mastermind?" "Who knows?" "But that doesn't make sense," Dong Rui said, considering a paradox. "This person could steal the Luminous Lamp from the Shadowfang Guards without anyone knowing; their cultivation must be extraordinary. Why did you say she 'lacked sufficient power'?"