Chapter 1648: Diplomatic Disaster

State affairs had been pressing recently, leaving King Yao with less and less time to rest. At this very moment, he was also summoning his ministers to discuss the grain shortage, with Yuwen Xu present in the hall.

King Yao had already rubbed his eyes twice, and Qiu Long noticed red veins appearing at the corners.

Originally, King Yao had a habit of taking an hour-long nap at noon, but this had recently been forcibly canceled. Today, he had been busy from morning until now.

Several princes hoped to alleviate his worries, and King Yao had assigned them tasks. However, the true decision-maker, the one who had to make up his mind, was still him, the ruler of the nation.

Qiu Long whispered, "Your Majesty, please rest for a while."

King Yao shook his head, his voice low, "If I rest any longer, I won't need to wake up."

The ministers were greatly alarmed, and variously asked why the King had uttered such words.

Just then, a palace guard rushed in to report:

"Shi Songwei has confessed that he was instructed by the brothers Shi Song'en and Shi Songyang to bribe the supervisors of seven granaries in the southwest to collect public grain, and to use shell companies to deceptively purchase new grain from townships and counties in the southwest. In total, they collected three million one hundred and fifty thousand *shi* of grain!"

The ministers gasped in astonishment, while only Yuwen Xu let out a long sigh of relief.

Indeed, He Xiao's intelligence was uncannily accurate.

"Three hundred..." King Yao was also choked by the number.

A mere minor household in the southwest, the inconspicuous Shi family, could sweep up over three million *shi* of grain!

It was appalling.

This was still just the tip of the iceberg that Yuwen Xu had uncovered. What about those still hidden beneath the surface, yet to be uncovered?

No wonder the entire State of Yao was suffering from a severe grain shortage; these parasitic traitors truly extended their tentacles into thousands of households, intending to siphon away every single grain of food!

"They used a shell company?" King Yao sneered, "Whose shell is this Shi family, whose?"

How could a small Shi family possess such great power and such vast capital?

There were even more powerful forces behind them. The Shi family itself was merely a shell for others!

Inside the Frost Immortal Hall, no one dared to answer.

"Make them disclose the grain storage locations. I want this batch of grain recovered as soon as possible!" King Yao's desire to retrieve the grain was more urgent than ever. Over three million *shi* of grain could temporarily alleviate the pressing needs of Tianshui City!

"Also, immediately arrest Shi Song'en and Shi Songyang!" This lead was very important; King Yao urgently needed to apprehend useful human and material evidence related to Qingyang!

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

King Yao glanced at Yuwen Xu, then asked Qiu Long, "The name Shi Song'en sounds familiar. What position did Shi Songwei say his cousin held?"

"Military Sima."

A Military Sima was a military official position, commanding four hundred men.

The State of Yao had far more than a few hundred low-ranking military officers. Over the past years, the system had been reformed several times, making it impossible for King Yao to remember each and every one of them.

"In any case, bring me the information on these two as soon as possible."

Just then, another palace attendant came to report:

"The Regent and the Biejia Envoy have arrived—!"

King Yao frowned, not even bothering to conceal the impatience on his face.

He was already busy without a moment's rest. Was Qingyang coming to cause more trouble? Every time this Grand Regent appeared lately, it was never for anything good.

As for the so-called Biejia Envoy who had traveled a long distance, he had originally intended to grant an audience tomorrow morning.

Unexpectedly, the palace attendant's next words were: "Your Majesty, the Biejia Envoy seems to be injured."

Injured? King Yao was momentarily startled. He then saw Qingyang lead a person directly into the main hall, with over ten guards remaining outside the hall behind her.

The person beside her appeared to be in their twenties, walking half a step behind Qingyang. Their right arm seemed injured, suspended in a sling made of cloth.

His face and hands were covered in blue and purple bruises, and his cheeks were swollen.

The King and his ministers were surprised, unsure what had happened.

Qingyang was the first to speak: "Your Majesty, this is the Biejia Envoy, Wu Linghe, son of the Grand Minister of Ceremonies of Lingxu City."

The Grand Minister of Ceremonies of Lingxu City was responsible for foreign reception and dispatching envoys. This time, he had even sent his youngest son to the State of Yao.

"Grant him a seat!" King Yao's expression turned serious. "What happened?"

Both the Biejia Envoy and Qingyang had a faint smell of smoke and char on them.

Qingyang's expression slightly darkened: "Envoy Wu first came to Tranquil Lake Villa and asked me to introduce him into the palace. However, as soon as the carriage reached Guanhekou, it was attacked by an explosion!"

The King and ministers present were greatly shocked: "Such a thing happened!"

A Biejia Envoy attacked in their own capital... This, this was a diplomatic disaster!

Wu Linghe said, "The Regent and I were speaking, when suddenly the carriage shook violently, my vision went black, and I knew nothing more. When I woke up again, seven of my accompanying guards had been killed in the explosion. Had the Regent not protected me, I too would have met the same fate, with no hope of survival."

He took a deep breath: "Your Majesty, I have barely arrived in your esteemed country and have already suffered an unknown attack. This matter..."

King Yao said sternly, "I will thoroughly investigate this matter and provide the envoy with a satisfactory explanation!"

Having said that, he turned and ordered, "Immediately dispatch men to investigate at Guanhekou."

Since it was an explosion, there must be a crime scene.

Qingyang said calmly, "The explosive was buried beneath the magnificent main gate at Guanhekou. The entire carriage was thrown into the air, and the crater blasted into the ground was about fifteen feet wide and seven to eight feet deep. Your Majesty, ordinary gunpowder does not possess such destructive power."

She turned back and said, "Bring it forward."

Yuan Xuan immediately carried a rosewood tray and came forward.

On the tray were several ceramic shards, burnt cotton ropes, and several elastic soft pieces.

"These are samples retrieved from the deep crater of the explosion," Qingyang explained. "If you send men there again, they will find the same. I brought them here first for everyone to identify. My lords present, does anyone recognize these?"

The ministers exchanged glances, but no one dared to speak.

Qingyang called out a name: "Yuwen Xu, you are constantly with He Xiao. Do you recognize these explosive remains?"

Yuwen Xu, bracing himself, said, "This... it looks familiar. It seems to be an explosive's fuse, casing, and... a delayed detonation device."

"Where have you seen it?"

Yuwen Xu stammered.

Where else could it be? Both Tranquil Lake Villa and the Tianshui Eastward Expansion project used this type of explosive for breaking rocks, digging canals, and excavating ditches. He had personally seen the construction teams use it countless times!

Its uses were extensive.

"I heard that this type of explosive is extensively used in eastern Tianshui City?" Wu Linghe took a deep breath, bowed to King Yao, and said, "Your Majesty, please grant justice to my country!"

He did not say 'I', but 'my country'.

Wu Linghe, as an envoy to the State of Yao, inherently represented Biejia. With him being attacked and injured, Biejia would naturally demand an explanation from the State of Yao.

And let's not forget, Qingyang was also among those affected by the explosion.

It was nothing short of a diplomatic disaster.

King Yao secretly sighed, but outwardly said sternly, "The envoy being attacked without cause is an outrage to both gods and men. This matter must be thoroughly investigated until the truth is revealed. Envoy Wu, please stay in the palace for now, let the imperial physicians examine your wounds, and this evening—"

He was tired, and he had a strong intuition that this attack case was not simple.

Delay often leads to a better outcome, so it was best to stall for now. Qingyang truly knew how to pick her moments, especially in front of all the ministers.

However, Wu Linghe shook his head and said, "The culprits might be escaping soon."

Qingyang also spoke up: "If we act quickly now, we might still be able to pursue the perpetrators. If we investigate later in the evening, they might be hundreds of miles away."