Chapter 595: Qing Palace Feud

"You're a rootless outsider, and your situation in Lingxu City is precarious and fraught with danger. One wrong move could cost you your life. What future are you even talking about?"

He Lingchuan stretched. "Me? I'm someone who lives in the present. I believe in drinking today if there's wine, and worrying about tomorrow when it comes. You took such a big risk to meet me; surely, you're not just here for a chat?"

Risks and rewards should always be proportional. If they had something to offer, now was the time to reveal it.

As expected, Xi Yunhe continued, "If you help me accomplish this, I can guarantee your safety in Lingxu City."

"Oh?" He Lingchuan fixed his gaze on him. "How do you propose to do that?"

"I have my methods."

"I don't believe you," He Lingchuan said, stirring the rice wine in his bowl with a spoon. He couldn't drink it, but stirring it was good enough.

"You're a wanted criminal who can't even protect himself, and you think you can guarantee my safety?" He Lingchuan burst into laughter. "Who do you think you are, the Imperial Advisor?"

The puppet controlled by Xi Yunhe stood motionless, not even blinking. He Lingchuan watched him calmly.

"What Imperial Advisor?" Xi Yunhe asked.

"I'm not sure why, it just slipped out," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "Was I wrong?"

How could he guess? Because of Dong Rui!

Of course, he couldn't casually betray a comrade in arms. "Oh, come on. The fact that you're here to see me today means you're prepared to show your hand. Wouldn't it be better if we just saved some time?"

Xi Yunhe sighed. "You truly are a clever man."

"So, which Imperial Advisor is your master?" He guessed it was the Imperial Advisor from Autumn Palace. "Don't worry, I have a barrier here."

Xi Yunhe said without much hesitation, "Imperial Advisor Shuangye."

"Heh, I knew it," He Lingchuan scoffed. "I had already guessed."

A mere wanted criminal like Xi Yunhe had no standing to make a deal with him. This was the moment for the power behind Xi Yunhe to step forward. The fact that he had been evading Bai Ziqi all this time meant he certainly wasn't operating alone.

"What deep-seated animosity does he have with Imperial Advisor Qingyang that makes you persecute her so relentlessly?"

No matter how skillfully Xi Yunhe executed his plans, the clues he arranged clearly pointed to Qing Palace. In a place like Lingxu City, anyone capable of targeting Qing Palace in such a manner, or rather, opposing a behemoth like Qing Palace, would either be the Heavenly Palace, a coalition of other ministers, or... another Imperial Advisor.

"A public grievance compounded by a private vendetta," Xi Yunhe said coldly.

"So, finding a new clue for Bai Ziqi—is that also Imperial Advisor Shuangye's idea?" He Lingchuan asked him. "He has plenty of people under his command. Why specifically ask me to handle it?"

"Firstly, you are the original investigator of this case. Clues submitted by you are the most convincing and will be readily accepted by both the Heavenly God and Bai Ziqi, without further scrutiny." Otherwise, any random person trying to report clues would simply be driven out by the Heavenly Palace. "Secondly, you and the Prince of Chiyan currently command immense influence in Lingxu City. If you can provide further assistance to the Elixir of Immortality case, then for a while, truly no one will dare to harm you."

"So considerate of me? My thanks," He Lingchuan said, nodding politely. "Now, what's the real reason?"

"We need to remain uninvolved," Xi Yunhe stated. "We cannot be linked to the Elixir of Immortality case."

"Why?" He Lingchuan asked, puzzled. "Doesn't everyone in Lingxu City know about the conflict between Autumn Palace and Qing Palace?"

"Precisely because of that conflict, we cannot be the ones to act," Xi Yunhe shook his head. "Otherwise, even if the Elixir of Immortality case is solved, the Emperor will still be displeased."

He Lingchuan uttered, "Oh." "Are you saying the Emperor dislikes Imperial Advisor Shuangye even more?"

"Do not presume to know the Emperor's will."

He Lingchuan genuinely didn't know much about Imperial Advisor Shuangye. Seeing Xi Yunhe about to speak, he quickly interjected, "Right, tell me about the grievances between you and Imperial Advisor Qingyang."

"What does that have to do with you?"

Even through the puppet, He Lingchuan could sense Xi Yunhe's displeasure.

"If you want me to do something for you, you need to explain the full story," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "Call it a small gesture of sincerity."

The puppet stood still for a long moment before it finally spoke:

"Imperial Advisor Qingyang is elegant and gentle, flawlessly virtuous, and treats people with the utmost kindness, making her the most beloved among commoners of the Four Imperial Advisors. Drawn by her reputation, I entered Qing Palace and worked tirelessly, eventually becoming her personal disciple. In those years, my master was my entire world; her every word and action illuminated me like divine light, utterly perfect."

"However, there were some rumors circulating that were unfavorable to my master. I even occasionally overheard Qing Palace disciples discussing them privately, and in a fit of anger, I reported every one of them to my revered master."

"My revered master merely smiled calmly, saying, 'The mountain winds blow over the ridge, and the pure remain pure. Why trouble oneself with such matters?'" Xi Yunhe chuckled in his throat. "Her magnanimity only made me revere her even more."

"Soon after, I discovered someone stealing treasures within Qing Palace. Upon investigation, I found that several senior disciples were embezzling, ostensibly registering items as scrapped but secretly transporting them out to sell. I thought, 'This cannot be tolerated,' so I apprehended two of them and presented them, along with the evidence, to my revered master."

"My revered master reviewed it and declared their crime punishable by death, but out of consideration for our years of master-disciple bond, she decreed they should merely be expelled from the sect after the stolen goods were recovered and their hand tendons severed," Xi Yunhe said grimly. "She was too soft-hearted, and I had no objections, but while apprehending them, I uncovered new leads."

"Following those clues further, I subsequently made four more reports, implicating about thirty people in total."

"Thirty people caught, that's a whole syndicate. Right under your master's nose. With so many people embezzling, didn't you have any suspicions?" He Lingchuan crossed his legs. "You were heading for big trouble."

Xi Yunhe tilted his head. "My revered master even commended me greatly for it, then sent me to Qionglin Garden in Lingxu's western suburbs to manage Qing Palace's assets. She said I was overly zealous and needed more experience to truly stand on my own in the future."

Hearing this, He Lingchuan couldn't help but laugh:

"They found you an annoyance and sent you far away, out of sight, out of mind, and out of their way. That's actually pretty lenient; you messed up her affairs, and she didn't even take your life."

"At that time, I was utterly naive, completely convinced she intended to promote me." Xi Yunhe's voice grew colder. "In my fourth year at Qionglin Garden, the local gentry had become quite familiar with me. On one occasion, they approached me to buy the Elixir of Immortality. I was utterly astonished, but by then, I was no longer a novice, so I didn't immediately report it to my revered master. Instead, I immersed myself in a painstaking investigation."

He Lingchuan pressed his temples. "If you keep acting like this, you'll infuriate your master to death. You were already exiled to Qionglin Garden, and you still couldn't leave things alone!"

Judging by Xi Yunhe's actions in Chiyan, he was clearly a highly capable and meticulous individual, a true pragmatist. He was simply young and naive at the time, too stubborn and honest for his own good.

"Yes. That's why, when I traced the clues to Qingfu Temple, I was ambushed from behind."

He Lingchuan let out a sound of surprise. "With a planned attack against an unsuspecting target, Imperial Advisor Qingyang's assassins actually failed to kill you?"

"I fled to the lakeside, gravely wounded and on the brink of death, but I was rescued. That person even fabricated the illusion of my death, deceiving the assassins sent by Qingyang," Xi Yunhe stated. "That person was Imperial Advisor Shuangye!"

"He told me all of this was instigated by Imperial Advisor Qingyang, but I refused to believe it," he said, even the puppet's voice tinged with resentment. "Yet, less than two days after my 'death,' Qing Palace publicly announced that I had stolen precious treasures and was killed while attempting to escape!"

"Twelve years! I dedicated twelve years of my life to Qing Palace, only to achieve this outcome!" Xi Yunhe said grimly. "The day I recognized Qingyang's true nature, I swore that if I could serve Qing Palace for twelve years, I could spend twenty years avenging myself against Qingyang!"

He Lingchuan gave a thumbs up. "Buddy, you're certainly ruthless when it comes to yourself."

Xi Yunhe had infiltrated under Shi Kai ten years ago. For all these years, he had patiently gathered clues, fabricated charges, and even personally participated in the crime of killing monsters for their pearls. He truly was a man of his word, a ruthless individual. Ruthless to others, but even more so to himself.

He Lingchuan also felt a pang of caution. If even one of Imperial Advisor Shuangye's subordinates possessed such talent, what level of power did the Imperial Advisor himself wield? He Lingchuan knew he had to be extremely cautious when dealing with such a powerful entity.

"I'm detailing all this not to win your sympathy, but simply to make you understand Qingyang's insidious cruelty. Your and Fu Shanyue's investigation into the Elixir of Immortality case has ruined her plans. Once she overcomes her current difficulties, she will undoubtedly retaliate with fierce vengeance. Fu Shanyue, at least, has the protection of his identity as the Prince of Chiyan, but you—" the puppet stated coldly, "you are nothing more than a rootless piece of duckweed. A slightly larger storm in Lingxu City will completely shatter you."

He Lingchuan opened his mouth to speak, but Xi Yunhe continued:

"In Lingxu City, Chiyan's influence cannot fully protect you; you've experienced that firsthand in the past few days, haven't you?" He added, referring to the recent bombing and poisoning that everyone in high society knew about. "How can you expect to escape unscathed on your own?"

Xi Yunhe's meaning was clear: Imperial Advisor Shuangye was offering a powerful alliance, and He Lingchuan should seize the opportunity.

"You pursue cases relentlessly; when I see you, it's like seeing my younger self." That's why he had warned He Xiao at Baisha Jue, though predictably, the young man hadn't listened. "I don't want you to repeat my mistakes."

He had made his case as compellingly as possible, appealing to both logic and emotion.

He Lingchuan pondered for a moment, his expression grave:

"It's not impossible, but as I said, cooperation requires sincerity."

"Speak," Xi Yunhe said, realizing he might have misjudged He Lingchuan. This man was far more cunning than he had been in his youth, refusing to act without a clear advantage.

He Lingchuan said earnestly, "Imperial Advisor Shuangye possesses vast powers. What is incredibly difficult for us should be effortless for the Imperial Advisor."

This was not flattery; it was a simple fact.

Far from being annoyed, Xi Yunhe was pleased. "What matter?" If the young man had been without desires, that would have been the real problem.

"Have you heard of General Nian Zanli, the surrendered general from Xunzhou?" He Lingchuan was certain Xi Yunhe knew. Although Xi Yunhe couldn't show his face, he used Imperial Advisor Shuangye's network to keep an eye on everything. "He wants to borrow troops to attack Yuan State again, but he hasn't succeeded yet."

"Yes, I'm aware of that," Xi Yunhe recalled. "He initially sought help from Imperial Advisor Qingyang, and it seemed he was close to succeeding. But precisely then, the Elixir of Immortality case was exposed, and Imperial Advisor Qingyang no longer had the capacity to assist him. The Emperor also rejected Imperial Advisor Qingyang's proposal to deploy troops."

"Coincidentally, I have a friend who needs his help, so I need to find a way to assist him in securing elite troops."

Xi Yunhe frowned. "You have a friend?"