Chapter 604: Dueling with Wit and Strategy

Chapter 600: A Battle of Wits

Though He Xiao was not from Chiyan, he carried the title of Chiyan envoy and had made significant contributions to the Immortality Elixir case, making him a prominent figure in Spiritthollow City. Yet, the Celestials disregarded all that, invading whenever they pleased!

Seeing He Xiao's troubled expression, He Lingchuan patted his shoulder. "Come on, what can be done? Without the Celestials, there would be no Beiga."

Fu Shanxue said with a stern face, "I'm afraid they'll do the same to me."

"They didn't target you tonight, so they likely won't later," He Lingchuan said with a shrug. "After all, you're different from me; you're the legitimate Crown Prince of Chiyan. Even the Celestials would find it hard to explain if they arbitrarily attacked the heir to a vassal demon king."

The Celestial invasion seemed to have an unexpected turn at the end. Perhaps that's why they abandoned their test of Fu Shanxue.

He changed the subject. "What did the Demon Emperor say about Crown Prince Huan's arson and murder? Was the instigator caught?"

Fu Shanxue shook his head. "The Demon Emperor summoned me and spoke soothingly."

In fact, after entering Nimbus Peak and seeing the Demon Emperor, he knelt down stiffly, banging his head several times, but said nothing. This was to show he had suffered great injustice, demonstrating his resolve to seek justice.

The Demon Emperor offered gentle words of comfort, but Fu Shanxue lifted his head and unleashed a torrent of accusations. He insisted that the instigator behind Crown Prince Huan's arson and murder in Spiritthollow was undoubtedly the Yao family, the Grand Minister of Agriculture.

When the Demon Emperor asked for proof, Fu Shanxue appealed to emotion and reason, explaining how difficult the Immortality Elixir case investigation had been. The more he spoke, the more agitated he became, almost breaking into tears.

But he had no evidence. No evidence? No problem. Just ask anyone on the street, "Who do you think is behind this?" Ninety-nine percent of people would tell you it's definitely the Grand Minister of Agriculture or Lady Cen. Even if you can't save your husband, you'd want to vent your anger, wouldn't you? It's obvious. Isn't that human nature?

The Demon Emperor replied, "Without concrete evidence, it doesn't necessarily mean it's the Grand Minister of Agriculture's family."

Fu Shanxue sneered, "If his family didn't harm me, why would they send me a grand mansion?"

This retort left the dignified Demon Emperor speechless. In the end, he had no choice but to summon the Grand Minister of Agriculture, who was waiting outside. Fu Shanxue, being naturally unrestrained, showed no fear when confronting Yao Mao directly, leaving him utterly without a retort. However, Yao Xingning never appeared. Perhaps the Demon Emperor feared that with both of them having fiery tempers, a confrontation would lead to a public squabble, turning the court into a marketplace brawl.

Fu Shanxue recounted the process in detail, and both he and He Lingchuan burst into laughter, pounding the table. After a few laughs, He Lingchuan clutched his head. It hurt!

In any case, the Grand Minister of Agriculture knew his family had left a bad impression on the public regarding this matter. No excuse would work, so he could only state that the Yao family would certainly cooperate in investigating the culprits to prove their innocence. Fu Shanxue gladly accepted, declaring in front of the Demon Emperor that he would check in with the Grand Minister of Agriculture every few days for updates. The Demon Emperor didn't object, which meant he agreed. So, his subsequent visits to the Grand Minister of Agriculture would be considered an inquiry by imperial decree. The Grand Minister of Agriculture knew this was not good but couldn't say anything.

At this point, Fu Shanxue slapped several deeds onto the table, roaring with laughter. "The deed for Fragrant Snow Residence! Hahaha, I got it from the Grand Minister of Agriculture right in front of the Demon Emperor!"

"The Grand Minister of Agriculture also had other compensations, all of which are mine." He pushed the deeds toward He Lingchuan. "Here, this Fragrant Snow Residence is for you, as compensation for the destruction of Panshan Residence!"

His promise to secure compensation for He Lingchuan was fulfilled, and he was quite pleased. He Lingchuan took the deed and sincerely thanked him. Fu Shanxue might not be a good person, but he kept his word.

"And then?" he asked Fu Shanxue. "Is that the end of it?"

"Not yet, there's more."

After the Grand Minister of Agriculture left, the Demon Emperor also summoned Crown Prince Huan, who apologized to Fu Shanxue in court. Only then did Fu Shanxue repeatedly say he "wouldn't dare." His modesty was certainly unexpected. Seeing how Crown Prince Huan, that little brat, was swaggering yesterday but now looked meek and downtrodden, it was clear he had already been severely reprimanded by the Demon Emperor. Of course, Fu Shanxue knew that Huan resented it internally but was compelled to apologize only because of his father's command.

"Crown Prince Huan claimed he hadn't met Yao Xingning recently. The palace merely told him she was away on official business. He only learned that Yao Xingning was weeping constantly due to her husband's predicament from some palace servants discussing it privately. Enraged by this, he came to cause trouble for me."

He Lingchuan shook his head upon hearing this. "That foolish child is genuinely fond of Yao Xingning, but he's throwing his own father under the bus." If no one instigated him, Crown Prince Huan's actions were voluntary. In that case, only the Demon Emperor would be left to clean up the mess. Well, the Demon Emperor certainly bore the responsibility, didn't he?

"The Demon Emperor didn't want to take the blame, so he ordered a strict interrogation of Crown Prince Huan's personal guards," Fu Shanxue said. "They were always with Crown Prince Huan; they would know wherever he went. It's not hard to arrange for a few palace servants to spread rumors and stir up trouble along Crown Prince Huan's usual routes, is it?"

"A strict interrogation means torture. Among them, there are certainly perpetrators of last night's arson and murder." This was also the Demon Emperor's way of appeasing Fu Shanxue and secretly helping him get some revenge.

"Will they get anything out of them?"

"That depends on the methods of the Grand Justice," Fu Shanxue sighed. "The Demon Emperor said that the progress of the Immortality Elixir case must be expedited."

"Oh, and on my way out of the palace, I met several envoys from nations like Treasurewood and Shura, all of whom came to express their condolences."

He Lingchuan understood. These nations, like Chiyan, were determined to pursue the Immortality Elixir case. With the Crown Prince of Chiyan having been twice imperiled in Spiritthollow City, they came not only to offer condolences but also to show their strong support, bolstering his position. The Immortality Elixir case was initiated by Chiyan, and all vassal demon nations shared a common interest in it. Helping Chiyan was helping themselves.

He Lingchuan also breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. With Crown Prince Huan's arson and murder, the imperial family was clearly in the wrong. Thus, neither the Demon Emperor nor Bai Ziqin would want to provoke the Chiyan people further. As for the Celestials, they had already tested He Lingchuan and wouldn't bother him for now. This self-imposed restraint by the most powerful official forces was incredibly good news for He Lingchuan.

"Oh, and the Demon Emperor suggested I move back to the Floating Isle, as the security there is better. I politely declined, saying that staying in the Lower City would make it easier to pursue the investigation. So the Demon Emperor assigned me to live in the Piaoxiang Manor on Qilin Mountain, the former residence of the convicted Chunyu family. They were found guilty seven years ago, their assets confiscated, and the royal court has been selling them off for years without finishing."

"It seems they were once a prominent and wealthy family." Spiritthollow City truly teemed with nobles and wealthy individuals.

"Of course. The Chunyu family had operated in Spiritthollow City for over two centuries, producing two prime ministers. Their wealth was immense, their properties countless—they were incomparable to any nouveau riche from a lesser background."

He Lingchuan asked, curious, "Then how did their family fall?" Such deeply rooted aristocratic families usually became local behemoths, rarely disturbed by anyone, let alone falling into decline on their own. Typically, only significant societal changes or irresistible external forces could lead to their downfall.

Fu Shanxue glanced outside the door, instinctively lowering his voice: "The regime changed."

"Hmm?" He didn't understand.

"The new ruler ascended ten years ago," Fu Shanxue coughed lightly. "Before that, the Chunyu family backed the wrong side and severely undermined the current Demon Emperor."

He Lingchuan let out a long "Oh," understanding. Just like Hong Chenglue, they miscalculated. The Chunyu family, having existed for over two centuries, had probably seen all kinds of turmoil in Spiritthollow City, but never a dynastic change. After all, the previous emperor reigned for over three hundred years. See? Lack of experience led to mistakes. Mistakes come with a price.

"Do you have to live in this Piaoxiang Manor?"

"The Demon Emperor assigned it, leaving no room for discussion," Fu Shanxue said with a wry smile. "Not going is not an option. Furthermore, the Demon Emperor blamed the Southern City Office for poor security and ordered guards from the Concord Watch to be transferred to protect Piaoxiang Manor."

"Holy moly!" He Lingchuan exclaimed. Isn't that protective custody? Ostensibly for protection, it was actually surveillance. The Crown Prince of Chiyan had caused so much trouble since arriving in Spiritthollow City that the Demon Emperor simply placed him under his watchful eye, assigning people to keep a close watch. And the assigned guards were from the Concord Watch, who had a personal grudge against them. Was the Demon Emperor deliberately bringing enemies together?

Normally, such designated residences, being semi-compulsory and semi-house arrest, would easily provoke backlash and escalate tensions if imposed on vassal demon kings and crown princes who hadn't committed any crimes or offenses. The Demon Emperor probably wouldn't usually do this, but then Fu Shanxue was attacked twice. To ensure the Chiyan Crown Prince's personal safety, wasn't this a perfect excuse? Assigning people to watch you is for your own good.

"Most likely because you were so aggressive at Nimbus Peak and embarrassed the Demon Emperor." No matter how much a vassal demon nation's crown prince puts on airs, the Demon Emperor could retaliate easily.

Fu Shanxue rubbed his nose. Indeed, when he lodged the complaint against the Grand Minister of Agriculture earlier, he was a bit... overbearing. The Demon Emperor's hints and suggestions were useless, and he must have been annoyed. If he hadn't been the victim, the Demon Emperor might have already ordered him out.

"Actually, looking on the bright side, the Fan brothers themselves will be uncomfortable, having to guard the house and gate for their enemies, with many more people watching and pointing fingers. If anything happens to you, the Demon Emperor will hold them accountable, and the next punishment certainly won't be light," He Lingchuan patted his shoulder. "Besides, to get a manor for free in the imperial capital, where every inch of land is precious, and one personally bestowed by the Demon Emperor—what a splendid thing is that?"

Panshan Residence was destroyed, and as the Crown Prince of Chiyan, Fu Shanxue indeed needed a fixed residence in the Lower City. He also had many subordinates to settle—the original Panshan Residence was too small to accommodate so many people. The Demon Emperor's designated grand mansion, if it contained no other ulterior motives, could be considered thoughtful.

Fu Shanxue grinned; he hadn't considered it from the Fan brothers' perspective before. With He Lingchuan's words, he felt much more at ease.

But He Lingchuan knew in his heart that this was a classic "killing two birds with one stone" strategy by the Demon Emperor. Both the Celestials and the Demon Emperor were investigating clues about the Great Square Cauldron. Fu Shanxue had appeared in two locations investigated by Bai Ziqin, making him a natural suspect. The Demon Emperor placing him in Piaoxiang Manor made it easy to monitor his every move. This was a masterful move, silencing Fu Shanxue and truly befitting a sovereign ruler.