It was obvious that He Qian had made up his mind. Although Minister Yu was reluctant, he couldn't disobey so he accepted the order and retreated.
Once outside, Minister Yu's expression flickered with uncertainty. Without any hesitation, he headed for the Jade Dragon Temple.
Inside the house, He Qian lowered his head in deep thought.
Although what he said earlier was a little impulsive, He Qian knew that he couldn't just give in to the dragon deity. And he wasn't wrong.
The Jade Dragon royalty had received benefits from the dragon deity, even protection. But at the same time, the dragon deity had also received sacrifices from the four princesses. Strictly speaking, they were just taking what they needed.
Why did the dragon deity have to solve his own problems?
Or was the so-called invincible dragon deity only so-so?
As an emperor, He Qian had to consider the bigger picture. He had to give up what needed to be given up, just like his daughter He Yu. Although she was his most beloved daughter, ever since she was possessed by the curse, He Qian knew what would happen to her.
Even so, He Qian couldn't change anything. All he could do was silently allow this to happen.
After all, this jade dragon curse was a contract the royal ancestors had signed with the dragon deity. In every generation, a royal daughter would be chosen to be sacrificed to the dragon deity while the dragon deity would bestow upon the royal elites a jade dragon pet beast to ensure the safety of the jade dragons.
However, He Qian wasn't blind nor was he a fool. The dragon deity had indeed given a jade dragon pet beast, but he had suppressed the power of the blood contract. In other words, if his pet beast were to fight the dragon deity one day, it would definitely turn on him on the spot and the blood contract wouldn't be able to control it.
As for the promise of ensuring the safety of the jade dragons, that was a lie. If the jade dragons were in trouble, they would have to solve it themselves. The dragon deity only stayed in the temple to enjoy the offerings of the royal family. Other than bestowing a few jade dragon pet beasts, there was nothing else he could do.
Psychologically speaking, He Qian had long been dissatisfied with this. But because the dragon deity was too intimidating and had a jade dragon as his pet beast, there was nothing he could do about it.
But now, He Qian sensed a sign of a breakthrough.
It was Maple City's Lin Jin.
Initially, He Qian knew about his first visit but he didn't pay much attention to it.
After all, over the years, Lu Bin had found countless so-called famous doctors from outside, and almost all of them were helpless against the power of He Yu's curse. Only a few of them could adjust her body and make He Yu feel slightly better, but it was still a drop in the bucket.
However, Lin Jin was the only one who had such an immediate effect on his first day here. He was able to suppress the bestial soul curse. He Qian never expected this to happen.
That night, the Dragon God's avatar had been heavily injured. Although this matter was kept a secret, He Qian knew about it. Since then, He Qian had been keeping an eye on Lin Jin from Maple City.
His attention wasn't as simple as having Minister Yu investigate Lin Jin. In fact, He Qian's attention toward Lin Jin far exceeded what he let on the surface. In addition, He Qian's understanding of Lin Jin was much deeper than anyone could imagine.
"Guards!"
He Qian said and an inner guard came in immediately.
These inner guards were He Qian's trusted aides.
"Your Majesty, please instruct us!" The inner guard knelt down and bowed.
He Qian was fiddling with something in his hand. Upon closer inspection, one could see that it was the gold ring.
"General Lu has been in the imperial prison for the entire night, hasn't he?" He Qian asked.
The inner guard nodded. "Your Majesty, General Lu has smashed all the food that was delivered and didn't sleep for the entire night."
"He's just worried. Never mind, the Lu family has contributed greatly to the nation after all. I'll go visit him." Having said that, He Qian grabbed the gold ring and stood up. "Order the palace guards and the imperial physician to stay here. Without my orders, no one is allowed to set foot in the sixth princess' courtyard. Anyone who disobeys will be killed without mercy."
The Heavenly Prison was right next to the Royal Palace. It was a place where the royal family members and officials of the Imperial Court who had committed crimes were imprisoned. Although it was not completely dark, it was still heavily guarded. Just the iron door alone required three people to enter and three people to exit. He Qian had come in discreetly with only a few inner guards following him. Along the way, he headed straight for Lu Bin's cell.
At this moment, although Lu Bin was sitting, his heart was already filled with anxiety.
He didn't know what was going on outside, but from what he saw of the sixth princess yesterday, he knew that she was in grave danger. To put it bluntly, Lu Bin knew very well that someone who looked like they were about to die probably wouldn't be able to live until nightfall. In other words, the sixth princess might have died last night.
This possibility made Lu Bin lose all hope but there was still a sliver of hope left in his heart.
It was the golden needle that Lin Jin gave him yesterday.
Back then, Lin Jin had told him that if anything unexpected happened, he had to leave the golden needle somewhere close to the sixth princess. Back then, Lu Bin did as he was told. However, he was curious as to what effect a tiny golden needle could have. Could it save the sixth princess from death? Although it was unbelievable, there was nothing else Lu Bin could do other than pray for it to work.
As he waited anxiously without a wink of sleep, Emperor He Qian arrived.
As it was a secret visit, there was no announcement. Lu Bin only noticed He Qian's arrival when he saw a few inner guards approaching.
The person Lu Bin hated the most right now was Emperor He Qian.
At the sight of him, Lu Bin gritted his teeth in anger. One of the inner guards scolded Lu Bin in a low voice, telling him to receive the emperor. Lu Bin ignored him.
"Alright, stand guard outside. Don't come in without my orders." He Qian waved his hand and the inner guards bowed and retreated.
Now, only He Qian and Lu Bin were left.
He Qian knew why Lu Bin was like this. Back when Lu Bin was Jade Dragon Kingdom's great general, he resigned at the height of his fame. Although there were reasons for that, his temper was the main reason.
Hence, the first thing He Qian said was, "Yu'er isn't dead yet."
Sure enough, Lu Bin's expression softened. He couldn't help but ask, "Is my lord awake?"
My lord!
Upon hearing this, He Qian shook his head. "Not yet, but it seems like her life isn't in danger for the time being."
Lu Bin panicked again. "He Qian, if you still think of her as your daughter, then let her live. Let me ask you, is this so-called throne really that important?"
He Qian stood with his hands behind his back and sighed. "Lu Bin, if I had a choice, I'd rather trade the throne for Yu'er. But not everything in this world goes according to one's wishes, especially when it comes to being the ruler of a country. It may seem like a glamorous position on the surface, but in reality, it's not an easy one. There are too many things I have no other choice."
Having said that, He Qian continued, "Lu Bin, you address Yu'er as your lord, which means you haven't forgotten Princess Xin's request. Princess Xin once helped you and from then on, you've been treating her as your lord. Sometimes, you're more like Yu'er's father. I'm the one who's not up to the task."
After a moment of silence, Lu Bin shook his head. "Back then, Valley Master was deeply in love with you and was even willing to be trapped within the palace walls for you. Although it wasn't your fault that she died while giving birth to her daughter, you didn't protect Sixth Princess well. You say you're unhappy? Hahaha, everyone in the world is like that. Even I, Lu Bin, have many regrets. My biggest regret is giving you the position of Valley Master."
The atmosphere in the imperial prison was tense.
After a long while, He Qian said, "Let's not talk about the past. I'm here today because I want to have a chat. About that Appraiser Lin."
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