"Chu Li, I won't let you fight alone! If you need help, just let me know!" Prince Bao said in a low voice.
"Thank you, Your Royal Highness!" Chu Li nodded. "Is King Ping in charge of the West Frontier Army now?"
"King Ping is the Chief Regent and the Marshal," Prince Bao said. "An army of a hundred thousand with high status and power. Who would be willing to let go?"
"Does the Emperor not have a foolproof plan?" Chu Li shook his head. "The Emperor is a wise man. How could he end up like this?"
"My brother is wise to others but he's a mess when it comes to family matters. Otherwise, he wouldn't have ended up like this!" Prince Bao sighed. "He values family too much, so it's inevitable that he's indecisive!"
Chu Li nodded slowly.
From the looks of it, he had to be more careful when killing King An. He could not simply do it or the Emperor would go crazy. An Enlightened Master who went crazy was unimaginably scary, but he would not let the murderer escape. He would not be able to escape his pursuit.
Prince Bao said, "Among the princes, King Ping is the most similar to the Emperor."
Chu Li raised his eyebrows. "From what I know, King Jing seems to have a higher chance of succeeding the throne."
"King Jing is more intelligent. He's smart and capable in handling affairs. He's not inferior to the Emperor." Prince Bao said, "The chancellors are in awe of King Jing's talent and character. It can be said that he has the loyalty of the people. King Ping's temperament is more like the Emperor's. King Jing is not like the Emperor."
Chu Li nodded slowly.
If that was the case, he would be conflicted on who to choose. One was closer and wanted to succeed the throne, while the other was more suitable. He was a prince that the chancellors respected. If he succeeded the throne, the imperial court would be stable.
Prince Bao said, "King Ping is stubborn and not good at governance. However, he's talented in commanding troops and fighting wars. He went to the West Frontier first. He rose from a small centurion to a Marshal without relying on his influence as a prince. He led an army of a hundred thousand. He's indeed a genius."
Chu Li sighed. "It's a disaster and not a blessing."
"That's right. Once King Jing succeeds the throne, how will he deal with his brother? King Ping's prestige in the army is unparalleled. He can command the army with just a word. Will King Jing sleep well? "
Chu Li said, "Once King Jing becomes the Emperor, won't he become an Enlightened Master?"
"The Emperor is not the only Enlightened Master," Prince Bao said calmly.
Chu Li nodded slowly.
If King Ping and the Tempest Temple formed an alliance, it did not matter who succeeded the throne. How could they not get rid of such a real threat?
Prince Bao said, "The Emperor is troubled by this. One has unparalleled prestige in the military, while the other has unparalleled prestige among the courtiers. Whichever one of them succeeds the throne, the other will not have a good ending. This is the most painful thing for the Emperor. He is in a dilemma, unable to make up his mind!"
"Didn't the Emperor think of this back then?" Chu Li frowned.
As the emperor, he had to be able to foresee things. He shouldn't allow things to develop like this.
"His Majesty is soft-hearted. Initially, he wanted to remove King Ping's military power, but every time King Ping submitted a memorial to the emperor, he immediately changed his mind." Prince Bao shook his head and sighed. "King Ping's temper is too similar to the Emperor's. He will argue with the Emperor the moment they meet. Both father and son can quarrel endlessly, but the Emperor likes King Ping the most."
Chu Li picked up the white jade cup and took a sip. It was said that even an upright official would find it difficult to resolve family matters. Moreover, it was mixed with the matters of the imperial court, so it was not appropriate to get involved.
—
Chu Li returned to King An's Imperial Residence. As soon as he entered the main door, Chief Zhu welcomed him. "Head Chief, your subordinates are waiting."
Chu Li arrived at the main hall and saw Dong Qifei pacing back and forth. Yang Zongwen was sitting in the armchair, sipping tea with his eyes closed as if he was enjoying the fragrance of the tea.
"Centurion!" Dong Qifei quickly greeted him.
Chu Li waved his hand and sat on the main seat. "It's already so late. What can't we talk about tomorrow?"
"Centurion, we can't wait until tomorrow!" Dong Qifei quickly said. "This time, the Mei Yi Courtyard has gone too far!"
Chu Li looked at Yang Zongwen.
Yang Zongwen fist saluted. "Centurion, Elder Dong is right. This time, the Mei Yi Courtyard has gone too far. They took advantage of the centurion's absence to snatch the second assassination case and monopolize it!"
Chu Li frowned. "Imperial Crown Prince Shan's assassination case?"
"That's right!" Dong Qifei said. "They haven't solved the Imperial Crown Prince Jiang's assassination case, but they still have the cheek to snatch the second case. They even said that the two cases are related and combining them would be the best way to solve the case. How shameless!"
Chu Li waved his hand. "Yang Zongwen, when did this happen?"
"Two hours ago," Yang Zongwen said. "The second assassination case was handed over to the Secret Guardians Hall directly. They didn't hand it over to the Fairy's Capital Magistrate. They were originally going to hand it over to the Mei Er Courtyard, but the centurion wasn't around. Chen Donghai from the Mei Yi Courtyard snatched it away."
Chu Li said, "Did the Commander say anything?"
"The Commander didn't agree to it at first. Later, Chen Donghai issued a military order saying that the case must be solved within three days. Otherwise, he would be willing to be punished." Dong Qifei said hatefully, "They must have gotten hold of some clues and were confident that they could snatch this case. They're really despicable!"
Chu Li waved his hand. "Was he really confident?"
"Solve the case in three days," Yang Zongwen said. "Time is so tight. If he wasn't confident, would he dare to snatch this second case?"
Dong Qifei said, "Centurion, we can't just let this go. If we don't snatch it back, will the Mei Er Courtyard be treated as soft? They'll come and bully us! "
Yang Zongwen nodded. "Centurion, Elder Dong is right. We must snatch it back."
Chu Li frowned and scoffed. "Forget about this case. We'll just snatch it from them next time!"
He did not expect the Mei Yi Courtyard to be so proactive. They were anxious, but it would be best if they were confident. It was exactly what he wanted.
Prince Bao had nothing to say if the case could be solved. It was not that he did not want to accept it, but the Mei Yi Courtyard took the opportunity to snatch it away when he was attending the banquet.
Seeing that Chu Li was indifferent, Dong Qifei became anxious. "Centurion, if the case is solved, it'll be a rank four military merit! It's a rank four military merit! "
Yang Zongwen said slowly, "That's why the Mei Yi Courtyard is jealous."
Dong Qifei said, "With a rank four military merit, we don't have to do anything for two years and we'll still be able to eat and drink well. If the rewards are exchanged for silver, we can buy a mansion similar to the Secret Guardians Hall!"
Chu Li raised his eyebrows.
He was not that sensitive about military merit. As the Head Chief of the Imperial Residence and the Chief of the High Duke's Public House, he never lacked money. He did not lack treasured swords, so he was not concerned.
Yang Zongwen said, "Centurion, since Chen Donghai is so heartless, we don't have to follow the rules. Just tell the Commander that the Mei Er Courtyard will investigate as well. We'll investigate separately and see who can solve the case first. Then, we'll return the rewards!"
"That's right, that's right. This time, we'll give them a hard slap in the face!" Dong Qifei said hurriedly, "Let the other courtyards know how powerful the Mei Er Courtyard is, so they won't dare to snatch the merit again!"
Chu Li said, "Next time, I'll let it go this time."
It was not wise to get into such trouble just for a big mansion.
"Centurion — —!" Dong Qifei shouted in dissatisfaction.
Chu Li waved his hand impatiently. "Go, I'm tired too. Don't be an eyesore here, go do your things."
"Centurion, it's a rank four military merit!" Dong Qifei shouted.
Chu Li said, "You'll get the merit sooner or later, go!"
As he said this, he got up and returned to his courtyard.
The next day, he went to the Secret Guardians Hall. As soon as he arrived, a protector said, "Centurion Chu, the Commander wants to see you!"
Chu Li nodded and went to the main hall.
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