Being called out by Crown Prince Xun on the spot in the hall, everyone's eyes followed the direction of Duan Xiaolou's finger and focused on Viscount Hongshan.
At the same time, several strands of Divine Sense swept over the seats in the second row on the right without any scruples.
If it was really Chu An, the rich second generation, he would probably be scared stiff by these big shots in this situation. Unfortunately, Yi Tian did not feel comfortable facing the gazes of the crowd in the hall.
Since Duan Xiaolou had pushed him out as a shield, Yi Tian did not mind stirring up the water a little more. He slowly stood up and bowed to Duan Xiaolou and Luo Qingcheng on the main seats. "Reporting to Crown Prince and Princess, not long after I came out of the East City Black Market, two assassins lurked on the side of the road to assassinate me. Fortunately, my family risked their lives to protect me and perished together with them. Only then could I protect my name. "
"Those thieves are so bold. Don't worry, Viscount Hongshan. This matter has been reported to Imperial Sister Tingting. She will definitely support the nobles of Asura. We will definitely take strict precautions in the future and will never allow such a thing to happen again," Luo Qingcheng rushed to say. Her statement naturally won the approval of many nobles present. Even the cultivators of Crown Prince Xun or Wei Crown Prince Xun could not go against the will of the crowd.
As for the nobles who were originally neutral, they would be more inclined to the royalists.
Duan Xiaolou also hurriedly expressed his position. "Viscount Hongshan, please take a seat. Our Crown Prince will definitely assist the Empress in investigating this matter thoroughly. We must not let this matter shake the foundation of our Asura Clan for thousands of years. "
What Yi Tian did not expect was that Crown Prince Xun could think it through so quickly and then express his position on the Empress's side. It seemed that the people of the other two factions present more or less had to say a few words to show their loyalty. At least in the face of this general trend, it was definitely not a wise move.
Sure enough, Hao Ren was the first to stand up. He cupped his hands and said to Crown Prince Xun and Princess Fenglin, "I agree with Princess Fenglin. Our Asura Dynasty has relied on the support of the nobles for thousands of years. Such an assassination must be thoroughly investigated. I have a hundred guards in my residence for Princess Fenglin. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask."
There was a look of certainty in Luo Qingcheng's eyes, as if she had expected this reaction. She then replied, "I appreciate your kindness, but this matter is under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Guards. Your guards can temporarily be incorporated into the Guards to make up for the manpower shortage. "
None of the nobles present had expected Luo Qingcheng to say such a thing, and all of them were astonished. Although they were temporarily under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Royal Guards, it was the Empress's word, the Crown Prince Xun and Wei's right. Wouldn't this indirectly take away Prince Wei's authority? However, it was no longer up to him at this critical juncture.
If he did not take advantage of the situation to intervene in the affairs of the Imperial Royal Guards, he was afraid that he would not have another chance. Although many of the nobles were afraid of Prince Xun's power, more people relied on their political sense to discover the far-reaching impact behind this incident.
Regardless of whether it would work or not, as long as they expressed their stance, they could show their faces to the Empress and at the same time, improve their own image. This time, many nobles also expressed their desire to send their private guards to the Imperial Royal Guards to make up for the manpower shortage.
At this moment, the one who felt the most uncomfortable was the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Royal Guards, Qiao Yongjun. This situation was tantamount to poaching his men and taking away his real power. However, his shrewdness over the years made him unmoved. Instead, he turned to Princess Fenglin and said, "This time, the Imperial Royal Guards have indeed failed in their duty and frightened the pillar of the empire. After this incident, I rushed back to the imperial capital to deal with the follow-up matters. For this reason, I have also sent a group of men to guard outside Viscount Hongshan's residence. "
So he was the one who sent the Imperial Royal Guards. It seems that Qiao Yongjun is quite attentive and knows how to adapt to the situation. He continued, "This humble subject also believes that the Imperial Royal Guards do not have enough manpower to monitor the entire imperial capital. Therefore, I suggest that we set up another branch in the army. The newly recruited cultivators can form a patrol team in the imperial capital and specialize in all kinds of cases in the imperial capital. "
Many people understood the meaning behind his words. Qiao Yongjun was worthy of being regarded highly by Prince Xun. He actually came up with a countermeasure in just a few short breaths. Since it was difficult to go against the general trend, he would go with the flow and temporarily accept the guards of the nobles. Then, he would find another way to form a new army independently.
This way, his original authority would not be weakened and he would also prevent others from meddling with his subordinates.
Princess Fenglin solemnly sized up Qiao Yongjun, who was sitting on the left, and a trace of disappointment flashed across her face. In terms of cultivation, the two of them were far apart. In terms of seniority, the difference between them was like heaven and earth. She didn't expect that with just a few words, he would be able to dissolve her original intentions.
Prince Xun's eyes also flashed with a trace of shrewdness as he sized up the two people beside him. His expression was gloomy as if he was weighing the pros and cons of this situation.
The three hosts in the hall remained silent for the time being. Even Hao Ren didn't say anything. For a moment, the atmosphere was somewhat gloomy. Suddenly, the attendant at the door announced again, "Welcome, special envoy from the imperial court."
Everyone's eyes lit up, but they all secretly pondered. They didn't expect that Her Majesty the Empress would send a special envoy to get involved. Logically speaking, there was no need for this. Princess Fenglin's arrival already represented the Empress's intentions. Could it be that there were other variables in this matter?
After a burst of hurried footsteps, the empress' special envoy strode into the hall. Yi Tian raised his head and saw that it was an old acquaintance, Luo Jinzhong.
He didn't expect that after escorting the Asura Sect's disciples, he would return to the imperial court and become the empress' trusted aide. He walked into the main hall and cupped his hands toward Xun Wang's Crown Prince and the others. "I was sent by the Empress to announce the decree. Your Highness, Senior Shui Cangyue, and Princess Fenglin, please accept the decree."
Hearing this, the three of them revealed a somewhat suspicious expression. They then stood up, walked forward, and knelt in front of Luo Jinzhong.
Yi Tian listened quietly at the side. This decree was specially given to the three of them. Luo Ziyan's intention was to let Prince Xun take the lead in selecting talents from the imperial guards. At the same time, he would form the Imperial Capital's security team to deal with various security issues in the Imperial Capital.
Shui Cangyue would be the adjutant, and Princess Fenglin would also participate in the political affairs and be responsible for supervising the work. This way, Prince Xun's forces and the nobles' forces would be mixed together. It would be easier to deal with Prince Wei's attacks in the future.
After the three of them received the decree, the nobles and cultivators around them looked eager to give it a try. Many of them were on Prince Xun's side, so they could naturally participate. As for those who were neutral, they could use Princess Fenglin's connections.
However, Yi Tian smelled something else. What did she mean by selecting the imperial guards' elites? It was nothing more than finding out Prince Wei's diehard loyalists and making Qiao Yongjun and the others mere figureheads. He didn't expect Luo Ziyan to take drastic measures. This move was used at the right time.
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