---Lily of Valley City---

@border with the capital

Dongfang Qingyuan rode his horse quickly followed by his troops. Deputy General Hua of the Light Army was beside him. But Dongfang Qingyuan was shocked to see the troops that were not small in number on the city defense fortress. Dongfang Qingyuan and his troops stopped quite far from the city defense fortress.

The city gate was also closed. "Rebels, Dongfang Qingyuan, surrender or you and your troops will be killed on the spot!" Li Tao shouted with a smiling face. Dongfang Qingyuan was silent and then laughed.

"Shameless rebels. How dare you laugh!" Li Tao said angrily. Dongfang Qingyuan stretched out his hand. Deputy General Hua gave the arrow and quiver to Dongfang Qingyuan.

"Brother Hua, when I pull the arrow, take the troops to retreat back to Blossom Village and close the city gate tightly. From now on, Blossom Village will no longer be part of the Lotus Kingdom. They betrayed us so there is no need for us to protect them." Dongfang Qingyuan said flatly.

"What about you? I..." Vice General Hua was cut off. "This is an order. I trusted Li Tao too much to cause today's incident to happen. So I will bear the sin with my life. Go." Dongfang Qingyuan said coldly.

Vice General Hua signaled to the soldiers behind. All the soldiers looked shocked but had no choice to obey their superior's order. Dongfang Qingyuan was in an archery position. "How dare you! Are you going to rebel?" Li Tao shouted angrily.

"Didn't you already said this general as a rebel?! I will grant your wish! Traitor Li Tao!" Dongfang Qingyuan said as he released an arrow. Vice General Hua spurred his horse back as did the troops from the Light Army.

Li Tao was hit right in the head by an arrow and died. "How dare you kill a royal official!" Bian Jun shouted. "Someone from Cloud tried to assassinate your leader! Traitor!" Dongfang Qingyuan said coldly.

"My leader is no longer you." Bian Jun said happily. "I should have known, you are always a traitor! The person behind must be very powerful." Dongfang Qingyuan said mockingly. "Lift it up!" Bian Jun ordered. Two corpses were hanging on the city gate.

Dongfang Qingyuan was shocked to see the two people. Lan Zhi Xuan's corpse and Xue Lingyuan's corpse were hanging. Both of them were his good friends. "You dare to kill a prince!" Dongfang Qingyuan said angrily. "He colluded with you to rebel so he deserves to be killed." Bian Jun said happily.

Dongfang Qingyuan laughed loudly. "Shut your mouth! If you don't want to die!" Xue Xingrui said arriving there. Xue Xingrui had just been summoned to the palace for a while and the troublemakers had angered Dongfang Qingyuan.

"What are you afraid of? Look, his soldiers ran away leaving him alone. What can he do by himself?" Bian Jun said casually. "Are you really an agent of Cloud? You idiot!" Xue Xingrui said flatly.

"Dongfang Qingyuan if you surrender now then His Majesty the Emperor will pardon your crimes." Xue Xingrui said flatly. "Surrender? Are you kidding me?" said Dongfang Qingyuan laughingly.

"I'm just conveying the words of His Majesty the Emperor." Xue Xingrui said flatly. "If he had the intention to spare me! He shouldn't have killed Xue Lingyuan and Lan Zhi Xuan! Today all of you must die accompanying Xue Lingyuan and Lan Zhi Xuan!" said Dongfang Qingyuan angrily.

Xue Xingrui was quite shocked by Dongfang Qingyuan's words. "Did you kill my brother? Are you crazy?!" Xue Xingrui said angrily. "They deserve to be killed." Bian Jun said arrogantly. "Are you an Emperor? How dare you kill a prince! I will settle accounts with you later." Xue Xingrui said angrily.

Three of arrows shot towards the city gate. Xue Xingrui managed to dodge them but Bian Jun wasn't fast enough and hit his arm. While the others hit the soldiers at the city gate.

"Shoot the arrows!" Xue Xingrui said before getting off the city ramparts. The arrows shot towards Dongfang Qingyuan. Dongfang Qingyuan spurred his horse to avoid the arrows and headed towards the city gate quickly.

The city gates were opened and Xue Xingrui led the troops to attack. Half of the troops that came out were killed by Dongfang Qingyuan easily even though the injuries on his body were not light. Suddenly hundreds of people joined Dongfang Qingyuan and fought.

Dongfang Qingyuan's eyes were shocked when he saw the face of his younger brother, Dongfang Ruo Cheng. "A Cheng" Dongfang Qingyuan muttered. The soldiers who were about to attack Dongfang Qingyuan were killed on the spot.

"Retreat!" Dongfang Qingyuan ordered. "I won't go. I've left you once and made you hurt. This time I won't run away again." Dongfang Ruo Cheng said firmly.

The fight became more fierce and out of control. An arrow shot towards Dongfang Ruo Cheng. Dongfang Ruo Cheng didn't realize it. Dongfang Qingyuan became a shield for Dongfang Ruo Cheng. The arrow hit right in the heart of Dongfang Qingyuan.

When Dongfang Ruo Cheng turned around, Dongfang Qingyuan fell. Dongfang Ruo Cheng held him from falling to the ground. "It's good that you're not hurt. I'm glad you didn't die. Go, live well." Dongfang Qingyuan muttered before dying. "BIG BROTHER!" A heartbreaking scream was heard. Xue Xingrui was shocked to see Dongfang Ruo Cheng hugging Dongfang Qingyuan tightly.

A young man moved in his sleep. The young man looked uncomfortable before waking up in a cold sweat. "Young master, did you have a bad dream?" Another young man asked. The young man who had just woken up fell silent and turned to the young man who had just spoken to him.

"Ruiwen, I finally met you. I missed you." The young man said as he immediately got up from bed and almost fell if not for being held by the young man named Ruiwen. "Young master, what did you say? A week ago, you just told me to check on the capital. When you entered the capital, you fainted." Ruiwen said as he sat the young man down on the bed.

"What did you say?" The young man asked in confusion. "Young master, have you forgotten that His Majesty ordered you to return to the capital?" Ruiwen asked in confusion. 'I went back to the past. Back to a time when everything had not yet begun.' the young man thought silently.

"Dongfang Ruo Cheng, are you tired of living? You should get enough rest instead of exhausting yourself to the point of fainting." Lan Zhi Xuan shouted angrily. "How did you know I was awake?" the young man asked flatly.

"The doctor said you would wake up today." Lan Zhi Xuan said confusedly. "Then I am not Dongfang Ruo Cheng but Dongfang Qingyuan." The young man said flatly. Dongfang Qingyuan returned to the past before everything began.

The time when he was not yet his younger brother, Dongfang Ruo Cheng. The time when he lied to save Li Tao's life that he was Dongfang Ruo Cheng. The time when he was framed by his younger brother's ex-fiancé to become a criminal. The time when he was too kind and trusted everyone. This time he would change everything.

"Your words are not funny." Lan Zhi Xuan said annoyedly. "Master Lan, he is not joking with you. My master is called Dongfang Qingyuan." Ruiwen said, Qiu Ruiwen. Lan Zhi Xuan's eyes widened in surprise.

Dongfang Qingyuan

Xue Xingrui/ Lord Hua

Xue Lingyuan/seventh prince

Qiu Ruiwen

Dongfang Ruo Cheng

Lan Zhi Xuan

Xue Yanzhong/second prince

Xue Jiayi/fifth prince

Xue Zhengming/ Lord Yue

Ruan Shuye

"But the report said that the survivor of the attack was Dongfang Ruo Cheng." Lan Zhi Xuan said confusedly. "I can't write and read so all such matters were written by Li Tao. So if Li Tao lied to me then I wouldn't know." Dongfang Qingyuan explained flatly.

"You can't read? Are you kidding me? Dongfang Ruo Cheng can be considered a person..." Lan Zhi Xuan's words were cut off. "I am not Dongfang Ruo Cheng and also not part of this Dongfang family." Dongfang Qingyuan explained.

Lan Zhi Xuan looked at Dongfang Qingyuan confusedly. "Get out and stop eavesdropping." Dongfang Qingyuan said flatly. Someone came out and went inside. Lan Zhi Xuan looked at the person and fell silent.

"Lord Yue, why did you come here?" Lan Zhi Xuan asked confusedly. "You are the person who was poisoned by Dongfang Ruo Cheng." Dongfang Qingyuan said flatly. "Are you disappointed that I didn't die after being poisoned by your brother?" Xue Zhengming asked, Lord Yue was joking.

"I don't feel disappointed or anything. I don't even know you. I also know the reason why Dongfang Ruo Cheng went to the border so I and him can be considered strangers." Dongfang Qingyuan said. Xue Zhengming and Lan Zhi Xuan were quite surprised.

Both of them knew this after investigating many things. It was true that Dongfang Ruo Cheng was expelled from the capital because of Xue Zhengming's poisoning but there was another reason, namely the previous King wanted to take control of the Light Army.

"Did Ruo Cheng tell you?" Lan Zhi Xuan asked seriously. "Does he need to tell me? His actions have already told me. Do you think I would want to have a relationship with someone like that?" Dongfang Qingyuan asked back. The two of them were silent.

"Young master, it's time for Li Tao to return. Do you want me to go?" Ruiwen asked. "Tomorrow, you watch Li Tao." Dongfang Qingyuan said looking at Ruiwen. Ruiwen nodded. "You two better go home and pretend I haven't woken up yet." Dongfang Qingyuan said, chasing Xue Zhengming and Lan Zhi Xuan away.

After the three of them left, Dongfang Qingyuan sat quietly for a while before lying down again and fixing the wrinkles on the bed. Li Tao went inside before going out.

---Lord Yue Residence---

@garden

"What do you think Dongfang Qingyuan means?" Lord Yue asked looking at Lord Hua, Xue Xingrui. Xue Xingrui was the nephew of Lord Yue and Emperor Xue. But he was adopted by Emperor Xue. Three years after his parents died.

"I think he's just being honest with us. Besides, why would he pretend to be his younger brother. I once read in the royal library that Marquis Dongfang married Princess Xue Lian and their son who refused to be his successor was crossed out from the family register. The legitimate successor of Marquis Dongfang now is only Dongfang Qingyuan." Xue Xingrui explained, Lord Hua.

"So he chose his grandson over his son. That's why Dongfang Qingyuan said that there was no connection." Xue Zhengming said nodding in understanding.

"The Dongfang family has a written rule that they will not enter politics and will continue to serve in the military. But Dongfang Ming broke that rule. So Dongfang Huanzhe crossed out Dongfang Ming's name from his successor. Dongfang Qingyuan can become the successor because Great-Grandfather recalled Dongfang Huanzhe and ordered Dongfang Huanzhe to take the son of Dongfang Ming as his successor." Xue Xingrui was clear.

"That year, Dongfang Huanzhe returned just as Li Yue gave birth to her first son. Dongfang Qingyuan, this name was given by Emperor Xue Junhui, the previous Emperor. With that, the infant Dongfang Qingyuan was given an imperial decree to be the son of Dongfang Huanzhe and Princess Xue Lian." Dongfang Ruo Cheng said as he entered.

Dongfang Ruo Cheng wore a mask on his face. The mask covered the upper half of his face. "Your brother seems to dislike you." Xue Zhengming said with a grin. "At first, he did dislike me but it wasn't obvious enough. Until he found out that I was going to take over the Light Army from him. The best part, he just trusted me." Dongfang Ruo Cheng explained.

"Didn't anything strange happen at that time?" Xue Xingrui asked. "At that time, I remember I planned not to take over the Light Army again. But suddenly Li Tao said there was an order to immediately take over the Light Army from the palace." Dongfang Ruo Cheng explained.

"You were trapped by your good guard." Xue Zhengming said coldly. "Li Tao?" Dongfang Ruo Cheng asked confusedly. "Your brother is also investigating Li Tao. It seems that your brother is being framed by Li Tao. Li Tao wrote a false report to the palace and said that you survived the border." Xue Zhengming said.

Anger appeared on Dongfang Ruo Cheng's face. "I will kill him." Dongfang Ruo Cheng said angrily. "You can't. I'm sure Dongfang Qingyuan can handle it. You are now a ghost if you interfere then the Mastermind of your case will be alert." Xue Xingrui explained.

Although he didn't accept it, Xue Xingrui's words were true so Dongfang Ruo Cheng only tried to hold back his exploding emotions. "Why are you so confident in Dongfang Qingyuan's abilities?" Xue Zhengming asked suddenly.

"Dongfang Qingyuan once slaughtered the entire enemy army and even dared to burn the enemy kingdom's General alive when Dongfang Ruo Cheng was confirmed dead. Do you think after he found out Li Tao betrayed him? He would just keep quiet. No, he would make his life worse than death." Xue Xingrui smiled calmly.

"I think he killed them because he told me before going to Plumeria Village. That I should die by his hands, not by the enemy. He probably didn't think that the enemy he meant was not an outsider but his own person." Dongfang Ruo Cheng looked sad.

#the next day

As soon as he woke up last night, Dongfang Qingyuan insisted on moving to an inn and didn't want to stay in the Dongfang family mansion so Li Tao had no choice but to obey.

---inn---

@Dongfang Qingyuan's room

"Why did you come again?" Asked Dongfang Qingyuan looking at Lan Zhi Xuan seriously. "What do you mean by you are different from Dongfang Ruo Cheng?" Lan Zhi Xuan asked seriously.

"If Dongfang Ruo Cheng was not crossed out of the Marquis Dongfang family then I would be his uncle." Said Dongfang Qingyuan. "What? You're so young and became his uncle." Lan Zhi Xuan said in disbelief. "You can ask the previous Emperor, Emperor Xue Junhui. You could say my royal uncle." Dongfang Qingyuan explained.

"I understand. So what are you going to do? Your Marquis title has been revoked by the previous Emperor, Xue Qing." Lan Zhi Xuan asked. "I have no intention of getting my father's title back. I just want to return to the border after this matter is over. I don't want to stay in this dirty place any longer." Dongfang Qingyuan said calmly.

"You are just like the rumors. A general who only cares about fighting." Lan Zhi Xuan said happily. "What kind of rumors are those?" Dongfang Qingyuan asked, frowning in displeasure. "There are also rumors that you are someone with a big and rough body. Your face is full of scars." Lan Zhi Xuan added happily.

"Who made such a ridiculous rumor?" Asked Dongfang Qingyuan. "Granduncle" said someone barging in and immediately closing the door. Dongfang Qingyuan was speechless hearing that voice.

The only person who knew that he was Dongfang Qingyuan and still stood by his side to defend him. That person was Xue Lingyuan, the seventh prince.

"Are you following me again?" Asked Lan Zhi Xuan sighing. "I'm bored in the palace. Besides, I can meet Granduncle in person, it's interesting." Xue Lingyuan said smiling sweetly.

Dongfang Qingyuan smiled sadly. Xue Lingyuan who always smiled in front of him became a corpse because of Bian Jun and Li Tao's actions. He would make them both pay a heavy price for their actions.

A knock was heard on the door. "Ruiwen, come in." Dongfang Qingyuan said flatly. His sad smile disappeared in an instant. Qiu Ruiwen went inside before closing the door.

"Did he meet someone?" Asked Dongfang Qingyuan flatly. "He went to Moon Restaurant." Qiu Ruiwen explained. "Then I didn't dare to get too close and thought of reporting to you." Qiu Ruiwen added calmly.

"I know. You can rest." Dongfang Qingyuan said flatly. "But..." Qiu Ruiwen's words were interrupted. "This is an order. Make sure you copy the book neatly." Dongfang Qingyuan said calmly. Qiu Ruiwen fell silent and nodded.

After Qiu Ruiwen left, Lan Zhi Xuan looked at Dongfang Qingyuan. "What book is that?" Lan Zhi Xuan asked curiously. "You'll know later. I need your help to read the decree." Dongfang Qingyuan explained.

"Yes, you can't read." Lan Zhi Xuan said. "I can help." Xue Lingyuan said. "Lingyuan, I need you to guard the door and make sure no one comes." Dongfang Qingyuan said seriously.

Xue Lingyuan fell silent before smiling and getting up and going out. Xue Lingyuan's face after going out became serious. One thing that Dongfang Qingyuan never knew even though he lived his second life.

Xue Lingyuan was not as simple as he looked. Xue Lingyuan only showed himself cheerful and kind in front of Dongfang Qingyuan. The real reason Xue Lingyuan was arrested was because he investigated the case of Dongfang Qingyuan being framed by Ruan Shuye. Xue Lingyuan believed that there was someone else behind Ruan Shuye. No matter who it was, he would tear them out.

As he got closer to the truth. He was arrested on charges of selling military information and betraying the kingdom. Even Lan Zhi Xuan who cooperated with him could not escape punishment.

@Dongfang Qingyuan's room

"This is the decree about you being appointed as the son of Marquis Dongfang Huanzhe and Princess Xue Lian." Lan Zhi Xuan said giving it to Dongfang Qingyuan. Dongfang Qingyuan tied a red ribbon on the decree.

"This is the decree about you not being allowed to marry anyone in the future." Lan Zhi Xuan was clearly a little confused. Dongfang Qingyuan tied a yellow ribbon.

"This is the decree that the Light Army will forever belong to the Dongfang family. No one is allowed to touch the Dongfang Family's army unless the Dongfang Family decides the successor themselves. If anyone tries to seize the Light Army, no matter what position the person is, they will be beheaded on the spot." Said Lan Zhi Xuan was clearly horrified. Dongfang Qingyuan tied the color white.

"Thank you." Dongfang Qingyuan said smiling. "I saw the imperial seal on the decree. It was the old imperial seal of Emperor Xue Junhui. Since Emperor Xue Qing, the imperial seal has disappeared. It is said that the imperial seal burned down along with the Sun Palace. 49 days after Emperor Xue Junhui's death." Lan Zhi Xuan explained.

"I know. This decree was given to Father by Emperor Xue Junhui himself. I heard from Father that these three decrees were the last imperial decrees of Emperor Xue Junhui. Even the decree of Xue Qing ascending to the throne no longer used this imperial seal." Dongfang Qingyuan explained flatly.

"After your birth, two months later Emperor Xue Junhui died. Replaced by Emperor Xue Qing ruled. But even then he only ruled for 16 years. And replaced by Xue Feng Ning. I remember after exiling your younger brother, a month later he died." Lan Zhi Xuan added as if remembering.

"Two years later, Dongfang Ruo Cheng died massacred by enemy troops. His body was burned to the point of being incorporeal. The sword in his hand was proof that he was Dongfang Ruo Cheng. Four years later I was recalled to the capital." Dongfang Qingyuan said flatly.

"If I'm not mistaken, the Emperor is ten years older than you two. How come they are close?" Lan Zhi Xuan asked suddenly. "According to the information, it's because Dongfang Ruo Cheng said something amazing when he was 5 years old. And the Emperor now hears his idea and puts it into practice. The people are very grateful to Emperor because of that." Dongfang Qingyuan explained flatly.

Lan Zhi Xuan nodded in understanding. "In a week, it's Emperor Xue Junhui's death anniversary. Are you going?" Lan Zhi Xuan asked. "Are they holding a memorial service?" Dongfang Qingyuan asked.

"Since last year, they have canceled the ceremony." Lan Zhi Xuan explained. "I will attend it." Dongfang Qingyuan said with a faint smile. "I thought so." Lan Zhi Xuan said happily.

"Do you know the place? I will take you there." Lan Zhi Xuan asked excitedly. "No need. I know the place. That place is not a place where you can come as you please." Dongfang Qingyuan explained.

"I know. There is a deadly trap there. A eunuch once broke into the tomb and died tragically." Lan Zhi Xuan explained. "I also heard that the tomb was designed a long time ago, before Emperor Xue Junhui's death, even when he was not yet Emperor." Lan Zhi Xuan added.

"The tomb was designed by my father. Back then, my uncle was still a prince. At that time, my father was already married to my mother. My uncle said he didn't want his tomb to be dismantled when he died. So my father offered to build an underground tomb. My uncle agreed to that." Dongfang Qingyuan explained.

"Emperor Xue Junhui's tomb is indeed not in the royal cemetery but on a mountain near the border of Rosemary Capital and Lily of Valley City. The mountain is called White Mountain." Lan Zhi Xuan said.

"That's the mountain where the Dongfang family is buried." Xue Lingyuan said coming in. "That's right, from the entrance it was full of deadly traps. So the eunuch didn't go in at all, he was only in front of the tomb door and died before being thrown out by the trap itself." Dongfang Qingyuan explained.

"I've heard that the Dongfang family's cemetery is even more mysterious than other families and no one knows for sure." Lan Zhi Xuan said. "The ancestors of the Dongfang family used to be people from Jianghu. Before my grandfather entered the military to help the people overcome the war that occurred until my father. Because of that, there is a rule that the Dongfang family is not allowed to participate in politics unless forced." Dongfang Qingyuan explained.

"By forced you mean, could it be an imperial decree?" Xue Lingyuan asked, to which Dongfang Qingyuan nodded. "What if the imperial decree is detrimental to you?" Xue Zhengming asked coming in.

"What do you mean?" Asked Dongfang Qingyuan looking at Xue Zhengming who closed the door. "Anything that is against your wishes." Xue Zhengming explained. "Lord Yue, who are you running away from?" Asked Dongfang Qingyuan seriously.

"You don't need to know." Xue Zhengming said awkwardly. "Running away from Princess Xue Mingyue?" Xue Lingyuan asked flatly. "My sweet nephew, can you take care of your sister?" Xue Zhengming asked.

"She is not my sister. Xue Yanzhong and Xue Mingyue are also not related." Xue Lingyuan said flatly. "Let me take care of it." Lan Zhi Xuan said displeased. Lan Zhi Xuan left the room. Not long after the commotion was heard before the commotion slowly subsided.

Lan Zhi Xuan returned. "She wants you to take her to the Dongfang residence." Lan Zhi Xuan said. "What does she want to go there for?" Xue Lingyuan asked coldly. Dongfang Qingyuan was silent seeing Xue Lingyuan's other nature.

"For what else? To find something." Xue Zhengming said flatly. "The design of the Dongfang family tomb." Dongfang Qingyuan said coldly making the three people stare at him in shock.

"For what else? To find something." Xue Zhengming said flatly. "The design of the Dongfang family tomb." Dongfang Qingyuan said coldly making the three people stare at him in shock.

"What do they need it for?" Xue Lingyuan asked displeased. "Royal Uncle left something for me in his tomb. What do you think they want?" Dongfang Qingyuan asked smilingly.

"Ignorant child. What could such an interesting grandfather leave behind?" Xue Zheng Ming grumbled. "For Lord Yue it is not interesting but for the two of them it might be as interesting as the royal seal of Emperor Xue Junhui." Lan Zhi Xuan said flatly.

Dongfang Qingyuan smiled faintly. "Grand uncle, why?" Xue Lingyuan asked confusedly. "You can call me A Yuan, no need to call me by such a title." Dongfang Qingyuan said smilingly. Xue Lingyuan was silent in surprise. Xue Zheng Ming smiled faintly. Lan Zhi Xuan shook his head.

"What are you going to do to Li Tao?" Lan Zhi Xuan asked seriously. "Wait for the right moment. When the time comes, you will know what to do?" Dongfang Qingyuan said winking at Lan Zhi Xuan. Lan Zhi Xuan massaged his temples dizzily. "You three immediately return to your places before Li Tao returns." Dongfang Qingyuan said flatly.

The three of them had no choice but to obey. Dongfang Qingyuan's mood was uncertain so no one knew what would happen next.

"Have you found Ming er's house?" Dongfang Qingyuan asked Qiu Ruiwen who came in. The door was closed. "I found it. It's not too far from White Mountain. Still in the capital area." Qiu Ruiwen replied.

"He didn't forget." Dongfang Qingyuan said smiling sadly. "Have you spread it?" Dongfang Qingyuan asked again. "Yes, then there is a letter from Liu Yue for you." Qiu Ruiwen said handing over a piece of paper. Dongfang Qingyuan read it and fell silent.

"Have you found Liu Mu?" Dongfang Qingyuan asked coldly. "He seems to be watching the Liang family. I heard rumors that Liang Yu will be appointed as Vice Minister in Ministry of Justice after his daughter's wedding." Qiu Ruiwen explained. 'He was indeed appointed as Vice Minister in Ministry of Justice but with Liu Yue's blood.' thought Dongfang Qingyuan angrily.

"I want you to keep an eye on his movements. We have little time left. Tell Liu Yue to wait for me at the Lily of Valley City riverbank. Choose a place that is a bit far from the crowds. Take a carriage that I rarely use and dress inconspicuously. I will take care of everything." Dongfang Qingyuan said as he stood up and looked out the window. "I understand." Qiu Ruiwen said as he left.

'This time I will save you. Even if my life is at stake. I will make them all pay a heavy price.' thought Dongfang Qingyuan.

[Water flows unhindered

Lantern lights illuminate the streets

The moon hangs beautifully in the night sky

Stars are scattered in the dark sky

Parting to meet again

Welcoming old acquaintances

Drinking a cup of wine

Not stopping until drunk]

The song was sung by children playing. In an instant this song became a sensation all the way to the palace.

Dongfang Qingyuan lay back on his bed as he stared at the roof of the inn. 'I miss Liu Yue and Hua Ling. I want to go back there soon.' thought Dongfang Qingyuan sadly.

---Second Prince's Residence---

"Why is there such a strange song all of a sudden? Is this the work of Dongfang Qingyuan?" Xue Yanzhong, the second prince, asked. "He has no other subordinates besides me. So it's impossible. If it was his work, then I would know." Li Tao explained.

"Of course, he is only allowed to bring someone. Of course, he will bring you." Xue Yanzhong said happily. "This is thanks to His Highness, if it weren't for His Highness, then he wouldn't have trusted me so easily." Li Tao explained.

---Lord Hua's Residence---

@pavilion

A pavilion above a small lake stood elegantly. Xue Xingrui, also known as Lord Hua, looked at his royal uncle, Xue Zhengming or Lord Yue in confusion. "Imperial uncle, I feel like you have been coming to my house a lot lately." Xue Xingrui said in confusion.

"Xingrui, can a person change so much in an instant?" Xue Zhengming asked seriously. "Imperial uncle, do you really know Dongfang Qingyuan? He is a mysterious person who is quite famous. No one can guess what kind of person he was, so that's why previous Emperor removed his father's title. Although his father is the husband of Princess Xue Lian." Xue Xingrui explained.

"I don't know him, but I have heard about him often." Xue Zhengming said doubtfully. "Then don't believe it too much. It is likely that Dongfang Qingyuan is just showing off to others. What does he want to show? He wouldn't receive respect in his big army if he was an easy opponent." Xue Xingrui said.

"You are right. He is indeed not an ordinary person. I feel that he can kill anyone if he wants to." Xue Zhengming said seriously. "That's why he is the Dongfang Qingyuan who is feared by everyone, even the previous Emperor." Xue Xingrui said calmly.

---Palace---

@Sun Palace

"How is Brother Ruo Cheng's condition?" Emperor Xue Feng Ning asked. "Answering Your Majesty, Young Master Dongfang moved to stay at an inn and has not been out since then. But the assistant that Young Master Dongfang brought had many meetings from Moon Restaurant, Autumn Pavilion to the Second Prince's Residence." Eunuch Hong explained honestly.

"Could it be that he gave Brother Ruo Cheng food?" Emperor Xue Feng Ning asked with a frown. "Answering Your Majesty, the informant reported again. The assistant did not bring anything when he went out. The informant also seemed to feel that the assistant was very close to His Highness the Second Prince." Eunuch Hong explained.

"Then the medicine that Brother Ruo Cheng took. Who bought it?" Emperor Xue Feng Ning asked displeased. "Answering Your Majesty, Minister Lan brought the medicine every day." Eunuch Hong explained.

"Tomorrow, I will see Brother Ruo Cheng. I want to see if he is pretending to be unwell or if he is indeed not receiving adequate treatment." Emperor Xue Feng Ning said angrily. Emperor Xue Feng Ning did not like people approaching his sons with a specific purpose.

#Night

---Dark alley---

@Basement

Seven people had gathered in place. They were waiting for their supreme leader to appear. The sound of footsteps was heard making the seven people immediately alert.

"Dongfang Qingyuan" Lu Yi said doubtfully. Eunuch Hong looked surprised. "I see everyone has arrived. I don't have much time. So I will give you a task." Dongfang Qingyuan said coldly.

A gloomy aura was felt by the seven of them. "Lu Yi and Shao Huan, I need you to keep an eye on Li Tao for me. Report everything you know about who he is meeting." Dongfang Qingyuan said.

The owner of Moon Restaurant, Lu Yi and the owner of Autumn Pavilion, Shao Huan nodded. "Hua Zi Rong, I want you to keep an eye on any suspicious movements that have occurred over the past few days." Dongfang Qingyuan said coldly. The owner of Light Inn, Hua Zi Rong nodded.

"He Ming, I need a report on the noble families in the capital. The more detailed the better." Dongfang Qingyuan said flatly. The owner of Peony Hall, He Ming nodded. "I understand." He Ming said.

Dongfang Qingyuan handed Ning Zhen two pages of paper. "I need you to make an antidote immediately." Dongfang Qingyuan said coldly. Ning Zhen, the owner of Chrysanthemum Apothecary read the paper and seemed interested. "I understand." Ning Zhen said happily.

"Lu Ming, pay attention to the activities in the palace for me. I need accurate and concise reports." Dongfang Qingyuan said coldly. "Why should I listen to you? You even..." Lu Ming's words stopped.

A knife streaked across Lu Ming's cheek and stuck behind the wall. Blood dripped out of Lu Ming's cheek. "This is an order. If you have the guts, you can disobey it. I guarantee you will die on the spot." Dongfang Qingyuan said with a murderous aura.

Lu Ming looked at Dongfang Qingyuan in a new light. "I understand." Lu Ming, the Imperial Guard said. "Eunuch Hong, I want you to watch the princes for me. Especially when they meet His Majesty the Emperor." Dongfang Qingyuan said with a faint smile.

Eunuch Hong was shocked but he smiled faintly as well. "This servant understands Your Highness." Eunuch Hong said. Dongfang Qingyuan was shocked but his face returned to normal in an instant. "You only have 3 days." Dongfang Qingyuan said before leaving.

"Eunuch Hong, why did you call him His Highness?" Lu Ming asked in confusion. "He should have received the title but Her Highness Princess Xue Lian refused the title for her son. Because Princess Xue Lian knew that once the title was accepted, her son would be taken to the capital and trapped there." Eunuch Hong explained.

"That's why he was shocked." Lu Ming nodded in understanding. "He knew that you would be loyal to him because you are Eunuch Ju's disciple." Shao Huan said. "Yes, the only one who knows this title is Eunuch Ju who works under the three Emperors." Eunuch Hong said.

"Maybe if he had returned earlier, he would have met Eunuch Ju who retired last year." Shao Huan said. "But I feel that this young master is quite interesting. He is indeed suitable to be called the murderous demon." Ning Zhen said interestedly.

"That's the old nickname. The new nickname is Red Ghost. A ghost who kills until bathed in human blood." Shao Huan said calmly. "A title obtained after slaughtering a General from the Four Season Kingdom." Eunuch Hong said.

"I didn't expect the leader to know our names." Lu Ming said. "Who do you think is behind His Highness?" Eunuch Hong asked. "You mean Li Tao? Isn't he the suspected person?" Shao Huan asked confusedly.

"Qiu Ruiwen, the shadow guard of the Dongfang family. Who is also the deputy of Cloud." Lu Yi said calmly. "Yes, he knows all of our names. But I didn't expect His Highness to call us over them." Eunuch Hong said.

"There are spies. I detected some people from the outside network doing transactions outside the agreement." Lu Ming said seriously. "Let them be. Our current leader will make their lives miserable." Lu Yi said leaving first. Everyone slowly dispersed.