Chapter 703: 449 Ancestral Worship Ceremony!_3

Chapter 703: Chapter 449 Ancestral Worship Ceremony!_3

Only when they truly become one of us, can I cultivate them with peace of mind.

“This….” Cao Zhengxian squinted his eyes.

“What, does Minister Cao have a different opinion?”

“The old minister just feels that some aspects are somewhat inappropriate.”

“Hmm?”

“Chen Yuan is indeed a rare genius of this era, a once-in-a-century talent, but Princess Pingyang is also the apple of His Majesty’s eye, and she has a stubborn personality. If she were to be betrothed to Chen Yuan,

she would likely be reluctant. Moreover, Chen Yuan’s nature is cruel and violent, which may inevitably lead to conflicts with Princess Pingyang. Most importantly, Chen Yuan has family in Tangshan and is particularly fond of women…. And Princess Pingyang has the deepest taboo against this matter….”

Jingtai looked deeply at Cao Zhengxian and said in a low voice:

“If that’s the case, then let’s discuss this matter later.”

“Your Majesty is wise.”

A faint smile curled up on Cao Zhengxian’s face.

Because of the previous incidents with Yang Yuanqing, he had also harbored some minor grievances against Chen Yuan. Although he wouldn’t stoop so low as to scheme against him due to the disparity in their statuses, he could still influence things somewhat through subtle means.

Chen Yuan belonged to the Heavenly Patrol Bureau and was favored by those individuals; he had no desire to see Chen Yuan’s status rise any higher. However, he was also aware that this wasn’t something he could stop just by saying so.

If Jingtai insisted on it, then nobody’s words would be of any use.

“Has the Imperial Supervision Bureau recently caught some troublemakers?” Jingtai suddenly inquired.

“Indeed, several have been caught recently. As Your Majesty knows, when grand ceremonies like the ancestral rites approach, some Demon Dao rogues always think of causing disturbances.”

“How were they dealt with?”

“They have been thrown into the Heavenly Prison and are under strict interrogation.”

Jingtai’s gaze became serious:

“The ancestral rites are no small matter; we must be extremely cautious and careful to avoid any disturbances. Interrogate those individuals thoroughly. If we can learn of their schemes in advance, all the better.”

“The old minister understands.”

“Hmm…. If they refuse to speak, apply some torture. If they still won’t talk, castrate them, turn them into neither man nor woman.”

Jingtai looked at Cao Zhengxian with a smile in his eyes.

Hearing this, Cao Zhengxian, whose face was originally crinkled in a forced smile, suddenly stiffened and nodded awkwardly.

He understood: Jingtai was also warning him….

…

…

After leaving the Imperial Palace, Chen Yuan took his men straight to the harem to close the Consort Shu case. Jingtai had spoken, so naturally, they would follow his will: the death of Consort Shu would be deemed an accident, and the matter had to be conclusively settled, allowing no one to question it.

Furthermore, they handled Consort Shu’s physical burial, burying the matter once and for all. A few palace maids were used as scapegoats, and the matter came to a logical end.

As for whether Jingtai associated the matter with Sima Ke, it was not Chen Yuan’s concern. Even if he knew Sima Ke overstepped bounds and colluded with Consort Shu, he would never act on this critical juncture.

Moreover, without the child from Consort Shu’s womb, there was no concrete evidence.

To better control the Fourth Prince and Noble Consort Yang, Chen Yuan directly had Tao Qingyuan secretly remove the stillborn fetus from Consort Shu’s belly and place it somewhere.

Should they need to nail Sima Ke in the future, this evidence would be definitive!

In the harem, upon hearing the news of the case’s conclusion, Sima Ke finally breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, he no longer obsessed over whether Chen Yuan had any relation with his mother consort.

Even if there was, he could not manage it.

To manage his own affairs was already a blessing from heaven.

Besides….

Considering his mother consort had been alone for a long time and Chen Yuan was young and strong, who would be at a disadvantage was not necessarily clear….

After resolving the Consort Shu case, Chen Yuan no longer entered the harem. This left Noble Consort Yang, who had been keeping a close watch on Chen Yuan, somewhat puzzled. She had thought Chen Yuan’s order forbidding the harem had some secret purpose. Could it be she was overthinking it?

Subsequent events then progressed towards a better outcome. All the Daoist Lords from the Taoist Divine Palace had arrived within the Capital, agreeing to meet at Chen Yuan’s Earl’s mansion the day before they were to act.

Time passed day by day. The Capital’s previous buzz about Chen Yuan’s breakthrough and the encounter with the Japan Martial Artist had faded, replaced by new hot topics in Jianghu.

For example, changes in the Fengyun List and how the new top three on the Hidden Dragon List compared to the previous edition.

For instance, two Yang Transformation True Masters clashed somewhere, causing several mountains to collapse.

Or the Northern Barbarians had once again approached the border.

They even took advantage of the timing of the Great Jin Court’s ancestral rites to strike, bringing great losses to the frontier.

Chen Yuan, meanwhile, had entirely sunk into silence, cultivating while waiting for the ancestral rites ceremony to begin and also making preparations for the event.

His responsibility was straightforward: during the start of the grand ceremony, he was to coordinate with the other Imperial City leaders to ensure the perimeter’s defense, and then…. there was basically nothing else to do.

The real defense would undoubtedly be the responsibility of the Imperial Palace Guards and Martial Arts experts.

However, during these few days, a rumor circulated from inside the Imperial Palace, suggesting the Emperor intended to make Chen Yuan his son-in-law by betrothing Princess Pingyang to him.

Once this news broke out, it shocked many people’s hearts.

After the initial surprise, they dismissed it as mere casual gossip. Everyone in the Capital knew of Princess Pingyang’s fierce and decisive nature, and the idea of an arranged marriage for her was utterly inconceivable.

Jingtai had even promised Pingyang that he wouldn’t force her into marriage as long as she was unwilling.

This was a first among all the princesses, a unique privilege for her alone.

Thus, many felt the rumor was not credible.

Even Chen Yuan felt this way. After learning of it from Tao Qingyuan, he simply smiled nonchalantly and then no longer paid it any attention, focusing on his cultivation.

He himself had no interest in becoming Jingtai’s son-in-law, and he believed Princess Pingyang felt the same way.

And just as people guessed, Princess Pingyang herself hadn’t expressed any clarification and seemed not to care about such matters.

The only person who took the rumor seriously was one individual: the Fourth Prince Sima Ke.

Upon hearing of it, his first reaction was that it couldn’t happen.

Pingyang was his royal sister.

The Noble Consort was his birth mother.

How could such an event occur?

He would never allow it….

Clearly, Sima Ke had misunderstood something. He had previously seen Chen Yuan look at his mother consort with unrestrained eyes, and if given the opportunity to hold leverage,

would he not make some excessive demands?