Chapter 1074 - 1074 70 Suppressing the Second Rank Planning

Chapter 1074: Chapter 70: Suppressing the Second Rank! Planning against the Emperor’s Son_4 Chapter 1074: Chapter 70: Suppressing the Second Rank! Planning against the Emperor’s Son_4 The one involved in smuggling and colluding with the enemy wasn’t the Changning Wang Clan—it was Zhao Zhikun of the Great Heavenly Proud of the Zhao Clan! Even Zhao Ge Elder, the current Prime Minister, resigned over this.

Instantly, there was public outcry, and the court and the public were shaken.

In the streets and alleys, over tea and meals, almost everyone discussed the matter.

At first, attention was focused on Zhao Zhikun’s shocking involvement in smuggling and colluding with enemies. People privately cursed him for being a Divine Ability species, indulged like a celebrity but engaging in shameful deeds in secret—like a parasite and a disgrace among Prominent Families, deserving of severe punishment!

However, the tide of opinion quickly underwent a subtle shift.

Some began to argue that as Zhao Zhikun was being groomed by the Zhao Clan as a Great Heavenly Proud, and highly likely to succeed Zhao Hongbo as Prime Minister, he had a bright future and no reason to take such a risky step as smuggling.

What was he after? What use did he have for so much money?

Indeed, that was a question worth pondering.

The eyes of the masses are sharp.

Though it’s true that when a storm of public opinion forms, attention can easily be diverted and perceptions can become muddled, there are always clever individuals within the crowd.

“Could it be that Zhao Zhikun isn’t actually the mastermind, and there is someone else behind all this?”

As the first voice of doubt emerged, many others quickly came to the same realization.

Right—who doesn’t know that Zhao Zhikun is a staunch supporter of the Kang Commandery Prince? Since he isn’t really in need of money, isn’t it obvious for whom the smuggling and hoarding of wealth was being done?

Only the Kang Commandery Prince, embroiled in the struggle for the Emperor’s son’s succession and in need of winning over people’s hearts, would require a vast amount of funds for support.

Under normal circumstances, even if someone realized this, such a narrative would never spread. After all, the battle over the Emperor’s son’s succession was a fight for people’s hearts and reputations. Wouldn’t the Kang Commandery Prince be cognizant of the importance of controlling public opinion?

The organization “Dawn” was not for idleness.

In fact, as soon as they sensed the shift in public sentiment, “Dawn” had already been moving in the shadows, trying to steer the direction of the public discourse to prevent attention from falling on the Kang Commandery Prince.

However, what Dawn faced this time was a combined force of “Sky Pillar” and “Falling Immortal Hall.”

Despite Dawn’s utmost efforts, they couldn’t reverse the situation, and the flow of public opinion continued to move in the predetermined direction.

More and more middle and small Prominent Families and ordinary people realized that the Kang Commandery Prince might be inextricably linked to this affair. Zhao Zhikun could just be the unfortunate scapegoat.

The Grade Three and Four Prominent Families had mostly guessed the truth, and some had even anticipated that one or several forces were directing the flow of public opinion.

They were just not talking about it.

As the saying goes, “if it’s none of your business, hang it up high,” especially since it didn’t involve them personally—they were content to merely watch the excitement unfold.

Naturally, it’s possible that they too had a hand in fanning the flames.

After all, given the Kang Commandery Prince’s modus operandi, his previous efforts to curry favor far and wide for the Emperor’s son’s position, it was quite normal for any Prominent Family to feel disgruntled towards him.

“Tsk tsk—this Zhao Zhikun is truly pitiable,” mused a son of a middle or small Prominent Family in the teahouse, unable to hold back his sympathy, “Thinking he had followed that one for so many years, with the qualifications of a Great Heavenly Proud, he should have been highly valued. Who would have thought that person would just give up on him.”

“That Kang Commandery Prince is truly callous.”

“I really didn’t see that coming. I thought the Kang Commandery Prince was a decent person, what with his donations for disaster relief and military campaigns beyond our borders; he had a good reputation among officials and the general public. It seems my insight was lacking after all, and I was mistaken.” Some felt they had mistakenly judged him, their feelings quite complicated, “But Zhao Zhikun, despite being a bit unscrupulous, is quite loyal, taking all the blame upon himself.”

“Yes, yes~ And he truly has guts. What kind of place is the Cannon Fodder Camp? Just the thought of it makes me shiver, but he agreed in one go, and they say his complexion didn’t change at all. Truly tough!”

“I heard he’s still imprisoned, standing firm and not giving up the Kang Commandery Prince, saying ‘ironclad loyalty’ wouldn’t be an exaggeration.”

Similar conversations quietly spread in secret, and in no time, the nickname “Ironclad Loyal Zhao Zhikun” strangely began to circulate in Shangjing City.

It was unclear whether these words were more tinged with sarcasm or praise when these people said them.

These rumors were quickly passed on to the ears of the Kang Commandery Prince on the distant battlefield by those with agendas.

Upon hearing this, the Kang Commandery Prince nearly spat out a mouthful of old blood.

Who was it, who was spreading “rumors” behind his back?

At this moment, how could he remain on the distant battlefield? He had no choice but to rush back to Return to Dragon City as quickly as possible to personally quell the rumors.

…

At the same time.

In the Great Qian Wang’s Four Seasons Garden.

The An Commandery Prince was sitting across from Wang Shouzhe.

The An Commandery Prince made considerable effort to restrain himself from looking at the two women serving Wang Shouzhe… one of whom was “his” head of the intelligence organization “Sky Pillar,” the Immortal Tian Yan.

“Shouzhe, you’ve handled this battle brilliantly. As you anticipated, the Kang Commandery Prince can no longer just sit still, he’s bound to return to Return to Dragon City with utmost speed.” The An Commandery Prince said, sipping Spiritual Tea and filled with emotion, “Now with the Zhao Clan being pushed to the brink, they can only keep their tails tucked and behave. If the Kang Commandery Prince falls as well, this struggle for the Emperor’s son will be without suspense.”

“However, Ming Yuan is puzzled about something. Given the current situation of the Zhao Clan, only by firmly protecting the Kang Commandery Prince can they turn the tide.” The An Commandery Prince said with a heavy and doubtful gaze, “Even if the Kang Commandery Prince returns to Return to Dragon City, what plans do you have to turn the Zhao Clan against the Kang Commandery Prince?”

“Whether they turn against each other or not, let’s not discuss that for now. I simply believe in the principle ‘in the face of great disaster, each flies his own way.’ The Grand Assembly is in a few days; are you ready for the final blow?” Wang Shouzhe spoke while drinking the Spiritual Tea.

“Rest assured, Shouzhe, Ming Yuan will not hold you back,” the An Commandery Prince said earnestly.

After a pause, he voiced his doubt again, “Shouzhe, I’ve heard that His Majesty has lost his temper several times… cursing you in private for not knowing your place. According to Eunuch Yao, His Majesty really wants to see you, but you have repeatedly ignored the hints, which has greatly angered him.”

“This…” Wang Shouzhe said with an innocent look, “Shouzhe has always been obtuse and has never caught that message. His Majesty wants to see me, how come I don’t know about it? Why wouldn’t His Majesty simply issue a decree to summon me?”

The An Commandery Prince held his forehead, extremely frustrated with Wang Shouzhe.

You even dare to disregard His Majesty’s hints; no wonder His Majesty slams the table and curses you every day.

“Shouzhe, there’s still something I don’t understand. How are you so sure that the Kang Commandery Prince is ungrateful and of the sort who crosses the river and demolishes the bridge?” The An Commandery Prince was perennially puzzled over this point, finding it strange. After all, on the surface, the Kang Commandery Prince seemed quite reliable.

Wang Shouzhe took a sip of Spiritual Tea and said deliberately, “The specific reasons are a bit complicated to explain. Putting it simply, if he were not such an ungrateful person, but rather someone who values loyalty, is idealistic and principled…”

“I would have accepted his offer long ago. Where would there be a chance for Lord Ming Yuan?”

“Uh…”

The An Commandery Prince sweated cold sweat, thinking how risky that sounded.

If the Kang Commandery Prince were reliable, then perhaps he would be out of the picture?

…