Chen Suning never thought she would one day be constrained by another. But looking at Lin Yun now, she knew she had no other choice.
Prince Zuo Cheng was powerful. The entire imperial court was filled with his people. Although this young Emperor harbored the ambition to fight back, without external help, it was doubtful she could achieve her goal.
"Many thanks, Your Majesty," Lin Yun said with a smiling, cupped-hand bow. In any case, he had to deal with Prince Zuo Cheng eventually. There was no time like the present. Since things had come to this, he might as well take this opportunity to properly test his mettle against the renowned Prince.
Chen Suning stared at Lin Yun and said, "This sovereign is already aware of the matter concerning Prince Zuo Cheng and the Flowing Cloud Sect. It is a pity that this sovereign does not have enough evidence to prove that Prince Zuo Cheng orchestrated it all. If you are hoping to use this incident to attack him, you can give up that idea."
Now that she had confirmed her cooperation with Lin Yun, Chen Suning relaxed considerably. She sat down on the Dragon Throne, her voice tinged with a hint of helplessness. She had been concealing her gender all this time precisely because she feared Prince Zuo Cheng would use it to cause her trouble.
Lin Yun, however, knew that taking down Prince Zuo Cheng in a short amount of time was impossible. "I wonder, what are the three tasks Your Majesty requires of me?" He knew these tasks must be closely related to the Prince. He just didn't know what the Emperor would have him do.
Chen Suning looked at Lin Yun, her eyes sharp. "You are also aware that this sovereign must eventually deal with Prince Zuo Cheng. But he is a cautious and meticulous man, and he has left no leverage in my hands. Therefore, if we wish to deal with him, we can only start from other angles."
"The first task is for you to help me confirm if Prince Changqing is cooperating with Prince Zuo Cheng." Prince Zuo Cheng was too clever; it was difficult to attack him directly. Therefore, they had to start with his past deeds, dissecting his true objectives step by step before delivering a fatal blow.
Chen Suning continued, "The assassination attempt on you by Prince Changqing's people this time is an excellent opportunity. I imagine Prince Changqing will do everything he can to distance himself from this matter. We, in turn, can seize this chance to find a flaw in Prince Zuo Cheng's armor."
Lin Yun naturally understood her meaning. However, he was not as optimistic as she was. Prince Zuo Cheng might not be the strongest, but he was a man who could blot out the sky with one hand in the Daye Dynasty. He didn't even take the Emperor seriously. Finding a weakness in his defenses would be anything but easy.
But Prince Changqing was indeed an opportunity. Perhaps through him, they could learn Prince Zuo Cheng's next move. Even so, they could not be too reckless on this matter.
"Your Majesty's idea is a good one," Lin Yun said. "But given that old fox's personality, I fear the intelligence we currently possess is not enough to close the case."
Although investigating this matter would be fraught with difficulty, for Lin Yun, it wasn't an impossible task. After all, he held a super weapon in his hands: the Life Panel.
Chen Suning and Lin Yun discussed the details for a while. Both of them hoped for a better way to solve the problem, but they had to admit, facing a powerful enemy like Prince Zuo Cheng would require far more effort than they had imagined.
When Lin Yun emerged from the Imperial Palace, he felt completely at ease. While he still didn't know what tricks Prince Zuo Cheng had up his sleeve, what Chen Suning had said was right. Through Prince Changqing, they might be able to make the Prince unwittingly expose a weakness. Lin Yun could then use that opportunity to resolve things more quickly. Even if he couldn't directly implicate Prince Zuo Cheng, he could use this incident to cut off one of his arms. Prince Changqing was a staunch supporter of his. Although it was likely because the Prince held some leverage over him, Prince Changqing was still a royal with considerable influence.
After leaving the palace, Lin Yun didn't go anywhere else. He swaggered directly to Prince Changqing's manor.
The guards at the manor gate, upon learning Lin Yun's name, surprisingly did not block his path. Instead, they invited him inside. "Young friend Lin, the Prince has been waiting for you for some time."
According to the guards, it seemed Prince Changqing had known all along that Lin Yun would come here.
With a hint of doubt, Lin Yun swaggered into the manor. There, in the main reception hall, Prince Changqing was sitting in the host's seat. What surprised Lin Yun was that the Prince looked completely at ease, as if nothing had happened. There wasn't a trace of panic in his eyes. When Lin Yun walked in, he could clearly feel that the Prince only gave him a casual glance.
"Your Highness does not seem surprised at all that I would come looking for you."
Prince Changqing smiled serenely. "The moment you emerged from the Imperial Palace, I knew you would come to me first. After all, His Majesty the Emperor is quite anxious about Prince Zuo Cheng right now. He will naturally try every means possible to find some evidence on him."
This was different from what Lin Yun had imagined. The Prince Changqing before him seemed to understand the situation perfectly. He had originally thought the man was being played like a fiddle by Prince Zuo Cheng, leading him step by step into a bottomless abyss. But now, it seemed that was not the case. Prince Changqing was well aware of his own predicament. Yet even so, he remained entangled with Prince Zuo Cheng.
"Since Your Highness already knows the cause and effect, why not explain it to me? I have no grudge with you, Your Highness. Why did you want to kill me?"
Prince Changqing laughed. "You know as well as I do what a person like you brings to Wangjing upon arrival. The situation in the capital had finally stabilized, but your arrival has made everything murky and complicated again. The only reason I tried to stop you was in the hopes that the situation in Wangjing would not change."
Lin Yun shook his head. The initiative in all matters was now in Prince Zuo Cheng's hands. If that renowned Prince truly intended to plot a rebellion, it wouldn't matter whether he, Lin Yun, came to the capital or not.
But Lin Yun didn't press the point. Instead, he turned his gaze to Prince Changqing.
[Name]: Chen Zhiyi
[Realm]: Spirit Cauldron Realm - Stage 7
[Destiny Template]: The Carefree Prince (Purple)
[Attributes]: A Man of Leisure (Blue), Wise But Appears Foolish (Purple)
[Fate]: Dies during the rebellion of Prince Zuo Cheng.
[Recent Turning Point]: Will die from poison in half an hour.