Chapter 1619: Jade Consort Xiaos Palace! (1/2)

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

In another part of the Imperial Palace, the mood was entirely different.

Flapflap!

The beating of wings was constant as one carrier pigeon after another flew in through an open window of the Eastern Palace. A black-armored guard was standing at the ready to take the messages from these birds and deliver them.

In the main hall, an advisor glanced through the letter and quickly reported the contents, bowing as he did. ”Your Highness, Wang Chong and Yang Zhao have just left the Imperial Clan Court and are heading for Jade Consort Xiao's residence.”

Everything within the Great Tang Imperial Palace was under First Prince Li Ying's control, and not even a single blade of grass could escape his sight. From the moment Wang Chong's carriage had left the King of Foreign Lands Residence, Li Ying had been watching.

Carrier pigeons were reporting on his position at every moment.

”Hmph, truly exactly as I predicted!”

Li Ying was seated behind a desk, his hands fiddling around with an object. His eyes coldly flashed as he heard the news.

Upon close inspection, one would realize that Li Ying was playing around with a square jade seal that was intricately carved and exuded a sacred and dignified air. One could see at a glance that this was no ordinary object. On the top of the jade seal was a five-clawed golden dragon, its eyes so vivid that it seemed ready to soar into the sky. This was none other than the symbol of highest authority in the Great Tang Empire: the Sage Emperor's jade seal!

The First Prince was lightly caressing the seal, hardly able to put it down. From the moment he had been made regent, the First Prince had never let the seal leave his side.

”Li Heng just got into trouble and you immediately entered the palace, even borrowed Consort Taizhen's power. Wang Chong, you seem determined to be my foe!”

Cold killing intent flashed in the First Prince's eyes as he caressed the seal.

Everything that had happened since he had started plotting against the Fifth Prince, even Wang Chong's reactions, had been within his expectations.

Every movement Wang Chong had made since he had left the King of Foreign Lands Residence had been predicted by the First Prince.

A voice spoke up at the First Prince's side. ”Your Highness, the King of Foreign Lands has a divine grasp of military strategy and is not easy to deal with. Now that he has intervened in the Fifth Prince's matter, the situation is bad, especially now that he has the token the Sage Emperor gave to Consort Taizhen!”

The one who had spoken was the Assistant Minister of Personnel, Zhu Tong'en.

The Imperial Court had decreed that all Princes were forbidden from forming factions, but the struggle for the throne meant that they were forced to do such things. Almost all the Princes from top to bottom did so. The Ministers of the Six Bureaus were too sensitive to touch, but this level of official was fine.

Zhu Tong'en was one of the First Prince's important advisors, and many of the First Prince's plans had been revised and completed by this man.

Previously, the First Prince had been very fearful and had not dared to invite Zhu Tong'en into the palace, but now that he was the regent, he could simply summon him for an audience, making everything much easier.

Zhu Tong'en had played a vital role in this operation. The War of the Princes had always been cruel, and there was no going back. Only by cutting a path through a sea of blood and a mountain of corpses could one obtain that supreme position, could one have a sliver of survival and become one of those valued subjects who had assisted the emperor to the throne.

Zhu Tong'en had barely spoken when he was rebuked by a cold jeer. ”Hmph, Lord Zhu, there's no need for you to ruin your own side's morale.”

The speaker was a man with a sinister air and slender body. He was dressed in back, and his face from his nose down was covered by a black Asura mask.

His needle-like hair hung down over his face, and his eyes exuded a sharp and intimidating light.

”Our plan this time was carried out flawlessly. Jade Consort Xiao is dead, so even if he has entered the palace, he won't be able to find any clues. And besides, we left behind no evidence connecting us to this incident. On the contrary, the evidence that Li Heng was meddling in the harem is firm and his crimes are grave. Does Lord Zhu truly think that this sort of person will be able to leave the Imperial Clan Court alive?

”And besides, even if he survives, he's committed such a heartless and immoral action. Does he even have the ability to compete against the First Prince anymore? Would the officials permit such a person to become the heir apparent?”

Zhu Tong'en fell silent, his brows furrowing, but none of his worries were alleviated. He subconsciously turned to the First Prince.

The First Prince merely smiled. It was obvious that while these words had been spoken by the half-masked man, they were actually the First Prince's opinion.

”Heh, Lord Zhu, relax!”

The First Prince gripped the seal and confidently smiled as he stood up from his seat. An immense and domineering energy erupted from his body.

Although the First Prince had only been the regent for a few months, he had seemingly completely transformed. A taste of the greatest authority in the world had caused the nascent aura of a sovereign to appear on his body.

This was the allure of power.