Chapter 1624: The Dust Settles! (1/2)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Asura had never imagined that his foe would be so crafty. He had scouted out the area before and seen that no one was around. Otherwise, he would have never walked into the trap in the first place.
But it was clear that his foe had outplayed him. They had positioned men even farther off and waited until now to close the net.
If this tight encirclement had not been enough to make Asura yield, if he still wanted to try and break out, at this moment, even more torches appeared as the various consorts appeared with their maids, eunuchs, and servitors. Asura's face instantly turned ashen.
”This consort can't believe it! To think it was true! Someone really was trying to kill Jade Consort Xiao!”
”How despicable! They even tried to frame Jade Consort Xiao and the Fifth Prince!”
”Just what sort of person was behind it all? We must have the Sage Emperor investigate this! Seize that assassin, quickly! Don't let him escape! We might be able to find a clue on him.”
”Everyone, hear my order! Seize that assassin, and this consort will richly reward you!”
The voices of the various consorts caused Asura's heart to sink. When evil grew one foot taller, the righteous would grow ten feet. Anything he did now would be pointless.
Even if he turned back around and killed Jade Consort Xiao, it would still be pointless.
After tonight, whether Jade Consort Xiao lived or died, Fifth Prince Li Heng would be walking out of the Imperial Clan Court.
And he was the crucial piece that would allow Li Heng to go free!
King of Foreign Lands!
Asura looked up, only one name on his mind. Although he had no evidence, Asura was sure that the King of Foreign Lands had planned all of this.
He had lost, utterly and thoroughly.
And he had brought the First Prince down with him!
……
”What? Asura was captured?”
The Eastern Palace resounded with furious roars that shook its very foundations.
”How could this be? How could this be?! It's impossible!!”
The First Prince raved and bellowed.
He had just gone to deal with a weakling consort, and Asura was a peak Brigadier General, but he had been captured? How could that be?
He would never believe it!
The First Prince's eyes were bulging in rage and disbelief.
”Your Highness, this news is confirmed! We also didn't think that Jade Consort Xiao would get in touch with the other consorts. Even the Assistant Minister of the Imperial Clan Court was called over,” a kneeling guard reported.
Around him, Zhu Tong'en and the other Eastern Palace aides were also kneeling, panicked looks on their faces.
This development was too sudden, and not even they had expected it!
”Impossible! This can't be! I transferred away all three Grand Marshals! Just who else in the inner palace could be so powerful that they could heavily injure Asura with just one axe strike!?”
The First Prince gnashed his teeth, his last few words unleashed in an infuriated roar.
His previous subordinates had all been killed by Zhao Fengchen and Wang Chong's joint operation, and Asura had been his sole loyal and reliable subordinate left.
He could still find powerful subordinates, but how could he find ones as loyal and reliable as Asura at such a critical time?
”Your Highness, we don't know either!”
Everyone was pale, their minds in disarray.
While assisting the First Prince, they had assisted him diligently in defeating numerous foes and planning many operations. There had never been any sort of error, but in this rather simple operation, one flaw after another had emerged, and even their colleague Asura had been captured. This made all of them panicked and uneasy.
”Bastard! Bastard! Bastard!”
The First Prince was even more enraged by his terrified advisors.
”How could it be like this? Impossible, impossible! This prince doesn't believe that Jade Consort Xiao would be this shrewd. Wang Chong, it was you! It was definitely you!!”
The First Prince furiously paced within his palace, his voice tearing from his enraged bellows.
”Wang Chong, things won't end like this! This prince won't let you go!”
……
Whoosh!
As the First Prince bellowed, a carrier pigeon took flight from the Imperial Palace and landed several thousand meters away in the King of Foreign Lands Residence.
Within the resplendent hall, Xu Keyi received the pigeon, glanced at the letter it had delivered, and then smiled as he walked up to Wang Chong and bowed.
”Your Highness, the fish that escaped the net last time, Asura, has been captured. Just as you predicted, the First Prince really did walk into the trap.
”In addition, the consorts and concubines were all there to serve as witnesses, as was the Assistant Minister of the Imperial Clan Court. With so many people as eyewitnesses, the Fifth Prince's departure from the Imperial Clan Court is certain.”