Chapter 147: Chapter 79: Nine Dragons Stealing Sky! (A Small Yet Major Chapter, Seeking Subscriptions!)_2
 

The Crown Prince’s order…

This appearance of the Crown Prince’s order, Emperor Zhou of Great Zhou knew it all too well.

It was the order of the previous dynasty’s Crown Prince.

The crown prince, the supreme martial prince.

After the crown prince was deposed by Empress Dowager Li back in the day, he still harbored thoughts of making a comeback. He was repeatedly suppressed by the thunderous methods of Emperor Zhou, who even once wanted to eradicate the crown prince completely.

However, it seemed the crown prince might have sensed something because just as Emperor Zhou was about to take action, the crown prince suddenly vanished.

This caused a moment of confusion for Emperor Zhou, wondering if someone was tipping off the prince behind his back.

He even ordered the Bureau of the Lamp to conduct a thorough investigation.

Yet, nothing turned up.

Though Emperor Zhou was perplexed, considering the crown prince no longer had any chance to turn the tables and still bearing a sliver of kinship, he did not insist on a strict watch and let him off the hook.

And now…

Seeing the Crown Prince’s order in Qiu Zhiman’s hands, Emperor Zhou suddenly connected many dots.

There were still people in the court clinging to the memory of the crown prince.

There were still vassals of the crown prince within the court.

Qiu Zhiman himself was one of the crown prince’s men, who had been lurking by his side for many years, even once controlling the extremely important Martial Academy of Great Zhou.

Such a traitor, hidden right at the heart of Great Zhou’s power, silent and unnoticed for years, chose this moment to strike him in the back.

Had it not been for Cheng Guang’s luck at this time, he might very well have been killed by Qiu Zhiman.

And it’s likely all the students from Great Wei and Great Zhou participating in the martial arts examination would also have been killed by Qiu Zhiman.

Should Cheng Guang have perished, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

If all the students from Great Wei and Great Zhou participating in the martial arts examination died, Great Zhou would go mad, Great Wei would go mad, the officials would go mad, and the whole world would be thrown into turmoil.

It was a venomous plot.

A scheme designed to make Great Zhou and Great Wei turn against each other, and at the same time, cause turmoil in the court of Great Zhou and unrest throughout the realm.

That crown prince…

Had not given up.

Emperor Zhou came to this conclusion, his expression darkening, as he silently returned to his Dragon Chair and flipped through the book in his hands.

At that moment, Zhao Jin timely presented a cup of clear tea to Emperor Zhou.

“Your Majesty.”

Emperor Zhou did not take the tea but instead fixed his gaze on Cheng Zhihai.

“Can his whereabouts be discovered?”

Cheng Zhihai, with his sword-like brows and cold eyes standing tall, promptly responded, “Your Majesty, given some time, I can find him!”

“How long?” Emperor Zhou’s face was expressionless.

Cheng Zhihai hesitated for a moment before replying, “One month.”

Emperor Zhou nodded slightly, his face revealing not a hint of change, still as calm as water.

He put down the book in his hand, took the tea from Zhao Jin, gently sipped it, and then said to Cheng Zhihai:

“One month’s time.”

“It’s about a month until the royal family’s sacrificial ceremony. If it’s not resolved before the ceremony, the Bureau of the Lamp will be handed over to Zhao Jin.”

As he spoke, his voice trailed off.

Cheng Zhihai’s face showed a hint of shock, his usually composed features betraying a trace of astonishment.

The Bureau of the Lamp was forged by his own hands, and he had always been loyal to Emperor Zhou, clearing many obstacles for him.

Emperor Zhou had always been very supportive of his work, granting him tremendous powers.

Even when the court officials attacked him in unison, Emperor Zhou had not uttered a single word of reproach.

Yet now, he wanted to strip away the Bureau of the Lamp from him over such a trivial matter.

Yes, it was but a minor issue.

The Bureau of the Lamp was not infallible; it made mistakes.

Cheng Zhihai allowed his Bureau to err because only by recognizing mistakes could one improve and perform better.

But Emperor Zhou was about to strip away his powers because of these issues, challenging even Cheng Zhihai’s resilience, which had always been unshakeable like Mount Tai.

But he did not say more and silently accepted it.

Zhao Jin, standing to the side, clearly did not expect Emperor Zhou to say such words. If Cheng Zhihai failed to complete the task set by Emperor Zhou and did not resolve the issue of the crown prince within a month, his Bureau of the Lamp would be stripped, and those immense privileges would fall to Zhao Jin.

At the thought, Zhao Jin felt a surge of elation.

The corners of his mouth could hardly be contained, crazily wanting to curl upwards.

Because, as far as he was concerned, the crown prince was so adept at hiding, and having evaded discovery by the Bureau for so many years,

How could Cheng Zhihai possibly track him down in this short period of less than a month.

It was almost impossible.

Cheng Zhihai noticed Zhao Jin’s expression but said nothing.

Emperor Zhou then comforted Cheng Zhihai, “Lately, the court officials have much to say about the Bureau of the Lamp, and about you, especially following the events that arose from the martial exam between Great Zhou and Great Wei.”

“I find it difficult to alleviate this discord. If you find the crown prince, it would give me a reason to suppress their complaints. If not, Zhihai, you might as well rest for a while, spend time with Yuemei.”

“As for changes in official positions, we’ll discuss it after the royal family’s sacrificial ceremony.”

As Emperor Zhou spoke, Cheng Zhihai’s face remained unchanged, and he respectfully acknowledged the words.

Emperor Zhou’s eyes scrutinized Cheng Zhihai and suddenly felt a wisp of disinterest, and he waved his hand.

“You may leave.”

Upon hearing the command, Cheng Zhihai took his leave.

Emperor Zhou watched Cheng Zhihai depart, his expression suddenly showing signs of weariness as he rubbed his eyebrows.