Chapter 228: Tracking

The palace was a place where secrets could not be kept, and the news of the Empress Dowager’s intention to make Su Wan the Empress had already spread.

The court, from top to bottom, was in utter shock.

Rumors had started circulating within the palace several days ago.

Su Wan was the Empress’s child from Great Zhou.

They had speculated that there might be some upheaval regarding Xiliang’s heir, but they never expected it to be an earthquake of this magnitude!

Everyone was panicking, and some couldn’t resist seeking out the Grand Duke Fan and Uncle Fan.

Both men, seasoned old foxes, smiled calmly and deflected with ease, merely saying, “We support all of the Empress’s decisions.”

Everyone was deeply troubled. Were they really going to let a princess with Great Zhou blood inherit Xiliang?

“And why not?” the Grand Duke asked, giving them a look as if they were hopelessly outdated. “Have you all forgotten? The Empress herself is half Great Zhou by blood.”

This statement successfully silenced them.

Among the citizens of the capital, some supported the idea, while others opposed it.

In the teahouse, storytellers were weaving tales, recounting the matter.

Jiu Yu and Jiu Ge sat inside, both in disguise. Listening to the storyteller’s dramatic narration, they exchanged glances and saw the same surprise reflected in each other’s eyes.

“Brother, is Sister Wanwan really going to become the Empress?” Jiu Ge pouted, her mood heavy. “If that’s the case, does it mean I won’t be able to see her anymore?”

Years ago, when their mother committed a crime, everyone in the prince’s residence met a grim end, beheaded or burned alive. No one survived except for the two of them, who barely escaped with their lives.

They didn’t know what attitude the Empress Dowager held toward their siblings. Would she still want their lives?

Perhaps, out of consideration for their shared bloodline, she wouldn’t execute them. But exile to a distant fief or some form of disguised imprisonment was still a possibility.

“Brother, do we really have to enter the palace?” Jiu Ge hesitated, reluctant to take such a risk. “Can’t we just find a random place to settle down and start a new life? When the Empress Dowager eventually passes away and Wanwan becomes the Empress, she’ll give us the chance to live like normal people.”

Jiu Yu remained silent. This return to Xiliang came with an overwhelming sense of unease, as though something monumental was about to happen.

Su Wan had saved Jiu Ge’s life, and Jiu Yu felt compelled to repay this debt of gratitude.

Though their mother had died, her former subordinates still remained, and she had once commanded the siblings to avenge her.

Jiu Yu rubbed his twitching eyelid, the ominous feeling in his heart growing stronger and stronger.

Jiu Yu looked up at the rare clear sky, yet he couldn’t shake the inexplicable sense of calm before a storm.

Suddenly, his gaze darkened. Without warning, he stood up abruptly and left behind a single command: “Wait here for me!”

He darted out, chasing after a figure dressed in black. The pursuit led him through the bustling, crowded streets, into narrow, dark, and damp alleyways, until he stopped in front of an old residence. The building, weathered by time, had walls thickly covered in moss. The black lacquered door was battered and peeling, exuding a faint sense of decay and abandonment.

Jiu Yu raised his head to observe the surroundings and suddenly noticed a towering tree extending from the neighboring residence.

An idea struck him. With agile movements, he climbed the wall and concealed himself among the dense branches and foliage of the tree. Unless someone deliberately stood beneath it and looked up, they would never notice a person hiding there.

Perched high in the tree, Jiu Yu had a clear vantage point. He saw only a few people moving around inside the residence but couldn’t spot the black-clad figure he had been following. His lips pressed into a firm line—he recognized that person as the leader of the death guards who had once served his mother.

After an indeterminate amount of time, there was suddenly some movement. The black-clad figure emerged, accompanied by another person who, judging by their attire, appeared to be a steward.

The steward instructed, “Everything is buried beneath the altar. Once you hear the signal, you may begin.”