Chapter 15: Zhizhi Watches the Helpless Doctors, Heading to the Imperial Palace

A lucky Imperial Guard who hadn’t been bitten by the snakes trembled as he spoke, his lips quivering: “We saw with our own eyes, the snakes just disappeared! They really vanished on their own! What do we do now? The silver-ringed snake… it’s deadly! It kills!”

Doctor Chen frowned in disagreement: “If they were here, they’re here. If not, they’re not. Don’t spread such nonsense! If the Emperor hears of this, you’ll lose your heads!”

The doctors around him didn’t believe the guard either. How could snakes just disappear? But the wounds from the bites were still real, and that was undeniable.

Several doctors gathered to discuss, but the venom was so difficult to deal with. Unless they could find a poison master from the martial world, there was no hope. However, the martial world and the royal family had always been at odds. It was impossible to get help.

Deputy Leader Liu, seeing his elder brother’s face turning blue on the ground and seeing the doctors shaking their heads helplessly, felt his legs give out. He collapsed to the ground in despair.

It was over. The Liu family was done for.

In the vast General’s mansion, the guards stationed near the outhouse and those in charge of exiles quickly learned what was happening, their expressions changing dramatically.

What had started as a simple raid had suddenly turned into the Leader being poisoned by a deadly snake, and the Deputy Leader had stolen everything from the storeroom.

Could they still escape with their lives?

Zhizhi watched as everything unraveled, knowing it was a done deal. She returned to the storeroom, packed up the chests of treasures, and left without even locking the doors. She then quietly returned to the original owner’s room.

She found that Jing Yi and Jing Er had already left. Without hesitation, she emptied the room of all its contents.

She then slipped into other guest rooms, the General’s master bedroom, the original owner’s brother’s room, and the kitchen, emptying everything before finally leaving the General’s residence.

Her next destination? The Imperial Palace.

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Imperial Palace, Imperial Study

Inside the grand Imperial study, a magnificent dragon throne was positioned beside the red pillars. Emperor Da Xing sat on the throne.

The old emperor was over forty years old, not very tall but quite fat, with a square face filled with sagging flesh. His eyes, surrounded by deep wrinkles, gleamed yellow with the sharpness of a ruler, and there was an unmistakable malice in his gaze.

He listened to the message from the Imperial Guard, slamming his hand onto the desk, rising to his feet in a fit of rage: “What did you say? Repeat it for me!”

The Imperial Guard, frightened, shrank his neck and repeated his report.

“Your Majesty, when the Imperial Guards raided the General’s residence, they found that the study had been emptied, and there were silver-ringed snakes that bit the Leader. The doctors have already been dispatched for treatment. Also… the Imperial Guards have sent another report, saying… saying that the Deputy Leader has secretly moved everything from the storeroom.”

“And… and also… Xie Zhizhi, no one can find her in the General’s residence, and those snakes mysteriously disappeared. The Imperial Guards are saying… saying the General’s residence is haunted.”

The Imperial Guard hesitated, his heart racing with fear. The emperor’s gaze was so terrifying he couldn’t bring himself to look up.

“Preposterous! Where do these ghosts come from? The storeroom is so vast, where could the things have gone?” The emperor was furious, his face shaking with anger as he coldly sneered, “The Deputy Leader emptied the storeroom? The study, too? Are the Liu brothers so capable? Do they think my hundred or so Imperial Guards are invisible?”

The emperor did not believe in ghosts. What angered him even more was the Imperial Guards blaming it on supernatural forces. Ghost stories were anathema to the royal family!

These people were asking for death!

The most important thing now was to exile the General’s servants and the Xie family’s branch members. Otherwise, where would his face be?

Xie Zhizhi was foolish and sentimental, incapable of great accomplishments. She would always find a way to be dealt with, to prevent future trouble.

The emperor had never taken Xie Zhizhi seriously and didn’t understand why the state preceptor kept insisting on killing her.

“Order my decree! Immediately exile the Xie family’s entire clan, with the guards supervising! No delays! The disgraceful incident at the General’s residence cannot be spread, or where would my face be? If anyone dares to gossip about it, it will be on your head! And immediately issue a warrant for Xie Zhizhi’s arrest!”

“The Imperial Guards’ Commander Liu Fu has mismanaged the situation, causing the guards to spread lies, fabricate stories, and lose ten thousand taels of gold. He is to be immediately summoned back to the palace for punishment! If he’s dead, the Liu family is to be exiled along with the Xie family!”

“Yes!” The Imperial Guard nodded quickly, afraid the fire might burn him. After a quick bow, he hastily left the study.

The emperor, with his murky yet sharp eyes, gazed at the silent, cold Imperial study. His deep suspicion would not allow him to overlook anyone who might betray him!

After a while, he spoke cruelly, “Dark One, if anyone dares spread rumors about ghosts and betray me, kill them without mercy!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” A shadowy figure swiftly left the palace.

The emperor, filled with fury, fixed his sharp gaze on the pile of memorials on his desk. With a violent sweep, he threw them to the ground, scattering them everywhere.

The eunuch beside him dared not speak.

The emperor’s mind raced. How could his own Imperial Guards conspire against him? How could the Liu brothers, with only two people, possibly empty the vast study and storeroom?

Did they really think he was old and confused?

And bringing snakes to cover their tracks?

Their plans were a mistake!