48: There's no way the Empress would have seen it.

Chapter 48: Her Majesty Couldn't Possibly Run Into Me, Right?

Western Zhou, Imperial Palace.

Wenren Jin bowed and entered the grand hall, holding four lists of spies.

"Your subject, Wenren Jin, greets Your Majesty."

Taishuchang raised his hand.

"Rise quickly, my dear minister. What brings you to the palace at this hour?"

Wenren Jin presented the lists in his hand and said, "Wen Shuyang has stolen the spy lists from Great Chu and brought them back. I ask Your Majesty to review them."

An old eunuch presented the lists to Taishuchang, who opened them and scanned them briefly, his brows furrowing slightly.

"There are so many officials' names on these lists: the Minister of Revenue, the Assistant Minister of Personnel, the Libationer of the Imperial Academy... This!"

Smack!

Taishuchang angrily threw the lists away and roared, "How much benefit did Great Chu give them, these ungrateful wretches!"

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. The authenticity of this list cannot yet be confirmed," Wenren Jin said cautiously. "However, since it involves ministers of the court, your subject specifically came to request an imperial decree."

"What do you intend to do?" Taishuchang exhaled a deep breath.

Wenren Jin had already thought of a plan on his way here.

"Your subject wishes to seal off the capital and, at the same time, send people to secretly monitor the court officials on the list.

We will also spread rumors that we have already obtained the list of Great Chu's spies."

After sealing off the capital, even the teleportation arrays would be unable to enter or exit.

This way, even if someone heard the rumors and wanted to escape, they wouldn't be able to.

Of course, if the list turned out to be fake, he wouldn't have directly acted against those officials, thus avoiding public outrage.

Aside from the court officials, he could arrest and interrogate everyone else on the list one by one, and he was sure to gain something.

"You intend to flush them out and make them reveal themselves."

"Your Majesty is wise!" Wenren Jin promptly offered a compliment.

Taishuchang nodded with satisfaction and waved his hand.

"This matter is entirely entrusted to you. You must investigate it thoroughly for Us and purge Great Chu's spies."

Wenren Jin respectfully said, "Your subject obeys the decree."

With the imperial decree, he wouldn't need to have too many reservations in his actions.

Exiting the grand hall, he didn't leave the imperial palace but instead turned towards Funing Palace.

Funing Palace.

A rosy-faced old lady was engrossed in reading a thick ancient book.

A eunuch stepped forward and whispered, "Reporting to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, Lord Wenren requests an audience."

"Oh?" The Empress Dowager slowly closed the ancient book. "Let him in quickly."

Soon, Wenren Jin stepped into the grand hall.

"Your subject, Wenren Jin, greets Her Majesty the Empress Dowager."

"No need for formalities. Someone, give Lord Wenren a seat."

"Yes." The old eunuch on the side waved his hand, and immediately a young eunuch carried a stool and placed it behind Wenren Jin.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Wenren Jin immediately bowed and then slowly sat down.

The Empress Dowager directly asked, "Is there news of Li Yunshu?"

She was only one step away from Ascension, and all she wanted to know now was the secret of Ascension.

Unfortunately, all records of Ascension in ancient books were vague.

Therefore, she could only focus on the disciple of the first person to Ascend.

It was said that Pei Xuanji had intervened multiple times for that young man, indicating that she must know something.

Wenren Jin immediately stood up and replied, "Reporting to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, your subject has verified that the last time Li Yunshu left the Town Demon Division, he went to Yunzhou to meet Di Bing of the Tianquan Sect.

Li Yunshu left the Town Demon Division again today, and this time he is very likely headed to Mizang Forest."

"Good." The Empress Dowager nodded. "Send people to keep a close watch on Mizang Forest. Once Li Yunshu is found, immediately bring him back to the capital."

"Your subject obeys the decree."

"Remember, this palace wants him alive."

"Your subject understands."

The Empress Dowager took out a jade talisman from her storage ring.

"This jade talisman is for you. Tell them that if they encounter someone they cannot defeat, they can activate the jade talisman."

The old eunuch received the jade talisman with both hands and handed it to Wenren Jin.

Wenren Jin looked closely and saw that a teleportation array was inscribed within the jade talisman.

Once activated, the Empress Dowager could instantly appear in Mizang Forest through the teleportation array.

"Your Majesty, Li Yunshu is only at the Foundation Establishment Stage. There is no need for Your Majesty to act. Your subject will surely escort him to Funing Palace."

The Empress Dowager shook her head.

"This palace does not doubt your competence; this palace fears Pei Xuanji might intervene."

"Your Majesty worries too much. Pei Xuanji is far away in Great Chu—"

Mid-sentence, Wenren Jin looked at the jade talisman in his hand and dared not continue.

Although Great Chu and Western Zhou bordered each other, the two countries were vast, so they were quite far apart.

Theoretically, even Pei Xuanji could not instantly appear in Western Zhou from Great Chu.

Even if Li Yunshu had a teleportation array jade talisman in his hand, it wouldn't be possible, because there was no such long-distance teleportation array.

However, there was another quick way for Pei Xuanji to come from Great Chu to Western Zhou.

It should be known that Western Zhou had several teleportation array routes to Great Chu, allowing one to reach the capital of Great Chu after several transfers from the capital.

Of course, Great Chu certainly had similar teleportation array routes.

Therefore, he could not be overconfident.

If an accident truly occurred, he would not be able to account for it to the Empress Dowager.

Seeing that he understood, the Empress Dowager did not blame him.

"My dear minister should know that anything concerning Ascension is extremely important to this palace."

"Your subject understands."

The Empress Dowager looked at the sky outside the grand hall and sighed softly.

"If Pei Xuanji comes to Western Zhou for Li Yunshu, it further demonstrates the importance of this young man.

Moreover, this palace has been waiting for her here for a long time."

Upon hearing this, Wenren Jin immediately understood the Empress Dowager's meaning.

Not only Li Yunshu, but the Empress Dowager also wanted to keep Pei Xuanji in Western Zhou.

It should be known that the entire imperial palace had a grand array specifically set up for Pei Xuanji.

Perhaps the Empress Dowager's target from the very beginning was not Li Yunshu, but Pei Xuanji.

Wenren Jin put away the jade talisman.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. Your subject will certainly handle this matter properly."

"Good, if this palace Ascends, my dear minister's benefits will be indispensable."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

...Leaving the Imperial Astrological Bureau, Li Yunshu did not immediately return to Wen Shuyang's home.

Using the Illusory God Technique, he transformed into Bai Lang's appearance.

Walking along the main street, he soon arrived at the largest pleasure house in the capital of Western Zhou.

Atop the main gate, painted in bright red vermilion lacquer, hung a black plaque of golden nanmu, on which three large characters were written in a flourishing Dragon and Phoenix style—Red Sleeve House.

Red Sleeve House was not just one building; it was, more accurately, a combination of several courtyards.

Upon entering, the first thing that met the eye was small bridges over flowing water, pavilions, and courtyards, giving a very elegant feeling.

Literati and scholars valued elegance most, and the biggest difference between Red Sleeve House and other brothels lay precisely here.

Further inside, ancient trees towered all around, providing lush shade, with red walls and yellow tiles, gleaming with golden splendor.

A palace-like building, its golden glazed tiles shimmered with dazzling light under the sun.

Seeing him enter, a woman immediately rushed forward.

"Young Master, you look unfamiliar."

Li Yunshu grasped her soft hand and said indifferently, "We are one in mind."

A red light flashed in the woman's eyes, then returned to normal.

However, Li Yunshu could clearly feel that an intention had been added to his Sea of Consciousness.

With that intention, he could control the woman in front of him.

This was his first time using Wen Shuyang's Cultivation Technique, and it seemed to have succeeded.

He was visiting pleasure houses in Western Zhou, far from the emperor. Her Majesty couldn't possibly run into him, right?

"Take me to see your courtesan, Dong Xiaowan."