CHAPTER 680: CHAPTER 562: EMPEROR LIANG’S JUDGMENT

Gongsun Yanming went to the Star-picking Tower early in the morning.

He cast a divination for himself.

Once the hexagram appeared, he sat quietly for a long time.

"Brother!"

Gongsun Yu, sweating profusely, climbed to the rooftop of the Star-picking Tower, "Something terrible has happened... General Hu had his Tiger Talisman reclaimed by Your Majesty... I’m afraid his military power is lost... Also, Prince Jin, Prince Rui, and King Qi—all three of their Highnesses have been grounded by Your Majesty!"

Gongsun Yanming raised his hand calmly and cast another divination for himself.

Seeing his brother endlessly fiddling with the Copper Coin tortoise shell and that so-called Earth Evil Compass, Gongsun Yu grew anxious.

"Brother... did you hear what I said... General Hu and Prince Jin..."

Gongsun Yanming said, "Wait a moment; let me finish this divination."

Gongsun Yu was extremely agitated: "Brother, it’s such a critical time, how can you still be divining? Can you do it later? The situation is urgent! Just after my son’s wedding, Prince Jin was punished. What treacherous act did he commit to anger Your Majesty like this?"

In theory, even if Prince Jin truly angered Your Majesty, considering Lu Qi’s recent marriage, he wouldn’t heavily penalize Prince Jin.

"Has Your Majesty forgotten, or what? When this news spreads, those wavering ministers at court will likely lean entirely toward the Crown Prince Mansion! Brother, quickly think of a way to turn this around!"

Gongsun Yanming looked at the hexagram on the table: "It’s here."

Gongsun Yu’s eyes lit up: "Have you thought of a solution so quickly?"

"Where is Gongsun Yanming?"

It was Xiao Dezi’s voice.

Gongsun Yu looked bewildered.

Calling his brother by name like that, this little eunuch must be crazy!

Gongsun Yanming asked, "What’s the matter?"

Xiao Dezi was tasked with a heavy responsibility for the first time; if it weren’t for his godfather’s poor health, it wouldn’t have fallen to him at all.

He couldn’t mess up.

Be calm; don’t panic.

Xiao Dezi used all his strength to maintain a composed façade: "Your Majesty has a decree, summoning Gongsun Yanming for an audience! Pavilion Master Gongsun, please."

He pulled it off!

He didn’t disgrace his godfather!

"No, you..."

Gongsun Yu was thoroughly confused, "Even the Chief Steward wouldn’t dare be so disrespectful to my brother, and here you are, a little eunuch, acting so boldly!"

Xiao Dezi was bewildered inside, but his eyes showed firm resolve: "I’m just here to relay a decree."

My home!

At last, he called out the identity he had dreamed of, Xiao Dezi had succeeded!

Gongsun Yanming followed Xiao Dezi to the Imperial Study Room.

Duke Jiang’s unexpected move was quite a blow, the Chief Steward woke up but was still dizzy.

Emperor Liang dismissed him.

In the Imperial Study Room, another little eunuch was on duty.

Emperor Liang sat on the Dragon Throne.

Several sons stood respectfully by him.

He had just neutralized the Gu; to prevent the Gu Poison from recurring, Meng Qianqian also stayed in the Study Room.

Lu Yuan and Duke Jiang, as well as the Miao King, hadn’t left either.

Among them, only the Miao King sat brazenly on a chair.

Emperor Liang always felt that this self-proclaimed relative-in-law was quite annoying.

"Are you always this impudent before me?"

The Miao King replied shamelessly: "You allowed it; would you forget even this?"

Emperor Liang had more pressing matters to attend to and did not argue with the Miao King for now.

Prince Fu cast a sympathetic glance at his brother.

Compared to his uncle, his brother’s father-in-law seemed even more adept at courting disaster.

"Your Majesty, Gongsun Yanming has been brought."

Xiao Dezi reported from outside.

Emperor Liang said, "Enter."

Gongsun Yanming stepped into the Imperial Study Room.

The crowd overwhelmed him for a moment.

If not for Emperor Liang’s presence, anyone would think they had entered the wrong place.

Gongsun Yanming, his eyes straightforward, saluted respectfully: "Your humble servant greets Your Majesty."

Emperor Liang glanced at the corpse.

Xiao Dezi promptly understood, cleverly stepped forward, and lifted the white cloth covering the deceased’s head.

Meng Qianqian and Lu Yuan watched Gongsun Yanming without blinking.

However, Gongsun Yanming seemed to have never seen the person before, with only a trace of appropriate confusion in his eyes, as if he didn’t know why the Imperial Study Room displayed such a horrifying corpse.

Meng Qianqian murmured, "A thousand-year-old caretaker indeed."

Lu Yuan’s lips curled: "Now that’s interesting."

Emperor Liang didn’t rush to question Gongsun Yanming about the assassin but calmly said, "Do you still remember how you became the State Preceptor?"

Gongsun Yanming replied, "It was Your Majesty’s grace; your servant is deeply grateful."

The Miao King stared at the sky, as if saying it was your blindness that led to it!

"I have not been unkind to you, have I?"

"Indeed, without Your Majesty, there would be no me today."

"That Star-picking Tower..."

"Was also built by Your Majesty for your servant, enabling me to better manage the Astronomical Bureau."

"Did I give you the Astronomical Bureau as well?"

Gongsun Yanming furrowed his brows.

The Miao King gleefully watched.

Emperor Liang, knowing now how blind you are? Better blind yourself quickly!

Gongsun Yanming looked at Emperor Liang suspiciously: "Your Majesty, you..."

Emperor Liang interrupted him: "This assassin, do you know him?"

Gongsun Yanming boldly glanced at the corpse: "I do not know him."

Emperor Liang then tossed a brocade box on the table to Gongsun Yanming.

Gongsun Yanming caught it, opened it, and inside was a Gu worm pinned to the bottom of the box by a silver needle.

He said, "Heart-devouring Gu?"

Emperor Liang replied, "So you know."

Gongsun Yanming explained, "My master once studied in Witch Mountain and traveled all of Miaojiang during leisure time, bringing back a memoir on the Gu creatures of Miaojiang, which mentioned the Heart-devouring Gu."

Emperor Liang’s face darkened: "So you used it to frame me?"

Gongsun Yanming looked bewildered: "I have never framed Your Majesty, nor have I obtained the Heart-devouring Gu."

"Your Majesty, I know of a way to verify Pavilion Master Gongsun’s words."

"Speak."

Meng Qianqian walked over to Gongsun Yanming, extending her hand: "May I ask Pavilion Master Gongsun to lend me the corpse of the Gu worm for a moment?"

Gongsun Yanming gazed deeply at Meng Qianqian.

Lu Yuan said coldly, "Pavilion Master Gongsun, you already have a wife, don’t keep coveting my woman."

Gongsun Yanming handed the brocade box to Meng Qianqian.

Meng Qianqian smiled: "The Heart-devouring Gu is one of the three major blood Gu of Miaojiang; it’s not that easy to kill. Most are only near death; as long as the master is willing to feed it with blood, the Gu can come back to life."

Duke Jiang was stunned: "So it’s not dead!"

"Correct." Meng Qianqian nodded and said to Gongsun Yanming, "I wonder if Pavilion Master Gongsun dares feed the Gu with blood?"

Gongsun Yanming looked coldly at Meng Qianqian.

Meng Qianqian laughed: "Is Pavilion Master Gongsun worried about a trick? This Gu was given to Pavilion Master Gongsun by Your Majesty; surely Pavilion Master Gongsun doesn’t distrust even Your Majesty."

Emperor Liang’s gaze deepened.

Meng Qianqian said, "I’ll try first."

She took out a silver needle.

Lu Yuan walked over, grabbed her wrist: "So many men here, it’s not necessary for you, a woman, to shed blood?"

After saying this, he pricked his fingertip with the silver needle and let the blood drip into the brocade box.

The Gu worm showed no reaction.

This was natural.

After all, it wasn’t his blood that had fed it.

Next up was Gongsun Yanming.