Chapter 552 - 365: The Peng Family in Peril! (Part 2)

Chapter 552: Chapter 365: The Peng Family in Peril! (Part 2)

"That good elder brother of ours has been unaccounted for ever since Father dispatched him from the palace."

At this point, Lu Xuyang deliberately prolonged his tone, watching the sudden tightening of his brothers’ expressions.

"Even those legendary infallible guards, the Wanjing Imperial Guards, vanished completely after escorting the Crown Prince’s carriage back to the palace."

"What’s even more astonishing is that the main hall of the Eastern Palace is now surrounded without a gap by the Forbidden Army led by Mr. Fen."

Lu Xuyang lowered his voice intentionally, as if recounting some absurd joke.

"Even the formidable Guard Commander of the Eastern Palace from the Peng Family was secretly taken away on a rainy night several days ago without a hint of news."

"Oh, almost forgot, this Guard Commander Peng Tian Sheng was actually imprisoned along with the royal father-in-law, Lord Peng Lie, in the Heavenly Prison."

Lu Xuyang’s words heavily weighed on everyone’s hearts, plunging the hall into a strange silence.

All these unusual occurrences intertwined in their minds into a terrifying scene.

All converged into that figure seated on the dragon throne.

—The five-clawed golden dragon embroidered with golden threads on the bright yellow dragon robe remains inscrutable despite the erosion of time!

Just like the emperor seated upright, whose brows and eyes are always shrouded in an unfathomable veil.

"Couldn’t it be..." Prince Lu Xuen’s Adam’s apple bobbed violently.

His unspoken guess was cut off by the sharp gaze of Prince Lu Xuqiong.

But everyone present knew.

The disappearance of the imperial guards, the encircled Eastern Palace, the imprisoned royal father-in-law Peng Lie, and the Guard Commander Peng Tian Sheng.

Each event shows traces of the emperor’s thunderous measures.

Lu Xuyang suddenly chuckled lightly, tapping his temple with a folding fan: "Could it be a move against the Peng Family’s relatives, or a mere intimidation to our good elder brother, the Crown Prince?"

His voice carried a hint of madness, "Perhaps neither—maybe it’s just a maze set by Father during his leisure."

Everyone in the hall experienced a sudden dilation of pupils; this conjecture was shockingly unconventional, yet perfectly aligned with the emperor’s style.

Prince Lu Xuhua slowly closed his eyes, as if to suppress the raging waves within his heart.

Since childhood, they understood well that their cold-hearted Father’s thoughts were deep as an ocean abyss.

Smooth and calm on the surface, yet hidden below are currents capable of tearing everything apart.

Even though at this moment, Father is so weak that he needs attendants to help raise a cup, who dares to act rashly?

Who dares to improperly speculate on heavenly might?

That person used to be able to shatter a Martial Arts Grandmaster with a mere finger gesture.

Even at the oil-exhausted days, the remaining might of the dragon is enough to awe the entire Wenjing Dynasty.

Consider how the reckless acts of Peng Lie, the royal father-in-law, were swept into the Heavenly Prison with the unstoppable force of thunder.

He is their Father, the master of the Wenjing Dynasty, even if now bedridden and breathing air tainted with medicinal rot.

Still possesses inexpressible might, capable of playing with anyone in the world at his fingertips.

The scorching sun beats down, blazing upon the palace walls!

Outside the main hall of the Eastern Palace, a killing aura permeates the air. Dozens of black-armored guards hold golden spears, and cold glints flicker through the gaps in their armor!

At their waists hang thin steel sabers, their backs stiff as bowstrings, not letting their clothing flutter a bit.

All are carefully selected elite Martial Artists from the imperial Forbidden Army.

With every breath, they exude a sharp momentum, clearly beyond ordinary guards’ comparison.

In the center of the formation, five Guard Commanders with scarlet cloud-patterned cloaks stand prominently.

Though they remain still, a hidden Qi Force flows beneath, making their clothes flutter without wind, cracking the blue bricks underfoot under Inner Strength.

It’s the exclusive presence of a Martial Arts Grandmaster.

The leader holds the hilt of his sword as if showing deep intention toward the direction he faces.

The other four seamlessly adjust their positions, sealing the entrance to the main hall perfectly.

In the stone pavilion at the distant end of the Nine-Twist Corridor.

The chief eunuch of the Eastern Palace, Mr. Fen, leans against a vermilion corridor pillar, squinting his triangular eyes as his murky pupils gleam coldly.

His fingers, thin as sticks, caress the gilded duster in hand.

Silver threads sway lightly with the motion as if a poisonous snake flicking its tongue.

Every abnormal movement around the Eastern Palace’s main hall is caught by Mr. Fen’s eyes.

Whenever palace attendants approach, his sharp gaze stiffens them in place, leaving no room for breath.

The entire Eastern Palace seems enveloped in an invisible giant net, oppressively suffocating everyone under its pressure.

"What is the reason for surrounding my palace?"

A clear, cold voice suddenly rang behind Mr. Fen, jolting him into a quiver.

A cup of clear tea appeared on the white jade stone table at some unknown point.

Amidst the rising steam, Lu Xuan was already seated calmly on the stone stool.

"Crown Prince... Your Highness?"

Mr. Fen’s duster fell to the ground with a "plop".

He stiffly turned his head, his murky eyes bulging as if they were about to pop out.

Lu Xuan was draped in a dark purple dragon robe, the five-clawed golden dragon dazzling in the sunlight.

The oppressive aura emanating from him was so palpable it almost suffocated him.

"Thud!"

Mr. Fen’s knees buckled uncontrollably, his forehead hitting the stone steps heavily.

He opened his mouth but found his throat too dry to produce any sound.

It wasn’t out of fear, but he was utterly awed by the vast dragon might, like an ocean.

In the distance, the faces of the five Grandmaster guards changed simultaneously as their weapons clattered to the ground.

Dozens of guards more quickly fell to their knees as if felled wheat, the clashing of armor ringing continuously.

Lu Xuan took a small sip of tea, the cup making a crisp "ding" as it touched the stone table.

Though the sound was not loud, it made Mr. Fen shudder.

Facing the Crown Prince of the Wenjing Dynasty, even the seasoned Mr. Fen had lost his composure completely.

His gaunt body trembled uncontrollably, his forehead pressed firmly against the cold stone slabs, even his breathing cautious.

At this moment, Lu Xuan was not just the simple Crown Prince.

With the old emperor gravely ill, he was the future master of this vast land!

Mr. Fen understood more than anyone what it meant when this Crown Prince ascended the throne.

"O-Old servant pays respects to the Crown Prince... Your... Highness..." Mr. Fen finally squeezed out some words.

The guards kneeling in the distance dared not lift their heads.

They could clearly sense the oppressive aura now emanating from the Crown Prince.

It was more terrifying than the imperial aura they felt in the past when facing the emperor!

Lu Xuan gently put down the teacup; this simple action yet again made Mr. Fen shudder.

At that moment, he suddenly realized.

How did the Crown Prince break through the heavy defenses and appear here silently?

The defense that was boasted as impregnable seemed completely useless before this Crown Prince...

"Now, can you answer my question?"

Lu Xuan’s voice was soft, but it made Mr. Fen feel as if he were plunged into an ice cave.

Behind this question lay a storm that could overturn the entire Wenjing Dynasty!

In submission, Mr. Fen revealed everything he knew to Lu Xuan.

"Yes, Your Highness, the Crown Prince!"

Outside the dungeon, a murderous atmosphere pervaded.

The already heavily guarded dungeon was now even more tightly besieged.

Thousands of elite imperial guards were facing a great enemy, bows strung, swords unsheathed, surrounding the eerie building like an iron barrel.

Because in the deepest part of the dungeon—in that specially made cell—lay imprisoned the royal father-in-law of Wenjing Dynasty, Peng Lie.

"Please, Your Majesty, have mercy!"

Outside the gates of the dungeon, hundreds of Peng family members dressed in fine garments were kneeling on the scorching stone road.

Elderly with gray hair, women holding infants, young boys not yet in adulthood...

Each person had blood marks on their forehead, looking especially conspicuous under the scorching sun.

"My elder brother is absolutely innocent!"

An elderly member of the Peng family cried hoarsely, tears streaming down his face.

He truly couldn’t comprehend why his elder brother was accused of such unforgivable crimes like "deceiving the monarch" and "plotting rebellion" after being summoned to the palace.

More oddly, he was thrown into a death cell without even undergoing a trial!

Among the crowd, Peng Lie’s most cherished granddaughter had already fainted three times from crying.

She couldn’t believe that her outwardly jovial grandfather would commit treason.

Standing at the forefront, the eldest son of the Peng family clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh.