Son-in-law Heaven Emperor Xiao Yi

The Great General of the Southern Command's residence.

The lavish mansion stood in the very center of the imperial capital.

This Great General of the Southern Command was, after all, a high-ranking official of the first grade, commanding the Imperial City Guard Army and acting as a trusted minister of the emperor.

Moreover...

Hou Zhen hailed from Baiyu, backed by the powerful connections of Baiyu.

Even the current emperor relied on him heavily, granting him this grand mansion near Benlin Palace.

At this moment.

In the stately hall of the general's residence.

Hou Zhen, the Great General of the Southern Command, sat rigidly on his high seat. His complexion was as dark as charcoal, his bloodshot eyes exuding a chilling intensity. His hands gripped the armrests tightly, producing a crackling sound.

His crimson gaze fixated on the two corpses lying on the hall's floor.

The entire hall was shrouded in a suffocating atmosphere.

The heavy air...

Made it hard for anyone to breathe.

Nie Cheng, too, remained silent, sitting nearby, his gaze never shifting away from Hou Zhen.

"Great General, Lord Nie, we've already tracked those individuals' movements. Should we deploy forces to apprehend them now?" The Deputy Commander of the Imperial City Guard Army, Chen Shengli, clad in silver battle armor, asked.

Chen Shengli's cultivation was at the Third Layer of the Human Venerate Realm.

A battle-hardened warrior.

A force to be reckoned with.

Moreover...

He was Hou Zhen's most loyal confidant. If Hou Zhen were to order him to assassinate the emperor, he wouldn't hesitate for even a moment.

Nie Cheng looked at Hou Zhen.

His expression was as grim as it could be. He had planned to leverage Hou Zhen to gain an introduction to the current eldest prince, while also avenging Nie Cheng. For that reason, he'd deliberately brought Nie Cheng along to the imperial capital.

But what he hadn't expected was...

Before even meeting the prince, his son had lost his life first.

And had dragged Hou Zhen's only son, Hou Tao, down to the grave along with him.

Nie Cheng now dared not speak lightly, fearing he'd become a target for Hou Zhen's wrath.

Just as Nie Rong had surmised...

At this moment, Hou Zhen did indeed feel an urge to vent his anger on Nie Cheng. His son had been well established in the imperial capital, enjoying a freewheeling lifestyle under the protection of his father's name—a fate entirely free of danger.

But then...

Because of Nie Cheng's arrival, and in the process of avenging him...

Hou Tao had lost his life senselessly.

If Nie Rong dared to speak now, Hou Zhen would certainly seize upon it as an excuse to harshly reprimand him. But Nie Rong wisely chose silence, leaving Hou Zhen with no outlet for his rage.

Frustrated further, Hou Zhen said coldly, "With Baiyu's matchmaking tournament imminent, the imperial capital is teeming with powerful figures from various factions. If you send troops to arrest them within the city now, wouldn't you turn our Ice and Snow Empire into a laughingstock for the world?"

Chen Shengli froze in place, hastily apologizing, "Subordinate acknowledges his mistake!"

"Hmph!"

Hou Zhen snorted coldly, his gaze landing on the still-silent Nie Rong, souring his mood even further.

Your son was killed too!

And yet you say nothing?

How does that make any sense?

Taking a deep breath, Hou Zhen said coldly, "Brother-in-law, both Cheng and Tao were killed by Xiao Yi. What do you propose we do now?"

"..."

Nie Rong cursed internally but had no choice but to respond, "As the Great General said, deploying the City Guard Army against them now is indeed inappropriate. Not only are major powers currently gathered in the capital, but all eyes are on our every single move. Acting rashly for personal vendettas would expose us to criticism, and stirring trouble at this moment may lead to unnecessary misunderstandings."

"Hmm!"

Hou Zhen nodded, but he was evidently dissatisfied with Nie Rong's response, pressing further, "If large-scale actions are inappropriate, does that mean our sons' deaths will go unavenged?"

Nie Rong took a deep breath and replied ominously, "We can't act personally, but that doesn't mean someone else can't."

"You're suggesting borrowing someone else's blade?"

Hou Zhen squinted, leaning forward slightly, his lips curving into a sinister smile.

What a damn cunning snake!

Nie Rong cursed in his heart. Hou Zhen clearly shared the same thought, yet forced HIM to articulate it.

If complications arose, he could conveniently shift the blame onto Nie Rong!

But...

Reality outweighed pride.

Living under someone else's roof, one had no choice but to lower their head!

Nie Rong nodded, speaking seriously, "The eldest prince is actively seeking talented allies, is he not? We could introduce Xiao Yi and his group to the prince..."

"What do you mean by that?" Hou Zhen interrupted him, frowning.

They were staunch supporters of the eldest prince in his bid for the throne.

The prince required nothing less than their allegiance.

Moreover...

The eldest prince was indeed eager to acquire more strong allies, aiming to bolster his position and secure the throne. If they introduced Xiao Yi's group to the prince, Xiao Yi's talents and potential would surely earn the prince's favor.

He might even become one of the prince's trusted confidants.

If that happened...

What chance would there be for revenge?

Nie Rong sneered coldly, saying, "There's something the Great General might not know: Xiao Yi clashed with Cheng because of Baiyu's saintess, Lady Fang Qingzhu. According to Xiao Yi himself, his actions are for the sake of the saintess. If we recommend Xiao Yi to the prince, what do you think will happen?"

"Hmm?"

Hou Zhen froze, his eyes darting in scheming thought until his tightly held expression gave way to a dark smile.

He'd understood Nie Rong's ploy.

The eldest prince aimed to succeed at the matchmaking tournament, becoming Baiyu's son-in-law.

Gaining Baiyu's backing secured the throne.

In other words...

The eldest prince was determined to win Fang Qingzhu!

If Xiao Yi was introduced to the prince, and the prince admired Xiao Yi's capabilities and tried recruiting him, Xiao Yi might agree to support the prince.

But could Xiao Yi still vie for the saintess' hand?

Clearly not!

Would Xiao Yi agree?

Judging by his willingness to fight Nie Cheng for Fang Qingzhu, he surely wouldn't give up his quest to marry the saintess.

That would make Xiao Yi and the prince rivals!

When lovers meet, emotions run hot.

The prince wouldn't lightly let Xiao Yi off.

But if Xiao Yi outright rejected the prince's recruitment?

Even simpler!

The prince, free from hesitation, certainly wouldn't tolerate a rival who coveted both the saintess' hand and himself as an adversary. That talent wouldn't be left alive.

How could one rest easy with a threat beside their throne?

And so...

They wouldn't even need to lift a finger. Simply singing Xiao Yi's praises before the eldest prince would ignite the prince's ambitions, leading him to eliminate Xiao Yi personally!

Sweet vengeance!

Realizing this, the two exchanged meaningful glances.

Hou Zhen burst into laughter. "Excellent, excellent! You never disappoint me. Let's go with your plan! Let's head to the prince's manor at once and recommend Xiao Yi to him!"

Nie Rong narrowed his eyes, clenched his fists tightly, and whispered bitterly, "Xiao Yi? This time, you won't escape your fate!"