"Miss Luo, I still don't understand why the Emperor wants the First Princess to marry Huang Zi Feng? Huang Zi Feng would have been the one to inherit the sacred tree had he made it to the inner tomb. The Emperor would also have given Huang Zi Feng a princely status had he succeeded. Also, how would the Emperor benefit from Huang Zi Feng's win?" General Fu was too stressed to understand.

At Zhao Li Xin's command, Mong Yi prepared a carpet and a small table for General Fu and Lory to talk properly. Zhao Li Xin and the others also sat around the table, while Mong Yi prepared wine for everyone.

​​

General Fu's hand trembled as he lifted the cup to his lips. He gulped all the wine in one breath. Lory could understand his desperation as she would have fainted on the spot if this had happened in her Kingdom.

"The Emperor's benefit… Huang Zi Feng is the Emperor's son," Lory sighed with exasperation. The conspiracy was too deep. Her heart turned cold when Ming Yue Yin shared her story.

"WHAT?" Everyone, except Zhao Li Xin, shouted as one. Zhao Li Xin only furrowed his eyebrows at the news. Lory surmised it was his shocked expression.

"The Emperor childhood lover is the daughter of the Heavenly Jade Pavilion's leader. This conspiracy was initiated by the Heavenly Jade Pavilion's leader. They wanted to get the sacred tree's power for themselves and they also wanted to rule the Liangzu Kingdom. Having Huang Zi Feng marry Ming Yue Yin was like killing two birds with one stone," Lory sipped her wine but the alcohol was too sharp for her. She placed the wine cup on the table and pushed it away.

General Fu pinched his temples. He felt like he was a failure. The current Emperor had played him like a fool. His suspicion for the Emperor had always lingered at the back of his mind, but he usually brushed it off as he thought he was being paranoid for nothing. It was also possible he brushed it off as he did not wish to create trouble. He didn't want to risk his life, career, and family. He ignored it all while the First Princess was locked up and raised to be a sacrificial lamb. How could he face his Lord and friend in the afterlife for being incompetent? How could he live with himself after learning all this?

"Their plan, however, went haywire when the First Princess fell in deep slumber," Lory said.

"You mean the First Princess did this to herself?" General Fu asked in disbelief.

Lory tilted her head and pursed her lips slightly. She waved aimlessly, "She accidentally heard an old official with his friend talking in secret. The official spoke of her past and how she was not the current Emperor's biological daughter. The First Princess didn't dare confront the Emperor but she began snooping around, investigating the matter herself."

"When the current Emperor wanted to betroth her to Huang Zi Feng, the First Princess had no reason to refuse. Everyone claimed Huang Zi Feng was handsome, talented, kind, gentle, nice to children, filial to elders, and so on… All his attributes were too good to be true. The First Princess got suspicious or maybe it was simply her woman's instincts. She secretly began to investigate Huang Zi Feng's background. She even bought intel from the Red Flower Brothels."

The Red Flower Brothels were under the Vermillion Palace. Bei Li Yan found this part of the story familiar. He clapped his hands, "Oh… I heard someone purchased information on Huang Zi Feng. The buyer was a young woman who looked like a maid. I didn't follow it up because I thought it was not important."

Bei Li Yan smile turned awkwardly when he sensed his Lord's sharp glare. He knew he had been negligent. He deeply bowed at Zhao Li Xin, "My apologies…"

"That maid was Ming Yue Yin's personal servant. Once Ming Yue Yin knew Huang Zi Feng was a notorious sociopath, she decided to seek the Emperor and ask him to annul the engagement. It was at that moment that she heard the Heavenly Jade Pavilion members and the Emperor discuss their plan on taking over the Liangzu Kingdom."

Lory changed her drink to sweet flower tea. She sipped the tea slowly and continued, "So…the First Princess ran as fast as she could but they still managed to catch her. She lost consciousness after she was hit while fighting her captures. She failed to awaken and the Emperor was enraged as his carefully laid plans seemed to go down the drain. The Emperor is now willing to do anything to wake Ming Yue Yin."

"Is this the reason Huang Zi Feng came to the sacred tomb? Did they hope to use the sacred tree to wake the Princess? Did they also plan to kill her once she was of no use to them?" General Fu banged the table in anger.

Lory was not surprised by General Fu's outburst. Her answer was calm, "You, yourself know the story of the sacred tree and the chief who became unconscious. The Emperor thought the tree may have the power to wake the Princess in time for him to proceed with his plan."

"THAT SCUM EMPEROR!!!" General Fu could no longer hold his rage. The First Princess was not the Emperor's biological daughter, but he had raised Ming Yue Yin since she was a baby. Didn't the Emperor have a heart? Even a hard-hearted person would grow fond of a dog after he raised it for a few years. General Fu's body shook with anger. He clenched his fists tightly and bit his lip until it bled as he tried to hold back his anger.

"This is the reason the Emperor wants to kill you. He fears you would rebel if you were to learn the truth, especially since your position in the Kingdom is too high. You are the only person who owns the tiger tally, something the previous Emperor bestowed to you. You can easily mobilize the ten thousand troops under your command if you wish it. Your family has served the Liangzu Kingdom for three-generation and the citizens adore you," Bei Li Yan lazily propped his chin as he spoke.

"Sending you to the tombs to get the sacred tree and to protect Ming Ru Yi was all pretense. I have been wondering why the Emperor chose a great General like you to guard the spoiled princess and the useless young masters in the most dangerous place in the Kingdom… I now have an answer that makes sense," Jin Hao flipped his fan and smiled happily as he managed to satisfy his curiosity without having to probe too deeply.

"Ming Ru Yi was only a necessary victim in the grand scheme of things. The Emperor gave her the false map with the aim to misguide both you and her, General. His plan would have succeeded if Zhao Li Xin and I were not here," Lory placed her head on Zhao Li Xin's arm as she spoke.

The General managed to preserve his life because of Zhao Li Xin, his people, and Lory. Zhao Li Xin's rampage which led to the death of many beasts inside the tomb was another reason the General had easily survived. The Huang siblings also died because of Zhao Li Xin. One could only imagine the Emperor's anger if he was to learn about his son's death.

"I have one question. How did the First Princess know Huang Zi Feng was the Emperor's biological son? I never knew about this?" Bei Li Yan was annoyed with the fact someone else had better information than him.

"I think she heard it from another source…" Lory smiled drily and said in a perfunctory manner. She guessed Arthea was the informant but she didn't know the reason Arthea revealed the information. It was hard for one to understand the Seeress mind.

"Sister, do you know who it is?" Bei Li Yan pleaded cutely. This was enough to disgust Jin Hao and annoy Zhao Li Xin. Bei Li Yan stopped acting cute when his Lord's eyes shot daggers at him.

"Who knows… Why don't we ask the Princess herself," Lory rose from her seat.

General Fu was flabbergasted, "Miss…you…you can save the First Princess?"

"Yes," Lory answered casually, "Do you know where Ming Yue Yin is sleeping?"

"Yes, I do!" General Fu nodded as his face lit up. He still had a chance to atone for his mistakes if the First Princess was saved. It also gave him the chance to face his friend in the afterlife and ask for forgiveness.

"How much time do you need to reconvene your army?" Lory asked.

"I at least need three to four days," General Fu answered.

"So five days give or take?" Lory rubbed her lips with her finger. She was deeply immersed in her thoughts before she nudged Zhao Li Xin. "We need to get Ming Yue Yin out of the palace in five days. Her life could be in danger when the Emperor gets to learn of Huang Zi Feng's death and the loss of the sacred tree. It would be hard for us to cover up the fact you hurt Ming Ru Yi as the useless young masters are eyewitnesses."

"We can always kill them..." Zhao Li Xin said nonchalantly and Lory's mouth twitched a little.

"Nah… Their only mistake is being stupid. I don't feel good killing them for it. Besides, they also come from influential families and I feel like we can maybe use them somehow," Lory was conflicted on how to deal with them.

"We can alter their minds…" Jin Hao gave a sly smile. "We can use one of my drugs to alter their minds and make them think anything we want them to think. However, the drugs only work for weak-minded - I mean stupid people."

Jin Hao raised the white bottles that contained the drugs like a person in a medicine commercial on the television. They all unconsciously looked at the three young masters' faces at Jin Hao's words. They were all sleeping soundly and even one was drooling.

"I think they are stupid enough," Bei Li Yan said.

"Indeed…" Zhao Li Xin agreed.

This was how the plan to save the sleeping beauty was born. Mong Ki and Mong Yi were to lead the shadow guards to infiltrate the palace and kidnap the sleeping beauty. Jin Hao was to take care of the three young masters and Bei Li Yan was to gather more information and call Jiang Jin Wei to prepare as a backup in case something was to happen.

Lory and Zhao Li Xin were to wait for the sleeping beauty at the Xinjing manor. General Fu was to delay his return to the city while his subordinates were to gather his troops. Most of the Generals in the Liangzu Kingdom respected the previous Emperor more than they did the current Emperor. This was because they fought together with the previous Emperor. Their loyalty to the previous Emperor ran deep. The Generals shifted their loyalty to General Fu Xiao Jin after the previous' Emperor's death as General Fu had been close to the previous Emperor. This was one of the reasons the current Emperor feared General Fu the most.

The preparation to infiltrate the palace took a while. General Fu provided the palace map and the Hei Shen Sect spies confirmed the Princess' location. Everything else fell into place once this was done.