Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 48 Shuo Rat
While Jiuque was soundly asleep, the outside world was in an uproar, especially the families living near the explosion site. Almost the entire family jumped out of bed, and the timid children even cried loudly in fear.

The whole family huddled together, trembling for a long time, before realizing that there seemed to be no more movement, except for some faint screams and groans. Some of the braver ones peeked out through the cracks in the window and saw one disheveled figure after another being dragged out of the rubble and tightly bound.

Wait a minute, those people who kidnapped people look like government officials?
Why did all those who were arrested suddenly emerge from the ground?
"If you dare to do this, the Worry-Free Cave will not let you off! Be careful that your family and friends don't disappear one night while they're sleeping, or that they're missing limbs..."

"Shut up! You're already a prisoner, why are you still talking so much?"

"Good heavens!" Those hiding in their homes gasped in disbelief. Those arrested were actually thieves from the Worry-Free Cave! For years, the Worry-Free Cave had been wreaking havoc in the capital, and the government had always been all bark and no bite. Who would have thought they'd be so quiet tonight, pulling off something so big!
Look at those nearly a hundred people who've been arrested. Just the thought of these thieves living right under our noses sends chills down everyone's spines. Especially seeing the government officials so cautiously leading out a group of young women and children. What's not clear now? They've busted a human trafficking den in Wuyou Cave!

Now, regardless of whether their families had any abducted women or children, everyone couldn't help but feel happy for them. Now that the imperial court had intervened, wouldn't their lives become safer and safer? Now, if any family had a beautiful young woman or child, they no longer needed to hide them or keep them from going out.

Everyone was eager to spread the news, but many more were wondering what had caused that enormous, thunderous noise.

By the next morning, the news of what happened the previous night had spread throughout the capital. Even those who lived further away were quietly informed of the news by their relatives and friends.

"Have you heard? Last night, the Thunder God in the heavens was furious and sent down punishment, which is why those thieves in Worry-Free Cave were caught by the government. The commotion was huge; a huge hole was blasted into the ground."

"Not only that, I also heard that many beautiful women and children were rescued. God bless us, if only that were true, those thieves from Wuyou Cave would have died long ago. My second uncle's youngest daughter was so beautiful, but she disappeared without a trace in broad daylight, and we still don't know if she's alive or dead."

"Let me tell you, all those thieves who were arrested deserve to die!"

"I think so."

In short, the crowd was extremely indignant. Early in the morning, people from all directions brought incense and offerings to worship near the large pit.

The place that was bombed was an abandoned mansion in the capital. In such a prime location, with every inch of land precious, such an explosion occurred, and the owner didn't even come out to speak. What else could it be but an abandoned mansion? Of course, none of this mattered to ordinary people. When they arrived, one of the walls had already collapsed, and a huge crater stretched from inside the wall to the outside, with the ground covered in charred marks.

The onlookers gasped in amazement as they cautiously peered closer, but the government officials were simply too much of an obstacle, forming a solid human wall that made it impossible to get near. It was precisely this secrecy that fueled their curiosity even more.

A simple, unadorned blue carriage stopped at a distance, glanced at the scene, and then quietly drove away. It meandered through the capital city, making three turns before finally entering a secluded and quiet courtyard.

Deep within the mansion, a young man sat expressionlessly, coldly staring at his subordinate who had knelt down as soon as he entered. A chilling murderous aura wafted through the room, and it took him a long time to barely suppress it.

"That guy surnamed Yi, I want him dead." No matter how useful he was before, once caught, the only outcome is death. After all, in this world, only the dead can't speak. That guy surnamed Yi should have committed suicide the moment he was caught. Why isn't he dead yet? Is he hoping to report this and live?
Such a person is a menace as long as he lives. The sooner he dies, the better!
The man prostrate on the ground dared not utter a word of rebuttal, only kowtowing repeatedly, trembling as he promised to complete all the tasks his master had instructed, begging only to have his dog's life spared.

The young man glanced disdainfully at his useless subordinate, but remembering that he was usually quite loyal, he ultimately spared his life.

“Clean up all the loose ends. If anyone finds out that I’m involved, your whole family, including your two concubines and illegitimate children, will all die.”

"Yes, yes, thank you, Master, for sparing my lowly life. I will do my best in the future and never dare to be negligent again."

When he looked up, he found that his young and arrogant master had already turned and left, with only the jade pendant and silk sash at his waist reflecting a yellow light as he turned away.

At the same time, Wei Yuan also presented his investigation results to His Majesty.

Emperor Jingtai examined the evidence without changing his expression, his eyes growing increasingly unfathomable. After a long while, he finally spoke in a low voice.

"So, there really is an unclaimed mansion in the capital? Isn't it said that living in the capital is difficult? How come such a large mansion has no owner? The Ministry of Revenue can't find any information about the owner of this mansion either. The most recent owner was actually a Hanlin Academician from the previous dynasty fifty years ago?"

"That is exactly what happened, Your Majesty."

"This is truly strange. This mansion has been unowned for fifty years, yet it hasn't decayed at all; on the contrary, it looks brand new. And there aren't any beggars, thugs, or hooligans occupying the rooms. Last winter was so cold; the Prefect of the Capital said that hundreds, if not thousands, of people froze to death. Why didn't they find a place to shelter from the cold wind?"

"..."

Wei Yuan could only remain silent, and thinking about what he had learned from his investigation, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. In fact, anyone with eyes could see who was involved behind the scenes, but he couldn't say, at least not voluntarily.

After all, the world still belongs to the Jing family. He was just a powerless and insignificant official. If he got involved in the royal power struggles, he would only die.

Emperor Jingtai remained silent for a long time before finally crumpling the evidence into a ball and letting out a cold laugh.

"I have only reigned for a short thirteen years, yet I have already raised such a large rat..."

(End of this chapter)