After the ghost-hunting master descended the mountain, his fame spread throughout the capital.

In stark contrast to the rising temperature inside the carriage, hundreds of miles away in Changling City, the atmosphere in the imperial study was like an ice cellar in the dead of winter, chilling one to the bone.

Emperor Cangqi sat behind his desk, his bright yellow dragon robe appearing particularly dazzling in the candlelight, yet it did nothing to dispel the sinister and chilling aura emanating from him.

His face was so dark it was almost dripping with water, his eyes fixed on the kneeling guards below. His voice was forced out through clenched teeth, filled with incredulous rage:

"Say it again." He spoke extremely slowly, each word like shards of ice, "The Imperial Preceptor, Shi Qinglian, is missing, his fate unknown?"

"All eight monks sent by Huguo Temple...died?! And Xie Jinchen, and that Jiang Dusheng...are unharmed and on their way back?!"

The last word suddenly rose in pitch.

The kneeling leader of the secret guards below, even with his extensive battle experience, trembled imperceptibly at this moment. His forehead pressed tightly against the ground, his voice dry and strained:

"Your Majesty, there are indeed signs of a fierce battle deep in Yinshan. The eight eminent monks of Huguo Temple are all dead, their life confirmed. Prince Xie and the woman surnamed Jiang have left Qingwu City and are...returning to Changling."

"Useless! A bunch of useless people!" Emperor Cangqi suddenly waved his sleeve, and the mountain of memorials on his desk, along with writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones, were swept to the ground with a clattering sound.

His chest heaved violently, veins bulged on his forehead, and his eyes surged with terrifying ferocity and murderous intent.

Shi Qinglian is the most important weapon in his hand, and also the bargaining chip he has used for many years to balance and control Huguo Temple.

Now, the knife may be broken, the bargaining chips have completely disappeared, and eight elite guards of the Protectorate Temple have also perished!

The losses far exceeded his initial estimates.

More importantly, has Shi Qinglian already died, or... has something happened that even he couldn't control?

What exactly is hidden deep within the Yinshan Mountains?

Emperor Cangqi gasped for breath, forcibly suppressing the surging blood in his throat, and gripped the armrests of the dragon throne tightly. "Where is Xie Dai?"

The head of the secret guards trembled again, his voice even lower: "Your Majesty, after confirming that the heir was unharmed, Duke Xie has been rushing back to Changling and should arrive outside the city tonight."

"Ha...Fine, fine!" Emperor Cangqi laughed in fury, his laughter filled with undisguised killing intent. "Truly a father's deep affection! Since they are so united, there's no need for them to return!"

He sat up abruptly, his eyes devoid of any warmth, displaying only the decisiveness of an emperor.

The flickering candlelight in the imperial study cast dim shadows on his face, adding to his somber demeanor.

He stared at the guards below and said, enunciating each word clearly, "Reveal my decree!"

"In Linchuan County, Qingzhou, the banditry has not been eradicated. Recently, roving bandits have once again gathered and wreaked havoc, ravaging the local area, robbing merchants and travelers, and causing widespread resentment among the people!"

"The previous special envoy Xie Jinchen was ordered to suppress the bandits, but he was perfunctory and negligent, and his suppression and pacification efforts were inappropriate, causing the banditry to resurface. This was a dereliction of duty and a failure to live up to my expectations!"

"I hereby order Xie Jinchen to immediately return to Linchuan County, Qingzhou, to atone for his crimes by suppressing the bandits! He shall not leave Qingzhou or return to Changling until the banditry is completely eradicated! I will send another supervisor to accompany him; if he fails to comply, he will be punished for both offenses!"

Emperor Cangqi turned his gaze to the deep night outside the palace, his tone becoming even colder:

"Duke Xie Dai, as a high-ranking official of the court, should have been dutiful and devoted to serving the emperor. However, he failed to properly educate his son, allowing him to neglect his duties, which led to the resurgence of banditry in Qingzhou and unrest in the region. He has truly failed the emperor's expectations and is unworthy of his dukedom! The father is to blame for not teaching his son properly!"

"Considering his past merits, I will not punish him for now. I order him to relinquish all his duties in the city and immediately accompany my son to Qingzhou to supervise the suppression of bandits, so that he may atone for his crime through meritorious service, and we will observe his future conduct!"

"Until the banditry is quelled, the Xie family father and son are not to step out of Qingzhou without an imperial edict! Any disobedience will be considered as defying the imperial decree!"

This decree, seemingly intended to punish those who failed in their efforts to suppress bandits, was in reality a disguised form of exile and house arrest.

Life and death, honor and disgrace, all depend on the emperor's single thought.

"Your subordinate obeys!" The leader of the secret guards dared not object in the slightest and hurriedly kowtowed to accept the order.

"Wait!" Emperor Cangqi called out to the guards who were about to leave. He slowly walked out from behind his desk, went to the window, turned his back to the guard leader, and looked out at the deep night.

His figure appeared exceptionally tall, and also exceptionally lonely and indifferent, in the candlelight.

"Issue another secret decree," he said, his voice low but even more chilling than his previous rebuke. "Send it by express courier, eight hundred li to the Prefectural Governor's Office in Qingzhou, and deliver it to Prefect Cui Yan. No one else may know its contents except him."

Emperor Cangqi slightly turned his head, half of his face hidden in shadow, making him appear extremely eerie:

"The secret edict states: Duke Xie Dai, along with his son Xie Jinchen, under the guise of suppressing bandits, have secretly formed a faction, amassed a private army, and colluded with bandits in Qingzhou to plot treason. The evidence is... irrefutable!"

"Upon receiving this decree, Prefect Cui Yan of Qingzhou shall immediately mobilize reliable troops from the prefecture and, under the pretext of discussing joint efforts to suppress the bandits, lure Xie Dai into the prefectural residence. Once inside, take immediate action and strangle him on the spot! No interrogation or public announcement is necessary; make it appear as if he has died suddenly from an illness."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes. "As for Xie Jinchen, capture him alive! Secretly escort him back to the capital. Remember, I want him alive!"

Upon hearing this, Li Dequan, the trusted chief eunuch standing to the side, turned deathly pale and knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please reconsider! You mustn't!" He almost shouted in a breathy voice, yet dared not raise his voice. "The Duke of Xie still possesses the late Emperor's personally written edict, which states that the Xie family, unless guilty of treason, should not be easily executed!"

"Furthermore...the Tiger Tally has not been fully recovered. The 200,000 border troops in the north only recognize the Xie family's banner and the Tiger Tally. If suddenly...I fear a catastrophic event could occur, shaking the very foundation of the nation!"

"The late emperor's edict? The tiger tally?" Emperor Cangqi suddenly turned his head and stared at Li Dequan with a crazy and obsessive look in his eyes. His nerves, which had been taut with anxiety for days, seemed to have finally reached their limit.

"I am the emperor! I am the ruler of this land! I am the one who sits on the dragon throne now!"

He took a few steps closer to Li Dequan, the hem of his dragon robe almost brushing against Li Dequan's forehead:

"Father feels guilty towards him, so he gave the Xie family a pardon? If Xie Dai were truly loyal, he should have voluntarily returned the tiger tally and requested to have his power reduced! Not only did he refuse, but he also repeatedly opposed me!"

"Such actions are no different from treason! What's wrong with me killing a powerful minister who harbors treacherous intentions and wields considerable military power?!"

Emperor Cangqi's temples bulged with veins, and his breathing became heavy and rapid. "The northern border troops? I have my own arrangements! I have secretly promoted generals and divided their forces."

"Does Xie Dai mean that the vast border of Xicang cannot be defended without him? This world belongs to me, not to the Xie family! My Achu will never belong to him!"

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, his breathing became rapid, and his face flushed an abnormal red, clearly on the verge of losing control.

The restraint that had remained in the past was shattered by the suspicion and frustration at this moment.