On the Ark.

"Then let the Dali Temple send people! Do I really need to explain something so simple?" Ying Jie roared, unable to contain himself any longer. "Are all the officials in Luocheng just sitting around doing nothing?! Do they have to ask me about everything?! I only have one thing to say: bring that bastard in the panda suit to me in ten minutes! If you're late, you can come back with your heads!"

Having said all that, the Imperial Guard dared not contradict Ying Jie any further, and retreated after repeatedly agreeing.

This sent a chill down Hao Guangzhuqing's spine after he had overheard the entire conversation.

Faced with natural disaster, he disregarded the suffering civilians and instead devoted all his personal guards to pursuing a personal vendetta. Of course, the royal family's reputation was important, especially since the princess of the Great Yan Dynasty had also been kidnapped. From any perspective, it couldn't be called a personal vendetta, but everything has its priorities. In the face of natural disaster, neither the royal family's reputation nor the Fourth Princess was as important as the current situation in Luo City.

Even if they really wanted to capture that mysterious person, they should have divided their forces into two groups, even if they were short-handed. Transferring them all away, disregarding the common people of Luo City, would be extremely troublesome if someone found fault with them. And the most troublesome point is that the reason for this situation is precisely Ying Jie's previous decision to transfer all members of the patrol bureau and four-fifths of the Imperial Guard.

Logically, every city in Yan Kingdom has a strategy for dealing with natural disasters. When a disaster strikes, one should simply follow the instructions in the manual; whether or not a prince is present is not a problem. However, the problem now is that Ying Jie's previous decision violated the established strategy. By transferring all members of the Patrol Division, the southern district of Luo City was left without anyone available. At this point, no one could respond to the natural disaster according to regulations.

As for the Dali Temple, a department directly under the emperor's authority, local officials, even those in Luoyang who held the title of "Eastern Capital," had no power to directly mobilize it. Only the current emperor and, at this time, the second prince, Ying Jie, who symbolized imperial power, could do so. It can be said that without Ying Jie's order and mediation, the Dali Temple would have been difficult to utilize for disaster relief.

So if the earthquake stops here, that's fine. But if there are even bigger aftershocks, the consequences of Ying Jie's actions could be unimaginable.

This is why Haoguang Zhuqing felt a chill in his heart. The Eastern Kingdom's royal family, which he represented, was arguably one of Ying Jie's biggest supporters. Compared to the stern and unsmiling eldest prince, the Eastern Kingdom preferred to see the more ambitious and affectionate Ying Jie become the next emperor of Yan. They even went so far as to pass on their most treasured swordsmanship to Ying Jie while he studied in the Eastern Kingdom, making him the first non-Eastern citizen to become a "swordsman" in the Eastern Kingdom's history. They spared no effort in subtly implying to the Yan emperor that the second prince was a more outstanding crown prince than the eldest prince.

But is this really the case?

From Haoguang Zhuqing's perspective, supporting a foolish and arrogant Yan emperor is clearly more advantageous than supporting a wise one. However, this hinges on Ying Jie's successful ascension to the throne. Judging from Ying Jie's current performance, the gap between him and the eldest prince is far too obvious. Even if the current emperor dislikes the eldest prince, he would not entrust the throne to such a person.

Thinking about this, Haoguang Zhuqing couldn't help but feel regret. But there was nothing he could do about it now; all he could do was take it one step at a time.

Ying Jie was certainly unaware of Hao Guangzhu's thoughts at this moment. The earthquake had made him realize many things, and there was only one possibility for turning the tables: to prove that the Crown Prince and the Imperial Observatory had made a "deal" and that the ceremony was deliberately sabotaged while simultaneously framing him.

If this speculation is confirmed, the eldest prince will bear all responsibility, including for his failure to manage the natural disaster, while he will become the victim, not only without any responsibility but also the biggest beneficiary. The reason is simple: if it can be proven that the eldest prince is related to this natural disaster, then there is no way he can become the next emperor of Yan.

Therefore, the next emperor can only be him, the last crown prince of the Ying family.

In Ying Jie's view, this was his last and best opportunity.

As for the evidence? It was, of course, the person in the panda suit from earlier. In Ying Jie's mind, the panda man who had given him such great humiliation had already been labeled "the First Prince," and he was now considered one of the First Prince's men.

Even if it isn't...

So what? Ying Jie can let him be.

Therefore, as long as he can catch that person, he can turn the tables.

As for Ying Li and the people of Luocheng?

On the road to imperial power, any stumbling block should be trampled underfoot, especially since the earthquake has already stopped, hasn't it?

……

"Where did Lin go?" During the evacuation by the Imperial Guards, the Iron-Eating Beast seemed a little shaken. "What was that earthquake all about? How could it come so suddenly?"

Warfarin didn't speak, but turned to look at the indifferent Messiah.

Although Messiah said she didn't have the ability to create natural disasters, who knows if that's true? After all, the earthquake just now, though sudden, genuinely saved Lin Ye; otherwise, Lin Ye, wearing the panda suit, would have been captured by the Imperial Guards long ago. If it was a coincidence… Warfarin felt that only someone with a completely muddled mind would believe that such a coincidental natural disaster could save Lin Ye at just the right moment, and then stop at just the right moment.

Connecting this to the tsunami that struck the North and East districts, and the fact that Skadi still hasn't appeared, Warfarin guessed what the tsunami was all about. The deep-sea creatures were indeed extraordinary. Although both the tsunami and the earthquake were primarily aimed at assisting Lin Ye, and therefore not very large in scale, just meant to scare people, Warfarin still felt sorry for the Second Prince, who had actually offended these powerful figures.

People say a gentleman takes revenge even after ten years. For Lin Ye, it's more like, "A gentleman takes revenge; ten years later, I'll bring a cartload of women and beat you to death"—ruthless yet refreshingly unconventional. But then again, with Messiah's current strength, shouldn't he be able to quietly eliminate the Second Prince? Once the Second Prince is dealt with, all the problems will be solved, right?

Why has Messiah been merely watching the show all this time, showing absolutely no intention of taking any action, or even a hint of concern? Is he just going to let Lin Ye run wild like this?

To be honest, if it weren't for Messiah and Skadi by Lin Ye's side, Warfarin would never have allowed Lin Ye to come to the venue. After all, going up against the Yan Kingdom's Imperial Guard is like throwing an egg against a rock. Even if Warfarin really wanted Ying Li as a new experimental subject, she wouldn't allow Lin Ye to do that.

But as things stand, Messiah shows no intention of intervening, and Skadi has yet to return, leaving Warfarin completely unable to discern their intentions and too afraid to ask further questions—a truly perplexing situation.

Thinking this, Warfarin looked at Nian, who was walking in front of her with her tail swaying, and thought that there was someone even more troublesome here. Fortunately, she had not recovered her power and skills, otherwise, even if Messiah were present, the situation would be difficult to control.

At that moment, Warfarin heard the voices of the Royal Guards behind her.

"The panda man who's not wearing pants, is that him?!"

"It looks like she's wearing pants."

"Those were put on later, chase after them!" the Imperial Guard roared. "Pandaren in front, stop right there!"

Panda Man?

The Iron-Eating Beast thought the Imperial Guards had discovered Lin Ye, and immediately looked around, trying to find Lin Ye's location so she could go to his aid. She hadn't expected the Imperial Guards to come directly at her. Before she could even resist, three Imperial Guards tackled her to the ground.

"You bastards!" the Imperial Guard roared, "Hand over the princess right now, or you'll be sorry!"

The Iron-Eating Beast was completely bewildered: "Have you arrested the wrong person?! I didn't arrest the princess!"

"You think we won't recognize you just because you're wearing pants?!" another Imperial Guard said. "Do you think we're fools?!"

Iron-eating beast: "???"

……

the other side.

Lin Ye, who had run down the entire corridor in one go, was too exhausted to continue and had to put Ying Li down.

By this time, Ying Li had recovered from her previous hysteria. Having been sensible since childhood, she knew that blaming Lin Ye at this point was completely pointless. She needed to think about what to do next, so as soon as Lin Ye put her down, she immediately grabbed him and asked, "Where exactly are you taking me?"

Lin Ye, panting, said in a muffled voice, "I'll tell you about that later."

"You're going to tell me later?!" Ying Li was furious. "What time is it? You're still trying to hide it from me!"

"I didn't mean to hide it from you..."

"You're still trying to hide this from me, aren't you? You just want me to call you 'brother' one more time, right?" Ying Li said through gritted teeth. "I'll call you 'brother, brother' now! Fine! You're my own brother! What exactly do you want from me?!"

"I really didn't mean anything by it..." Lin Ye weakly raised his hand. "I just wanted to say that we should deal with that guy first."

Ying Li was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously turned her head and saw Chen chasing after her from the other side.

Seeing that Chen was about to draw his sword, Lin Ye quickly said, "Wait, wait, there's a misunderstanding! I'm not an outsider, I'm her brother!"

Having been confined in the leather suit for so long, and having run such a long distance, Lin Ye's voice had completely changed. Chen didn't recognize it at first, so he sneered, "Who do you think you are? You want to be the princess's brother?"

“I really am her brother.” Lin Ye patted Ying Li’s head with his furry paw. “Come on, call me brother again so she can hear it.”

Ying Li was stunned, clearly not expecting Lin Ye to say such a thing. This was completely different from the Ying Zhen she remembered... So what exactly did he go through in Ursus these past few years to become like this?

While Lin Ye was touching Ying Li's head, Chen thought he had found an opening, so he rushed forward and drew his sword.

The man rushed forward, but the knife was not yet drawn.

Just as Chen was about to grit his teeth and exert his strength, the panda suddenly made a move, grabbed the hilt of Chixiao's sword, and then with a clang, held Chixiao in his own hand.

"Don't bother, okay? You don't want to use this knife to cut me, do you?"

Chapter 583 The Prince's Revenge

But when Lin Ye swiftly and decisively pulled out the Crimson Cloud, Chen was shocked. It seemed as if everyone except her, the current owner of the Crimson Cloud, could easily pull it out. However, even so, Chen, with her rich combat experience, did not lose her composure. She immediately grabbed Lin Ye's hand holding the Crimson Cloud, and then clenched her other fist and slammed it hard into Lin Ye's hood.

Seeing this, Lin Ye had no choice but to loudly proclaim, "I am Lin Ye!"

Chen's eyelids twitched slightly, and his fist, which was aimed at Lin Ye's head, immediately deflected by about thirty degrees, slamming hard into the wall behind Lin Ye. The powerful force belonging to the dragon race directly smashed a hole the size of a head into the wall, sending a chill down Lin Ye's spine.

"Lin Ye?" Chen was very surprised. "You're Lin Ye?"

Lin Ye nodded repeatedly.

Then, from Chen's perspective, it was the panda man nodding frantically. Because the hood was so large and thick, every time Lin Ye nodded, the hood would hit Chen's forehead directly, making Chen wonder if this guy wanted to kill him with his head.

"I really am Lin Ye!" Lin Ye tried his best to restore his original voice. "I was the one who helped you pull out the Crimson Sky Sword before, have you forgotten?"

Help me pull out the Crimson Sky Sword?

Chen was stunned for a moment, and then he remembered the scene at the Dragon Gate Restaurant a month ago, and suddenly felt even angrier.

Even so, she lowered her fist: "How did you get here?"

“This is a bit complicated to explain.” Lin Ye turned to Ying Li and said, “But you have to understand, I’m not a bad person, I really am her brother.”

Chen also looked at Ying Li.

At this moment, Ying Li, who had become increasingly calm, knew that the most important thing to do was to clear up the misunderstanding, so she calmly said, "Yes, I am his sister, please let him go."

List:"……"

For some reason, even though Ying Li had admitted it, Chen still felt a strong sense of unease. However, since Ying Li had already spoken, she had no choice but to release Lin Ye. In return, Lin Ye returned Chi Xiao to Chen.

"What exactly happened?" The situation before Chen's eyes gave him a headache. "Your Highness, when did you get an older brother? Could it be..."

Chen thought of the illegitimate child.

Could he be Ying Li's mother's illegitimate son from before she married the current emperor?

Chen was startled by her own guess. In that instant, she even imagined a short drama of no less than ten thousand words in her mind. However, she was quickly interrupted by Ying Li's explanation. Perhaps guessing that Chen would misunderstand, Ying Li said directly, "He is not an illegitimate child. He is my brother... the third prince of Yan Kingdom, Ying Zhen."

The Third Prince... Ying Zhen?!

Chen's eyes widened: "Didn't His Highness the Third Prince die young?"

Ying Li shook her head and said softly, "No, that's a very long story."

“Well, I understand that you really want to hear the story, Mr. Chen,” Lin Ye interrupted Ying Li and Chen’s conversation, “but we have to leave now.”

In the three's view, the remaining Imperial Guards had surrounded the building where they were after evacuating all the guests, clearly preparing to search it.

“There’s nothing to say.” Ying Li glared at Lin Ye. “You should have thought of this consequence long ago… No, that’s not right. You’re still the same as before, doing things without considering the consequences. Now, you should find a way to hide first, let me go find Ying Jie, and then we’ll figure out a way to get you out of here.”

After saying that, Ying Li was about to leave, but Lin Ye grabbed her hand.

"What else do you want to do!"

Lin Ye took a deep breath and then said in a low voice, "I admit that my previous decision has made the current situation a bit tricky, but I don't think it's time to surrender and admit defeat."

"Then what else do you want!" Ying Li was almost going crazy. "What do you have to fight Ying Jie with! He's the second prince of the Great Yan Dynasty, and who are you now?!"

"I am also a prince, although I don't feel anything about this identity." Lin Ye turned to look out the window and said softly, "But even a harmless rabbit will bite when pushed to the limit, right? Besides, that person wants to kill me and take away my sister. Since that's the case, how can I not bite him?"

Ying Li hadn't expected Lin Ye to be so persistent... no, if it was him, then he had always been this persistent.

But now, Ying Li really doesn't know what else Lin Ye can do.

Just as she was about to advise Lin Ye against his unrealistic fantasies, she suddenly heard Chen Qingqing murmur, "Oh my god."

Ying Li was stunned for a moment, and then she noticed that Lin Ye and Chen were looking out the window. So she turned her head and looked out the window as well, and then opened her mouth slightly, unable to speak for a long time.

Under the misty sky, waves over ten meters high were crashing towards us.

……

"The tsunami is escalating?!" Ying Jie now truly wanted to kill everyone at the Imperial Observatory. He roared, "What on earth are the people at the Imperial Observatory doing?! Where are their warnings?!"

The Imperial Guard who came to report said, "This is the warning. According to the Imperial Observatory, although the tsunami's intensity is still increasing, it won't affect the South District in the short term. But it's hard to say after a while. The Imperial Observatory has ordered us to quickly activate the Originium Engines in the South and West Districts..."