At night time, they still hadn't heard any news from Rong Qiu and Yao Ling started to feel agitated. Not only that, but the men also hadn't come back from questioning the spy. The spy had a tight mouth which made them quite annoyed. Yao Ying and Lin Jian could only use the cruelest method to make him open his mouth.

Yao Ling asked Feng Yong Rui in an agitated voice, "Uncle, can you inquire what happen to my father? Why hasn't he come out of the palace yet?" She wasn't worried about Yao Ying, after all, he was only in the underground prison.

Feng Yong Rui sighed. "I can't... the security has been tight lately. I have used my connection inside the palace and they weren't able to inquire about any news." Feng Yong Rui was also worried, but he was also helpless at the moment. The Han Emperor had behaved in a weird way and he couldn't grasp what his goal was anymore.

Yao Ling paced around Feng Yong Rui's study room impatiently. Her dream had made her feel uncomfortable and not knowing how her father was doing... made it even worse.

Before she could ask anything else, the men came back from the underground prison and it took her mind away from his father's matter. Feng Yong Rui calmly asked them, "Do you find out any interesting news?"

Qi Hao nodded and answered, "Yes, we have gotten some important news. The man was really a tough nut to crack." He would never know that Yao Ying and Lin Jian would be that cruel --- but as long as they were able to get some pieces of information out of that spy, he wouldn't mind.

Qi Hao started to think positively because of Lin Jian's recent behavior because, with his strength, he would be able to protect Xiao Fang. However, it didn't stop Qi Hao for being petty towards him.

Yao Ying and Lin Jian looked a bit tired, but their eyes were twinkling because they finally got an important lead. At least, they got something after using all of the available torturing methods which took a long time. The underground prison's environment was quite disgusting, thus, it also made them feel uncomfortable even though they had visited those kinds of prisons so many times already.

"Tell us! Quickly tell us, Da Ge!" Xiao Fang asked impatiently.

"The Emperor would implement various different methods to kill the officials on the list one by one --- which including you, Father. Before this, he wanted to kill them all at once, but he becomes more careful now... He starts to change his tactic," Qi Hao explained.

It seemed like the Han Emperor really hadn't given up his ambition yet. They thought he would really abandon the idea, but in reality, he only hid his claws for a little while and waited for the right time to pounce.

Feng Yong Rui shook his head. "I thought that the Emperor would at least be afraid but it seems like I'm underestimating him. He still wants the whole kingdom to solely belong to him, huh?! He really aims to become a tyrant!" He said in anger due to his disappointment and also felt betrayed.

The others couldn't answer him, after all, they also felt bewildered by the Han Emperor's bold decision. If there was an inner turmoil in the kingdom, it would make other kingdoms start working to attack the Han Kingdom ah~! The news must have reached the other kingdoms and he still hadn't given up the idea to kill his own officials.

Either he was being stupid or he was crazy!

"And then?" Yao Ling asked curiously. Judging from this matter, this wasn't the juicy part yet. She felt that it would be a piece of bad news because the men's smug faces suddenly turned into worry.

*Thump*

*Thump*

*Thump*

Her heart was beating faster in a panic. She looked at Xiao Fang and the latter was as nervous as her. She should be ah~! After all, Yao Ling knew that this matter was related to her. No matter what, the Han Emperor was still her birth father --- it would be hard for her not to feel anything.

Yao Ling patted Xiao Fang's shoulder to calm her down and the latter really appreciate Yao Ling's gesture. Xiao Fang's mind wandered to Han Xiang's warning that the Han Emperor was suspicious of her ident.i.ty, however, Han Xiang also wasn't really sure whether the Han Emperor knew her real ident.i.ty or it was because of another matter.

Han Xiang's warning was still echoing inside her mind and somehow, she felt afraid!

Qi Hao answered cautiously, "Because of that, he also changed his plan regarding Xiao Fang. His first plan was only to take the blood letter from you --- as long as there is no evidence, he can pa.s.s it as a slanderous rumor."

"And why did he suddenly change his mind?" Xiao Fang asked in a low voice.

"It was because of his favorite concubine," Lin Jian answered hesitantly. They all knew which concubine they were talking about --- the one who supplied him with the sickening medicine. The woman was still staying strong inside his harem, showing how powerful and cunning this woman was. It seemed like they shouldn't have underestimated his presence.

Feng Yong Rui sighed, "This woman again... she is really the beauty that could ruin a kingdom!"

Yao Ling and Xiao Fang's heart jolted up in surprise and their hatred resurfaced --- this woman was the reason that their mother was doomed! Their hatred increased tenfolds towards the treacherous couple. If they couldn't take down the Han Emperor, at least, they should kill that concubine for their revenge.

Yao Ying whispered softly at Yao Ling, "Calm yourself down! This isn't the right time yet!" Yao Ying needed to warn her before she was being impulsive.

Yao Ying's words brought her back to reality and she nodded her head obediently. Yao Ling was also good at masking her expression under Yao Ying's teaching, but how could her fluctuating inner thought escape Yao Ying's eyes?

It couldn't. After all, he was the teacher.

Xiao Fang gritted her teeth and asked, "What did she do again?"

Feng Yong Rui and Qi Hao raised one of their eyebrows at the same time while their heartbeat started to beat faster. 'Again?' They thought to themselves, wondering if Xiao Fang knew something. The latter hadn't told them that she already knew her real ident.i.ty.

"She gave an 'enlightenment' to the Emperor that it would be useless to abandon his plan at this moment. The officials have already doubted him, how could the Han Emperor expect them to be loyal to him once again after the list has spread out?" Qi Hao answered. This was the triggering statement that made the Han Emperor start making a new plan to dispose of the officials.

Feng Yong Rui was feeling disappointed more and more. If the Han Emperor abandoned the idea, he and the other officials would turn a blind eye on it --- after all, he was still the Han Emperor. Even though they were wary of him, they wouldn't start treason because they also cared about the stability of this kingdom.

However, how could the Emperor that they wors.h.i.+pped be so weak-willed? He trusted his concubine more than his own officials --- or more like, he was being controlled by that concubine. Feng Yong Rui felt like he was a joke in the Emperor's eyes!

Yao Ling hesitantly asked, "Is it possible that this matter was instigated by that concubine?"

The others couldn't answer this --- the only ones who knew about it were the Emperor and that concubine themselves. They shook their head at the same time helplessly. This matter was too complicated.

"What kind of idea that the concubine offered to the Emperor?" Feng Yong Rui asked because this matter was related to his daughter ah~!