Chapter 540: Kill the Rest on Sight
"The seal doesn’t need to be broken. You just have to gouge out the Eighth Prince’s eyes. Once the layer covering his pupils detaches, the map hidden beneath will be revealed. It can be viewed with a sky-gazing mirror. But there is a condition: the Eighth Prince must give up his eyes willingly. If he’s not willing, you won’t get the map even if you take them."
"Willingly?" The Beili Emperor’s expression flickered.
"Yes."
"The Eighth Prince has been obedient since childhood. Getting him to do so willingly won’t be difficult." The Beili Emperor was not concerned.
Consort Yuan clutched the handkerchief in her sleeve, not daring to say a word.
"Your Majesty, this is terrible! Something awful has happened!" Mr. Li burst into the imperial study, his expression fraught with panic.
"What happened?"
"The Eighth Prince is gone."
The Beili Emperor staggered. "How could he be gone?"
"I’ve searched all over West Splendor Garden but couldn’t find him. I’ve already sent people to look everywhere."
"Find him! Go find him now! I want him found even if you have to turn the Imperial Palace upside down!" the Beili Emperor thundered. ’How could he have just vanished into thin air?’
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The Hidden Guards and the Brocaded Guards were all dispatched.
The Beili Emperor’s face was ashen. ’He could have vanished at any other time, but he just had to disappear right after we learned about Penglai. Isn’t that too much of a coincidence?’
Two hours later, the reports from the Hidden Guards, palace guards, and eunuchs were all the same: there was still no sign of him.
They had searched every corner of the Imperial Palace, but he was simply gone.
"The Eighth Prince doesn’t have a palace-leaving Token; it’s impossible for him to have left. He must still be somewhere in the Imperial Palace! Continue the search! Leave no stone unturned," the Beili Emperor said grimly.
Consort Yuan’s eyes shifted. She looked up and said, "Your Majesty, Miss Xiang of the Xiang family rushed out of the palace two hours ago. She and the Eighth Prince have always been close. Could it be that she secretly smuggled him out?"
At her words, the Beili Emperor fell into contemplative silence.
Just then, an official from the city gates requested an audience.
Guard Zhang entered and knelt. "Your Majesty, someone has forced their way through the city gates."
"Who would be so bold?"
"From her silhouette, it appeared to be General Xiang’s daughter."
The Beili Emperor’s face instantly turned livid. "Was she alone? Did you see the Eighth Prince leave through the gates?"
"Miss Xiang was alone on horseback. We did not see the Eighth Prince. However, shortly before she left, a carriage also exited the city. The person inside bore a strong resemblance to the Eighth Prince," Guard Zhang reported.
Hearing this, Consort Yuan immediately added fuel to the fire. "Your Majesty, the Eighth Prince must have planned this with Miss Xiang. Otherwise, why would they leave the city one after the other like that?"
The Beili Emperor was already enraged, and her words made him erupt. "Guards! Arrest everyone from the Xiang family! Throw them in the dungeons and interrogate them severely! Dispatch men to ride out of the city and capture Ye Qianning at once! She dares to abduct a Prince? I’ll have her head!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Several Hidden Guards silently departed.
Mr. Li was frantic with worry. ’It’s over. The Xiang family is done for this time!’
"Your Majesty, I will also assist in the search," Yuan Yintang said, rising to his feet.
"Good. Take my personal token to the military barracks and mobilize three thousand soldiers. You must bring the Eighth Prince back. If anyone resists—aside from the Eighth Prince himself—kill them on the spot." The Beili Emperor’s rage had reached its zenith.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Yuan Yintang departed.
Consort Yuan was secretly delighted, though a new worry began to surface. She rose and said, "Your Majesty, I will also have my people join the investigation."
"Be gone," the Beili Emperor said without a glance in her direction.
Consort Yuan curtsied and withdrew. The moment she stepped out the door, her eyes turned dark and bottomless as she twisted the handkerchief in her hand. ’Neither Ye Qianning nor the Eighth Prince can be allowed to return alive.’
’She couldn’t care less about the celestial mountain of Penglai. Anyone who poses a threat to the Crown Prince must die!’