Ye Lingyue was shocked to see this message. It was only after a closer look that she realized Treasure Cave had drawn fire upon itself precisely because of her.
Hong Fang was a man who insisted on tit for tat. Last time, he had suffered a loss at Treasure Cave due to Superpower Elixir Pills.
Afterwards, he repeatedly pressed the He Brothers, Hong Shisan, and Thirteenth Young Master for their true identities, but was resolutely rejected by the He Brothers, who claimed that they couldn't disclose the information of their distinguished guests.
When Hong Fang found out, his teeth itched with hatred. He had been harboring thoughts of revenge and finally, an opportunity presented itself.
Several days ago, Crown Prince Hong returned to Xia Capital with Duke An and Elder Yue. Their treasure-hunting mission in the Taiyi Secret Realm had failed, resulting in lost troops and diminished reputation, which made Crown Prince Hong even more disgraced.
He searched all over Xia Capital, hoping to find news of Hong Shisan, but found not a single clue.
Crown Prince Hong, enraged, then conspired with Hong Fang to frame Treasure Cave with a malicious scheme.
Hong Fang presented a petition to the court, claiming that the Black Medicine Powder found in the Nangong Jian Mansion last time was secretly transported to Xia Capital through Treasure Cave, suggesting that Treasure Cave was the secret base of the enemy nation within Xia Capital.
"How vicious is Hong Fang! Not only did he eliminate Treasure Cave, but he also managed to loot the Spiritual Treasures there," cursed Ye Lingyue when she saw this.
The thousand kilograms of Black Medicine Powder were clearly brought into the Nangong Residence by Feng Xun. This time, Treasure Cave was purely taking the fall for Ye Lingyue and Feng Xun.
As soon as Ye Lingyue thought of this, she felt deeply remorseful. She immediately released an Alchemist's Crane to inform Boss He.
Counting the days, it was very likely that Hong Fang and the others had already surrounded Treasure Cave. Ye Lingyue could only hope that Elder Hong and the rest could escape this calamity.
From the journey to the Taiyi Secret Realm, Ye Lingyue and the two He Brothers had developed some camaraderie.
By the time Ye Lingyue arrived at Xia Capital, Treasure Cave had already become ruins. The alleys were buzzing with tales that the court had besieged Treasure Cave two days prior on charges of colluding with the enemy.
Treasure Cave, which had a foundation of several decades in Xia Capital, was targeted by Crown Prince Hong and Grand Protector Hong Fang, who led three thousand soldiers from the Imperial Army to besiege it. This text is hosted at NoveI~Fire.net
However, she heard that although Treasure Cave was destroyed, the three proprietors had taken some of their staff and left Xia Capital a day prior to the siege.
When Ye Lingyue returned to the Xia Residence, Yan Che delivered a letter to her. The letter was sent by one of the disciples of Ghost Sect, on behalf of Boss He.
"Thirteenth Young Master, the He Brothers owe you a great favor. Should the opportunity arise, I will surely repay this immense kindness," read the letter.
It seemed that Boss He had received Ye Lingyue's warning and promptly relocated Treasure Cave, minimizing the losses to the greatest extent.
Boss He also informed Ye Lingyue that they planned to temporarily move Treasure Cave out of the vicinity of Xia Capital. Once they found a new business location, they would definitely notify her.
"It's a pity that it will be difficult to witness the grandeur of Treasure Cave's auction in the future, but fortunately, the loss has been reduced to the minimum." Remembering the despicable faces of Crown Prince Hong and Hong Fang, Ye Lingyue's eyes grew colder.
"Sect Leader, there's one more thing. These past few days, Alchemist Mei from the Imperial Hospital has been looking for you. She said as soon as you finished your retreat, you should immediately find her at the Imperial Hospital," Yan Che reminded Ye Lingyue.
Alchemist Mei was looking for her, could it be that something happened in the Imperial Hospital during her absence?
Without delay, Ye Lingyue went to the Imperial Hospital.
"Alchemist Ye, you're finally out of seclusion. The Empress has been unwell recently, unable to eat or sleep properly. She asked that as soon as you return, you should quickly pay a visit to Chaohua Palace." The moment Alchemist Mei saw Ye Lingyue, her face lit up with a smile.
Empress Liu's most trusted person is Ye Lingyue. When she felt unwell, the first person she thought of was Ye Lingyue.
Upon hearing that the Empress was not feeling well, Ye Lingyue promptly made her way to Chaohua Palace.
She had barely reached the entrance of Chaohua Palace when she saw Noble Princess Consort Luo, accompanied by Chou Alchemist, approaching.
"Well, if it isn't Princess Ye." Noble Princess Consort Luo, seeing Ye Lingyue, raised her eyebrows playfully and asked in a mocking tone.
Ever since Ye Lingyue had refused Crown Prince Hong's proposal to take her as a concubine, Noble Princess Consort Luo had grown even more resentful towards Ye Lingyue.
In Noble Princess Consort Luo's view, Crown Prince Hong would become Emperor Xia in the future. Ye Lingyue was merely a daughter of a civilian general's household, and yet she dared to refuse her precious son outright, which was simply courting death.
Noble Princess Consort Luo's original plan was to report to Emperor Xia and request an Imperial Decree to bestow Ye Lingyue to Crown Prince Hong.
However, to her surprise, when Emperor Xia learned of this, he looked troubled and said that the Empress Dowager had spoken earlier. Princess Ye was greatly favored by the Empress Dowager, who intended to personally seek a suitable marriage for her.
With the Empress Dowager having spoken, Noble Princess Consort Luo had no choice but to return in defeat. Therefore, the sight of Ye Lingyue made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Noble Princess Consort Luo, are you also here to visit the Empress? And you've specially brought along Chief Chou, oh, I almost forgot, we should now address him as Chou Alchemist." Ye Lingyue glanced at Chou Alchemist, who had been demoted to the Middle Courtyard. It seems that after falling out of favor, he had latched on to Noble Princess Consort Luo.
Their visit to Chaohua Palace was surely not for anything good.
"Isn't that so? I heard that the Empress's phoenix body is unwell, and none of the Imperial Physicians could figure out why. Therefore, we've invited Chou Alchemist to come along. After all, he is an old alchemist in the palace, unlike some people who haven't been at the Imperial Hospital for a few months and already think their medical skills are exceptional." Noble Princess Consort Luo said with a forced smile.
She intended to probe the Empress, but upon her arrival at Chaohua Palace, the Empress dismissed her and Chou Alchemist at the gates, using a nap as an excuse.
If this had happened back when Noble Princess Consort Luo was in favor, Chaohua Palace would have been in an uproar.
But things are different now. The Sixth Prince is favored, and the days of Empress Liu are getting better day by day, which annoyed Noble Princess Consort Luo even more.
It is said that this matter is also related to the Princess Ye standing before her.
"Princess Ye, the Empress invites you." While they were speaking, the personal palace maid of Empress Liu came out.
With resentment in the eyes of Noble Princess Consort Luo and Chou Alchemist, Ye Lingyue entered Chaohua Palace.
"Ling Yue, I've been anxiously awaiting your return," Empress Liu said with joy in her gaze upon seeing Ye Lingyue. "I have a matter I wish to discuss with you."
Empress Liu had always wanted to have a daughter, but unfortunately, she only had the Sixth Prince as a son. A few days ago, the Sixth Prince subtly revealed to Empress Liu his feelings for Ye Lingyue, which delighted her even more.
She affectionately took Ye Lingyue's hand and carefully appraised her. The look in her eyes made Ye Lingyue feel uncomfortable. Innately, she sensed that something unwelcome was about to happen.
Sure enough, the next question from Empress Liu confirmed her fears.
"Ling Yue, I ask you, are you willing to marry Qiqi and become his official wife?"