Chapter 2244: Chapter 1934: Prince Zhen Nan Enters the Palace

After basically confirming that Prince Zhen Nan was not the Wolf Demon, He Dongqi began making preparations to eliminate the Wolf Demon.

However, He Dongqi was still worried that the Wolf Demon might actually be someone from a noble family in disguise, so he specifically submitted a memorial, explaining the dangers posed by this Wolf Demon.

If this Wolf Demon were just an ordinary strange evil, then once it was dealt with, that would be the end of it. But if it was a strange evil transformed from an Earth Realm Strong Person, then it could not be handled so simply.

A clan capable of nurturing an Earth Realm Strong Person would definitely be a noble family. If the Deceit Suppression Bureau took care of it without even notifying them, they would inevitably offend those noble families. Although those noble families have no way to interfere in the affairs of the Deceit Suppression Bureau, they can still trip up the Bureau and cause trouble for it in the court.

...

In Dazhou, inside the Hall of Political Affairs.

Pei Shuhua, dressed in a dark robe, sat on the Dragon Throne, her gaze sweeping over the officials in the great hall. She then opened her mouth and said, "Last night, the new Commander of the Deceit Suppression Bureau submitted a memorial. He suspects that the Earth Realm Wolf Demon that recently slipped into the Capital city is not an ordinary evil spirit, but a strange evil formed after a Spirit Martial Artist suffered backlash from spiritual evil."

Pei Shuhua’s tone was very calm, as if she were describing a trivial matter.

After hearing Pei Shuhua’s words, the officials in the hall looked at each other.

An Earth Realm strange evil breaking into the Capital city was indeed a major event, but for the Imperial Court, such matters could be treated as big or small.

Although an Earth Realm strange evil is powerful, the Capital city has many strong experts. Even if the Deceit Suppression Bureau cannot handle this Earth Realm strange evil, those experts of the Royal Family can still eliminate it.

There was no need to deliberately bring this matter to the court. Since the Empress Dowager brought it up, it clearly meant that she wanted to turn this into a big issue.

Pei Shuhua now asked, "What do you all think?"

At this moment, a court official stepped out and said, "The Capital city is protected by a Great Array. For an Earth Realm Strange evil to slip past the eyes of the City Defense Army soldiers and quietly sneak into the Capital city is indeed no easy task, so this old official believes Commander He’s speculation is not without reason."

As officials belonging to the Empress Dowager’s faction, once they heard her bring up this matter, they immediately understood that she wanted to use this as a pretext.

Right after that official finished speaking, another official from the Empress Dowager’s faction stepped out and said, "Although there are many Earth Realm Strong Persons in the Capital city, when ordinary Earth Realm Strong Persons suffer backlash from spiritual evil, their clans or factions will generally ask the Deceit Suppression Bureau for help. If it were an ordinary Earth Realm Strong Person who suffered spiritual evil backlash, the Deceit Suppression Bureau should have long known who that Wolf Demon used to be."

Although there are many Earth Realm Strong Persons in the Capital city, when divided among each faction or Aristocratic Family, the number of Earth Realm Strong Persons in each is not large.

A family with even a single Earth Realm Strong Person sitting in town counts as a great clan, so most Earth Realm Strong Persons, after suffering spiritual evil backlash, will basically inform the Deceit Suppression Bureau and have it send experts to keep watch.

Because those families are very clear in their hearts that if the Earth Realm Strong Person of their clan becomes a strange evil after suffering spiritual evil backlash, the first ones to be slaughtered would be their entire family.

The only ones with the confidence to handle an Earth Realm Strange evil on their own are those few super noble families, or the Zhen Nan Prince Manor, as well as the Royal Family.

As soon as that official spoke, almost everyone thought of the same person: Prince Zhen Nan.

If a Royal Family Earth Realm Strong Person suffered backlash from spiritual evil and turned into a strange evil, the Royal Family would certainly deal with it at the first possible moment. There is simply no way they would allow that Earth Realm strange evil to run loose.

As for those noble families, they have no reason to keep an Earth Realm strange evil alive.

Only the Zhen Nan Prince Manor, in order not to let people notice that something had happened to Prince Zhen Nan, might think of ways to suppress him, force him back into human form, and pretend that he was still alive.

What’s more, during this period, Prince Zhen Nan had indeed suffered backlash from spiritual evil, and his physical condition had worsened by the day. He could turn into a strange evil at any time.

Seeing the Empress Dowager’s faction members all speak up one after another, shifting the conflict and attention toward the Zhen Nan Prince Manor, the officials present instantly understood what the Empress Dowager wanted to do.

After all, not long ago Emperor Zhou had just issued a Holy Decree lifting Ji Yunmeng’s confinement, and the reason Ji Yunmeng was confined in the first place was also because of the Zhen Nan Prince Manor. Now that the Zhen Nan Prince Manor had more or less stood together with Emperor Zhou, the Empress Dowager would absolutely not allow it to continue existing.

If Prince Zhen Nan really had turned into a strange evil, then destroying the Zhen Nan Prince Manor would be an easy task. They would only need to get rid of Lu Chen, the sole heir, and the Zhen Nan Prince Manor would naturally dissolve.

If Prince Zhen Nan had not turned into a strange evil, the Empress Dowager’s faction could still spread rumors, claiming that the Zhen Nan Prince Manor had concealed the matter of Prince Zhen Nan becoming a strange evil. After all, everyone knew that Prince Zhen Nan had suffered backlash from spiritual evil, so people would naturally assume he had already fallen.

As long as the rumors spread, even if Prince Zhen Nan had not become a strange evil, people would still treat him as one. After all, he could hardly even get out of bed and walk; who could tell what was true or false?

Once the news that Prince Zhen Nan had turned into a strange evil spread, the entire Zhen Nan Prince Manor would soon fall into chaos, and all the subordinate forces and affiliated families of the Zhen Nan Prince Manor would distance themselves from it.

At this moment, a court official stood out and said directly, "In that case, that Wolf Demon must be what Prince Zhen Nan turned into after suffering backlash from spiritual evil. Your Ladyship, the Zhen Nan Prince Manor has actually hidden such a terrifying strange evil; their intentions are ill, and they must be severely punished!"

As soon as that official finished speaking, one of Pei Shuhua’s Maids hurriedly came over from the side hall to her side and whispered something in her ear.

After hearing what the Maid said, Pei Shuhua’s expression instantly grew overcast. She had been about to use this matter to launch an attack on the Zhen Nan Prince Manor, yet Prince Zhen Nan had actually taken the initiative to enter the palace—and he had come to see Emperor Zhou.

This clearly showed that Prince Zhen Nan had truly taken Emperor Zhou’s side.

What Pei Shuhua could not understand was that, wasn’t it said that Prince Zhen Nan had suffered backlash from spiritual evil and had only a short time to live? She had even thought that the Wolf Demon was him. Yet now she was being told that not only was he fine, he had even entered the palace.

Seeing that the Empress Dowager remained silent for a long time with a dark expression, the officials in the hall did not know what to say. By rights, they had already turned all the spearheads against the Zhen Nan Prince Manor; next, the Empress Dowager should have followed up on their words, then ordered a lockdown and investigation of the Zhen Nan Prince Manor. Why had she fallen silent after hearing the Maid’s words?

After an unknown amount of time, Pei Shuhua finally spoke. "As for the Wolf Demon, let’s end it here. I believe the Deceit Suppression Bureau will handle it properly."

This...

Hearing the Empress Dowager’s words, the officials were once again stunned. The Empress Dowager had clearly brought up this matter today because she wanted to strike at the Zhen Nan Prince Manor. The atmosphere had already been built up to this extent—why did she suddenly back down?

What exactly had that Maid said to the Empress Dowager that could make her change her mind?

Right then, Pei Shuhua directly said, "Prince Zhen Nan has entered the palace."