Chapter 105: Where Has the Imperial Jade Seal Gone?

"Where is the Princess Wannian?"

The sound of weeping filled the air, instantly drowning out Chen Cong’s voice.

Too impatient for pleasantries, Chen Cong slammed a heavy fist into the lacquered, gold-inlaid pillar. A deafening boom echoed through the hall as his strike punched clear through the massive column, which was thick enough for two men to wrap their arms around. Dust rained down from the ceiling from the sheer impact.

The annoying sobbing ceased at once.

"Where is the Princess Wannian?"

Still, no one answered. The attendants cowered like turtles, shoving themselves desperately into the corners.

Chen Cong simply grabbed the nearest young eunuch and delivered a swift, brutal kick to his groin. Although the eunuch lacked the necessary equipment, the pain remained—though fortunately, it was less than it might have been. The eunuch’s face turned deathly pale, and beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down his forehead.

"Point out the Princess Wannian, or die! Do not make me repeat myself a fourth time. People really do die, you know."

As the trembling eunuch raised a shaking hand, Chen Cong spotted a woman in the crowd with her head bowed. He tossed the eunuch aside and strode over to drag the woman to her feet.

She appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. Her hair was like a waterfall of silk, held up casually by a jade hairpin. She had cherry-red lips and eyes as brilliant as gemstones. Her skin was fair, her waist slender, and her hands delicate. Though her palace robes were slightly dusty, they could not conceal the gold-threaded phoenix on her bright red gown, which seemed ready to take flight.

She was clearly the princess.

"Release the Princess!"

Chen Cong looked toward the voice. The palace maid who had spoken was quite beautiful, and in her desperate attempt to protect her mistress, she looked like a ruffled little kitten. More importantly, she possessed a lithe, curvaceous figure—the kind that looked like it would bear children easily.

However, she lacked common sense, daring to speak up even when the situation was clearly stacked against her. Chen Cong delivered a swift chop to her neck, and she slumped to the floor, limp and unconscious.

Facing the terrified gazes of the surrounding crowd, Chen Cong gestured toward the palace maid with the widest eyes. "You. Go, find a crate and put her inside. I am taking her with me."

"Yes..."

"General..." Liu Ying lifted her head, raising her fair chin as she looked Chen Cong straight in the eye without flinching. Her voice carried a faint tremor. "What is it that you intend to do, General?"

Her voice was like a flowing stream—clear, translucent, soft yet firm, gentle yet not weak.

Chen Cong smiled. Having played the role of a tyrannical bully for so long, he had long forgotten how to act like a loyal official.

What did he intend to do? He certainly couldn't demand the Imperial Seal from Princess Wannian in front of everyone. If he did, the whole world would know by tomorrow that he, Chen Cong, was a traitorous villain plotting to seize the throne. With Lü Bu guarding the corridor outside, he couldn't exactly kill everyone to keep them quiet, either.

He immediately delivered a sharp blow to knock Liu Ying unconscious, shoved her into a crate, and slammed the lid shut. He glared at the crowd. "All of you, start crying! If you don't cry loud enough, you die!"

Soon, the Changle Palace was filled with the sounds of wailing. As the servants finished packing away the maid, Chen Cong hoisted the crates onto his shoulders and returned to the Xuanshi Hall.

"Little concubine, check quickly—see if that princess has the Imperial Seal on her."

Diaochan wept as she searched, her movements frantic. When she finally felt a square, dragon-carved jade stone in the princess’s robes, she felt her world collapse.

It was over.

It was real...

That meant if things were ever exposed in the future, she would undoubtedly be sliced into a thousand pieces alongside Chen Cong! But the die was cast; she couldn't jump off this pirate ship now! Although her foster father had always taught her to be loyal to the Emperor, she... she didn't want to die yet.

"G-G-General, we... we must flee!"

"Don't be afraid. Hold the seal in your hands and feel it carefully. Is the inscription 'Having received the mandate from heaven, may you exist forever and prosper' carved on the base?"

"It is... I am afraid..." Diaochan wept, but her voice was instantly swallowed by the noise.

Back in the Xuanshi Hall, Liu Xie was still leaning against his couch, contemplating his life. He only offered a strained smile when he saw Chen Cong enter.

"General, why have you returned?"

Chen Cong set down the two crates and cupped his hands. "Your Majesty, I wish to report that Princess Wannian has forged an Imperial Seal and appears to be colluding with rebels outside the palace."

Liu Xie blinked, once, twice, three times, before suddenly crying out, "Wait! General, are you saying my royal sister forged the Imperial Seal?"

"Exactly. Your Majesty, please look."

As Chen Cong took the fake seal from his robes and handed it to Liu Xie, Diaochan’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest. Upon inspecting it, Liu Xie was so terrified that he nearly lost his soul; he almost dropped the fake seal, but Chen Cong was quick enough to catch it.

"This, this, this... what is to be done! Where is Liu Ying? I must ask this wretched woman—does she have no regard for our sibling bond?"

"Your Majesty, pray do not make a scene. This matter concerns the dignity of the state; any slip-up will strike at your own authority. It is inconvenient to discuss it here with so many ears about. Why not allow me to take the guilty woman away for a rigorous interrogation?"

Liu Xie was completely unnerved. Trembling, he asked, "But... but if the seal is gone, how am I to issue decrees?"

Chen Cong took the fake seal and placed it into Liu Xie’s hands. He gripped the back of the Emperor’s hand firmly and said in a low voice, "Do not panic, Your Majesty. The Imperial Seal is only the Imperial Seal when held by the True Dragon. In the hands of rebels, it is nothing more than a broken rock."

Liu Xie took a deep breath, his back already soaked in cold sweat. "Are you saying, Minister..."

Chen Cong nodded heavily. "However, Your Majesty must secretly gather craftsmen to perfect the seal. As long as others cannot spot the flaws, it is the truth. I will also speed up my progress; the moment I recover the true seal, I will return it to your hands immediately."

"Then... I shall leave this to you, Minister."

"Your Majesty, remember: this matter is of the utmost importance. Do not let word leak out. Even if you need to gather loyal officials, you must never involve Wang Yun."

"Rest assured, Minister. I know the gravity of the situation. It’s just..."

Chen Cong was puzzled. "Your Majesty, please speak."

Liu Xie lifted his head again, his eyes burning as he looked at Chen Cong. "General, with your divine strength, could you place me in a crate as well and take me out of Changle Palace?"

He had wanted to ask earlier, but he hadn't trusted Chen Cong enough then. Now that even the seal had been swapped and his own sister had betrayed him, he felt surrounded by malice.

"Your Majesty, to be in the correct position is to be a monarch; to be outside of it is to be a bandit. You must never entertain such wicked thoughts."

"Alas... then my safety is entrusted entirely to you, General."

Chen Cong bowed deeply. "Your Majesty, please issue a decree—one edict to denounce the rebels, and a secret one to strip Princess Wannian of her status and reduce her to a commoner. Only then can I act with full authority."

"Agreed!" Liu Xie held the fake seal, his expression solemn.

...

Outside the palace gate, Lü Bu and Wang Yue stood side by side, exchanging idle pleasantries.

When Chen Cong emerged carrying the two large crates, Lü Bu’s eyes lit up. He coughed twice and stepped forward to meet him.

"Zi'ning, duty calls. Do forgive me."

Though he spoke the words, Lü Bu only reached for the unfamiliar smaller wooden crate to inspect it. He stared for a long time in the moonlight before snapping back to reality.

To Chen Cong, the palace maid’s beauty was standard, measured against the likes of Cao Rong, Dong Bai, and Diaochan. But to Lü Bu, she was a celestial being—and she looked like she would be very fertile! Couldn't she bear him a little Lü Bu? Besides, he had only seen beauties of this caliber on Dong Zhuo’s lap...

"Ahem, well... this..."

Chen Cong rolled his eyes at him and whispered, "Don't be a fool. If I give you the crate now, do you think you can actually carry it out of the palace?"

"Then..."

"Rest assured, I will have it delivered to your manor. If so much as a hair is missing, you may come and kill me."

Lü Bu laughed, scratching the back of his head with an arm like an iron pestle. With his massive frame, he looked a bit simple-minded, like a bear. "Heh, heh, heh! Excellent, excellent! You are a man of your word, Zi'ning."

Having dealt with Lü Bu, Chen Cong bowed to Wang Yue.

"Master Wang, why not stay at the Cao manor to rest for a day? We shall meet again tomorrow, how about that?"

"Very well."