"What a shocking turn of events! Zhu Fei, go back and report to them that I, this prince, will surely look into this matter. At the latest, I'll lead the reinforcements to Pingzhou in three days. Tell them to hold on at all costs and never compromise with the grassland tribes!"
The war between the grassland tribes and the Qin Dynasty had been at a standstill for many years. Since it was the grassland tribes that had reignited the conflict, they couldn't just sit back and wait for death.
Yuan Yuhan quickly rushed into the palace with Ouyang Heng's memorial. At that moment, the emperor was in the empress's palace. Normally, Yuan Yuhan should have waited in the imperial court hall, but given the gravity of the situation, he had no choice but to go to Jingren Palace to find the emperor.
The emperor and the empress had been engaged in an intimate moment when Yuan Yuhan's sudden arrival ruined their mood. Both of them wore unpleasant expressions on their faces.
The empress, in particular, regarded the Fifth Prince as a thorn in her side. Although the time wasn't right yet, one day she would surely pluck this thorn out by the roots.
"Your subject, your son, pays respects to Father Emperor and Mother Empress. May Father Emperor and Mother Empress enjoy eternal good fortune. Your son has urgent matters to report!" Yuan Yuhan bowed.
"Speak," the emperor said coldly.
Although the person in front of him was his own son, Yuan Yuhan had just interrupted his good time, so the emperor was growing more and more annoyed with this son.
Yuan Yuhan clearly sensed the emperor's cold attitude, but he didn't have the time to feel sad. He had long seen through his father's true nature and was used to this coldness.
"This..." Yuan Yuhan glanced at the empress, looking hesitant.
The emperor waved his hand indifferently and said, "We're all family. Is there anything you can't say in front of your mother?"
Since Mu Fengqie had taught the empress how to capture a man's heart, her status in the emperor's heart had been rising steadily. So, the emperor had no intention of keeping anything from her.
Hearing this, Yuan Yuhan was completely disappointed in the emperor. The harem was not supposed to interfere in politics. Even if the emperor doted on the empress, he should have asked her to leave. How could he be so muddle - headed!
If it weren't for the extreme urgency of this matter, Yuan Yuhan would have wanted to leave immediately.
He took a deep breath, adjusted his state of mind, and then said, "Your son received a memorial today from the prefect of Pingzhou City. Father Emperor will understand the situation once you read it."
Saying that, he stepped forward and presented the memorial to the emperor. The emperor opened it with a hint of doubt. As he read the account of the incident, his expression grew increasingly tense.
The empress watched carefully from the side. Since ancient times, the harem was forbidden from interfering in politics. Although they were sitting close together, the empress still couldn't see the content of the memorial clearly.
After reading the memorial, the emperor angrily threw it on the ground. "I'm so angry! Han'er, come with me to the imperial court hall!"
The emperor also realized the seriousness of the situation, so he quickly left Jingren Palace. The empress was so angry that her teeth were grinding. She had hoped to find out what was going on, but instead, the two of them left without her getting a single clue.
Recently, the Fifth Prince had been quite restless. He always stole the limelight from the crown prince in every matter. So, the empress would never let the Fifth Prince have a chance to shine.
She sent someone to invite the crown prince into the palace, while Yuan Yuhan followed the emperor back to the imperial court hall.
As soon as the emperor returned to the imperial court hall, he walked behind the dragon throne and took out the imperial seal. The seal was hidden very carefully. Even Yuan Yuhan didn't know where it was kept.
The emperor opened the box in a hurry. Seeing the imperial seal intact in front of him, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Ouyang Heng is talking nonsense! Once the rebellion in Pingzhou City is quelled, I'll surely execute his entire family!" the emperor said angrily.
No one knew how nervous he had been just now. He didn't even remember how he had walked from Jingren Palace to the imperial court hall. If he had really lost the imperial seal, he would have been a sinner for all ages!
Yuan Yuhan looked at the imperial seal in the emperor's hand doubtfully. But he trusted Jing Xinche. Since he had sent back a message, it must be true.
"Father Emperor, do you notice anything strange about the imperial seal in your hand?" Yuan Yuhan asked.
The emperor picked up the seal and examined it. It looked no different from the real one. He thought they must be overthinking. The palace was heavily guarded, and the seal was hidden so secretly that no one could possibly steal it.
Yuan Yuhan still felt something was off. He stepped forward and said thoughtfully, "Forgive your son's rudeness, Father Emperor."
With that, he took the seal from the emperor's hand, quickly stamped it on a clean piece of paper, and then poured the tea from the teacup onto the paper. The seal mark quickly became blurred.
The emperor was struck like a thunderbolt. The real imperial seal used the finest ink and would never blur even when exposed to water. Obviously, the one in front of him was fake.
"Father Emperor, this matter must be kept a secret. We must find the real imperial seal, or there will surely be endless troubles!" Yuan Yuhan said in a low voice.
He had no idea who was so bold as to steal the imperial seal. Could it be the crown prince?
Presumably, the crown prince didn't have the guts. Moreover, if he had obtained the imperial seal, he probably wouldn't be so quiet now.
The emperor's heart sank completely. He was now at a loss. If this were to be known to the public, he would surely be laughed at. How could he have the face to meet his ancestors?
"I'll leave this matter to you. You must find out who is so bold as to steal the imperial seal! If I find out, I'll surely skin him alive!" the emperor roared.
He never thought he would be played like a fool. It seemed that the person who stole the imperial seal had colluded with the Tule tribe. He had no idea what the next move of that person would be.
Just then, the crown prince arrived at the imperial court hall. As soon as he entered, he sensed that the atmosphere was strange. Both the emperor and the Fifth Prince looked unhappy. He also became interested in what was going on in Pingzhou.
"Your subject, your son, pays respects to Father Emperor. May Father Emperor enjoy eternal good fortune. Your son just visited Mother Empress. She told your son that Father Emperor seemed to be troubled, so your son came to visit Father Emperor, hoping to share Father Emperor's worries."
The crown prince glanced at Yuan Yuhan, his eyes full of competitive desire. The emperor just gave him a cold look. He had no mood to deal with the crown prince now.
"I've already entrusted this matter to Han'er. You have no business here. Leave now," the emperor said impatiently.
A matter as serious as the loss of the imperial seal was more dangerous the more people knew about it. So, besides the two of them, no one else could be told, or who knew what would happen.