bookrandom Chapter 249 Glowing Moss
Chapter 249 Glowing Moss
Lei was not much better. His Adam's apple rolled up and down and he swallowed his saliva, trying to relieve the tension in his heart.
He clenched the weapon in his hand, protected Banxia behind him, squatted slightly, and took a defensive posture. He scanned the surroundings vigilantly, ready to deal with any danger that might arise at any time.
The lizard continued to crawl forward calmly, and everyone had no choice but to follow it.
Following the lizard's lead, they turned a few corners and the surrounding environment became increasingly gloomy. The humid air was filled with a foul smell that made people want to cover their mouths and noses.
Suddenly, a faint light appeared ahead, and everyone was delighted, thinking they were about to find an exit.
But when they got closer, they found that it was just some glowing moss, which looked particularly strange in this dim cave.
The hopes that had been ignited in the crowd were instantly shattered, and the joy on their faces turned into deep disappointment.
Some soldiers couldn't help but curse under their breath, while others sighed heavily. The faint light seemed to be a mockery at this moment, making everyone feel more depressed.
Just when everyone was disappointed, the lizard stopped in front of a huge rock, circled the rock, and then gently scratched a place at the bottom of the rock with its claws.
Shen Yiran's heart moved, she hurried forward and squatted down to check. She saw a small protrusion that looked like a mechanism appeared at the bottom of the stone where the lizard had scratched it.
Shen Yiran carefully pressed the protrusion, and there was a series of "click" sounds. The stone slowly moved away, revealing a hole hidden behind it.
Suddenly, a gust of fresh air blew in from the cave, and everyone was immediately refreshed.
"This should be it, let's go!" Shen Yiran said, and walked into the cave first. Banxia and Wang Lei looked at each other and hurriedly followed.
Just as they stepped into the cave, there was a loud "boom" sound behind them. Everyone looked back and saw that the lizard was slowly pushing the stone back to its original position and sealing the cave entrance again.
This sudden movement startled everyone again, but Shen Yiran felt grateful in her heart, she understood that the lizard was helping them to block the danger that might come from behind.
She silently thanked the lizard, then led everyone to continue walking into the cave, towards the depths of the cave.
On the other side of the imperial palace, the candlelight in the imperial study was flickering, and the light and shadows were dancing eerily on the carved walls, as if reflecting the tense and solemn atmosphere.
The emperor had a solemn expression, his brows were furrowed, and his eyes were filled with deep worry. He sat upright on the dragon throne, his hands unconsciously clenched on the armrests, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
Soon, the ministers arrived one after another, all of them kept quiet and held their breath, looking hurried yet not daring to show too much panic.
Everyone entered, knelt down and bowed respectfully, saying in unison: "Your Highness, long live the Emperor!"
The emperor raised his hand slightly, signaling everyone to stand up, and then his eyes slowly swept across the faces of the ministers.
After a moment, the emperor slowly said: "I summoned you here so late at night this time, I believe you also know what's going on. I haven't received any accurate news about the Sixth Prince's border expedition for a long time, and recently in the court, I always feel that there is a force working in secret, and I am very worried!" After that, the emperor sighed heavily, and his eyes became darker.
The Minister of Rites, Lord Wang, stepped out first, bowing slightly, his face full of respect and worry, and said softly: "Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince has always been brave and good at fighting, and it is really strange that there has been no news this time.
I am worried... Is it that the enemy has used some evil tricks, or that our army has encountered a major incident at the border?" As he said this, he couldn't help but look up and secretly glance at the emperor. Seeing that the emperor's face was getting more gloomy, he quickly lowered his head again.
The Minister of War, Lord Zhang, then stepped forward, with a serious look on his face, clasped his fists and saluted, and said, "Your Majesty, I think the most urgent task is to send people to the border as soon as possible to investigate the situation.
If something unexpected happens, it is better to make countermeasures early to prevent the undercurrent from causing greater waves in the court." As he spoke, his eyes were firm and full of competence.
The emperor heard this and nodded slightly, a trace of thought flashed in his eyes. He then looked at Prime Minister Ren who had remained silent and asked, "Prime Minister, what do you think about this matter?"
When Prime Minister Ren heard the emperor's question, he slowly raised his head. He had a resolute face, deep eyes that showed wisdom, and a calm and steady demeanor in his every move.
He raised his hand and stroked his meticulously groomed beard calmly. After a moment's hesitation, he spoke solemnly:
"Your Majesty, what the Minister of Rites, Lord Wang, and the Minister of War, Lord Zhang, said just now does make sense. However, it would not be wise to rashly send people to the border to investigate at this moment."
As he spoke, he frowned slightly, a trace of worry flashed in his eyes, and continued: "First, the border area is far away from the capital, and it takes a lot of time to go back and forth.
During this period, the situation is changing rapidly. If something unexpected happens, by the time the people sent back bring back the news, I'm afraid many important things have been delayed, and the situation may be even more difficult to deal with."
Prime Minister Ren paused, slightly emphasized his tone, and said: "Secondly, Your Majesty, you have also noticed the undercurrent in the court. I believe that the dark forces are also spying on our every move at all times.
If we send people to the border with great fanfare at this time, I am afraid they will easily notice us. In this way, they will definitely be more prepared, which will undoubtedly make the current situation of our dynasty worse and extremely disadvantageous."
At this point, Prime Minister Ren couldn't help but think of his son Ren Jingzhi, who had gone to the border to fight with the Sixth Prince. At this moment, there was no news from him, and he was extremely worried, but he still forced himself to remain calm and waited for the emperor's response.
The emperor frowned even more tightly. He stood up irritably and paced back and forth in the imperial study. The hem of his dragon robe swayed slightly as he walked.
After a moment, he stopped, looked at the ministers and said, "Then according to the Prime Minister's opinion, what should we do? I am really worried about the Sixth Prince and the situation at the border!"
Upon seeing this, Prime Minister Ren hurriedly bowed again and then slowly said, "Your Majesty, please don't worry. I think we can start from within the court. We should secretly investigate who is behind the undercurrent and find out their purpose.
At the same time, you can send a trusted assassin to disguise himself and secretly go to the border to find out the truth. In this way, you can stabilize the situation in the court and learn the true situation of the border as soon as possible. "
After listening to Prime Minister Ren's suggestion, the emperor showed a thoughtful look in his eyes. He slowly sat back on the dragon throne again, gently stroking his forehead, as if weighing the pros and cons.
At this time, Lord Lin, the Minister of History, who had been standing aside, also spoke up: "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister's plan is very good. But no matter what, this matter must be handled with extreme caution. After all, it concerns the safety of the Sixth Prince and the stability of our borders. I am willing to fully cooperate with the Prime Minister and provide all the necessary materials and other matters."
Other ministers echoed this, expressing their willingness to follow the arrangements of the emperor and the prime minister and work together to deal with the crisis.
At this moment, Prime Minister Ren happened to catch a glimpse of the absent-minded and anxious look of the Minister of War, Lord Zhang. He felt nervous and wondered if there was something wrong with Lord Zhang.