After reading the intelligence sent by the Jinyiwei, Lu Chen's expression turned pitch black. His hands clenched, and in a fit of fury, he tore the report to shreds.
"It's bad enough that he's tried to assassinate me three times already, but now he dares to collude with the barbarians—using foreign power to seize the throne!"
"This man is no better than a beast. He truly has no bottom line."
Seeing Lu Chen erupt in such anger, Qin Yushan cautiously stepped forward and asked, "Your Highness, what should we do now? Should we release the news that the Eighth Prince has colluded with the barbarians?"
Hearing the suggestion, Lu Chen forced himself to calm down. He didn't answer immediately but instead fell into deep thought.
Revealing the Eighth Prince's treasonous actions would certainly damage his reputation and cause a stir in the court. But the evidence wasn't solid or direct enough—without irrefutable proof, there would be no way to convict Lu Shuyun.
And more importantly, the matter of treason wasn't something a mere vassal prince like him could determine. It would be up to the imperial court—and ultimately, his father, Emperor Xia—to pass judgment.
If Emperor Xia declared Lu Shuyun a traitor, then he would be. But if the emperor said there was no wrongdoing, then no matter the facts, Lu Shuyun would walk free.
Still, there was another angle to consider. Lu Shuyun's mother's family was the powerful Wang clan—one of the four great aristocratic families. And Emperor Xia's current intention was to begin purging the noble families from court.
If His Majesty discovered that Lu Shuyun and the Jiangnan family had colluded with the barbarians, he might use it as the very excuse he needed to strike.
With that in mind, Lu Chen turned and asked, "Commander Qin, if my father were to find out that the Eighth Prince and the aristocratic families were working with the barbarians, what do you think he would do?"
Qin Yushan was momentarily stunned. This question involved the emperor himself—an answer couldn't be given carelessly.
Lu Chen noticed his hesitation and added, "Speak freely."
Only then did Qin Yushan nod and reply, "Your Highness, in my humble opinion, His Majesty would certainly be enraged. But I don't believe he would immediately take action against the Eighth Prince or the Jiangnan families."
"Why not?" Lu Chen asked.
Qin Yushan explained, "Because the 300,000-strong barbarian army is about to head south. If His Majesty were to launch an internal purge right now, it could destabilize Great Xia's structure and morale. In such sensitive times, a civil disruption could be disastrous."
Lu Chen mulled over those words and found them logical. Releasing the news now would certainly pit the emperor against the noble families—at a time when unity was needed most. Such a public rift might plunge Great Xia into turmoil, which wasn't the outcome Lu Chen desired.
Yet, doing nothing at all wasn't an option either.
Lu Shuyun had tried to kill him multiple times through Blood Moon Tower assassins. And now, the man had gone even further—betraying the nation by colluding with its enemies.
This traitor had to pay.
Lu Chen's eyes grew cold. "Pass down my order: Have Liang Zhishi in the capital mobilize his agents. He doesn't need to directly assassinate Lu Shuyun if that's not feasible—but he is to eliminate the key personnel around him."
If killing Lu Shuyun outright was too difficult, then at the very least, those loyal to him must be struck down.
This served two purposes. One, it sent a clear warning to Lu Shuyun: he was being watched, and he was vulnerable. Two, it was a form of personal revenge for everything he had suffered so far.
Of course, Lu Chen wasn't naive enough to think a single order could uproot Lu Shuyun. The Wang family's power ran deep, and they would surely have placed many masters around the Eighth Prince to protect him.
Whether or not Jinyiwei could breach such defenses was uncertain.
Still, he could not sit idle and watch this snake burrow deeper.
Lu Shuyun's ambition was boundless. To win the throne, he dared to sell out Beijun, feeding salt and iron to the barbarians and aiding their aggression.
Beijun, though nominally his own fief as the Northern King, was still a part of Great Xia. Lu Shuyun's betrayal of the land and its people infuriated Lu Chen to the core.
Even if his reaction was partially emotional—even if the act risked exposing the movements of the Jinyiwei—Lu Chen simply couldn't suppress his anger without taking action.
Qin Yushan, aware of Lu Chen's internal state, spoke again: "Your Highness, while we should hold off releasing this information publicly, you can consider revealing it discreetly to His Majesty."
"Once His Majesty learns of it, he will likely mobilize the Shadow Guard to investigate. If they uncover solid evidence, then even if His Majesty doesn't act now, he'll keep it in reserve to strike later."
"This could provide the excuse he's been waiting for to deal with the Jiangnan family."
Lu Chen's eyes gleamed slightly. Qin Yushan made a valid point.
If Emperor Xia wished to weaken the nobles, this kind of blatant treason was a perfect opportunity. The Jiangnan family wasn't just a group of merchants—they were deeply entrenched in the empire's politics and economics.
And Lu Shuyun? He was merely a tool for them, a figurehead.
To Emperor Xia, losing one prince was no real loss. The Eighth Prince had already failed to impress him, and he wasn't on the shortlist for crown prince.
The royal family was heartless. The emperor hadn't even reacted much to the Eighth Prince's assassination attempts on Lu Chen. Sacrificing that same son to destroy a powerful aristocratic clan? A small price.
Besides, Emperor Xia was still in his prime. If he needed more sons, he could have them.
After listening to the strategy, Lu Chen slowly nodded. "Very well. I'll write a memorial to Father right away."
But Qin Yushan's expression changed. "Your Highness, you mustn't!"
Lu Chen blinked. "Why? Didn't you just suggest I inform my father?"
Qin Yushan explained carefully, "That's true, but Your Highness must not report it through an official memorial. That would escalate this to a political matter. Once the memorial enters the bureaucratic system, ministers may review or even leak its contents before His Majesty sees it."
"If you truly want His Majesty to know, you should send a family letter—only then can the message reach him personally and swiftly."
In Great Xia, memorials submitted to the court had to pass through various layers of approval and transcription. Many never made it to the emperor at all.
If Lu Chen tried to expose Lu Shuyun that way, it would almost certainly be intercepted by the Eighth Prince's allies.
But a family letter—that was different.
A personal letter, written as a son to his father, addressed directly to Emperor Xia and sent under the seal of the Ninth Prince, would reach him without obstruction.
Lu Chen raised his brows, startled. "A family letter? From an enfeoffed prince?"
That seemed rather unusual. When a prince was given a fiefdom, the bond between father and son was symbolically weakened. The prince became a vassal, and with that title came a level of separation.
In all of Great Xia history, had there ever been a prince who sent a family letter after becoming a vassal?
Probably not.
But then again...
After some silent reflection, Lu Chen concluded that Qin Yushan's logic was sound.
An official memorial would be dangerous. But a private family letter would likely pass unfiltered. He doubted anyone would dare tamper with something so personal.
And after all, wasn't he still Emperor Xia's son, no matter his title?
Even if abstract, even if unconventional—perhaps this was the only way forward.
"Alright," Lu Chen finally said with conviction. "I'll write the family letter."
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