The procession finally arrived in front of the imperial mausoleum, and the ritual officer began to loudly chant the obituary.

  All officials stood in front of the coffin and listened respectfully.

  Ma Xi Sheng and Yuan De Fei sat on either side of the emperor's tomb, listening intently, but Ma Xi Sheng was very impatient.

  The lengthy funeral had exhausted his patience, and after glancing around for a moment, he couldn't help but tug at Zhao Jichang's sleeve. Zhao Jichang immediately understood and leaned down to ask in a low voice.

  "Your Majesty?"

  "Is there any news?"

  "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I have already set up a trap."

  Ma Xi's voice seemed to have a bit more patience, he nodded and continued to listen to the announcement with suppressed annoyance.

  At this time, Yuan De's gaze, which had been looking far away, slightly retracted, and her fingers tightly grasped the armrest of the chair.

  "The funeral oration has ended." The ceremonial officer finally finished the eulogy and announced the next item. Zhao Jichang immediately supported Ma Xisheng to come to the front of the coffin, and placed a jade pendant on the Chen platform in front of the coffin.

  After Ma Xi stepped back, Yuan De fei walked forward with a dark face. She took off the jade bangle on her wrist and put it on the Chen platform, but her hand was shaking slightly.

  Ma Xi Sheng saw this and curled his lip in disdain.

  "All officials present their tributes."

  In the chanting of the ritual officer, Ma Shi and Yuan De Fei returned to the high platform, and the officials began one by one to offer treasures in front of the coffin.

  Ma Shi looked at Yuan De Fei's pale face and couldn't help but lean over to whisper: "Is Mother still angry?"

  Yuan De Fei glared at Ma Xi Sheng with a hint of resentment: "For the sake of Da Wang's reputation, I dare not."

  Ma Shiying curled his lip again and no longer bothered to talk nonsense with Yuan De Fei.

  Yuan De Fei stared at the coffin with both eyes, as if filled with jealousy and resentment, her face growing increasingly unsightly.

  All the officials presented their offerings one after another. When Peng Hui walked up and put down a jade Buddha, Li Duan whispered behind him: "Where is your eldest daughter? It's not suitable for her not to come?"

  Peng Hui sighed: "Fainted early in the morning, how did you come?"

  Li Duo shook his head: "Qi Wang disappeared, and the future mother-in-law also passed away, it's indeed pitiful."

  Peng He silently retreated, and Li Dang followed. When he returned to Yao Yanzhang's side to watch the other officials make their offerings, Yao Yanzhang turned his head and asked in a low voice: "General Zhao of Jingmen Army, where is Official Ke? I didn't see him."

  "I didn't see them either, and neither did Lord Zheng nor Lord Zhang. They weren't among the four gates we discussed last night." Li Dang's response furrowed Yao Yanzhang's brow: "Perhaps... they're afraid someone will make a mistake, so they snuck out to guard as well!"

  "The courtesy is the same as that of a noble concubine. Hmph, such a drunkard's intention is not in the wine. Who isn't aware? I just hope to get through today safely!"

  "We've both made our moves, hopefully there won't be any mishaps." As soon as Yao Yanzhang's words fell, his left eyelid started twitching, and he felt a sudden jolt in his heart: What if... something goes wrong?

  Something really happened at this moment.

  Near the city gate, a group of soldiers dressed as imperial guards suddenly appeared, covering the mouths of several Confucian scholars, knocking them unconscious and carrying them away in sacks. The surrounding civilians were frightened and quickly retreated, with no one daring to speak.

  At the same time, several officials' homes were forcibly broken into, and then some people were gagged, put in shackles, and dragged out of their yards, leaving behind a yard full of panic, pain, and chaos.

  One by one, the bound and battered individuals were thrown into a dark dungeon. Someone pulled out the cloth stuffed in his mouth and shouted loudly: "What reason do you have to arrest me? What crime have I committed?"

  The fat jailer standing by to supervise made a signal to the man beside him, and immediately the prison chief rushed in with a whip and started flogging, amidst wails and screams.

  The fat eunuch, with a self-satisfied smirk on his face, raised his voice to warn: "Whoever talks too much will be beaten to death! A few deaths are nothing."

  One sentence suppressed so much discontent, confusion and unease.

  At this time, in front of the imperial mausoleum, the funeral finally came to an end.

  "The auspicious hour has arrived, let us enter the tomb!"

  The coffin was lifted and carried slowly into the mausoleum with a pile of offerings, heading towards the burial chamber.

  All officials looked up and gazed out, reciting the same words of prayer for good fortune, but they did not know that in a not-too-distant place, several people who had come to report news were knocked unconscious and quickly dragged away.

  The massive Dragonstone finally fell, emitting a deafening sound.

  Ma Xi's voice was disappointed, and he glared at Zhao Jichang with a flick of his sleeve before walking away. Yuan De Fei followed behind him with a relaxed expression on her face, but with a hint of resentment in her eyes.

  The sound of firecrackers faded away, and the funeral came to an end. The carriage carrying Ma Xisheng and Yuan Defei moved towards the Chu King's Palace under the escort of the guards.

  All officials dispersed from this, and Yao Yanzhang and Li Dang let out a sigh of relief as if they had just put down a heavy burden, untying their waistbands.

  "It's finally over, and nothing went wrong."

  "Yes!" Yao Yanzhang had just nodded and added a sentence when the house servants rushed to his front: "Master, something's wrong!"

  "What's wrong?"

  "He Daren, Zheng Daren and Zhang Daren have all been caught!"

  "What?" Li Dang's eyes widened with excitement: "Who caught it?"

  Jia Ding looked around nervously and said in a low voice: "It seems like the Imperial Guard."

  Yao Yanzhang and Li Dang's faces changed simultaneously, their eyes met, and more than half of their souls had already gone.

  ……

  In the courtyard of the Tangmen's Soul-snatching House, Hong Jie took over the scroll from a disciple and then waved her hand to let the disciple retreat.

  She unrolled the scroll, took a glance at the portrait on it and then rolled it up again before walking into the bathroom.

  Her grandmother was taking a medicinal bath, at this moment she closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep, but the blue veins on her forehead bulged out, and the dark purple color on her bare shoulders was as thick as ink.

  "Master of the house, the painting has been delivered, however..." Hong Jie whispered in her ear: "It looks quite unfamiliar."

  "Oh?"

  Grandma opened her eyes, and Hong Gu hastily unrolled the painting. After Grandma saw it, she frowned: "Huh? Could I have made a mistake?"

  "It seems so." Hong Jie rolled up the painting.

  "No, it's better to be more meticulous in doing things." Grandma instructed: "Take this painting to Fengzhu's room and let Master Feng check if there is such a person among her outer disciples."

  "Yes." Hong Gu left, and Grandma reached out to stir the medicine again, then closed her eyes.

  Hong Gu took the painting and went to Feng Zhi's courtyard. Before long, Hong Gu left Feng Zhi's courtyard with empty hands.

  And soon after she left, a carrier pigeon flew out of Fengzhu's room, soared into the sky and disappeared into the clouds...

  It flew and flew, after three hours, it finally flew to western Sichuan and into Meng's mansion.

  A long, narrow strip of silk unfolded in Meng Zhi-Xiang's hands. He pondered for a moment before turning to Song Zhi and instructing him: "Send someone to the Chu King Palace to have him personally paint a portrait of the praying king."

  "Picture?" Song Zhi was stunned: "The one in our hands isn't correct?"

  "That was done by someone from the Tang Sect. Now, I must be absolutely careful."

  "Alright, I'll go arrange it now."

  Song Zhi Gang left, and Princess Fu Qing Li walked out from the Moon Gate: "Isn't King Qi already dead? What does Master want his portrait for?"

  "Be careful, a steady journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I don't want to wait until the net is cast to stir up trouble."

  Li's body was not good, and the recent gloomy weather made her look haggard and spiritless. Meng Zhi-xiang feared she would tire herself out, so he supported her to a corridor bench to rest. As soon as they sat down, she grasped Meng Zhi-xiang's hand, looked up at him and said: "You... when do you plan to take action?"