14: How many flowers fall in dreams?

"Alright, you should know that the Old Marquis only has this one son. It's not just our spies that are everywhere in the Capital; the Grand Chancellor Zhou is the same."

Leaving Yunmeng Terrace, Mo Yingqi smiled and punched Lu Qianyuan: "I know you want to send him to the Imperial Prison, and so do I. Grand Chancellor Zhou holds a high position and has deep roots. Even The Emperor can only tolerate him for now, let alone you and me?"

"I just can't stand it! That damn rogue just walked away like that!" Lu Qianyuan still couldn't let it go. "I should have drawn my saber and crippled him right then!"

"If you could truly do that, you wouldn't have left the Border Army to join the Pacification Bureau back then." Mo Yingqi sighed softly. "Don't just think about yourself being alone and unable to accomplish anything. You still have your Aunt and your Uncle's family who look after you. If you act rashly, what will happen to them?"

Mo Yingqi had done similar things before. Compared to Lu Qianyuan, he had no ties then. Although he couldn't find Luo Yongan and Luo Yongning, he didn't want to consider those things at the time.

When he returned to the Zhang Family, he genuinely intended to kill his... biological father, and he was ready to act on it. However, that person knew how much Mo Yingqi hated him, and knew Mo Yingqi's martial arts were strong and his Saber Skills superb. So he simply didn't show his face, and even used his authority as a Powerful Regional Official to ensure he was guarded by soldiers even when going to the toilet. The entire residence was heavily guarded.

Mo Yingqi tried to strike several times but never found an opportunity.

But later, he thought about it: killing him would be too easy. Since that man cared so much about wealth, glory, and status, it would be better to strip him of everything and let him live like a stray dog, despised by all.

Therefore, Mo Yingqi later couldn't be bothered thinking about how to kill him, but he did cause chaos throughout the Zhang Family.

"Commander Qianhu means that humiliating him first is enough. These matters will likely spread throughout the Capital's streets and alleys within a few days," Mo Yingqi sneered. "The memorial has already been submitted. The Pacification Bureau has the privilege of bypassing the Grand Secretariat to submit reports directly to The Emperor. Causing such ridiculous trouble during the National Mourning Period—Grand Chancellor Zhou can protect him for a while, but tomorrow, the day after, he will eventually fall into our hands."

"It can only be this way..." Lu Qianyuan sighed. "Zhou Jinan has opposed us so many times, and the Pacification Commissioner has turned a blind eye to him. How about..."

Lu Qianyuan looked at Mo Yingqi and made a throat-slitting gesture. Mo Yingqi knew what he meant and shook his head: "We checked. This person's background is very clean, and he has never been deficient in personal conduct. Other than opposing us, he is upright and incorruptible in law enforcement. We couldn't find a single blemish."

Saying this, Mo Yingqi thought for a moment, then sighed helplessly: "Furthermore, he is genuinely focused on abolishing the Pacification Bureau, and this has nothing to do with Grand Chancellor Zhou. He probably truly believes in it. And his good Uncle knows this perfectly well and is just using this point to deliberately cause us trouble."

Do the officials fear the Pacification Bureau? Naturally, there's no need to elaborate. But everyone understands one thing: the Pacification Bureau is The Emperor's eyes, ears, and hounds, existing solely to monitor the officials.

From the Founding Ancestor until now, how many cases has the Pacification Bureau handled, and how many officials have fallen into its hands? Naturally, this has caused dissatisfaction among the officials. However, someone so determined to make the Pacification Bureau completely disappear might be the first of his kind.

"Seriously, is he crazy?"

Lu Qianyuan truly didn't know what to say, only managing those five words to express his frustration. However, Mo Yingqi had already used his official capacity to retrieve the files when Zhou Jinan first deliberately interfered with the Pacification Bureau's duties.

Although Lu Qianyuan is highly capable, he grew up serving in the Border Army. In some respects, he isn't as meticulous as someone who has gone through the Imperial Examinations like Mo Yingqi.

"Let him be. It's not important." Patting his shoulder, Mo Yingqi still smiled. "Tell the brothers to return to the Yamen. The goal has been achieved. Now we just wait to see if those Censor Officials have any shame during tomorrow's court session."

Everyone in the Censorate, from top to bottom, belongs to Grand Chancellor Zhou. Mo Yingqi suddenly understood what The Emperor intended to do. He couldn't afford to lose the Xu Family, an ally possessing the iron certificate of immunity and military power.

But if the Censorate doesn't impeach Xu Fengzhang, then what about all the previous times they submitted memorials to The Emperor over trivial matters just to deliberately annoy him?

"Just watch. The Capital is probably going to become turbulent..."

Over the past year, Mo Yingqi had been assessing the situation, observing the court and the populace with a cold eye. The Emperor, being the New Emperor, had an unstable foundation. Although he strove for good governance, he was constrained everywhere by this Grand Tutor of two dynasties and leader of the Righteous Officials.

It was only a matter of time before these two factions clashed. The Emperor had likely been enduring this silently for the past year, and this incident was a signal—a warning directed at Grand Chancellor Zhou.

But Mo Yingqi still didn't understand: what exactly did this Grand Chancellor want? If he had a favored candidate, why didn't he intervene during the Struggle for succession among the seven sons? What was he stirring up now?

And there was himself. Although he hadn't heard any rumors tonight, he was executing official duties. Besides an idiot like Xu Fengzhang and a stubborn fool like Zhou Jinan, who would be crazy enough to provoke the Flying Fish Guard?

"Sigh, it seems life won't be easy from now on..."

Mo Yingqi finished washing up and sat blankly on his couch. He was still a Seventh-Rank Captain, yet he had inexplicably become an Imperial Son-in-Law. He truly couldn't imagine what the future held.

"Forget it. I'll take things one step at a time..."

Although he still resented his two sisters for leaving without a word back then, Mo Yingqi was still very happy to see them again. To them, Mo Yingqi was their only one, and even if his feelings were naive back then, their importance to him was irreplaceable.

Thinking this, Mo Yingqi lay directly on the couch, allowing his mind to empty. His Master had told him that constantly having tense nerves was bad for him; when he could rest, he absolutely must rest, and even for the biggest matters, he needed to be well-rested.

He didn't know why, but he felt unusually drowsy today and fell asleep shortly after.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but Mo Yingqi felt like someone was beside him. He suddenly opened his eyes, meeting Luo Yongan and Luo Yongning's beautiful, Captivating Eyes.

"Yingqi, don't leave us. You are ours..."

"Yingqi, whatever you want, we will give it to you. As long as you are by our side, as long as you... love us..."

Every whisper was dreamlike and illusory, feeling real yet simultaneously false. Mo Yingqi felt as if his entire being had fallen into the clouds, completely devoid of strength.

He could feel Luo Yongan and Luo Yongning, yet he also couldn't feel them. The warm touch flickered on and off, as did the light kisses on his face and lips.

"What happened?"

Mo Yingqi suddenly sat up in alarm. He was still lying on his couch, the candle on the table was almost burned out, and the biological reaction he had as a male made him extremely... embarrassed.

"No, wait, how is this possible?"

Mo Yingqi couldn't help but shiver. Although this reaction was normal, even overly energetic, Mo Yingqi believed his self-control was far superior to the average person, having followed his Master and cultivated his mind for so many years.

This was the first time this had happened to him since childhood! He might call it a Wet Dream, but the feeling just now didn't seem like a dream. If he had to describe it, it was like a beautiful illusion, real yet false.

At this moment, Luo Yongan and Luo Yongning, sleeping together in the Imperial Bedchamber, opened their eyes simultaneously. They looked at each other, reading joy... and inexplicable madness in the other's gaze.

"We succeeded, Sis, it really worked." Luo Yongning suddenly sat up, her body trembling from excessive excitement. "Maternal Grandmother didn't lie to us; this 'Love Follows' truly is effective!"

"This is just the beginning. The efficacy of 'Love Follows' is far more than just this."

Compared to the excited Luo Yongning, Luo Yongan appeared much calmer. However, her eyes seemed to reflect a faint scarlet glow, looking extremely abnormal and dangerous.

"How much effort did we expend back then, how much gold and silver did we invest, and how many times did we fail just to recreate one dose of 'Love Follows'?" Luo Yongan slowly stood up, casually pulling a cicada-wing-thin Cloak over herself. "We succeeded in something Maternal Grandmother couldn't even achieve or imagine..."

"This life... no, the next life, every life, Yingqi will be ours..."