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Chapter 355: Zhong Shan’s Triumphant Return

"Master, you must help the princess. She is now under house arrest," Ah Da said urgently.

"House arrest? The princess? Who dares to imprison her?" Zhong Shan\'s eyes widened in astonishment.

"It\'s true. The princess\'s mansion is sealed off, and she\'s been confined inside. Ah Er and I were also locked up there. The princess foresaw that you would return soon, so she sent us out to find you. Heaven showed mercy, and I finally found you. Those men who were chasing me were the ones guarding the princess\'s mansion. Ah Er and I split up to escape," Ah Da quickly explained.

"What exactly happened?" Zhong Shan furrowed his brow.

The princess, of all people, imprisoned? Given her status, this must be a significant issue.

"Rumor has it that the princess killed Princess Yingning. It has shocked the entire court. His Majesty is furious!" Ah Da reported.

"Yingning? Yingning is dead?" Zhong Shan frowned deeply.

"Yes, many officials claim to have witnessed the princess killing Yingning with the \'Wind God Arrow\'. There are witnesses and physical evidence. The princess is in serious trouble this time," Ah Da said, visibly worried.

"The princess couldn\'t have killed Yingning. What is being said outside?" Zhong Shan asked with a deep frown.

"The Elder Tian was going to choose between the princess and Yingning to inherit his teachings. In the end, Yingning was chosen. Rumor has it that the princess was jealous and killed Yingning out of spite," Ah Da explained.

"Who is spreading this?" Zhong Shan asked.

"Everyone is saying it, everyone," Ah Da replied with great concern.

"Witnesses, evidence, motive for murder—all are in place?" Zhong Shan\'s face turned cold with a smile.

"Master, the princess is definitely innocent," Ah Da insisted.

"Did you deliver my message to the princess?" Zhong Shan asked, looking at Ah Da intently.

"Yes, master. I told the princess not to force anything. If she couldn\'t compete with Yingning, she shouldn\'t insist on learning feng shui techniques. I conveyed your words exactly," Ah Da replied, his face firm with confidence.

"So, what is the current verdict on the princess?" Zhong Shan inquired.

"There\'s no verdict yet. This is a matter within the royal family, and no officials dare to intervene. His Majesty has decided to wait for all four crown princes to return to the capital and then judge the case together," Ah Da explained.

"Wait for all four crown princes to return?" Zhong Shan frowned again.

"Yes. If it were about killing an outsider, His Majesty\'s affection for the princess wouldn\'t make it this severe. But His Majesty despises infighting among his descendants the most. This time, the princess is in real danger. If the charges are confirmed, it means she killed her own sister, and His Majesty cannot tolerate that. Her status makes her the focus of this storm. We must wait for the four crown princes to gather and decide her fate," Ah Da said with deep concern.

"Yingning became the disciple of Elder Tian, and the princess, out of jealousy, killed her royal sister? What a grave accusation," Zhong Shan said, taking a deep breath.

"What does Elder Tian say?" Zhong Shan asked, looking at Ah Da once more.

"Elder Tian said he would stay out of it and, from now on, would never take the princess as a disciple," Ah Da replied.

"He refuses to take the princess as a disciple? Such a resolute stance, it\'s a dire situation," Zhong Shan said, narrowing his eyes.

"How many of the four crown princes have returned?" Zhong Shan asked.

"Two have returned: the First Crown Prince and the Crown Prince of the Da Xuan Kingdom, which means the princess\'s father, King Zhengyi, and King Daxuan," Ah Da quickly answered.

"What do they say?" Zhong Shan inquired.

"King Daxuan has said nothing, remaining very silent, seemingly waiting for all the crown princes to gather before speaking. As for King Zhengyi, he hasn\'t defended the princess but stated that he will handle the matter impartially," Ah Da explained.

"Handle it impartially? Ha," Zhong Shan sneered.

"How is the court leaning now? Are there any officials speaking in favor of the princess?" Zhong Shan asked.

"On the court, besides the Grand Tutor who suggested a thorough investigation, most ministers are silent. Those who claim to have seen the event are being incited by Marquis Qitian, pushing to convict Princess Qianyou," Ah Da explained.

"Marquis Qitian?" Zhong Shan\'s eyes widened.

"Yes, it seems that after the incident at the Valley of Ten Thousand Apes, Marquis Qitian harbors resentment. Moreover, Yingning was his full sister, so he\'s very agitated and has publicly denounced the princess," Ah Da elaborated.

"The situation is dire. There are witnesses, physical evidence, and a motive. With Yingning dead, the royal family is now against the princess. Even her father, King Zhengyi, is distancing himself. With Marquis Qitian leading a faction of radicals, they\'re continually making things worse. Public opinion is also aligning against the princess, accusing her of jealousy. She\'s up against the entire world. This must have been extremely hard for you all," Zhong Shan sighed deeply.

"No, Ah Da and Ah Er are fine. The real burden has been on the princess. She hardly speaks anymore and has become much thinner," Ah Da said with a look of sorrow.

"Did the princess send any message with you?" Zhong Shan asked Ah Da.

"Yes!" Ah Da quickly replied.

"What is it?" Zhong Shan asked.

"The princess asked me to tell you that \'I did not kill her\'," Ah Da said, looking intently at Zhong Shan.

\'Did not kill her?\'

"Master, the princess is certainly innocent. You must save her," Ah Da pleaded with a look of desperation.

"Don\'t worry. I believe her. If she says she didn\'t do it, then she didn\'t. This means there\'s a colossal conspiracy aimed at the princess. Hisssss..." Zhong Shan took a deep breath and furrowed his brow.

"So, what should we do now, Master?" Ah Da asked immediately.

"You should focus on recovering from your injuries first. I will take you back to the Ancient Holy Capital. Then you should return to the princess\'s residence," Zhong Shan contemplated for a moment and said.

"But Master, the princess..." Ah Da frowned.

"Tell her that I will help her!" Zhong Shan said, staring at Ah Da.

"Yes!" Ah Da exhaled a sigh of relief.

Zhong Shan\'s army continued to march toward the Ancient Holy Capital. Zhong Shan\'s mind was racing with thoughts about the current situation.

How to overturn the world\'s perception?

Zhong Shan, leading his 800,000 troops, approached the Ancient Holy Capital. As they drew closer, the grandeur and prosperity of the city became more apparent, with its bustling and vibrant atmosphere reaching their ears.

"What are you people?" Two patrol officers from the Ancient Holy Capital flew over from the distance.

Zhong Shan took out a brick-like identification token and said, "By the Emperor\'s decree, I return to the court to be conferred as a deity!"

One of the officers took Zhong Shan\'s identification token and examined it carefully.

After checking, both officers immediately bowed respectfully to Zhong Shan. "Welcome back to the court, Marquis of the East. The Emperor has ordered that upon your return, you are to await his summons at the Eastern Residence."

"The Eastern Residence?" Zhong Shan frowned.

"Yes, it\'s a residence bestowed upon you by the Emperor," one of the officers explained.

"Can it accommodate my 800,000 private troops?" Zhong Shan asked.

"Absolutely!" one of the officers replied with a smile.

"Very well, I\'ll trouble you two to lead the way!" Zhong Shan smiled, demonstrating mutual respect.

As the army continued forward, a group of nearly fifty men suddenly flew in from a distance. At the forefront was a man in a purple tiger official robe, with a prominent forehead, a scar on his face, and a fierce look in his eyes. Behind him were a group of black-robed subordinates, including the five who had previously chased Ah Da and were scared off by Zhong Shan\'s troops.

"Master, that\'s Ma Zhuiri, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Justice and Marquis Qitian\'s uncle. He was one of the people who testified against the princess. He\'s here to catch me," Ah Da whispered to Zhong Shan.

"Oh?" Zhong Shan narrowed his eyes.

The group halted not far from Zhong Shan\'s army.

"How dare you, Zhong Shan! You dare to harbor a wanted criminal?" Ma Zhuiri immediately pointed at Zhong Shan and exclaimed.

How dare you, Zhong Shan? Zhong Shan squinted his eyes. Does he know me?

"Who are you, and how do you know me?" Zhong Shan raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Someone informed me that the person behind you is a wanted criminal. I\'m here to take him away. You\'d better stay out of the way," Ma Zhuiri said arrogantly.

"Hahaha! You\'ve got some nerve. Who dares to seize someone from my camp?" Zhong Shan started laughing, then his eyes turned cold.

"This is the Ancient Holy Capital. It\'s not a place for you to act recklessly. I\'m taking him away. What can you do? Will you defy the Emperor\'s orders? Arrest him!" Ma Zhuiri shouted without backing down.

"How dare you!" Zhong Shan roared in anger.

"Arrest him!" Ma Zhuiri commanded.

"Kill!" Zhong Shan ordered.

"Kill!" The entire army shouted in unison. The formation was quickly set.

All the anti-barrier arrows were drawn. With a command from Shui Wuhen, tens of thousands of arrows were launched. Yes, tens of thousands of arrows were shot wildly in Ma Zhuiri\'s direction.

Ma Zhuiri and his men were dumbfounded on the spot! Based on his subordinates\' reports, he knew Zhong Shan was unreasonable, but he didn\'t expect such extremity. One word of disagreement and it was a kill order! How could this be?

"Boom!"

Everyone raised their protective shields, and an Emperor-level subordinate shielded Ma Zhuiri. With a loud explosion, Ma Zhuiri and his men were blown back over three hundred meters by the barrage of arrows. Cold sweat broke out all over them!

They had no time to react. The wolf cavalry was already charging forward, their mouths open, eyes glaring fiercely. The 800,000 soldiers were charging as if they were on a battlefield, not just facing fifty men.

"Zhong Shan, you\'ll pay for this! You just wait!" Ma Zhuiri turned and fled with his men, but not before shouting a threat.

"Fire!"

"Whoosh!" Twenty thousand anti-barrier arrows were shot wildly.

Ma Zhuiri fled even faster! The two patrol guards on the side were already stunned, watching the scene unfold.