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Chapter 446 - 446: The Emperor’s Thoughts

The coincidence that the Black Panther Hall was simultaneously undertaking a mission raised further doubts. Su Bin’s claim of only providing minimal assistance did little to allay the Third Prince’s concerns. He couldn’t help but suspect that Su Bin might be the mastermind behind it all.

Ultimately, the Third Prince arrived at the conclusion that Su Bin had concealed his true abilities from them. His position in the Dragon Phoenix Hall was likely higher than he had suggested.

The cries of the Empress pulled the Third Prince back to reality. He was immediately incensed by her audacity to implicate him right in front of him.

Did she have no qualms about performing in front of him?

“Father… for someone to gain access to those around me, coercing them to betray me, they must have the means to move freely within the palace!”

“Considering I spend most of my time within the palace and seldom venture outside, my acquaintances are largely confined to those inside the palace.”

The fifth princess’s words were even more explicit, essentially pointing the finger at the Third Prince.

Despite his intense anger, the Third Prince remained composed. After all, he wasn’t the only one with the ability to come and go within the palace.

Why should he even entertain their accusations?

The Crown Prince added, “Father, I believe it’s necessary to begin our investigation from within our own ranks.”

These words left little to the imagination.

At this point, even the Emperor couldn’t contain his frustration and directly inquired of them, “The three of you suspect the Third Prince?”

The Crown Prince and the others fell silent.

The Emperor was furious. “Am I correct? You truly suspect the Third Prince?” “Are you daft?!”

“The Third Prince has been convalescing outside the capital. He returned only two months ago. During that time, he has spent the majority of his days in his residence. He only enters the palace three to four times a month and has been at my side the whole time!”

“How could he suddenly emerge and coerce those close to the fifth princess into betraying her?”

“Moreover, what possible motive would he have for harming the fifth princess?”

“Let me tell you, when I summoned the Third Prince to return to the palace, he was extremely reluctant!”

“He didn’t want to return because he was avoiding you!”

Infuriating!

The last time the Third Prince had been pursued and nearly lost his life, many signs had pointed to the Crown Prince. In the end, the mastermind was revealed to be a remnant of the previous dynasty due to a lack of conclusive evidence. Consequently, he didn’t pursue the matter further with the Crown Prince.

He had insisted on summoning the Third Prince back to the palace to investigate if the persecution had truly been instigated by the Crown Prince.

Simultaneously, he aimed to assess the Third Prince’s capabilities and General Manor’s intentions.

He needed to prevent the Third Prince and the Crown Prince from vying for the throne while he was alive.

The stakes in their power struggle were colossal.

The Empress’s family commanded a third of the nation’s military might, with one-third of the civil and military officials being their associates.

Even though the Third Prince’s mother had passed away, the General’s Mansion under his maternal grandfather’s control still commanded one-third of the nation’s military might. One-third of the civil and military officials were aligned with the General’s Mansion.

In the event of a conflict between the two factions, it was inevitable that they would engage in a relentless struggle.

Such a situation would likely be exploited by remnants of the previous dynasty.

However, the Empress couldn’t discern the Emperor’s thoughts.. Instead, she pointed at the Third Prince and rebuked, “Did you distort the truth and concoct falsehoods to seek revenge against us in the presence of the Emperor?!”