The Kingdom of Hua Xia was already well-informed of the movements of Fu Xiang.
After the establishment of the Kingdom of Hua Xia, Ji Fengyan had carefully selected 1,500 of her men with high skills of perception, and boosted their capabilities with some of her specially cultivated elixirs. In just half a month's time, they had been trained as an intelligence-gathering unit.
And Ji Fengyan called this team of 1,500 men her Thorn Birds. Every one of them possessed a badge with a thorn bird carved on it. Right after she established Hua Xia, they had been dispatched to the various kingdoms to collect intelligence. They each had a batch of transmogrification elixirs, which could alter their appearance and make them look like normal citizens. There was no need to worry that anyone would discover their original identities.
Now that the kingdoms of Hua Xia and Fu Xiang were on bad terms, the few dozen Thorn Bird members undercover in Fu Xiang immediately gathered the intelligence and transmitted the information using their own special technique to Ji Fengyan.
Ji Fengyan promptly gathered Linghe and gang on receiving the news.
"The Fu Xiang Emperor has awoken?" The news stunned Meng Fusheng.
Mai Ya, who was also present, was even more agitated by the news. "My father has really awoken? That's great. There's no need to worry then." With that, Mai Ya turned to look at Ji Fengyan and said in an emotional tone, "I can go back and tell my father everything. He will definitely understand. In this way, you need not go to war with the Kingdom of Fu Xiang."
The awakening of the Fu Xiang Emperor dispelled Mai ya's despair. She insisted that as long as her father was awake, everything would come to light. No one was a more benevolent Emperor than her father.
However…
Ji Fengyan's expression remained dubious even after Mai Ya's stirring words. She did not immediately respond to Mai Ya, but just looked at Chi Tong and Gong Zhiyu, both of whom looked deeply perturbed.
Detecting Ji Fengyan's gaze, Chi Tong said, "Based on news from the Thorn Birds, things might not be so optimistic."
Gong Zhiyu nodded in agreement. "Over at Fu Xiang, there is a lot of news regarding the killing of their ambassador but very little on the investigation concerning Mai Ya."
Ji Fengyan understood and found an excuse to have Mai Ya leave the meeting. She then revealed her true thoughts about the matter.
"I just feel that the matter with the Fu Xiang Emperor is not that simple. As a father who dotes on his daughter—waking up to someone telling him his daughter tried to poison him—I think the first thing he would have done is to cancel her wanted criminal status. He would not have stood by in silence and allowed it to happen."
The Kingdom of Fu Xiang continued to treat Mai Ya as a wanted criminal. However, the notice stated that she was to be captured for interrogation and not to be killed.
"I have a bold notion." Gong Zhiyu suddenly spoke. The congregation focused on him as he continued. "What if the witch hunt against Mai Ya had all along been secretly endorsed by him?"