At these words, several imperial and county princesses cooperated by showing worried expressions.
Among them, some remained aloof and unconcerned; some secretly rejoiced, thinking their fathers or brothers might benefit from this; and some feared that their lives of luxury would be affected.
Only Lin’an was truly worried and anxious for her blood brother.
Huaiqing was also genuinely concerned and troubled, but not for Emperor Yongxing himself. Rather, she took a broader, more strategic view of the situation.
“If this matter gets out, will the ministers force His Majesty to issue a self-reproach edict?”
“Someone might seize the opportunity to accuse His Majesty, claiming it was his call for donations that angered the ancestors. Those civil and military officials dissatisfied with him will have the perfect excuse to attack.”
“His Majesty has only just ascended the throne. For such a thing to happen now is a heavy blow to his prestige.”
They all spoke at once. Huaiqing saw the look on Lin’an’s face suddenly collapse, her brows furrowing in deep concern.
Since Emperor Yongxing’s accession, Lin’an had become increasingly concerned with political affairs, paying attention to both major and minor matters.
It was not that she suddenly grew ambitious or craved power.
When Emperor Yuanjing held the throne, she only needed to be a carefree songbird. Regarding state affairs, she had neither the need nor the right to be involved.
Now that Emperor Yongxing had ascended, calamity and misfortune plagued the declining dynasty like an illness.
As the emperor’s blood sister, Lin’an bore the brunt of this stress, feeling like she was treading on thin ice.
At the time of his accession, he had been full of enthusiasm and determined to govern well. Now, enthusiasm spent and vigour waning, the new monarch was already showing signs of fatigue.
Especially as Prime Minister Wang was now ill and could no longer work late into the night as before, the emperor’s burden only grew heavier.
As Emperor Yongxing’s sister, Lin’an could no longer live carefree as before, acting as a light-hearted princess.
To put it bluntly, Emperor Yongxing no longer gave her a sense of security, and she was constantly worried about him.
During Emperor Yuanjing’s reign, although the dynasty’s fortunes declined and national power waned, he was a ruler who could keep the ministers in line.
At this moment, a eunuch brought a cup of hot tea to the eldest princess.
Huaiqing took it casually, sipped it, then keenly noticed a flash of puzzlement and astonishment in the eunuch’s eyes.
She narrowed her eyes slightly, set down the cup without a word, and said calmly:
“It’s too hot.”
The eunuch bowed low. “This servant deserves death.”
Huaiqing acknowledged this with a sound, showing no intention of punishment, crossed her hands over her chest and began contemplating the problem of the Yongzhen Shanhe Temple.
Knock, knock… She tapped the tea table, and the royal ladies’ chattering stopped at once.
“Could it have been an earthquake?” she asked.
Lin’an shook her head. “According to the Imperial Guard, they detected no sign of an earthquake. And there was none in the palace either, only at Sangpo.”
Sangpo lake was very close to both the palace and the imperial guard garrison. If it had been an earthquake, it would have been impossible for neither side to notice anything.
After a brief hesitation, Lin’an leaned in to whisper quietly to Huaiqing:
“I heard from Zhao Xuanzhen that Emperor Gaozu’s statue has cracked.
“Also, the Sovereign Sword is missing.”
Huaiqing’s pupils contracted slightly, and she gazed at Lin’an with a grave expression.
Lin’an’s oval face was equally serious, and she nodded vigorously.
If that’s the case, then this matter likely is related to the Jianzheng. Apart from him, no one in the world could freely control the Sovereign Sword… the Jianzheng took away the Sovereign Sword, then the ancestor memorial tablets fell in Yongzhen Shanhe Temple, then Emperor Gaozu’s statue cracked…
What’s happening that requires the Jianzheng to use the Sovereign Sword? No, he might not be using it himself, someone of the Jianzheng’s position would have no need for it…
Is it Xu Qi’an?!
Huaiqing pictured a charming, lecherous face in her mind, took a deep breath, and forced the image from her thoughts.
Then, using the pretext of relieving herself, she left the side hall. In the spacious, quiet privy hung with yellow silk curtains, she took off the sachet at her waist, removed an Earth Book fragment from within.
【ONE: The Sovereign Sword is missing. Do any of you know the details?】
She waited a moment, no reply.
Huaiqing frowned and tried again:
【ONE: This is a matter of great importance.】
Still none replied, which was most unusual.
【FIVE: The Sovereign Sword is missing? Then hurry and look for it!】
Finally someone replied, but alas, it was only Lina.
【FIVE: ONE, has something big happened at the palace? Isn’t the Great Feng’s Sovereign Sword sealed at Sangpo lake? How could it just go missing? That’s Sangpo lake we’re talking about.
【FIVE: If even the Sovereign Sword can be stolen, your emperor had better be careful, anyone who can steal the Sovereign Sword can steal his head as well.】
She prattled on for quite a bit.
No point in explaining, it’s not as if you’ll understand… Huaiqing replied helplessly:
【Let’s discuss this later.】
She put the Earth Book fragment away once more.
…
In the imperial study.
All the members of the imperial clan gathered; three generations assembled here, including Emperor Yongxing’s great-uncle King Li, his uncle King Yu, and his brothers.
The atmosphere in the hall was tense, and one prince after another, all in regular clothes, sat with locked brows.
“Has the Sitianjian replied?”
“The Jianzheng has not responded.”
The princes were disappointed, even angry, but it could not be helped. Even when Emperor Yuanjing had been on the throne, the Jianzheng had always been dismissive of both him and the royal family.
“What about the Sovereign Sword?”
“The Jianzheng took the Sovereign Sword half a month ago. He informed us of this at the time.”
The questions and answers continued for some time, but the princes fell silent.
“If it wasn’t an earthquake, then what provoked the ancestors’ wrath? I told Your Majesty there was no need to call for donations, it would only lose you the people’s support, but you ignored my advice, and now the ancestors are furious. Sigh…” another prince said in a low voice.
At these words, the princes and royal dukes turned to look at Emperor Yongxing, saying nothing.
All the ancestral memorial tablets had been knocked over, this was a grave incident.
If something like this happened in a great aristocratic clan, the family might be forced to step down and make way for the worthy.
A monarch, by the nature of his position, could not easily be replaced, but even so, the royal family’s looks at Emperor Yongxing were full of blame and resentment.
They thought him unfit to be a wise ruler.
After a brief silence, King Yu, his hair flecked with white, spoke:
“Could this matter be related to that bloodline in Yunzhou?”
The princes all shuddered.
Since Xu Qi’an had killed the former emperor during the recent upheaval, and Xu Pingfeng had revealed himself, everything connected to him now lay under the sun.
The key figures of the court, that small group at the core of the dynasty’s power, such as the Grand Secretaries of the cabinet and this group of princes, knew that the five-hundred-year-old bloodline slumbered in Yunzhou, plotting rebellion.
“Does King Yu mean that this is a struggle for the mandate of Heaven?”
“Xu Pingfeng is the Jianzheng’s first disciple, and Arcanists are closely linked to fortune…”
“To Emperor Gaozu, that bloodline from five centuries ago are still descendants of the Ji family…”
The more Emperor Yongxing listened, the more his expression darkened.
The Fourth Prince’s gaze flickered. In a deep voice, he said,
“Uncles, what should we do about this?”
His title was now King Yan.
In the Great Feng, imperial clan titles were usually just King and County King. County King was the title given to a king’s legitimate sons, apart from the heir.
King Yu considered for a while and said,
“First, this matter must be kept secret. Give strict orders: anyone who spreads rumours will be executed without mercy.
“As for the call for donations, public gripe and resentment fill the realm. Do not give the ministers any excuse to impeach His Majesty, this matter is also a heavy blow to his prestige.”
Tap, tap, tap… The hurried sound of a cane on the floor drew everyone’s attention. The kings and nobles turned towards the old man seated to Emperor Yongxing’s left, on a sandalwood chair.
King Li.
Emperor Yuanjing’s uncle, now in his eighties, the eldest member of the imperial clan.
Back during the Zhenbei King incident, this old king had even worked with Emperor Yuanjing to put on a performance.
“This is absolutely not just about Your Majesty’s reputation, nor even about those pen-pushers living off royal rations.”
King Li’s voice was hoarse, yet it resounded unusually loudly throughout the imperial study.
The old man shakily rose to his feet, looked around, and said in a deep voice,
“Five hundred years ago, that bloodline lay dormant in Yunzhou, ready to strike. At this critical moment, the ancestral tablets have fallen, Emperor Gaozu’s Dharma Body has fractured…
“Yongxing, this means our ancestors are not satisfied with you, Emperor Gaozu is not satisfied with you.”
Emperor Yongxing’s expression changed dramatically. “Great-uncle, you…”
If these words had been spoken in any other place, at any other time, they would have been treasonous.
But in this situation and in the context of these events, there was nothing wrong with what he said. The royal princes would only feel that he was right.
King Li continued,
“This is a family matter of the royal clan, so it must be concealed. But you must issue an edict of self-reproach and stop soliciting donations from the officials. Furthermore, Your Majesty should reflect for three days in the ancestral temple, praying for the ancestors’ forgiveness.”
Emperor Yongxing’s expression was ugly. “Great-uncle, We have only just ascended the throne, how could We issue a self-reproach edict…”
Since his accession, a devastating winter had swept through the central plains, leaving countless people starving and freezing to death, refugees everywhere.
It had not been easy to regain some prestige by organising donations for disaster relief.
Now, to issue a self-reproach edict at such a time was not just a humiliation for a new ruler.
It was almost like saying: I am unfit to be emperor!
How could he possibly stomach this?
“As a minister, We should not criticise Your Majesty. But as your great-uncle, as a descendant of the Ji clan, can we not speak? Even if the late emperor were still alive, we would have forced him to kneel and beg the ancestors’ forgiveness.”
King Li struck his staff hard. “Yongxing, now that you sit on this throne, you must bear the responsibility that comes with it.”
How you throw your seniority around! When Father was studying the Dao, why did you never dare to remonstrate? You’re only bullying me now that my foundation is shaky, forcing me to take the blame of ‘incurring the ancestors’ wrath’… Emperor Yongxing’s forehead veins bulged.
A king stepped forward and called out loudly,
“Your Majesty, the ancestors’ attitude concerns the nation’s fortune, you must not take this lightly or let the Yunzhou bloodline take advantage.”
Emperor Yongxing slumped in his seat.
“We understand. If it can appease the ancestors, so what if we issue a self-reproach edict, so what if we spend three days reflecting?”
…
Within the dense forest.
Jingxin glanced around, his gaze passing over Li Miaozhen, Chu Yuanzhen, and Hengyuan, before settling again on Li Lingsu. He said,
“The mirror in his hand is suspicious.”
As he finished speaking, a wild wind rose up and the White Tiger, riding the wind, dashed at Li Lingsu with such speed that even the fourth rank martial artists present did not react in time.
“One shall not kill!”
Jingxin pressed his palms together and performed Precepts.
One shall not kill, the ban was on Li Lingsu’s intent to kill, suppressing any thoughts of retaliation, ensuring that the White Tiger could strike and take out the greatest threat in one blow.
Qihuan Danxiang was a fourth rank Heart Gu Master after all, and had fallen unconscious without a sound, such methods could be used against them as well.
Li Lingsu snorted, golden light blooming in his dantian, dispersing the power of Precepts as if it had never existed.
One Golden Core breaks all spells!
At the same time, Li Miaozhen stretched out her arm toward White Tiger, her pupils becoming transparent and vacant, devoid of emotion.
In an instant, the clothes on White Tiger’s body tightened, his belt tried to strangle him, his shoes flew off and smacked his face, every strand of hair wound around his neck, blocking his vision.
His internal qi flowed in reverse, beyond his control.
Thus, his attack on Li Lingsu did not succeed.
Taking advantage of his junior sister’s assistance, Li Lingsu withdrew using his flying sabre. Meanwhile, a miniature scoundrel leaped from his brow, its tiny hand slapping at White Tiger’s forehead.
Thump, thump, thump… Liu Hongmian darted across the trunk of a tree, using the explosive strength of a warrior to catch up to Li Lingsu’s physical body.
She soared into the air, the soft sabre at her waist transforming into a gleaming streak.
Relieving the siege of Wei by attacking Zhao.1
“Whoosh!”
A sabre-light shot from the side at an angle.
Liu Hongmian, relying on her fourth rank martial body, stood firm and unafraid, intending to take the sword energy head-on and strike down Li Lingsu’s body.
Clang!
The iron sword did not pierce Liu Hongmian’s flesh, but her eyes suddenly glazed over, and her body, like a runaway carriage, crashed straight at Li Lingsu, the flexible blade in her hand could not be wielded.
The Human Sect’s heart sword attacked the primordial spirit.
“Awaken!”
Jingxin shouted low, his voice like a great bell, jolting Liu Hongmian out of her daze as if from a dream.
He deftly applied the brainwashing abilities of a seventh rank Dharmacarya, helping Liu Hongmian escape the stupor.
By now, Liu Hongmian was less than ten feet from Li Lingsu’s physical body. With a sweep of her soft sword, she could easily slay him.
Without hesitation, Liu Hongmian struck out with her soft blade.
Clang! Just then, a large golden hand reached over and crushed the sword energy.
“Amitabha, lady benefactor, let there be no violence, peace is to be prized above all.”
Hengyuan’s face was full of compassion as he backhanded Liu Hongmian with a slap, sending her flying.
He had already mastered the Vajra Divine Art and his combat strength had formally entered the fourth rank.
At this moment, Li Lingsu’s nascent soul landed its tiny hand between White Tiger’s brow.
Silent and without a ripple of qi, a phantom silhouette burst from the back of White Tiger’s head, his primordial spirit.
The upper body of this primordial spirit left the flesh, stubbornly leaving its lower half inside.
A martial artist’s primordial spirit was tenacious, even a Daoist Nascent Soul could not easily expel it.
The Huntian Divine Mirror flashed with light, and, just before White Tiger’s primordial spirit could return to his body, drew it into the mirror.
White Tiger’s tall, burly body collapsed heavily to the ground, unconscious.
At that moment, Jingyuan, who had been about to come to his aid, was held in check by Dongfang Wanqing.
Faced with choosing between an ally and her beloved, she did not hesitate to choose the latter.
…
Chinese idiom. When the state of Wei attacked the much smaller Zhao, who was allied with Qi, Zhao sent a plea of help to Qi. Qi was weaker compared to Wei, and could not relieve the siege directly, so instead their army directly attacked the Wei heartland, knowing that their great army was in Zhao, thus forcing their retreat and saving the small kingdom. ↩
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