Chapter 161: Chapter 139: Zhao Gongming’s Debut, The Counterattack Technique, The Seventh Prince’s Madness

Lu Mingyuan’s words caught the attention of both Wang Zhaoyan and Noble Consort Wan.

“An expert? What do you mean? Don’t tell me he can save my son?”

Hope appeared in Noble Consort Wan’s misty eyes. She took a step forward, leaning in close to ask.

Lu Mingyuan took a step back and explained, “His name is Zhao Gongming, also known as the Dragon Tiger Xuantan True Monarch. He is skilled in ingenious calculation techniques and has achieved great success in his cultivation. He was taught by the mathematicians of the Hundred Schools of Thought at the Confucian Temple. It is said he has mastered all forms of calculation and is adept at business. Any enterprise in his hands is sure to be brought back from the brink of death, earning him the title of the Human World Wealth God. There is even a stone statue of him in the Thunder Pool Daoist Academy.”

“Hasn’t the Seventh Prince been hiding in the palace lately, afraid to return to his mansion?”

Noble Consort Wan looked up, recalling for a moment, then nodded slightly. “That is indeed the case.”

“Don’t you find this matter suspicious, Your Highness?”

Lu Mingyuan smiled faintly.

After the incident with the Buddha’s Relics, the relationship between Leiyin Temple and the Seventh Prince, who had lost the Relics he should have received, had soured slightly. Many of the monks were recalled.

Lu Yunwan was afraid of being assassinated, just like the Fifth and Fourth Princes. That’s why he didn’t dare return to the Langya Royal Mansion.

’He’s certainly being cautious enough.’

With the Prince Mansion empty, the only consequence would be that someone would find an opportunity to sneak in and frame him for the crime of illegally hoarding ironware. Every cause has its effect.

“It is indeed a little strange,” Noble Consort Wan said, nodding slowly.

Lu Mingyuan explained, “The Seventh Prince must be afraid of following in the footsteps of the other Princes, fearing for his life, which is why he has chosen to hide. I suspect that with the current uproar in Great Yan over cracking down on corruption, the seizure and collapse of the Yunwan Commerce Association might be related to a hidden power working in the shadows. The Seventh Prince has been framed.”

Noble Consort Wan was not surprised to hear this. Instead, she considered it carefully and said, “Prince Chongwen, Lu Yunqing, once wrote an article in the gazette mentioning this power. Could it be that their next target is my son?”

Lu Yunqing had long since mentioned the mystery surrounding the deaths of numerous Princes, and there were many rumors circulating among the common folk. Quite a few people knew about it.

Standing to the side, Wang Zhaoyan was astonished to hear her son’s analysis.

’When did Yuan’Er get to know such an expert?’

’And how did he deduce the hidden story behind what happened to Lu Yunwan? It’s as if he experienced it himself.’

’Before, his mind was never this meticulous.’

’Ever since he was imprisoned, he’s been changing more and more.’

Over the past year or so, she had witnessed all of Lu Mingyuan’s various changes.

The changes were significant, but not abrupt. Having been plotted against, it was only natural for him to seek payback. She felt more and more that her Yuan’Er had matured.

He had matured to a point she had almost overlooked.

’Could it be that he’s been hiding his true abilities all this time and is finally ready to bare his fangs?’

Wang Zhaoyan thought back to when she had inexplicably fainted and woken up in her chambers, the various changes in the Huo Family’s daughter, and the shift in Lu Mingyuan’s attitude toward martial arts.

Viewed individually, these details were surprising but only seemed a little strange.

But when considered all together, it wasn’t so simple anymore.

She hadn’t delved into it before, but now, the details replayed in her mind one by one.

Wang Zhaoyan’s eyes lit up.

’I’m not stupid. I think I know what Yuan’Er is planning.’

’Could it be that he wants to use the Seventh Prince’s power to win over his forces, then contend with the other Princes, and finally leave the Cold Palace to seize the throne?!’

’Yuan’Er wants to fight for the succession?’

’Thinking about it now, he actually has a good chance.’

Currently, the performance of the four Princes, including the Second, Third, and Seventh Princes, was unsatisfactory. Only the Eighth Prince, Lu Yunqing, could be considered a prominent figure in the Capital City.

But he also happened to have the best relationship with Yuan’Er, which would paradoxically make him the biggest obstacle in the future.

’If the Drumming Institute can successfully overturn the case and clear Yuan’Er of the false charges, a Qilin Child overlooked by all the Princes will make a spectacular entrance!’

At this thought, Wang Zhaoyan’s heart pounded with excitement and exhilaration.

Her mind stirred. She decided that after this matter was settled, she would go to her father and inform him.

’We’ll need to plan carefully on how to get Yuan’Er out of the palace.’

Lu Mingyuan, of course, had no idea what his mother was thinking. He looked into Noble Consort Wan’s eyes and smiled.

“As long as you are sincere enough, you can persuade him to make a move. With just a slight effort, he can bring the Yunwan Commerce Association back from the dead and solve the Seventh Prince’s greatest problem.”

Noble Consort Wan’s eyes brightened, but then she asked doubtfully, “Then how can I get in touch with this gentleman?”

Lu Mingyuan took an ordinary-looking copper coin from his sleeve and handed it to her. “It’s simple. Just take this antique copper coin to the Daoist Ancestral Hall in the Thunder Pool Daoist Academy and request an audience. If your heart is sincere, he will naturally appear. That’s where I met him and, with his guidance, won a sum of money at a casino.”

“I understand.”

Clutching the copper coin, Noble Consort Wan exclaimed excitedly, “Wonderful! My son is saved!”

“There’s no time to lose. Good sister, I’ll be leaving now! I’ll come back to thank you once my son is saved!”

Noble Consort Wan was in a hurry to take her leave.

Wang Zhaoyan nodded. “Alright. I’ll be waiting for your good news.”

Before she left, Noble Consort Wan even shot Lu Mingyuan a coquettish glance.

That flirtatious gaze, combined with the magnificent waves on her chest that rippled unceasingly as she stared at him, made Lu Mingyuan’s skin crawl.

“Yuan’Er, how on earth did you meet this expert?”

Only after the sedan chair had departed did Wang Zhaoyan ask Lu Mingyuan for more information about Zhao Gongming.

Lu Mingyuan didn’t want to explain too much. After all, the more he said, the more likely he was to expose himself. He simply said that this person was very effective and could temporarily relieve the Seventh Prince’s predicament.

“Tell me honestly, are you thinking about fighting for the throne?” Wang Zhaoyan asked probingly.

Hearing this, Lu Mingyuan chuckled. “Mother, what are you thinking? With the Eighth Prince around, what chance do I have? He’s the best candidate right now, isn’t he?”

Wang Zhaoyan didn’t look disappointed. Instead, she gave a meaningful smile.

“So you’re saying that if your brother Lu Yunqing were no longer around, you would have such plans?”

“Uh… Mother, what are you planning to do?”

Cold sweat broke out on Lu Mingyuan’s forehead.

He wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Wang Zhaoyan were to take insidious measures to harm Lu Yunqing.

She was indeed that kind of person.

However, Lu Yunqing himself was a good seed. He would most likely be an enlightened ruler after ascending the throne, so there was nothing wrong with him becoming Emperor.

Lu Mingyuan reminded her, “Mother, don’t do anything foolish. Lu Yunqing has the support of two Saints, and he doesn’t lack for other supporters either. If you provoke him, it will be a disaster for the Wang Family.”

“I’m not so foolish as to provoke him directly. I’m just raising a possibility. If Prince Chongwen were gone, you would be the most suitable candidate. In terms of birth, background, and who you are now, you’re a far cry from what you used to be. You have the support of the Champion Marquis’s Mansion and Shengjing Academy, and your maternal grandfather’s words carry great weight. Which of the other Princes can compare to you? Besides, you probably don’t know this, but it’s not like you have no factions supporting you now,” Wang Zhaoyan said with a pout.

Lu Mingyuan was slightly taken aback by her words.

’What does she mean, “it’s not like you have no factions supporting you now”?’

’Could it be that factions have already started supporting me?’

Lu Mingyuan quickly asked, “I have support behind me now? Didn’t they all leave before?”

He remembered that a year ago, no faction had stepped in to help him.

Clearly, they all thought he wasn’t worth it.

Not all Sects were willing to offer help, nor did all Sects have the power to do so.

Making a move would mean offending the Three Religions’ Influence backing the other Princes.

After all, Sects like Chiyang Mountain, which stood behind the Third Prince from beginning to end, acting as his solid shield, were in the minority.

“As for which specific Sects, I don’t know either. Only the best among the Three Religions, the founders of Sects, are able to go to the Ancestor Worship Temple.”

“But I can be sure that the Destiny on you has increased, which is clearly the result of being worshipped and influenced by the incense of a Sect.”

Wang Zhaoyan explained.

“A Sect is actually supporting me?”

Lu Mingyuan couldn’t figure it out. What was it about him that those Sects saw?

While he was surprised, Wang Zhaoyan’s words also served as a reminder.

’If Lu Yunqing ultimately fails to defeat Lu Guangjing and leaves behind a mess, should I join the struggle for the throne or not?’

His heart told him the answer.

’Very likely, yes.’

’If something happens to Lu Yunqing, I will kill Lu Guangjing first.’

’At that time, my own strength will be the greatest among all the Princes.’

’By all reason and logic, it would be impossible to refuse the position of Crown Prince.’

But the probability of that happening was very low.

He felt that for Prince Jin’s Mansion to defeat Lu Yunqing was nothing short of a fool’s dream.

Thanks to him alone, Prince Jin’s Mansion was already in chaos.

With the rebellion of Luo Ying, the Shadow Scout, one of the Four Great Tributors of the Infinite Faction, and the infiltration by the Shadow Warriors, the day to close the net was fast approaching.

The collapse of the Endless Pavilion was not far off.

…

「Within the Imperial City, at the entrance of the Thunder Pool Daoist Academy.」

A lavish carriage, accompanied by numerous guards, slowly came to a stop.

A pot-bellied, round-faced man in a bright yellow Python Robe stepped down from the carriage, clutching a copper coin, his expression tense.

A Daoist on duty who was passing by the academy saw him, recognized him at a glance, and greeted him.

“Greetings, Prince Langya.”

“Is Your Highness looking for someone?”

Lu Yunwan nodded, a hopeful look in his eyes. “Do you have a Daoist here by the name of Zhao Gongming?”

“Zhao Gongming?”

The Daoist on duty thought for a moment, then shook his head. “I’ve never heard of him.”

Unwilling to give up, Lu Yunwan pressed, “Dragon Tiger Xuantan True Monarch, Zhao Gongming. Are you sure you don’t have him?”

The Daoist on duty scratched his head and pointed toward the Daoist Academy. “Your Highness, why don’t you go inside and see for yourself? Every day, many new Golden Stone Statues are erected in the academy. A lot of them are for rogue Daoists who like to swindle the common people, erected by those who don’t know any better. Your Highness shouldn’t be fooled by some Jianghu magician.”

Hearing this, Lu Yunwan’s heart sank.

He had just heard from his mother, the Noble Consort, about a great enlightened master who could help him out of his predicament.

Having been pushed this far, his only choice was to believe. But now that he had arrived, he was being told it might be a charlatan from the Jianghu. How could he accept that?

With a feeling of trepidation, he still headed for the Daoist Sect’s Golden Body worship hall.

What came into view were rows upon rows of small compartments.

In each compartment stood a small figurine, representing the incense offerings for the many branches of the Taoist Sect.

He clutched the antique copper coin and prayed in his heart.

’Senior Zhao Gongming.’

’You have to help me.’

’You must make sure those two, Lu Guangjing and Lu Yunqing, die a miserable death!’

But several breaths passed with no reaction at all.

’Am I not devout enough?’

Lu Yunwan cast aside his reserve and shouted, “I am Lu Yunwan! I implore Senior Zhao Gongming to take action! If my wish is granted, I will offer a great reward! For a hundred years, the incense will never cease, and your Golden Body Temple will stand forever!”

He had only just shouted the words.

When he saw an imposing and extraordinary stone statue—one riding a Spiritual Tiger, holding a Long Whip in one hand and a Copper Coin Long Sword in the other—begin to glow with a slightly dazzling light.

But there was no one in sight.

’The stone statue is showing its power.’

And a deep, resonant voice, full of vigor, echoed in his mind.

“Who seeks this True Monarch?”

Seeing that there was truly a reaction, Lu Yunwan was overjoyed, his heart filled with ecstasy.

He immediately kowtowed three times.

“BANG! BANG! BANG!”

“Please help me, Senior!”

…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep