Chapter 72: Chapter 68: Lu Guangjing’s Test

「In the span of just half a day.」

Two major events spread from the Great Yan Imperial Palace, shocking the entire Imperial Capital.

The first was that the Holy Emperor had fallen ill. All military and state affairs were handed over to the Cabinet, led by the Chief Imperial Tutor, Yuan Xuangang.

Imperial Tutor Yuan Xuangang was the most important minister in the court, having held the position of Chief Minister for over thirty years without change. No one disputed this.

Qi Xingyan, after his time as the Advisor of the Imperial Censorate, was appointed as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and had his position as Mountain Master of Shengjing Academy restored. His return to the Imperial Center was met with cheers from the scholars of Great Yan.

The second was that Empress Guo, who had been the mother of the nation for over fifty years, was deposed, and the Eldest Prince, Lu Changfeng, was exiled to the Western Border, never to return to the Capital City.

The Holy Emperor was sick.

The Empress was deposed.

This news undoubtedly caused a huge stir, sparking suspicion among the various factions.

Had an old injury relapsed, or was this some lingering consequence of the eastern expedition?

Was the Eldest Prince’s faction completely finished?

For a time, undercurrents surged, and the Imperial Capital City was once again abuzz with activity.

Unfortunately, no candidate for the position of Crown Prince was announced.

「On the street.」

A woman in a long azure gown and another in white, wearing a conical bamboo hat and carrying a sword, hurried down the street.

They arrived at the entrance of the Thunder Pool Daoist Academy. The academy’s estate was lavishly built. Stone steps led up to three stone statues of the Daoist Ancestor Masters, where incense burned ceaselessly.

They entered the main hall, where a gray-robed Daoist stroking his long beard couldn’t help but glance at their attire before extending a hand.

The woman in white produced a small, heavy, fist-sized bag of Copper Coins and handed it to him.

The gray-robed Daoist opened the bag and counted its contents. Sixty pieces of Red Gold Divine Copper, not one less. He then asked:

“For which lineage do you wish to offer incense?”

“The Sixth Prince, Lu Mingyuan.”

After she spoke, the gray-robed Daoist handed her a small clay figurine. The woman in white then entered a vast hall of worship. It was filled with small figurines—some made of clay, some cast from silver, and others formed from Gold.

Some of the figurines were shattered like broken porcelain jars. Others, though intact, were dull and lifeless. A few radiated a divine aura, so lifelike it seemed as if an unseen vapor of energy flowed around them.

Seeing her place the hard-won clay figurine in front of an empty plaque, the woman in the azure gown sighed.

“Sect Master, must we really choose this path?”

The woman in white retorted, “Do we have any other choice? It’s better to take a gamble. At worst, our entire sect’s Destiny will be drained for a decade. That’s better than declining into obscurity and vanishing in thirty years.”

“The Emperor of Great Yan won’t last much longer. The outcome will be decided in a few years. If we don’t get on this ride, we’ll be left to watch the curtains fall, having gained nothing.”

…

「Prince Jin’s Mansion.」

A trace of excitement appeared on Lu Guangjing’s face after he heard the report from his subordinate.

“Father Emperor is sick? The heavens are truly on my side.”

“Now, I can finally act without restraint!”

There were quite a few people in the room: a Sword Cultivator holding twin blades, a masked woman in black with arm armor, a one-eyed man, an old man whose face was covered in oozing sores… These were all core elites of the Infinite Faction.

The Seventh Realm Poison Warrior, Su Qin, was the first to step forward and report, “Your Highness, Mr. Xun says we should take them one by one. First, we deal with the Third Prince, then we completely eliminate the Eldest Prince’s faction.”

“Why bother with all that trouble? We’ll deal with them all at once, on multiple fronts.”

“With Father Emperor gravely ill, will the Third Prince’s Marquis Wu be able to restrain themselves? He holds an army of three hundred thousand—a full three hundred thousand men! If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to resist keeping the army stationed where it is, declaring myself king on the spot, and watching how things unfold in the Capital City. And as soon as he dares to do that, he will not only lose any claim to the throne, but also betray his so-called loyal martial heart.”

“As for my eldest brother, he’s just a useless dog. Without Empress Guo, what is he? We just need to break his final line of defense.”

Lu Guangjing clenched his fist. He looked at Gongyang Hu and gave an order.

“First, probe the Fourth and Sixth Princes. See what weaknesses they have.”

Gongyang Hu nodded slightly. “The Sixth Prince is easy enough. The palace is full of people, a messy mix of all sorts. But the Fourth Prince, Lu Guangren, is another matter. He’s obsessed with Alchemy day and night and never leaves his mansion. Prince Zhuang’s Mansion has very few servants, making it difficult to infiltrate. The only ones of note are a few Maids. Your subordinate sent someone to eavesdrop, and the servants in Prince Zhuang’s Mansion were gossiping. They say the Fourth Prince seems to be using Palace Blood for his Alchemy, something like the Yin Yang Replenishing Method.”

Lu Guangjing’s eyes lit up. “Such a golden opportunity—can’t we seize it?”

“We must investigate this thoroughly. Infiltrate the Prince’s Mansion and see what the hell my fourth brother is up to in there every day.”

“As for my sixth brother, Lu Mingyuan… his Noble Consort mother is no simpleton. The fortune teller I sent to trick him out of his birthdate was nearly discovered by her. She has some tricks up her sleeve. Otherwise, the first to die would have been Lu Mingyuan, not Lu Mingkong.”

As Lu Guangjing pondered, he suddenly noticed several clues.

“On top of that, he has a Prime Minister for a maternal grandfather—an old fox who’s been navigating the Imperial Court for over twenty years. Tsk, tsk… this is quite tricky.”

Gongyang Hu added, “I’ve also heard that the boy is on good terms with Qi Muxue in the palace. He runs off to Princess Consort Zhao’s residence every day. Some people say they’re having an affair, but I don’t know if it’s true or not.”

Hearing this, Lu Guangjing narrowed his eyes. “So, without anyone realizing it, that fellow has been reaping all these benefits.”

“However, we can certainly make use of this Princess Consort Zhao.”

Gongyang Hu’s eyes flickered, as if he’d thought of something too. “Your Highness means…”

A dangerous smile spread across Lu Guangjing’s face. “She will be the final straw that breaks Lu Changfeng.”

“Also, increase surveillance on the other Princes. Their every move must be reported to me.”

“Yes.”

…

「Qingzhu Hall.」

Lu Mingyuan was still in the hall, listening to his mother Wang Zhaoyan’s admonitions.

“This is the situation in Great Yan right now. You’ve heard the news, so you must be careful. I can see the Capital City won’t be peaceful anytime soon.”

Wang Zhaoyan said, holding his hand.

Lu Mingyuan smiled slightly. “I know, Mother. I’ll be fine. With you here, who could possibly harm me?”

Wang Zhaoyan was secretly pleased to hear this, but she still lectured him seriously, “Stop flattering me.”

“Speaking of that marriage proposal we discussed, I’m at my wit’s end. I wanted to pull some strings, but I can’t even get a meeting with Master Qi. How about we just find someone else? I see the Champion Marquis has a good attitude. The daughter of the Huo Family, want to consider her? She’s a daughter of one of the Seven Great Marquis’s Mansions, after all.”

Lu Mingyuan quickly shook his head. “Forget it. The daughter of a Martial Artist would be too savage. I’m scared.”

“Are you sure?”

Wang Zhaoyan questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“I’ve heard you’ve been running off to Princess Consort Zhao’s palace every few days. The whole Harem is talking about it.”

Lu Mingyuan said with a straight face, “Mother, that’s where you’re mistaken. The Princess Consort and I were discussing important matters of life, brewing tea and discoursing on the Dao.”

“You expect me to believe that? Don’t think you can fool me just because you read a few books while you were bored in the Cold Palace. I’ve read far more books than you!”

Wang Zhaoyan looked utterly unconvinced.

But she quickly winked and added, “Still, I can’t help but praise you. Well done!”

“That Empress caused me no end of trouble. It serves her right to have her daughter-in-law bullied a little. Her being deposed now is what she deserves. It must have been the Holy Emperor’s will.”

Hearing this, Lu Mingyuan couldn’t help but ask:

“Now that the position of Empress is vacant, will it fall to you?”

Wang Zhaoyan patted his hand and pouted. “Don’t be silly! I don’t even want it. Do you think that seat is so easy to sit in?”

“You just become the most hated person in the palace. It’s better not to have the title at all.”

“You’re the smart one, Mother.”

Lu Mingyuan chuckled.

“That’s all for today. I’m heading back now.”

“I’ll walk you out, Mother.”

Lu Mingyuan escorted her to the outside of the Cold Palace before their meeting concluded.

On his way back, he saw an old eunuch leading a line of new eunuchs slowly into the Imperial Palace.

It was an unremarkable scene, but through his ’Recognizing People’ ability, it was a completely different picture.

Two of the new eunuchs had shifty eyes and were looking all around, as if memorizing the terrain.

When they saw him looking, they quickly lowered their heads.

The group quickly passed, but Lu Mingyuan furrowed his brow.

He glanced around and happened to see Zhou Pingfu, the Commander of the Imperial Guard, who was escorting them from behind.

He waved him over.

“Well, if it isn’t Commander Zhou.”

Seeing him, Zhou Pingfu quickly bowed. “Greetings, Your Highness.”

“Where did this group come from?” Lu Mingyuan asked.

Zhou Pingfu glanced at them and cupped his hands. “Oh, they’re the ones who just entered the palace to be castrated as eunuchs today. Is something wrong?”

“A couple of them… the way they walk, they look a bit like fake eunuchs. Maybe the job wasn’t done cleanly. You should keep an eye on them.”

“If that kind of person gets into the Harem, my Father Emperor will be furious.”

Hearing this, Zhou Pingfu glanced at the two men’s backs and nodded.

“Understood, Your Highness.”

…

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