Chapter 1376: Yanju

Though Linzi is vast, it is not without the magnificent mansions of the Nine Army Marshals.

Xiu Mansion, located in the heart of Jinxian Ward, was overseen by the esteemed craftsman of the current dynasty, truly displaying an imposing grandeur.

Since the case of Cui Zhu's assassination attempt on the Emperor, as the direct introducer of Cui Zhu to the Yellow River Convening, Xiu Yuan, the Marshal of the Captive Lightning Army, was immediately relieved of his duties that very day, pending investigation.

Though not imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, he was confined to his home, forbidden to take even a single step outside.

Unlike Cao Jie's subtle house arrest, where he feigned openness while secretly preparing, Xiu Yuan was truly imprisoned, his cultivation locked away. Only out of consideration for the dignity of a Nine Army Marshal was he not cast into prison.

However, several months have passed since the assassination attempt. The investigation into Xiu Yuan has made no breakthrough progress. The Son of Heaven has also not appointed a new Marshal for the Captive Lightning Army, still allowing the First General of the Captive Lightning Army under Xiu Yuan to temporarily lead this formidable force.

For a time, the matter was thus delayed.

On this day, esteemed guests arrived at the Xiu family.

It was Yan Tu, who, like Xiu Yuan, was a Nine Army Marshal, commanding the Rain Slaying Army.

This person and Xiu Yuan were close friends, known throughout the court and populace. They both came from ordinary backgrounds, having risen from the lower ranks of the military to the position of Nine Army Marshal, and shared a sense of mutual admiration.

When the mad scholar Xu Fang was still in his prime, he wrote in an essay – "A great man travels a distant road," the "distant" and "road" here actually referring to Xiu Yuan and Yan Tu, not merely a journey.

Among the Nine Army Marshals, he admired these two the most. Of course, these two might not have known who Xu Fang was.

When Xiu Yuan was first relieved of his duties pending investigation, it was Yan Tu who repeatedly submitted nine memorials, forcefully arguing for Xiu Yuan's innocence and requesting the Emperor's clarity. Later, he even blocked the East Hua Pavilion to directly remonstrate with the Emperor!

Touched by Yan Tu's deep loyalty and righteousness, the Emperor personally kicked him out of the East Hua Pavilion and fined him ten years' salary...

In a quietly furnished study.

Yan Tu, clad in armor, sat opposite Xiu Yuan, who was wearing casual home attire.

On the wall facing them hung a bow and saber, which accentuated Xiu Yuan's neatly bound hair. He sat upright with a straight back, and though confined at home, he still possessed a sharp demeanor.

At this moment, he was unhurriedly boiling tea. Refinement and sharpness, these two temperaments, were perfectly united in him.

Sitting opposite him, Yan Tu was entirely different. With thick eyebrows and wide eyes, a prominent nose, and full lips, he possessed a somewhat boorish air. His posture was also very relaxed, with one foot half raised and the other casually splayed.

"I say, stop boiling," Yan Tu glanced at the teapot and said impatiently, "No matter how well you boil the tea, you won't blend into the circle of the old Qis, nor will you gain their trust. What's the point?"

Xiu Yuan remained unmoved, continuing his task, slowly saying, "Why can't I gain their trust?"

"How many months has it been?" Seeing him like this, Yan Tu was immediately irritated. "If they trusted you, how could you, the esteemed Marshal of the Captive Lightning Army, still be idling at home?"

Xiu Yuan smiled, "The matter hasn't been fully investigated yet, so of course I cannot leave."

"With those useless people from the Capital City Inspection Bureau?! If they can't investigate clearly in ten years, will you, Xiu Yuan, be imprisoned for ten years? If they can never investigate clearly, will you be locked in your home for a lifetime?"

The water had boiled. Xiu Yuan lifted the teapot from the small stove and unhurriedly warmed the teacups, saying casually, "It's better than being locked in prison, isn't it?"

Yan Tu sneered, "I never knew General Xiu was so skilled at comforting himself!"

Xiu Yuan sighed, "Recommending Cui Zhu was indeed my oversight. Disturbing the imperial presence and nearly staining the imperial name... The fact that I can still sit here and boil tea with you, Brother Yan, I am already content."

"Committing the crime of oversight and being relieved of duty pending investigation is certainly proper, there's nothing for us to say, but when will the investigation be completed, surely there should be a plan?!" Yan Tu said discontentedly, "There's no movement whatsoever from the Northern Bureau, Zheng Shi avoids me every day. And you, Xiu Yuan, the esteemed True Person of this age, a Nine Army Marshal, cannot leave this single residence! Day after day, with no end in sight! You have rendered countless meritorious services for our Great Qi, how can you endure such humiliation?"

Xiu Yuan shook his head, "Even the Eleventh Prince lost favor after Zhang Yong's weeping at the ancestral temple. With Cui Zhu's assassination attempt on the Emperor, how could I be an exception?"

Yan Tu angrily said, "How can you and the Eleventh Prince be the same thing? How can these two matters be confused?"

"Perhaps they can, perhaps they cannot," Xiu Yuan opened a green bamboo jar, carefully took out the stored emerald green tea leaves with bamboo tweezers, and placed them in the teacup, saying, "I believe everything has a price. The mistakes I made, I need to bear. The merits I earned, His Majesty will remember... It's not impossible to recuperate for a few years."

"His Majesty is naturally wise and mighty," Yan Tu said in a deep voice, "I only fear someone is blinding the imperial ears!"

"Since His Majesty is wise and mighty, how could he be blinded?" Xiu Yuan completed the final step and then extended a hand, saying, "Brother Yan, please have some tea."

The night was blocked outside the door. Yan Tu looked at the steam rising from the teacup, and just before drinking, a thought suddenly struck him—

At this very moment, does that Eleventh Prince have the leisure to drink tea?

"Cough cough cough... cough cough cough..."

Violent coughing echoed back and forth in the palace, piercing through this long night.

Feng Gu, the deeply wrinkled Chief Eunuch of the Longevity Palace, looked ahead with worry. The dark color in his eyes flickered in and out.

On the desk before him, a piece of pure white Xuan paper was spread, on which was an unfinished piece of calligraphy.

The young prince, wrapped in a white fox fur cloak, sat before the desk. His left hand was clenched into a fist, the back of his hand lightly covering his lips, coughing until his pale face turned red. His right hand held a wolf hair brush, suspended above the inkstone. A drop of ink hung from the tip of the brush, trembling with his cough, yet refusing to fall.

Only when the coughing gradually subsided did Feng Gu softly advise, "Your Highness, please have a bowl of medicine."

In the upper left corner of the desk, a white jade bowl was placed, black medicinal liquid resting within, a few wisps of steam still lingering.

"I don't want to drink it anymore," Jiang Wuqi said with some difficulty.

He coughed a few more times before finally steadying himself.

He remained in this posture, holding the wolf hair brush suspended, and turned his head to look out the window.

Unbeknownst to him, the faint dawn light had already pierced through the night sky.

"There should be news from Xingyueyuan," he said softly.

As if in response to his words, footsteps happened to sound outside the palace, their pace rapid.

Feng Gu subtly shifted his body, already blocking the palace door.

After a short while, the footsteps faded into the distance, and Feng Gu returned to the desk, but with an extra letter in his hand.

"Your Highness, urgent military intelligence."

"Read."

Feng Gu opened the letter and read as he looked, "The outcome at Xingyueyuan has been decided. Jiang Qingyang has returned from outside the heavens, settling the situation with a single sword. The God of War and the Marshal of the Dou’e Army, Yu Que, have already signed the 'Xingyue Accord' at Wanhe Temple."

After reading the urgent letter, although Feng Gu's face showed no expression, his eyes were filled with both respect and admiration.

In his early years, he was a confidant of Noble Consort Lei, serving her diligently. After Noble Consort Lei was assassinated, he voluntarily requested to serve Jiang Wuqi.

For so many years, it can be said that he watched Jiang Wuqi grow up day by day.

This illustrious imperial descendant, who endured suffering unimaginable to ordinary people, also possessed wisdom and talent that ordinary people could not reach.

Just as at this moment.

He knew just as much about the intelligence from Xingyueyuan as Jiang Wuqi, but he had no foresight regarding the war's direction, while Jiang Wuqi could accurately predict the war's end time.

Without a deep understanding of the geniuses of both sides and the entire battlefield situation, it would be impossible to make such a clear deduction of the battle.

"I had thought that Chen Suan or Chongxuan Sheng would shine brightly in this battle, but I didn't expect Jiang Qingyang to return again," Jiang Wuqi paused here and then said, "It seems the anomaly of the Yuheng Star is also related to him... Speaking of which, how did the Military Affairs Department handle his leaving the camp during the battle?"

"Cancelled out with merit," Feng Gu said.

Jiang Wuqi was silent for a moment and said, "Presumably, the 'Xingyue Accord' emphasized the punishment of the Zhuang Kingdom."

Hearing this, Feng Gu flipped to the back pages of the letter for the detailed articles of the "Xingyue Accord" - he knew the earlier treaty, so he hadn't looked closely before.

Upon flipping, he was immediately somewhat stunned. A treaty between two great hegemonic nations, a treaty signed after such a war, every word had to be carefully considered, and now it had been adjusted for Jiang Wang?

How terrifying were this person's actions on the battlefield?

"Truly..." Feng Gu was momentarily speechless.

"This gentleman is destined to soar!" Jiang Wuqi sighed with emotion, then smiled and turned his gaze back to the Xuan paper.

The drop of ink on the tip of the brush finally fell, creating a ripple in the inkstone.

He lifted the brush and completed the last few words in a single stroke.

Then he put down the brush, stood up, and walked outside alone.

Feng Gu took a step to follow but was stopped by his raised palm, "For so many years, you have worked hard for me. This short path, I will walk it myself."

"Your Highness..." Feng Gu stood in place, his voice trembling.

The imperial descendant wrapped in a white fox fur cloak walked as he smiled and asked, "His Majesty is a sagacious emperor, the God of War is the pillar supporting the seas now, Jiang Qingyang is the future pillar supporting the heavens... The Crown Prince is magnanimous and cautious, possessing the appearance of a sovereign; the Third Sister has uniquely created the Dao of Martial Arts, her aura vast; the Ninth Brother is intelligent and outstanding, embodying noble fortune... Then who am I? Who am I?"

He asked this as he walked away, waiting for no one's answer.

There was no need for an answer at all.

Feng Gu stood silently before the desk, his expression sorrowful.

The Eleventh Prince of Great Qi, who is he?

Originally the master of the Longevity Palace, the most beloved son of the current emperor, his actions and strategies were grand and imposing, deeply trusted by the populace, and publicly acknowledged as "most resembling the current Emperor," also the most powerful contender for the position of Crown Prince.

But because of the case of Zhang Yong's weeping at the ancestral temple, overnight, the court and populace fell silent.

The Zhang clan of Fengxian were descendants of meritorious ministers who aided in the restoration. Jiang Wuqi's acceptance of Zhang Yong was out of consideration for the state's reputation. All cultivation methods and resources were not diminished for him... The result in the end was this. 999 Novel m.999xs

How could Feng Gu not be sad?

That imperial descendant who would say, "Towards Great Qi, is towards me," now asks himself – "Who am I?"

How could his elderly attendants not be heartbroken by the sorrow in Jiang Wuqi's words?

But looking at Jiang Wuqi's back, he could only remain silent.

Silently watching Jiang Wuqi walk out of the palace, silently rolling up the calligraphy Jiang Wuqi had finished, silently like a solitary spirit drifting in the vast palace...

Wandering from the thirty-ninth year of Yuanfeng to the present.

The highest mountain in Linzi city should be Yunwu Mountain.

On the winding path amidst layers of clouds and mist, the figure wrapped in a white fox fur cloak slowly approached.

At that time, the sky was faintly lit, and even at such a high altitude, it had not fully brightened.

That thin figure walked in the clouds and mist, and although he gradually drew near, he still felt very distant.

Although Tianxiang Yun Pavilion, one of the four famous establishments in Linzi, was located here, Jiang Wuqi did not come for the beauties.

He would come in the morning light, ascend Yunwu Mountain, and sit alone in the stone pavilion at the summit.

A pot of flower tea hidden in the clouds, sitting from sunrise to noon.

Since that time he stood naked at the Purple Extreme Palace holding a jade, he spent many days cultivating this habit.

Rather than saying it was a form of enjoyment, it was more a form of self-punishment.

For Jiang Wuqi, who had suffered from the cold poison since infancy, being in this high, windy, and cold place was almost like being tortured.

If in the past he needed to use these actions to show that the cold poison could not affect him at all, to build confidence for the people of the Longevity Palace line, then now that he has lost favor, what is the meaning of him coming here?

The Emperor's heart, the position of Crown Prince, could they be obtained by playing the victim?

A person like Jiang Wuqi should not do meaningless things.

Many people couldn't help but wonder—

Is this Eleventh Prince of the Great Qi Empire cultivating in this cold place?

Or, is he here to look for some clue?

Upon closer examination, Yunwu Mountain was the place where Zhang Yong, after joining the Longevity Palace, first fought for Jiang Wuqi in public. His opponent at that time was none other than the now world-renowned Jiang Qingyang.

At that time, Jiang Qingyang won with a single Eight Tone Flame Sparrow, and Jiang Wuqi pardoned Zhang Yong's defeat, not changing his trust, and thus gained the hearts of the people.

Speaking of which, both Jiang Wang and Jiang Wuqi handled the situation properly at that time, achieving a win-win result.

Who would have thought that it was Zhang Yong, later on, who would cause Jiang Wang to be suspected of treason? It was also Zhang Yong who would obstruct Jiang Wuqi's path to the heavens?

Things in the world are unpredictable, to this extent.

Whether it was Cui Zhu's assassination attempt on the Emperor or Zhang Yong's weeping at the ancestral temple, both happened too suddenly, without any warning beforehand, and the timing was extremely precise. Although the troubles created were easily wiped away by the Qi Emperor with a casual move like overturning a mountain, one thing that must be said is that the power of the Equal Kingdom was deeply hidden and sufficiently concealed in this eastern hegemonic nation to accomplish these great deeds.

It is only a pity that those who were stirred into it have been covered in mud.

Now Jiang Wang has cleared his name and illuminated the world. And what about him, Jiang Wuqi, the master of the Longevity Palace?

In the battle of Xingyueyuan, the Qi genius defeated the Jing genius, the future of Qi defeated the future of Jing, the vast Great Qi, its prestige greatly increased!

This is truly the time of splendor for the Great Qi Empire. What kind of mood was Jiang Wuqi in as he walked on the plank road of Yunwu Mountain this morning?

Today, Feng Gu was not present, nor were there any other attendants.

There were many powerful individuals in Linzi city, but none would constantly monitor every place.

So, when a hunched old man leaning on a staff approached him, it did not seem surprising.

The old man walked very slowly, his steps can be described as faltering.

But for someone as faltering as him to walk on this shaky plank road was inherently awkward.

Jiang Wuqi seemed not to feel awkward and continued to walk forward.

It was too early at this time, and there was no third person on the plank road.

Those who spent the night on Yunwu Mountain were all on the soft couches at Tianxiang Yun Pavilion at this hour.

For a while, there was only the mountain wind, and the unending cough, and the sound of the walking stick tapping on the plank road—

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."

"Cough cough cough..."

"Thump thump thump..."