Volume 4, Chapter 145 – Voices in the Capital

Not long after Bai Xiang brought Zhu Qingluo flying straight back to Cloud-Gazing Wine House, she discovered that quite a few disciples from the dojo had gathered on the floor, each of them staring at her with openly worshipful eyes.

“You’re about to become very famous,” Zhu Qingluo said to her, sounding almost emotional, and even a little schadenfreude-filled.

By her estimate, the court of the main world might refrain from punishing Bai Xiang on the grounds that “Bai Xiang’s actions are beneficial to maintaining the current order of rule.” They might even put on a show of announcing rewards for her and publicly stand on her side.

But those people would definitely carry back everything she had said on the scene, especially that line about an “order.” That part alone would probably enrage the emperor of the main world court to death.

And in truth, that was exactly what happened. That very night, Yu Emperor Yao Xing flew into a rage in Qianyu Palace. He smashed no one knew how many exquisite porcelain pieces. If several of his consorts had not rushed to comfort and placate him, he would almost have coughed blood from fury again.

The reason was simple. If Bai Xiang’s words were omitted, then her actions could indeed be said to have helped maintain the rule on this side.

But if those words were not omitted, then that “order” she had spoken of was a naked attempt to supplant the current authority.

A mere Dao Lord of the Nine Prefectures… who gave you the right to say something like that?

Who, exactly, was the one in charge of Tongyun Circuit? Who, exactly, was the one in charge of Jingzhou?

Yao Xing was furious beyond measure, and what choked him most was that he had no way to say any of this aloud.

He truly had no way. His own preference was naturally to condemn Bai Xiang on the spot, even declare her an enemy of the state, and demand that everyone, ideally all the competitors, shun her and help him kill that demon woman.

But the Grand Empress Dowager refused.

She said things like, “This is not bad either. It just so happens that she can help suppress the arrogance of those Void People,” and also warned Yao Xing “not to act on emotion” and “to learn how to use these unstable factors to consolidate your own momentum.”

“Bullshit momentum!”

Yao Xing lay on his bed and shouted.

“I don’t cultivate martial power. What do I need momentum for? Do you expect me to go onto the stage and fight her myself?”

The imperial authority had been insulted, yet he was expected to swallow it down. Not only did he have to cover up Bai Zhixing’s outrageous words at the scene, he even had to help promote her and allow public opinion to praise her.

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All of this disgusted Yao Xing to no end. He felt as though he had eaten three jin of excrement. If he did not vent it, he would surely develop some depressive disorder.

While he raged here, the commotion in the palace naturally leaked out to some degree.

The informants did not need to say much. They only needed to pass along a hint or two, and the masters behind them could infer the rest from the broader situation.

For a time, undercurrents surged and hearts shifted. The emotions hanging over Jingzhou were like smoke and cloud beneath the night sky, impossible to see through clearly.

“So such a thing happened.”

In the Eastern Prince’s Manor, Crown Prince Yao Quan sat in a secret chamber reading intelligence reports. Combining them with the rumors drifting out from the palace, he could not help marveling at Bai Xiang’s boldness and brilliance.

“What an extraordinary woman. A pity she cannot be used by me.”

“Your Highness,” came a voice of caution from the shadows beside him. “Fang Wenyuan disappeared in Qiyun Circuit, and Steward Long is also missing. Judging from the recent changes in policy in Qizhou, this was most likely her doing as well.”

“I already guessed as much.” Yao Quan did not look particularly bothered. “Fang Xiaochun and his daughter both teleported to Zhennan. Do you think I’m so dull that I can’t tell what happened?”

“I would not dare.” The voice lowered itself at once. “I only mean to remind Your Highness a little… that demon woman is strange and dangerous. Do not dwell on her too much.”

I’m not so desperate that I’ve fallen that low.

Yao Quan almost laughed in irritation.

Bai Xiang’s appearance and bearing were indeed excellent. One might even say that among all the women he had seen, none surpassed her.

But the scale of his ambitions would never be constrained by a woman. At most, he might probe a little. Even in the absolute best case, if she truly agreed, he would still not become emotionally attached.

“Originally, both Qizhou and Maozhou were meant to be included.” Yao Quan sighed. “Still, this wasn’t entirely beyond expectation… How are things on the Yiinbu Federation side?”

“The latest message from those people says that infiltration and control are basically complete.”

“Well, there you have it.” Yao Quan smiled.

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“The tribulation struggle only requires that a new dynasty be selected in the main world. It never said where exactly that dynasty must be placed.”

“Don’t just stand around here. Go ask the hidden watchers around my imperial relatives. Before I sleep tonight, I want to know their reactions.”

Meanwhile, in Prince Duan’s Manor,

the Fourth Prince, Yao Feng, was likewise sitting in a secret chamber reading a handwritten report. But the focus of his attention was not the reaction in the capital. Instead, he was reviewing every development that had taken place after Bai Xiang’s encounter with Li Qianhe and his group at Cloud-Gazing Wine House.

“This Li Qianhe really is full of shit.”

Yao Feng laughed as he cursed while reading.

“It was plainly his daughter who was spoiled and unruly, who ran to someone else’s territory to kill and commit evil.”

“The key point is that she did not even give so much as a word of notice. Such rudeness. She really is a barbarian from some wilderness.”

“And after all that, he still has the nerve to ask me to mediate? Is he trying to make me walk over there and boost that demon woman’s reputation?”

“Send him a reply.” Yao Feng put down the letter. “Tell him I can’t help him in this matter. He can either withdraw from the competition or deal with the trouble he caused himself.”

That’s not what you were saying this afternoon…

Of course, the guards only dared think that in their hearts. They immediately accepted the order and went off to carry it out.

A similar scene was also playing out in Yong’an Manor. It was just that the little princess, Yao Ying, had an even worse temper than her brothers. It was said that she too smashed quite a few pieces of fine porcelain, and even had two maidservants who tried to dissuade her beaten to death on the spot.

Why else would people say that, in temperament, the little princess most resembled her father?

The favor she enjoyed from Qianyu Palace had never been without cause.

“What are my brothers up to?”

After venting her temper, Yao Ying asked her subordinates in a cold, sinister tone.

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“Your Highness… at the very least, there does not seem to be any movement from either the Eastern Prince’s Manor or Prince Duan’s Manor…”

“How could there be no movement over something this big! Can’t you even handle this much? Have you been given less support than they were?”

Yao Ying wanted to lose her temper again, but in the end she forced herself to hold back. Tightening her voice, she asked again, “The Eastern Prince’s Manor and Prince Duan’s Manor are both stepping up their probing. Right now I want to know what the Northern Prince’s Manor… what that elder brother of mine is doing.”

This time her request was satisfied quickly. Before long the report came back: Northern Prince Yao Sheng was simply busy with the garden at home, and taking care of the seriously ill Consort Xue.

“Something this big happens, and he still acts as though nothing is wrong.” Yao Ying sneered. “His act is a little too much.”

That may not be an act at all…

Quite a few maidservants muttered inwardly.

After all, although the Northern Prince enjoyed a reputation for talent, he had in effect already been “dismissed” because of the military losses on the northern frontier. Even if he had not personally commanded the fighting, and those defeats were not his fault, once a prince had lost even the territory nominally attached to his name, there was no way he could still scrape together resources to support people under him.

And so the Northern Prince had fallen from favor. He had even dismissed quite a few of his own close retainers. Qianyu Palace’s attitude toward him had likewise grown colder with each passing day. It was even said that he had suffered a serious illness not long ago, and after waking, seemed like a changed person.

The maidservants could not understand it. A Northern Prince in this state had basically already announced his withdrawal from the struggle. So why was the little princess still unable to let him go? Why was she still sending people to watch him?

In truth, even Yao Ying herself did not understand this point.

She had never cared about Yao Sheng. He did indeed have talent, but it was the kind of talent belonging to a man of letters. His temperament was likewise influenced by books, to the point of being somewhat pedantic, even indecisive.

He had actually treated her as a younger sister. He had wanted to look after her and care for her.

Yao Ying could not understand Yao Sheng’s way of thinking. Was this really something a member of the imperial clan could afford to hope for?

And so, long ago, she had already concluded that Yao Sheng was hopeless.

Talent?

The talent a master should have is understanding how to recognize and use people. Understanding that when it is time to be ruthless, one must be ruthless.

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If all you do is study empty, illusory things, then surviving at all is already proof that your fate is strong.

But the order to “watch Yao Sheng” came from Blood Soul Heaven’s intelligence division.

That was something she could not afford to ignore, though for the moment she still did not understand the reason.

On the other side, in the Northern Prince’s Manor,

the atmosphere was much colder and emptier than in the residences of the other royals.

A beautifully dressed young man emerged from a room carrying an empty bowl. His features were handsome and refined, his expression mild and elegant, though he looked somewhat weak, as if he really had been gravely ill not long ago.

“Boy! You really have no interest in that Bai Zhixing?”

A voice suddenly sounded by his ear, audible to Yao Sheng alone.

“Senior, please don’t joke like that.”

Yao Sheng’s expression remained very calm.

“That isn’t something I should be distracted by at my current stage.”

“You little brat. Not only could you resist my possession, your thoughts are this steady and meticulous too!”

That voice clicked its tongue in amazement again.

“Hmph… Seeing that you’re still reasonably respectful, I’ll teach you two more moves.”

“Practice them well.”

“When you make your way out in the future, don’t disgrace my name!”