What a mess this is!
The Jinyiwei knew more or less some of the secrets of the palace.
They knew more than the court officials, yet less than the eunuchs.
Matters of the inner court were often controlled before they could leave the palace gates. What the emperor liked or disliked was among the utmost taboos, absolutely not to be inquired about, for inquiring could mean losing one’s head.
Sixteen years ago, Lu Zhang massacred the Chu dynasty’s royal family.
The capital was rivers of blood, let alone the inner court; not a single palace wall was left unstained.
Perhaps because of this, the palace servants of the Qi dynasty were very timid, hardly ever gossiping. They were more like trees or grass within the palace, or the least noticeable decorations in the splendid halls, bowing their heads to anyone they saw.
Walking without sound, wearing the same style of robes.
The palace maids had the same hairstyle, wore the same jewelry.
Not to mention from afar, even up close it was hard to distinguish who was who.
In the vast palace, with countless palace maids and eunuchs… it seemed only a few had names and were considered human.
As a deputy commander of the Jinyiwei, Gong Jun did not recognize the capable people around the concubines and consorts, only the eunuchs and matrons in charge within the twelve bureaus of the inner court, and only remembered the servants close to the emperor and princes.
These people had power and knew many things, and could speak with both the Jinyiwei and the court officials, but they would not utter a word about things they shouldn’t.
However, some secrets cannot be kept by simply not speaking of them.
What a shrewd person the deputy commander was, able to meticulously uncover the true identity of the abbot of Liuhe Temple, not letting any clue that came before him go unnoticed.
It wasn’t that he wanted to gain the emperor’s favor or blackmail others through these, but to avoid getting into trouble unknowingly, and most importantly—
For the future!
Even as a deputy commander of the Jinyiwei, the emperor could dismiss him at will.
With each emperor come new officials, Gong Jun not only had to ensure his position was secure during Lu Zhang’s reign but also had to think about what comes after the emperor’s demise.
It was a matter concerning his retirement, not to be taken lightly.
This wasn’t just Gong Jun’s concern; wasn’t his superior, the commander of the Jinyiwei, also scheming about this?
“The crown prince’s health has been deteriorating over the years, fearing he may not live to ascend the throne. This is a hidden worry of the present times, including the Jinyiwei, many court officials are pondering over the next candidate for the Eastern Palace, trying to curry favor, or at the very least, form a good relationship.”
Gong Jun carefully chose his words, then continued in a whisper, “However, the court officials quickly ceased their maneuvers. Not counting those who died young, there are only four princes in the palace, excluding the gravely ill crown prince and the underage sixth prince, the remaining two each have their shortcomings.”
The second prince is deaf in the left ear, bearing a defect that almost nullifies his chance of ascending the throne, unless all of Lu Zhang’s sons were to die, leaving him the only option.
The third prince is cowardly and incompetent, shallow in learning, lacking the qualifications to be the crown prince. His advantages are only highlighted by his brothers.
“…The sixth prince does have some cleverness, but his temperament is odd, often making shocking moves. If choosing between the third and sixth prince to inherit the throne, the court officials would undoubtedly support the third prince.”
A weak emperor is easy to manipulate, and incompetence is preferable to whimsically tormenting the officials.
The Chen dynasty once had an emperor who, despite unanimous opposition, insisted on leading a military campaign, only to be disastrously defeated by the state of Xi Liang and died from his injuries.
“So, the third prince has an absolute advantage, and the second prince must rebel?” Meng Qi asked coldly.
Honestly, Meng Qi wasn’t interested in who wanted to rebel; the Qi dynasty’s emperor Lu Zhang was a source of his disdain. However, changing dynasties was no trivial matter; even usurpation could affect the people of Taijing.
It had been sixteen years, and the capital had just begun to recover some vitality. Could it be that it would be engulfed in flames again?
Meng Qi frowned deeply.
If that rebellious prince was capable enough to dethrone Lu Zhang without bloodshed and ascend to the throne, Meng Qi would not object.
Now, with the Imperial Tomb of Emperor Li being destroyed and that prince colluding with Qingwu Ancestor…
Meng Qi’s anger was hard to quell; he was determined to settle this score!
“Why did you say then that any prince could be plotting rebellion?”
“…Because the third prince is not truly foolish; it’s hard to say what his character is like. The eunuchs around him are very afraid of him. If this is all an act, what is he scheming? Could the crown prince’s illness be related to him? These things are hard to say.”
“Interesting, what about the sixth prince who is not in the capital?”
“He has spoken some disrespectful words in private. If we talk about rebellious intentions, his were the most evident, but the sixth prince has neither power nor influence, and the court officials do not favor him, so even if he wanted to do something, it’s not possible.”
Meng Qi sensed something was amiss and questioned, “Does Lu Zhang have no preference among his sons?”
A child favored by the emperor is always more likely to succeed the throne.
Gong Jun slowly shook his head, his expression somewhat strange.
“None of the princes have the emperor’s favor; they could be scolded, confined, or ordered to transcribe books at any moment. The crown prince, however, is not subjected to such humiliations, but his days are not easy either. The officials of the Eastern Palace keep a low profile, and those who side with the crown prince are suppressed even more. Over time, everyone knew that getting close to the crown prince was taboo and naturally stayed away from him.”
The Qi dynasty’s crown prince was truly isolated, with only his title of nobility, and apart from the crown princess, no one dared to speak in his favor.
The orthodox Confucians and talents had either been killed or resigned when Lu Zhang usurped the throne and changed the dynasty, leaving only those in court to carefully preserve their positions.
Mo Li recalled the day he sneaked into the residence of the Jinyiwei’s covert operatives in Pingzhou, capturing someone to question their identity, only for that person to mistakenly think he was County Magistrate Xue and falsely accuse the crown prince, claiming they were sent by him.
At the time, it seemed like those Jinyiwei were just trying to confuse the issue with their nonsense.
Thinking back, framing the crown prince for any misstep they made probably wasn’t rare for them.
It was convenient and seemed inconsequential…
“This crown prince sounds like a pitiful person,” Mo Li sighed.
What a dying man wants to do is often unpredictable.
Perhaps the crown prince, having endured a lifetime of suffering and realizing he didn’t have much time left, looked back on all the injustices he suffered and, fueled by rage, decided to plot a rebellion. Even if unsuccessful, he wouldn’t make it easy for the emperor!
Meng Qi listened.
If the truth were so, then a mad Qingwu Ancestor and a dying crown prince… who knows if they would turn Taijing upside down.
Meng Qi glanced at Mo Li beside him.
Strangely, in the past, Meng Qi often looked at him without Mo Li feeling anything, but now, he felt slightly uncomfortable under that gaze.
Could this be an aftereffect of losing control over his internal energy? Mo Li absentmindedly scanned the martial artists hidden around them, roughly estimating there were about a hundred.
As time passed, the number would only increase.
Although Mo Li needed over half an hour to recover his internal energy, he didn’t think delaying was a good idea.
“We might not have time to figure out who wants to rebel, what about the Imperial Tomb of Emperor Li now?” Mo Li pointed to the hole in front of them.
“The tomb’s burial objects are numerous…”
Meng Qi eyed Gong Jun, seeing no greedy expression on the latter’s face, then slowly said, “What’s exposed now is just a part of the tomb, there are three levels in total, with Chen Emperor Li’s burial chamber on the lowest level. The mechanisms inside should still be intact, unless one is adept in both Qimen Dunjia and mechanism arts, has tomb raiding experience, and possesses profound internal energy, otherwise, it’s a dead end.”
Or if they could manipulate dragon veins.
“But there’s nothing worth taking.” Meng Qi listed the tomb’s treasures as if reciting from a list, “An eight-sided mountain and river screen, made of gilded cloisonné, too big to fit in an ordinary house’s main hall without damaging it; the Five Sacred Mountains Ding, bronze vessels symbolizing mountains and rivers in the tomb, five in total, each with intricate patterns and inscriptions praising the deities of the Five Sacred Mountains, each weighing five hundred jin; a nine-dragon jade bi embedded in the main chamber’s wall, wanting to take it requires prying; a set of golden nanmu furniture, about a hundred gold and silver utensils, three hundred lacquerwares, three hundred stone chariots and horses…”
Gong Jun was speechless and blurted out, “How do you know all this?”
“What do you think?”
Someone with an attitude of “Because I am Meng Qi, that’s why I know”, Gong Jun was left speechless, unable to find a retort. After all, why wouldn’t others know unless Meng Qi was just making things up?
“The news has already spread. Even if we try to empty the tomb, martial artists from the jianghu will continue to flock to Dragon Claw Peak, attempting to excavate the ruins of Liuhe Temple in hopes of discovering a few missed treasures.”
Dragon Claw Peak would never find peace again.
This was the main reason for Meng Qi’s irritation.
If the imperial tomb remained undiscovered, it would forever be just a rumor.
Once it appears…
“Fill it up?”
“It will just be dug up again,” Meng Qi said expressionlessly.
The gunpowder and the red mist emerging from the tomb prevented the growth of dense vegetation nearby.
Liuhe Temple, unlike the Xianyue Pavilion, was located on the slope above, not as easily concealed as its neighbor. Even with a surge of spiritual energy promoting wild growth, it couldn’t form a naturally occurring maze. It could only trouble those climbing the mountain, making them take hours longer on their journey.
“Even if the entire capital is in turmoil due to rebellion, those set on finding treasures will not be driven away no matter what.”
On one side is Emperor Li’s Tomb, on the other, a capital at the brink of chaos.
Not only Meng Qi felt troubled, but Gong Jun was also extremely stressed.
Mo Li decisively said: “Then let them believe that this imperial tomb is fake! It’s a trap laid by the Qingwu Ancestor using a false tomb!”
What a mess this is!
The Jinyiwei knew more or less some of the secrets of the palace.
They knew more than the court officials, yet less than the eunuchs.
Matters of the inner court were often controlled before they could leave the palace gates. What the emperor liked or disliked was among the utmost taboos, absolutely not to be inquired about, for inquiring could mean losing one’s head.
Sixteen years ago, Lu Zhang massacred the Chu dynasty’s royal family.
The capital was rivers of blood, let alone the inner court; not a single palace wall was left unstained.
Perhaps because of this, the palace servants of the Qi dynasty were very timid, hardly ever gossiping. They were more like trees or grass within the palace, or the least noticeable decorations in the splendid halls, bowing their heads to anyone they saw.
Walking without sound, wearing the same style of robes.
The palace maids had the same hairstyle, wore the same jewelry.
Not to mention from afar, even up close it was hard to distinguish who was who.
In the vast palace, with countless palace maids and eunuchs… it seemed only a few had names and were considered human.
As a deputy commander of the Jinyiwei, Gong Jun did not recognize the capable people around the concubines and consorts, only the eunuchs and matrons in charge within the twelve bureaus of the inner court, and only remembered the servants close to the emperor and princes.
These people had power and knew many things, and could speak with both the Jinyiwei and the court officials, but they would not utter a word about things they shouldn’t.
However, some secrets cannot be kept by simply not speaking of them.
What a shrewd person the deputy commander was, able to meticulously uncover the true identity of the abbot of Liuhe Temple, not letting any clue that came before him go unnoticed.
It wasn’t that he wanted to gain the emperor’s favor or blackmail others through these, but to avoid getting into trouble unknowingly, and most importantly—
For the future!
Even as a deputy commander of the Jinyiwei, the emperor could dismiss him at will.
With each emperor come new officials, Gong Jun not only had to ensure his position was secure during Lu Zhang’s reign but also had to think about what comes after the emperor’s demise.
It was a matter concerning his retirement, not to be taken lightly.
This wasn’t just Gong Jun’s concern; wasn’t his superior, the commander of the Jinyiwei, also scheming about this?
“The crown prince’s health has been deteriorating over the years, fearing he may not live to ascend the throne. This is a hidden worry of the present times, including the Jinyiwei, many court officials are pondering over the next candidate for the Eastern Palace, trying to curry favor, or at the very least, form a good relationship.”
Gong Jun carefully chose his words, then continued in a whisper, “However, the court officials quickly ceased their maneuvers. Not counting those who died young, there are only four princes in the palace, excluding the gravely ill crown prince and the underage sixth prince, the remaining two each have their shortcomings.”
The second prince is deaf in the left ear, bearing a defect that almost nullifies his chance of ascending the throne, unless all of Lu Zhang’s sons were to die, leaving him the only option.
The third prince is cowardly and incompetent, shallow in learning, lacking the qualifications to be the crown prince. His advantages are only highlighted by his brothers.
“…The sixth prince does have some cleverness, but his temperament is odd, often making shocking moves. If choosing between the third and sixth prince to inherit the throne, the court officials would undoubtedly support the third prince.”
A weak emperor is easy to manipulate, and incompetence is preferable to whimsically tormenting the officials.
The Chen dynasty once had an emperor who, despite unanimous opposition, insisted on leading a military campaign, only to be disastrously defeated by the state of Xi Liang and died from his injuries.
“So, the third prince has an absolute advantage, and the second prince must rebel?” Meng Qi asked coldly.
Honestly, Meng Qi wasn’t interested in who wanted to rebel; the Qi dynasty’s emperor Lu Zhang was a source of his disdain. However, changing dynasties was no trivial matter; even usurpation could affect the people of Taijing.
It had been sixteen years, and the capital had just begun to recover some vitality. Could it be that it would be engulfed in flames again?
Meng Qi frowned deeply.
If that rebellious prince was capable enough to dethrone Lu Zhang without bloodshed and ascend to the throne, Meng Qi would not object.
Now, with the Imperial Tomb of Emperor Li being destroyed and that prince colluding with Qingwu Ancestor…
Meng Qi’s anger was hard to quell; he was determined to settle this score!
“Why did you say then that any prince could be plotting rebellion?”
“…Because the third prince is not truly foolish; it’s hard to say what his character is like. The eunuchs around him are very afraid of him. If this is all an act, what is he scheming? Could the crown prince’s illness be related to him? These things are hard to say.”
“Interesting, what about the sixth prince who is not in the capital?”
“He has spoken some disrespectful words in private. If we talk about rebellious intentions, his were the most evident, but the sixth prince has neither power nor influence, and the court officials do not favor him, so even if he wanted to do something, it’s not possible.”
Meng Qi sensed something was amiss and questioned, “Does Lu Zhang have no preference among his sons?”
A child favored by the emperor is always more likely to succeed the throne.
Gong Jun slowly shook his head, his expression somewhat strange.
“None of the princes have the emperor’s favor; they could be scolded, confined, or ordered to transcribe books at any moment. The crown prince, however, is not subjected to such humiliations, but his days are not easy either. The officials of the Eastern Palace keep a low profile, and those who side with the crown prince are suppressed even more. Over time, everyone knew that getting close to the crown prince was taboo and naturally stayed away from him.”
The Qi dynasty’s crown prince was truly isolated, with only his title of nobility, and apart from the crown princess, no one dared to speak in his favor.
The orthodox Confucians and talents had either been killed or resigned when Lu Zhang usurped the throne and changed the dynasty, leaving only those in court to carefully preserve their positions.
Mo Li recalled the day he sneaked into the residence of the Jinyiwei’s covert operatives in Pingzhou, capturing someone to question their identity, only for that person to mistakenly think he was County Magistrate Xue and falsely accuse the crown prince, claiming they were sent by him.
At the time, it seemed like those Jinyiwei were just trying to confuse the issue with their nonsense.
Thinking back, framing the crown prince for any misstep they made probably wasn’t rare for them.
It was convenient and seemed inconsequential…
“This crown prince sounds like a pitiful person,” Mo Li sighed.
What a dying man wants to do is often unpredictable.
Perhaps the crown prince, having endured a lifetime of suffering and realizing he didn’t have much time left, looked back on all the injustices he suffered and, fueled by rage, decided to plot a rebellion. Even if unsuccessful, he wouldn’t make it easy for the emperor!
Meng Qi listened.
If the truth were so, then a mad Qingwu Ancestor and a dying crown prince… who knows if they would turn Taijing upside down.
Meng Qi glanced at Mo Li beside him.
Strangely, in the past, Meng Qi often looked at him without Mo Li feeling anything, but now, he felt slightly uncomfortable under that gaze.
Could this be an aftereffect of losing control over his internal energy? Mo Li absentmindedly scanned the martial artists hidden around them, roughly estimating there were about a hundred.
As time passed, the number would only increase.
Although Mo Li needed over half an hour to recover his internal energy, he didn’t think delaying was a good idea.
“We might not have time to figure out who wants to rebel, what about the Imperial Tomb of Emperor Li now?” Mo Li pointed to the hole in front of them.
“The tomb’s burial objects are numerous…”
Meng Qi eyed Gong Jun, seeing no greedy expression on the latter’s face, then slowly said, “What’s exposed now is just a part of the tomb, there are three levels in total, with Chen Emperor Li’s burial chamber on the lowest level. The mechanisms inside should still be intact, unless one is adept in both Qimen Dunjia and mechanism arts, has tomb raiding experience, and possesses profound internal energy, otherwise, it’s a dead end.”
Or if they could manipulate dragon veins.
“But there’s nothing worth taking.” Meng Qi listed the tomb’s treasures as if reciting from a list, “An eight-sided mountain and river screen, made of gilded cloisonné, too big to fit in an ordinary house’s main hall without damaging it; the Five Sacred Mountains Ding, bronze vessels symbolizing mountains and rivers in the tomb, five in total, each with intricate patterns and inscriptions praising the deities of the Five Sacred Mountains, each weighing five hundred jin; a nine-dragon jade bi embedded in the main chamber’s wall, wanting to take it requires prying; a set of golden nanmu furniture, about a hundred gold and silver utensils, three hundred lacquerwares, three hundred stone chariots and horses…”
Gong Jun was speechless and blurted out, “How do you know all this?”
“What do you think?”
Someone with an attitude of “Because I am Meng Qi, that’s why I know”, Gong Jun was left speechless, unable to find a retort. After all, why wouldn’t others know unless Meng Qi was just making things up?
“The news has already spread. Even if we try to empty the tomb, martial artists from the jianghu will continue to flock to Dragon Claw Peak, attempting to excavate the ruins of Liuhe Temple in hopes of discovering a few missed treasures.”
Dragon Claw Peak would never find peace again.
This was the main reason for Meng Qi’s irritation.
If the imperial tomb remained undiscovered, it would forever be just a rumor.
Once it appears…
“Fill it up?”
“It will just be dug up again,” Meng Qi said expressionlessly.
The gunpowder and the red mist emerging from the tomb prevented the growth of dense vegetation nearby.
Liuhe Temple, unlike the Xianyue Pavilion, was located on the slope above, not as easily concealed as its neighbor. Even with a surge of spiritual energy promoting wild growth, it couldn’t form a naturally occurring maze. It could only trouble those climbing the mountain, making them take hours longer on their journey.
“Even if the entire capital is in turmoil due to rebellion, those set on finding treasures will not be driven away no matter what.”
On one side is Emperor Li’s Tomb, on the other, a capital at the brink of chaos.
Not only Meng Qi felt troubled, but Gong Jun was also extremely stressed.
Mo Li decisively said: “Then let them believe that this imperial tomb is fake! It’s a trap laid by the Qingwu Ancestor using a false tomb!”
