Chapter 390: Chapter 108: Divinity Assassination
The experience of being coerced into buying and selling was quite dreadful; the Eldest Prince now hated the Madman to the point of wishing to flay him alive.
"I remember, True Qi spirit attachment must not be too far from the body..." the Eldest Prince looked at Meng Jun.
True Qi spirit attachment involved entrusting one’s Divine Sense onto the True Qi, remotely commanding the True Qi to take form, almost as if embodying oneself. Such a tactic was unlike the Primordial Spirit Emergence and couldn’t be too far from the body, or the connection would be severed.
That meant Lawless Freedom might very well be within the Imperial City at the moment.
But Meng Jun shook his head, "The distance of True Qi spirit attachment is affected by the Five Vile Qi, but this person has methods to control the Five Vile Qi. Moreover, the Imperial City is no longer covered by the Emperor’s aura as it used to be, Lawless Freedom may not necessarily be inside the Imperial City."
In the past, Magic had difficulty operating within the Imperial City, because the Emperor was present.
But now that the Emperor had "relocated", it naturally gave Lawless Freedom the opportunity to use his tactics.
However, if one truly wanted to investigate, the manipulation of the Five Vile Qi was still a clue. Unfortunately, such information could not yield quick results, and the Eldest Prince couldn’t afford to be distracted at the moment.
So he had to passively accept it.
Now, the Eldest Prince could only console himself that this might not be a bad thing.
Because if Lawless Freedom could seriously injure the Second Prince, the effect would be even more potent than inviting the Heavenly Monarch.
The Taiping Sect might rise up at any moment, perhaps today, perhaps tomorrow. When that time came, there would be no time for squabbling, and they would need to choose a Prince to act as Regent and oversee the nation.
So the question was, of the two most qualified Princes, one unharmed and the other bitten by a dog, lying in bed needing a cane to walk, whom should they choose?
If any of the officials had an ounce of sense, they would know to let the Second Prince temporarily take over the court affairs.
As for the Eldest Prince, he’d better focus on healing his injuries.
The Second Prince understood this crucial point, which was why he readily stepped aside.
The Eldest Prince also realized that the outcome might suddenly arise, and that’s why he was anxious to recover from his injuries.
"If Lawless Freedom succeeds, that would naturally be excellent, but I equally need strong support," the Eldest Prince looked at Meng Jun, his voice deep, "Uncle, please request the Heavenly Monarch to come again to the Divine Capital."
...
...
In the Underground Palace, Jiang Li pressed both palms onto the Divine Farmer’s Cauldron and slowly opened his eyes.
He adjusted the Heavenly Dharma automatically, bringing his Perception back to normal, unbeknownst to others that Jiang Li had used True Qi spirit attachment to secretly visit the Yuhua Palace.
’Beat the eldest then the second, letting them both lie down makes it easier to continue the deadlock,’ Jiang Li thought as he continued the sacrificial cultivation of the Divine Farmer’s Cauldron.
Both the Eldest Prince and the Second Prince had the classic Jiang-opposing mindset; upon ascending to power, they were bound to trip Jiang Li, so it was better to just lie down honestly. In addition, Tianxuan from the Upper City District didn’t want either of the Princes to act as Regent.
She and the Princess seemed to have other plans.
’Meng Jun’s words seemed to be leading the Eldest Prince, it’s uncertain if requesting the Sect Leader back to the Divine Capital was his idea or the Kunxu Immortal Palace’s, but regardless, it suggests a connection between the Sect Leader and the Immortal Queen,’ Jiang Li pondered, feeling fairly certain that the Immortal Queen and the Sect Leader had a relationship, not merely gathered because of the Emperor’s desire for immortality.
Perhaps, it was the Sect Leader the Immortal Queen was invited by.
And since the Kunxu Immortal Palace was related to the Meng Family, that’s why Meng Jun was confident the Sect Leader would aid the Eldest Prince.
His move hid a deep purpose, but Jiang Li had long understood the profound relationship between the Meng Family and the Kunxu Immortal Palace; it wasn’t just a straightforward alliance through a legitimate child.
Bu Yusheng, using the identity of Meng Xiwu, had even managed to stay in the Divine Capital for many days without a single flaw. Without the Meng Family’s cooperation, how could she have remained undetected?
Unfortunately, neither the Kunxu Immortal Palace nor the Meng Family expected that a fourth-rank Yi Dao master, who spent his days watching his disciple, would lead to Bu Yusheng’s direct exposure while acting as Meng Xiwu, and the true relationship between the Meng Family and the Kunxu Immortal Palace also became no secret.
"Now, it’s time to make a move against the Second Prince," Jiang Li’s Divine Sense fluctuated as he established contact with Tianxuan, who was still in the Qianyang Palace, "When I make my move, please, Master, cover for me."
Jiang Li’s sacrificial cultivation of the Divine Farmer’s Cauldron would take some time; it’s likely that when the opportunity to attack the Second Prince arose, he would still be occupied.
Tianxuan would stay in the Qianyang Palace under the pretext of worrying about Jiang Li’s safety, which would give her the chance to assist.
A faint light shone from the hairpin on her head, Tianxuan’s consciousness wave entered Jiang Li’s heart, bringing confirmed news.
Reassured by the news, Jiang Li focused his mind, continuing to connect with the Divine Farmer’s Cauldron, understanding the variations of the Innate Qi.
...
...
Soon, night fell, and a spacious carriage surrounded by columns of the Forbidden Army marched out of the Imperial City with great fanfare.
It was the Second Prince’s vehicle.
The Eldest Prince knew that the Taiping Sect could rebel at any time, and naturally, the Second Prince was aware too. On the same night the Eldest Prince was seriously injured, the Second Prince seized the opportunity to start winning over those who hadn’t placed their bets and even tried to poach from the Eldest Prince’s camp.
Many knowledgeable individuals will see the way the wind blows and rush to meet the Second Prince from both directions.
The Imperial Palace is not a suitable venue for a show of wealth and status, so the location could only be outside the palace.
Thus, everyone in the Upper City District, all the dignitaries and nobles were aware that due to the Emperor’s recurrence of his old illness, the Second Prince’s elder sister, the Huayang Princess, worried herself sick, and the Second Prince was to visit his Imperial Sister tonight.
Unlike Princes, Princesses, after marriage, do not and cannot reside within the Imperial City. The Second Prince, being in his forties, certainly had sisters from the same mother who were already married off, naturally living outside the palace.
Her husband’s family also came from prestigious origins in Divine Capital, specializing in wind Magic, and had distinguished members serving in the Qintian Bureau, forecasting wind disasters for the court and calming them.
The Second Prince’s carriage left the palace gates and arrived at the most prestigious area of the Upper City District, Yellow Dragon Street, the vivacious sounds immediately filled his ears.
Just in front of a large residence in the middle of Yellow Dragon Street, bright Jade Magic Artifacts shone with light, illuminating the surroundings bright as day, with carriages coming and going in front of the gates, bustling extraordinarily, resembling the lower city rather than Upper City.
That place was none other than the residence of the Wang family, the in-laws of Huayang Princess.
The carriage stopped in front of the Prince Manor, and the surroundings suddenly quieted down, with two columns of the Forbidden Army arriving to the left and right of the main gate, standing with chilling authority and neatly lined up.
The Second Prince pushed open the carriage door and stepped out, striding with an imperial poise, only to be greeted by a young man in white attire who smiled and addressed him as "Your Highness," leading the Second Prince inside.
"Your Highness, the Princess has been waiting for you for a long time, the Wang family, Du Family, Qi Family, Xiao Family... the scions from all families have arrived," the young man said articulately as he walked, clearly demonstrating extensive cultivation through his long and steady breaths.
The Second Prince’s personal Attendant, Gao Yue, had been injured by Jiang Li and was still recuperating, leaving fewer hands to do the work – needing extra effort. But this person aptly supplemented the role of Gao Yue, summarizing the situation simply and comprehensively, leaving the Second Prince quite satisfied.
Under the young man’s guidance, the Second Prince made his way to the front hall of the Prince Manor, only to hear the young man announce, "Gentlemen, the Prince has arrived."
In the hall, the scions assembled. Since the Second Prince’s visit was not official business, the families meeting him also discreetly sent their outstanding young members to join the Second Prince in visiting the Huayang Princess.
Among the crowd, two figures were surrounded like stars around the moon, with the one in front – a beautiful woman with a powdered face not showing any signs of the overpowering presence, dressed in dazzlingly embroidered attire, full-bodied, none other than the Second Prince’s Imperial Sister, the Huayang Princess.
Looking at her, she showed not the slightest sign of illness or frailty. On the contrary, she was brimming with vitality, filled with life’s essence and Qi, healthier than one could imagine.
The refined middle-aged man a step behind her was none other than the Prince Consort to the Huayang Princess, Wang Shouli.
One could tell from their positions the distinct status of Prince Consorts in Great Zhou; the Long Prince Consort and the Prince Consort were equals.
"Imperial Sister,"
the Second Prince greeted with a smile, while the young man suitably stepped aside, retreating to the back with the rest of the people.
Upon seeing him, the Second Prince knew that the young man’s status was lower than that of the scions from all families, presumably a Guest Elder recruited by the Wang family.
No wonder he hadn’t recognized the person; it turns out he wasn’t a noble scion.
With this thought, the Second Prince exchanged a few pleasantries with the Huayang Princess and then laughed, "It has been a long time since I visited my sister’s manor; I did not expect your household to have added such a talent."
Upon hearing this, the Huayang Princess expressed surprise, "Of whom does my brother speak?"
"Surely the person who escorted me into the manor is not a Guest Elder of your household?" inquired the Second Prince, equally surprised.
Typically, welcoming important guests at the door is a task for the hosts themselves, not for others.
For him to be able to greet the Second Prince on behalf of the Wang family, he should have some status, otherwise, he would not be qualified to receive the Prince.
Yet, as soon as these words were spoken, the Huayang Princess appeared even more astonished, "Is he not one of your attendants? Earlier, he came ahead to notify us of your imminent arrival, and I had him welcome you, the master."
Wang Shouli added, "I sensed a faint Yin Qi emanating from this person, and thought he might be one of Your Highness’s eunuchs."
Word had spread about Gao Yue’s injury at the hands of Jiang Li, so the possibility of the Second Prince bringing another eunuch was very plausible.
Hearing this, the Second Prince’s expression drastically changed, "There is no such person with me; seize him!"
Not being one of his people or the Wang family’s, this man must be hiding something.
The most crucial point was that both parties had easily trusted this man; Huayang Princess’s side didn’t even ask for any proof of identity.
The people around immediately began to search with their eyes, making way in the direction where the young man had walked.
But at this moment, behind the crowd, the mysterious young man was nowhere to be seen.
"Search!"
Wang Shouli immediately ordered, "Search the entire mansion; we must find this person."
Previously, this man had stayed close to him and his wife, without the leisure to leave, but now the Second Prince’s arrival had given him an opportunity to potentially sneak into somewhere within the mansion.
The Wang family’s people immediately dispersed to search, and the soldiers of the Forbidden Army too gathered in front of the hall, looking towards the Second Prince, ready to obey any orders.
At that moment, the Second Prince suddenly felt a shiver, a chill running up his spine, his hairs standing on end.
An invisible and traceless Sword Intent struck at that very moment from behind. The Sword Intent advanced first, erasing the Second Prince’s sense of impending danger.