The Court Gazette Revealed Hidden Currents, Heaven and Earth Drew In a Vast Net
The sun shines peacefully on Qingfeng Mountain, and the bamboo courtyard is quiet and dust-free.
For several days, Zhao Yuanshan has not returned from his descent from the mountain, so the cultivation lessons of all the younger disciples in the temple have fallen entirely on Chen Du's shoulders.
At this moment, he was sitting upright at the stone table, patiently instructing his junior disciples on breathing exercises.
His voice was clear and gentle, his words clear and resonant. He meticulously explained the key techniques for guiding qi into the body and the subtle nuances of qi circulation, drawing the young people to listen intently. Within the bamboo courtyard, only the soft, gentle sounds of his voice remained, creating a peaceful and serene atmosphere.
Just then, a simple-looking head peeked out from outside the courtyard gate.
It was Old Liu, the peddler who often came to the temple from the foot of the mountain to deliver goods.
He walked hurriedly, looking nervous, clutching a crumpled, old official gazette tightly in his hand. As soon as he peeked out, he looked around to make sure no one was watching, then lowered his voice, his face a mixture of mystery and apprehension:
"Master Li Xuan, a terrible thing has happened down the mountain! The King of Nanli was assassinated while patrolling the Southern Border and nearly died on the spot!"
Upon hearing the sound, Chen Du reached out and took the scroll of official gazette.
The paper is rough, but the ink is neat; it is the official document used in the Ling Dynasty.
He slowly unfolded his hand, his gaze sweeping over everything in a single glance. His few words, however brief, were filled with shock and deadly intent.
The official gazette recorded the events briefly and hastily: King of Nanli was ordered to make a southern tour and inspect the border defenses when he was ambushed by unidentified black-clad experts. The number of assassins was small, but each of them was highly skilled, had unpredictable movements, and was ruthless in their attacks; they were definitely not ordinary bandits or hermits.
The personal guard of King of Nanli suffered more than half casualties, with blood flowing everywhere. Unable to protect their lord, King of Nanli was severely injured and on the verge of death. He was escorted back to his fiefdom overnight by a large force to recuperate in seclusion.
Most chillingly, not a single one of the assassins survived.
They either died on the spot or committed suicide immediately after the incident to silence themselves, leaving no confession, no clues, and no trace.
Despite several days of rigorous investigation by the imperial court, the mastermind behind the case remained untraceable, and the case became a complete mystery.
Chen Du gently stroked the paper with his fingertips, slowly folded the gazette, and quietly placed it on the bluestone table. His eyes were calm, and he remained silent.
King of Nanli.
In terms of social seniority, he was his blood-related uncle.
Many years ago, this person visited Qingfeng Temple, where he enjoyed tea and conversation with Master Xuanwei, and strolled around the temple. However, due to a calamity and danger, he was unable to meet him.
But Chen Du could see it clearly.
After the King of Nanli left that day, he secretly laid out spies within a radius of several miles around Qingfeng Mountain, silently monitoring the movements of the mountain gate for several months.
From that moment on, he knew that this seemingly idle prince of the royal family was extremely shrewd and calculating, far from being as simple as he appeared.
Today's assassination was clean, efficient, ruthless, and left no trace.
The silencing was thorough, the plan was perfect, the actions were measured and decisive, and the strategy for advancing and retreating was meticulous.
This method, this strategy, this meticulously planned cover-up—it's exactly the same as the mastermind behind the palace coup and the elaborate scheme decades ago!
They are the same force.
Chen Du instantly understood.
The opponent has begun clearing the pieces from the board.
The King of Nanli holds military power in the Southern Border. He is a senior member of the royal family and has been deeply rooted in the court for decades. He enjoys a high reputation, holds military power, and has a solid foundation. He is one of the few royal family leaders in the court who can counterbalance the undercurrents and restrain the forces in the shadows.
Such a person, standing in the way of the game, becomes an obstacle.
Therefore, we must eliminate them, severely damage them, weaken the voice of the imperial clan, and ensure that the court has no force left to check and balance them.
He twitched his fingertips slightly as he continued to turn the pages of the official gazette.
The more I looked, the more somber my heart became.
Within a few days, three imperial edicts were issued in succession in the Capital. The three edicts contradicted each other and were extremely strange and incongruous.
The first decree was a strict order to all prefectures and counties to thoroughly investigate the assassination of King of Nanli, vowing to trace the source and capture the real culprit. While seemingly stern and just, it was actually a ploy to create momentum and stir up trouble in the court and among the people.
The second measure was to urgently mobilize the border troops stationed in the Northern Border to march south and protect the capital. The Northern Border was a crucial strategic stronghold, and to transfer border troops into the heartland without cause was a major taboo in military strategy and a sign of instability in imperial power.
The third step involved promoting a group of elderly officials beyond the usual ranks, bestowing upon them higher official titles, generous salaries, and honors. These promotions and rewards were given without cause, solely to win over the court and solidify factions.
Three imperial edicts, three directions, conflicting with each other, logically fragmented.
It doesn't look like it was written by a young emperor sitting on the dragon throne.
It's more like someone grabbed the emperor's hand, wrote on his behalf, and issued orders on his behalf.
Chen Du's gaze darkened slightly as his thoughts raced.
The decision to move the Northern Border troops south indicates that there is an undercurrent of fear and apprehension within the capital, a fear of upheaval, and an urgent need for military power to maintain order.
The promotion of veteran officials indicates that forces operating behind the scenes are frantically building factions, winning over hearts and minds, and consolidating their control over the court.
The thorough investigation of major assassination cases is a pretext for political maneuvering, a way to reshuffle the party, eliminate dissidents, and destabilize the situation.
The imperial court is no longer the imperial court it once was.
Imperial power was hijacked, the emperor was sidelined, the imperial clan was purged, and the court and the country were manipulated.
The enormous black net that had shrouded the entire Ling Dynasty for sixteen years was slowly tightening and closing in.
The storm outside the mountains is already raging.
He pulled himself out of his thoughts, turned to look at his junior brothers who were still waiting in the courtyard, his voice still calm and composed, revealing not a trace of his inner turmoil:
That concludes today's lessons. Go home and memorize the first three sections of the "Qi Guiding Chapter." We will check your memorization during tomorrow's morning lesson.
The children obediently responded, laughing and bowing, then left in twos and threes, disappearing in an instant.
The bamboo courtyard has returned to silence.
The wind rustled through the green bamboo, making the tranquil courtyard even more serene and secluded.
Chen Du sat alone by the stone table, his gaze fixed on the scroll of official gazette, meticulously analyzing each line, dissecting it layer by layer, and deducing its meaning sentence by sentence.
The assassination of King of Nanli – covert forces begin purging the royal family and military power.
The imperial edict was contradicted—the imperial power of the current dynasty had been completely usurped and hijacked.
The Northern Border army marches south—someone is secretly mobilizing military power across the land.
The veteran minister was granted a new title – a complete reshuffling of factions in the imperial court.
Sixteen years of Lie Dormant, sixteen years of planning.
The person behind the scenes finally stopped holding back.
The world is a chessboard of chess, a stage for constant change and transformation.
The killing net that was once only aimed at him has now covered the entire Ling Dynasty.
Night falls on Qingfeng Mountain, and the moonlight, like water, blankets the green bamboo in the courtyard.
In the stillness of the night, Xuanwei, carrying a pot of warm wine, slowly walked into the bamboo courtyard.
The master and apprentice sat facing each other at the stone table. There were no dishes or food, only a cup of clear wine, as they drank under the mountain moonlight. After a few rounds of wine, the wine's warmth softened, diluting the tranquility of the day and dispelling some of the deliberately maintained peace.
Xuanwei held a plain white wine cup between his fingertips, his gaze passing through the dappled bamboo shadows to the full moon in the sky. Suddenly, he spoke softly, breaking the silence.
"You've heard about the matter of King of Nanli, haven't you?"
Chen Du nodded slightly, his expression indifferent, and remained silent.
Xuanwei took a small sip of the cloudy wine. The evening breeze ruffled the frost at his temples, and his voice carried the deep, weathered sound of years gone by.
"In his youth, King of Nanli was a man of great courage and ambition. During the reign of the late emperor, he competed with the current emperor for the throne, but he was outmaneuvered and ultimately lost, being sent to a distant fiefdom in the south to guard the Southern Border Southern Border."
"Over the years, he has been deeply rooted in the Southern Border, painstakingly building his power over decades. He commands a large army, his fiefdom is strong and well-equipped, and his foundation is solid. In the court, half of the civil Martial General secretly pledge their allegiance to him, making his power deeply entrenched."