Xuanwu Gate Was Gone

"What? Xuanwu Gate was gone?"

In Prince of Qin's Manor, Chu Xuanao's expression turned strange. Xiao Dezi had reported that an unidentified Ascension Realm expert had been discovered in Tiandu City last night, with no clue as to their origins.

After being discovered by the Town Martial Division, the expert had fought fiercely with them and was ultimately slain on the spot. Chu Xuanao did not care about any of that. Tiandu City had been under martial law last night.

The Town Martial Division and the army had thoroughly searched the entire city. They had uncovered countless spies, agents, and troublemakers. Battles had broken out all over Tiandu City. What was one death? Many people had died last night, and quite a few had been captured alive. The whole city could be said to have been cleaned out.

What Chu Xuanao cared about was that the battle between the Town Martial Division's Martial Lord and that Ascension Realm expert had shattered Xuanwu Gate.

Xuanwu Gate was gone!

Smashed into tiny pieces, no less.

When Chu Xuanao had said before that he would face his father in a showdown at Xuanwu Gate, he had not been talking nonsense.

He meant it.

There really was a Xuanwu Gate here. In fact, it was not just Xuanwu Gate. Fengtian City, where Fengtian Jingnan had taken place, had one too. Well, that one would be harder to deal with. Fengtian City was Great Feng's capital, after all. It would not be easy to pull anything there.

But in Great Gan, in Tiandu City, there truly was a Xuanwu Gate. The four main streets of Tiandu City's inner city were named after the Four Symbols, and a Xuanwu Gate truly stood on Xuanwu Avenue.

Once one passed through Xuanwu Gate, the Imperial Palace was not far away. It could even be said to be very close.

He had not even passed through Xuanwu Gate yet.

The gate was gone before he could.

No, this was no longer an option.

Was his old man really that awesome?

Did he have the gift of foresight?

Had he sent people to tear down Xuanwu Gate this early?

Qiuyue in his arms, Xiao Dezi at his side, and Shuangxue all looked at Chu Xuanao in confusion. Was a single gate really worth such a huge reaction from their prince?

If Yuan Tiangang had been here, he probably would not have reacted this way. He knew this whole routine well!

No, the gate had to be rebuilt!

Chu Xuanao was already figuring out how to get the gate repaired as quickly as possible.

He was Prince of Qin, after all. When the winds and clouds gathered around him and he returned to Tiandu City, if he did not pass through Xuanwu Gate to see his father, and the people beside him were not carrying something in their hands, he would feel uncomfortable all over.

When he left the city for his fief after being enfeoffed as king, he had to pass through Xuanwu Gate and rise triumphantly from there. When he returned to the capital, he would also have to begin at Xuanwu Gate and achieve his imperial hegemony.

Not one step of this process could be missing.

With that in mind, Chu Xuanao asked Xiao Dezi.

"Xuanwu Gate is gone. Isn't the Capital Prefecture doing anything about it?

"That is the main street of Tiandu City, the imperial capital of our Great Gan Dynasty.

"With the gate gone, how are we supposed to welcome guests from all directions? Wouldn't the world laugh at us if Xuanwu Avenue had no gate?"

Don't overthink it. This was the imperial capital, where the court was located. How could its main street be left so empty? Xuanwu Avenue needed a gate at the very least, so it could welcome visitors.

Mm, this king would be the first to walk through it.

Xiao Dezi looked utterly puzzled. Xuanwu Avenue did not seem to have much to do with whether there was a gate or not.

Still, he quickly replied.

"Your Highness, Prince An's Mansion had only just suffered an incident last night, and Tiandu City was plagued by unrest throughout the night. Today, the Prefect of the Capital has personally been rushing around everywhere, while also calming the people. He probably has not yet had time to arrange anything regarding the gate on Xuanwu Avenue."

After thinking for a moment, Chu Xuanao instructed Xiao Dezi.

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"Bring Haitang and enter the palace.

"Also send someone to find Wang Gang. A Martial Lord from his Town Martial Division shattered Xuanwu Gate, alarmed the people, and ruined Tiandu City's feng shui.

"Tell him to get people to rebuild Xuanwu Gate for this king at once. Send a message to the Capital Prefecture Yamen as well. Get it repaired immediately."

After saying that, Chu Xuanao released Qiuyue and prepared to enter the palace. Qiuyue rose to her feet on her own.

His fourth brother had suffered such a terrible fright yesterday. Today, Chu Xuanao naturally had to go pay him a visit.

As for how that fright had come about, do not ask.

He also needed to discuss with his fourth brother what to do about the several-thousand-yard footprint outside Prince of Qin's Manor.

As for why he was bringing Haitang, it was so she could familiarize herself with the routes and people. After he left for his fief, the affairs of the capital would mainly depend on Haitang and Yidao.

Zhenyou City stood at the border of the Great Gan Dynasty. This majestic and magnificent giant city was the heart of all You Province and one of Great Gan's most important border fortresses.

Over a hundred years ago, the Battle of Cangshui erupted. Great Gan suffered a crushing defeat, losing all seven cities of Cangshui and the natural barrier formed by the Cang River.

Afterward, Great Gan poured the strength of the entire nation into the effort. Only after more than twenty years did it build this seemingly endless mighty pass, Zhenyou City.

The people of Great Gan also called this giant city Zhenyou Pass, a name that better highlighted its importance as a border fortress.

Youguan Prefecture was named after it as well.

You Province's provincial capital was here, and the Youzhou Grand Camp, one of Great Gan's six great camps, was also within this mighty pass.

Beyond Zhenyou Pass lay the buffer zone between Great Gan and Great Feng, Xuanshan Plain.

This vast plain was open and nearly devoid of any natural barriers. Only a single Xuanshan stood alone in the distance. From Zhenyou Pass, it looked like nothing more than a small protrusion on the horizon.

High above Zhenyou Pass, Yuan Tiangang looked down at the towering, unbroken fortress and could not help but sigh.

"A mighty pass stands firm, imposing as mountains. It inspires awe and intoxicates the heart!"

A square map more than ten meters long appeared beside Yuan Tiangang. It depicted the mountains, rivers, and terrain of all You Province, along with every prefecture, city, and region, as well as certain troop deployments. The land itself had been rendered into a map.

Several locations on the map were marked with red circles. Judging from their positions, they were all strategic locations in their respective regions.

As he looked down upon Zhenyou City, additional markings appeared on the map.

After putting away the map, Yuan Tiangang unfolded a dossier before him. It was dozens of meters long, packed densely with writing. It gave detailed introductions to the various forces in You Province, from their approximate manpower and locations to the number of experts they possessed. It also contained Yuan Tiangang's analysis of those forces.

As Yuan Tiangang moved through the various parts of Zhenyou City, more information about the city's factions appeared in the dossier.

Yuan Tiangang had arrived in You Province yesterday afternoon. He had not traveled with Zhu Wushi and the others. They were too slow. Even if that group did not stop once and traveled at full speed, they would still need at least several days.

Not to mention that they still had to go to Taizhou to retrieve King Wu's Mansion's hidden treasure, then bring it here afterward. The trip would take at least half a month.

Mm, Yuan Tiangang could have brought them along, but it was not just those few he knew. There were also dozens of skilled men from the royal manor and Weihu Mountain. Yuan Tiangang had come in secret, and few knew of it, so they could make their own way here.

Since arriving yesterday, Yuan Tiangang had been traveling throughout You Province. It could be said that he had seen every city in You Province, or at least traveled through more than half of the province.

He had gained a certain understanding of the various forces in You Province and recorded all their information. Once Zhu Wushi and the others arrived, they could combine it with Dragon Guard Manor's personnel arrangements in You Province and quickly get to work.

Although Yuan Tiangang had yet to inspect some remote regions, well, he had mainly been looking at the major cities so far.

But without exaggeration, the map and dossier Yuan Tiangang had compiled were enough to provide an understanding of sixty to seventy percent of You Province's situation.

After all, who would casually reveal all their secrets to outsiders? Even Zhu Wushi and the others could only investigate gradually.

But Yuan Tiangang had personally investigated You Province. Hanshan Prefecture and several major forces had been his top priorities.

He had practically stripped those fellows down to their underwear for a look.

Yuan Tiangang's personal scanner had verified it. Absolutely accurate.

With this map and dossier, Zhu Wushi and the others would be like fish in water when they took action.