Hidden Dragon, Do Not Act; Or Leap in the Abyss

Qianping Palace.

Zhao Hongming arrived before the palace gates, bent at the waist, and called out loudly, "Your son respectfully wishes Your Majesty peace."

After a while, Feng Dabao emerged from the hall as usual and bowed humbly. "Fifth Prince, Your Majesty is discussing state affairs with his ministers and cannot receive you. You may return."

Zhao Hongming had long grown accustomed to this. After calling into the hall, "Your son takes his leave," he turned and departed.

As an unfavored prince, the number of times he saw the Jian'an Emperor in a year could be counted on one hand.

Other than the Jian'an Emperor's birthday or major festivals, the Jian'an Emperor would basically never summon him.

Especially during the period after his birth mother passed away, the number of summons had visibly dwindled.

Perhaps the original owner of this body might still have harbored some resentment three months ago, but Zhao Hongming truly did not care in the slightest now.

After leaving Qianping Palace, Zhao Hongming went in succession to Cining Palace and Kunan Palace to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager and the Empress.

Since he had no birth mother, the Empress became both his nominal and actual mother.

However, apart from valuing the Crown Prince and imperial daughter she had borne herself, the current Empress showed little concern for the princes and imperial daughters not born of her.

Upon marrying into the imperial family, one gained Wei Country's resources but also had to bear National Luck Suppression, which constantly wore away at one's Martial Dao cultivation.

The Empress had originally been an Innate Realm martial artist, but her Innate Third Grade cultivation had now fallen to merely Aperture Opening Ninth Grade.

Moreover, it continued to decline, while her Qi and Blood had begun to wither as well.

That the imperial family was not long-lived was almost a consensus—an obstacle impossible to surmount.

Thus, the Empress spent a considerable amount of time cultivating each day to maintain her own cultivation, with little leisure to attend to him.

"Fifth Prince, Her Majesty the Empress is cultivating today and cannot see you. You may return."

"Your son takes his leave."

Zhao Hongming said nothing further and bowed as he withdrew.

Whether he was paying respects to Your Majesty or to the Empress, Zhao Hongming had not seen either of them in person.

Only the Empress Dowager, advanced in years and fond of her grandchildren, had seen him today and bestowed upon him some pastries and silver.

Yet that could not change the fact that Zhao Hongming's presence was growing ever fainter.

Chang Wubing and Wang Bao, following behind him, watched Zhao Hongming remain so solitary day after day. They felt deeply indignant, yet could do nothing.

On the way back, Zhao Hongming encountered quite a few princes and imperial daughters who had come to pay their respects.

He had not interacted much with these brothers and sisters, and their relationships were merely ordinary.

Thus, whenever they met, they followed imperial etiquette and exchanged greetings, at most making a few polite remarks without speaking much further.

Since Zhao Hongming had no birth mother, once he had finished paying respects to the Empress, he went straight to eat.

The other princes and imperial daughters, however, still had to pay respects to their respective birth mothers, sit with them for a while, throw little tantrums, act spoiled, and enjoy that scant trace of familial affection within the imperial household.

At the same time, Chen Residence, rear courtyard training ground.

Boom!

A sharp blast tore through the air.

A silver arrow shot like a meteor into the red bullseye a hundred paces away.

Under that immense force, the arrow blasted a wrist-thick hole straight through the center of the target.

Nearly half the arrow shaft had sunk into the stone wall behind the target, while its tail quivered ceaselessly with a buzzing hum.

"Sis, you can even draw a Three Stone Bow now. Did you break through again recently?"

The speaker was a Brocade Clad Youth of about twelve or thirteen, handsome in appearance.

Beside him stood a young woman dressed in a black Close-fitting Outfit.

She held the bow in both hands, calm and composed. She appeared fifteen or sixteen years old, tall and slender, with eyes that shone like stars.

This woman was none other than Chen Xuerong, daughter of Chen Mou, the Minister of Works.

"Not quite. I'm still at Aperture Opening Seventh Grade."

The youth sucked in a cold breath. "Sis, you reached Aperture Opening Seventh Grade at sixteen. You might break through to the Innate Realm before twenty. I'm only Meridian Opening Fifth Grade right now."

"That is why I always tell you to train diligently and play less. The states stand side by side now, and no one knows when war will break out. When many small countries fell, those princes and nobles without the strength to truss a chicken died or were slaughtered, while even the women of their households were sent into military camps and reduced to playthings. There is never any harm in working harder now."

"It can't be that bad. Our Great Wei is a first-rate power too."

"Can you foresee the future?"

"Let's not talk about that. Yesterday, Your Majesty summoned you to the palace to teach the Fifth Prince Martial Arts. The Fifth Prince seems to hold no status in the palace. Are you going, Sis? Why not just go through the motions?"

"Why wouldn't I go? Can we refuse Your Majesty's Imperial Edict?"

Chen Xuerong set down the longbow in her hand. "Besides, Cheng'an, let me teach you a principle. In dealing with others, you must be humble and prudent, and you must have your own principles. When people stand at their peak, we need not fawn upon them; when they are in the depths, we must not kick them while they are down. Hidden Dragon, Do Not Act; Or Leap in the Abyss. How can you be certain that the Fifth Prince is not gathering strength, waiting for the day he can be put to use?"

The youth was speechless for a moment.

"Rong'er is right. Hidden Dragon, Do Not Act; Or Leap in the Abyss. One must not underestimate those around oneself."

When the two saw who had spoken, they said in unison, "Father!"

The speaker was none other than Chen Mou, the Minister of Works.

He wore official robes and had just returned from court.

"This time, having you teach the Fifth Prince is not only because you have some knowledge of Martial Arts. I fear part of the reason is that Your Majesty is warning me."

Chen Xuerong frowned. "Because of the Crown Prince?"

"Yes."

"Father, getting involved in the struggle over the imperial heir too early is not a wise move."

"There is no helping it. The south has suffered a Great Drought this year, and its waterworks have fallen into disrepair. The Empress's Zhou Clan has considerable influence in the south. Without borrowing the strength of their Purple Cloud Sword Sect, some policies cannot be implemented. I worry that Chu Country will seize this opportunity to send troops later, which would be detrimental to Great Wei."

"Shouldn't Father explain the stakes clearly to Your Majesty?"

"Then that would be letting the Empress's relatives meddle in government." Chen Mou did not pursue the subject further. "When do you plan to enter the palace?"

"This afternoon."

"Mm. Since Your Majesty wishes to warn me, do not go empty-handed. Take a Treasure Bow from my study and present it to the Fifth Prince."

"I understand."

"Cheng'an!" Chen Mou said sternly. "Have you finished all your lessons today?"

Chen Cheng'an's body trembled, and he mumbled, "More or less?"

"What do you mean, more or less? I think you did not do them at all. You little brat!" Chen Mou slapped him, making Chen Cheng'an cry and howl.

"If you were half as diligent as your sister, I would not be angered half to death by you every day."

The training ground erupted into chaos, chickens flying and dogs leaping.

Chen Mou was also an Aperture Opening Eighth Grade martial artist. When he struck, he did not lack strength.

After only a few breaths, Chen Cheng'an was black and blue, his face swollen like a pig's head. No one could have recognized him as the eldest young master of Chen Residence.

After finishing his Art of War lesson, Zhao Hongming returned to his Clear Breeze Pavilion.

At the entrance, he saw Zhou Zhan Shi of the Eastern Palace.

Zhan Shi was not a name, but an official title. He oversaw the household affairs of the Empress and Crown Prince, served as the head of the Crown Prince's officials, and held third rank.

Zhou Zhan Shi's real name was Zhou Bochuan. He came from a Noble Family of sword sects and was a man accomplished in both letters and martial arts.

Upon seeing Zhao Hongming, he rose unhurriedly and bowed. "This Subordinate Official greets the Fifth Prince. May Your Highness be in good health."

"No need for such ceremony. What brings Zhou Zhan Shi here today?"

"In reply to the Fifth Prince, this Subordinate Official heard today that Your Highness wishes to cultivate the Martial Dao. I was specially ordered to come and offer counsel, and I have brought several works by renowned Confucian scholars, in hopes that Your Highness will not lose sight of the greater for the lesser and neglect your imperial studies."

From the sound of it, the Crown Prince had heard about what happened at the Upper Academy and, together with his subordinates, devised a response to the Fourth Prince.

What the Fourth Prince wanted was reputation and momentum, to gather people's hearts.

What the Crown Prince wanted was managing upward—sounding out the Jian'an Emperor's thoughts and securing his position.

Each sought what he desired.

But when it came to Zhao Hongming, things were somewhat different.

The Crown Prince clearly had no intention of offering any tangible benefits.

New book seeking recommendations and continued reading~