The Beginning

Chapter 31: The Beginning

When he returned to the estate that evening, the moon had already climbed to the middle of the sky.

The streets and alleys of Yujing City were still bustling, even more so than during the day—especially the taverns, where laughter and chatter drifted far into the night.

Chu Zhiyuan strolled leisurely amidst his guards, shaking his head.

Don't these people ever sleep?

Why is it livelier at night than during the day?

Is it because Martial Artists have such abundant energy? But even they need rest, and cultivation besides.

He truly couldn't fathom their way of life.

Suddenly, he spotted Huang Shirong in the crowd, flanked by two White-Clad Girls.

Huang Shirong remained as cool and aloof as ever, her beauty still breathtaking.

She wore an apricot-yellow silk gown, her figure willowy and graceful, like a weak willow swaying in the wind. The long sword at her waist still made onlookers nervous, as if it might snap her slender waist in two.

She spotted Chu Zhiyuan from afar, then suddenly quickened her pace, weaving nimbly through the crowd until she stood before him.

Chu Zhiyuan waved his hand.

Guo Chi understood and stepped back, clearing the way.

Huang Shirong approached Chu Zhiyuan with a faint, delicate fragrance, clasped her fists, and smiled. "Your Highness."

"Hall Master Huang, you seem well," Chu Zhiyuan replied with a smile.

Huang Shirong chuckled. "Your Highness is in good spirits tonight?"

Chu Zhiyuan said, "I acquired a residence near Bright Moon Tower. I go there occasionally for a change of pace."

Huang Shirong nodded lightly.

Under normal circumstances, a luxurious and imposing prince's estate was more than enough for a lifetime—no one would think of buying another dwelling elsewhere.

But the Fourth Heir Apparent was different. Having been confined to Prince Qing's Estate for twenty years, he likely harbored a vague sense of aversion and fear toward it.

The Fourth Heir Apparent is a pitiful soul, after all. A wounded heart is the hardest thing to heal—it might take a lifetime.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Have you found out why it's so lively?"

Huang Shirong's brow furrowed slightly. "Recently, more and more experts have been pouring in. They say they've come to watch the excitement."

"What excitement?"

"The Great Zhen Envoy Mission is entering the capital. They've come to see the Great Zhen people."

Chu Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow. "They've come for revenge, haven't they?"

Huang Shirong nodded gently, her expression grave.

They claimed to be watching the Great Zhen people, but clearly, they were itching to retaliate against Great Zhen.

Great Zhen and Great Jing had once enjoyed a honeymoon period, but under the last two emperors, they had been almost constantly at war.

Great Zhen and Great Meng had secretly allied, exchanging glances and cooperating seamlessly against Great Jing, causing Great Jing no end of losses.

Now that Great Zhen sought a marriage alliance with Great Jing, too many people opposed it.

The friends and families of those who had died in the wars between Great Zhen and Great Jing bore a blood feud against Great Zhen. How could they allow Great Jing to let Great Zhen off the hook?

Even if allying with Great Zhen was more advantageous against Great Meng.

But common folk didn't care about that—they only wanted vengeance.

This placed immense pressure and burden on the Town Martial Division and the City Patrol Guard. One misstep could spark a major disaster.

If anything happened to the Great Zhen Envoy Mission, it would surely affect the alliance between the two nations. No one in the Town Martial Division could bear that responsibility.

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head. "Just thinking about it gives me a headache."

Huang Shirong sighed softly.

Chu Zhiyuan smiled. "But Division Chief Jiang is no ordinary man, and you, Hall Master Huang, are as sharp as they come. This won't stump you."

"Let's hope Your Highness's words hold true," Huang Shirong said with a wry smile.

Chu Zhiyuan clasped his fists, and Huang Shirong took the hint and took her leave.

By the time he returned to Prince Qing's Estate, the entire compound had fallen quiet, with only guards patrolling in cross-patterns.

The street outside Prince Qing's Estate was as bright as day.

On both sides of the street, rows of carved lanterns bearing the character "Qing" cast a flood of light that filled the entire avenue, making the newly painted gates and golden studs gleam.

Chu Zhiyuan entered the estate's main gate and returned to his own courtyard. He waved for Mo Yi and the other three girls, who had dozed off at the table, to go back to their rooms.

Just then, Zou Fang entered and reported that Liang Guanjie had been waiting for him, having stayed up half the night, insisting on seeing the heir apparent.

Chu Zhiyuan nodded.

A moment later, Liang Guanjie lifted the curtain and entered the study, clasping his fists in salute.

Chu Zhiyuan waved his hand. "It's late. Keep it brief. How did it go?"

Liang Guanjie's usual Maitreya-like smile vanished, his expression turning grave as he spoke softly. "Young Master, it's been confirmed. Prince Jing's estate is guarded jointly by the City Patrol Guard and the Town Martial Division, with the Supervisory Department also involved. There's a Master at each of the four cardinal points inside the estate, and I suspect a Grandmaster is stationed there as well... No one inside the estate is allowed to leave. All procurement is handled by the Department of Martial Affairs, then passed to the specially assigned Imperial Palace Guards, and finally to the eunuchs."

Chu Zhiyuan frowned. "Still so tight?"

Thirty years had passed—why should Prince Jing's confined estate remain under such strict guard?

If the court truly resented the Second Prince and harbored anger, thirty years should have been enough for that fury to cool, for them to grow weary and indifferent.

Such continued vigilance was truly abnormal.

Liang Guanjie said solemnly, "I also learned that these guards are rotated every year, never repeated."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded slowly, his eyes flickering with thought.

Liang Guanjie added, "I suspect there's a Grandmaster, so I didn't dare probe deeper. I couldn't uncover anything more."

Chu Zhiyuan said slowly, "Did you see Second Uncle?"

Liang Guanjie nodded. "I caught a glimpse from afar. Prince Jing's spirits seem good."

Chu Zhiyuan asked, "And the others?"

Liang Guanjie replied, "Prince Jing's Princess Consort passed away three years ago, leaving only a County Princess, about the same age as our own County Princess."

Chu Zhiyuan frowned. "Anything else?"

"Prince Jing has no secondary consorts or concubines. Now the entire sprawling estate seems to hold only Prince Jing and the County Princess."

"What about the servants inside?"

"Far fewer than in our estate." Liang Guanjie shook his head. "Their spirit is broken. They're all slack and negligent."

Chu Zhiyuan fell silent.

Liang Guanjie said softly, "Young Master, should we send word to Prince Jing?"

"Wait a while longer. Pull your people back first... Were you discovered?"

"Young Master, rest assured. There's no way they found us."

"Get some silver and spirit pills from Steward Feng, then go to the estate outside the city to go into seclusion for half a month before returning."

"Yes."

Liang Guanjie clasped his fists and withdrew from the study.

Chu Zhiyuan paced with his hands behind his back, then shook his head.

Though Father King very much wanted to visit Prince Jing, the situation was clearly abnormal now. It was better not to visit, to avoid drawing trouble onto themselves.

If he truly wanted to go, he would wait until he became a Master himself.

They had waited thirty years already; another year or two wouldn't matter.

The next day, as the first light of dawn broke, he went to Bright Martial Hall to train alongside Chu Mingxuan, Chu Zhichuan, and Chu Zhiting.

They assumed the Violet Sun Stance, practicing the Lesser Violet Sun Technique while he practiced the Greater Violet Sun Technique.

The True Qi of the Greater Violet Sun Technique had countless marvelous qualities.

Supremely yang and rigid, exceptionally pure, it carried a special burning effect when entering another's Meridians—difficult to expel or neutralize even for someone one or two levels higher in cultivation.

More importantly, the Greater Violet Sun Technique had body-nourishing effects. At the same cultivation level, one lived longer, and it was a peerless art that led straight to Grandmaster.

Ordinary cultivation methods damaged one's foundation, causing depletion of essence, energy, and spirit. No matter how deep one's mastery, they could never achieve Grandmaster.

This was one reason Grandmasters were so rare in the world.

During breaks in training, he gathered with the various princes and young masters to chat idly.

He shared what he had seen and heard at the Ministry of Rites, while they recounted things they had picked up from their parents. They exchanged stories, talking with great enthusiasm.

When the sun climbed higher, he bid them farewell and went to the Ministry of Rites to report for duty.

He stayed at Tongtian Pavilion until noon, then returned to Prince Qing's Estate to have lunch with the family.

At the meal, Chu Zhiyuan noticed Bai Ningshuang beaming with joy and asked curiously what the matter was.

"In a few days, it's Prince Xuan's birthday. He's invited me to attend the birthday banquet. Yuan'er, you'll come with us."

"Fourth Uncle?" Chu Zhiyuan broke into a smile. "Congratulations, Imperial Concubine."

Though his outstanding performance at the Winter Hunt and his entry into the Xiantian realm and the Ministry of Rites had already begun attracting marriage proposals.

When he entered the palace, the attitudes of the princess consorts had all shifted.

But this was the first time a prince or king had extended an invitation.

This was a major signal—a new beginning, the first step for Prince Qing's Estate to integrate into the imperial clan.

"It's all because you've made us proud, Yuan'er!" Bai Ningshuang beamed. "Otherwise, they'd still be pretending not to know me!"

She looked at Chu Zhiyuan with a smile. "Yuan'er, you'll come with me."

Chu Zhiyuan quickly waved his hand, saying he was busy.

He truly was busy cultivating, unsatisfied with his progress and wanting to go faster.

Bai Ningshuang glared at him in displeasure.

Chu Minghou urged her a couple of times, telling her not to delay Chu Zhiyuan's important affairs—their son was no idle man now, working in the Ministry of Rites.

"The Duke An's Estate should be invited too, and that Princess Xiao might be there. Yuan'er, aren't you curious to see her?"

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head firmly.

He had no time to be distracted by such things now, his mind only on cultivation.

Bai Ningshuang snorted in dissatisfaction. "Fine, then Yi'er and I will go."

Chu Yi's little face immediately crumpled, looking at her with a pitiful, pleading expression.

But Bai Ningshuang showed no mercy. "Don't stay cooped up in the courtyard all day fussing over those flowers and plants. Come with me to meet people!"

"Mother—!"

"No more arguments. It's settled!"

Chu Zhiyuan ignored Chu Yi's pleading look and buried himself in his meal.

Today he had to go to the Audit Department to personally urge them along, and also exchange that one-time Ninth-grade Merit for a Minor Marrow Cleansing Pill.

"Also, I had your grandmother find a palace lady-in-waiting. You'll study etiquette for a few more days."

Chu Yi protested, "Mother, I don't need to study anymore."

"You're still muddled about it. If you make a mistake, it'll be a huge embarrassment, and it would disgrace your name."

"Mother—!" She turned her head, begging Chu Zhiyuan for help.

Chu Zhiyuan pretended not to see, set down his bowl, said "I'm full," and got up to leave. Chu Yi's dissatisfied shouts couldn't stop his retreating footsteps.