In the thirtieth year of Kaiyuan, the Emperor personally led a great army to attack Gu Han, only to suffer a crushing defeat. Three hundred thousand soldiers perished, shocking the Great Jing Dynasty. The atmosphere in the capital became even more tense, with every official fearing for their own safety. The Emperor was already advanced in years, and word had it that the defeat had caused his blood and qi to surge in anger. They feared he might pass away, yet the Crown Prince still had not moved into the Eastern Palace.
That year, Little Prince Wei, Ping'an, turned one.
In the courtyard, Jiang Changsheng meditated beneath a tree. The Earth Spirit Tree had already grown to a height of ten feet, though its leaves were not yet lush. It could only generate faint spiritual energy now, but that was still a very good sign.
Not far away, little Ping'an rode White Dragon around in circles while Qing Ku chased after them, playing a game.
Although little Ping'an had been born with a deficiency in spiritual intelligence, his natural talent for physique and bones was truly astounding. At one year old, he already possessed the strength of a four- or five-year-old child. He could run and jump, and within Dragon Arising Temple, he was already acknowledged as a prodigy of martial arts.
A figure hurried in from outside the courtyard. It was Chen Li. His face was filled with worry as he came before Jiang Changsheng and said in a low voice, "Changsheng, something terrible has happened. The Second Prince has disappeared."
Without even opening his eyes, Jiang Changsheng said, "So what if he disappeared? Didn't your Chen Family pledge itself to the Seventh Prince?"
Chen Li said, "If the Second Prince has disappeared, the Hong Family will likely rebel. His Majesty has just suffered a defeat in the north, and if chaos erupts in the capital, Great Jing will be in grave danger."
Only then did Jiang Changsheng open his eyes.
Jiang Yuan's life before the age of sixty had been nothing short of glorious. Unfortunately, he had ruled for too long, and in his old age, he had personally led an army into battle, only to suffer a disastrous defeat. His prestige among the people had plummeted, and even the civil and military officials no longer feared him as much as before. If the Hong Family rebelled now, even if they failed, Great Jing would suffer grievous damage to its vitality.
The Hong Family's army was stationed outside the capital, supposedly to protect it. Now, however, it had become a threat.
Jiang Changsheng said helplessly, "If the Hong Family wants to rebel, what use is there in telling me?"
Chen Li said, "Naturally, I am warning you. Once chaos breaks out, how will your Dragon Arising Temple protect itself? In the coming days, hurry and stockpile food. Even if the Hong Family does not target Dragon Arising Temple, if the city descends into chaos, the temple will inevitably be cut off, because the mountain is far too suitable for hiding people."
Jiang Changsheng nodded. "I understand."
Chen Li sat down without minding Qing Ku's presence. After all, they were acquaintances. Counting it up, Jiang Changsheng and he had known each other for eighteen years.
Eighteen years had passed, and Chen Li was no longer the high-spirited top scholar of old. He had now entered middle age as well.
Without realizing it, time had passed so quickly.
Looking at Chen Li's weathered face, Jiang Changsheng sighed inwardly.
It was not only Chen Li. The older disciples in the temple had gradually entered middle age as well, including Eldest Sister Meng Qiushuang.
Jiang Changsheng had refined only three Youth Preservation Pills in total. He had taken one himself, the Emperor had bestowed one upon the Empress, and he had given the remaining one to Hua Jian Xin. No matter what, Hua Jian Xin had borne him a son. She could be considered his wife, so naturally, he favored her.
He did not wish to interfere with the aging, sickness, and death of others, but his own youthfulness gradually made the disciples revere him even more.
The Taoist Priest truly possessed the Way.
Chen Li said, "The Crown Prince has the Yang Family's support, as well as two provinces and two High Officials. His voice in court is extremely powerful. Unfortunately, he has no military authority, and the experts under his command cannot compare to those of the Seventh Prince. I suddenly feel that His Majesty deliberately left the capital to let the Crown Prince and the Second Prince fight. How could the Second Prince possibly defeat the Crown Prince? Once the Second Prince is sacrificed, the Hong Family will surely rebel and swear to kill the Crown Prince. Once the Crown Prince dies, the Seventh Prince can rightfully launch a campaign against the Hong Family, establish another great merit, and become Emperor. The heart of an Emperor is truly terrifying."
Jiang Changsheng felt that it made sense. It was indeed highly possible. In any case, he knew that the Crown Prince was destined to die.
After learning of the Crown Prince's fate, Jiang Changsheng's hatred for him had faded away. He had not even paid attention to him anymore. Thinking about it, the Crown Prince was also pitiable. From the moment he was born, he had been manipulated by others. Once the Yang Family learned the truth, the Crown Prince would truly be isolated and helpless, abandoned by the entire world.
Jiang Changsheng said, "Tell me about the martial world instead."
Hua Jian Xin guarded Little Prince Wei day and night. She occasionally told Jiang Changsheng about matters of the imperial court, so he did not care much about them.
Jiang Changsheng's only concern regarding the imperial court was Little Prince Wei ascending the throne. However, he was still young, and his ascension was far off. Before then, as long as Great Jing did not perish and Little Prince Wei remained safe, those people could stir up trouble however they pleased. His own goal was cultivation.
Chen Li shook his head. "How would I have time to pay attention to the martial world now? Oh, right. Do you still remember your senior brother, Li Changqing?"
Jiang Changsheng nodded. "Of course I remember."
Li Changqing had betrayed Dragon Arising Temple when Jiang Changsheng was young, and because of it, Taoist Priest Qingxu had been deeply poisoned by the Devil Sect.
Chen Li sighed emotionally. "He entered the Devil Sect for a woman. Last year, that woman died, and he went mad as well. Now he kills anyone he sees in the martial world, his vicious reputation spreading far and wide. Eighteen sects have joined forces to hunt him down. He probably will not live much longer."
Jiang Changsheng fell silent.
Chen Li comforted him, "Do not dwell on it. That was the road he chose himself. Do not get involved either. With eighteen sects joining forces, even the Martial Arts Supreme might not be able to retreat unscathed."
Jiang Changsheng smiled. "Brother Chen, you worry too much. I will not descend the mountain."
Chen Li smiled, then began speaking of other matters.
Li Changqing's fate did stir ripples in Jiang Changsheng's heart. After all, they had once known each other.
He thought of Taoist Priest Qingxu again. He wondered where his master had gone.
Half a year later, Chen Li's guess proved correct. The Hong Family truly mutinied. Great General Hong Lie led one hundred thousand iron cavalry into the capital and charged straight into the imperial palace.
The sounds of slaughter echoed throughout the capital.
Jiang Changsheng opened his eyes and sighed. He still rose to his feet.
In the end, he could not let it go.
After giving White Dragon a few instructions, Jiang Changsheng transformed into a sparrow and flew toward the imperial palace.
At the same time, iron cavalry roamed the imperial palace. Maids and eunuchs were all kneeling on the ground, trembling in terror.
Hong Lie wore heavy black armor and rode a sturdy black horse forward slowly. He held a great saber in one hand, his gaze fierce.
"Seal off the imperial palace! Find the Crown Prince!"
A general raised his saber and roared. The soldiers received the order and scattered to begin searching.
A consort came running over, arriving beside Hong Lie as she wept. "Big Brother, you must avenge Ming'er!"
Hong Lie glanced at her and said, "Do not worry, Sister. The Crown Prince will die today."
The consort wiped her tears, then asked, "Where is Ming'er? Did you send people to investigate?"
Hong Lie said, "My soldiers found a corpse outside the city. It was Ming'er's. Your big brother could not bear to tell you."
Upon hearing this, the consort was struck as though by lightning and collapsed to the ground.
Hong Lie shook his head, tugged the reins, and continued onward. His expression became increasingly arrogant as he stared at the lofty Golden Luan Hall in the distance. He muttered, "Brother Jiang, you have sat upon this realm for thirty years. It is time for your little brother to have a turn."
Elsewhere, within the Empress's bedchamber.
Crown Prince Jiang Qian sat before a table with his hair hanging loose, utterly despondent.
The Empress entered from outside and closed the door. "No. Hong Lie has already killed his way in. I cannot ask the Yang Family for help."
Jiang Qian gave a bitter smile. "Mother, with such a huge commotion from Hong Lie, how could the Yang Family not hear it? Even before my Second Brother disappeared, I had sensed that the Yang Family's attitude was off. My uncles were no longer as warm toward me as before. They even..."
They even seemed to despise him!
Jiang Qian did not say those words aloud. He could not understand it no matter how he thought about it. In his view, all the ministers in the world could betray him, but the Yang Family should have been the one exception.
The Empress frowned. "Did you truly kill your Second Brother?"
Upon hearing that, Jiang Qian immediately became anxious. Gritting his teeth, he said, "How could that be possible! In the struggle between my Second Brother and me, he was the one who wanted to contend with me. Mother, all these years, have I not endured again and again? Why did I endure? Was it not because I cherished the bond between brothers? I never thought of killing my Second Brother. Even if my Second Brother killed me, I could never kill my own younger brothers!"
Though he was the Crown Prince, ever since childhood, the Emperor and Empress had treated him warmly one moment and coldly the next. This caused him to cherish the affection between brothers greatly. When they were young, his younger brothers all needed him and respected him. He had always wanted to protect them. Otherwise, his struggle with the Second Prince could not possibly have lasted for years.
He was the Crown Prince and held great power over the court. How easy would it have been for him to deal with the Second Prince?
He could even have had the Emperor send Jiang Ming away to the frontier.
The Empress sighed, her gaze toward Jiang Qian incomparably complicated.
Jiang Qian was consumed by panic, fear, and fury at that moment, and did not notice her expression.
The sounds of hoofbeats and footsteps came from outside the hall. From the noise alone, it was clear that a great number of soldiers were approaching.
"Your Fourth Brother followed your father into battle. Otherwise, with him and Zong Tianwu here, you might still have been saved," the Empress said helplessly.
Jiang Qian gritted his teeth and stood. "Mother, you must not come out. I will go out alone. At worst, I will die. What would a son of the Jiang Family fear in life and death?"
With that, he strode resolutely to the doors and pushed them open. The courtyard outside was packed with a sea of black-clad soldiers. Hong Lie sat astride his horse in the corridor beyond the courtyard, watching him from afar.
Jiang Qian took a deep breath, tidied his hair, stepped forward, and called out, "Great General Hong, if you do not believe that I did not harm my Second Brother, then I have nothing to say. Kill or torture me as you please. Once my father and Fourth Brother return, you likewise will not escape death."
The soldiers remained silent. None made a move as they waited for Great General Hong to speak.
Jiang Qian continued, "Great General Hong, even if my Second Brother truly died, what use is there in your rage? You are dragging the Hong Family down to be buried with you. The Hong Family has only one imperial son to rely upon!"
Hong Lie leaned forward and smiled disdainfully. "Since there is no imperial son to rely upon, then this general shall have the royal robe added to his body. What does Your Highness think of that?"
"You..."
Jiang Qian's eyes widened. He trembled from head to toe with rage, then suddenly understood everything.
Could Jiang Ming's disappearance have something to do with Hong Lie?
The soldiers burst into laughter and shouted, "Long live Emperor Hong!"
Jiang Qian flew into a fury and charged at Hong Lie. He had never practiced martial arts and was like a mere scholar. A soldier kicked him down, then thrust a sword through his body, splattering blood across the ground.
Blood filled Jiang Qian's mouth as he stared fixedly at the soldier before him. There was no fear left in his eyes, only fury.
"How presumptuous! Hong Lie, do you truly disregard our past friendship?"
The Empress's icy voice rang out as she emerged from the hall.
Hong Lie laughed loudly. "Sister-in-law, after all these decades, you are still as beautiful as ever. I wonder what rare treasures His Majesty fed you. I have already come this far. Do you think I still have a path of retreat?"
"Men, seize the Empress and bring her to this general's... to My Majesty's princely estate, hahahaha!"
Hong Lie laughed wildly and actually changed his form of address to "We." He had already gone mad, for in his eyes, the throne was right before him.
The soldiers immediately stepped forward. Jiang Qian raised a hand and cursed, "Hong Lie, you are not human! You will die a miserable death!"
The soldier restraining him immediately slit his throat. He clutched his throat with both hands, unable to speak. Blood gushed out like a fountain, impossible to stop.
The Empress's lovely face turned pale with fright. She retreated again and again until her back pressed against the door.
At that moment, a light, drifting voice descended:
"A dog of Great Jing dares dream of having the royal robe added to his body? Arrogant fool, you know neither the height of heaven nor the depth of earth. Today, you will die a most miserable death."
Everyone looked up. At some unknown point, a figure had appeared on the roof of the Empress's bedchamber. He wore a tattered black Taoist robe and a wooden mask over his face. He carried no weapon, yet merely standing there gave people an intensely dangerous feeling.
Thank you to Pin030 for the 3,000 Qidian Coin donation, Shiqu Gucun for the 1,500 Qidian Coin donation, and Huajia's Husky for the 500 Qidian Coin donation~~
Everyone need not worry. The protagonist will definitely acknowledge his son in the future, and there will be no father-and-son-enemies plotline. After all, Little Prince Wei will be raised and educated by the protagonist from childhood~~
Before the protagonist is certain that he is invincible, he definitely will not act ostentatiously or recklessly. That is why he made this move. As for saying that the switch involved an innocent child, there is actually still a difference. The protagonist went from Crown Prince to an ordinary person, falling from a great height in life. Little Prince Wei went from being the Taoist Priest's son to becoming an imperial son, soaring upward in life, then being supported by the protagonist to become Emperor. The two paths are different, so their mindsets will be different as well. As for the protagonist ascending the throne, go back and look at the introduction and you will roughly understand. Once the protagonist truly becomes invincible, he will then act as he pleases. Before becoming invincible, however, it is best to keep a low profile and develop steadily. Only when there is absolute certainty should he act. At present, the true strength of the Great Vehicle Dragon Tower is still unknown. Of course, keeping a low profile does not mean forgetting grudges or kindness. Grudges will be repaid, and kindness will be repaid as well~~
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