The last time Jiang Changsheng had seen the Seventh Prince, Jiang Yu, he had still been a youth, bringing Meng Qiuhe to stir up trouble. Though they had not become enemies, it was hardly enough to make Jiang Changsheng view him favorably. After all, Jiang Ming had sent many gifts afterward for the very same sort of behavior.
Now, Jiang Yu had begun to possess an emperor's commanding aura. The Emperor spent his days recuperating, while Jiang Yu had practically seized the reins of state affairs single-handedly. The Yang Family had also lowered their heads, and with Hong Lie's rebellion, the Hong Family had been exterminated down to nine generations.
After One Incense Stick Time, Jiang Yu entered the courtyard with Little Prince Wei. Releasing his hand, he watched Little Prince Wei salute Jiang Changsheng before going off to play with Ping'an.
Jiang Changsheng invited Jiang Yu to sit at the stone table in the courtyard. One person followed behind Jiang Yu—a Purple-Clad Man dressed in violet, a treasured sword in hand, his gaze resting on Xu Tianji, who was pushing a millstone in the distance.
Hua Jian Xin waited atop a distant roof. As a White-Clothed Guard, she did not need to remain at Jiang Yu's side; she only needed to protect Little Prince Wei in secret.
Jiang Yu smiled. "It has been several years since we last met. These past few years, thank you, Taoist Priest, for teaching Ziyu. This prince is very pleased with his progress in martial arts. Taoist Priest, you truly deserve your reputation as the current Martial Arts Myth."
Ziyu was Little Prince Wei's name, bestowed upon him by Jiang Yuan.
Jiang Changsheng naturally responded modestly to Jiang Yu's pleasantries. Jiang Yu then began speaking of the martial world. In his early years, he too had wandered the martial world and yearned for it deeply.
"There are five Grandmasters in the Great Jing martial world. With Taoist Priest included, there should now be six. Grandmaster is not a realm, but a designation for the very finest group of people in the martial world. Ordinary martial artists consider those at the Spirit Sense Realm to be Peerless Experts, without realizing that there are even higher realms: the Heaven-Piercing Realm and the God Heart Realm. Figures like the Grandmasters, like you, do not concern themselves with worldly affairs. They only act when others come looking for trouble. However, compared to the five Grandmasters, you are far too young. Your future attainments will surely surpass theirs."
Jiang Yu spoke with emotion. After receiving his Imperial Father's True Qi, his cultivation had soared, yet he still could not see through Jiang Changsheng.
He had once ordered the White-Clothed Guard to investigate Dragon Arising Temple, yet they had found no other experts visiting it. In other words, Changsheng Taoist Priest truly was as the rumors said—an unparalleled genius who had comprehended the Dao through cultivation alone. As the Crown Prince, Jiang Yu naturally would not suppress such an extraordinary man. He would only seek to win him over.
As they talked, Jiang Yu began speaking of Gu Han. It turned out Gu Han had been able to turn heaven and earth upside down because three immensely powerful Grandmaster-level figures had emerged there, each capable of holding back ten thousand men. Their role was mostly to take the heads of Great Jing's generals amid armies numbering in the thousands.
Jiang Changsheng frowned and asked, "Why do Great Jing's Grandmasters not take action?"
Jiang Yu replied helplessly, "The martial world has its own rules. Besides, they are already old. When they were born, they were not people of the Jing Dynasty, but people of the Chu Dynasty. Since the Jing Dynasty was founded, the five Grandmasters have secluded themselves and ignored worldly affairs. Imperial Father once sent people to invite them, only to be turned away at the door. Grandmasters possess immense power. Even if troops were sent to surround and suppress them, they could not be brought to justice. Thus, they cannot be offended."
The Jing Dynasty faced an awkward situation: most experts still considered themselves Chu People. The Devil Sect had always been a thorn in the side, which was why it had suffered the harshest suppression.
At the mention of the Chu Dynasty, Jiang Yu became even more talkative. There were still cities belonging to the Chu Dynasty in the world, located in the western frontier between Great Jing and another imperial dynasty. He praised the customs and etiquette of the Chu Dynasty without end.
Jiang Yu's attitude made Jiang Changsheng uneasy.
What was this fellow trying to do?
As the Crown Prince, shouldn't he hate the Chu Dynasty?
Jiang Changsheng sensed that something was wrong, but it was inconvenient to ask outright.
Jiang Yu suddenly smiled and asked, "Taoist Priest, do you think the customs of the Chu Dynasty are better, or those of the Jing Dynasty?"
Jiang Changsheng replied, "I have never seen the Chu Dynasty, so I cannot judge."
Jiang Yu smiled. "True enough. Still, some things ought to be passed down. All right, this prince should be leaving. Taoist Priest, we shall talk again another day."
He rose to his feet and departed with the Purple-Clad Man.
While Xu Tianji was absent from the courtyard, Wang Chen came over and whispered, "Taoist Priest, the Seventh Prince's mother, Consort Li, was the last princess of the Chu Dynasty. It is understandable that he feels favorably toward the Chu Dynasty."
Jiang Changsheng said calmly, "So that is how it is. Even so, if he is about to become Great Jing's Emperor, he should not be praising the former dynasty like this."
Wang Chen frowned, finding that reasonable.
Jiang Changsheng said, "He mentioned that the five Grandmasters refuse to help Great Jing because they are Chu People. How do you think he intends to resolve the issue of Gu Han's three Grandmasters?"
Wang Chen's expression changed drastically. His chest rose and fell with anger as he whispered, "He wouldn't dare... Imperial... the Emperor is still alive!"
Jiang Changsheng said, "But the Emperor will not live much longer."
Wang Chen fell silent, both hands clenched into fists within his sleeves.
In the thirty-sixth year of Kaiyuan, the Fourth Prince Jiang Yu led one hundred thousand elite troops in a surprise attack on Gu Han's border. With the aid of the former Martial Arts Supreme, Zong Tianwu, they drove straight in like a long spear, slaughtered more than three hundred thousand enemy soldiers, and secured the greatest victory in the war between Jing and Gu in years.
The Emperor was overjoyed and bestowed upon Jiang Yu the title of Prince Qin, making him the second member of Great Jing's imperial clan to be granted a princely title.
Jiang Yuan had always been wary of imperial relatives being made princes. That he allowed Jiang Yu to be granted such a title showed just how important this achievement was.
The whole of Great Jing rejoiced, as if it had glimpsed hope for victory.
That year, Little Prince Wei Jiang Ziyu and Ping'an turned seven. Jiang Ziyu had already displayed astonishing talent in martial arts. Even against Huang Chuan, who was a year older, he could fight to a draw, making Xu Tianji repeatedly call them two little monsters.
At noon, Jiang Ziyu climbed the mountain under Hua Jian Xin's escort, his face puffed up with anger.
"Master, my eldest brother was sent by my father to a sacred land to train in martial arts. Before he left, he bragged to me, saying that the Great Vehicle Dragon Tower he was going to was incredibly formidable, and that if you were there, you would not amount to anything at all."
Jiang Ziyu asked indignantly, "Master, you are definitely stronger than the Great Vehicle Dragon Tower, right?"
Jiang Changsheng rubbed his head and smiled. "How would your master know? I have never seen the Great Vehicle Dragon Tower. Just train properly. How far one can go in martial arts depends on one's own efforts."
Jiang Ziyu nodded heavily, then turned and left.
Xu Tianji walked over and said, "Taoist Priest, I have heard of the Great Vehicle Dragon Tower. It is said that two of the five Grandmasters of Great Jing's martial world once inherited its teachings. The Great Vehicle Dragon Tower has stood upon this land for over a thousand years, witnessing the rise and fall of countless dynasties. Its foundations run unfathomably deep. Yet they come and go like ghosts and spirits, and their disciples rarely walk the martial world."
Jiang Changsheng asked, "Can you tell me something useful?"
Ever since he had become a Martial Arts Myth, True Qi often streaked past the foot of Dragon Arising Temple Mountain. Among them were Disaster Buddha and the Thirteen Heavenly Lodestar Assassins. Clearly, the Great Vehicle Dragon Tower was curious about his martial arts, but since neither side bore any grudge, they had not offended Dragon Arising Temple.
Xu Tianji's expression stiffened. Suddenly recalling something, he clapped his hands. "I once went to the Western Regions. My Undying Divine Art was learned there. The Great Vehicle Dragon Tower is also renowned in the Western Regions. Many tribes even worship the Great Vehicle Dragon Tower as immortals and gods."
The Western Regions?
Jiang Changsheng fell into thought.
Jiang Yu had sent his eldest son to study at the Great Vehicle Dragon Tower, which almost proved that he had already decided his eldest son would become the future Crown Prince. Just as Jiang Yuan had only recommended the Seventh Prince, this eldest son simply could not keep his composure and had boasted before Jiang Ziyu. Perhaps Jiang Ziyu's radiance was simply too dazzling.
The reincarnation of the Golden Winged Great Peng Bird...
Made a prince at birth...
Disciple of the Martial Arts Myth...
Yet even so, Jiang Ziyu had not received Jiang Yu's greatest favor. The notion of favoring the legitimate eldest son was deeply rooted. Even when an illegitimate son seized the throne, the next generation would still favor the legitimate eldest son. Jiang Yuan had merely been influenced by the Great Vehicle Dragon Tower and had acted helplessly.
Seeing him lost in thought, Xu Tianji did not disturb him further and went to spar with Ping'an and the three boys.
Against children, he could not possibly lose.
Late at night, a figure slipped into Jiang Changsheng's room.
It was Hua Jian Xin.
Hua Jian Xin placed her sword upon the table, then came to the bedside and sat beside Jiang Changsheng. "Recently, I have heard some unusual rumors in the Prince's Residence."
Without opening his eyes, Jiang Changsheng said, "Tell me."
Hua Jian Xin said, "Jiang Yu wishes to restore Chu."
Jiang Changsheng opened his eyes and asked, "Is that true?"
Hua Jian Xin said softly, "It cannot be confirmed for now, but there are more and more Chu People in the Prince's Residence. Even Consort Li, who had been consigned to the cold palace, has moved into the Prince's Residence. In truth, one could tell from the Chen Family's allegiance to Jiang Yu. The Chen Family used to be a clan of the Chu Dynasty."
Jiang Changsheng muttered to himself, "What is he after...?"
Although he had long suspected it, Jiang Changsheng still found it absurd once it was confirmed.
How did he dare?
Hua Jian Xin said helplessly, "From what I have seen of Jiang Yu, although his martial arts are formidable, he possesses none of an emperor's bold spirit. He is more like a puppet. He feels powerless to turn heaven and earth upside down, so he wishes to restore Chu and invite the five Grandmasters to resist Gu Han. The strength of powerful martial artists is truly terrifying. Jiang Yu once led the Thirteen Heavenly Lodestar Assassins to the battlefield, but when they returned, every one of them was severely wounded and spent more than half a year recuperating."
Jiang Changsheng was speechless.
What a coward.
Why did Jiang Yu not seek help from the Great Vehicle Dragon Tower? Could this also be the Great Vehicle Dragon Tower's intention?
If they wanted to restore Chu, why had they supported Jiang Yuan in founding a nation?
He suddenly recalled that Jiang Yuan had relied on the Yang Family to found the nation. It was only after the nation was established that the Great Vehicle Dragon Tower had sought to control the Jing Dynasty and finally taken action. Could it be that Jiang Yuan's disobedience had made the Great Vehicle Dragon Tower dislike the Jing Dynasty?
"What do you intend to do?" Hua Jian Xin asked softly.
Jiang Changsheng said, "Naturally, I will make our son Emperor. No matter who tries to stop it, it will be useless. What I did before was not merely resisting the Emperor's actions. I was resisting the force behind imperial power. Since that force wants to interfere with Great Jing again, then let it wait."
Hua Jian Xin furrowed her brows. "The Great Vehicle Dragon Tower is truly powerful. There are no fewer than twenty Heaven-Piercing Realm experts assigned to Jiang Yu's side alone. Before, I could never have imagined that there were so many experts in the martial world."
The higher one stood, the more terrifying the sights one beheld.
Jiang Changsheng looked toward the bright moon outside the window. "There is still time."
The reason he had played a trick of stealing the sky and changing the day was because he could not gauge the Great Vehicle Dragon Tower's strength. It also allowed Jiang Ziyu to possess the identity of an imperial son in advance and gather the strength of his own faction.
He was already very close to the sixth level of the Dao Follows Nature Skill. Once he reached the sixth level, he should be able to crush the Great Vehicle Dragon Tower.
When he had just reached the fifth level, he was already comparable to the Divine Human Realm. Now, his cultivation far exceeded what it had been at the time of that breakthrough. He was confident he could handle more than ten Divine Human Realm experts. Once he broke through again, defeating a hundred Divine Human Realm experts should not be difficult, right?
Hua Jian Xin did not offer another warning and simply sat quietly beside Jiang Changsheng.
Though they shared the reality of husband and wife, they did not share the name. Hua Jian Xin both loved and revered Jiang Changsheng. She was already content with her current life and did not dare hope for more.
Jiang Changsheng suddenly asked, "Have you encountered any confusion while cultivating the Universe Heaven Scripture lately?"
Hua Jian Xin brightened and hurriedly said, "Yes."
"Tell me."
The moonlight was hazy, and the cool wind bleak.
Jiang Changsheng's spiritual power enveloped the room, preventing even the faintest sound from leaking out. If anyone approached, he would notice at once, so he had no fear that his relationship with Hua Jian Xin would be exposed.
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