He entered the Imperial Secret Vault with tremendous anticipation.
The Imperial Secret Vault truly did not disappoint him.
There was actually a Heaven and Earth Spirit Root with twelfth-tier potential.
That potential was enough to rival the royal family's Endless Divine Wood.
Fang Heng immediately felt his mouth go dry and his heart race.
He looked at the Glazed Flat Peach as though he were gazing upon the goddess of his dreams.
"Twelfth-tier potential."
"Could the Glazed Flat Peach be related to the flat peaches of the legendary Queen Mother of the West?"
Fang Heng smacked his lips, secretly musing to himself.
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
For it to possess such astonishing potential, this immortal root, the Glazed Flat Peach, had to be of extraordinary origin.
Fang Heng picked up the pot containing the Glazed Flat Peach.
The Glazed Flat Peach was not tall. It was still only a small sapling.
Its leaves were jade-green, as if they had been carved from the finest emerald.
One glance was enough to make one feel that it teemed with life.
As for flat peaches?
Forget flat peaches.
There were not even any peaches.
It had not borne fruit at all.
Fang Heng carried the Glazed Flat Peach and met up with Eunuch Su.
When Eunuch Su saw Fang Heng's choice, he froze for a moment. Then strange, approving, and wistful expressions appeared on his face.
The emotions on his face were exceedingly complex, a hundred flavors mingling within.
"Your Highness, this peach tree..."
"What? This peach tree cannot be chosen?"
"Of course not!"
"Your Highness may choose any treasure in the secret vault."
"It is merely that this peach tree has quite a story behind it."
Fang Heng nodded slightly and cupped his hands.
"I must trouble Eunuch Su to clear up my doubts."
"Your Highness is too courteous. This servant dare not accept the word 'trouble.'"
"This peach tree was brought out of a secret realm by the Founding Emperor."
The Founding Emperor? A secret realm?
The combination of those two terms immediately made Fang Heng think of the Endless Divine Wood.
"The Endless Divine Wood..."
"Your Highness has guessed correctly!" Eunuch Su nodded and continued, "This peach tree was brought out together with the Endless Divine Wood by the Founding Emperor."
"The Endless Divine Wood has now become the foundation of our dynasty."
"As for this peach tree, what a pity..."
"It cannot be cultivated."
"Even the Founding Emperor could do nothing about it."
"It was so ten thousand years ago, and it remains so ten thousand years later."
"There has not been the slightest change."
A trace of understanding appeared in Fang Heng's eyes.
So that was how it was.
It could not be cultivated, which was why he had picked up such a tremendous bargain.
Sure enough, Great Qian had its share of capable people.
They had naturally seen that the Glazed Flat Peach possessed extraordinary potential.
But since it could not be cultivated, they had no choice but to give up on it.
"Some royal descendants previously learned that this peach tree had an extraordinary origin and intended to cultivate it, but they all failed in the end."
"Your Highness, you..."
Eunuch Su hesitated, wondering whether he should advise Fang Heng to choose another treasure.
"I'll take this peach tree."
Fang Heng's tone was decisive, his expression resolute, and an air of confidence flowed from him.
Seeing that Fang Heng had everything under control, Eunuch Su could not help recalling his achievements at the Seed Selection Department.
Since the Ninth Prince had cultivated Sacred Emperor Rice, perhaps... perhaps it really was possible...
"Your Highness's skill in cultivating plants is unmatched throughout the ages."
"This servant congratulates Your Highness in advance on swift success."
"Thank you for your auspicious words, Eunuch Su."
He left the Imperial Secret Vault and returned to his prince's residence.
Fang Heng could not wait to begin the first bestowal of enlightenment.
After one bestowal of enlightenment, he did not know whether it was merely an illusion, but he discovered that the Glazed Flat Peach seemed to possess a little more spirituality.
Hall of Mental Cultivation.
"Your Majesty, these are the memorials submitted by the civil and military officials."
"Tell me, whom did the officials throughout the court nominate to promote the Sacred Emperor Rice?"
"Your Majesty, candidates were recommended from all six departments."
"Among them, Minister Yan of the Ministry of Revenue received the most votes, thirty-nine in total."
Eunuch Su reported every detail to Emperor Yuanchu.
Why were there six department ministers rather than Seven Department Ministers?
That was because Emperor Yuanchu had already rejected the Minister of Agriculture. Naturally, no one would dare invite Emperor Yuanchu's displeasure.
"Besides the six department ministers, the Assistant Minister of the Court of Judicial Review received five votes, while the Left Censor-in-Chief and Right Censor-in-Chief received three votes each."
After hearing Eunuch Su's report, Emperor Yuanchu neither approved nor disapproved. Instead of giving any instructions, he changed the subject and asked,
"What did Heng'er choose in the secret vault today?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, it was the peach tree brought out of a secret realm by the Founding Emperor."
"That peach tree?" Emperor Yuanchu's brows furrowed slightly, creasing deeply into the character for river. "Forget it. Let him fuss with it."
"Prepare the carriage for the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. I have nothing to do today, so I shall play chess with the Director of Imperial Astronomical Bureau."
"Your Majesty, what about these memorials?"
"Keep them all within the palace!"
"All the memorials were kept within the palace?"
"What does Father Emperor mean by this?"
The Second Prince, who was playing chess with the Right Prime Minister, paused with his right hand suspended.
With a smack.
A black stone fell from his hand and struck the chessboard.
The Right Prime Minister looked at the board and said calmly,
"Your Highness, your heart is in turmoil."
"Thank you for your guidance, Right Prime Minister."
"However..."
The Second Prince felt stifled in his heart.
He had attached immense importance to the candidate for promoting the Sacred Emperor Rice.
This was an achievement that would leave one's name in history.
Whichever of the Seven Department Ministers completed this great undertaking would certainly have to shift positions upon returning to the capital.
Most likely, they would become a prime minister.
Therefore, the Second Prince had mobilized all his strength to nominate the Minister of Revenue.
In one stroke, he had secured the highest number of votes for the Minister of Revenue.
On the other hand, the three ministers under the Crown Prince's faction had split their votes because there were too many of them, leaving them behind the Minister of Revenue.
The Second Prince had thought the choice this time was already as secure as nails driven into a board.
Yet Emperor Yuanchu's decision to keep everything within the palace had filled the matter with uncertainty once more.
In contrast to the troubled Second Prince, the Right Prime Minister appeared utterly composed.
It was as though he held victory in his grasp, just like the situation on the chessboard.
Seeing the Right Prime Minister's demeanor, the Second Prince immediately realized that he must have discovered something.
"I ask the Right Prime Minister for guidance."
The Right Prime Minister raised his head, drew his gaze away from the chessboard, nodded slightly, and smiled.
"Congratulations, Your Highness."
"Where does this joy come from?"
The Second Prince frowned, becoming even more bewildered by the Right Prime Minister's reaction.
"The Seven Department Ministers, the Assistant Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, the Left Censor-in-Chief, and the Right Censor-in-Chief have all been rejected by His Majesty."
"Who does Your Highness think can still shoulder this great responsibility?"
"The vice ministers of the various departments?"
"No, that is not right. Though vice ministers hold third-rank positions..."
"This promotion must not only be carried out among the common people, but also among the great aristocratic clans and the Ten Great Dao Courts."
"This matter is of tremendous importance. The vice ministers of the various departments are still unable to shoulder such a great responsibility."
"Precisely!"
The Right Prime Minister nodded and, before the Second Prince, gave an answer that left him aghast.
The Second Prince's expression changed from astonishment to delight.
The transformation was completed almost in an instant.
"For a great undertaking that will benefit generations to come, only the Left Prime Minister is qualified to take it on."
"The Left Prime Minister promoting the Sacred Emperor Rice... So Father Emperor had actually been planning this."
The Second Prince understood at the slightest prompting and instantly grasped Emperor Yuanchu's arrangement.
Was promoting the Sacred Emperor Rice a good thing?
Of course it was!
Was it a good thing for the Left Prime Minister?
It was both good and bad.
The good was that its merit would be boundless, and his name would be recorded in history.
The bad was that once he left the center of power, his authority would inevitably fall into others' hands.
Was it a good thing for the Crown Prince?
It was unquestionably terrible news.
His greatest supporter would be transferred away from the center of power and sent to the regions.
The losses would be immense!
Most importantly, the excuse of promoting Sacred Emperor Rice was simply too righteous and aboveboard.
Could the Left Prime Minister refuse?
He could not!
Because in the eyes of everyone under heaven, sending the Left Prime Minister to promote Sacred Emperor Rice was a sign of His Majesty's high regard for him.
The Second Prince stood up excitedly, his face filled with wild delight, his voice even trembling slightly.
"Right Prime Minister, do you think Father Emperor is about to move against the Crown Prince?"
Before you continue