Truth or dare

Tianji and Tianshu exchanged a glance and knelt down in unison. "Your Majesty, please forgive us, we failed to obtain the lotus seeds."

The smile on Emperor Yuanjing's face gradually disappeared, replaced by a deep expression. He slowly said:

"Twenty cannons, twenty-six experts, and the two of you fourth-rank warriors. You'll be accompanied by Daoist priests from the Earth Sect. I'm giving you a chance to explain; if there's truly a valid reason, I can forgive you."

Tianji turned to look at his companion and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, the situation in Jianzhou is turbulent. Besides us and the Earth Sect, almost all the experts from the Martial Alliance have come out to compete for the Lotus Seeds."

Emperor Yuanjing remained expressionless. "So, you were defeated by the Martial Alliance?"

Tianji felt a chill and quickly said:

"It wasn't the Martial Alliance, but the Earth Sect Daoist priests who were hiding the Nine-Colored Lotus. They hired several helpers: Li Miaozhen, the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect; Xu Qi'an, the former Silver Xu Qi'an; Chu Yuanzhen, Registered Disciple the Human Sect; Yang Qianhuan from the Bureau of Astronomy; a monk; and a young girl from the Southern Frontier's Power Gu Tribe."

The silent female spy, Tian Shu, keenly noticed that His Majesty suddenly became slightly flustered when he heard the name "Xu Qi'an".

She didn't look up to peek at the emperor's face, but she could guess that His Majesty's expression must be very unpleasant.

Emperor Yuanjing's expression was more than just unpleasant; his face was ashen, the veins on his forehead bulging slightly, as if he was trying his best to suppress his anger.

"I never imagined that someone who was once an insignificant nobody would turn into a biting dog."

Emperor Yuanjing let out a cold laugh through clenched teeth, "I just issued an edict of self-reproach, originally intending to settle accounts with him after the storm had passed. The entire Xu Household family is in the capital; let's see how I deal with him."

He paused, then asked, "Go on."

Tianji recounted everything he had seen and heard, including the conflict between the mysterious young master and Xu Qi'an. Of course, his view on this part was that the mysterious young master was the direct descendant of a certain power, and out of jealousy of Xu Qi'an's reputation, he wanted to step on Xu Qi'an to become famous, which was why he deliberately targeted him.

This makes sense.

"How did Xu Qi'an get involved with the Daoist priests of the Earth Sect?" Emperor Yuanjing suddenly asked.

"I haven't had time to investigate yet," Tianji replied. Seeing that Emperor Yuanjing had returned to silence, he skipped the topic and continued.

Emperor Yuanjing listened quietly until Tianji said that Xu Qi'an threw out his protective talisman and shouted "Grand Preceptor, save me!" and the Grand Preceptor really came riding on golden light. The old emperor's face changed drastically.

"How did the Imperial Advisor get involved? How could he possibly summon him? What gives him the right to summon the Imperial Advisor?"

Emperor Yuanjing paced back and forth in his study, his expression shifting between ferocious and gloomy.

Why did the Imperial Advisor respond to Xu Qi'an's plea for help? When did the two become involved?

Overwhelmed by indescribable emotions, Emperor Yuanjing's expression suddenly turned ferocious, and he conceived the idea of immediately eliminating Xu Qi'an and killing this vicious dog that could bite.

Ignoring the imperial edict of self-reproach, disregarding the opinions of his ministers, and disregarding the views of the people.

It wasn't because he was afraid of the speed of the boy's growth. Emperor Yuanjing had seen many talented people, including Chu Yuanzhen, but he didn't even bother to pay attention to him.

It was because Xu Qi'an sought help from the Imperial Advisor, and the Imperial Advisor responded to his request!

"Prepare the carriage, proceed to Lingbao Temple!" Emperor Yuanjing said, enunciating each word clearly.

Haoqi Tower.

Xu Qi'an wore a sky-blue brocade robe embroidered with light blue cloud patterns, his jade pendants jingling, his hair tied up with a hollowed-out gold crown, and he wore cloud-covered boots.

At first glance, he exuded an air of nobility even more than a prince. Coupled with his tall and straight figure, handsome features, deep and bright eyes, and a touch of wit in his brows, he possessed a unique charm that blended the air of a noble young master from a powerful Aristocratic Clan with that of a frivolous young man from the streets.

Wei Yuan looked at the young man sitting opposite him, a slight realization dawning on him, and smiled, "I'm used to seeing you in your Nightwatchers's uniform. It's quite a sight to see you in different clothes."

"My sister made it for me, sewing it stitch by stitch."

Xu Qi'an held his teacup, recalling the infatuated look in Xu Lingyue's eyes back then, and laughed, "Duke Wei, do you think I have any hope of seducing Prince Huaiqing looking like this?"

Wei Yuan looked at him calmly, his eyes reflecting the vicissitudes of time. "This isn't like you usually talk. Just say what you have to say."

"When I was investigating the case of Consort Fu, I learned from the Emperor's brother-in-law that Duke Wei and the Empress were childhood sweethearts and that he treated Huaiqing as his own son. I thought that if I could become the emperor's son-in-law, Duke Wei would definitely treat me as his son-in-law as well."

Xu Qi'an smiled and said, "Duke Wei treated me extremely well, his kindness was as heavy as a mountain. Despite having no kinship with me, he cultivated me with all his heart, all because of those three trials of the heart."

Wei Yuan's expression was gentle. "It seems you gained something extra from this trip to Jianzhou."

Xu Qi'an put down his teacup, took out three dice from his sleeve, placed them one by one on the table, and said softly:

"In my hometown, back when I was a Kuaishou user in Changle County, I learned a drinking game from some ordinary people called Truth or Dare."

"Based on the dice roll, the player with the lower roll either answers a question or drinks a cup of wine. This humble subject wishes to play this game with Duke Wei, without drinking, and simply speak the truth."

He looked calmly at the man in blue, "If Duke Wei is unwilling, this humble servant will take his leave now. From now on, I will not bother you again."

This time, Wei Yuan's smile vanished, and he stared at him for a very long time.

Have you thought it through?

"Um."

Wei Qingyi nodded, raised her hand from her sleeve, and gestured for him to proceed.

Xu Qi'an breathed a sigh of relief, yet an unavoidable tension remained.

He picked up the teacup, gently wiped it, and rolled the three dice into the cup. Clang! The dice collided and spun in the teacup, before settling into stillness as Xu Qi'an slammed it down.

He opened his teacup, and exclaimed, "Six! Six! Six!"

I knew it. With my luck, I'm invincible in the world of dice, especially now that the jade pendant given to me by the supervisor has cracked and my luck is leaking out, Xu Qi'an said with peace of mind.

Wei Yuan picked up the teacup, wiped it, swirled it for a moment, then turned it upside down on the table, revealing it without any suspense.

II, V, VI.

He smiled gently and asked, "What would you like to ask?"

Xu Qi'an pondered for a moment and asked, "What is your relationship with Her Majesty the Empress?"

His choice of this question was by no means merely for gossip. First and foremost, the nature of Wei Yuan's relationship with the Empress determined the extent of the falling out between Wei Yuan and Emperor Yuanjing.

Secondly, Consort Chen, the birth mother of the Empress in Lin'an, is a spy for the mysterious Warlock. The relationship between the Empress and Wei Yuan determines whether the mysterious Warlock will use the same trick again and use the Empress to set up a scheme to frame Wei Yuan.

Finally, based on his lecherous intuition, Xu Qi'an believed that the relationship between the Empress and Wei Yuan was not simple.

"You know quite a lot."

Wei Yuan's gentle expression vanished, his eyes, which held a hint of world-weariness, sharpened. He stared intently for a moment before saying, "I'll tell you about my affair with the Empress later, but not now. Heh, you didn't say you'd tell me now."

"Exploiting this loophole is no fun," Xu Qi'an nodded, "Okay."

Wei Yuan's words were, in effect, an admission that his relationship with the Empress was unusual, and could be considered a form of response.

In the second round, Xu Qi'an scored 666 again, while Wei Yuan scored 551.

Xu Qi'an lowered his eyes, looking at the dice in front of Wei Yuan. After a moment's pause, his gaze slowly moved upward, fixing on him. "Duke Wei, do you know what secrets were hidden behind the Battle of Shanhai Pass back then?"

Wei Yuan said calmly, "If you mean stealing the Great Feng's fortune, then I know."

He knew that the secret of the Great Feng Dynasty's destiny had been stolen. Xu Qi'an's surprise was barely rising when he forcibly suppressed it, his face remaining calm.

Wei Yuan lowered his gaze slightly and said, "Whenever war begins, it is a time when the nation's fortunes falter. Victory increases the nation's fortunes by one point, while defeat decreases them by one point."

"The larger the scale of the battle, the greater the turmoil in the nation. In the Great Zhou, a vassal king rebelled, and the rebel army reached the Great Zhou Dynasty. Historical records show that at that time, people's hearts were in turmoil, and the scholar-official class was filled with anxiety."

"Although the rebellion was quelled, it became a turning point in the decline of the Great Zhou Dynasty. The Battle of Shanhai Pass was a chaotic war among various states, with a total of more than a million troops involved. The scale of the conflict was unprecedented in history. The upheaval in the country was far more intense than when Emperor Wuzong purged the court of corrupt officials."

"The Battle of Shanhai Pass was the perfect opportunity to steal the tide of fortune. Unfortunately, I only realized this later."

Wei Yuan was referring to a force exceeding one million, which consisted of truly elite troops, not counting militia and laborers. Historical records often describe armies of 100,000 or 300,000 as being dispatched.

However, the actual number of soldiers involved is largely inflated, including logistics and militia. The number of soldiers who actually went to the battlefield was probably less than one-third of the total.

In the Battle of Shanhai Pass, the forces of Great Feng, the Buddhist Kingdom, the northern and southern barbarian tribes, the Demon Race, and the Witch God Cult deployed more than a million elite soldiers who were truly capable of fighting on the battlefield.

So that's how it is. No wonder the first generation and the former leader of the Heavenly Gu Tribe planned such a war. It was to shake the fate of the orthodox dynasty in the Central Plains, the Great Feng. Xu Qi'an suddenly understood.

Although he knew that the fate of the Great Feng Dynasty had been stolen during the Battle of Shanhai Pass, he did not understand the underlying reasons.

The third round.

Xu Qi'an's luck was off the charts, and he rolled another 666. But this time, things were different. When Wei Yuan lifted the lid of the teacup, he also got 666.

"Rare!"

Wei Yuan smiled and said, "How about we each ask a question?"

Xu Qi'an nodded in agreement and took the lead in asking his question, "Does Duke Wei know who stole the fortune? What is their purpose?"

Wei Yuan shook his head. "Among the major systems, only Warlock and Confucian School are closely related to destiny, and the Human Sect is only half a part of it. And only Warlock and Confucian School can influence the destiny of a nation."

"In the current Confucian School system, the highest-ranking person is Zhao Shou, the dean of the Cloud Deer Academy. He is not quite capable enough to influence the fate of the Great Feng Kingdom. So, only Warlock are left."

"Warlock can conceal the secrets of heaven, so how could I possibly know who it is? Even if I did know, I would have long since 'forgotten' it."

Xu Qi'an took a deep breath. "It's the first Supervisor."

After saying that, he stared intently at Wei Yuan, hoping to see a "drastic change in expression" in his eyes.

Sure enough, Wei Yuan's eyes suddenly darkened, and his fingers resting on the table trembled slightly.

He stared intently at Xu Qi'an, his body involuntarily leaning forward, his tone slightly hurried. "Explain clearly, what do you know, what intelligence do you possess?"

Xu Qi'an said, "Duke Wei, is this your problem?"

Unexpectedly, Wei Yuan shook his head, composed himself, and resumed his calm and collected demeanor.

Wei Qingyi shook her head and asked gently, "My question is: the sealed artifact beneath Sangbo is inside you, isn't it?"

a bolt from the blue.

Lingbao Temple.

Emperor Yuanjing sat in his familiar quiet room, looking at the flawless beauty opposite him. Luo Yuheng was one of the most captivating women he had ever seen.

No matter how his mood changes or how his preferences for women change, Luo Yuheng can always satisfy his aesthetic sense without causing him to experience aesthetic fatigue.

Although this woman never agreed to cultivate with him, she was already Emperor Yuanjing's exclusive possession.

Moreover, his long-cherished plan for immortality still depends on this woman to achieve it.

Therefore, it is forbidden for any man to have close relations with Luo Yuheng.

She can be dismissive of me, she can be perfunctory, she can brush me off—that doesn't matter. But if she shows favor or special attention to other men...

That man has only one path: death.

Emperor Yuanjing harbored murderous intent towards Xu Qi'an. Even if the controversy surrounding the edict of self-reproach had not subsided, he had countless ways to target Xu Qi'an.

Is it difficult for an emperor to deal with a commoner?

It's not difficult at all.

The reason why he was ignored and allowed to run rampant before was because Emperor Yuanjing never considered him a rival, nor was he qualified. His enemies were the officials of the court, the supervisor, and Zhao Shou.

Xu Qi'an was nothing more than a pawn in the midst of this turmoil.

Even now, he doesn't consider Xu Qi'an an enemy, originally planning to settle scores later after the storm has passed.

Unexpectedly, this vicious dog bit the meat it shouldn't have.

So, even if it comes at a price, we must kill that vicious dog.

Emperor Yuanjing stared at the female Grand Preceptor and said in a deep voice, "According to the report from the Prince of Huai's spies, the Grand Preceptor has also interfered in the affairs of Jianzhou?"

Luo Yuheng, with her fair and delicate face, like a flawless piece of jade, nodded slightly.

"Why did the Imperial Advisor intervene in this matter?" Emperor Yuanjing pressed.

"The Nine-Colored Lotus is a supreme treasure of our Daoist School; how can we allow outsiders to covet it?" Luo Yuheng's red lips parted slightly, her voice clear and cold. "On the contrary, why does Your Majesty plot to seize the lotus seeds?"

Emperor Yuanjing patiently explained, "My talent for cultivation is dull, and I have been unable to form the elixir for a long time, which has caused me great anxiety. Upon learning that the nine-colored lotus seed can Aperture Opening and bring enlightenment, I sent someone to fetch it."

After he finished speaking, seeing Luo Yuheng nod in acceptance of his explanation, he suddenly smiled, his tone casual and nonchalant, as if he were chatting casually:

"I heard that Xu Qi'an burned the talisman and summoned the Imperial Preceptor. Heh, I actually admire him very much. He has talent, ambition, and a sense of justice. It's just that he's too young and doesn't understand the importance of the big picture."

"He still needs a few more years of tempering. Demoting him to commoner status this time will be a good opportunity to refine his character. However, I didn't expect that he and the Imperial Advisor would have such a relationship."

Luo Yuheng frowned and said in a cold tone, "What relationship do I have with a mere commoner?"

Emperor Yuanjing's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he quickly pressed for an answer, "If that's the case, how was he able to summon the Imperial Advisor?"

P. S.: This chapter was a bit tiring to write, mainly because I spent a long time working on the detailed outline for the second half of Volume 2. Um, I'm practically begging for monthly votes, everyone! Love you all!