Just One Step Away

"Father, we've come in such a grand manner, are we really going to slink back to Shouchun City like this?"

The King of Huainan has been staying in Chang'an City for a long time.

Even when the Empress Dowager urged him to return to Shouchun, he stubbornly stayed in Chang'an City.

But the longer it went on, the more eerie the atmosphere in Chang'an City became, and some people even believed that the King of Huainan was plotting a rebellion.

Treason is a capital offense punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family, and such a matter should not be spoken lightly. However, his attitude at this moment undoubtedly proves that the King of Huainan does indeed have other intentions.

"What's it like over on the other side of the mountains?"

The main hall of the Prince's Palace was the Prince of King of Huainan's domain. He didn't worry about being overheard when he spoke there, as few people could rely on their spiritual energy or other abilities to eavesdrop on his conversations.

The question was asked by his daughter, Liu Ling, but the King of Huainan did not directly answer Liu Ling's question. Instead, he inquired about matters related to Liu Ling.

"They didn't find the jewel their father mentioned in the tomb; they only found a long arrow with a golden arrowhead and red fletching!"

Da Shan and Xiao Shan have names as ordinary as those of peasant brothers, but these two are among the most Technique Method in the King of Huainan's Household, especially proficient in the art of underground excavation.

Although Yangling was occupied by the Daoist Ran Deng's ritual, after the Daoist left, Da Shan and Xiao Shan eventually entered Yangling and conducted an extremely careful and thorough search within it.

Those things that needed to be searched had to be searched, but the two people who shouldn't have been touched didn't dare to be touched.

After nearly half a month of searching, both of them developed boils all over their bodies, and the search finally came to a conclusion.

"Someone went in before us!"

The King of Huainan took a deep breath, realizing that he had arrived in Chang'an City a step too late.

He dispatched Jin Chang to carry out his mission early on, and Jin Chang even carried the fortune of Huainan. However, Jin Chang, on whom the King of Huainan placed great hopes, suffered a major setback at Yangling.

"Bring me that arrow!"

The King of Huainan gave a low order, and Liu Ling quickly left the palace.

A short while later, the King of Huainan saw the feathered arrows that Dashan and Xiaoshan had brought from Yangling.

The arrowhead is pale gold, the fletching is fiery red, and the shaft is entirely reddish gold.

Upon seeing the feathered arrow, the King of Huainan could already imagine what it would look like when such an arrow struck a person, and what kind of person could wield such an arrow.

It was this deadly arrow that severely wounded Jin Chang.

But this arrow was probably not specifically aimed at Jin Chang; Jin Chang was simply unlucky and ran into it.

There are very few people who can suppress Jin Chang's luck so much that they can bring such bad luck to the other party.

The King of Huainan had already guessed who owned and controlled the arrow.

"Keep this arrow safe, and then have Da Shan and Xiao Shan fill the tunnel back in," said the King of King of Huainan. "I will return to Shouchun City tomorrow!"

"Father?" Crown Prince Liu Qian asked anxiously.

"Qian'er, calm down," the King of Huainan reassured the young Crown Prince Liu Qian, then turned to Liu Ling and instructed, "You are usually quick-witted and intelligent, and you know how to act. Stay in Chang'an City and see if you can find out who took that bead!"

"What kind of beads are they?" Liu Ling asked.

"That precious pearl is called the Suihou Pearl," the King of Huainan said after careful consideration. "It is a supreme treasure for controlling Yin entities. It is different from ordinary treasures. The Suihou Pearl can control the Yin spirits that top-level cultivators transform into after death. I originally intended to use this pearl to make Liu Qi's Yin spirit come to court and pass the throne to me, so that I could seize the throne legitimately. However, I did not expect that someone would take this pearl."

"It's a pity, if only we had come sooner..."

"It can't be too early," the King of Huainan shook his head and said, "If we want things to succeed, Liu Qi must first manifest his spirit. There is a 49-day soul-nurturing period involved. If we take the Suihou Pearl too early, it will be useless; if we take it too late, someone else will take it. It's all about timing and luck."

"Why didn't the person who took the pearl use it?" Liu Ling asked.

"This bead isn't something just anyone can use!"

The King of Huainan shook his head.

After Emperor Jing's spirit is controlled, it can assist the King of Huainan, allowing him to pass the throne to the Prince and giving him a legitimate opportunity.

However, Emperor Jing's spirit was controlled by others and had no effect whatsoever.

Those with low cultivation levels find it difficult to control the spirits of the dead; those with high cultivation levels, however, find it difficult to inherit the legitimate Great Han Dynasty.

Only powerful vassal kings like them, who had the potential to ascend the throne, could make the greatest use of the Suihou Pearl.

If one's strength is weaker, one might even suffer a loss due to the Yin Qi energy of the Suihou Pearl.

When it becomes difficult to replenish the Suihou Pearl, even if the Suihou Pearl contains the spirit of Emperor Jing, the recipient will perish and disappear.

If found, the King of Huainan hopes that Liu Ling can find this precious pearl within the next few years.

If they couldn't find it, even the King of Huainan would be helpless.

The longer the time passes, the less effective Emperor Jing's spirit becomes, and the more difficult it becomes to control him.

Having missed his chance, he can only wait until the Great Han Dynasty is plagued by poverty, internal strife, and endless wars before he can rise to prominence.

If the new emperor proves incapable of fulfilling his duties, he may be thrust back into the limelight.

The King of Huainan was also glad that he had not made any announcements during his trip to Chang'an City, but had only shared his plans with the Queen and his children.

After giving him repeated instructions, he finally allowed Liu Ling and the others to leave the hall.

"Your Majesty, we have brought almost all of Shouchun City's elite retainers to Chang'an City, and His Majesty has also gone out of the city to pay homage to his ancestors. Under such favorable circumstances, is it not possible to start a rebellion?" the Queen asked in a low voice.

"Liao Tu, you underestimate that one in Anle Palace," the King of Huainan replied in a low voice.

"The Empress Dowager seems to be unwell. I recently visited Anle Palace..."

"So, do you want to gamble?"

Before Queen Liao Tu could fully explain her reasons, the King of Huainan directly asked.

"Bet?"

"If we win the bet, we'll defeat the Empress Dowager and forcibly ascend the throne despite the grave offense, only to be denounced by all the princes of the land," said the King of Huainan. "If we lose the bet, our entire family will be beheaded at the Sima Gate!"

"This..."

"This is the calamity of not having a legitimate right to succession. I cannot accept either the outcome of winning or losing the gamble," said the King of Huainan. "The best course of action is not to gamble. We are still kings, and we can still wait for our opportunity!"

The King of Huainan came with great fanfare, but returned to Shouchun City in disgrace. This may seem humiliating, but it was the best choice.

Whether he wins or loses the gamble, he will be doomed.

Only by refraining from gambling can he remain the king of Huainan and continue to hold his position while waiting for an opportunity.

The trip to Chang'an City had been extremely costly, but the King of Huainan had made an appearance and even won over some high-ranking officials of the court.

If he had any reliable information, these people would certainly benefit from sending him messages.

After careful consideration, the King of Huainan felt that he hadn't lost out.

He's already given away all his money, so we can't expect him to take it back.

After comforting himself, he felt much better.

However, the King of Huainan couldn't help but grit his teeth in hatred at the person who took away the Suihou Pearl, feeling that the other party had ruined his important plans.

He was just a tiny bit away from the throne of the Great Han Dynasty.

This one step is a distance he would find difficult to cross even if he rebelled at this moment.