At the residence of the Commandery Prince.
Having borrowed the Disguise Mask from Xie Lingxi, Sun Miaomiao lifted her plain male face and scrutinized the tall outer walls of the estate.
She looked left and right, confirming no one was paying attention to her, before pulling out the Companion Spirit Moon, fixing it to her forehead, and entering night roaming.
Leaping over the wall, she used the veil of night roaming to conceal every trace of presence and sound, slipping past the estate’s guards and retained experts to quickly infiltrate the inner courtyards.
The Commandery Prince's estate was vast, with courtyards leading into courtyards and walls adjoining walls. Guards, household servants, and maidservants bustled back and forth, interspersed with ladies and young mistresses in splendid gowns.
Upon reaching the rear garden, Sun Miaomiao spotted a graceful young maiden around sixteen years of age walking along the covered veranda beside the garden, flanked by two maidservants. Her figure was slender and captivating.
Seeing no one else around, Sun Miaomiao cast Charm Art, bewitching all three.
The mistress and her servants maintained their usual expressions as their feet kept stepping forward, yet they were merely pacing in place without realizing it—the classic ghost-wall trick of Charm Art.
Without hesitation, Sun Miaomiao pulled the Hypnosis Pocket Watch from the guild warehouse. With a soft click, she snapped it open, pointed it at the young maiden, and asked in a low voice, "Where is your father?"
They were in an open courtyard where someone could pass by at any moment, so she got straight to the point without wasting a breath.
The maiden’s eyes turned vacant as she replied instinctively, "My father was laid to rest many years ago."
"???" Sun Miaomiao froze for an instant before realizing she had misunderstood. She corrected herself, "What is your relation to Commandery Prince Zhao Kai?"
The maiden answered dully, "I am his concubine."
*A concubine? You’re younger than his daughters,* Sun Miaomiao grumbled inwardly, though she wasn't overly surprised. After all, this was an ancient world, and an old man taking a young maiden was practically standard procedure among nobility.
"Where is Commandery Prince Zhao Kai?" she asked.
"The Commandery Prince is in the front hall, drinking and watching the dancers."
*Are the Zhao clan's scions all only interested in wine and women? It'd be a miracle if the Southern Dynasty didn't fall.* Sun Miaomiao asked, "What does he do after drinking and watching the dancers?"
The maiden said, "After the singing and dancing conclude, the Commandery Prince returns to his room to rest for half a shichen. Afterward, he might go out to attend a banquet or host guests at home; it varies."
Sun Miaomiao immediately knew how to meet this prince. After asking for the location of his bedchamber, she canceled both the hypnosis and the charm, vanishing back into night roaming.
The mistress and servants shifted from marching in place to walking forward again, entirely unaware that anything had happened.
Watching the three depart, the invisible Sun Miaomiao pressed on toward the inner residence. Evading the guards and servants, she arrived outside the prince’s bedchamber and used Star Escape to slip directly into the room.
The chamber was lavish and spacious, filled with calligraphy, paintings, and antique curios. Not only were the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone of the highest quality, but even the paperweight was a genuine ancient relic—an extravagant sight indeed.
Sun Miaomiao revealed her figure and concealed herself behind the screen in the inner room, waiting patiently.
Roughly forty minutes later, footsteps sounded outside the door.
*Creak—*
The door opened, and a middle-aged man in brocade robes, his frame padded with a thick layer of fat over muscle, walked in from outside.
The servant following him paused at the entrance and pulled the lattice door shut.
Puffing out his belly, Zhao Kai picked up a kettle from the round table, rinsed his mouth, and walked straight toward the plush, soft bed.
At that moment, his gaze snapped toward the nearby screen, and he barked in a low voice, "Who's there?"
Sun Miaomiao's voice drifted out from behind the screen. "Your Highness, there is no need for alarm. I have come to see you on His Majesty's orders."
The cry rising in Zhao Kai's throat died down instantly, though he remained far from convinced. Stepping back cautiously, a faint green light flared in his right hand hidden inside his sleeve, and he said coolly, "An honest person does not lurk in the shadows. Since you represent His Majesty, why hide yourself?"
Sun Miaomiao simply stepped out from behind the screen, opened her inventory, pulled out Little Red Riding Hood, and gave it a shake right before Zhao Kai’s eyes. A yin corpse clutching a small loudspeaker tumbled out.
Seeing an item produced out of thin air, Zhao Kai felt a chill run through him.
This was precisely Sun Miaomiao's deliberate intention—to craft an unfathomable and mysterious image.
Once the yin corpse holding the loudspeaker hit the floor, its vacant eyes stirred, brimming with vitality and spirit.
Zhang Yuanqing’s soul had arrived.
Scanning the surroundings and confirming the environment, Zhang Yuanqing raised the loudspeaker and "smiled." "Long time no see, Uncle Prince of Yongyan. You look as formidable as ever."
Zhao Kai stared at the yin corpse with doubt and disbelief. "Y-You are His Majesty?"
Zhang Yuanqing answered obliquely, "If Uncle has paid even the slightest attention to recent events outside, you ought to know what path that 'madman' who stirred up chaos at the Ministry of Justice follows."
With that, he reached out toward Sun Miaomiao beside him.
Catching his meaning, she produced the Heirloom Seal of the Realm and handed it over.
Seeing the imperial seal, Zhao Kai no longer doubted him. He hurriedly bowed in salute. "This old subject Zhao Kai pays respects to Your Majesty."
"No need for excessive ceremony." Zhang Yuanqing handed the imperial seal back to Sun Miaomiao and signaled her to take out the music box, letting pleasant, tinkling melodies fill the room.
Only then did Zhang Yuanqing speak: "Uncle, manipulating this yin corpse to meet you today is to inquire about an old matter from years past."
Zhao Kai nodded slightly. "Please ask, Your Majesty."
His tone was fairly deferential. Although Zhao Shun was incompetent and foolish, in the eyes of the imperial clan, he was still one of their own, viewed through an innate lens of familial loyalty. While they cursed him in private, they harbored none of the deep, bitter hatred felt by outsiders.
"How did Wu Xin die back then?" Zhang Yuanqing's opening question made Zhao Kai’s complexion change drastically.
"W-Why would Your Majesty suddenly bring up such ancient history?" Zhao Kai's expression flickered with turmoil. "Wu Xin died of illness, of course. After years on campaign, he was worn down by overwork and riddled with wounds. Not long after returning to the capital, a sudden ailment struck him down, and he died abruptly."
*What utter nonsense. Wu Xin was in his prime back then, commanding tens of thousands in the Shenrui Army. He had to be an elite expert. Dying of overwork?* Zhang Yuanqing said, "Uncle, I know this matter carries enormous gravity, and any leak would lead to endless trouble. But our Zhao clan now stands on the brink of survival. If you continue to hide the truth, our imperial state will be lost!"
Zhao Kai froze. "Why would Your Majesty say such a thing?"
"Why do you think I was forced into hiding among the common folk, and why am I temporarily taking refuge in Tianji Tower?" Zhang Yuanqing said sternly. "Not long ago, Zheng Wenhan rebelled, leading the Imperial City Division in an attempt on my life. It was only because the death-sworn guards raised by Mother Empress sacrificed themselves that I managed to escape the palace."
Zhao Kai gasped, "What?!"
Zhang Yuanqing then recounted the whole story of Zheng Wenhan's treason, regicide attempt, and collusion with the northern military, omitting only the detail of the Imperial Preceptor supporting the Zheng clan.
The Imperial Preceptor was a Golden Crow; if his conspiracy were revealed to Zhao Kai, ripples would appear in the River of Fate, allowing the Imperial Preceptor to divine today's moves.
Zhao Kai’s blood boiled as he listened, overcome with fury.
"Audacious traitor!
"A mere outsider with another surname dares covet the Zhao family's realm! Back then, I advised the Empress Dowager to execute Zheng Wenhan, but unfortunately, she was swayed by kinship and grew softhearted, finally paving the way for this catastrophe!"
*He really does know the inside story!* Zhang Yuanqing pressed, "Uncle, hide nothing. Tell me everything that happened back then."
Hesitation surfaced once more on Zhao Kai's enraged face.
Zhang Yuanqing said calmly, "I can assure you that whatever part you played back then, the past will be forgiven entirely."
Only then did the tension ease from Zhao Kai's face, and he spoke:
"Wu Xin was assassinated at the courier station. The mastermind behind it was indeed Zheng Wenhan.
"Back then, Zheng Wenhan had not yet achieved the power he wields today; his wings were not yet fully grown. So the fiend fabricated an oral decree from the Empress Dowager, led a group of experts out of the Imperial City Division, ambushed the courier station in the dead of night, and murdered Wu Xin.
"When the Empress Dowager learned of it, she was furious, but what was done could not be undone. She summoned me that very night to handle the aftermath."
Zhang Yuanqing suddenly asked, "Why was Zheng Wenhan so determined to put Wu Xin to death?"
Zhao Kai sneered. "The scoundrel loudly claimed it was to eliminate an over-mighty subject for the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty, to prevent Wu Xin's prestige from eclipsing the throne and becoming Your Majesty's gravest peril. But I saw through his wolfish ambition.
"After successive years of warfare, the Southern Dynasty's treasury was empty, and the populace desperately needed to rest and recuperate. Zheng Wenhan saw the stance of the Empress Dowager and the ministers. Coming from an imperial in-law background, he was despised by the scholarly elite. Thus, he sought to broker a peace treaty, using that achievement to secure promotions and noble titles and cement his standing.
"Unfortunately, Wu Xin was an unyielding zealot who thought only of marching north, heedless of reality. He held the Shenrui Army, an unmatched force of fierce wolves and tigers. Even the Empress Dowager and the imperial court could do nothing to sway him, let alone Zheng Wenhan."
Zhang Yuanqing understood completely. "So Zheng Wenhan used the opportunity of Wu Xin returning to the capital to ask for funds and grain to borrow the Empress Dowager's authority, murdering Wu Xin. Then he used that deed to bind the Empress Dowager to his pirate ship—she took the blame, while he reaped all the rewards."
Zhao Kai nodded.
"After I eliminated Wu Xin’s old subordinates in the capital, I vehemently urged the Empress Dowager to execute Zheng Wenhan. Alas, a woman’s softheartedness prevailed; she could not bear to put her own brother to death.
"However, after that incident, the Empress Dowager no longer trusted Zheng Wenhan as before. She abandoned her original plan of choosing an empress from the Zheng family and instead selected a daughter of the Yang family, specifically to support the Yangs to counterbalance the Zhengs.
"Alas, the Empress Dowager was so occupied with state affairs over those years that she neglected Your Majesty's discipline..."
Reaching that point, he suddenly caught himself, cupping his hands and bowing. "Forgive me, Your Majesty. This prince meant nothing by that."
*Nothing by that? You were totally mocking me,* Zhang Yuanqing grumbled internally. Pausing for a few seconds through the loudspeaker, he asked, "Are any of the experts who took part in assassinating Wu Xin still alive?"
Zhao Kai shook his head. "The Empress Dowager had them secretly put to death long ago."
"Do you possess any evidence for what you've said?" Zhang Yuanqing asked further.
Zhao Kai gave a bitter smile. "After Wu Xin's death, Zheng Wenhan soared to great heights and rose steadily through the ranks. That itself is the best evidence."
*Not enough concrete evidence, but having Zhao Kai as a witness is better than having nothing at all.* Zhang Yuanqing said, "Uncle, do not let word of this spread. In a few days, I will come to find you so we can plot great things together."
Zhao Kai said gravely, "Zheng Wenhan wishes to overturn our Zhao clan's realm—his malice deserves death! Over the years, he has suppressed and framed numerous members of the imperial family, leaving the entire clan brimming with resentment. As long as Your Majesty raises the call, we are willing to go through fire and water!"
The imperial clan and the emperor shared a community of interests. The Zhao clan had held the realm for five hundred years; though severely diminished by Zheng Wenhan's suppression, a starved camel was still bigger than a horse. They remained a force that could not be underestimated.
***
Returning to the Yang residence, Sun Miaomiao crossed the front courtyard and arrived at the West Courtyard reserved for guests. She retrieved Little Red Riding Hood and shook out Zhang Yuanqing's yin corpse.
"Fetch another yin corpse for me. Make it Level 5," Zhang Yuanqing said, holding the loudspeaker.
Sun Miaomiao shook the hood again, dropping out a Level 5 yin corpse.
Once the corpse touched the ground, its hollow, eerie eyes flared with spirit.
A Level 6 Stargazer could split off a dozen thoughts, controlling over a dozen yin corpses simultaneously. Upon reaching the Dominator stage, they could command dozens of Saint-grade yin corpses, or two of Dominator quality.
The yin corpse Zhang Yuanqing lifted the loudspeaker. "Prepare a fast horse. I need to leave the city."
Ten-odd minutes later, the newly summoned yin corpse mounted a swift steed and galloped out of the capital.
Linxia City was over forty li from the capital. Zhang Yuanqing rode hard on his swift horse, leaving the city in the afternoon and reaching Linxia at dusk.
After wiping out a northern scout squad along the way, he successfully approached the gates of Linxia.
The city walls were in utter ruin, the dark gray stone scarred with burns, bloodstains, arrow notches, and craters and cracks smashed by catapults.
Masons chiseled stone day and night, while laborers toiled around the clock to patch the breaches.
Hooves clattered softly as he rode past corpses piled in layer upon layer on both sides, stiff and shriveled in the deepening cold. Broken arrows, shattered armor, notched warblades, and dead horses littered the ground...
Battlefield specters lingered above the battlements, their yin energy surging upward without dissipating.
Zhang Yuanqing had never witnessed such a scene, and his heart was profoundly shaken.
Just then, a powerful wraith drifted over and locked onto him.
Zhang Yuanqing "looked" toward the wraith, speaking via the unique communication method of yin creatures that only a Night Walker could hear:
"Zhao Chenghuang?"
The spirit servant did not reply immediately. Only after several seconds did it transmit a mental pulse: "Yuanshi?!"
Zhang Yuanqing nodded slightly. "Take me to see Fu Qingyang."
***
Over the following days, Zhang Yuanqing matched wits with the Imperial Preceptor, competing for the hearts of the people—the Dragon Qi. The strategy of stealing grain from wealthy merchants and rice shops to distribute disaster relief held out for only two days before the Imperial Preceptor unraveled it.
Yet Zhang Yuanqing was crafty and had plenty of tricks up his sleeve.
In this world, the two best ways to win the people's hearts were reducing taxes and cracking down on corrupt officials and tyrannical gentry.
The proposal to reduce taxes was rejected by the cabinet and court officials. On one hand, Zheng Wenhan monopolized imperial authority, neutralizing the emperor's power; on the other hand, a war was raging at the front while the national treasury was empty.
Reducing taxes at such a time would leave the nation without funds or grain to fight the war, sparking staunch resistance from the officials.
As for cracking down on corrupt officials and tyrannical gentry, the former effort was likewise pushed back, as the targets Zhang Yuanqing struck were all corrupt officials from the Zheng faction.
For the tyrannical gentry, however, he picked several notorious examples, seizing their assets and sentencing them to exile. The confiscated silver and grain were repurposed by Zhang Yuanqing as a relief fund.
This move earned praise from citizens inside and outside the walls, but it was small-scale after all and yielded limited gains.
Yet it did not matter. Once his decrees were obstructed, Zhang Yuanqing immediately issued an imperial Edict of Self-Reproach, stating:
"I am so incompetent and foolish as an emperor that treacherous ministers run rampant. Now that I seek to eliminate these traitors, they naturally refuse to comply. Perhaps I am no longer fit to rule this realm, but with the northern army knocking at our gates, let my seven-foot body remain to guard the nation’s threshold!"
This Edict of Self-Reproach won immense sympathy from the common people and martial artists alike, while thoroughly blackening Zheng Wenhan’s reputation.
Zheng Wenhan was so enraged he wished he could draw his sword, storm Tianji Tower, and run the foolish monarch through.
Zhang Yuanqing’s stratagems went far beyond this. Well aware that playing the victim was an indispensable part of grandstanding, he followed up the edict by having Yang Zheng enter the palace with an imperial decree. Claiming life in Tianji Tower was dull and tedious, he hauled out a massive quantity of imperial treasures.
Zheng Wenhan tried to block the move along the way.
A conflict broke out between the two factions, but fortunately, Zhao Kai arrived leading a host of princes and commandery princes, suppressing the confrontation and allowing Yang Zheng to bring the treasures out.
Immediately afterward, Yang Zheng publicly liquidated the palace treasures in the capital in the emperor's name. He declared that a portion of the silver obtained would enter the national treasury to cover the taxes of the capital's populace, while the remainder would provide relief to the starving refugees outside the city.
How could ancients have ever seen such modern, dazzling spectacles? They were thoroughly dazzled and swayed, and even the Imperial Preceptor was caught entirely off guard.
The Dragon Qi within Zhang Yuanqing grew increasingly potent. And as the Dragon Qi shifted away from the tower, the nightly "roars" from Tianji Tower turned increasingly frenzied, verging on total loss of control.
On this early morning, inside the Yang residence.
In the inner hall, the yin corpse Zhang Yuanqing held the small loudspeaker amidst the pleasant tinkling of the music box, asking:
"Palace Master, Xiao Yuan, have you both recovered to Level 6 now?"
Chapter 874