The Demon Emperor let out a long sigh, turned, and walked toward the exit. "You may spend the night in Ganquan Hall. But first thing tomorrow morning, you will come up the mountain with me to surrender yourself."
"In the days to come, I will never be able to enter the palace to see Your Imperial Majesty again." National Preceptor Qingyang remained prostrate on the floor, tears streaming down her face. "Please take utmost care of yourself!"
Lingxu City endured its most turbulent night in nearly a century.
The palace guards, who had originally guarded Mount Xu, marched into the city without a word, bearing torches and brandishing weapons as they laid siege to the Azure Palace.
In the hearts of the common folk, these two places were equally sacred and unassailable, yet today they were staging a spectacle of turning on each other.
It was utterly unthinkable.
For some, the monuments they held in their hearts crumbled in an instant.
Word had it that the palace guards were mounting a genuine assault, while the disciples of the Azure Palace held the defenses and refused to emerge. Artillery and explosive spells rumbled across the low hill, and onlookers at the foot could only crane their necks, seeing half the sky dyed crimson.
Fu Shanyue, taking the attitude that heeding advice keeps one well-fed, went straight back to Pianxiang Villa, merely dispatching men to gather intelligence.
Roughly six hours later, firsthand news arrived:
The palace guards had halted their assault and withdrawn to Mount Xu.
The Azure Palace had not fallen. Several dozen disciples were injured, but none had died.
At the time, Fu Shanyue was roasting meat over a fire on the grass with He Lingchuan. Hearing the report, he took a bite of roasted leg of lamb. "It seems the palace guards didn't press too hard after all."
"It is the Azure Palace, after all." If it were anywhere else, Bai Ziqi would have blasted the place to cinders within an hour.
Of course, the defensive array of the Azure Palace was also formidable, as He Lingchuan had seen with his own eyes just earlier.
Even if National Preceptor Qingyang confessed and submitted to justice this time, a new national preceptor would eventually take over the Azure Palace. It was, after all, one of Lingxu City's most prominent institutions of real power. If the celestial gods truly blasted it to ruins, how would that differ from smashing Lingxu City's face and slapping the Demon Emperor hard across the cheek?
Not to mention there were so many foreign dignitaries in Lingxu City; they could hardly afford to make a laughingstock of themselves before the whole world.
Thus, Bai Ziqi's siege of the Azure Palace was at most a show, going through the motions and knowing when to pull back.
"This is meant to force the Demon Emperor's hand, to make him deal ruthlessly with National Preceptor Qingyang." Fu Shanyue spoke with nonchalant ease. He Lingchuan could see that he felt neither the Emperor's urgency nor his vexation.
*This rascal really has no concept of a subject's duty.*
"It's still surprising that Emissary Bai took such aggressive measures." Having clashed with Bai Ziqi a few times, He Lingchuan had some sense of his disposition. The man was a smiling tiger who rarely made enemies to their faces.
Bringing the palace guards to bombard the Azure Palace went against his typical character; he could only be carrying out the celestial gods' demands.
Did the celestial gods truly believe it necessary to antagonize the Demon Emperor like this?
"The withdrawal of the palace guards means the celestial gods issued a new command," Fu Shanyue said. "Guess where National Preceptor Qingyang is right now?"
"National Preceptor Qingyang won't be caught so easily," He Lingchuan mused. "And the celestial gods wouldn't dare push things too far either. Hmm, just a wild guess: the Demon Emperor flew into a rage, and the celestial gods might have conceded some ground?"
Fu Shanyue suddenly felt an uneasy pang. "Wait a moment! Are you saying National Preceptor Qingyang could get off the hook?"
He was not afraid of National Preceptor Qingyang fleeing. No matter how exalted her former status, becoming a fugitive would tear her down from her pedestal, exposing her to the denouncements of Beijia's demon populace—an outcome the vassal demon kingdoms would welcome with glee.
What Fu Shanyue feared was that she might find a way to wriggle out of her guilt. If so, wouldn't all the efforts made by him and his father be in vain?
"Exonerating herself completely is impossible, but National Preceptor Qingyang still holds a few cards," He Lingchuan analyzed carefully. "How this unfolds from here might not be quite to your liking."
Fu Shanyue straightened up. "Go on, I'm listening."
"National Preceptor Qingyang and the Demon Emperor have known each other for many years and share deep bonds. Moreover, she is a staunch loyalist. Whether out of past sentiment or practical realities, the Demon Emperor likely wants to handle her leniently." The wine had warmed. He Lingchuan lifted his cup and took a sip. "Just looking at how aggressive the measures the celestial gods instructed Bai Ziqi to take were, you can tell they foresaw the Emperor's softheartedness and used force to corner him.
"They probably put great effort into their plan to besiege the Azure Palace. Had National Preceptor Qingyang stayed behind to defend it, her fate would have been grim," he said slowly. "Yet National Preceptor Qingyang moved the moment the wind stirred. Refusing to get entangled with them, she simply picked up her heels and bolted. This move surely caught both the celestial gods and Shuangye off guard."
Fu Shanyue's face darkened slightly. He had harbored these worries all along; He Lingchuan had merely hit the nail on the head.
"If National Preceptor Qingyang wasn't caught—which is highly likely—the probability that she fled into Lingxiao Palace in time is very high. In other words, she might be hiding in Lingxiao Palace right now. In a city as vast as Lingxu, that is one of the very few places the palace guards dare not trespass."
Fu Shanyue nodded.
"Bai Ziqi also believed she would sneak into Lingxiao Palace, so let's assume she has already met with the Emperor," He Lingchuan continued. "This is the final opportunity she bought for herself. Tonight, she must persuade the Demon Emperor to spare her."
The more Fu Shanyue thought about it, the more vexed he became. "Would the Emperor dare defy universal outrage?"
"How much 'universal outrage' is there really?" He Lingchuan chuckled. "It merely comes down to whether the words she speaks or the chips she offers can sway the Emperor."
"That old hag still has bargaining chips?" Fu Shanyue let out a breath. "Right, an old monster who has lived nearly two centuries—how could she not keep a few tricks up her sleeve?"
"The elixir of immortality case has been brewing in Lingxu City for a whole month. She had plenty of time to consider an escape route," He Lingchuan said seriously. "She is a national preceptor of Beijia, weathering more than a century of storms without falling. How could she ever be simple?"
That the case had implicated National Preceptor Qingyang this time was mostly down to luck.
Without a headstrong wildcard like He Lingchuan blundering into the fray, who knew when Xi Yunhe's elaborate schemes would have borne fruit.
And without National Preceptor Shuangye pushing from behind the scenes, He Lingchuan alone could never have pulled this off.
"Think carefully: what crime did National Preceptor Qingyang commit that truly warrants death ten thousand times over?"
Fu Shanyue frowned. "Refining and selling the elixir of immortality in secret—isn't that enough? The celestial gods explicitly forbid it."
"The celestial gods explicitly forbid plenty of things. Does everyone obey them?" He Lingchuan glanced at him. "Descendants of the Yuan Kingdom may not leave the Twilight Plains, and any violator is demoted to the status of an outcaste—that is also a divine decree. When you brought little Taozi back within Chiyan's borders, did you care?"
Fu Shanyue rubbed his nose, speechless.
Indeed, he was a prime example of someone who knowingly broke the law, and it was Lingxu City's law he had broken.
Otherwise, when crossing the border, how would Zhongsun Mou have had the chance to brandish the prohibition like a command token, making things so difficult for him?
"Selling the elixir of immortality is illegal, but buying it is illegal too. Look at how many dignitaries in Lingxu City bought it—did they truly fear the law?" He Lingchuan said softly. "With National Preceptor Qingyang's stature and standing, she inherently enjoyed immense privilege. How could she be treated like a commoner the moment she broke the law?"
*If a prince breaks the law, he is punished like a commoner.* Saying that was just to vent frustration; anyone who believed it was a fool.
In reality, the higher and more powerful a figure was, the greater their margin of error.
A crime that would see a commoner beheaded amounted to nothing more than a demotion of a few ranks or a fine of six months' stipend when applied to them.
Official rank was their get-out-of-jail card.
The clearest example He Lingchuan could see was Fan Sheng.
"He attacked the Chiyan envoys twice and obstructed the investigation of a major case. Any commoner who dared do that would lose their head. Yet look at Fan Sheng—he's already off to the eastern front to pad his credentials."
The Emperor's punishment of him had amounted to forcing him to down three cups of wine in mild penance.
*Steal a hook and you are executed; steal a state and you become a lord.* That was the naked reality.
Fu Shanyue naturally recognized this truth as well. "True. Sentencing varies in severity depending on who stands in the dock."
"The prohibition itself isn't important," He Lingchuan said, taking another sip of wine. "What matters is who the celestial gods want to purge with it.
"Strip the case down to its bones: National Preceptor Qingyang directed her subordinates to kill a few demon citizens and refine some illicit drugs. That's about the extent of it, isn't it? Have Lingxu City's officials never done anything more outrageous?" In the days he had spent mingling in Lingxu City, He Lingchuan had heard an endless stream of scandals from dignitaries and scholars alike, enough to shatter anyone's worldview into dust with ease.
And what he had heard was merely scratching the surface.
In an imperial capital six hundred years old, how much filth and corruption was hidden away? None of it could bear the light of day; exposing it would trigger catastrophe.
Therefore, "As long as the Demon Emperor is determined to protect her, and as long as the celestial gods stop pressing relentlessly, National Preceptor Qingyang is not without hope."
Fu Shanyue's face fell; this was the last thing he wanted to hear.
"Of course, with things escalating to such a scale, National Preceptor Qingyang will certainly pay a heavy price," He Lingchuan said, patting his shoulder. "You don't need to be disheartened. As for the elixir case, the celestial gods and the Demon Emperor must give you and the various vassal demon kingdoms an answer. With the guilt pinned firmly on National Preceptor Qingyang, you've already won! What more do you want?"
Fu Shanyue pondered it, then handed him two charred, fragrant roasted lamb ribs. "Here, eat your meat!"
"Oh, speaking of Fan Sheng, someone else was ordered to the eastern front as well," Fu Shanyue added offhandedly. "General Qingwu. He set out yesterday."
He Lingchuan paused before biting into the meat. "General Hong got what he wanted?"
"Yeah. Who wouldn't want to earn some military merit?"
He Lingchuan smiled. "You wouldn't." Fu Shanyue had finally secured his position as crown prince; all he wanted was to consolidate his throne.
Fu Shanyue laughed heartily. "Fair point. I wouldn't."
He was already the Crown Prince of Chiyan, the sole heir of the old Fu Shan clan. What military merit did he need to vie for?
Just then, an attendant came to report:
Other dignitaries had sent men to pay their respects.
"Pay their respects, my foot! They just want to fish for information from me." Fu Shanyue knew full well what they were after. "These rats know everything—I only went to the Azure Palace once, and they already found out!"
The news that the celestial gods had sent troops to besiege the Azure Palace was an earth-shattering shock to the high officials and nobles of Upper Lingxu.
Those in National Preceptor Qingyang's faction were likely feeling as though the sky were collapsing right about now.
And many others were probably rejoicing, weren't they?
Once he had eaten and drunk his fill, He Lingchuan returned to his room. The soul-snatching mirror, which had held its tongue for four hours, immediately asked:
"Hong Chenglüe has already gone to the eastern battlefield. You won't have the chance to confirm whether he's Hu Bin now!"
He Lingchuan splashed cold water on his face to cool off. "You've got it backward."
"Huh?" The mirror was baffled. "How did you confirm it?"
The moment he heard the news of Hong Chenglüe heading east, the shroud of doubt in He Lingchuan's heart had already dispersed.
Chapter 664