Chapter 55: Emperor Yuanwu

Upon hearing this question, Fu Qiwén lightly shook his head and replied evasively:

“I believe this matter may be due to an error in the official records, or perhaps my own investigation was flawed.”

As he spoke, he paused, then continued:

“However, before I met Your Majesty, the eunuch Sun Changyu, who oversees the Ji Guang Pavilion, mentioned something to me.”

Without any concealment, Fu Qiwén then recounted in full detail what Sun Changyu had told him: about being ambushed by five martial masters on the road, only for those five masters to be instantly slain.

After hearing his words, Emperor Yuanwu’s previously calm expression stirred slightly, and he murmured:

“A single slash, its aura nearing the Heavenly Realm, slew two swordsmen; without a sound, fingertip force killed three martial masters from afar…”

Emperor Yuanwu spoke softly, yet offered no further comment on the matter.

“I believe the Prince may not be as simple as he appears.”

Fu Qiwén paused to recall, then said:

“When facing me, the Prince showed no restraint in his actions or speech; on the contrary, whether addressing others in the Tianjin Guard or myself, his words were casual, even to the point where I vaguely sensed…”

Here, Fu Qiwén’s expressionless face paused slightly, his deeply lined forehead furrowing as if weighing his words.

Seeing this, the figure behind the bamboo curtain seemed to take a slight interest and asked:

“Tell me, what kind of feeling is this? Why does it trouble you so?”

At this, Fu Qiwén fell silent for a moment, then spoke:

“I am not certain, but I feel the Prince seems to… look down on me, never once regarding me as worthy of notice.”

Upon hearing this, the figure behind the bamboo curtain clearly froze for a moment, then replied coldly:

“So he is this arrogant, this dismissive?”

Fu Qiwén thought for a moment, then shook his head:

“It is not that the Prince is boastful or overbearing; I have never felt this way about anyone else. The Prince’s conduct toward others is perfectly normal, yet there seems to be an innate, instinctive contempt for all.”

At this, the grand hall fell silent for a moment.

The figure behind the bamboo curtain remained thoughtful, and Fu Qiwén, sensing he had spoken too harshly, immediately bowed:

“Your Majesty need not dwell on this—it may merely be my delusion. The Prince has lived for years in a small town; he may have had some opportunities, but likely lacks broad experience and has never seen the wider world. Such behavior is understandable.”

Hearing this, Emperor Yuanwu nodded slightly, seemingly accepting Fu Qiwén’s explanation.

He glanced toward the jade box held by the old eunuch nearby, his gaze steady, and said:

“Originally, I thought him merely a student from a small martial school, intending to make him a carefree prince, granting him endless wealth and luxury as compensation for his twenty years of hardship.”

“But from what you have described, he may not be content to remain so.”

As he spoke, his gaze passed through the bamboo curtain toward Fu Qiwén:

“What do you think I should do with him?”

Fu Qiwén’s expression shifted slightly, then he shook his head gently:

“I dare not presume to advise.”

Hearing this, Emperor Yuanwu did not press further; instead, his gaze turned to the three yellow scrolls on the small table before him.

After a moment’s thought, his eyes settled on the middle scroll. The old eunuch standing nearby immediately stepped forward and picked it up.

“Give this to Qiwén. I entrust you with full authority over the matter of the Eighth Prince.”

Emperor Yuanwu watched as the eunuch handed the scroll to Fu Qiwén, then said slowly:

“I will be entering seclusion soon and have no time to handle this. These are my provisional arrangements for the Eighth Prince. I trust you will give it your full attention.”

At this moment, Fu Qiwén held the scroll in his hand, his expression clearly surprised, and asked:

“Why does Your Majesty refer to him as the Eighth Prince?”

The figure behind the bamboo curtain, as if expecting this question, replied calmly:

“The truth behind the prince-switching has not yet been settled. My bond with Zhi over these many years cannot be reduced to mere blood ties.”

“Moreover, twenty years ago, Zhi was still an infant; he had nothing to do with the switch. Over these years, Zhi has contributed greatly to state affairs. If I were to punish him for this, it would make me appear cruel and ungrateful.”

“Therefore, I must still consider this matter further. For now, I must ask the son of Lady Jing to bear the burden.”

Hearing this, Fu Qiwén fell into thought, his expression now composed, and bowed respectfully:

“Your Majesty’s benevolence is profound; such consideration is entirely fitting. I have been shortsighted.”

Emperor Yuanwu glanced at him through the bamboo curtain and said:

“Qiwén, you are the one I trust most. Between us, such formality is unnecessary.”

“I am deeply honored by Your Majesty’s favor, but the distinction between sovereign and minister must be maintained. I dare not overstep.”

Fu Qiwén bowed slightly, then, after a moment’s thought, asked:

“Does Your Majesty have any other instructions regarding the Eighth Prince?”

Emperor Yuanwu pondered for a moment, then said:

“According to what you just said, we must first temper his disposition. If you have any difficult tasks among your subordinates, assign them to him and observe.”

“Let us first watch his conduct. Other matters can wait until after I emerge from seclusion.”

…

Headquarters of the Tianjin Guard.

Li Muxian sipped the tea brewed by the Commandant Yu Jin, leaning back in his high-backed chair.

He had temporarily set aside studying the Life-and-Death Mark’s martial art, instead pondering how, now that he was a prince, he might leverage this identity to pursue the realm beyond martial transcendence.

He had previously tried to find clues about martial transcendence through figures and events in the martial arts world.

But discussions of the Heavenly Realm were far too elite; nearly no one in the martial world spoke of them, let alone martial transcendence.

After all, most could not even reach the Primordial Realm, and even those who did were fixated on becoming a Master or Grandmaster—discussing only matters at that level.

As for the Masters and Grandmasters themselves, they had no time to idle away their days gossiping in the martial world.

Moreover, at their level, the Heavenly Realm was an insurmountable chasm; many spent decades struggling to cross it, with no energy left to ponder the elusive concept beyond it.

Thus, martial transcendence might well be a question only Li Muxian contemplated.

Even at times, he wondered if the concept was merely his own fabrication.

The so-called martial transcendence from a thousand years ago may have been entirely different from what he imagined.

“Regardless, I must keep trying. Now that I have the prince’s identity, it is far more convenient.”

Li Muxian’s expression turned thoughtful. Still, if being a prince brought too many troubles, he would certainly flee.

(End of Chapter)