Chapter 327: The Fifteenth Under Heaven

In the imperial capital, a carriage slowly emerged from beneath the palace gates.

Inside the carriage.

"Brother Jiang, I've heard your old friend Li Rui has arrived at the Beiding River and will enter the capital tomorrow—won't you even see him?"

Gu Changsheng smiled warmly at Jiang Lin.

Jiang Lin smiled and shook his head:

"Too familiar—seeing him or not makes no difference."

He added, "By the way, Brother Gu, I'll leave the matters ahead to your careful handling."

Gu Changsheng replied:

"Just minor matters—rest assured, Brother Jiang."

Jiang Lin nodded.

Even if Li Rui hadn't come this time, he would have found a way to bring him to the capital.

Since Li Rui had come to the capital escorting the Third Princess, it spared him the trouble.

Jiang Lin: "Brother Gu, I've heard the Third Princess is a formidable figure—aren't you worried?"

He was well aware.

He was merely the Deputy Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau; as deputy, his duty was only to fulfill the Director's orders, and he never took the lead in major affairs.

Thus, regarding the Third Princess's entry into the capital, he adopted the stance of a mere spectator.

Gu Changsheng smiled faintly: "The Fourth Prince has long been devoted to Buddhism and Daoist discourse, but his true nature mirrors the Emperor's most closely. This marriage to the Third Princess will likely see him begin to reveal his edge."

Then his smile widened: "But what does this have to do with the Imperial Astronomical Bureau?"

Jiang Lin was speechless.

After years of association, Gu Changsheng was not only powerful but also possessed immense ambition.

It seemed as if nothing in this world could trouble him.

Soon.

The carriage arrived beneath the capital's city gates.

Gu Changsheng leapt down from the carriage, his expression unusually serious: "Brother Jiang, take care on your journey. If you can fight, fight. If you can't, come back and summon reinforcements—no shame in that."

Jiang Lin rolled his eyes:

"Thanks for the Director's good wishes."

With that said,

the carriage slowly moved off, kicking up dust as it departed.

Gu Changsheng's smile gradually faded.

He murmured to himself:

"Brother Jiang, you don't realize how great your true identity is—please, don't die."

The river widened, the boats around it multiplied, and the buildings along the shore grew denser.

"I've lived for decades and never set foot in the capital until now."

Tan Hu grinned broadly.

It wasn't just Tan Hu.

Of the hundred or so people on this boat, fewer than five fingers' worth had ever been to the capital.

"True enough—this trip's thanks to Brother's favor—we finally get to see the capital."

"Damn, if I'd known we were coming to the capital, I'd have brought more silver."

"No rush—Yuan's Merchant Guild's banknotes are valid throughout Yu Province."

"Good, good, good—tonight, the Te Fang si, no one's stopping me. Whoever tries, I'll fight them."

Ning Zhongtian and the others chatted enthusiastically.

They were already lost in daydreams of embracing former noblewomen and princes.

Everyone on the boat strained their necks to gaze at the shore, utterly captivated.

On one part of the deck,

He Qianian, rarely seen above deck, stepped out, and Li Rui stood beside him, respectfully falling half a step behind.

"The capital—I haven't set foot here in nearly a hundred years."

He Qianian's eyes brimmed with nostalgia.

Had it not been for escorting the Third Princess of Wu, he might never have returned to the capital in his lifetime.

There was no need.

"People never like staying in one place forever. I've lived my whole life by the Beiding River—grew to hate it more and more."

Li Rui's heart stirred slightly.

He silently noted it down.

He Qianian's ancestral home: Zhili, Beiding River.

"Li kid, the capital's really not that interesting."

"."

Li Rui was speechless.

You've seen and done everything, so of course it's boring to you—but what about these poor brothers below?

Look at Ning Zhongtian and the others.

It's no different from that old Liu woman from my past entering the Grand View Garden.

Their eyes were about to fall into the canal.

Even I, though, can't escape the common urge to see the capital's splendor.

Li Rui glanced sidelong at the Third Princess's cabin—Chen Ming, who had guarded the door, had vanished. Since entering Zhili, he'd jumped ashore and disappeared without a trace.

Because this was Zhili—the Emperor's own land—nothing could go wrong.

Even the Ghost Ming Jiao wouldn't dare cause trouble here.

It was perfectly safe.

The capital's high officials must already know of Chen Ming's involvement. Now, even if Chen Ming had left the boat, any attempt to harm the Third Princess would require serious consideration.

At least a second-rank Earth Immortal would need to be dispatched.

Not long after, the large ship glided smoothly into the capital, unimpeded.

The capital's guards had received prior notice and waived the usual cumbersome entry procedures.

The roar of bustling prosperity exploded in their ears as they passed through the grand gate.

Countless pleasure boats, countless merchant vessels—no fishing boats in sight. Utter splendor.

Ning Zhongtian and the others had never seen such a scene: pleasure boats moored along the canal, towering several stories higher than Zui Xian Pavilion, each occupant radiating profound energy—clearly no ordinary folk.

What is "tigers crouching, dragons hidden"?

In the capital, you might encounter a Qi Condensation cultivator just buying breakfast.

In Qinghe County, such a thing was unimaginable—even across all of Yun Province.

In the capital lay a pond called Jishuitan.

In truth, it was merely a vast water basin several li across—the main terminal for canal transport.

The final character "tan" should be read in the first tone, not the fourth.

Locals often used this to identify outsiders.

Jishuitan connected to the city moat.

When Li Rui's ship entered Jishuitan, the pond already held no fewer than hundreds of merchant vessels.

Every single one—no error, no omission, no detail missed!

What is a golden age?

This is a golden age.

It was entirely beyond the imagination of people from Yun Province.

The large ship slowly docked; on shore, officials from the Ministry of Protocol, palace eunuchs, and maids waited, led by a senior eunuch clad in a Dou Niu robe—his aura alone revealed formidable cultivation, surely at least Qi Condensation or higher.

"Hmm, no wonder this is the empire's premier land."

Even a single eunuch was a Qi Condensation cultivator.

Li Rui felt the same sensation as if he'd spent a thousand years cultivating, only to ascend and become one of a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers.

The grand eunuch smiled warmly and boarded the ship.

Extremely perceptive.

He headed straight for the Third Princess's cabin, not even glancing at Li Rui and the other provincial officials.

Arrogant.

But he had every right to be—those who wore the Dou Niu robe were true eunuchs, fourth-rank officials personally serving the Emperor, wielding greater power; it was only natural he looked down on Li Rui and the other provincial bumpkins.

After roughly one incense stick's time,

a crowd of maids surrounded the Third Princess, Xia Yun, as she exited her cabin, descended the ship, and boarded a delicate, ornate small boat that glided toward a narrow waterway at the edge of Jishuitan.

That was the passage leading to the city moat.

They were entering the imperial palace via the moat.

Li Rui and the others had no right to enter the imperial palace—just catching a distant glimpse was enough to boast about for years back in Yun Province.

Having seen off the Third Princess.

Nie Siming returned after leaving.

He seemed to be in good spirits, bringing along a young official from the Honglu Temple.

The young official was very courteous:

"You have traveled a great distance; you must be weary. The Honglu Temple has prepared lodging for you all. Rest for a few days—Jingcheng has many places to visit; take a stroll."

The Honglu Temple is one of the Nine Temples, responsible for foreign envoys and court ceremonial protocol; those served by it are all imperial relatives and nobility.

An Anning Town is not worthy of the Honglu Temple's attention.

Li Rui is benefiting from Princess Xia Yun's favor.

Before her marriage, Xia Yun was a princess of Wu State, an affair of foreign relations, naturally requiring reception by the Honglu Temple.

Ning Zhongtian and the other soldiers heard this, their eyes brightening further.

They had endured enough river winds and nearly lost their lives.

Now, finally, it was time to enjoy themselves.

The young Honglu Temple official led the Anning Guard to a quiet courtyard near Jishuitan.

This was precisely the Honglu Temple's Dianke Office.

The Dianke Office was the lodging provided by the Honglu Temple for foreign envoys—not luxurious, but peaceful amid the bustle.

In Jingcheng, judging a family's status by the opulence of their residence was already crude.

What mattered was location.

A small courtyard near the Imperial City was rarer than an eight-court mansion at the city's edge; even third-rank officials queued up, and many would die without ever securing a residence beneath the Imperial City's shadow.

After all, Jingcheng had no shortage of princes, marquises, generals, and ministers.

"This isn't impressive at all."

Ning Zhongtian rushed into the Dianke Office, his enthusiasm instantly fading.

Though the Dianke Office was indeed serene and elegant,

it still fell short of the Anning Guard's own residence, so it held no novelty for them.

Li Rui stepped through the gate with a smile and instructed Ning Zhongtian:

"General Nie said we'll stay in Jingcheng for seven days. Tell your men to keep a low profile, avoid trouble, and always travel in pairs of five. Anyone who disobeys and goes out alone will be punished under military law."

"Yes, big brother."

Ning Zhongtian nodded solemnly.

This was Jingcheng—there were too many people here you couldn't afford to offend.

A single misstep could mean bumping into a powerful figure; losing your own life would be bad enough, but dragging the Anning Guard into trouble would be disastrous.

Nie Siming's name meant nothing here.

Because no amount of strictness was excessive.

Yet Li Rui did not fully confine the hundred men; he understood well that suppression was worse than guidance—overly tight control would backfire and cause chaos; moderate restraint was enough.

The Anning Guard had just settled in.

Not long after,

the Dianke Office was nearly empty; even Nie Siming and He Qianian had left together.

Li Rui did not rush out.

He stayed in the Dianke Office until evening, until someone knocked on his door.

When he opened the door,

he saw a middle-aged man standing there, radiating an extraordinary aura and possessing an exceptionally refined appearance.

The middle-aged man smiled and said:

"You're Brother Li, right? My name is Gu Changsheng."

(End of Chapter)