Chapter 349

Five days later.

On the imperial road leading to the capital, a purple-gold flying boat representing the highest specifications of the Great Yin Divine Dynasty was moving forward at a leisurely pace.

Unlike the urgency of ordinary officials returning to the capital.

Gu Yuan's team traveled extremely slowly, sightseeing along the way as if they were truly on vacation.

He knew that, in any case, he was not the one in a hurry.

"My Lord."

A hidden divine sense transmission rang out in Gu Yuan's sea of consciousness; it was the second-rank great Confucian Kong Qianqiu, who was far away in the capital.

"Here in the capital, the three of us old servants have already followed your instructions and stabilized Cui Hong and the other noble-family officials. They all now believe that you, My Lord, are the Confucian Saint secretly cultivated by us old servants. Not only do they no longer obstruct your entry into the capital, but they are even secretly fanning the flames."

"Well done." The corners of Gu Yuan's mouth curled into a faint smile, and he responded via divine sense, "What about the Second Prince?"

"The Second Prince, Yin Zhen, has been in high spirits lately. You performed a peerless feat in Youzhou, My Lord, and he has claimed most of the credit for himself, proclaiming everywhere that you are his man. Now, both inside and outside the capital, everyone knows that the Second Prince has a discerning eye and has gained a natural-born saint. Just half an hour ago, the Second Prince led officials from the Ministry of Rites and half a set of imperial regalia to travel ten miles outside the city, lining up outside the long pavilion in preparation to personally welcome you into the capital, My Lord."

"Welcoming me ten miles outside the city? Half a set of imperial regalia?"

Gu Yuan raised an eyebrow, a trace of mockery flashing in the depths of his eyes.

"This Second Highness really knows how to build momentum. Is he trying to roast me on a fire, announcing to the whole world that I am his number one lackey in the struggle for the throne?"

"My Lord, there is one more thing that is extremely strange."

Kong Qianqiu's voice became grave.

"Just three days ago, His Majesty suddenly vomited blood and fell into a coma deep within the palace, and he has yet to wake up. All the imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital are at their wits' end. Although the news has been sealed off by the Imperial Guards, high-ranking officials of the third rank and above in the court have basically received wind of it. Now, the court is in a state of panic, and the factional struggle between the First Prince and the Second Prince has reached a white-hot stage."

"Oh? The Emperor is seriously ill and in a coma?"

Upon hearing this news, Gu Yuan's brows twitched slightly, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

This was indeed beyond his expectations.

Just as he was about to use the Ten Thousand Dao Time Lamp to look at the Emperor's causal lines, a brilliant and dazzling purple-gold glow suddenly rose up directly in front of the flying boat's course.

Outside the capital, at the ten-mile long pavilion.

Today, the ten-mile long pavilion was packed tight by thousands of Imperial Guards clad in golden armor.

The road was padded with yellow earth, the streets were sprinkled with clean water, and a red carpet a hundred feet long had even been laid out outside the long pavilion.

The Second Prince, Yin Zhen, wore a four-clawed purple-gold python robe representing his status as a prince, with a jade crown on his head and a gentle, jade-like smile on his face, standing with his hands behind his back at the end of the red carpet.

Behind him stood the Minister of Rites, the Minister of Revenue, and a host of other high-ranking court officials. Even the Minister of Personnel, Cui Hong, who had previously hated Gu Yuan to the bone, stood in the crowd with lowered head and eyes, though in the depths of those lowered eyes flickered a very complex sense of awe.

On the outskirts of the long pavilion, it was even more crowded with capital citizens, eyes and ears of major noble families, and countless scholars from humble backgrounds who wanted to catch a glimpse of the natural-born saint.

"The Second Highness's display is a bit too grand."

A clean-stream censor lowered his voice and said to his colleague beside him.

"Even welcoming a great general returning in triumph would be no more than this, right? Although that Gu Ziyuan has great merit, he is, after all, just a newcomer to the officialdom. For the Second Highness to personally travel ten miles outside the city to welcome him, and even use half a set of imperial regalia, this posture..."

"What do you know?"

The colleague sneered.

"The Emperor is seriously ill and in a coma; now, the First Highness and the Second Highness are at daggers drawn in the court. That Gu Ziyuan slaughtered thirteen noble clans in one night in Youzhou and killed three hundred thousand of the demon race—what kind of terrifying combat power and means is that? The Second Highness is putting on this show of being humble to the virtuous to announce to the whole world: this peerless sharp blade that can slay demons and kill noble clans is his, Yin Zhen's, man!"

"So that's it; he's building momentum for the struggle for the throne..."

Just as everyone was discussing, at the end of the horizon, a massive purple-gold flying boat broke through the clouds and, accompanied by the roaring sound of formation patterns, slowly landed on the open space in front of the long pavilion.

The cabin door opened wide, and Gu Yuan, surrounded by a group of personal guards, stepped off the flying boat.

What he wore today was the purple-gold official robe of a Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, a first-rank subordinate position just bestowed by the Emperor.

That slender and upright figure, paired with that handsome, peerless face that yet exuded a sense of aloofness from on high, instantly made the entire scene fall silent.

"Pass my order: from this moment on, the Governor's Office takes over the defense of Youzhou Prefecture City. Officials of the Inspector's Office are not allowed to leave the prefecture city without my permission. Anyone who disobeys will be treated as a traitor and executed on the spot." Gu Yuan's tone had no hint of joking.

As soon as Gu Yuan stepped off the flying boat, Yin Zhen laughed and went up to meet him.

He did not even care about his noble status as a prince, stepping directly over the red carpet and grabbing Gu Yuan's hands, his eyes full of excitement and intimacy.

"Ziyuan has served the country with loyalty in Youzhou, slaying demons and demons, and raising the national prestige of our Great Yin! I have been waiting day and night in the capital for Ziyuan's triumphant return; to meet today is truly my fortune, and the fortune of Great Yin!"

Yin Zhen's words were spoken with true feeling, and his voice, wrapped in true Qi, clearly spread for several miles, drawing bursts of cheers from the citizens and scholars on the outskirts.

These words could be said to have given Gu Yuan plenty of face, directly elevating him to an extremely high position.

The spies from various forces who had been ordered to come and watch were all shocked to the core when they saw this scene.

The Second Prince personally traveled ten miles to welcome him, holding his hands in conversation, calling him brother!

This was no longer a simple act of winning over; this was announcing to the whole world that Gu Ziyuan was his, Yin Zhen's, chief confidant and the core of his future Eastern Palace team!

"Your Highness is too kind; this subject does not dare to accept such praise."

Gu Yuan withdrew his hands calmly, showing just the right amount of flattered and fearful expression, and bowed slightly.

"Your Highness is a body of ten thousand gold; how can you personally travel outside the city to welcome me? You are shaming this subject."

"Hey! Ziyuan, that is where you are wrong!"

Yin Zhen stepped forward again, affectionately patting Gu Yuan on the shoulder and leading him toward his own purple-gold carriage.

"Between you and me, why be so formal? You have turned the tide in Youzhou for the country and the people; I respect you! I admire you! Come, come, come, get on my carriage, you and I, brothers, must sleep side by side today and talk all night!"

As he spoke, he actually pulled Gu Yuan, wanting to ride in the same carriage.

This move made the eyes of the surrounding spies almost pop out of their sockets.

For a prince and a subject to ride together—in the history of the Great Yin Divine Dynasty, what kind of supreme honor was this?

This was almost equivalent to announcing to the world that Gu Yuan was his, Yin Zhen's, right-hand man and the future pillar of the state!

Gu Yuan sneered inwardly, but on the surface, he wore a look of tearful gratitude, as if he would gladly die to repay him. After declining repeatedly, he finally "could not resist" the Second Prince's warm invitation and boarded the purple-gold carriage that symbolized supreme glory with him.

The carriage curtains fell, cutting off all gazes from the outside world.

The smile on Yin Zhen's face instantly faded a little. He poured a cup of imperial wine for Gu Yuan and lowered his voice: "Ziyuan, do you know that in these past few days, a great change has occurred in the capital! Father, Father he... has suddenly fallen seriously ill!"