Chapter 211: The Landscape Changes, But Nature Remains

Dark clouds obscured the sky, and the mighty city, home to a million permanent residents, turned blackish-blue under the dim light.

Zhuque Avenue, a hundred zhang wide, lay along the capital’s central axis, piercing through both inner and outer cities, stretching all the way to the palace beyond.

Three hundred elite black-armored Wu Zu riders galloped across the street; Tie Fengzhang, clad in full armor like a tower of iron, carried the great banner at the front, while in the center rode a luxurious four-horse chariot.

Along both sides of Tianjie, countless commoners stood still, staring in awe.

Though the capital remained calm, with no rumors spreading, the Dan Wang was no stranger to entering the city.

But everyone knew the man inside the carriage was now a Prince ruling over several counties—and in just a few days, he would become the Emperor of Da Gan, commanding thirty thousand li of mountains and rivers, deciding the lives and deaths of hundreds of millions.

Xie Jinhuan sat inside the four-horse chariot, facing the gaze of the capital’s people, and couldn’t help feeling pressure.

After finishing affairs at Sanjiangkou, he boarded a boat the next morning and returned to the capital; the swift, light vessel rode the current downstream with great speed, catching up to the Dan Wang’s procession on the Luohe.

He still didn’t know the reason, so he boarded the ship to ask—and learned the details: the Crown Prince had been struck down, He Tianqi had schemed, and so on.

The Dan Wang’s journey was to enter the capital and ascend the throne, yet he showed no joy; upon meeting Xie Jinhuan, he simply took him along, refusing to let him disembark even when they reached the chariot, forcing Bing Tuozi and Hua Shijie to follow secretly behind.

Now seeing Zhu Wenyuan and the others trailing outside the carriage, Xie Jinhuan felt it inappropriate to sit inside the imperial vehicle:

“Your Highness, perhaps I should dismount and walk alongside. Sitting here, if the Censorate or Imperial Historians see it, they might accuse me of ‘arrogance born of favor’…”

The Dan Wang wore mourning robes, his gaze fixed on the palace at the horizon, his bearing refined yet dignified, though his eyes were filled with sorrow.

Hearing this, the Dan Wang snapped back to awareness, but did not order Xie Jinhuan to leave the carriage; instead, he sighed:

“All men say the Emperor is the Son of Heaven, above all others—but in truth, it is a bitter duty, far worse than being a carefree Prince.”

Xie Jinhuan understood Da Gan’s political situation; he knew the Dan Wang wasn’t faking this “You’ve ruined me” act.

The succession of Da Gan’s throne had been in chaos for twenty years.

The Zhao clan seized power when the Da Taizu led cultivators from countless sects and hundreds of millions of commoners to quell the Great Calamity; though his merit fell short of the First Emperor who first unified North and South, it still ranked among the greatest in history.

The subsequent Taizong spent forty years laying the foundation for Da Gan’s golden age, his civil achievements also among the highest.

But sadly, in his old age, Taizong grew foolish and favored his second son.

The result was the Jian’an Incident: the rightful Crown Prince was beheaded by the Second Prince, and the Emperor then beheaded the Second Prince himself.

The Emperor’s only base of power in court was his father-in-law; he rushed into succession, and the veteran ministers looked down on him—he ruled as if walking on thin ice, devoting all his energy to purging internal threats.

The Emperor was a formidable man; even with a shattered start, he stabilized the realm, waiting for his son to inherit—only to be struck by a thunderclap at the end: his own death was minor, but his decades-long heir was gone, replaced by the Dan Wang, who had zero foundation.

The Dan Wang may not fear death, but making sense of this mess is no easy task. When the Emperor ascended, the court was chaotic, but Bei Zhou was already showing signs of collapse and posed little external threat; now, his ascension brings:

“Me? Face Guo Empress Dowager, who commands the loyalty of court and people, terrifies Mobei, stations troops in the Western Regions, and points her sword at the Southern Court? What do I have to fight with? Send a handsome man to become a corrupting concubine?”

Xie Jinhuan knew this Emperor could easily become a ruler who lost the realm, but as a lowly man with little voice, he could only offer comfort:

“Your Highness trusts those you employ, and your virtue is evident to all. Now that the He Clan’s demonic rebels have been eradicated, the Dao and Buddhist Patriarchs are stationed in the capital—things will surely proceed smoothly from here.”

The Dan Wang sighed, his gaze like an uncle looking at Kongming:

“Both Dao and Buddhist sects have failed. The only person I truly trust now is you—but alas, your cultivation is too shallow. Had you been stronger, I’d have made you Supervisor and marched north myself, unafraid of unrest in the capital.”

“?”

Xie Jinhuan should have been overwhelmed with gratitude, but hearing the old man speak of Bei Zhou, his mind was filled with only:

“Why are you planning to attack Bei Zhou? I’m using that place right now…”

After a brief hesitation, Xie Jinhuan replied:

“The political situation is unstable; launching a northern campaign now would be unwise. In my view, this matter should wait until the Crown Prince… until the Imperial Grandson ascends, then we can proceed gradually…”

The Dan Wang now wanted to execute his rebellious son, but he shook his head:

“I have no desire to start a war—but Guo Empress Dowager is no fool. With the court in upheaval and my foundation shaky, if she doesn’t seize this heavenly opportunity, how could she possibly deserve it? Lately, I’ve been preparing to send envoys to Yanjing to probe the Northern Court’s true intentions…”

To Yanjing?

Xie Jinhuan’s heart stirred; he sat up straighter:

“Who does Your Highness plan to send?”

The Dan Wang gave Xie Jinhuan a measured look:

“Are you volunteering?”

I wouldn’t dare take this assignment… Xie Jinhuan quickly raised his hand:

“I’m merely a warrior, unfit for such a vital mission. I’ve never been there—I only wish to accompany as a guard, to see the world.”

The Dan Wang paused to consider, then replied:

“I’ll deliberate further on this matter. You’re injured; for now, rest well at the mansion…”

…

As they chatted idly, the procession arrived at Zheng’an Street.

Princess Changning and Linghu Qingmo were already waiting outside the mansion, flanked by Hou the Steward, Liu Qingzhi, and other Wang Fu retainers.

Crown Prince Zhao De stood at the gate in mourning robes, his attire neat, his demeanor refined; as the chariot halted, he stepped forward first and bowed:

“Your son, Zhao De, greets Your Highness!”

His voice was clear and calm, neither humble nor arrogant, bearing the dignity of royalty.

Xie Jinhuan leaned out of the carriage, intending to lift the curtain for the Dan Wang, but saw the Crown Prince bowing deeply—he quickly stepped aside, his eyes slightly surprised.

Princess Changning and Linghu Qingmo also paused, turning to look at Zhao De.

Even Hou the Steward, fanning himself behind, widened his eyes in disbelief:

“Oh?”

The Dan Wang stepped from the carriage, seeing Zhao De’s demeanor—so unlike his rebellious son—and his eyes flickered with disbelief; without waiting for Zhu Wenyuan’s help, he leapt down and reached out to grasp his son’s arm:

“Rise. De’er, you…”

Zhao De straightened, shaking his head with a bitter smile:

“Serving a sovereign is like serving a tiger. Your Highness’s position is unique; if an heir is named, you’ll be suspected. These years of my neglect were not by choice. Ye Sheng once said, ‘The path of the world is treacherous as walking on ice—wait until clouds part to see the blue void.’ I’ve finally endured to the end.”

“Huh…” Huangfu Qi, Ji Shiqing, and others behind him were stunned.

Linghu Qingmo, in her white dress, quietly moved beside Xie Jinhuan:

“Did Ye Sheng say that?”

Xie Jinhuan recalled: “Yes. From Chapter Four of the ‘Caotang Poetry Collection,’ first and fourth lines.”

“Really?”

Linghu Qingmo found it hard to believe.

Princess Changning was also uncertain, so she went first to greet her mother, who stood gaping behind.

The Dan Wang saw his son had truly been hiding his talents—and tears welled in his eyes. But dogs won’t change their habit of eating shit; after a moment’s thought, he walked in beside him:

“These years have been hard on you. Come inside—we’ll talk. All these years hiding your true self, you must’ve racked up debts, right?”

Zhao De sighed: “Not much. Just over thirty thousand taels.”

Thirty…

The Dan Wang’s breath hitched, then nodded:

“Oh… just pocket change. But last time at Fanyun Temple’s contest, you lost over ten thousand—so the remaining twenty…”

“Ah. When Brother Xie went to Sanjiangkou, I got some inside info from Wei Lu and deliberately bet against Wei Yin, to lose publicly…”

My god…

Xie Jinhuan sucked in a breath; this little bastard had truly sharp intelligence!

If he’d known earlier, he never would’ve gone to Sanjiangkou and caused all that chaos!

The Dan Wang’s eye twitched, but he still stroked his beard and declared grandly:

“Your status is no longer ordinary. From now on, say you’re my son—no one will dare demand repayment.”

“Really? With Your Highness’s word, I’m relieved… hey?”

Before he finished, the Dan Wang’s hair stood on end as he snatched the whip from Tie Fengzhang.

Zhao De saw trouble coming and bolted:

“Father, I’m just used to hiding my true self—I spoke without thinking, not meant seriously!”

“You little bastard! You don’t advise me to ‘be humble in high position, loyal in low’—yet you dare say ‘relieved’?”

“I didn’t mean it—I was just saying ‘a faithless man vows eternal love to his little wife’!”

“What does that mean?!”

“Just a joke…”

“You’re still spouting idioms…”

“Ahh—!”

…

Watching the Crown Prince get whipped into a spinning top, Xie Jinhuan felt considerably better.

But the Crown Prince wasn’t stupid; just from his “Crown Prince idioms” and endless schemes to drain money, one could glimpse his true nature—he simply had no discipline.

Family shame stays within the family; Xie Jinhuan didn’t linger to watch. Seeing the landlady pulling the Wang Fu’s Lady, he didn’t intrude, and instead took Mo Mo and left the mansion for the nearby Hou Mansion.

Linghu Qingmo was speechless; only when they were far away did she say:

I thought Zhao De had truly changed. Turns out, the mountain and river may change, but one’s nature is hard to alter…

Before she finished, she noticed the Righteous Young Hero beside her had secretly pinched her…

?!

Linghu Qingmo stopped, her eyes turning cold, and seized his thief-like hand:

Zhi-lala—

Xie Jinhuan, relying on his cultivation, had ignored it—but this time, the electric spark was unusually strong!

It didn’t just shock his body—it zapped his soul, clearing his mind several degrees:

“Sss~ No no no…”

After receiving his opportunity, Hu Lingqingmo had not fought at all; sensing something amiss, he quickly pulled back and steadied Xie Jin.

“You… why did you squeeze me?”

Xie Jin had merely acted on impulse; now he carefully studied the coldly beautiful, captivating Hu Mo.

“Your thunder art is off—did you break through?”

Hu Lingqingmo had been warned by his ancestral master not to reveal anything casually; he merely blinked.

“My sect granted me a bit of opportunity—the curse’s power grew stronger. Where’s Meiqiu?”

Xie Jin glanced back but saw neither the ice lump nor Sister Hua; he took Hu Mo by the hand and headed toward the mansion.

“They probably went to the Lin household. On our way to Sanjiangkou, I picked up something for you—take a look…”

Hu Lingqingmo had assumed it was some martial weapon from Sanjiangkou, but instead saw Xie Jin pull out a wooden carving.

The carving depicted a bare-chested, stern man, his waist and abdomen muscles sharply defined, radiating an unmatched, heroic aura—even a dragon coiled over his shoulders.

Little Meiqiu crouched at his feet, a withered vine between her teeth—likely tiger-bone vine…

Though small, the carving’s craftsmanship was lifelike!

Hu Lingqingmo’s eyes brightened slightly; he swiftly took it to examine.

“Did you buy this?”

Xie Jin shook his head. “A merchant wouldn’t carve this finely. I carved it myself on the way back—spent an hour or so. Do you like it?”

Hu Lingqingmo had heard from servants and Wu Zu how Xie Jin became the strongest martial cultivator below the Supergrade; he’d been thinking about it constantly. Now seeing this carving, so vivid in form and spirit, how could he not like it?

“Mm… fine. Congratulations on winning first place.”

“Just congratulations with your mouth?”

“?”

Hu Lingqingmo admired the carving, knowing he couldn’t escape without returning the gesture. He glanced around, then swiftly pecked Xie Jin’s cheek—then pulled away just as fast.

“Better?”

“Hehe…”

Xie Jin’s heart warmed. They walked together down the corridor of the new mansion, and gradually, their hands clasped, fingers entwined…

——

I really need to take a break and write a detailed outline—I have no idea what comes next. Only twelve hours of writing produced this much. It’s really frustrating or2!

(End of Chapter)