Chapter 608

First Volume, Chapter 608: Li Qian, the Son Who Screwed His Father

The Minister of Dali Temple had long seen through the tangled situation.

Today's Shedynasty, though just victorious in the National War and preparing for peace talks with the Northern Di, appears prosperous.

But in truth, it is far from harmonious on the surface; beneath, currents still churn fiercely as all factions battle for dominance.

Whether the Powerful Clans of Nan Jing or the Northern Di, all wish to sabotage the peace talks.

After all, no one wants to see Shedynasty gain the upper hand, grow rich and strong.

The stronger Shedynasty becomes, the more the Northern Di's survival space is squeezed, while also freeing them to focus fully on suppressing the Southern Powerful Clans.

The Liang Emperor used Xie Bi as bait not to kill Qin Feng, but to force Qin Feng into submission.

Yet he overlooked how great the temptation of the Crown Prince was to Li Qian—pull one hair and the whole body moves; the Liang Emperor lost the entire game.

Qin Feng has been outwitting the Liang Emperor to this day and has long understood the Emperor's every thought.

Qin Feng intends to slaughter every member of the Imperial Guard and Palace Guards, severely weakening imperial authority, setting an example for all "unstable elements" in Heaven and Earth.

Imperial authority is nothing special.

With just this small group, Qin Feng has already fought his way through Jingdu with ease; any other Aristocratic Clan, if determined, could easily breach Jingdu and install a new dynasty.

The Liang Emperor is afraid—he fears uprisings across the land and must find someone powerful enough to intimidate all the Aristocratic Clans.

And that person is naturally Qin Feng.

"Chief Zhang, do you understand now? If the Sage's Divine Strategy were perfectly executed, all troubles would vanish."

"But now, the Sage can only withdraw and seek the next best option: reissuing the Pacification Edict to Qin Feng. The tactic of 'Tiger to Devour Wolf' is not new, but it works."

"Put simply, killing Qin Feng means the Sage must face not only other enemies, but also a far more formidable Northern Border."

"Keeping Qin Feng means the Northern Border becomes the Sage's ally, capable of intimidating the Southern Clans and preserving the current status quo—do you understand?"

After this exhaustive explanation from the Minister of Dali Temple, Zhang Xiuye finally grasped the stakes.

He muttered inwardly—this covert struggle in Jingdu was far deeper than he imagined.

Zhang Xiuye prided himself on being clever, yet compared to Qin Feng and the Liang Emperor, he was utterly foolish.

Zhang Xiuye smirked and murmured: "No wonder Qin Feng has held his own against the Sage this long."

"Of all under Heaven, only Qin Feng can make the Sage… you know."

Zhang Xiuye's eyes darted, a plan forming—he glanced around and whispered a warning to the Minister of Dali Temple.

"One family rejoices, another grieves—I heard a few days ago, Jiangnan Lin Family sent a letter saying Lin the Elder is ill today and may not survive."

"The Imperial Consort wept for a long time over it."

"The bond between grandfather and grandson seems genuine."

Upon hearing this, the Minister of Dali Temple understood Zhang Xiuye's meaning at once.

This turncoat Zhang Xiuye, sensing the tide turning, planned to reconcile with Qin Feng and cling to his leg.

As for palace affairs, Zhang Xiuye's sources were always sharp.

Especially regarding the Imperial Consort—no outsider could possibly know such news.

This letter was the Imperial Consort's escape route.

The Imperial Consort was likely preparing to flee.

The Minister of Dali Temple bowed: "We have no business discussing palace matters, Chief Zhang. Please return."

Zhang Xiuye offered a forced smile and left without delay.

The Minister of Dali Temple stood with his hands behind his back, eyes flickering rapidly, thoughts moving faster.

After a long while, he sighed deeply: "Surviving great disaster brings great fortune."

"Qin Feng, Qin Feng—after this ordeal, your position will be even more secure than before."

"The young are truly formidable."

…

In the dark, damp cell of the Dali Si Jianlao, dry straw had been laid out.

Qin Feng lay comfortably on the straw, hands clasped behind his head, legs crossed, humming a tune.

Xie Bi sat opposite, holding a military treatise, a small table beside him bearing steaming tea and pastries.

This was no imprisonment—it was a holiday.

At mealtime, the jailer arrived with a food box, smiling as he ordered the guards to open the door.

"Lord Qin, Duke of Ning, meal's ready."

"I specially ordered the dishes from Wuhu Da Jiu Lou, your Qin Family's own wine house—home-cooked, safe to eat, hahaha."

The jailer opened the food box himself, arranged the dishes on the small table, and gestured with a bow.

Qin Feng finally rose lazily, picked up a chopstick, and mumbled: "Lord? I'm just a commoner now."

Xie Bi also set down his book, lifted his wine cup, took a sip, and sighed contentedly: "I'm no longer a duke either."

Seeing both men deliberately playing at humility,

the jailer thought: No wonder they're father-in-law and son-in-law—they're cut from the same cloth!

"Heh, what are you two talking about? The sky over Jingdu has been torn apart by you two—and yet, here you are, sleeping peacefully."

"This morning, all the Taolin Party ministers and the Ministry of War came to visit you both, but Minister Cheng turned them all away."

"Now Jingzhong is buzzing: Lord Qin and the Sage are growing closer the more they fight, hahaha."

Hearing this, Qin Feng was displeased.

What did "growing closer" mean? That phrase was disgusting—he wasn't some faggot, why would he be "close" to that old bastard?

Besides, if Qin Feng hadn't acted decisively and slaughtered every Imperial Guard and Palace Guard at the Execution Ground, would the Liang Emperor have backed down?

Plainly put, only when his fist was hard enough did the Liang Emperor sit down to talk.

Otherwise, hmph, Qin Feng wouldn't even know how he died.

Xie Bi, sitting across from him, naturally understood this principle, but his heart was not as carefree as Qin Feng's.

"Feng'er, aren't you worried the Saint will strike down hard? After all, in this prison, it's just you and me, father-in-law and son-in-law—no Tianji Camp Guards to protect us."

Qin Feng shrugged, unconcerned: "I know the Saint—he won't do that."

"Even this jailbreak wasn't the Saint's doing to kill me—it was Li Qian, that bastard."

Xie Bi coughed once: "Feng'er, don't be disrespectful—he's still His Highness, no matter what."

The warden wiped sweat from his forehead and forced a sly smile.

Qin Feng didn't even tone it down—he grew even more contemptuous: "Just watch—he won't last a few days before that piece of trash is done for."

"Speaking of which, we owe our escape to this fellow—if he hadn't been so impatient, he wouldn't have ruined the Saint's grand scheme like this."

"Now the Saint wants to strangle him dead."

Saying this, Qin Feng put down his Chopsticks, propped his hands on the ground, and lounged lazily.

"My conflict with the Saint was bound to happen sooner or later. Now that it's happened, we both know each other's limits—we can sit down calmly and talk from now on."

"The more the Saint hates me, the safer I am—he won't dare kill me, and he won't want to kill me."

"Besides, even the Minister of Dali Temple is my distant uncle—what do I have to fear?"