Chapter 499: Under the Night

July 8th, late at night.

Lanling City, Imperial Palace.

Inside the Qingde Palace, the Crown Prince was looking at the telegram in his hand.

The content of the telegram was all related to the Southern Territory.

On the night of July 5th, after the First Imperial Prince and King Li arrived in the Southern Territory and began their actions, Lanling City had already received the news.

But separated by thousands of miles, even with the news, Lanling City could not change the final outcome.

Send reinforcements?

With King Li there, sending troops or experts from the nearest province in a hurry would just be sending them to their deaths.

Notify the soldiers everywhere in the Southern Territory to retreat quickly?

Just by blocking the main traffic routes, most people wouldn't be able to escape.

Order the soldiers in the Southern Territory to resist resolutely?

A portion of them did indeed choose to resist to the death, but it couldn't change the overall situation.

In the end, all Lanling City could do was let the soldiers who were determined but couldn't leave resist resolutely, and destroy most of the weapons, equipment, and resources so as not to leave them to the rebel army.

Then let a small portion of the elite disperse and retreat, taking small paths out of the Southern Territory.

Of course, there were also those who were told to feign surrender to act as inside agents...

In just two days, the Crown Prince and a group of ministers had already made many arrangements.

From the moment he received the news, the Crown Prince had not rested.

His eyes were bloodshot, and there was undisguised anger in his gaze.

He had anticipated what the First Imperial Prince might do.

But King Li suddenly rebelling and standing on the side of the First Imperial Prince was something he had completely not expected.

The other party had never been keen on power for so many years, focusing only on Martial Dao.

It hadn't changed for over a hundred years, so why did it suddenly change?

And King Li choosing to support the First Imperial Prince, how was that any different from accompanying the other party to their death? Where did the other party get the confidence to think that relying on the First Imperial Prince would succeed?

If there were no King Li, relying solely on a First Imperial Prince, how could the entire Southern Territory have a mutiny?

From the night of July 5th to July 7th.

In just two days, too many changes had occurred in the Southern Territory, and too quickly!

Based solely on the First Imperial Prince's influence and management, even with the coercion of a Martial Saint, the Crown Prince didn't believe the other party could control the entire Southern Territory so quickly.

There must be other forces involved!

Sure enough, he soon received news that Lu Wenzheng and Xu Jing had also rebelled.

Lu Wenzheng's influence outside of Feng Province had been almost completely "wiped out," but within Feng Province, the other party still had strong control.

Coupled with a Hongyi University and Grandmaster Xu Jing, apart from Datong Prefecture, the entire Feng Province could fall into the other party's hands.

Feng Province is located in the southwest; next, the First Imperial Prince and King Li would lead troops north, and if they wanted to take the fastest route, they would inevitably pass through Feng Province.

Controlling Feng Province would allow them to obtain large amounts of supplies, advancing to attack and retreating to defend.

The rebel army would have gained another strategic stronghold!

Things having reached this point, the Crown Prince actually felt a hidden dissatisfaction with Li Fei.

In his view, if it weren't for Li Fei pushing step by step, leaving Lu Wenzheng absolutely no way out, the other party would not have risked "jumping to the rebellion" to fight for their lives with the First Imperial Prince!

Unfortunately, it was too late to say anything now.

Even without Li Fei's reminder, the Crown Prince would not have easily given up Feng Province.

In the short term, the only Grandmaster who could be sent to support was Yan Shangzhen, the president of Meiyun University in Meiyun Province.

But the other party had been slow to move, while Gouchen Sword Master Benefactor Bai Chen had appeared in Feng Province instead.

After receiving this news, the Crown Prince's mood became even heavier.

The First Imperial Prince had gained another trump card he hadn't anticipated!

In his view, since the Gouchen Sword Master had gone to Feng Province, Shi Caiming was doomed, and Feng Province could not be held.

"Your Highness, urgent report! From Feng Province!"

Outside the main hall, a eunuch ran over quickly, holding a wooden box in his hands and saying.

The Crown Prince's hands trembled.

All the telegrams he had received during this period were bad news, dealing him one heavy blow after another.

So now, upon hearing there was a new telegram, he began to feel a bit afraid in his heart.

Fearing to receive even worse news.

"... Bring it here."

Taking a deep breath and steadying his mind, the Crown Prince spoke.

Soon, the wooden box was presented.

The Crown Prince opened the wooden box and took out the telegram inside.

Just by looking at it, he showed surprise, followed by wild joy!

"Li Fei beheaded Xu Jing!"

"Joining forces with others, he beheaded Gouchen Sword Master Benefactor Bai Chen!"

The Crown Prince's hand holding the telegram trembled; after reading it repeatedly several times to confirm he hadn't misread it, he looked up and said to the eunuch who had delivered the letter:

"Go confirm it immediately; confirm whether the content of this telegram is true? I want more detailed content!"

"Yes, Your Highness."

After the eunuch left, the Crown Prince stood up and paced back and forth in the main hall, his heart unable to calm down.

Ten minutes later, more detailed intelligence was sent over:

Li Fei first beheaded two Martial Arts Masters of the Qingshan Sword Sect, then beheaded Xu Jing one-on-one!

Finally, he joined forces with Shi Caiming and others to behead Benefactor Bai Chen, playing a key role in the battle!

"Hahaha, good! Well done!"

The Crown Prince's loud laughter echoed in the main hall.

At this moment, only one thought was in his mind:

"Father Emperor is wise!"

He was immensely glad that the Emperor had previously stopped his attempt to test Li Fei, and glad that he had actively sent a Martial Arts Master to Xingcheng to secretly protect Li Fei's adoptive parents.

At this very moment, looking at the heaven-defying combat record Li Fei had achieved on the telegram in his hand.

The Crown Prince had to admire the Emperor's vision!

The same late night.

Lanqing Palace, the Emperor's sleeping quarters.

A fit of violent coughing erupted in the sleeping quarters.

The Military Generalissimo Wen Ren Zheng sat by the bed with a desolate expression, while the Emperor lay on the bed.

Compared to half a year ago, his complexion was even worse, his entire body so thin he was nothing but skin and bones!

As the Son of Heaven, his "medical treatment" was naturally top-tier; as long as it was useful, any kind of heavenly treasure could be found.

But the Emperor's body continued to deteriorate, simply because he wasn't suffering from any illness.

His time was simply running out.

Since ascending the throne, for over forty years, he had taken the longevity pills sent by the Daluo Sect every year.

But in reality, Qingxu and Qingding had tampered with the pills long ago, so the pills the Emperor had taken for a long time hadn't actually had the effect of extending his life, but instead, his Dragon Qi had been secretly absorbed.

The Daluo Sect longevity pill incident had already buried hidden dangers in the Emperor's body.

Subsequently, Qingxu rebelled, causing the national fortune of the Great Lan Dynasty to be severely damaged!

The Emperor's life was connected to the fortune of the nation; if the fortune was prosperous, the Emperor's lifespan would naturally be longer.

If the fortune was severely damaged, the Emperor would also be affected.

After that, war broke out with the Northern Barbarians, a great snow disaster, Qiming taking advantage of the situation to break through...

These events all had an impact on the national fortune.

Although later, troops were sent against the Northern Barbarians, a tribe was wiped out, two Great Elders were killed, and territory was expanded, increasing the fortune.

But fifty percent of this increased fortune was used on Li Fei, and the remaining fifty percent was used to kill Qiming, which wasn't enough.

To kill Qiming from a distance, the Great Lan Dynasty had consumed an additional portion of fortune!

In just a few years, the fortune had dropped significantly, completely detonating the hidden dangers in the Emperor's body!

If the Emperor had been strong and in his prime, it would have been fine, at most a serious illness.

But he was already advanced in age, seventy-six this year, already exceeding the lifespan limit of normal people in this world.

So after killing Qiming, he gradually couldn't hold on, his body getting worse and worse.

Now, King Li, a Martial Saint of the nation, had rebelled along with the First Imperial Prince, plunging the entire Southern Territory border troops into internal chaos.

The national fortune was affected again.

If he hadn't already let the Crown Prince supervise the nation, letting the other party bear most of the national fortune.

This turmoil might have directly taken the Emperor's life!

Even so, he was now unable to get out of bed.

"Feng Province... is there any news?"

On the dragon bed, after the Emperor finished coughing, he asked weakly.

Wen Ren Zheng said softly: "Your Majesty, with the Crown Prince and the Grand Secretary watching, you shouldn't worry about these things anymore, just rest well."

The Emperor shook his head, his graying beard trembling slightly:

"Li Fei..."

Wen Ren Zheng knew what the other party was concerned about; he was worried that Li Fei would be impulsive and rush to Feng Province regardless of everything.

"Rest assured, news just arrived from Feng Province; Li Fei killed Xu Jing..."

Wen Ren Zheng recounted the battle that took place in Feng Province roughly.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough!"

After hearing this, the Emperor opened his mouth slightly and started coughing violently again.

Wen Ren Zheng continued to channel power into the other party's body, helping him calm his breath.

"Is... is it true?"

The Emperor grabbed Wen Ren Zheng's hand tightly and asked.

Wen Ren Zheng nodded: "Your Majesty, it is true, the news is authentic!"

Compared to others, he could more easily accept such a heaven-defying combat record.

Because when Qiming attacked Li Fei, he was right beside him, and he witnessed with his own eyes Li Fei withstanding Qiming's full-force strike at the Foundation Establishment realm!

Qiming suspected Li Fei was the legendary Great Dao Body, and Wen Ren Zheng had the same suspicion.

So upon learning that Li Fei had counter-killed a Grandmaster at the Martial Arts Master realm, he wasn't that surprised.

"Haha, hahahaha."

The Emperor laughed.

Although even the laughter was weak, it couldn't hide the pleasure within.

"Your Majesty has a keen eye for talent, it is admirable."

Wen Ren Zheng said.

The Emperor's smile remained, and he said with some difficulty:

"This child is pure by nature, he is a person worthy of being entrusted."

Born into the Imperial family, he had seen enough of deceit and the sinister nature of human hearts since childhood.

After becoming Emperor, he had seen even more of the various states of the court.

Some people look loyal, but cannot withstand the test.

Some people look slippery and cunning, but can maintain their original heart in times of crisis.

For those who rule, the most important thing is to know people.

The Emperor had seen all kinds of people in his life, and he understood one truth:

Between life and death, one can best see a person's original heart.

Back on the Northern Barbarian battlefield, Bai Yan, the Regional Commander, suddenly died, the situation collapsed, and it was already a nine-deaths-and-one-life situation.

Li Fei, entrusted with the national fortune by the Emperor, didn't take the opportunity to run away to save his life, but instead chose to counter-kill at the first opportunity!

Later, being hunted by Qiming, Li Fei similarly didn't hesitate to risk his life to turn back and save Qiu Zian, and then attack Qiming.

These actions allowed the Emperor to truly see the heart of this Marquis Jing'an.

Clearly possessing the number one talent in history, with a bright future, yet repeatedly risking his life, not hesitating to fight with his life.

One might ask, how many people can do this?

So when letting the Crown Prince supervise the nation, the Emperor chose to let Li Fei become a minister of the dying Emperor.

Now, with the Feng Province incident, to save Shi Caiming, Li Fei similarly rushed back without hesitation.

Such a choice confirmed to the Emperor once again that he hadn't misjudged the person.

So he said to Wen Ren Zheng—"This child is worthy of being entrusted."

"I once asked the National Master to cast a divination for Li Fei, and the divination text was 'Safety and danger alternate, misfortune and fortune are born from each other'." (See Volume 3, Chapter 43)

The Emperor said slowly.

Wen Ren Zheng nodded: "Indeed fitting."

'Safety and danger alternate, misfortune and fortune are born from each other', if this divination text were used on a certain minister, the meaning is very simple—

If used correctly, this minister will be beneficial to the country and bring good fortune.

If used poorly, this minister might cause chaos and bring disaster to the country!

Clearly, the Emperor was the typical example of using people correctly.

"Unfortunately, the Imperial Uncle ultimately chose this step."

The Emperor suddenly looked desolate and sighed.

In terms of using people and ruling subordinates, he considered himself not bad among the successive monarchs of the Great Lan Dynasty.

Before, there was Grand Secretary Ye Zean; with his full support, the monarch and minister cooperated, leading to the "Mingxin Reform."

Later, there was Marquis Jing'an Li Fei, whom he promoted vigorously, trusted without doubt, and fully gave his trust, in exchange for Li Fei's full repayment.

But regarding King Li Qin Mingli, the Emperor felt he had a certain responsibility.

This responsibility did not lie in not watching King Li well, giving the other party the opportunity to rebel.

In fact, the court's "strict defense" against King Li had reached the extreme; any more, and it would really be actively forcing the other party to rebel!

For a top-tier powerhouse who had made up their mind to "rise up" and make trouble, the court could not fully defend against it.

Qingxu was like this, Qiming was like this.

King Li today was the same.

Even if he had sensed in advance that King Li might rebel, that was only a possibility.

Could it be that for this uncertain possibility, he would actively force the other party to rebel, and then not hesitate to consume national power to kill another top-tier powerhouse?

Perhaps it could be considered in another period, but given the current situation of the Great Lan Dynasty, it was clearly not feasible.

So whether it was the Emperor or Ye Zean, there wasn't much they could actually do regarding King Li.

Any excessive behavior could not be done, and it wasn't good to test too much.

If the other party didn't rebel, letting the First Imperial Prince make trouble, the Southern Territory wouldn't change its sky.

If the other party rebelled, that was naturally the worst outcome.

In the current situation, the Emperor only blamed himself for not having the heart to eliminate this person in advance before the other party broke through!

This was the point where the Emperor reflected and blamed himself in this matter.

"If you want to blame someone, blame Qingxu for letting him see the possibility of going a step further."

Wen Ren Zheng comforted him.

If it weren't for the changes brought by Qingxu, given Qin Mingli's personality, plus the affection accumulated over so many years, the other party wouldn't have reached this step today.

Initially, the Emperor tacitly allowed Qin Mingli to ask Wen Ren Zheng for advice on Martial Dao cultivation, allowing the other party the possibility of breaking through, also because he valued Qin Mingli's personality of not caring about power.

The country having one more Martial Saint, the Imperial family having one more top-tier powerhouse, as long as it was used correctly, the benefits outweighed the disadvantages.

It was just that later, no one expected the Western Continent to invade, thus letting people see the possibility of true unification of the world, seeing the hope above the peak.

No one could have expected Qingxu to rebel, bringing so many variables.

"Qingxu..."

The Emperor recited this name again, his expression complex.

To some extent, the fate of the Great Lan Dynasty, his fate, and the fates of many people had been changed by Qingxu!

"Cough, cough, cough, cough!"

The Emperor started coughing violently again.

"Your Majesty."

A flash of sorrow crossed Wen Ren Zheng's eyes, using power to help the other party calm his breath:

"You should rest."

The Emperor intended to nod, but Yunshu's divination text surfaced in his heart again—Safety and danger alternate, misfortune and fortune are born from each other!

His gaze changed, and he finally spoke:

"Wen Ren, go get paper and pen."

Lanling City, Inner City.

Under the moonlight, the sounds of the zither, flute, and drum played together.

By the lake, a dozen beautiful concubines wearing bright long skirts, revealing snow-white long legs, each holding a round fan, danced gracefully to the music.

"Good—"

The Third Imperial Prince sat in a pavilion, drinking wine while loudly cheering.

He had drunk quite a bit of wine, his pair of phoenix eyes already a bit blurry, his whole person appearing even more graceful.

The maid Xiaohua stood quietly behind the Third Imperial Prince, like the other party's shadow.

She didn't pay attention to the beauties dancing by the lake, but was silently sensing the gazes peeking from the dark.

After the First Imperial Prince fled Lanling City, the surveillance on the Third Imperial Prince became even more severe, reaching the point of not even bothering to hide it!

And the capital also began to have undercurrents, with many forces belonging to the Third Imperial Prince suffering impacts.

Previously, because of the case of the Justice Academy reselling exotic beasts and various materials, the Third Imperial Prince's influence in various provinces had suffered a severe blow!

Now, his influence in the capital had either been uprooted or chosen to "abandon the dark and join the light."

It seemed that this prince, who once had hopes of seizing the throne, was now weak and could only sit in his mansion waiting for death.

And the appearance the Third Imperial Prince showed was indeed like this—

Spending his days in the mansion drinking and watching dances, indulging in pleasure, he seemed to have given up on himself and completely laid flat.

This dance party lasted until late at night, when the Third Imperial Prince finally embraced several women and returned to his room.

It wasn't until late at night that the room finally quieted down.

Inside the room, the Third Imperial Prince was sleeping on the bed with his upper body bare.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared beside him.

Xiao Hua appeared in the room silently using the 【No Distance】 divine ability.

Her fingers moved slightly, and a completely transparent silk thread landed on the Third Imperial Prince.

The next second, Xiao Hua appeared in the Third Imperial Prince's heart lake.

"Your Highness, Xu Jing is dead, and Benefactor Bai Chen has lost an 'incarnation'."

Xiao Hua reported the situation in Feng Province.

After hearing this, the Third Imperial Prince did not show any surprise.

In the world of consciousness, he appeared extremely cold, without the slightest emotion exposed:

"Let the Gouchen Sword Sect start taking action; Benefactor Bai Chen will move from the light to the dark and wait for the opportunity."

"Yes."

"Continue to push forward according to the plan."

"Yes."

A moment later, Xiao Hua disappeared silently from the room.

On the bed, the Third Imperial Prince, embracing two beauties, had a smile on his face, as if he were having a sweet dream.

July 8th, the 49th year of Hongguang.

The First Imperial Prince Qin Zihong and the Prince of Li Qin Mingli completed their control over the Southern Territory and issued a statement to "clear the Emperor's side"!

This mutiny in the Southern Territory resulted in some casualties due to infighting, and coupled with the existing vacancies and the need to leave some people behind to guard,

the army that the First Imperial Prince and the Prince of Li actually brought with them was only a little over fifty thousand.

This force, under the banner of "clearing the Emperor's side," claimed to be an army of one hundred thousand!

On the same day, while the Southern Territory border army was preparing to head north, Li Fei was also "heading north."

He set out from Datong Fucheng, heading alone to the provincial capital of Feng Province.

Xu Jing was already dead, and half of his great vengeance had been avenged.

It was time to avenge the other half!

(End of chapter)