Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 354 He's helping me reconcile with the Demon Emperor

Prince Gu Yicheng of Jin still feels wronged, after all, he did nothing wrong.

Although I was a little tempted, I didn't actually do it, did I? I even resisted the encouragement of countless people.

Judging by actions, not intentions, Father Emperor certainly wouldn't care about those people's slander and defamation.

As a result, on the very evening Gu Zhanting returned, he delivered a devastating blow to Gu Yicheng: "Prince Jin, Yicheng, publicly leaked secrets, leading to the army's defeat; privately, he was dissolute and unfilial, violating the heart of a son. He has failed in both loyalty and filial piety, and is unfit for great responsibility. Therefore, he is stripped of his title as Prince Jin and reduced to a commoner, to reflect on his actions at home. Prince Qi, Yiheng, prayed for his father day and night at home, his filial piety moving Heaven. The contrast is stark, and he is unlikely to be a cruel person. Therefore, the Demon Suppression Division is ordered to reopen the investigation into the Tianxing Sword Sect case from that day."

Gu Yicheng was dumbfounded.

As for the lack of filial piety, that's one thing. As long as the Emperor calms down, the matter between father and son will naturally be fine, since he didn't actually take any action.

Just like Prince Qi, Gu Yiheng, who was burdened with the huge blame for attacking the Heavenly Sword Sect and harming his sister. Although he was universally condemned, the fact that Shen Tang was Gu Yiheng was kept secret. Most people didn't know that his actions included harming his sister and thought he had only simply massacred local sects. A prince slaughtering local sects and plundering merchant caravans was shocking at the time, but as time passed, people would forget it.

Furthermore, the head of the Demon Suppression Division who was in charge of the investigation at the time has been replaced. If the emperor simply says to reopen the investigation, the new head, Sheng Qingfeng, will give a new report saying that there were problems with the original investigation and that the real culprit may not be Prince Qi. Even if the new real culprit is not found, Prince Qi will be fine.

So if his problem is merely a matter of being disobedient and unfilial, there's still hope once his father calms down.

But if the blame for the leak that led to the army's defeat is pinned on you, then the nature of the situation changes completely!

Who in the entire military would accept such a prince as crown prince? Even if the emperor were to restore him to the throne in the future, the high-ranking officials in the court would dare to object—this might be the only person who could garner Huo Xingyuan and Pei Qingyan's shared hatred. Huo Xingyuan himself was almost killed and lost ten years of hard work, while Pei Qingyan's own nephew was almost killed. Generals like Zhao Jiayong and Xiang An now hate him to the bone, and coupled with the Grand Preceptor's disdain for him, what hope is there?
Even regaining the throne is difficult, let alone the position of crown prince. It can be declared outright that he has no chance in this lifetime.

He did indeed share some news from the border regions with Chen Yu and the others while boasting at the dinner table, and some of what he said was indeed confidential in order to prove how awesome he was. But it was really just a few things. Information like the loopholes in the defense system, allowing the demon race to sneak in like a leak and launch massive attacks on the rear—he himself wasn't even that clear about that, so how could he tell Chen Yu?
This has nothing to do with him!

Unfortunately, no one will listen to his explanation anymore.

“Father, something’s not right.” Pei Chuyun, who was under house arrest at the Pei residence, still approached Pei Qingyan: “Didn’t they say that Shen Tang went through all sorts of hardships to rescue him? How come all he got were some mountains and a plaque as a reward? This Prince Qi did nothing but stay home chanting sutras and praying for blessings, and he’s already done a great service, and all the previous things don’t count? The person he hurt was his own sister, Shen Tang, who was the real hero this time. Isn’t the Emperor afraid that he will really break Shen Tang’s heart?”

Pei Qingyan said leisurely, "I asked you that day...it might have benefited someone else."

Pei Chuyun was taken aback: "Father was referring to Prince Qi back then?"

“Hmm.” Pei Qingyan smiled: “Those who know the truth will understand what happened back then. Prince Qi was a scapegoat from beginning to end. From this perspective, Prince Qi was never guilty, but rather meritorious, for taking the blame for his father. Now that Prince Jin has been deposed, Prince Qi is the only adult prince who can be used, so naturally we have to release him.”

"So why did you make him take the blame back then?"

"It seems that Prince Qi did something else behind the scenes that angered His Majesty, and he was given a lesson as well. As for what exactly happened, it's well-hidden; even I haven't heard a word about it. Perhaps Sheng Qingfeng knows more about it."

"So it really wasn't Prince Qi who did it? Then what about Shen Tang..."

“Princess Chaohuang knows perfectly well who broke her leg. How could she not know? She would have been heartbroken long ago. In fact, this time she has nothing to be sad about.”

"..."

“Well… if we’re really going to talk about sadness, there is a little bit.” Pei Qingyan sighed: “She didn’t care about the resentment of having her leg broken, and still traveled thousands of miles to rescue her. In the end, Father Emperor still thought of Prince Qi, who hadn’t done anything.”

Pei Chuyun didn't understand: "But why does His Majesty look down on Princess Chaohuang? In what way does Prince Jin and Prince Qi compare to Shen Tang? They're not even in the same league. Is it really just because of male chauvinism?"

Pei Qingyan smiled meaningfully: "First of all, don't underestimate any of the princes. Prince Qi is much smarter than Prince Jin. The one who worked the hardest behind Prince Jin's downfall was Prince Qi. You bystanders couldn't see that, could you? See, he ended up reaping the benefits in the end..."

Pei Chuyun narrowed her eyes.

"Secondly, the so-called His Majesty's disdain for Princess Chaohuang... Ha. Everyone's attention is drawn to the princes' struggle for the throne, but they've all overlooked the most fundamental thing. Even someone as smart as Lu Xingzhou couldn't fully understand this matter. What's the point of digging a pit for Prince Jin before leaving... At most, it's just revenge for his assassination attempt in the Demon Subduing Domain."

“That's enough, isn't it? Lu Xingzhou is known for his vengeful nature.” Pei Chuyun recklessly placed the blame on her father: “Oh, I know Dad is the smartest, the Prime Minister of a nation. He can see things that we juniors can't understand. Could you explain…”

"What, you want to help Shen Tang?" Pei Qingyan sneered, "After you help her, do you expect to obediently become a concubine?"

Pei Chuyun's eyes widened: "Who, who said that? Lu Xingzhou and I are completely innocent!"

“You’re completely innocent. If you hadn’t shown some consideration for your father’s feelings, I think I would have already had all five of you.”

"..."

Despite her outbursts of anger, Pei Qingyan was actually more open-minded about the matter than Sheng Qingfeng. After all, Pei Chuyun, with her background as a woman of the "Charming Maidens of the Harmonious Realm," was already quite gratifying that she only had one lover instead of flirting with others. This was quite different from the mindset and bottom line of the innocent girl that Sheng Qingfeng had painstakingly cultivated.

He sighed softly: "Where did this idea of ​​princes vying for the throne come from... If it were really just a matter of princes fighting for the throne, why would His Majesty personally depose his own daughter? Was it really worth it?"

Pei Chuyun's heart skipped a beat: "Father means... the Emperor is afraid that Shen Tang is growing up too fast and will compete with him for the throne! It's not that he looks down on Shen Tang, it's that he thinks too highly of him!"

"Your father didn't say anything." Pei Qingyan smiled slightly: "Being safe and sound outside, staying out of sight, and not even treating your leg is the best thing to do. Including this time, rescuing the army without taking credit, not even seeing His Majesty's face, and retiring gracefully is also the smartest thing to do. Before, it was the Imperial Advisor who helped you outside. I don't know if this time it was Shen Tang's own idea or Lu Xingzhou's suggestion. If it was her own idea, then this woman is also very smart. She is not the incompetent sect leader you think she can only rely on Lu Xingzhou to make a living."

"What does it matter to me what kind of woman she is? I'm not talking to you anymore." Pei Chuyun turned on her benefactor after using her, her "Can you tell me?" turning into "I'm not talking to you anymore" in just a few breaths, and she left.

Pei Qingyan watched her daughter's retreating figure and shook her head helplessly.

Shen Tang is too talented; she made Gu Zhanting see his inner demon, Ye Tinglan, which is fatal.

In truth, Gu Zhanting did feel some guilt towards his daughter, as evidenced by his often contradictory actions. For instance, he wanted to support the Tianxing Sword Sect but took no concrete steps, leaving him caught in the middle and fueling speculation and controversy. In reality, Gu Zhanting didn't intend those consequences when he made those promises; he genuinely wanted to offer support, but he lacked the concrete actions to deliver. However, this time he at least took concrete action—compared to the mountain, the plaque was far more valuable. Shen Tang herself was capable, and with the help of this plaque, the Tianxing Sword Sect could rise again.

But what happens after his rise to power? Gu Zhanting is of the highest rank, at the peak of his life; he can live for many more years.

Pei Qingyan couldn't foresee the future either; in any case, the fate of the royal family was none of Pei's business.

…………

South, Miaoyin Mountain.

"Gu Zhanting sent Lu Xingzhou as an envoy to the Demon Realm? What is he up to!" Yuan Muyu jumped up from her seat: "Doesn't he know that Long Qinghuang wants to capture Lu Xingzhou?! He's aiding the enemy!"

Ji Wenchuan stood silently in front of him, his hands clasped in his sleeves.

Long Qinghuang wants to capture Lu Xingzhou, only you guys are so impatient. To the emperor, he's just a young strategist, he's not even after all.

Anyway, Ji Wenchuan didn't think there was anything wrong with this. Having personally experienced the battle of Frozen Moon and Cold River, Ji Wenchuan felt that Old Lu and the Demon Emperor were probably up to something. Who knows, he might just single-handedly wipe out the Demon Realm.

However, for King Yama or the Holy Master Tianyao, they would rather not pacify the Demon Realm than give them this whip.

"I went through all the trouble of rescuing Lu Xingzhou from the Demon Emperor, and Gu Zhanting just handed him over like that!" Yuan Muyu was so angry she was about to burst. "We shouldn't have let Lu Xingzhou go in the first place. Look at the unreliable thing he's following now!"

Ji Wenchuan: "..."

Yuan Muyu said, "Speak up, stop pretending to be mute. Aren't you and Lu Xingzhou best friends? He got arrested, aren't you going to do anything about it?"

Ji Wenchuan finally sighed: "From what I've observed, the Demon Emperor probably values ​​Lao Lu's abilities. It's unlikely he would try to steal a man; even Yama himself thinks so."

Yes, after that fight at sea, Yuan Muyu calmed down and realized she had overreacted. Who would actually grab a man in public? What about the Demon Emperor's reputation? He'd only do that to a strategist.

But Yuan Muyu didn't regret fighting that battle. Even if she had to capture the strategist, she couldn't let Gu Zhanting do it, right? But then, Gu Zhanting handed her over!

That's infuriating!

Seeing Ji Wenchuan's indifferent attitude, Yuan Muyu was still annoyed: "What, even if you only value ability, can you just sit by and watch Lu Xingzhou work for the demon race?"

“Old Lu has his own opinions; he’s not the kind of person who just does things on a whim. There are pitfalls to being a strategist. If he’s not willing to do it and you insist on having him come up with ideas, then the Demon Emperor might end up losing his underwear.”

Yuan Muyu stroked his chin, thinking that Ji Wenchuan's words made sense.

Lu Xingzhou is so stubborn, that scoundrel who just leaves whenever he wants.

Who can force him to come up with an idea? If he comes up with an idea under duress, then the Demon Emperor's underwear will really be ruined.

No, why are you pulling down her underwear? Don't!

Looking at it this way, it doesn't seem like a big deal. After all, unlike last time when he almost got arrested, this is a legitimate mission, so the nature of the mission is quite different. At least this time, the entire Great Qian Dynasty is behind him. Given his boat-riding abilities, he should be able to solve the problem on his own.

Does this mean we don't need to be too anxious...?

The conversation between Yuan Muyu and Lu Xingzhou in the sea kept flashing through her mind, her thoughts were complicated and hard to understand.

It seems I shouldn't be anxious anymore... I shouldn't let these things affect my emotions, it's really not good for my spiritual practice.

"In addition, details of the war in the northern frontier have also come in," Ji Wenchuan said. "A black-clad man wearing a Yama's Palace mask attacked Huo Xingyuan and injured his heart. Huo Xingyuan went into seclusion to recuperate as soon as he returned to the capital, and it seems that he was seriously injured."

Yuan Muyu paused, stunned: "The mask of the Yama Palace..."

Ji Wenchuan said, "Old Lu does have a mask, but he has never worn it, so outsiders don't know. From the description, I can tell that it belongs to Old Lu."

Yuan Muyu nodded slightly: "He deeply hates the Huo family. If it's him, then it's quite normal."

Ji Wenchuan said, "Won't Lao Lu's actions make others think that the Yama Palace is colluding with the demon race? He doesn't have to wear the Yama Palace attire; can't he use other disguises?"

Yuan Muyu thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "He's helping me reconcile with the Demon Emperor."

Ji Wenchuan blinked.

What time is it? Why haven't you shed that inexplicable air of confidence yet...?

However, in retrospect, this confidence might have been half right.

Lu Xingzhou's actions might not necessarily be for the sake of reconciliation between Yama and the Demon Emperor, but rather for the sake of reconciliation between the Yama Palace and the Demon Emperor. The Yama Palace is, after all, Lu Xingzhou's life's work, and seeing that he has been developing the Ten Kings of Hell strategy for the past two years, only to inexplicably offend the Demon Emperor, is not a good thing.

Seeing Yan Jun's rare smile, Ji Wenchuan couldn't bear to tell the truth. Well, she'd been looking so worried ever since they returned from the sea; now that she was smiling, he might as well let her smile a little longer. Confidence was good; a confident Yan Jun was the real deal.

(End of this chapter)