Origin Paradise!

The court remained unmoved by this, but because Emperor Wu of Liang had renounced his official position and converted to Buddhism at Tianchan Temple for the second time, the Grand Secretaries and the entire central government were busy running around, vying for power and profit, while also raising money and grain to redeem this "Bodhisattva Emperor".

……

"The sky is dry and everything is dry, be careful about the fire."

The gong and the watchman's shouts gradually faded into the distance.

North of Dongyang City, on the bluestone road, a luxurious carriage slowly came to a stop, its curtains adorned with pearls and jade.

Supported by his armored attendants, the man in the purple robe landed. He was about thirty years old. He had a badge on his chest and back, but it was not shabby. On the contrary, it was extremely exquisite. At present, the fashion of this style was prevalent in the Southern Liang Dynasty. A badge often cost at least a hundred taels of official silver.

The man in purple robes glanced at the Prince Yong's mansion in front of him.

Even though he had been enfeoffed and had no chance of ascending the throne, the imperial family's status remained unchanged. The palace was decorated with arched roofs and the main gate tower was adorned with green and gold accents. It was more like a palace than a mansion. The palace walls were painted with dragons and clouds, and when you looked up, you could see blue glazed tiles that were distinct from the bright yellow of the imperial city.

"It's quite grand."

Pei Weidao, the man in the purple robe, sneered.

The twenty armored soldiers accompanying him remained silent. Apart from the leader, who was a third-realm retainer, the rest were all elites with second-realm cultivation. They would be considered experts even in the martial arts world. Every first-class family in the world had similar private armies, and the Pei family's Chongyue Army was especially famous for its fighting prowess.

Not long after, the commander of the guards of Prince Yong's mansion strode out. The burly man saw a man in a purple robe and immediately clasped his hands in greeting.

"I, Yan, have met Lord Pei."

"Commander Yan is too kind."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two walked side by side into the Prince's residence, followed by armored soldiers. The group crossed the outer wall of the palace, entered the inner city through the Duanli Gate, and headed straight to the Altar of the Land and Grain in the southwest of the Prince's residence.

But the further they walked, the more hesitant Commander Yan became.

"What, Commander, do you still want to back out now?" Pei Weidao raised an eyebrow and said, "Imprisoning a prince without authorization is a capital offense. Your sect is just a minor talisman sect, and you will inevitably be wiped out."

Commander Yan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said, "The prince is not dead after all. Lord Pei must give me a guarantee first. If the Pei family wants to discard us after we've served our purpose, I have friends and confidants who can send a letter to the court."

Pei Weidao laughed as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, saying, "You need a guarantee to kill a prince?"

"Have you not heard that the late emperor drowned?"

Pei Weidao's laughter gradually subsided, and he looked at the other party with a sinister look: "I respect you and call you Commander Yan. If I am not pleased, you are nothing more than a stray dog ​​that I can summon and dismiss at will. Now that I am in charge of the Pei family, my grandfather wants to take back the land and dowry that the vassal kings had taken away. You have ruined my impression in my grandfather's heart, and that is a capital offense."

The words fell.

The armored warriors suddenly attacked.

The third realm, the Profound Realm, also known as the Golden Peak, requires refining a "qi" from heaven and earth to enter a martial arts state and thereby create a natal secret technique. Most secret techniques in the world are based on the five elements, but there are also differences in their subdivisions.

boom!

A phantom of a mountain the size of a millstone slid out horizontally. Commander Yan dared not retaliate and took the hit squarely. His Yang Steel Armor shattered, and he staggered back more than ten steps, vomiting blood continuously.

Clearly, the armored warrior knew when to act, and also knew the limits of his actions.

"Thank you, Lord Pei, for sparing my life."

"Lead the way."

Commander Yan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. In fact, the arrogance of the aristocratic families actually put his mind at ease. Grand Secretary Pei was the Crown Prince's tutor. This time, the secret murder of Prince Yong and the use of Princess Pei to reclaim the land were just side effects. The real purpose was probably to give the Crown Prince a handle so that both sides could gain each other's trust.

The incriminating evidence of murdering a prince is not enough to completely destroy a powerful family that "co-rules the world," but it can cripple them. It can also prove the Pei family's determination to support the emperor. As for whether the crown prince will feel sorry for the fallen, that can only be determined by who laughs last in the struggle for the throne.

Commander Yan was lost in thought. The Talisman Mountain behind him was actually a branch of the Demonic Sect. The elders were closely watching the struggle for succession among the princes of Southern Liang. As an infiltrator, he had at least complete intelligence.

The night is as cold as water.

The two arrived at the altar of the land and grain, and the armored soldiers opened the "coffin lid" of the dungeon. The entire Prince Yong's mansion fell silent.

Pei Weidao asked with his hands behind his back, "Where is my younger sister?"

Before Commander Yan could reply, the armored soldier said, "The Eagle's Chambers has sent word that the Princess Consort is in seclusion practicing Taoism. Judging from her diet and daily routine, she should not be pregnant for the time being."

"Useless thing." Pei Weidao cursed inwardly. Without a heir, the Pei family's control of the Prince's Mansion would be fraught with difficulties. He clearly had a good figure and was capable of bearing children. If he had known, he would not have let Prince Yong live to this day.

"And where is the Grand Master of the Prince's Palace?" Pei Weidao continued to ask.

Once the vassal king is enfeoffed, the Imperial City Xuanjin Manor will, in accordance with ancestral laws, send a fourth-realm elder to guard the area.

The armored guard glanced at the ashamed Commander Yan and replied, "The Grand Master has already gone into the mountains to find medicine for Prince Yong."

"Haha, what an ugly fence-sitter."

"Second Master Pei, something's not right!"

Pei Weidao's laughter stopped abruptly. Several armored soldiers stood on the altar of the land and grain, at a loss. One of them came over to report.

"There was no sign of Prince Yong in the dungeon."

"what!"

Pei Weidao's expression changed, and he immediately ascended the Altar of the State with Commander Yan. The dungeon was extremely large, and the surrounding area was made of the highest grade of Yang steel, forming a seamless whole. Even the Four Realms of Myriad Manifestations might not be able to break through it before they exhausted their strength.

"Impossible!" Commander Yan peered out nervously. "I even came to check it myself before I left the manor!"

The dungeon was dark. Pei Weidao hurriedly looked at the only ventilation shaft and saw that the original steel bars had been violently destroyed, and the surrounding area was messy. The prey had escaped from the cage.

"Seal off the royal city!"

"Transfer personnel from Dongyang Garrison and find them for me!"

The armored soldiers moved swiftly, crushing the petals scattered in the garden surrounding the Altar of the God of Earth. Commander Yan's mind went blank. If the Prince of Yong escaped, the Pei family would definitely pin all the blame on him. He was already a dead man at this moment.

The soldiers mounted their horses and sped off to the garrison outside the city to mobilize troops. No written orders were needed; the reputation of a powerful family was more effective than the prefect's kowtow, especially since the current Minister of War was none other than Grand Secretary Pei.

call!

The armored guard helped Pei Weidao by the arm and led him to the dungeon. The two stood in front of the ventilation grilles, their feet paved with broken pieces.

"What immense strength..." The armored guard was secretly horrified and said, "Please look, Second Master Pei. This is not broken, but crushed into powder. The person who came to rescue Prince Yong must have extraordinary strength."

Pei Weidao forced himself to calm down and asked, "The Four Realms?"

The armored warrior shook his head and said in a low voice, "Not all those in the four realms are skilled in strength. As far as I know, below the level of a terrestrial immortal, the only one who can accomplish such a feat is Zhao Wanjun, the second son of the Prince of Pingxi in Yizhou, who possesses the innate strength of a dragon and an elephant."

Pei Weidao clicked his tongue in disbelief. He really didn't want to believe that the Prince of Yong was related to the "only two" non-royal princes of Southern Liang.

"The power of the dragon and the elephant—is it the power of one dragon and one elephant?"

"Yes, it's not a figment of my imagination."

"what!?"

Just then, on the altar of the land and grain, Commander Yan snapped out of his daze, hurriedly pulled out the Listening Talisman from his waist, and his pupils widened in shock as he looked at the red dots on the talisman's pattern. His face instantly turned terrified, and he shouted down in a heart-wrenching voice:

"Lord Pei, Prince Yong is in the dungeon!"

……

A dimly lit dungeon.

Pei Weidao and the armored soldier looked stiff, and almost simultaneously turned around blankly.

A face so handsome it was almost unreal was right in front of him, yet the other person's presence was strangely faint. He was tall and slender, wearing a simple red brocade robe, yet exuding an inexplicable majesty. His eyes shone like jewels in the dim light, but were cold and indifferent.

"It's not your fault, you two."

"It's just a dungeon, I've gotten used to it."

Jiang He spoke calmly, then punched the armored warrior's guardian spirit to pieces. Blood and flesh splattered on the wall like bullets. He crushed the Yang Steel fence, but mainly he wanted to test the so-called fifth-order sturdiness.

The answer was that it was harder than anyone could imagine. The King of the Mountain, although it was basically like the legendary Mountain Moving Divine Power, still had a huge boost to his strength. It was just a pity that the fifth-order sturdiness was well-deserved, and he could hardly completely shatter the dungeon with one punch.

With a powerful expert at the third realm of the Profound Realm dying before his eyes, Pei Weidao forced a smile and said in a mournful voice, "Brother-in-law, why did you do this?"

"Eldest brother, the Pei family wants to kill you as a pledge of allegiance to the Crown Prince..."

A ray of golden light fell through the ventilation duct, and within a quarter of an hour, Wuhe had investigated the matter thoroughly, more efficiently than the four players during the special mission.

Pei Weidao knelt on the ground with a sincere expression, his mind racing like a storm. He made a decisive statement: "Your Highness, spare my life. Use this as evidence to counter the Pei family. As long as I am alive, there is no major problem. Even if I cannot force my grandfather to join my cause, it will still bring countless benefits. It is better than a moment of pleasure. A king should prioritize the grand plan."

Pei Weidao keenly realized that the Prince of Yong was hiding his superb martial arts skills. No similar news had ever circulated about him in the eighteen years since his birth. Such forbearance, if not for the "grand ambition of the monarch", must mean that he had some kind of plan.

"Heh heh." Wuhe chuckled. "Quite clever, what a pity."

Jiang He struck out with his palm, sending the head flying cleanly to the ground. The neck was severed, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

“Send the head to the Pei family and have that father-in-law come to see me. Place the body outside the Prince’s mansion.”

"clear."

Jiang He paused slightly, realizing he wasn't talking to a stranger, and smiled slightly, "Thank you for your help."

"Hehe, just running an errand for the boss." Wuhe flapped its wings nonchalantly.

The golden light carried the head and the corpse away.

Jiang He leaped out of the dungeon. What Pei Weidao said was indeed true, but as a former emperor, he knew very well the ways of aristocratic families. They would start by reporting a disappearance to the authorities, followed by framing someone. In the end, the ones who would most want to kill Pei Weidao would probably be the Pei family.

As for whether it can serve as evidence, there's no need to elaborate. Like embezzlement, this kind of thing can only be used to conclude a case. A powerful Grand Secretary wouldn't fall from power because his son was "muddled" and failed to assassinate a prince. Unless he succeeded, there was little chance of that, and other contenders for the throne would have to work hard to help him.

call!

The figure leaped out of the dungeon.

Commander Yan collapsed to the ground, his face deathly pale.

"Your Highness, I was coerced!"

“I’m in the dungeon, and you’re on the ground. As the commander of the guards, do you think that’s appropriate?”

Jiang He kicked him to death, the boot of death piercing through Commander Yan's chest, his heart and sternum trampled like mud.

Not far away, a fifth-rank imperial guard in full armor was leading his men to clean up the scene. Old Hei looked like a kind-faced middle-aged man wearing an epic-level suit of armor.

"Jiang Weizheng has rendered meritorious service in protecting the emperor, and is hereby awarded a jade pendant."

All the guards: "..."

Where did I get credit?

The teams looked at each other in bewilderment. Prince Yong was recuperating from illness and had been refusing to see outsiders for a long time. Even if they didn't know the specifics, everyone could sense that something was wrong. However, the gold and silver from the Pei family were too valuable, so everyone tacitly chose to "neglect their duties." But judging from the current situation, the matter was more serious than they had imagined, yet the prince chose to let bygones be bygones.

Jiang He took off the jade pendant and personally hung it on Lao Hei's waist.

"Is there a hidden secret in the jade pendant?" the old black man asked in a sly whisper.

"A gift from heaven, it would definitely break if I were to have it."

"alright."

……

At dawn, autumn mist enveloped the streets.

Dongyang City came alive as usual, with merchants from all over Qingzhou arriving early at Wanbao Street, where rice, flour, cooking oil, medicinal herbs, mountain products, antiques, and calligraphy and paintings were on display.

Because the emperor had sacrificed himself to enter the temple, the annual gifts from Qingzhou to the capital this year had been prepared. The Qingzhou governor personally escorted them, preparing to go to the capital for further progress. Moreover, at the request of the eldest prince, he did not hesitate to break taboos and mobilized four thousand cavalry from Dengfeng Town on the front line to escort them, clearly indicating that they would die if they failed.

Inside the Prince's Mansion, Jiang He sat in the main hall of Chengyun, figuring out the general structure of the entire Yong Prince's Mansion.

In terms of management, the office was headed by the Chief Secretary, who was a fifth-rank official. The office had subordinate departments such as the Trial Office, the Records Office, the Food Office, the Medical Office, and the Works Office.

Regarding the protection, while the princes were strictly prohibited from entering the capital without imperial decree, they were also forbidden from personally commanding troops. The number of guards in the Imperial Guard Command was reduced from the full strength of 16800 in the previous dynasty to less than 1,000, and the number of guards for travel was even smaller, with only 500. They even had to report to the court before leaving their own prefecture.

It is worth mentioning that Commander Yan was the leader of the guards and held the rank of third grade. Of course, his actual power was far less than that of the seventh-grade officials of the Six Ministries.

Jiang He sat alone in Chengyun Hall, while Zhuang Ya was executing the various princes' officials who had accepted money from the Pei family. In theory, these officials were directly under the jurisdiction of the court, but the only one who was pardoned was the chief clerk, a former student and friend of the Pei family. He was now locked up in the dungeon, unable to submit a petition.

Da da da!

A warhorse galloped past Duanli Gate. The rider was tall and imposing, clad in gleaming silver armor bearing the insignia of the Pei clan. Upon seeing the Prince of Yong in the distance, he shouted:

"Your Highness, the head of the family invites you to go hunting outside Dongyang City."

Jiang He nodded, which meant there was room for discussion, but riding his horse across the Duanli Gate was quite impolite.

"killed."

A figure in white flashed past the East Garden, wielding an immortal-level imperial sword that slashed down, shattering the silver-armored knight and his horse. Zhuang Ya did not linger; she was merely passing through, with many targets yet to be eliminated.

Chapter 554 Encirclement and Slaughter of the Fourth Realm

On the fifth day of the ninth month of the twentieth year of Yongqing.

In the morning, Prince Yong rode out of the city, followed by two hundred guards, with only enough warhorses to go.

The terrain north of Dongyang City is flat, and Dengfeng City, which resembles a tiger lying on the ground, can be seen from a hundred miles away. This area is a military jurisdiction, garrisoned by the General of Dengfeng with 30,000 regular infantry and 6,000 brave cavalry.