# Chapter 645: The Princes of the Chen Clan
What is a royal clan? One who ascends the throne can be called a sovereign. From this perspective, it was not difficult to understand how the Heavenly Sea Saintess could awaken this Imperial Carriage Diagram.
But Zhu Luo had interacted with the Chen royal clan for centuries and knew many secrets. He understood that to activate the Imperial Carriage Diagram, one must possess true royal blood.
The Heavenly Sea Saintess had governed for over two hundred years, but had only ascended the throne twenty years ago. She simply did not have enough time for the Imperial Carriage Diagram to acknowledge her blood as royal blood.
She stood atop the Heavenly Book Mound, gazing at this world, at this great formation within the capital. Her beautiful face showed no emotion whatsoever—utterly indifferent.
Yes, her surname was not Chen. The blood flowing through her veins was the True Blood of the Heavenly Phoenix, not royal blood. Nor did she have sufficient time to make the Imperial Carriage Diagram submit. But this did not mean she had no way.
The Daoist Calculator also knew she must have a way, so he did not ask like Zhu Luo.
In fact, in the next moment, many people including Zhu Luo all thought of that one point.
The great formation of the Imperial Carriage Diagram had been built many years ago, with an extremely long history—at least longer than the history of the Chen royal clan.
The capital was now the Great Zhou capital, but before there was Great Zhou, this place was already a capital.
Before the Chen royal clan, this continent had another royal clan with an extremely pure bloodline, and it had continued to exist until the present day.
Zhu Luo looked toward the direction of the imperial palace and said sharply, "Liang Wangsun, how dare you commit such an act of high treason!"
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There were three highest places in the capital.
The Heavenly Book Mound, the Sweet Dew Terrace, and one other—the Lingyan Pavilion.
The Lingyan Pavilion was deep within the imperial palace, a tall tower.
The most important modification the Great Zhou royal clan made to the Imperial Carriage Diagram formation was the construction of the Lingyan Pavilion, where Chen Shu was also present.
Liang Wangsun sat in the very center of the Lingyan Pavilion floor.
Tonight, his hand did not hold that vajra scepter, but rather a torch.
The material of that torch was neither metal nor jade, with a crystalline quality, and a white flame burned at its tip.
This was a demon race divine artifact—Daylight Flame.
Liang Wangsun's eyes were tightly shut, his face pale, and blood continuously flowed from the hand gripping the torch.
That blood flowed onto the Daylight Flame, not dripping to the ground but being absorbed into it.
The light emitted by the Daylight Flame was not stained with blood because of this; it remained holy, as if containing boundless energy.
Those rays of light were so intense that the Lingyan Pavilion, which was always so dim, had become bright tonight.
As for the interior of the Lingyan Pavilion, it was illuminated extremely brightly, like daylight, or rather like an imagined divine kingdom.
The portraits on the walls were clearly visible. The founding ministers depicted seemed to be silently watching Liang Wangsun.
If they knew that this young prince was the descendant of the Liang royal clan they had worked so hard to overthrow back then, who knew what emotions they would feel.
Which side would these legendary figures in the portraits choose to bless?
In the past several hundred years, the Lingyan Pavilion had always remained silent deep within the imperial palace, like the night, never easily seen by anyone.
Tonight, however, it grew increasingly bright.
In the past several hundred years, the stone steps and square before the Lingyan Pavilion had been devoid of footprints.
Tonight, these places were filled with people.
The Imperial Guard vigilantly watched their surroundings.
Xue Xingchuan sat atop the Fire Cloud Qilin, expressionlessly gazing ahead.
Ahead lay darkness—the main gate of the imperial city.
Tonight, the imperial city's gate was not closed, as if preparing to welcome guests.
At this moment, the Frost Remnant Divine Spear was emanating an incomparably domineering and powerful aura within the imperial palace.
He was here.
So, who dared to enter?
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On this rainy night of early autumn, those who opposed the Heavenly Sea Saintess had come from all over the continent to the capital, intending to overthrow her rule in one fell swoop.
But there were also many willing to pledge loyalty to the Heavenly Sea Saintess.
Besides important military generals of Great Zhou like Xue Xingchuan, there were also people hidden in the night. As Second Master Tang had said, after the Cold Mountain battle, the Heavenly Machine Elder truly could no longer resist the erosion of time and was on the verge of death. But the Heavenly Sea Saintess, who possessed the friendship of the Heavenly Machine Elder, would naturally have the help of the entire Heavenly Machine Pavilion.
In the first half of the night, Chen Changsheng had burst into the Northern Military Command Alley, directly destroying that small courtyard with the crabapple tree. Yet the operations of the Qingli Department were not greatly affected. Zhou Tong, having just awakened, endured his injuries and ordered his subordinate officials to merge with the Heavenly Machine Pavilion's assassins, beginning to move through the night, ready at any moment to strike their targets.
Guided and concealed by the Imperial Carriage Diagram, at least several hundred elite assassins had now arrived outside the mansions of nobles and princes, approaching the fifteen imperial carriages from various provincial prince mansions. With just one command, the assassins would, on behalf of the Saintess, purge those ministers and descendants who dared to be disloyal to her...
The one who could give the order was, of course, the Heavenly Sea Saintess herself.
Now, she only needed one word, or even just a glance, and the capital would face a bloodbath. The process might be somewhat difficult, but the outcome seemed already decided.
If one spoke of cause and effect, Chen Changsheng, this fruit, was actually the cause in this matter.
Her opponents had waited for her to suffer the backlash of Heaven's Dao, or to fall into a trap, and had all come to the capital.
Those enemies who had hidden in the night for two hundred years, those old acquaintances who had endured patiently for many years... she had long wanted to never see them again.
After tonight, all her enemies would be killed by her, and then she could freely do as she pleased.
This was the result she wanted. Aside from this, anything that happened tonight held no meaning or influence for her.
This included using the power of heaven and earth and the ancient aura of the Heavenly Book Mound to directly reverse Chen Changsheng's fate—this too seemed like merely a small matter.
The night rain fell lightly, without sound, as if without substance, only the faintest moisture.
With her hands behind her back, she gazed at the capital in the night, her expression calm.
Only Chen Changsheng, standing behind her, could vaguely see that her hands were trembling slightly.
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On a certain street in the capital, a heart-wrenching cry suddenly rang out.
"Mother Empress, you can give so much for younger brother, but I... I am also your son!"
Among the fifteen prince carriages that had entered the capital under cover of night, a man tumbled out from one of them. He wore light yellow robes, had an ugly face, and an extremely sincere expression. He knelt and bowed repeatedly toward the Heavenly Book Mound, weeping as he spoke: "Mother, please spare me. Your child was deceived by others... no, baby was tricked into coming here!"
In this short sentence, the man's address to the Heavenly Sea Saintess changed, and his self-reference changed three times, making listeners want to cover their ears.
This man was the Prince of Louyang, famous for his mediocrity and incompetence. One could say this prince had no sense of shame, but no one truly thought he was lying.
—He had been timid and afraid of trouble since childhood. For something as major as over a dozen rebel princes entering the capital, given his usual nature, he would never dare to participate. He had truly been tricked into coming to the capital. After entering the capital, the Prince of Louyang only then learned what was to happen tonight, trembling with fear. When he saw the Heavenly Sea Saintess easily control the situation, his legs went weak with terror. How could he dare stay? But he couldn't leave either. Trembling with fear, he scrambled out of his carriage, knelt on the ground, and begged for mercy.
Following this, two or three princes, thinking of the Saintess's usual dignity and authority, also climbed out of their carriages and kowtowed repeatedly toward the Heavenly Book Mound. But more princes cursed loudly at the Heavenly Book Mound. Having come to the capital tonight, they had already put life and death aside. For a time, words like "usurping empress" and "die" rang out everywhere.
The Heavenly Sea Saintess stood atop the Heavenly Book Mound, looking at these nominal sons, slightly raising her eyebrows. She actually had no deep impression of the Prince of Louyang, only remembering that this son was very stupid. As for the other sons, they made her extremely displeased. She scolded: "Seeing you useless wastes makes me feel sorry for the late emperor. He fathered so many, yet not a single one has any promise!"
She was reprimanding these princes of the Chen clan, so the princes of the Chen clan all heard her voice—whether in the capital or on the official road from Luoyang to the capital.
On that official road lined with weeds on both sides, the Prince of Xiang, hands supporting the fat at his waist, panting heavily, walked to the front of his carriage and shouted toward the capital: "Mother, I can do it, I have promise. Your son was so filial to you back then. The wildflowers in the Hundred Herb Garden, I picked them and put them in vases for you. The fruits, I washed them clean and brought them to your bedside. Whatever you wanted to play, I played with you..."
The more he spoke, the more aggrieved he became. Clutching his chest, he said plaintively: "Chen Changsheng, up to now, probably hasn't even called you 'Mother' once. For such an unfilial son, you are willing to show so much kindness. Why can't you be a little better to me? I am also your son. Let me be the Crown Prince."
This extremely shameless statement, heard by the prince's attendants on the official road, made everyone very embarrassed, not knowing how to react.
Far away atop the Heavenly Book Mound in the capital, the Heavenly Sea Saintess, hearing these words, had the murderous look between her brows slightly diminish. She said: "You are considered the most promising one."
Hearing this voice ringing through the night sky, the Prince of Xiang's face was filled with joy he could hardly contain.
The Heavenly Sea Saintess said: "But you're too fat, too ugly, like a pig."
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This heartfelt conversation between the Heavenly Sea Saintess and the Prince of Xiang, after twenty years apart, made many princes who had already arrived in the capital first burst out laughing, then fall into dead silence.
The Prince of Louyang paid no attention to these matters. Taking his prince's mansion attendants and companions, under cover of night, he bypassed a side alley familiar from childhood, not following the pre-arranged plan to go directly to the Stargazing Platform, but heading in a certain direction.
"Your Highness, where are we going?"
"To the Orange Garden." The Prince of Louyang said with a pale face.
He was among the last batch of Chen-surnamed princes driven out of the capital. He had the opportunity to get to know Mo Yu, and their relationship was fairly good.
At this extremely dangerous moment, his first thought was to find her and beg her to save his life.
It never occurred to him that Mo Yu might not be in the capital at this time.
At such an important moment, as the Saintess's most trusted right hand, there was no reason for Lady Mo not to be here.
Yet, she truly was not there. The Orange Garden's gate was closed, and the little orange lantern before it was not lit.
The Prince of Louyang's face grew even paler. He thought, what could he do now?
"Your Highness, where should we go next?"
The Prince of Louyang gritted his teeth and said: "To the imperial palace. Lady Mo should be there."
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(The Prince of Louyang is going to ask for mooncakes to eat. Everyone should eat more too. I really like this character. Wishing everyone a happy holiday.)