Chapter 681: New Era
Three days ago, the sovereign of the Great Zhou Dynasty was no longer the Heavenly Sea Holy Mother Empress, but had become a young man named Chen Yu.
He was the only son of the late Emperor and the Holy Mother, the Radiant Crown Prince who had mysteriously disappeared twenty years ago.
He was the student meticulously cultivated for twenty years by the national teacher, the Daoist Venerable Shang Xingzhou, the monarch sworn to support by the fourteen Chen princes and the Heavenly Sea clan. What problem could he possibly have?
Chen Changsheng knew there were problems within the palace, but if the person he was speaking with at this moment were Tang Thirty-Six, he might have spoken. Otherwise, he would remain silent.
Prince Chen Liu misunderstood his silence. Thinking of that young man sitting quietly on the imperial throne during the grand court assembly, his face showing neither sorrow nor joy, he felt a slight tightness in his chest. His voice unconsciously turned somewhat firm as he said to Chen Changsheng, "You should be very clear that his disabilities will become an outlet for many people's ambitions."
Chen Changsheng lowered his head and said, "With Master here, with Grand Eunuch Lin here, whether it's your father or the Prince of Zhongshan, neither dares to break their oath. Besides, the Heavenly Sea clan will certainly support him."
Never having expressed any opinion on the situation at court did not mean he hadn't thought about it, nor did it mean he lacked insight in this regard.
As the emperor's maternal clan, the Heavenly Sea clan would certainly play this role well. Otherwise, their coldly watching her die that night would become a joke.
Prince Chen Liu stared into Chen Changsheng's eyes and said, "You are not the emperor. You cannot understand the pressure he is under right now."
Chen Changsheng replied, "Senior Brother is not someone who likes being emperor. His pressure doesn't come from those ambitious schemers, but from the throne itself."
Prince Chen Liu thought to himself, who in this world doesn't want to be emperor? Even after experiencing the upheaval at the Heavenly Book Mausoleum, Chen Changsheng was still somewhat naive, not yet mature. He couldn't help but sigh. Their conversation had already reached a considerable depth, yet Chen Changsheng persistently refused to engage. Having no other recourse, he reached out and patted Chen Changsheng's shoulder as a gesture of comfort, then left the National Academy.
That night, many people died in the palace. Over the following two days, countless more kept dying—whether it was the eunuch leader whose name Chen Changsheng still didn't know, or the nameless little maids in the Autumn Fragrance Palace—all turned into drifting spirits, then, like wiped-clean bloodstains, gradually forgotten by everyone.
But even with such a major incident, even with so many dead, the palace did not fall into chaos. Because Shang Xingzhou, who had been plotting for years, had long been prepared. He had summoned back many old hands from the palace—some were former attendants of the previous palace, others were old retainers of the late Emperor like Grand Eunuch Lin. They had once been forced to withdraw from the capital under the majesty of the Heavenly Sea Holy Mother, but now they had all returned.
Grand Tutor Bai Ying had also returned.
Autumn wind poured into the hall from outside, stirring his white hair but unable to move a single wrinkle on his aged face.
He was reviewing the annotations on the official documents, all written in vermilion ink. The handwriting was somewhat delicate but not lacking in strength, revealing hidden resilience. As for the written opinions, they were often just a few simple sentences, yet extremely insightful and remarkably seasoned, leaving sufficient room for the court, ministries, and even local prefectural officials to act.
One document was like this; over a dozen documents were all the same. Bai Ying could no longer maintain his composure and authority. He raised his head and looked at the desk beside him.
The young Daoist from Xining Town had now become the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. The change in status and position had not altered him much from before.
He sat quietly behind the desk, quietly flipping through books, reading, occasionally picking up the vermilion brush to write something on them.
As if he were still in the old temple at Xining Town, reading the Daoist canon, recording his insights.
What he was reviewing were the annual documents of the Great Zhou Dynasty. What he needed to do was analyze, judge, and decide like the emperors before him. He was learning from the Grand Tutor how to govern a nation.
The Grand Tutor's eyes grew slightly moist, filled with infinite emotion. He thought to himself, the late Emperor and the Holy Mother's own son was indeed extraordinary, a naturally born wise ruler. It was just a pity... His gaze fell on the young emperor's legs, his left sleeve, and that lock of black hair. After a moment of silence, he sighed and thought, when has there ever been perfection in this world?
Dusk had arrived. The day's lessons ended, and the Grand Tutor rose to take his leave.
With the help of a eunuch, the young emperor stood up with some difficulty and very properly performed the disciple's bow.
The Grand Tutor withdrew from the hall. The eunuch whispered a few questions, and the young emperor shook his head, his expression gentle.
Both that eunuch and the maidservants attending nearby breathed another sigh of relief.
These past few days, too many people had died in the palace, too much blood had been spilled. When they saw that their newly enthroned emperor had lost an eye, lost an arm, and walked with a limp, they had truly despaired—they had seen too many deformed and disabled people and knew that such individuals were often violent and terrifying in temperament. To serve such an emperor up close, the slightest displeasure might result in severe punishment. They had even mentally prepared themselves for their companions and themselves to be beaten to death. Who would have thought that in these two days, the emperor hadn't even shown anger, let alone spoken a harsh word? They had never seen such a gentle master, not even the young Prince Chen Liu, who had been raised in the palace, occasionally threw small tantrums. Even those who silently revered the Holy Mother Empress had to admit that the Great Zhou had welcomed such a monarch... at least for them, it was the best possible outcome.
The young emperor began his meal. There were many dishes, but he only chose the light ones, eating only a few bites of the greasy food and drinking only half a small bowl of soup.
After the meal, a young eunuch presented strong black tea to aid digestion. The emperor shook his head, indicating that plain water would suffice.
The eunuch obeyed and brought water, then withdrew, standing in the corridor outside the hall, wondering whom the emperor took after? The late Emperor or the Holy Mother Empress?
No, the emperor's diet and health regimen only resembled one person—a person named Chen Changsheng.
To be precise, it should be said that Chen Changsheng resembled him.
In the old temple at Xining Town, for fourteen years, he had been the one cooking, preparing meals according to Chen Changsheng's preferences and needs.
Chen Changsheng's personality, Chen Changsheng's preferences, the dishes Chen Changsheng liked—all came from him.
Chen Changsheng was, after all, raised by him.
He walked out of the hall, stood on the stone steps, and looked toward the palace walls under the dusk.
He knew Chen Changsheng was there, not far away—only a few hundred zhang apart.
Close at hand, yet far as the horizon, because they could not meet. And there was naturally a reason they could not meet.
The dusk was like blood. Shang Xingzhou's figure seemed coated in an otherworldly hue. He stood by a wooden window on the side of the hall, not knowing how long he had been standing there, quietly watching him.
The young emperor looked toward the direction of the National Academy, silent for a long time. Then he turned and bowed toward that wooden window.
Shang Xingzhou returned the bow very seriously.
Between teacher and student lay the window, and there was nothing in the window—only emptiness. But that didn't mean there was truly nothing there.
They were teacher and student, but also sovereign and subject.
...
...
On Sweet Dew Terrace, the autumn wind scattered in all directions. As the night grew darker, the night pearls along the terrace edge grew brighter. Shang Xingzhou stood with his hands behind his back at the terrace edge, looking at the streets and alleys of the capital, at this world he had not seen for a long time but was by no means unfamiliar with. He said calmly, "Last night, the Prince of Zhongshan said to Minister Cui that he too was the direct grandson of Emperor Taizong."
By now, everyone in the world knew that he was the minister Emperor Taizong trusted most, and that everything he had done was to fulfill Emperor Taizong's dying wishes.
The Prince of Zhongshan's words seemed somewhat inexplicable, their meaning ambiguous, but in reality, they were very clear.
Since he too was the direct grandson of Emperor Taizong, Shang Xingzhou could just as easily support him; it wasn't necessarily that he had to support that young emperor.
"The word 'direct' cannot be used carelessly." A voice came from behind Sweet Dew Terrace.
Shang Xingzhou did not turn around. He said indifferently, "It seems you have some different thoughts."
That person was silent for a long time before saying, "To say I have no thoughts would be too false, but I am very clear that this is not something I should be thinking about right now."
Shang Xingzhou's expression did not change, but his eyes held much more satisfaction.
That person was very young, dressed in a green robe with a bright yellow belt at his waist, his features handsome—it was none other than Prince Chen Liu.
Shang Xingzhou turned around and looked at him, saying, "Then what do you want to say?"
Prince Chen Liu said, "Chen Changsheng is preparing to leave."
When the Pope had gone to the National Academy, he too had thought Chen Changsheng had already left, or was packing his bags.
Chen Changsheng had not done so, but that did not mean he had no intention of leaving.
Shang Xingzhou was silent for a long time before saying, "I will not let him leave."
Prince Chen Liu asked, "If you insist on keeping him in the capital, what meaning does it truly have?"
Shang Xingzhou did not directly answer this question. He said, "In my life, there are two things I must accomplish. The first has already been completed."
If the Pope had been present, he would have known that the first thing he spoke of was overthrowing the rule of the Heavenly Sea Holy Mother, and the second was completely defeating the demon race.
Prince Chen Liu did not know this, so he understood even less why Shang Xingzhou would suddenly bring up these matters at this moment.
Just then, in the sky thick with dusk, several very clear cracks suddenly appeared. Following that, several piercing bird cries rang out across heaven and earth.
Ten red geese and four red eagles returned from the distant northern snowy plains. Only three red geese and two red eagles managed to make it back to the capital.
They brought a message that people had long been puzzled by and had long awaited.
Snow Old City was still sealed.
The demon race military advisor Black Robe and the Demon Commander had joined forces in rebellion.
Great chaos.
Blizzards had become a disaster.
Seven demon generals had died.
Nan Ke had fled, vanishing into the wind and snow.
The Demon Lord's fate was unknown.
...
...
(Tomorrow is quite busy; there will be no update.)