Chapter 853: A Sedan Chair Arrives Outside the City
Chen Changsheng had remained silent the entire time, simply listening quietly.
The conversation between Old Master Tang and his son had not been intended to hide anything from him.
Thus, he learned many secrets—not the tangible secrets of the Tang clan, but the deep, inner secrets hidden within the hearts of this father and son.
He was especially startled by the final part of their exchange, though this did not mean he was entirely unaware of the matter.
In fact, the very person who had driven the Second Master of the Tang family into such bitter jealousy and resentment had appeared at the old residence three days ago precisely at Chen Changsheng's request.
"Since you know he has also come, what chance do you still have?" Old Master Tang said.
The Second Master of the Tang family regained his composure and said calmly, "He refused to change his surname, so he has no right to meddle in the affairs of the Tang family."
Old Master Tang stared at him expressionlessly and said, "What if I was the one who asked him to meddle?"
The Second Master of the Tang family was silent for a moment before replying, "I had someone hold him back outside. He cannot come."
Old Master Tang said, "Even so, what can you still do?"
The Second Master of the Tang family replied calmly, "There isn't much I can do, but at the very least, I can still kill my dear nephew."
When he said this, he was far too calm, as if he were recounting something very ordinary. Thus, neither Chen Changsheng nor Old Master Tang reacted immediately.
"If Tang the Elder dies, Father, you will have no choice but me."
This time, Old Master Tang and Chen Changsheng heard his words clearly, and at the same time, they recalled a story from the Daoist Canon.
That story was far too ancient, lacking solid evidence, more like a legend or a myth.
According to legend, in the distant past, there was an exceptionally powerful empire. One day, the emperor suddenly fell ill and died while inspecting the front lines. The empress and the crown prince, accompanying him, were stranded on the wilderness by a sudden torrential rain. Meanwhile, the prince remaining in the capital, supported by his elder sister and the ministers, forged a posthumous edict and seized the throne first, plunging the empire into civil war.
At that very moment, all the nations of the world launched wars against that empire, and the situation became extremely perilous.
Several dozen days later, the empress and the crown prince returned to the capital under the protection of a guardian minister.
The princess who supported the new emperor and the court ministers expressed their willingness to pay a sufficient price for this matter, hoping both sides could set aside past grievances and unite all forces to resist the external aggressors. At that time, the new emperor's power was still formidable, and for the sake of the greater good, this seemed the only way out. But the guardian minister did not think so.
At the grand morning court assembly that day, the guardian minister directly struck off the new emperor's head with one swing of his blade.
Then he said to the princess and the ministers loyal to the new emperor, "Now the empire has only one emperor."
"You don't know what future to choose for the empire? Then I'll help you eliminate one option, so you won't have to suffer anxiety, pain, or torment."
Because the only choice is the best choice.
(Note: This story comes from a very impressive novel, "The Night." But please understand, this does not mean that the story of "The Night" takes place before "Ze Tian Ji." I can say clearly that it is not so. I've just been re-reading "The Night" recently and couldn't resist writing this for fun. This hand is just too itchy...)
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What the Second Master of the Tang family said now and what he was about to do were, in a certain sense, the same as the mythological story mentioned in the Daoist Canon.
If Tang Thirty-Six died, what other choice would Old Master Tang have?
Of course, first, he had to accomplish what he said.
"Do you think you have the ability?" Old Master Tang stared into the Second Master's eyes.
The Second Master of the Tang family thought of the intelligence he had received earlier—the scenes at the granary, the five figures by the riverbank—and was momentarily distracted.
"Yes, it's only today that I realize I have never truly understood my own family."
He looked at his father and said, "The Tang family, like you, is still an old well whose depths cannot be seen. But I am, after all, a member of the Tang family. I am very clear that there are no defenses at the ancestral hall. As long as my people go there, they will certainly be able to kill him."
Then he turned to Chen Changsheng and said, "Of course, I must also thank His Holiness the Pope for his arrival. Wenshui City has been tense for two days, and today's chaos is entirely Your Holiness's doing. But the more chaotic it is, the easier it is for me to arrange things under the cover of confusion."
Chen Changsheng said nothing and directly stood up.
Old Master Tang looked at the Second Master and said, "Do you think you can still command anyone?"
What had happened today had already proven that the Tang family was still Old Master Tang's Tang family. No matter how many years the Second Master had secretly managed, as long as Old Master Tang spoke, those subordinates who were usually loyal to the Second Master still dared not move a single step, not even daring to breathe loudly.
"If they were members of the Tang family, naturally I could not command them."
The Second Master of the Tang family said calmly, "Fortunately, Dean Shang gave me a batch of very good assassins."
Which faction possessed the best assassins on the continent? The former Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.
Now, most of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion's industries belonged to the Tang family, but the powers of the night had fallen to the imperial court.
More precisely, those terrifying powers of the night were now handled by the Luoyang Changchun Temple.
These were, of course, secrets, but they could not be hidden from Old Master Tang and Chen Changsheng.
Thus, they knew that the Second Master of the Tang family was not lying, nor was he bluffing.
If the assassins of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion had taken advantage of the chaos to infiltrate Wenshui City and had already entered the ancestral hall...
Chen Changsheng walked toward the door.
The Second Master of the Tang family looked at him and said, "It's too late."
Chen Changsheng stopped in his tracks.
The old residence was silent, nearly deathly still.
No one had expected that the Second Master of the Tang family would resort to such thunderous measures.
Looking back now, his earlier silence, even his seemingly incompetent performance, had naturally been a disguise to lull the old Tang residence and the State Church into complacency.
Old Master Tang's eyes were exceptionally deep and dark, perhaps because he knew that this time, his grandson would truly die.
The old guardian of the Tang family was still at the ancestral hall.
But the Second Master of the Tang family did not even mention him.
Old Master Tang knew very well what this meant.
The Second Master of the Tang family looked at Chen Changsheng's back and said, "Your Holiness the Pope, you might also die today. Have you prepared yourself mentally?"
If Tang Thirty-Six died, Chen Changsheng would certainly find a way to kill the Second Master of the Tang family.
With no other choice left, Old Master Tang would have to side with his son.
War between the State Church and the Tang family would be inevitable.
Then what would Old Master Tang do?
The answer was obvious without asking.
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Wang Po had stood on Rooster Crow Mountain outside Wenshui City for three days.
Wind and snow arrived, and he was an old acquaintance.
It was not because he was close to the city and felt timid that he dared not enter.
Three days ago, he had entered the city, gone to the old residence, and had a long talk with Old Master Tang, but he had failed to persuade him.
If he couldn't persuade him, what else could he do? Would he really draw his blade at the slightest disagreement?
Old Master Tang had observed the world coldly for centuries. Even toward his own son, he was extremely ruthless, but toward Wang Po, he was exceptionally good, beyond reproach.
No matter what, Wang Po could never raise his hand against Old Master Tang. Of course, even if he did, he might not be a match for Old Master Tang's opponent.
Even he, to this day, did not know how deep that old well at the residence truly was.
But his standing outside the city was a show of support for Chen Changsheng, like holding the formation.
Yet now, sensing the commotion at the old residence and the faint disturbances from the ancestral hall, he still did not descend the mountain.
Because two sedan chairs had arrived on Rooster Crow Mountain.