Chapter 84

"Perhaps it was because the events of the previous dynasty made the Xuanyuan family feel a sense of crisis, so they have been secretly controlling the government since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. Even the succession of the crown prince requires their approval! Twelve years ago, they suddenly decided to have my sister marry the third prince of the Jin Kingdom for some unknown reason!" The emperor's lips were almost bleeding from clenching them so hard!

"What if they refused?" Ling Xiao asked softly.

"They would incite the ministers to replace the emperor!" The emperor's face was dark, as if he had swallowed a cockroach.

Ling Xiao was taken aback and probed, "Have they done this before?"

Ling Lingfa nodded and said, "The third emperor of the Ming Dynasty ascended the throne this way!"

"The one who led an army to overthrow his own nephew?"

"Although it's disrespectful, that's how it happened! But the royal family is not full of fools. Even if they overthrew their nephew, they wouldn't exterminate him completely. This almost led to another war!" Ling Lingfa said with admiration.

"Did his nephew die in the end?" Ling Xiao asked.

"No, the country was in turmoil and the people were suffering, but the people still had faith in the Ming Dynasty. So they couldn't change the dynasty, and the royal family, to prevent such a situation, started strict family planning early on. Therefore, they couldn't even find a suitable candidate to replace the emperor. Besides, by that point, they had already demonstrated their authority, so it ended up like that!" Ling Lingfa sneered, showing disdain for the Xuanyuan family.

"Where did his nephew go in the end?"

"He became a monk at Jinshan Temple!" The emperor suddenly interjected, sitting on the dragon throne with his hands clasped in front of his lips, his face cold and his eyes distant.

Ling Xiao's eyelids twitched. Should he say, "There's only one truth"? Was he about to turn into a death elementary school student?

"So, even though he's no longer the emperor, he's still raising funds for the royal family?"

Ling Lingfa nodded and said, "That's right. Jinshan Temple has a unique position in the martial world. They stand behind the royal family and have greatly increased our influence. The emperor's freedom has also increased significantly."

"Then, is Foyin the representative of Jinshan Temple? But I haven't heard of any experts at Jinshan Temple?"

"Jinshan Temple practices mystic cultivation, not martial cultivation!" Ling Lingfa said nonchalantly.

"Mystic cultivation? What's that?" Ling Xiao suddenly had a bad feeling.

Ling Lingfa tilted his head and thought for a while, "How to put it? They can do things like flying swords and summoning rain!"

Ling Xiao: "Hehe!"

"Stop lying! Summoning rain and flying swords are Daoist things. Jinshan Temple practices Buddhist cultivation!" The emperor mocked from behind.

"Your Majesty is right!" Ling Lingfa flattered.

Ling Xiao was drenched in sweat, inwardly complaining, "Alright! It's my fault! Talking about flying and earth-penetrating with two martial arts novices, flirting is the real business!"

"Do they control the government through the selection of concubines?" Ling Xiao asked again.

"Not at first, but later they did, and now they don't anymore!"

Ling Xiao chuckled again, "I don't understand!"

"At first, they controlled the government through brute force, but later, with the support of Jinshan Temple, the method of assassination no longer worked, so they started to follow the path you mentioned. However, the recent emperors have been outwardly obedient, so they no longer use this method!" the emperor continued.

"Why do they still snatch the selected concubines?" Ling Xiao exclaimed.

"One, for enjoyment, and two, as a continuous test! Do you remember the list you gave me last time?" the emperor asked.

"The Black Stone contact list?"

The emperor nodded, "Yes, many ministers who committed capital crimes were only fined, because their female relatives were chosen by the Xuanyuan family. I pretended to be weak and took no action, but I have all these accounts in my heart!"

Seeing the emperor's aggrieved look, Ling Xiao felt uncomfortable. He thought he had found a powerful ally, but now he realized that this ally was crippled! The worst part was that he had already joined the band of cripples and couldn't change it!

Seeing Ling Xiao's empathetic look, the emperor was deeply moved. Ling Lingfa and his disciple were probably the only ones who could make him feel warm! Although Ling Lingcai was loyal, his straightforwardness didn't suit the emperor's taste, and as for the others, they were not worth mentioning!

"Regarding the matter of the national fortune, is there anything else you want to ask?" the emperor smiled kindly.

"There is one more thing. Last night, Master was able to turn the tide at the last moment, which I believe was due to the national fortune. But I am not a member of the Dragon Protector Clan, so why can I see the national fortune?" This question had been troubling Ling Xiao. He thought it might be because he practiced the Horn God Technique or the Crystal Sword Intent.

Ling Lingfa thought for a moment and said, "I can't give you a definite answer, but the other three members of the Dragon Protector Clan are no longer around, and I, the only one protecting the emperor, can temporarily mobilize all the national fortune! That's why I can't be killed by lightning, otherwise, I would have been charred by now! You are my disciple, so perhaps some of the national fortune has overflowed to you." He paused and looked at the emperor, "Didn't you feel the pressure? That's because you haven't been recognized by the national fortune. Otherwise, you would feel comfortable, not uncomfortable!"

"Is that so?" Ling Xiao was skeptical but pretended to understand. He continued, "So, in a short time, the other members of the Dragon Protector Clan will send someone to take over!"

"That's right. But I still can't understand about Ling Linggong! He had the token, which was clearly wrapped in national fortune, so why was he a fake?" the emperor frowned, puzzled.

Ling Xiao smiled, "That's simple. Just inject national fortune into the token! The fake Ling Linggong is a spy from Japan, so this must be related to the Japanese emperor!"

The emperor shook his head, "That's a good point. We were indeed negligent when we inspected the token."

"But that's not right! Although Ling Linggong had been潜伏多年并精心策划了这一切，但他手上却一点都没有沾血啊！" Ling Lingfa said, puzzled.

"What do you mean? Why can't Ling Linggong directly harm别人的生命？" This was also Ling Xiao's question.

"Because the Xuanyuan family doesn't allow it! The change of dynasties is a major event, which means the fluctuation of national fortune. If a person with national fortune is killed by someone without it, it would damage the national fortune! At that time, the Xuanyuan family would mobilize all their forces to eliminate that person or force!" Ling Lingfa explained.

"Wow! The relationship between the Xuanyuan family and the Ming Dynasty is really complicated!" Ling Xiao sighed.

Ling Lingfa nodded and continued, "According to this rule, the fake Ling Linggong should be afraid of the Xuanyuan family, but since he could fake the token, he should be someone from the Japanese emperor, who should be able to be influenced by the national fortune!"

Ling Lingfa and the emperor shook their heads in confusion, but Ling Xiao had some understanding. The Emperor of the Jin Kingdom represents the Jin Kingdom, and he can kill the emperor, which is considered a war between two countries, and the Jin Kingdom has national fortune. But the fake Ling Linggong might not be from the Japanese Kingdom!

If his master was really Jue Wushen, then it would be easy for Jue Wushen to ask the Japanese emperor to infuse the token with national fortune! But the fake Ling Linggong clearly knew that his backer was Jue Wushen, not the Japanese emperor! In Ling Xiao's impression, Jue Wushen probably didn't take the Japanese emperor seriously at all! So he didn't dare to kill people with national fortune, such as Ling Lingcai and Ling Lingxi, who were only severely injured, and then eliminated by the people of the Emperor of the Jin Kingdom!

Ling Xiao was basically convinced of this guess, but he couldn't say it out loud because he couldn't explain how he knew these things. "When will the other three successors arrive?"

"What? Do you want a position? With your contributions, it's not a problem." The emperor asked with a smile.

"No! Once the Dragon Protector Clan is complete, the effective national fortune will be divided again. My talent is not good, so what's the point of a little luck? But this time, we need to thoroughly inspect the token!" Ling Xiao said, lifting his head with a proud look.

The emperor was somewhat amused, "I don't know how Afa taught you. Others would cry and beg for such a position, but you treat it like trash! But you're right, we should thoroughly inspect the token to see if it's truly the national fortune of our Ming Dynasty."

Ling Lingfa nodded, a bit embarrassed, "This kid has learned some bad habits, not knowing what's good for him! According to the timeline, the selection of the three successors should have started within their respective factions. After all, it's a lucrative position!" He glared at Ling Xiao.

"Hehe!" Ling Xiao laughed, a bit embarrassed. He had chuckled a lot today! But he thought, "Once the three successors arrive, we should be able to confirm who the幕后势力 is!"

"Alright, we've talked a lot today. You should go back and digest all this. Remember to keep this a secret, and don't tell anyone who can't see the national fortune!" The emperor, perhaps recalling too many past events, looked tired and waved for Ling Lingfa and his disciple to leave.

...

"What's wrong? Depressed?"

On the way back to the clinic, Ling Lingfa saw Ling Xiao's serious and silent face and asked with a smile.

"Huh? No, nothing! I was just thinking about what will happen next. Ye Gucheng's duel is coming soon! I suddenly feel sorry for him!" Ling Xiao sighed.

Ling Lingfa agreed, "Indeed! But the struggle of Princess Wuyou with her life made the Xuanyuan family reconsider the royal family. If it weren't for the play of the Southern King and the late emperor, the current situation would be even more difficult. In a sense, Princess Wuyou's death undermined the advantages the royal family had gained over the years!"

Hearing this, Ling Xiao suddenly felt a burning anger in his heart! It was about a woman's lifelong happiness, the Xuanyuan family, no, the Ji family! What did they think of it! He couldn't help but shout in anger, "All because of a broken piece of iron!"

Ling Lingfa was startled and said, "Don't say that again! At least, not in front of outsiders."

The two walked with dark faces, and the passing palace maids and guards wisely moved out of the way. These two were favorites of the emperor! Who would dare to offend them!

Leaving the palace gate, Ling Xiao finally let out a deep breath and put on a smile, though it wasn't as bright as before. "Master, you go back first!"

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to visit a friend I met when I was young!"

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