Chapter 55

Yang Yihuo walked out of the palace with a heavy heart, his thoughts somewhat dazed. The sunlight stretched his shadow long on the ground, and with each step, his feet would step on his own shadow, which made him involuntarily quicken his pace. The capital is about to be in turmoil! He sighed inwardly.

As the prime minister of the state, his most important task was to maintain the stability of the country. Only with stability could there be development. Years of serving as a prime minister had given him a deep understanding of this. Stability first and foremost came from the highest level. Over the past few decades, although the court often erupted in disputes over whether to ally with Qi or resist Qi, under the leadership of the emperor, the majority of people still clearly recognized that for the long-term peace and prosperity of Chu, allying with Qin and resisting Qi was the inevitable choice. The state of Yue did not border Chu, and they had a deeper understanding of Qi's ambitions to annex, so they had always maintained good relations with Chu. Although Qin and Chu had annual skirmishes, they were limited to small-scale wars on the border, and both rulers made every effort to keep the war localized, fighting without breaking, sometimes fighting and sometimes making peace.

In recent years, as the left prime minister of Chu, he had not let down the expectations of the emperor, his childhood playmate. Chu enjoyed favorable weather and a peaceful and prosperous people, with its strength steadily rising, and its national power had long surpassed that of Qin and Yue, becoming the second largest country after Qi.

But the current situation could very well be disrupted by this unexpected war. If it were just a defeat in a war, it wouldn't be a big deal, and the death of a grandmaster wouldn't be a big deal either. Grandmasters were the ultimate military force of a country but not the decisive force. However, what was hidden behind this war was the struggle for the throne between the two princes, which was the most worrying.

Internal strife has always been more terrifying than external threats, especially when the internal strife is a life-or-death struggle between two princes with significant power. Yang Yihuo didn't know what Chu would look like when the dust settled. No matter who won, the country itself would inevitably suffer.

From Yang Yihuo's perspective, he preferred to maintain calm. The instigator of this conspiracy clearly wanted to provoke large-scale internal strife to purge his enemies, and the goal was obvious. Given Yang Yihuo's nature, the best choice seemed to be to do nothing. However, the emperor was old and sick, and wouldn't last much longer. This bloody way of provoking a fight clearly enraged the emperor.

As the emperor said, even a sick tiger is still a tiger. He was once a renowned martial arts grandmaster, commanding the battlefield, waging wars east and west, and stabilizing Chu, which was in crisis at the time. The instigator of this conspiracy clearly touched his sore spot. The emperor, who originally wanted a smooth transition, seemed to be preparing for a large-scale purge.

For Yang Yihuo, he actually preferred the crown prince to succeed smoothly. The crown prince might lack ambition, but he was more than capable of maintaining the status quo. The second prince was indeed brave and talented, with outstanding abilities, but compared to the emperor, he was still far behind. A person with such talent, unable to match the emperor, yet ambitious to achieve even greater accomplishments than the emperor, could very well lead Chu into an irreparable situation.

Chu must clearly define its position. Although Chu's national power is second only to Qi, being the second is always the hardest. The leader is wary of you and will constantly try to suppress you, while those behind you will also target you, occasionally causing small-scale conflicts. Moreover, being second to Qi is relative; in fact, the combined strength of Chu, Qin, and Yue can barely match Qi.

With a heavy heart and a face full of melancholy, he returned to his left prime minister's residence. The emperor had already spoken, forbidding him from getting involved, fearing that An Ruhai would use the situation to incite mass arrests. Fortunately, An Ruhai, like himself, had no clear political stance, and he hoped that he would continue to maintain his current attitude and not change because of this failure.

In the court, undercurrents were surging, and all the arrows seemed to be pointing at the crown prince. The second prince openly challenged the crown prince, almost accusing him of treason.

This time, the second prince's staunch supporters, the largest military force, a formidable 60,000 border troops, were lost! Yang Yihuo couldn't believe that the crown prince, such a gentle and sincere person, could do such a thing. But could he guarantee it? No! The emperor was just biding his time, and the second prince was aggressively pushing for a coup, already having the upper hand in the court. Even if the crown prince didn't act, would his advisors not have ulterior motives?

Back in his study, Yang Yihuo was still somewhat distracted. Whether to take sides was a problem, and taking the wrong side was an even bigger problem, especially for someone like himself. So not taking sides was more prudent. Even if a new emperor ascended the throne, he would still need him to stabilize the situation for a while before allowing him to retire honorably. A new emperor, new ministers, and he was not young anymore. As long as he knew when to advance and retreat and understood the rules, the new emperor wouldn't do anything to him.

Thinking about this, his heart suddenly felt much lighter. Yes, with his experience and achievements, why should he take sides?

"Father!" The door knocked, and Yang Zhi's handsome face appeared at the door. Yang Yihuo was originally quite proud of this son. He was a civil official, but this son had extraordinary talent in martial arts. If he could become a grandmaster of the ninth level or higher, he would absolutely be able to stand on his own in Chu. But this time, his training trip disappointed him, especially after he detailedly questioned the people who escorted him back, which made him extremely angry.

A donkey defecates outside! The refined Yang Yihuo gave his son an extremely unflattering evaluation. Usually, he was busy with official duties and only saw the bright side of his son, neglecting his essential qualities. During this time, he had kept his son under house arrest, filling a room with books and requiring him to read each one and write down his insights after finishing each one.

Focusing too much on martial arts training and neglecting his studies was a big mistake.

"What is it?" He put on a stern face.

"The second prince sent someone to request an audience with father," Yang Zhi said cautiously.

"No!" Yang Yihuo said decisively.

"Ah?" Yang Zhi was somewhat surprised.

"Did you not hear me clearly? Not only will I not see the second prince's people, but if the crown prince sends someone, I will not see them either," Yang Yihuo shouted.

"Yes, father, I understand," Yang Zhi quickly lowered his head, having experienced his father's severity firsthand over the past period, from scolding to physical punishment.

Seeing that Yang Zhi was still hesitating, Yang Yihuo's face darkened. "Is there anything else?"

Yang Zhi hesitated, "Father, I heard that the Death Corps is still in Anyang City, and they are unscathed?"

With a crisp slap, Yang Zhi was hit squarely. This sudden slap left him dazed and confused.

"Do you know why I hit you?" Yang Yihuo asked.

Yang Zhi shook his head, feeling somewhat wronged.

"From what I've seen, you haven't improved at all from reading these books. You still harbor resentment towards the Death Corps and hate Qin Feng, don't you?" Yang Yihuo asked coldly.

"Didn't father also say he would take revenge for me?" Yang Zhi retorted, "Qin Feng made me look so foolish, shouldn't I hate him?"

"When I said I would deal with Qin Feng and take revenge for you, it was because your grandmother and mother were present. You actually took it seriously?" Yang Yihuo laughed coldly. "Given your actions, the fact that he let you live is a huge favor to me. Do you think you could cut down their military flag and still come back alive?"

Yang Yihuo sighed, "For personal reasons, I am indeed unhappy, but for the sake of the country, the Death Corps has made countless contributions to the nation and the military over the years. Even this time, when Left Li Xing ordered them to act as bait, do you know what bait means? It means to die. But they did not hesitate and immediately set out. That is what Chu's soldiers are like. This time, they managed to escape by luck. Yang Zhi, if it weren't for this, you would have been dead long ago. In a way, I should thank Qin Feng!"

Yang Zhi lowered his head in anger.

"Pack your things, leave the capital today, and return to the Ten Thousand Sword Sect. Follow your master and study for a few more years. This time, you will see how vast the sky is and how deep the earth is. Without my order, you are not allowed to step out of the Ten Thousand Sword Sect." Yang Yihuo said coldly.

"Father, the capital is in turmoil now. I want to stay and help you." Yang Zhi panicked, thinking he would be sent back to the capital and confined to the Ten Thousand Sword Sect, which would surely drive him mad.

"Foolish!" Yang Yihuo slapped him again, making the other side of his face red. "Can you even get involved in the affairs of the capital? I'm afraid you will be used by others. With your nature, you will be sold and still help count the money. Go back, and when everything is settled, I will let you return. Do you understand?"

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