Chapter 1366: Private Discussion (Part 1)

Back at the Imperial Capital. After returning to his temporary residence at the relay station, Song Zining began going through the documents after dinner.

Late in the quiet night, someone knocked on the door and entered without waiting for a reply.

He closed the door carefully and sat down beside Song Zining’s table. “Marshal Song, you instructed me to come here in secret. Is there anything you need?”

The one before him was, surprisingly, Duke Wenyuan. He had been in the Imperial Capital during this period, waiting for his crimes to be pardoned.

Song Zining said, “Duke Chen, you really contributed a lot in the recent period.”

Chen Tongqi replied, “It was always Sire Qianye fighting at the forefront. We merely followed him and picked up some benefits, it’s no big contribution.”

Song Zining nodded. “Duke Chen, your crime warranted the execution of your entire clan and confiscation of properties. After risking life and limb in Blacksun Valley, your contributions were just about enough to cancel out your charge.”

Duke Wenyuan was shocked. “What? Were there new variables?”

Song Zining replied, “Of course there are, it depends on how you act. I wonder how you see Qianye?”

Chen Tongqi said, “Sire Qianye is a rare genius with a good temperament. After you and Marshal Jundu were injured, the Empire only regained a series of victories after his arrival. Although I’m also a divine champion, I am vastly inferior and won’t even last three moves against him.”

After a brief pause, he said emotionally, “Frankly speaking, Sire Qianye killed his way through countless enemy defenses and marched us straight into the central region. With two thousand men, he forced a force hundreds of times the size to cower in their fortress. Why were his accomplishments wiped away? Won’t this demoralize the three thousand men who walked into hell with him?”

Song Zining knocked on the table. “Duke Chen, forgive me for being blunt. Your charges haven’t been cleared at the moment, so you’ll invite trouble on yourself if you speak recklessly.”

Chen Tongqi said casually, “I already have enough troubles, no? What if I invite a bit more? Besides, how can I call myself a warrior if I don’t even dare speak up for Qianye’s contributions?”

Song Zining asked, “Back then, Qianye sent Liu Chengyun back to the Empire and canceled his contributions. When you and Duke Minghai returned, later on, the man shared a fair bit of his own contributions with you two. Why is that?”

“Are you investigating me?”

“This issue is related to your future at this point, I hope you can tell me the truth.”

Chen Tongqi said after some thought, “Liu Chengyun was the first to shrink back when Qianye was selecting men to charge with him. He had also acted against orders several times before that, so he had to be punished. Duke Minghai and I followed Sire Qianye to the end without the slightest bit of cowardice. We dared not refuse the reward he granted us, and we dared not say no when he asked us to leave. We would only drag him down by staying behind.”

Song Zining nodded. “This is the reason for your new crime.”

Chen Tongqi was puzzled. “What’s the crime?”

Song Zining placed a document in front of the man. The latter cried out after a mere glance, “Colluding with other races and submitting false contribution reports?”

He slammed the table furiously. “Which other race? Who did this duke collude with?”

The surrounding scenery shifted ever so slightly as Song Zining deployed his domain, isolating the inside environment. After everything was safe, he said, “That other race... is Qianye.”

Chen Tongqi was startled for a moment. He then stood up, livid, and slammed the table again. “Preposterous! Sire Qianye accomplished so much for the Empire. How dare you people treat him like that after his death? Do you not have a shred of conscience? There’s simply no way the Empire could’ve gained a foothold in Blacksun Valley if it wasn’t for him.”

Song Zining replied calmly, “This letter was penned by Liu Chengyun. It has already been rejected.”

Chen Tongqi’s expression darkened, and his voice grew cold. “Old Liu must be tired of living. At first, he could’ve lived for a couple more years, but I don’t mind sending him on his way!”

“Why would you go so far?”

“These despicable people. Ruining my life is fine, but he’s trying to ruin Sire Qianye’s name! Every day he’s alive is another day of injustice.”

Song Zining said slowly, “Duke Wenyuan, you’re determined, but you must be wary of your strategy. You wouldn’t be in such a state if you hadn’t been so rash. From what I know, you weren’t a part of the core schemers.”

Duke Wenyuan’s expression shifted slightly. In the end, he said with a sigh, “My temper has always gotten me in trouble all these years. I owe the Profundity Monarch for recognizing me, how could I betray him? I didn’t utter a single word no matter how they interrogated me, and that landed me where I am now.”

Song Zining put away the document, saying, “There are people pulling the strings. Liu Chengyun was merely pushed onto the stage to be the gunman. Your past crime, though, can only be reduced and not completely acquitted.”

Duke Wenyuan said, “I’m sure you have a plan, can you give me some advice?”

Song Zining said slowly, “My advice is to admit to the charges.”

Duke Wenyuan was surprised. “This... what about my family members?” Some charges couldn’t be easily admitted to.

“Your family is small, with little more than a hundred core members. Although the crime itself won’t change, your contributions in the new world are enough to change the punishment. We can go from forced labor and military service to exile. You will remain in the army and serve the Empire.”

“Exile? Where to?”

“The neutral lands.”

Duke Wenyuan started to understand. He said after some thought, “Then I’ll trouble you to take care of my family.”

He had given it some thought. The neutral lands was Song Zining’s domain—there would be no suffering for his family there, but they would be in the seventh young master’s hands. Only then would Song Zining feel assured enough to make him run certain errands.

As expected, Song Zining said, “You’re quite familiar with Blacksun Valley, so I will transfer you over to a new post there. Afterward, I have other arrangements for you. You’ll know when the time comes.”

“I obey.” Duke Wenyuan bowed with cupped fists and left.

Song Zining produced a paper and wrote down several names on it. Duke Wenyuan’s name was on it as well. Most of the names on the list had been marked with only two left.

He took a look at the list, then struck off Ji Tianqing’s name. “I’ll let the elder prince talk to her. It will be whatever he wants to tell her.”

He lit up the list and watched the paper burn to ashes before turning in. An icy blue sword appeared over his neck just after he had laid down.

Song Zining didn’t panic. “I was thinking when I should go see you. Who would’ve thought you’d come to me first?”

Li Kuanglan’s expression was cold. “I should’ve just cut your head off, but I’ll spare you until the situation is cleared. You will answer everything I ask, you can forget about seeing the sun tomorrow if I’m not satisfied with the answers.”

Song Zining pushed the blade a bit out of the way and sat up. “Ask away.”

“Is Qianye... gone?”

Song Zining thought about it for a good while. “No one saw it, but there were heavenly monarchs at the scene. According to them, Qianye should be dead now.”

“I don’t want to hear ‘should.’ I want to know if he’s really...”

Song Zining asked, “Shouldn’t you be asking the Empress?”

Li Kuanglan’s hands trembled for a bit. “I don’t know if she’s really doing things for the child and myself. I really don’t know! I heard you were back, so I came to see you.”

Song Zining sighed. “I might not know more than you do. What I do know is that someone is already making a move on his enterprise.”

A cold gleam appeared in her eyes. “Who?”

“I can’t tell you yet. I’ll handle matters and tell you if I need your help.”

“Okay, I trust you.”

She had always been swift and decisive. Seeing that there was no more information to be gleaned from Song Zining, she turned around and left.

Song Zining could no longer sleep at this point. He simply stood at the window, gazing at the bright moon in the sky.

A clear voice suddenly echoed in his ears, “Not bad, you didn’t say things you shouldn’t.”

Song Zining looked back with a wry smile. “Empress, we’re in the Imperial Capital right now. It’s not too appropriate to run out in the middle of the night, is it?”

The one who had appeared behind him was, quite shockingly, the Empress. She was clad in casual clothing, but that did little to hide her kingdom-toppling beauty.

She said, “I can go anywhere in the capital as long as I avoid those old fogeys.”

Song Zining said respectfully, “Congratulations on the great achievement in divination.”

Empress Li sighed. “So many things have happened of late. There’s no way I can remain in the Empress position if I don’t break through. I saw everything you’ve been planning these days. Don’t let things get too far out of hand, or I’ll have a hard time helping you.”

Song Zining said, “I didn’t sense a thing. Looks like I’m far inferior in terms of divination.”

There was no telling whether or not the Empress believed Song Zining’s humble words. She merely said with a smile, “The Three Thousand Flying Leaves, the three thousand great dao. The art you cultivate is not inferior to the Li clan’s own, it’s not hard to surpass me in the future. Now that you’ve picked this path, there won’t be anyone in this generation to inherit the Art of Heaven’s Mystery.”

Song Zining said, “The Art of Heaven’s Mystery is a divine art, only a handful of people throughout history have managed to cultivate it. Perhaps only a peerless genius like Marshal Lin can reach its peak. I’m still lacking in talents, so it will be beyond difficult for me to cultivate that art.”

Empress Li sighed. “Your talents are not inferior to Marshal Lin’s, but since you’ve chosen your path, no one can force you.”

“Perhaps I might come around one day.”

“I hope so.”

Song Zining said, “You must have a reason for coming to see me late at night. What do you need? I will do whatever is in my power.”

Empress Li said, “There’s definitely something, and there’s no room for you to refuse. Our Li clan has a child of great talent. I’ve been giving this a lot of thought these days, I want to find him a good teacher. After all, the scope of our Li clan’s knowledge is a bit too narrow. Are you willing to fill this position?”

Song Zining went into a daze. “Could it be... that child?”

Empress Li was quite direct. “Qianye and Kuanglan’s kid.”

Song Zining looked rather serious. “Both Qianye and Kuanglan are highly talented in the martial arts. This child will be a genius in this regard. Why would you need me?”

“Your martial prowess isn’t bad, either.” Empress Li glared at Song Zining. “That kid from the Ji family will probably start building a foundation from birth and focus on the martial path in the future. We are hardly the elder prince’s match in this respect. I hope our kid will be smart and not do dumb things like his father.”

Song Zining bowed deeply. “Since you’re placing this important duty on my shoulders, I will do my utmost not to disappoint you.”

“Blacksun Valley is still dangerous, you must be careful when you go back there. Be sure to come back alive, I don’t want the qualified teacher I just found to become a dead person.”

Song Zining said seriously, “Rest assured, not many can kill me if I don’t want to die.”

Empress Li sighed. “You’re as sly as a fox, not many people can trick you. If only Qianye was half as cunning as you are. Enough about that, time for me to go back.”

Song Zining called out to her, “Empress, Qianye… is he really dead?”

Empress Li’s face turned pale. Her aura weakened noticeably, and a trickle of blood dripped down the corner of her mouth. “I tried confirming before but the result was the same.”

Song Zining smiled wryly. “I never underestimated Nighteye, but who would’ve thought she would be so powerful? Who exactly was her past incarnation?”

“That existence is definitely from before the Empire. We have very little information from that era, so we can’t investigate.”

The era before the Empire appeared to be a strangely slow period of development for the dark races. Their society rarely underwent any changes throughout the millennia. Historical records were mostly incomplete, especially those regarding the major characters. Their stories were more legends than historical facts.

Only when the founding ancestor rose to power and established the Empire did a clear boundary between the two factions become clear. Humans developed a great amount of new technology, which they put to use on the battlefield. And from the battlefield, these inventions eventually found their way to the Evernight faction and triggered a revolution. Countless new inventions began to surface and that, in turn, affected their society as a whole.

It was then that the vampires split into new and conservative factions. The werewolves formed the Summit of Peaks to contend against their ancestral faction. The demonkin warlocks gradually faded away from the battlefield. The arachne, however, didn’t undergo a lot of change.

In short, the intensity of factional wars had weakened throughout the millennium. There were little to no instances where several provinces were rendered uninhabitable after the war.

Imperial history books summarized the past era as the dark era. That wasn’t an attempt to smear the other side but simply because the Evernight faction’s past was shrouded behind a curtain of darkness.

Observing the dark races’ history from the Empire’s perspective felt rather strange. Perhaps because those long-lived species didn’t have that great a memory after living so long, there would always be some problem with the stories that had been passed down through word of mouth.

The worst were the vampires; they had actually forgotten the replacement of an entire clan and second-generation primogenitor. This meant that there was little reference about whether the character Nighteye had awakened was from the dark ages.

Song Zining was no longer in the mood to sleep after Empress Li’s departure. He began going through the battle reports until dawn.

Someone picked him up the next morning and sent him to the airship port for his return to Blacksun Valley. Once in the car, an aide secretly handed him a letter. Song Zining realized what it was after seeing the Profundity Monarch’s insignia on a corner of the envelope.

Song Zining opened the letter and looked through the contents before destroying it completely. The aide remained silent throughout the entire process.

Moments later, the airship took to the sky and flew off into the distance. Song Zining revealed a cold smile as he watched the scenery moving along outside the window. “They really sent their men. Good! Do they really think the world is full of idiots like that Wei Wild Boar?”

…

The “generals’ quarters” were made up of a neat row of small buildings, arranged like a barracks.

This place was in the military district. There were few idle personnel as most of the generals qualified to live here had been assigned to the new world and various warzones. There wasn’t so much as a single shadow in the entire street block.

A standard military vehicle stopped in front of a small building. There was only the driver and a single passenger on board, the latter clad in the city-garrison uniform and covered in a field cloak.

He alighted and entered the courtyard with great familiarity before entering the building. It was as though he were the owner of the house.

The rooms on the second floor were a tad different from an ordinary barracks. On each side of the corridor were rooms of the same size without any extra decorations.

The guest entered one of the rooms and removed his cloak—it was actually the Emperor of the Great Qin Empire. There was one other person in the room. Prince Greensun, clad in long, wide-sleeved robes, was boiling tea.

This small building was assigned to Zhang Boqian when he was just a general. Later on, he was granted the title of Duke Dan and given his own residence in the Imperial Capital. He never transferred his residence in the military district until this day.

The Emperor sat down in front of Zhang Boqian without bothering with formalities. The latter kept on brewing his tea and finally poured a cup for the Emperor.

“Monarch Zhang, how are your injuries?”

“It’s nothing.” With that, Zhang Boqian flicked out a ball of greyish energy and passed it to the Radiant Emperor.

The Emperor produced a wisp of dark green energy and engulfed the greyish energy with it. After sensing the foreign power for a while, he said, “The laws of the new world are indeed strange.”

The greyish energy shrunk by half at this point, yet it gave off a feeling of increased concentration. The Radiant Emperor put away the ball of energy and said, “Did you gain anything?”

Zhang Boqian said, “It’s the vampires again.”

“As expected.” The Radiant Emperor summarized the contents of Fang Qingkong’s report and also mentioned the situation at the divination institution.

Zhang Boqian frowned while listening. "The Demon King?”

The movements of the dark supremes were difficult to grasp. Also, the laws in the new world were different, and the environment was complicated. They would be untraceable after a period of time.

Zhang Boqian moved on rather quickly. “Are we getting ready for an all-out war?”

The Radiant Emperor said, “Yes, we’re also reassigning some heavenly monarchs. I want to switch with you.”

“Why?”

“Teacher’s ‘azure bird’ is with me, so mobility won’t be a problem at all. I’ll summon Uncle Riverglance to the capital and have him operate the Emperor Domain.”

Zhang Boqian’s brows twitched slightly. He gazed deeply into the Emperor’s eyes, saying, “And?”

“Back when our founding ancestor rose to power at the Luo River, he said: Our Ji family is but the precursor to the daybreak path.”

Zhang Boqian said after a moment of silence, “Is the time nigh?”

There was a hint of mockery in his expression. “You really are Xitang’s student, both of you like to court death.”

The Radiant Emperor said, “There are records of a semi-dimensional weapon in the wars of a thousand years ago. The risk will be worth it if I’m fortunate enough to witness it. That’s why, Monarch Zhang, please guard the capital in my stead.”

Zhang Boqian’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he observed the Radiant Emperor. “Very well, I’ll agree to the transfer.” He produced two documents that had been folded repeatedly. “What’s with these documents from the military?”

The Radiant Emperor opened them and read the contents, but he didn’t seem too surprised.

Zhang Boqian said, “There are rumors circulating on the Western Continent. Even if there was any news of Lin Xitang, it shouldn’t originate there, should it? Besides, the news spread like wildfire, encompassing two provinces in two days. If the rebels were that efficient, they would have more than two provinces under their control.”

“The Zhao clan has four dukes and one marshal now, so they have their eyes on the crown prince position again.”

“What does that have to do with Lin Xitang? When did he ever interfere with the heir seat?”

The Radiant Emperor said calmly, “Back when the heir selection issue stirred up the Unending Palace, Teacher sought permission to head to the Western Continent and quell the rebels. The Zhao clan felt that Marshal Lin was there to suppress them. When I later announced that I won’t be picking an heir within ten years, they blamed him for that as well.”

Zhang Boqian’s expression turned dark. “I warned him several times not to meddle in other people’s business!” He suddenly glared at the Emperor. “What happened with Red Scorpion back then? Why did he refuse to see you for half a year afterward?”

The Radiant Emperor remained calm. “That child’s identity had already been exposed back in Yellow Springs. Some believed that Teacher adopted him to deal a blow to the major clans’ designs on the heir position. They produced an incident where signs of collusion with a vampire great duke could be found, an effort to frame Marshal Lin.

“The major general in charge of the Northern Legion’s paperwork was from the Imperial clan. They used Teacher’s seal and command token to issue the Red Scorpions an order. He only found out when he saw a copy of the case at my place. The operation had already started at that time, and we have no idea what was going on over there. How could I just let him head to the scene? As such, I detained him in the Unending Palace for five days before letting him leave.”

Zhang Boqian could already connect the dots. “So you wiped away all public records of the incident.”

The Radiant Emperor said, “Correct. Barring a testimony from the enemy faction, all evidence had been prepared and was stacked against him. I must praise the Zhao and Li clans in this regard. Both of them have daughters in the palace, yet they’re surprisingly unified when trying to frame Teacher. Fortunately, they had their own agenda in the end and began acting on their own. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to suppress this matter.”

“I executed that major general without any questioning or trial. I then summoned the Red Scorpion captain and explained the matter to him. All related documents were confiscated, and a gag order was issued to those involved. The man himself was transferred three months later. Of course, the copy of the case files was never returned to them. Some circulating records were the only pieces of evidence left, nothing to be worried about. It was just that the military was split into many different factions, so it was impossible to keep everyone’s mouth shut. Before long, rumors began circulating that the Imperial faction was trying to centralize power.”

The Radiant Emperor gave it some thought. He then said with a gentle expression, “Teacher must’ve suspected me from the very beginning.”

Zhang Boqian was assailing the heavenly monarch realm during that time, so he paid little attention to matters outside his warzone. Only now did he realize that all the difficulties Lin Xitang had faced during his time away from the Imperial capital were due to the heir position.

No wonder the rumors implied that the clans were rallying behind him to contend with Lin Xitang.

He suddenly realized something. “You’re summoning Riverglance but still not announcing a crown prince?” Zhang Boqian was a major clan descendant who had been named heir since birth. He couldn’t be bothered with this business, but he was no stranger to the possible outcomes.

The Radiant Emperor said, “This so-called Imperial clan is nothing more than a common lord elected by the major clans. Since the nobility can govern themselves, isn’t it best to just let them?”

Zhang Boqian remained silent for a good while before saying, “You should know that Lin Xitang and I have very different views on politics.”

The Radiant Emperor nodded, waiting quietly for the continuation.

Zhang Boqian said, “But I know he wouldn’t do this if he were alive.”

The Emperor did not reply.

Zhang Boqian shook his head. “Let it be, this is your family business. It’s fine as long as you and Riverglance are aware.”

The Radiant Emperor said, “Uncle Riverglance will arrive at the capital in two days, I will of course talk it out with him.”

Zhang Boqian plucked one of the documents from the Emperor’s hand and wrote some words on it. “Do as you wish, Your Majesty. I’ll be taking my leave now.”

Zhang Boqian’s figure had vanished before the Radiant Emperor could get up.

The Emperor sat there for a good while, sipping on the cold tea. Only afterward did he unfold the document to check on its contents. Under the subject of the newly-carved name in the Heavenly Merit Hall, the letters read: if you don’t want the name under a major clan, place it under aristocratic families.

The Emperor couldn’t help but smile as he put the document away. He then put on his hooded cloak and left quietly just as he had arrived.