#1027 - Since ancient times, kings have been ruthless
Great Qian Imperial Palace, Imperial Study.
This place is heavily guarded, with a post every three steps around, and hundreds of Saint King realm guards, including many Great Saint realm guard generals.
The surroundings of the Imperial Study are like a copper wall and iron wall, making it difficult for even a fly to approach.
When Elder Yu appeared, a guard captain hurriedly came to greet him, leading him towards the Imperial Study.
The Primal Incarnation stopped here, and after Elder Yu entered the Imperial Study, he carefully continued to sneak in.
Although there were Saint King realm guards and Great Saint realm guard captains here, they could not detect his Minor Void Art.
Sneaking to the outside of the Imperial Study, the Primal Incarnation stuck to the wall and discovered that there was a barrier inside, cutting off the connection between the inside and outside of the Imperial Study.
Such methods naturally could not stump him. Talismans submerged into the ground beneath his feet, and in an instant, he connected with the space inside the Imperial Study through the art of talismans. His divine sense penetrated inside, and the scene inside the room appeared in his mind.
In the center of the Imperial Study, an old man wearing a royal robe sat behind a table carved with dragon patterns.
He was very old, with a face full of wrinkles and all his hair white. Although his whole person exuded an aura of majesty and his eyes were very sharp, his old age was fully revealed, filled with twilight.
“Your Majesty!”
Elder Yu knelt on the ground to pay his respects. After rising, he looked up at the old man in the royal robe and immediately exclaimed in surprise.
“No need to be surprised. I don’t have much time left, so before I pass away, I must strive for capital for the Crown Prince to compete with Prince Ning.”
The Great Qian Emperor said lightly, his old voice somewhat hoarse.
“May Your Majesty live ten thousand years! You will definitely find a way to extend your life and repair your hidden injuries. You must not fall, otherwise the Crown Prince will definitely not be a match for Prince Ning!”
Elder Yu felt heavy-hearted and said, “When I left, Your Majesty’s condition was not so bad. How could it have reached such a state in just a few months? Alas…”
“The backlash from failing to break through to the Hegemon Saint realm was far beyond your imagination. I have failed to break through several times, my life essence has been exhausted, and my lifespan is coming to an end. Conventional rare life-extending elixirs are no longer effective.”
“Your Majesty, is there really no way?”
Elder Yu knew very well that once the Emperor died, who in the entire Great Qian could stop Prince Ning?
Currently, the foundation that the Emperor has left for the Crown Prince is still insufficient, and competing with Prince Ning is destined to fail.
Although it will not collapse in a short period of time, it will definitely be gradually eroded and will not last for many years.
“Alright, don’t dwell on this matter. What needs to be done now is how to leave a stronger capital for the Crown Prince, while also reducing Prince Ning’s prestige.”
Speaking of this, the Emperor pondered slightly and said, “Have you found out Qingyun’s attitude? Also, is that young man named Yue Wu Xie, whom you mentioned in your letter, worth cultivating?”
“Reporting to Your Majesty, Qingyun’s attitude now seems to be somewhat ambiguous.” Elder Yu’s face was a little unsightly, and he said, “According to my observations these days, what is now influencing Qingyun’s decision is probably no longer the Sect Leader and the powerful elders, but that young man named Yue Wu Xie!”
“What did you say? There is such a thing?” The Emperor’s eyes narrowed, and a cold light flashed in his pupils, “A disciple of True Martial Peak can actually influence the entire Qingyun’s decision. In this case, he has a very high position in the hearts of Qingyun’s decision-makers. So, those Qingyun power holders are entrusting all their hopes for the future of the sect to him, otherwise it would not be so.”
“Your Majesty is wise. These days, True Person Qingmu, as the leader of Qingyun’s powerful elders, rarely speaks. Even the occasional decisions he makes will be rejected by Yue Wu Xie, and then they will unconditionally follow Yue Wu Xie’s intentions. It can be said that the current Qingyun is Yue Wu Xie’s word.”
“Hmm, that Yue Wu Xie is extraordinary.” The Emperor stroked his beard and said, “According to your speculation, how high is his talent growth intensity?”
“Before the trial, I thought he was a legend, but after the trial ended, I speculated that he should be an ancient legend! This child’s realm is still low, and he has not yet entered the Saint King realm, but he has such a talent growth intensity, which is extremely amazing. He not only passed all the trials of the Trial Tower, ascended to the ninth floor, but also obtained the approval of the Trial Tower and became the true master of the Trial Tower!”
“Therefore, I believe that Yue Wu Xie’s talent growth is unparalleled and his luck is prosperous. Although he is a body cultivator, he is obviously different from the body cultivators known to the world. His future upper limit will not be low. If he can be taken for our own use and serve Your Majesty and the Crown Prince, he will definitely become a fierce general against the strongmen of Prince Ning’s Mansion in the future.”
“Out of this consideration, I boldly deceived them, saying that I received Your Majesty’s secret decree to summon them to the Imperial City. I made my own decision, and I ask Your Majesty to punish me!”
“I don’t blame you.” The Emperor shook his head and said, “Your idea is good, but the key to the problem is whether that Yue Wu Xie is easy to control. Usually, those with such talents are all unruly people. Now, I am afraid that Prince Ning’s Mansion also has the same idea. I heard that Princess Anning went to this trial. With her character, she should have already extended an olive branch to that Yue Wu Xie.”
“Your Majesty is wise. Princess Anning invited Yue Wu Xie to her mansion in Guoxing City at the end of the trial. That Yue Wu Xie went to the appointment, but I don’t know what they talked about.”
“That Yue Wu Xie frankly said that Princess Anning wanted him to persuade Qingyun to support Prince Ning, but he did not agree. He said this, seemingly taking a stand in favor of the Emperor, but in my opinion, this child is playing tricks, deliberately creating a sense of crisis, so as to sit on the ground and raise the price, and seek benefits for him and Qingyun.”
The Emperor listened and said lightly, “Anything else?”
Elder Yu thought for a while and said, “I remember now that on the way back to the Imperial City, he received a message talisman. It’s all my fault that I was thinking about things at the time and was a step slow, otherwise I would have been able to grab the talisman first and see the contents inside. Later, he also replied to the letter.”
“Most likely it was a letter from Princess Anning to him.”
The Emperor quickly made a judgment. Yue Wu Xie is from Qingyun and does not seem to have a family in Great Qian. His origins are mysterious.
Then, if Qingyun sent a message, it should be sent to Qingmu instead of him.
As for the possibility of other people sending him messages is very small, because he seems to have no interpersonal relationships in Great Qian except for Qingyun.
From this, it can be inferred that the person who contacted him is most likely Princess Anning, whom he just met.
“I also suspect that he is secretly contacting Princess Anning and am not sure what he is thinking in his heart. Therefore, if he is taken for our own use, I don’t know if there will be any risks.”
“This child is very bold. He wants to play both sides, maneuvering between me and Prince Ning, and get benefits from both sides. It is not easy to subdue such a person, and it is a double-edged sword. If you are not careful, you may hurt yourself.”
“Then Your Majesty, what do you mean?”
“Yue Wu Xie is an uncertain factor. Judging from his talent, he may have extremely high achievements in the future, but precisely the higher the achievement, the harder it is to control! As a monarch, everything must be under absolute control, and I don’t want to see a second Prince Ning appear!”
“Your Majesty, you mean to…”
“No, don’t touch him for now.” The Emperor interrupted Elder Yu and said, “For me, the most important thing is to help that talisman master youth from Qingyun. Currently, we still need to contact that talisman master youth through Qingyun and get help from his sect. If it can be done, after the Crown Prince ascends the throne, plus the strongmen of the academy and the military power in his hands, Prince Ning will not dare to act rashly. If his sect is strong enough, perhaps we can also use their power to defeat Prince Ning and make the country more stable.”
“Your Majesty is wise, far-sighted!”
“Don’t flatter me.” The Emperor frowned and said, “However, if we want to go through Qingyun, what kind of benefits is Your Majesty going to promise Qingyun? Otherwise, I am afraid they will not do their best.”
The Emperor smiled faintly: “What Qingyun wants is nothing more than the prosperity of the sect. I can promise that after Prince Ning is pacified, let their Qingyun become the only national sect under the Royal Academy!”
“This…” Elder Yu was stunned, “Does Your Majesty really intend to let Qingyun become a national sect?”
“Of course, I am the lord of the dynasty, and my word is my bond, and I will naturally keep my promises.” Speaking of this, the Emperor could not help but laugh: “It’s just that I don’t have many years to live. When I am gone, the new Emperor can naturally not abide by my promise. The Prince Ning affair is a bloody lesson. If there is no support from the Three Sects, Prince Ning could not have won so many people over so quickly. Therefore, in order to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future, the Four Sects do not need to exist. Only when the world is stable and the country is stable, the Four Sects must be eradicated!”
“Your Majesty is wise, and has profound considerations!”
“Stop flattering me.” The Emperor frowned and said, “That Yue Wu Xie, although he cannot be killed for the time being, he cannot be allowed to leave like this. You must find a way to keep him in the Royal Academy and make him a student disciple, so that we can obtain the secrets of the last three floors of the Trial Tower from him.”
“I obey! Then I will return to the mansion now and have them come to meet Your Majesty?”
“Go, Yue Wu Xie does not need to come, I will only meet the three powerful elders of Qingyun.”
The Emperor subconsciously felt that only Qingmu and others would be easier to control. Since he did not intend to subdue Yue Wu Xie, there was no need to see him, lest he come along and affect Qingmu and others in making decisions.
…
The Primal Incarnation quietly left the Imperial Study and left the Imperial Palace, but did not return to Elder Yu’s mansion, but hid in the city.
At the same time, the reception hall of Elder Yu’s mansion.
Jun Wuxie used the incarnation to understand clearly the things that happened in the Imperial Palace and the study, and the content of the conversation between the Emperor and Elder Yu.
He told Qingmu and others what the Emperor was thinking.
“Emperor, you are so vicious!”
Qingmu and the other two looked grief-stricken and felt extremely chilled.
For hundreds of years, Qingyun has silently endured Prince Ning’s targeting and suppression for the sake of Great Qian, paying so much, but in exchange for such an ending?
The Emperor now wants to use them, and after the country is stable, he actually wants to destroy Qingyun!
Since ancient times, rulers have often been ruthless!
It's just that they didn't expect the Emperor to go this far!
"Venerable Master Qingmu, there's no need to be sad. Since the Emperor is unrighteous, we will repay him with directness. He wants a stable empire, and we will make him lose it!"
As soon as these words came out, Qingmu and the others' expressions changed.
The three looked at each other, and then simultaneously looked at Jun Wuxie, "Wuxie, what do you mean by this? Could it be that you want to help Prince Ning succeed to the throne?"
"That's right, I will help Prince Ning, to achieve the goal of ascending to the throne of the Great Qian without large-scale warfare!"
"What?"
The three powerful elders were all so shocked that they stood up, their faces turning pale, and said, "You… you really want to help Prince Ning! Don't you care about the revenge of the True Martial Peak? If Prince Ning ascends the throne, will he let our Azure Cloud off the hook?"
"Venerable Master Qingmu, please sit down first, don't react so strongly." Jun Wuxie smiled helplessly and said, "It is true that I will help Prince Ning ascend to the throne, but Prince Ning won't sit on this throne for long. As for who will be the Emperor of the Great Qian in the future, I have someone else in mind."
"This… Wuxie, what exactly do you mean?"
They were frightened by these words. One person, sitting here, discussing who to make the Emperor of the Great Qian in the future, sounded incredibly crazy.
"Don't ask, as for the candidate, it hasn't been completely decided yet. The current Emperor must step down, Prince Ning must ascend, and at the same time, Prince Ning must die! No one in the Great Qian can touch my Azure Cloud, so you don't have to worry at all!"
Qingmu and the others looked at each other in dismay.
They didn't know why he was so confident, that one person could be so sure about deciding who would be the Emperor of the Great Qian in the future.
But since he said so, he must be confident.
As for how he would do it, although they really wanted to know, they didn't ask further, as long as they could protect Azure Cloud.
According to what he said, being able to achieve such a goal without large-scale warfare would indeed be a perfect ending, which would not bring suffering to the people, nor would it harm the vitality of the Great Qian.
"When we arrive at the palace and meet the Emperor, how should we respond?"
"If the Emperor asks you to express your stance, you can just agree to choose a side. Currently, being in the Imperial City, the first priority is to protect yourselves. Regarding the young Rune Master, you can say that the young Rune Master did not leave contact information, only that he would come to Azure Cloud as a guest in the future. As for the information about the young Rune Master, you can say that you don't know anything, only that you heard him mention his sect once, and nothing else."
"Okay, we will answer like that."
Qingmu and the others were very clear that in this game, all they could do was cooperate unconditionally.
As for how he would play against Prince Ning and the Emperor, they couldn't interfere.
"Elder Yu is back."
Jun Wuxie said, giving Qingmu and the others a look, removing the divine sense barrier, and slowly drinking tea.
Not long after, Elder Yu hurried into the hall, his face full of smiles, and said, "The Emperor heard that you have arrived in the Imperial City, and is even overjoyed, and can't wait to see you. It's just that the Imperial Palace is not an ordinary place, and only important officials and the heads of the four sects can enter, so Wuxie can't go with you."
Jun Wuxie was stunned for a moment, then said, "That's fine, I was just worried that I would be too nervous to speak when I see the Emperor."
The corner of Elder Yu's mouth twitched slightly, thinking, would you be nervous?
This kid is extremely unruly and daring, would he be nervous?
"Real Person Qingmu, please go to the Imperial Palace immediately. When you arrive at the gate of the Imperial Palace, there will be a captain of the guards to meet you and lead you to meet the Emperor."
Elder Yu said here, looked at Jun Wuxie and smiled, and said, "Wuxie, I don't need to go to the Imperial Palace with Real Person Qingmu and the others, so I will take you to visit the Royal Academy. Now that you have come to the Imperial City, you must go and see the highest cultivation place in my Great Qian. Moreover, you are the master of the Tower of Trials, and the higher-ups of the academy also want to meet you."
"Okay, I also want to appreciate the style of the Royal Academy."
Jun Wuxie did not refuse, and agreed very readily.
He had already heard the conversation between the Emperor and Elder Yu, and knew that Elder Yu would not give up until he achieved his goal, so he didn't bother to waste words with him.
He wanted to see what tricks this Elder Yu could play.
