Chapter 191: Nothing More Than Threefold Self-Reflection

That insolent and arrogant man was naturally a puppet secretly released by Li Shun.

After Fang Han manifested, he changed his appearance.

His arrival and disappearance were both as elusive as a qilin's horn glimpsed in passing, leaving no trace behind.

Naturally, Li Shun had no need to fear that anyone might follow the clues and uncover his connection to his true body.

“For now, this is all I can do.”

“Provoking Kong Changqing into revealing the so-called Qian Emperor's Imperial Edict ahead of time. I wonder what kind of changes this will bring about next. The Kong Family may not be able to completely wash their hands of this mess, but surely they won't end up like they did in the previous iteration, with their entire clan being exterminated and their estate confiscated.”

Li Shun quietly pondered to himself, choosing to simply watch from the sidelines.

As expected, nothing unexpected happened.

Even after nightfall, the Qian Emperor's envoy still had not appeared.

However, because all the officials, both great and small, had already seen the imperial edict beforehand, their first reaction was completely different from the previous iteration.

“The Imperial Envoy has yet to arrive. Could something have happened along the way?”

“What bandit has grown so bold as to intercept and assassinate His Majesty's envoy? Our Great Qian is flourishing and prosperous. Surely things cannot have descended into such chaos!”

“Could it be... something happened in the Sacred Capital?”

“Impossible! If something had truly happened in the capital, how could we, as the pillars of the imperial court, have failed to receive even the slightest news?”

The officials exchanged glances, each displaying a different expression.

In the end, General of Chariot and Cavalry Jiang Yubai spoke in a deep voice to calm them.

“Gentlemen, please remain calm. Allow me to send out a message and investigate the matter.”

As he spoke, Jiang Yubai pulled a tiger-shaped jade pendant from his sleeve.

Spiritual light flowed across the surface of the jade pendant. Yet instead of producing a response, it seemed like a mud ox entering the sea, the light wandering aimlessly in confusion.

It spun several times, but was ultimately unable to condense even the slightest sound or image.

Jiang Yubai's expression immediately darkened.

The other officials also changed color one after another.

They each employed their own methods, attempting to contact the Sacred Capital.

Yet without exception, every attempt ended in failure.

“This is bad!”

The situation had already become clear.

Communication between the Sacred Capital and the outside world had somehow been temporarily severed.

This was something that had never happened since the founding of Great Qian!

Merely thinking about the implications was enough to send chills through every official present.

As the host of today's birthday celebration, Kong Changqing abruptly rose to his feet, his beard and hair bristling with agitation.

“Since such a great upheaval has occurred in the capital, how can we, as ministers, simply sit by and watch? We must immediately rush to the Sacred Capital and investigate what has happened!”

“Lord Kong's righteousness is admirable! We shall go with you!”

However, just as everyone was about to leave, several vague images suddenly flashed through Kong Changqing's mind.

As though struck by a sudden inspiration, he immediately reached into his sleeve and unfurled the Qian Emperor's Imperial Edict that he had temporarily put away.

But with merely one glance, the old man's expression changed as though he had been struck by lightning.

Even with his five hundred years of experience navigating the world and his profound composure, he could not help but cry out in shock.

“This... How can this be?!”

Noticing the astonished gazes of the senior officials around him, Kong Changqing immediately spread the scroll open for everyone to see.

“Gentlemen, look!”

It was still the same imperial edict.

Yet the words written upon it were completely different from those they had seen during the day.

“Hiss...”

All the officials simultaneously sucked in a cold breath.

Jiang Yubai's expression became as cold as iron. He snatched the imperial edict away and examined it from every angle, carefully probing it with his spiritual sense.

“Elder Kong, can you swear that this is truly the same document we examined at noon?”

Kong Changqing solemnly nodded.

“After proving my innocence at noon, I kept it on my person inside my sleeve and never moved it even once. During this entire half-day, I never left my seat. Everyone present witnessed this with their own eyes!”

“Unless a Sage personally intervened, there is absolutely no way anyone could have switched the imperial edict without anyone noticing.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yubai narrowed his eyes.

“In that case, the document is still the same document. Only the writing upon it has changed.”

Everyone present had spent years navigating the treacherous world of officialdom.

They understood the implications almost instantly.

Su Wenqu sneered.

“Someone is trying to frame and implicate us?”

Even with Kong Shaoqing's profound scheming and composure, imagining what would happen if this conspiracy succeeded caused his scalp to tingle with dread.

“Fortunately, that insolent madman spoke out at noon, forcing this old man to reveal the imperial edict ahead of time in order to prove my innocence. If everything had proceeded according to normal circumstances...”

“The Imperial Envoy would have continued failing to appear, and all of you would inevitably have grown suspicious. You would have assumed that I had fabricated the Emperor's will and falsely claimed that an imperial envoy was coming.”

“By the time I hurriedly produced this imperial edict...”

“I would have been caught red-handed and accused of colluding with rebels!”

“There would have been no way to defend myself!”

“By then, forget about me. Even the several-hundred-year legacy of the Kong Family would have been destroyed in a single day!”

Once he understood everything, Kong Changqing felt as though he had fallen into an icy abyss.

His entire body turned cold.

The other officials present felt the same.

“What an elaborate scheme. They actually treated all of us as pawns.”

Jiang Yubai gritted his teeth.

“The enemy's scheme is this meticulous. I fear something truly serious has happened in the Sacred Capital.”

“There is one statement on this altered imperial edict that is certainly true. We have all gathered here today to celebrate Elder Kong's birthday, so the capital's defensive forces are indeed much weaker than usual.”

“There is no time to lose. We must return to the capital immediately!”

Kong Changqing nodded heavily.

“This old man will go with all of you.”

Unexpectedly, Jiang Yubai stopped him.

“In my opinion, Elder Kong would be safer remaining here to guard the family.”

Seeing the change in Kong Changqing's expression, Jiang Yubai hurriedly continued.

“It is certainly not that I distrust Elder Kong. It is simply that, judging from the situation, the enemy's scheme has already involved the entire Kong Clan.”

“Now that the conspiracy has been exposed, how do we know the criminals will not become desperate and strike back?”

“If Elder Kong leaves the estate rashly and something happens to the Kong Family, the family will be left without a leader. Under such circumstances, they may find it difficult to defend themselves.”

Kong Changqing's expression shifted repeatedly.

After pondering for a long while, he finally nodded heavily.

“In that case, this old man shall remain here and guard the family.”

“As for the safety of the Sacred Capital, I shall entrust it entirely to all of you!”

“The foundation of the nation must never be allowed to suffer any harm.”

With that, Kong Changqing took a step backward and solemnly bowed deeply toward everyone around him.

The other ministers hurriedly returned the salute.

Immediately afterward, under Jiang Yubai's leadership, the inner courtyard of the Kong Family erupted with the sound of tearing air.

The various high-ranking officials transformed into streaks of flowing light and hurried toward the direction of the capital, their hearts filled with anxiety.

What had happened within the inner courtyard of the Kong Family's banquet was naturally unknown to those in the outer courtyard.

At this moment, seeing that the Qian Emperor's envoy had still failed to arrive, while the important ministers of the imperial court in the inner courtyard had suddenly all fled, the entire gathering erupted into an uproar.

Discussion spread like boiling water.

Yet Kong Changqing remained seated calmly in the main hall, his bearing as steady as a deep abyss and an immovable mountain. Not the slightest trace of panic could be found upon his face.

With such a pillar of support at the center, the chaos gradually subsided.

“The banquet is over. Arrange for the guests to leave.”

Following Kong Changqing's command, the Kong Family's once bustling and magnificent estate gradually emptied, like a great tide receding from the shore.

Kong Changqing sat alone in the empty hall, repeatedly turning over everything that had happened today in his mind like scenes flashing past his eyes.

A strange and indescribable feeling lingered in his heart.

Once again, he picked up the altered imperial edict.

For some reason, the words written upon it gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Even...

It felt as though he had truly experienced it before.

The bloody calamity of armored soldiers breaking into the Kong Clan estate, arresting everyone, and executing the entire family.

“What exactly is going on...?”

“Did my Kong Family truly just narrowly escape a catastrophe?”

“Or...”

Kong Changqing suddenly remembered that insolent madman who had spoken provocatively in front of everyone at noon.

“If that man had not spoken those provocative words, I would never have revealed the imperial edict ahead of time and shown it to everyone.”

“If I had not proven my innocence beforehand, then once everything came to light, there would have been no way to defend myself.”

“Because of a single reckless outburst, I actually managed to escape a calamity that would have exterminated my entire clan.”

“Was this truly just a coincidence?”

“Or...”

Kong Changqing's heart stirred.

He immediately summoned the Kong Family members who had been present in the outer courtyard during the day and questioned them carefully, one after another.

Yet the answers he received were astonishingly consistent.

No one knew where that insolent madman had come from.

Even fewer had seen when he disappeared.

That person seemed like the reflection of the moon upon water or a flower in a mirror, appearing from thin air and vanishing just as inexplicably.

He had appeared for the sole purpose of uttering those few provocative words.

Kong Changqing's expression became dark and unreadable as he sank into thought.

Suddenly, he remembered an unusual incident he had personally experienced when he was young.

Back then, he had merely been a disciple serving at the side of the Confucian Sage, accompanying the Sage as he traveled throughout the various states, spreading the teachings and educating the people.

Throughout those long journeys, the Sage seemed to possess the ability to foresee the future.

He always seemed blessed by divine providence, repeatedly turning danger into safety and avoiding countless unexpected disasters.

At first, Kong Changqing had simply assumed that the Sage was naturally vigilant and perceptive.

Unexpectedly, the Sage had once answered with a smile:

“Where is the need for foresight? It is nothing more than... Threefold Self-Reflection.”