Chapter 683: The Plot

Chapter 683: Chapter 683: The Plot

Yang Xiusheng’s test was simple, yet highly effective. The transmission speed of the Thousand-Mile Sound was extremely fast, and the distance between the Imperial Palace and Wu Village was not far, so both sides were essentially communicating in real time, leaving no opportunity for the other party to slowly react. Answering incorrectly or too slowly both clearly indicated that something had gone wrong.

What Yang Xiusheng couldn’t figure out was how the personnel he’d assigned ended up being controlled. That person was a Post-Primordial Core Realm expert—before Prince Jin arrived at Wu Village, no one at Yang Yansi’s side should have been capable of subduing him silently.

Or perhaps circumstances changed only after Prince Jin arrived?

Or perhaps, as the Emperor had feared, Yang Yansi’s Sealing Meridian technique was broken by some unknown method?

"Yang Yansi and Yang Wenguang... they..." The Emperor took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and seemed to slip into contemplation, his thoughts drifting back with those two names. Once, within the Royal Family, those two names were frequently mentioned during a certain period.

Back then, everyone was still young—Yang Yansi was older, but as a collateral branch of the Royal Family, even though he joined formal study, his status was far inferior to the Prince and Princesses, always on the periphery. Yet Yang Wenguang, as the Second Prince, got along well with Yang Yansi. The two often researched cultivation matters together and sparred on occasion.

The Emperor remembered that he had once mocked Yang Wenguang for befriending Yang Yansi.

Later, as the dust of the past settled, Yang Wenguang opened an estate, becoming Prince Jin, while Yang Yansi entered the military for training. The two were gradually swept apart by the currents of worldly affairs, and that fleeting "friendship" was slowly forgotten by others.

Later, Yang Wenguang failed the Major Examination and was rescued, while Yang Yansi continued to excel in the military. Starting with the Jingnan Army, he served in four different Front Armies, practically every command post the military offered, and maintained an unbroken streak of victories in minor engagements against the Barbarian Race. Entrusted with a major responsibility by the Emperor, he was eventually made National Pillar General after the last major battle, placed in command of the Ministry of War, and viewed as the Emperor’s sharpest spear.

If not for the events of this time, the Emperor would not have recalled that unobtrusive past.

"Yang Wenguang, upon his return, went straight to see Yang Yansi—and Yang Yansi might well have been saved by Yang Wenguang. That means, both the Sealing Meridian restriction on Yang Yansi, and the mishap involving the Golden Sword Cultivator, were both orchestrated by Yang Wenguang.

There’s another possibility: Yang Yansi was colluding with Yang Wenguang from the very beginning, with secret tricks to bypass the Sealing Meridian restriction, and dealt with the Golden Sword Cultivator monitoring him all by himself. Yang Wenguang merely came to rendezvous when the ’timing’ was right.

No matter which is true, it means they’ve been planning this for a long time. And there must be some reason binding them tightly together."

The Emperor spoke as if to himself, or perhaps to ask for advice. The slightly muddled look in his eyes now revealed an icy chill.

Yang Xiusheng said nothing. He was no expert in political scheming and, besides, wasn’t in a position to offer opinions on this matter. Moreover, he was now burning with fury within. He knew the Emperor hadn’t blamed him, but the reality was that he had been the weak link where trouble occurred.

"In my humble experience, for two men to conspire together and risk execution, there are only two possible motivations: either some ’belief’ worth sacrificing their lives for—be it hatred or desire. The other is a tremendous ’profit’ that makes people forget danger.

I imagine with Yang Yansi and Prince Jin, it’s likely one of those two." Pang Ban could not stand aside and watch—the Emperor was seeking counsel, and he had to answer in proper form.

"Belief and profit?" The Emperor repeated twice but did not pursue the topic. After a long silence, he said to Pang Ban, "Have your men continue to watch them, but don’t alarm anyone—especially with Yang Yansi at Wu Village. Try to find out about his household’s situation.

And be mindful of secrecy."

Pang Ban bowed in acceptance. After waiting a moment, seeing the Emperor about to dismiss him, he quickly asked, "Your Majesty, should we investigate the teahouse and Prince Ling as well?"

"No need to concern yourself with Prince Ling. The teahouse isn’t your affair either. But... that zither master Yang Wenguang went to see—look into her. Was Yang Wenguang really there to listen to music, or was there some other reason?"

"If we discover anything—what about that person?"

"Don’t act yet. Observe first."

"Understood."

"Mm, go now." The Emperor was truly weary, listlessly waving his hand to dismiss Pang Ban, and then closed his eyes, slumping back, as if drifting off to sleep.

Pang Ban dared not linger further, saluted, and hurried out of the palace.

Yang Xiusheng remained by the Emperor’s side, looking as if he wanted to speak but hesitated, clearly troubled.

"Elder, don’t blame yourself. Fate is ever-changing—who can say they’re flawless in all things?" The Emperor’s cultivation was shallow, nearly negligible, but in terms of heart and his understanding and judgment of people, he was not at all inferior to Yang Xiusheng—perhaps even more experienced. Even though Yang Xiusheng hadn’t spoken yet, the Emperor knew what he wanted to say.

"This is indeed my oversight. I’ll thoroughly ask Yang Yansi how he managed to circumvent my Sealing Meridian restriction. Besides, now that Yang Wenguang and Yang Yansi are colluding, do you still not plan to act ahead of time? Yang Yansi isn’t suppressed now—his reputation and ability are nothing to underestimate. Together with Yang Wenguang, they’re bound to stir up waves, what if..."

Yang Xiusheng’s thought was simple: because of his own slip-up, a loophole appeared on Yang Yansi’s side that shouldn’t have, and it posed a huge threat. Fortunately, Pang Ban’s men discovered it in advance, giving him the chance to plug the leak.

If truth be told, Yang Xiusheng still looked down on Yang Wenguang and Yang Yansi. Scheming in shadows was one thing; now that they’d been found, what else could they do? He alone was confident he could take them both down. But it required the Emperor’s permission.

The Emperor still reclined against the couch without opening his eyes. He raised his hand to interrupt Yang Xiusheng, saying, "There is no ’what if’. If I did not know Yang Wenguang was alive, and did not know he had returned, then there might have been some ’what if’. But now, they no longer have that opportunity.

Neither in strength nor opportunity have they properly gauged the situation, and their luck is poor as well. So, there’s no hurry.

As for the Royal Family’s Major Examination, by the old rules, not much can actually be seen. With the southern conflict, there are some new twists—I find it rather good. Counting in this drama between Yang Wenguang and Yang Yansi—heh, Elder, do you suppose this is the most entertaining ’Major Examination’ in the history of the Yang Family?"

Yang Xiusheng was momentarily lost for words, and could only nod in agreement. The frail, weakened person before him seemed to overlap with the shadow in his memory.