Outside, Prince Yuann’s expression was unchanged as he walked out of the courtyard with steady steps.
The head steward of Prince Yuann’s Mansion walked up to him and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, Steward Li drank too much tonight. He fell headfirst into the Grand Canal and is gone."
"Steward Li was, after all, a man of my Royal Mansion. Give him a grand burial and gift his family three hundred taels of silver."
"As you command."
"Find out which of the Great Fate Masters we know has some free time soon."
"As you command."
Xuanxiu Square, the Li Mansion.
Sunlight streamed in. Li Qingxian groggily opened his eyes, his mind filled with random thoughts. He lazed in bed for a while before slowly getting up.
He walked out of his room, carried a basin toward the well, and saw Zhou Chunfeng and Songg Yunjing sitting in the courtyard chatting. Zhou Henn stood to one side, while Han Anbo and Yur Ping stood at the main gate.
"I can’t believe you’re this lazy. The sun’s high enough to warm your backside, and you’re just getting up," Zhou Chunfeng said with a laugh.
"Lazier than my Baige," Songg Yunjing chuckled.
"I’m usually very diligent, I’ve just been too tired these past few days," Li Qingxian said with a straight face, then shouted toward the main gate, "Right, Brother Han!"
"You’re always like this," Han Anbo replied without missing a beat.
Everyone chuckled.
Li Qingxian shot Han Anbo an annoyed glance, washed his face, and sat down next to Zhou Chunfeng.
Zhou Chunfeng took a sip of tea and said slowly, "Tang Enxuan committed suicide by drinking poison."
Li Qingxian froze, looking at the two of them in disbelief. Their expressions were calm.
"No way... I considered so many possibilities, even bracing myself for a counterattack from Prince Yuann’s Mansion. How could he just be dead? This... Prince Yuann is utterly ruthless!" Li Qingxian quickly deduced who stood to gain the most.
"Last night, Yunjing and I were talking about this before bed. We both said Tang Enxuan would definitely die, but we didn’t expect it to be so soon." Zhou Chunfeng glanced at Li Qingxian and poured him a cup of tea.
"Are all of you High Rank Officials so ruthless? Are your methods always this dirty?" Li Qingxian had never expected this outcome.
Songg Yunjing said, "A grand drama was supposed to unfold this morning, but Prince Yuann appeared in mourning clothes to beg for forgiveness, and not a single person in the Imperial Court mentioned yesterday’s events. I couldn’t even submit my memorial."
Li Qingxian sighed. "Experience always wins out. Someone who could survive that struggle for succession is truly extraordinary. The Emperor will surely compensate him, won’t he?"
"He was given concurrent command of two military camps, and Tang Enxuan is to be buried with the rites befitting a Crown Prince."
"It’s over. With such a petty and ruthless man in the picture, the Emperor is bound to despise me. Oh well, so be it. I was never one for sycophantic flattery anyway." Li Qingxian shook his head and sighed, though his mind was already churning, devising a new plan for self-preservation.
Zhou Chunfeng said, "Enough with the act. Rest assured, this incident won’t earn you the Emperor’s displeasure."
"I don’t believe you." ’How can I resolve this?’ Li Qingxian wondered.
Zhou Chunfeng said, "Prepare yourself. The Emperor is going to draw personnel from the Night Guard, the Military Department, and the Divine Capital Prefecture Magistrate’s Office to rebuild the New Divine Capital Department. It will be semi-independent of the Night Guard and under the jurisdiction of the Internal Factory."
"Why?" Li Qingxian asked.
"To sweep the Divine Capital clean of its ghouls and demons. If successful, the model will be rolled out everywhere to rebuild the Night Guard," Zhou Chunfeng said.
Li Qingxian lowered his head in thought, while Zhou Chunfeng and Songg Yunjing watched him with smiles.
After a long moment, Li Qingxian looked up and asked, "What other major moves are being made?"
Zhou Chunfeng jerked his chin toward Songg Yunjing and said, "In a few days, your Uncle Songg will take office as the Capital Governor."
Li Qingxian’s eyes lit up. The Capital Governor was the highest official in the Divine Capital, with a rank equivalent to a Vice Minister. One could not hold such a position without being one of the Emperor’s trusted confidants.
"Congratulations on the promotion, Uncle Songg," Li Qingxian said.
Songg Yunjing shook his head. "I would rather go to a few prefectures in Jiangnan as a Minister of the Three Departments, or even just a Magistrate, than wade into the muddy waters of the Divine Capital. The Divine Capital isn’t like other places; it’s a tangled mess. I’ve never governed a prefecture before, I’m afraid I’m not up to the task."
Li Qingxian said, "You don’t need to worry. With Uncle Zhou around, plus your excellent relationship with Chief Minister Zhao, you just need to be careful and build your power base slowly. With your abilities, you’ll undoubtedly have the entire Divine Capital under your control soon."
"Practitioners of Literature Cultivation will of course show me respect, and Puppet Cultivators tend to keep to themselves. But the Royal Family, the Demon Sect, the Daoist Sect, the Evil Sect, and the Martial Cultivators—are any of them easy to deal with?"
"Easing the Emperor’s worries is the duty of a subject. As long as we do what the Emperor wants, why should we fear those people?" Li Qingxian said.
"Your words are as harmonious as a beautiful melody," Zhou Chunfeng commented.
Li Qingxian smiled nonchalantly and said, "I haven’t congratulated you yet, Uncle Zhou. Once the New Divine Capital Department is established, your status will rise along with it."
Zhou Chunfeng shook his head. "The Emperor is determined to cleanse the realm, starting with the Divine Capital, and he will surely make bold moves. I am, after all, a practitioner of Literature Cultivation. After the transition period, I will have to hand over the New Divine Capital Department to a Martial Cultivator. I plan to recommend Songg Yanxue to His Majesty. Her straightforward personality is quite suitable for the New Divine Capital Department."
"What? Then what about you?"
"Don’t worry, I have plenty of options. At worst, I’ll become a Prefectural Magistrate at the Divine Capital Prefecture and work under your Uncle Songg."
"A waste of your talent," Songg Yunjing said.
"The Divine Capital Prefectural Magistrate is a Senior Fourth Grade position, two full ranks higher than the Senior Fifth Grade post at the old Divine Capital Bureau," Zhou Chunfeng said with a faint smile.
The three of them discussed official matters for a while before Li Qingxian thought of Jiangg Youfei and said, "Uncle Zhou, has something happened to Sister Youfei?"
"’Whose fault do you think it is? It was all for you! That girl may look gentle and delicate, but she’s incredibly tough inside. Yesterday, after seeing you get wronged, she marched straight into Prince Yuann’s Mansion. Under the pretext of a ’friendly martial arts exchange,’ she crippled seventeen people in a row, including a Third-Grade Martial Cultivator. If Tang Enxuan’s death hadn’t involved military affairs and the dignity of the Royal Family, this whole affair would have already spread like wildfire," Zhou Chunfeng said.
"What? Sister Youfei is that badass?" Li Qingxian’s eyes widened as he pictured the scene: Jiangg Youfei, clad in a white dress, striding into Prince Yuann’s Mansion, her Ancient Sword felling one expert after another.
"Shouldn’t you be grateful that Youfei treats you so well?" Zhou Chunfeng asked.
"Going up against a Senior Third-Grade Martial Cultivator... she wasn’t injured, was she?" Li Qingxian asked, concerned.
"She didn’t say, but she must have some minor injuries. After lunch, I’ll have someone deliver some Healing Medicine to the Divine Capital Bureau in your name."
Li Qingxian took out a small, cloud-patterned porcelain bottle with a red stopper from his Qiankun Bracelet. He tilted it to show the red seal on the bottom and said, "This is a secret Treasure Medicine from the Dan Yuan Sect. I’ll deliver it to her myself in a bit and thank her in person."
"You are not to leave the city for the next couple of days. Just stay put." Zhou Chunfeng took the small porcelain bottle.
"You’re right. Prince Yuann will definitely not let me off the hook," Li Qingxian sighed.
"Prince Yuann is an extremely calculating man. Back then, he was too young and his power base was weak. For self-preservation, he first attached himself to Prince Qing, and then together they pledged allegiance to the current Emperor. Now that he holds real power, he won’t be so foolish as to use childish tactics like Tang Enxuan did and give his enemies ammunition. But he certainly won’t ignore you. Given his nature, it’s highly likely he’ll incite others to move against you, while he himself stays out of sight," Zhou Chunfeng said.
Songg Yunjing said, "Prince Yuann won’t have you killed, but he will definitely obstruct your advancement. Be prepared for it."
Li Qingxian nodded.
Zhou Chunfeng thought for a long time before saying, "The words bestowed by the Emperor will slowly circulate. Before long, the pent-up anger among those of Literature Cultivation will dissipate. When that happens, you’ll become expendable. You must be on your guard. I had originally intended to take you to Prince Yuann’s Mansion to resolve this issue, but with Tang Enxuan dead, we can no longer do that."
"I’ll be careful," Li Qingxian said.