AWB Chapter 555 Joy of Life 111
Chapter 555 Joy of Life 111
Fan Wujiu nodded: "The Ministry of Works has not yet released any definite news, but judging from the current progress, it is very likely to be in half a month. However, if His Majesty insists on waiting for Ye Wan to enter the capital, then it is hard to say."
Li Chengze turned to look at the bright sunshine outside the window: "Great!"
……
More than half a month has passed in the blink of an eye, and Li Chengru's escort team still has not returned to the capital.
After waiting for a long time without success, Emperor Qing, after weighing the options carefully, decided to set off for Mount Dadong as planned, taking Fan Xian with him as well.
When Fan Xian learned that he had been included in the entourage list, he was extremely flustered.
Although he is now in charge of the Imperial Treasury, his actual official position is only a minor Assistant Musician. He would never be invited to such a grand occasion as the Emperor's tour.
Now that Emperor Qing has brought him along, is he perhaps looking for an opportunity to kill him?
Fan Xian felt a pang of sadness, but he could not disobey the Emperor's will and could only follow the Emperor of Daqing.
Before Fan Xian transmigrated, he was just an ordinary person, or in his own words, a "useless good man in the traditional sense."
Because he suffered from myasthenia gravis in his previous life and was tormented by the disease before his death, he cherished his life even more after coming to this world.
His arrogance and unbridled behavior stemmed partly from modern thinking, which gave him a sense of superiority when he viewed this ancient world; and partly from the fact that he had many powerful "fathers" protecting him.
However, after losing these 'old fathers' and suffering setbacks in this world, he could no longer be arrogant, and the sense of superiority in his heart had vanished.
The mindset, having been influenced by ancient feudal society for eighteen years, is beginning to awaken anew.
Fan Xian also realized that he was out of place in this society, and he toned down his behavior considerably.
He carefully accompanied Emperor Qing throughout the journey, giving the emperor no chance to find fault with him.
Just as Emperor Qing's imperial entourage set off from the capital in grand style, the Northern Qi, upon learning the news, reacted swiftly. General Uesugi Tora, following imperial orders, led the Northern Qi army in a grand procession to the border between the two countries.
Prior to this, there had been much speculation about the identity of the fourth Grandmaster, with many guessing that it was Hong Sixiang, an old eunuch in the Qing Kingdom Palace.
However, Hong Sixiang's sudden death shattered this conjecture.
As a result, everyone was once again puzzled about the true identity of the fourth Grandmaster, with some even suspecting that Emperor Qing himself was the hidden Grandmaster.
However, this speculation was quickly refuted after news spread that Emperor Qing had been assassinated and seriously injured by Chen Pingping.
Who is a Grandmaster?
That person was worth an entire nation.
Even if Chen Pingping was incredibly powerful in the past, he is now nothing more than a cripple with limited mobility.
Moreover, officials had to undergo multiple checks before meeting the emperor, and weapons and poisons were not allowed to be brought into the palace.
In this situation, if Emperor Qing could be seriously injured by an unarmed cripple, how powerful could his own martial arts be?
Thus, the suspicions of the Empress Dowager and the young emperor of Northern Qi were successfully dispelled, and they confidently dispatched Shang Shanhu to lead a large army to the border, waiting for news of Emperor Qing's death to spread before launching an attack on the Qing Kingdom amidst the chaos.
Amidst the turbulent times, a momentous event unfolds at Mount Dadong.
Undercurrents were also swirling within Kyoto.
After Emperor Qing left the capital, Li Chengze stopped pretending and openly began to take action in the capital, quickly seizing control of the city.
Li Chengze, from Kyoto, stood on the rooftop, looking up at the stars in the sky. He smiled happily as he gazed at the imperial aura he had accumulated over several dynasties.
The next day, Li Chengze got up early, tidied himself up, and went directly to the lakeside pavilion in the backyard. He ordered his men to set everything up and then sat down in meditation with his eyes closed.
The area around the pavilion was open and quiet, with a wide view, but there was not a single soldier guarding it. Only Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujiu were guarding the pavilion.
It is early spring now, and the weather is still a bit chilly. A cool breeze sweeps across the lake, bringing a refreshing coolness.
The two men didn't quite understand why their prince had suddenly come to this drafty lakeside pavilion to meditate, but they didn't say anything more about it.
In short, they would do whatever the prince ordered.
Time passed slowly, and the area inside and outside the pavilion in the middle of the lake was quiet, with only the sound of the wind and the occasional birdsong adding a touch of life to the tranquility.
Everything seemed so ordinary, yet it held a hidden secret, as if the whole world was waiting for a crucial moment to arrive.
Li Chengze remained in the same posture in the pavilion, sitting with his eyes closed, breathing steadily, and his face calm as still water.
It was as if it had been isolated from the outside world and was completely unaffected by its surroundings.
……
This world should not have monsters like Grandmasters.
This is Emperor Qing's true inner thought.
Aside from himself, the other three grandmasters—Si Gu Jian, Ku He, and even Ye Liuyun—were all a malignant tumor swirling in his heart.
To eradicate this cancer, he meticulously planned for a very long time, almost throughout his entire imperial career.
He even went so far as to drive his only sister insane.
He knew that Li Yunrui liked him, but he just neither rejected her nor responded.
He coldly manipulated her emotions, letting her sink into this twisted relationship, watching her become obsessed and crazy for him.
At the same time, he gradually got used to the feeling of being infatuated with Li Yunrui.
In the deepest, most secret, and unspeakable corner of his heart, he believed that Li Yunrui should belong to him.
However, he had his own ambitions and could not allow such matters between men and women to tarnish his reputation or hinder his path to becoming a wise ruler, so he suppressed his inner desires.
That's why he was so furious when he found out that Li Chengqian and Li Yunrui were having an affair, and he almost killed them both with his own hands.
He failed to cross the final line for various reasons, but Li Chengqian did.
Even at that moment, he himself couldn't tell whether he was more angry about such a scandal tarnishing the royal reputation, or annoyed that Li Chengqian had crossed the line he had never been able to reach.
Emperor Qing did not want to think about the reasons in detail; in any case, he had now arrived at Mount Dadong.
His good sister did not disappoint him after so many years of planning, and successfully gathered the four great masters of the world here.
The plan, which had been in the works for many years, has finally reached its final stage.
Emperor Qing's emotions fluctuated almost imperceptibly; if Fan Xian hadn't been secretly observing, he probably wouldn't have noticed.
Mount Dadong stands majestically and is extremely steep.
One side of the mountain is a steep, smooth cliff, vertically downwards as if cleaved by a knife and axe, leading straight to the vast sea.
The waves surged and rolled up, creating huge waves that crashed against the cliffs with astonishing force, making a loud "whoosh" sound. Many seabirds circled in the air, their calls rising and falling, echoing through the sky.