Chapter 90: The Imperial Edict Issues from the Forbidden City

The following morning, as dawn's first light spilled softly across the imperial capital, a bustling teahouse nestled amid the city's vibrant streets stirred with tension."Who goes there?!" A bewitching beauty sat gracefully upon her chair, yet her radiant visage was clouded with a somber gloom. Before her knelt several trembling teahouse attendants, while a maid with her hair tied in a bun stood silently behind, afraid even to breathe."The Mo family's influence... has somehow infiltrated our Tianji clan's sphere? Who dared leak this intelligence?" she demanded icily, slamming her palm upon the table, causing her attendants to shudder in both body and spirit.

In a shadowed corner, Lv Mu leisurely stroked his beard, sipping a bowl of plain porridge with a carefree air. Last night, the Tianji pigeons had flown from the teahouse, disseminating a revelation that sent shockwaves through the court and the realm alike:"The late Emperor Yuwen Tuo of the Great Zhou was assassinated by Jiang Li, under the scheming of Kong Xiu."Was this true? Moreover, as the news originated from a Tianji family outpost, its authenticity was implicitly confirmed—stirring the beauty's ire even further.

Lv Mu, unperturbed, finished his porridge, wiped his beard, and chuckled."Qianqian, do not be so vexed. Just keep a closer watch over the Tianji pigeons next time...""Besides, though our Tianji clan remains neutral, with the Hundred Families now at odds with Great Zhou, alliances are inevitable...""And this message, after all, is not without some foundation—flies do not buzz around seamless eggs."

"Silence, you old fool! What do you know!" The woman's anger flared higher at Lv Mu's callous words.

Lv Mu smiled faintly, then rose slowly, taking up his bamboo staff."Where are you going?" she frowned."To Beiluo..." he replied with a knowing smile."The Young Master Lu's promise to me... is time to fulfill."

The imperial capital erupted into uproar. The Tianji clan's news, echoed by many noble families, spread like wildfire across the city."National Advisor Kong Xiu conspired to assassinate the late Emperor Yuwen Tuo!""Jiang Li, the soul of the Great Zhou army, is the true murderer!""The emperor's death conceals earth-shattering secrets!"

These claims blazed through teahouses, taverns, and street storytellers overnight. Many were bewildered—Jiang Li and Kong Xiu had been the emperor's closest aides; what motive could they have for regicide? Yet more damning secrets soon surfaced.

A key figure emerged in the scandal—Bai Fengtian, a scion of the martial tradition. During Emperor Yuwen Tuo's reign, Bai Fengtian had crushed the Western Rong and quelled the Southern Barbarians, laying countless enemy heads to rest. His greatest feat was the entombment of three hundred thousand Rong troops alive at the Great Zhou's frontier. Commanding the empire's armies, his prestige overshadowed even the emperor's.

Naturally, Emperor Yuwen Tuo could not tolerate such a formidable rival. He issued nine imperial edicts to hunt Bai Fengtian deep into the Western Rong lands, eventually summoning him back, stripping him of command, and forcing his retirement.

Yet Bai Fengtian never lived to see peace; he met a tragic end before laying down arms. At that time, Kong Xiu was a close confidant, and Jiang Li, Bai's own disciple. News of Bai's death shocked the realm. Many suspected the emperor's hand but dared not speak the taboo truth. Soon after, Emperor Yuwen Tuo himself died under mysterious circumstances.

Now, with these revelations unleashed, the entire realm was shaken to its core. The civil and military officials of Great Zhou were incensed. Petition after petition flooded the Purple-Gold Palace, accusing and demanding answers.

As rumors swirled, Jiang Li's guilt seemed irrevocably sealed.

Within the Forbidden City, in the Purple-Gold Palace, Yuwen Xiu trembled with rage as he read the petitions, casting them violently to the floor, his expression dark and stormy. Nearby, an aged eunuch waved his dust brush silently, fearful to utter a word.

After a long pause, Yuwen Xiu drew a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes."Go to the library."

He proceeded with the eunuch but was stopped by Mo Tianyu, who lay disheveled outside the library's entrance. Regardless of all pleas, the National Advisor refused to see him.

Yuwen Xiu, though emperor, was but a boy of eleven, lost and forlorn."Why... why won't the National Advisor see me?" he murmured repeatedly upon returning to the palace. His haunted demeanor unsettled even the eunuch.

"Your Majesty, the National Advisor is ensnared in this tempest and wishes you to make your own judgments." The eunuch bowed low.

Yuwen Xiu's gaze scanned the petitions—all indicting the advisor and demanding Jiang Li's summons for punishment."Truth rests in Your Majesty's heart," the eunuch said again, nearly prostrating himself.

Silence pervaded the palace, broken only by Yuwen Xiu's labored breaths."You served my late father... how much do you truly know of his death?""Could it be as rumors suggest—that the regicides are indeed the National Advisor and Jiang Li?"

At last, Yuwen Xiu spoke with a voice serene yet heavy. The eunuch snapped his head up, sensing the depths of the boy's dawning doubts.

The power of rumor had already taken root in the young emperor's mind, shaking his resolve.

Without another word, the eunuch remained prostrate as Yuwen Xiu's vacant gaze lingered.After a moment, he ordered, "Prepare my robes. I shall attend court."

The eunuch rose, beckoned the maids, and left the chamber.

At the Hall of Supreme Harmony, crimson lacquered doors swung open to let in the morning light. Officials smoothed their garments and entered solemnly.

The court session was brief; Yuwen Xiu stormed out in fury. Many officials, bleeding and battered from daring to remonstrate, were carried out—though wounded, they earned lasting honor.

Half a day later, an imperial edict thundered forth from the depths of the Forbidden City. Cavalry sped forth from the capital, racing toward the original Chicheng.

In the library, the rocking chair swayed as Mo Tianyu entered."Master, His Majesty... the imperial edict has finally been issued."

The figure seated—National Advisor Kong Xiu—suddenly seemed aged by years in an instant. His only response was a cryptic sigh.

The imperial edict had yet to reach Jiang Li but had already spread across the realm.

At Original Chicheng, Dantai Xuan received the news, casting a peculiar gaze at Mo Beike."Master, what now?" he asked respectfully.

"Leave one thousand troops to hold Original Chicheng; the remainder shall withdraw thirty li from the city," Mo Beike replied slowly.

Dantai Xuan was puzzled, but nearby, Mo Ju gently fanned himself, eyes shining with newfound clarity.

At Beiluo City, Heart Island remained serenely elegant as ever.

Lv Mu stood on a solitary boat drifting across the shimmering lake. The bamboo pole stirred the water, sending fleeing fish darting away. Wearing a bamboo hat, he gazed upon the island shrouded in mist—a celestial isle on earth—his eyes filled with awe.

Compared to his last visit, the island now seemed imbued with even greater mystique.

"The Young Master Lu has truly attained remarkable immortal blessings within the Wolong Ridge secret realm..." Lv Mu mused, anticipation growing within him.

The boat's movement disturbed a flock of gulls and egrets.

On the second-floor terrace of Bai Yujing, Lu Fan leaned on the railing, listening to the morning breeze, contemplating the selection of the "Dragon Nourishing Grounds" and the construction of the second secret realm.

The first secret realm had merely whetted appetites, awakening the world to the resurgence of spiritual energy and the existence of cultivators. The forthcoming second secret realm would be no trifling affair.

Though the Five Phoenix Continent currently lingered at a low martial level, edging toward the mid-tier, Lu Fan planned to use the second secret realm's unveiling to push the world halfway into mid-level martial cultivation—and elevate Bai Yujing beyond all sectarian boundaries.

Yet before that, Bai Yujing needed to establish a means of communication that spanned the entire realm.

Raising his wine cup, Lu Fan surveyed the lake's tranquil vista, watching as ripples spread and birds took flight.

A lone boat rocked steadily across the water, its elderly occupant wearing a bamboo hat. This sight stirred a rare glimmer in Lu Fan's otherwise composed gaze.