Chapter 138: It Doesn't Matter, I'll Take Action! (Requesting Subscriptions)

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The Great Zhou Imperial Palace.
Inside the magnificent and resplendent council hall.
Prosperous and solemn.
A group of court ministers had just received news that the Great Yuan had invaded, breached the border, and was sweeping all the way toward the capital of the Great Zhou.
At this moment, the air inside the council hall was so heavy it seemed to have frozen.
The atmosphere was tense.
The imperial ministers had gathered to discuss countermeasures, but the veteran ministers, seated in their chairs with furrowed brows, felt a sense of utter helplessness.
"To think the Great Yuan would kick us while we're down and make a move against our Great Zhou at this juncture."
"Right now, His Majesty is absent and may already be... With the new monarch not yet enthroned, how are we supposed to stop the Great Yuan??"
"It's a difficult situation. I propose that we let His Highness the Crown Prince temporarily take charge of state affairs, and hold the enthronement ceremony at a later date."
The ministers discussed among themselves.
After an elderly minister suggested that the Crown Prince temporarily take charge of the government, the silence settled over the room once more.
Empress Wang, seated at the head of the hall, listened to the veteran minister's words. Her formerly noble and beautiful face was now slightly darkened. She gave a light laugh and then said:
"Lord Liu jests."
"That child, Wu Ling, has never received a proper imperial education. How could she possibly mature in such a short span of time? Allowing her to take charge of state affairs would, I fear, be extremely disadvantageous to our Great Zhou."
"For now, we can let my son, Wu Ming, take temporary charge of state affairs to first repel the aggressive advance of the Great Yuan, and discuss other matters afterward."
After Empress Wang spoke, the ministers exchanged glances.
All of them had spent countless years climbing the ranks in the imperial court, and most were cunning old foxes. How could they fail to see the hidden motives behind Empress Wang's words?
With this invasion by the Great Yuan, Wu Ling hadn't even been brought into the court discussions, nor had she been notified at all.
That alone revealed a glimpse of the true situation.
If Wu Ming were truly allowed to take temporary charge, then Wu Ling's status as Crown Prince would likely exist in name only. Once Wu Ming repelled the Great Yuan, he would have fame, prestige, and power, and could completely bypass Wu Ling and directly ascend the throne.
Empress Wang observed the expressions of the ministers, caring little for what they were thinking. She waited for a moment, but no response was forthcoming.
Not a single minister was willing to be the first to stick their neck out.
Silence.
Growing impatient, Empress Wang parted her lips slightly and spoke: "My lords, do you have any opinions?"
"Now that the Great Yuan is invading and His Majesty's whereabouts are unknown, the safety of our dynasty is at stake. If you lords still insist on following ancient traditions, I fear it will push our Great Zhou into an abyss of despair."
The crowd fell back into silence.
Just as Empress Wang was about to make a direct executive decision,
An elderly minister slowly stepped forward.
This elderly minister was the current Left Chancellor, Zhuge Wansheng, a heavy-hitter in the court. He had a solemn appearance, a dignified expression, and full white hair, yet he did not look particularly aged.
He first offered a slight bow to Empress Wang and then said, "Empress Dowager, this old subject believes that rather than letting His Highness Wu Ming wield power alone, it would be better to let several other capable Highnesses take charge together."
As soon as Zhuge Wansheng's words fell,
They drew the attention of the surrounding court ministers.
The eyes they cast toward Zhuge Wansheng were filled with surprise.
They had not expected Zhuge Wansheng to speak thus.
However, lowering their gazes and pondering for a moment, the crowd quickly realized the truth.
This old fox Zhuge Wansheng was clearly trying to carve out an opportunity for his own grandson.
Zhuge Wansheng's daughter was also married to the Emperor of the Great Zhou, and the son she bore was the Third Prince, Wu Xing.
Whether according to ancient tradition or the system of crown prince succession, Wu Xing had zero chance.
Only by allowing Wu Xing to demonstrate his talent and win the recognition of the various court ministers could he have a chance to inherit the throne.
The ministers understood this point.
Empress Wang had grasped Zhuge Wansheng's meaning the moment he finished speaking.
She let out a cold, mocking laugh.
She had long known that with His Majesty absent, the ultimate ownership of the future throne would inevitably spark a contest among various factions.
Yet she never expected
Zhuge Wansheng to dare challenge her face in front of so many court ministers.
Empress Wang stared at Zhuge Wansheng, her gaze piercing.
Under Empress Wang's piercing gaze, Zhuge Wansheng wore a smile, utterly composed and without a trace of tension.
Empress Wang looked away first, glancing at the concubines seated near her, and felt a wave of a headache coming on.
If Zhuge Wansheng hadn't started this, it would have been fine.
Even if these noble consorts wished to support their own children to vie for the throne, they lacked the capacity and dared not say anything to her face.
But now that Zhuge Wansheng had opened the floodgates,
These consorts would likely no longer remain as quiet as before.
Just as Empress Wang anticipated,
The consorts who had remained silent earlier immediately chimed in:
"I think the Chancellor makes sense."
"It is indeed inappropriate to let Wu Ming alone take temporary charge. After all, Wu Ming is not very old and lacks life experience. It would be better to let our other princes join in so everyone can consult with one another."
After a flurry of chattering voices,
Empress Wang rubbed her brows with a headache, then spoke softly:
"Be quiet, all of you."
As Empress Wang's voice fell,
The consorts all closed their mouths at the appropriate moment.
Empress Wang was still the Empress after all; even if the Emperor of the Great Zhou were truly dead,
Empress Wang's majesty remained formidable.
Empress Wang looked toward Zhuge Wansheng and the cluster of high ministers behind him, slowly furrowed her brow, and then looked at the palace maid Xue'e behind her.
"Go and summon the Crown Prince."
Upon hearing Empress Wang's command, the palace maid Xue'e was startled for a moment, then hurriedly nodded and respectfully retreated toward the outside of the hall.
Leaving the council hall, Xue'e lightly lifted her skirt and hurried toward the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace.
Simultaneously with the palace maid Xue'e leaving the council hall,
Inside the hall, upon hearing what Empress Wang had said, the ministers wore slightly startled expressions, looking at Empress Wang in a somewhat incredulous manner.
Almost everyone struggled to comprehend
why Empress Wang chose to drag Wu Ling out at this moment.
Everyone was properly striving for the throne on behalf of the princes they supported, and dragging out Wu Ling, the orthodox Crown Prince, was a direct slap to their faces!
Zhuge Wansheng also furrowed his brows slightly, looking at Empress Wang, but as if reacting to something, he gave a slight nod and stroked his beard.
He said nothing more.
He probably understood Empress Wang's objective.
With the Great Yuan invading right now, preserving the foundation of the Great Zhou was paramount.
If the foundation of the Great Zhou could not even be preserved, what use would it be to obtain the throne?
If a group of princes were truly allowed to wield power, clashing in opinions and even tripping each other up behind the scenes, there was no telling how much chaos would ensue.
Dragging Wu Ling out at this juncture
could also prevent such a scenario to a certain degree.
Thinking of this, Zhuge Wansheng stroked his gray beard while nodding slightly,
casting his gaze toward the exterior of the hall,
waiting for Wu Ling's arrival.
After dispatching the maid Xue'e to fetch Wu Ling, Empress Wang said nothing further. Seated at the head, she closed her eyes to rest her mind.
The chattering discussion of the consorts by her ear was automatically filtered out by her brain.
She had no desire to listen.
Nor was there any need to listen.
They were merely blaming her for dragging Wu Ling into this.
With the Emperor of the Great Zhou absent, Wu Ling—a princess the Emperor had brought back from parts unknown—had zero foundation or backing.
Barring an accident, she stood no chance of competing with their children.
No matter what happened to the throne, it could never fall to Wu Ling.
By dragging Wu Ling into this, wasn't she simply giving Wu Ling a chance?
"I am giving her a chance, but can she grasp it?"
Empress Wang muttered inwardly, gazing toward the direction of the Eastern Palace, shaking her head with a smile: "Probably not."
"That child Wu Ling is not material to be an emperor. Even if she is allowed to temporarily wield imperial power, she will achieve no meritorious deeds."
"If she can merely play a role in maintaining the current status quo, that will be enough."
That's right.
At this moment, Wu Ling
was merely a chess piece used by Empress Wang to maintain the current situation, to be discarded once her usefulness ended.
Empress Wang fancied that she had seen through this entirely.
Yet the other consorts had yet to turn the corner, still agonizing over whether Wu Ling would directly ascend the throne and proclaim herself emperor after wielding imperial power.
That was a hundred and twenty percent impossible.
..........
Xue'e arrived at the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, entered the courtyard, and quickly found Wu Ling.
Wu Ling was sitting in a pavilion, propping her chin with one hand while idly toying with the black and white Go stones on the stone table.
Her dark hair was neatly and dignifiedly tied back, cascading down her back in a graceful curve, her snow-white skin contrasting with her breathtakingly beautiful face.
It seemed to tell others that even without any elaborate adornment, Wu Ling was an exceptionally stunning woman.
Watching this Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, Xue'e couldn't help but praise her inwardly.
Even within the imperial palace, a place teeming with beauties, Wu Ling's appearance could easily be ranked among the very best.
Xue'e approached Wu Ling.
Just as she reached Wu Ling's side and before she could issue a reminder, she heard Wu Ling say:
"You are Aunt Xue from beside Empress Dowager, right?"
"Why have you suddenly come to find me today?"
With that, Wu Ling turned slightly, concealing the sorrow in her bright eyes, and asked Xue'e.
Hearing Wu Ling's words, Xue'e was instinctively startled. She hadn't expected Wu Ling to discover her presence so quickly.
One had to know that Xue'e's own cultivation level was not low.
Sixth-grade Martial Artist, Rebirth Realm.
Capable of walking without a sound or leaving a trace.
Wu Ling had only begun cultivating not long ago, right? What realm had she reached by now
that she could already detect her presence?
Furthermore, Xue'e noticed that Wu Ling seemed to have been aware of her existence from the very beginning,
simply choosing not to make a fuss about it at first.
Xue'e's eyes flickered as she sized up Wu Ling, but noticing the coldness in Wu Ling's eyes, she hurriedly lowered her head respectfully.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, the Empress Dowager has asked me to invite you to the council hall; she has matters to discuss with you."
"Asking me to go to the council hall?" Wu Ling's pretty brows knitted slightly, and she asked, "Has something happened?"
Xue'e nodded slightly, "The Great Yuan has invaded. A soldier just galloped in with an urgent report, stating that the Great Yuan has breached one of our Great Zhou borders, and all the cities in that region have fallen."
"The Empress Dowager has summoned the ministers to discuss how to repel the enemy."
"That is why this maid has come to invite Your Highness to the council hall."
After Xue'e finished speaking, a silence fell over the air.
She heard no response from Wu Ling.
Waiting for a moment, Xue'e couldn't help but raise her eyes slightly to look at Wu Ling.
Under Xue'e's gaze, Wu Ling's bright eyes widened, her expression shifted, and a color of utter disbelief appeared on her breathtaking face.
How could this be? It really is the Great Yuan?"
"He guessed right??"
Wu Ling was shocked for quite a while.
The moment Xue'e uttered the words "Great Yuan," Wu Ling had already thought of something.
Connecting it to what Cheng Guang had previously said to her,
her heart couldn't help but tremble.
After a long while, Wu Ling finally snapped out of her daze. The very first thing she did upon regaining her composure
was to tightly grab Xue'e's arm and ask:
"The Great Yuan has invaded, and the border has fallen—when did this happen?"
Xue'e was startled by Wu Ling's action, and then felt a wave of pain shooting from her arm. She truly hadn't expected Wu Ling's grip to be so strong.
Xue'e knitted her brows slightly, enduring the pain, and respectfully replied to Wu Ling:
"Just a quarter of an hour ago."
Wu Ling finished listening to Xue'e's words.
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"A quarter of an hour..."
"The Heir Apparent seemed to have left a quarter of an hour ago. That is to say, the Heir Apparent knew in advance that the Great Yuan would come, knowing even before the soldier reported it."
"Why did he know?"
Wu Ling muttered to herself, her voice extremely faint.
Even with Xue'e pressing close to Wu Ling's body and mouth, she couldn't clearly make out what Wu Ling was saying.
Observing Wu Ling's shifting expression and noticing that her grip was about to tighten even further, Xue'e couldn't sit still any longer and hurriedly said:
"Your Highness, we should head to the council hall first."
"The Empress Dowager and the court ministers are all waiting for Your Highness to preside over the overall situation."
Wu Ling collected her thoughts, shot a glance at Xue'e with her bright eyes, and then slowly loosened her grip on Xue'e's arm, merely asking: "Preside over the overall situation?"
"Isn't it just asking me to serve as a figurehead and balance the situation?"
When Wu Ling said this, Xue'e's expression changed, turning immensely terrified, but she quickly suppressed it and forced an awkward smile.
"What is Your Highness saying..."
Xue'e wanted to say more.
However, Wu Ling had no heart to listen.
She directly waved her hand, cutting off Xue'e's words to signal that she needn't say anymore.
Then she rose directly and walked toward the council hall.
When Wu Ling arrived not far from the council hall, the clamor and discussion inside the hall grew much quieter.
By the time Wu Ling stepped into the council hall, not a single person was speaking anymore.
Simultaneously, the numerous ministers, consorts, and princes and princesses standing in the corners all cast their gazes upon Wu Ling.
Wu Ling paid no mind to those watching her. After sweeping her gaze around the council hall, she looked toward Empress Wang at the head.
She first offered a bow,
and then asked:
"Empress Dowager, did you look for me?"
Facing Wu Ling's bow, Empress Wang's expression remained unchanged. She merely nodded slightly and pointedly indicated the seat beside her.
"Come, sit."
Wu Ling's brows furrowed slightly. Hesitating for a moment, she walked over to Empress Wang's side and sat down.
Seeing Wu Ling seated, Empress Wang spoke:
"Wu Ling, when you came, you should have roughly known what happened from Xue'e's mouth."
Wu Ling nodded slightly.
Empress Wang said, "Then I won't explain too much."
"You are the Crown Prince. Now that His Majesty's whereabouts are unknown, at a time like this, you need to step up and shoulder the heavy burden."
She cast her gaze upon the ministers in the council hall.
"Next, regarding the Great Yuan's invasion, you will wield the authority, assisted by the court ministers. If you can't make up your mind, take the ministers' opinions."
"Repel the Great Yuan first, and we can discuss the rest later."
Hearing Empress Wang put it this way, Wu Ling couldn't help but glance at Wu Ming standing behind Empress Wang.
Empress Wang had even brought Wu Ming along by her side.
To say Empress Wang had no ambitions for the throne would be impossible.
Yet she was still able to hand over the opportunity to temporarily manage state affairs to herself.
Was it because she had absolute confidence and trust in her, believing she could lead the Great Zhou to victory over the Great Yuan?
Or was it because she believed Wu Ling posed not the slightest threat to Wu Ming or the other princes?
Wu Ling lowered her gaze, saying nothing, and simply gave a soft assent.
Immediately after, Empress Wang did not cast her gaze back onto Wu Ling, instead genuinely beginning discussions with the high ministers on how to counter the Great Yuan.
Only occasionally, when a final decision needed to be hammered out, would she ask for Wu Ling's opinion.
She called it asking for Wu Ling's opinion.
But Wu Ling knew very well that neither Empress Wang nor the ministers held her in any genuine regard.
It was mostly superficial flattery.
If Wu Ling truly wanted to make any decisions herself, she would have to expend quite a bit of effort.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, the Great Yuan's army is strong and fierce, and it seems there are Heavenly Human experts among them. We should immediately recall the Grand Duke and have him guard the capital."
A middle-aged minister spoke up. He was the Minister of War, Chou Hao, a tall man with a handsome appearance. He seemed to carry swords and sabers year-round, and prominent calluses were visible on the webbing of his hands.
As soon as Chou Hao spoke, everyone else in the hall fixed their gazes upon Wu Ling.
At this moment, they only needed Wu Ling to nod to issue an imperial decree by proxy of the Crown Prince, summoning the Grand Duke back.
Hearing Chou Hao's words, however, Wu Ling knitted her brows.
She recalled what Cheng Guang had told her before.
If the Great Yuan invaded the Great Zhou and Crown Prince's Estate Heir Apparent Cheng Guang knew about it in advance, the Grand Duke most likely knew as well.
If the Grand Duke could have returned to guard the capital, he would have returned long ago, and there wouldn't have been zero movement by now.
There was a very high probability that he simply couldn't come back.
If Cheng Guang knew Wu Ling's thoughts at this moment, he would probably sigh deeply.
It had to be said:
though Wu Ling had guessed the wrong direction, she had guessed the correct result.
"General Chou, the Grand Duke, at this juncture, likely cannot return even if an order is issued. I suggest your Ministry of War immediately mobilize all troops from the borders to counter the Great Yuan."
"Simultaneously, we can strengthen our ties with neighboring dynasties, having the dynasties subordinate to us contribute while preventing them from seizing the opportunity to pillage us in our hour of trouble."
When Wu Ling's words came out, Chou Hao was evidently startled, not expecting Wu Ling to offer her own opinions.
He had assumed Wu Ling was an ignorant Crown Prince and instinctively wanted to refute her, but upon careful consideration, aside from wondering how Wu Ling knew the Grand Duke couldn't return, her other deployments had no major flaws.
Chou Hao pondered, but before he had time to speak,
Empress Wang, seated beside Wu Ling, slowly spoke in a flat tone.
"Wu Ling, just listen to Lord Chou's words. In matters of warfare, Lord Chou is trustworthy."
The implication of Empress Wang's words was clear: she had no desire to hear Wu Ling offer any opinions.
Nor did she want Wu Ling to contribute any effort here.
She herself believed that even if Wu Ling tried to contribute, she wouldn't be able to.
Therefore, it was better to veto her at the decision-making stage.
That would also spare them from any unexpected surprises later on.
After Empress Wang spoke,
several of the consorts beside her instead offered a few words of comfort to Wu Ling with smiles on their faces, contrasting sharply with Empress Wang's lukewarm demeanor.
Seeing the attitudes of Empress Wang and the consorts, Wu Ling lowered her gaze.
Wu Ling knew that these consorts didn't particularly like her, nor did they endorse her statement; they simply opposed Empress Wang.
While the Emperor of the Great Zhou was present, the harem could maintain stability, but with the Emperor absent, the various factions within the harem began to surge with undercurrents.
Wu Ling had no backing and stood alone, unentangled in these struggles.
Instead, she enjoyed a sort of leisure.
Listening to the chatter around her, Wu Ling grew somewhat annoyed. Just as she was about to agree to Chou Hao's proposal, she suddenly heard Chou Hao's voice again.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, what you said is mostly sound. However, if the Grand Duke could come to our aid, even the Great Yuan wouldn't be worth a second glance."
"How does Your Highness know that the Grand Duke is unable to return?"
Chou Hao stared at Wu Ling's face; it was clear he wanted an answer from her.
Chou Hao, the Minister of War, was a man of humble origins promoted personally by the Emperor of the Great Zhou. He had no entanglements with aristocratic family interests, no daughters, and no deep ties to the imperial clan.
Therefore, Chou Hao was able to detach himself from the struggle for imperial power.
At this moment, Chou Hao cared only about how to repel the enemy.
Facing Chou Hao's gaze, Wu Ling showed no panic in her bright eyes, nor did she look away. She said in a calm tone:
"Why I know—do I need to explain that to General Chou?"
"Lord Chou only needs to know that if the Grand Duke could come to the capital, he would have come long ago. Since he cannot move at this time, it means he cannot come."
Hearing Wu Ling's words, Chou Hao pondered silently, unable to say anything for a long time, falling deep into thought.
Afterwards,
just as Chou Hao was about to say something,
Empress Wang waved her hand, cutting off their conversation.
"Enough, just do as Lord Chou sees fit. Wu Ling, you will immediately write an imperial decree in the name of the Crown Prince to summon the Grand Duke to the capital to combat the Great Yuan."
With that, Empress Wang slowly stood up and walked toward the outside of the hall.
Once Empress Wang left,
the ministers in the council hall could say no more, even if they wished to.
They dispersed one after another.
Wu Ling also stood up. Just as she stepped out of the council hall, a voice suddenly came from behind her.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, please stay your steps."
Wu Ling recognized whose voice this was.
She turned her head slightly to look at the person approaching.
"Lord Chou, is something the matter?"
Chou Hao, clad in black official robes, stood quietly behind Wu Ling and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, I feel what you said makes sense. If the Grand Duke cannot come to the capital, Your Highness's method can serve as a fallback plan."
"However, I have a doubt: by emptying out the military forces of the other borders, is Your Highness not afraid that the large and small surrounding dynasties will invade the Great Zhou?"
"Also, Your Highness wishes for the Great Zhou's vassal dynasties to contribute—will they truly step up?"
Looking at Chou Hao's eager-to-learn face, Wu Ling pondered for a moment, then patiently explained:
"Most of the dynasties surrounding the Great Zhou are vassal states. Emptying the border troops while simultaneously mobilizing the military forces of those dynasties will bring temporary peace to the borders."
Chou Hao stared at Wu Ling and slowly asked, "Is Your Highness not afraid those dynasties will refuse to dispatch troops to our Great Zhou, and instead seize the opportunity to pillage us?"
Wu Ling answered candidly, "I am afraid."
"But what use is fear? One can only choose the best course of action."
"We are gambling, and those dynasties are gambling too."
"After all, once our Great Zhou survives this crisis, they won't even have time to consider the consequences and their fate."
"We are both gambling, so what is there to be afraid of?"
With that, Wu Ling said nothing more, turned around, and walked toward the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace.
Wu Ling knew well by now that she was merely a person wearing the crown prince's title.
Yet she had been cruelly pushed to the forefront by Empress Wang.
She possessed no real power.
Nor did she possess overwhelming strength.
Whether Chou Hao chose to listen to her or not was ultimately something Wu Ling could not control.
Her words had been spoken.
Whether Chou Hao listened to her advice or adopted her opinions no longer mattered.
Without overthinking it, Wu Ling walked away at a measured pace.
Soon,
Wu Ling's figure vanished from Chou Hao's line of sight.
It wasn't until Wu Ling disappeared that Chou Hao snapped out of his trance. Gazing in the direction where Wu Ling had vanished, his eyes flickered as he pondered inwardly.
"We are both gambling, so what is there to be afraid of?"
"If we let the Great Yuan exploit this opening, the consequences would indeed be unimaginable."
Musing thus, Chou Hao strode off into the distance.
Whether others would adopt Wu Ling's advice, Chou Hao did not yet know.
But Chou Hao himself believed it.
As for the matter of the surrounding dynasties, it involved diplomatic affairs of the realm, which Chou Hao could not control.
However, pulling all border troops to the frontlines was something he could achieve.
To Chou Hao, the military forces of those vassal dynasties were practically non-existent anyway.
At this moment, Chou Hao
was also gambling.
Gambling that after he evacuated the troops, even if the other dynasties discovered anomalies, they would not dare invade the Great Zhou's borders.
Hurrying away, Chou Hao returned to the Ministry of War offices.
Seated at his desk inside the hall, he penned line after line of text.
Then, summoning a junior official of the Ministry of War, he handed him the written deployment order.
"Immediately dispatch this to all military divisions. Do not fail."
Taking the deployment order, the junior official glanced at it, and his expression changed slightly.
"My lord, are you intending to pull all troops to deal with the Great Yuan?"
"With the Grand Duke present,"
"is it worth making such a fuss?"
Hearing the official's words, Chou Hao was startled at first, and then he smiled.
"Look, we are all counting on the Grand Duke to bring the Northern Expeditionary Army to deal with the Great Yuan."
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"But who among us can guarantee that the Grand Duke will definitely be able to arrive?"
"Go and do it. Better safe than sorry."
With that, Chou Hao waved his hand.
Seeing Chou Hao's attitude, the junior official had nothing more to say and left with a worried expression.
After the official departed, Chou Hao stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the clouds in the distant sky, his eyes flickering from time to time as if deep in thought.
After pondering for a moment,
Chou Hao sat back down at his desk, picked up his brush, and wrote another series of lines.
This time, what Chou Hao was writing was not a deployment order for the border armies, but instructions for the frontline generals.
Facing the Great Yuan, one must never lower their guard.
The Great Yuan's invasion of the Great Zhou could by no means be a casual endeavor, nor would they voluntarily retreat halfway through.
This time, the moment the Great Yuan struck, it looked as though they intended to push the Great Zhou to absolute ruin.
If the frontlines could hold out a bit longer, it would make things much easier when the various army factions eventually converged.
..........
While Chou Hao took action,
Wu Ling also returned to the Eastern Palace.
Sitting in the courtyard for a while, she found her heart unable to calm down no matter what.
For some reason, Wu Ling suddenly recalled what Cheng Guang had said to her earlier.
Knowing that the Great Zhou might descend into chaos, Cheng Guang—this Heir Apparent of the Grand Duke's Estate—could still utter words claiming he could handle it.
Did the Heir Apparent possess some method to repel the Great Yuan?
Among the forces with which the Great Yuan invaded the Great Zhou, there was likely a Heavenly Human existence present.
At a time when the Grand Duke was unable to act,
what could Heir Apparent Cheng Guang possibly do?
Unless Cheng Guang could defeat a Heavenly Human.
But...
Could that possibly be true??
A mist of bewilderment surfaced in Wu Ling's bright eyes.
When she first met Cheng Guang, Wu Ling had thought Cheng Guang was capable of cultivation.
Only later, after she began practicing cultivation herself, did she realize her mistake.
Cheng Guang's demeanor at the time did not look like someone who had ever practiced cultivation.
Even if Cheng Guang had started cultivating afterward, his cultivation duration would be much shorter than hers.
And Wu Ling considered herself talented; her cultivation speed was not slow, but rather fast.
The cultivation level of Heir Apparent Cheng Guang was likely even lower than her own.
Where did he get the audacity to speak such words to her?
Wu Ling furrowed her brows, feeling somewhat perplexed.
Standing in place and agonizing over it for a good while, she suddenly stamped her foot.
"I won't think about it anymore. I'll go find him!"
"Didn't he say he'd grant me one request? I'll go see how he plans to pull this off."
With that, Wu Ling strode off in the direction of the Grand Duke's Estate.
Leaving the palace, Wu Ling arrived before the gates of the Grand Duke's Estate in no time.
Paying no attention to the four guards standing watch at the gates, she walked straight inside.
The four guards watched Wu Ling's figure, exchanging bewildered glances.
"Why has this Highness come here?"
"Should we report this?"
"No need, right? She's already gone inside..."
"Right, if we report it now, wouldn't Steward Wang just curse us out?"
"Why didn't you stop her just now?"
"I didn't dare. This Crown Prince looks a bit fierce."
The four guards whispered among themselves, hesitating with worried expressions as they craned their necks to look into the Grand Duke's Estate, trying to spot Wu Ling.
Yet she was nowhere to be seen.
Wu Ling was oblivious to the thoughts of the four guards, nor did she care; she had never been one to put on airs.
Entering the Grand Duke's Estate, she stopped a passing guard to inquire.
Upon seeing Wu Ling, the guard was struck by her stunning appearance and realized her identity was extraordinary.
Assuming Wu Ling was a friend of Cheng Guang or someone of the sort,
the guard immediately pointed out a direction for her.
Wu Ling nodded slightly and walked along the path indicated by the guard.
If she hadn't wished to avoid drawing excessive attention within the Grand Duke's Estate,
she could simply have used her cultivation and divine sense to locate Cheng Guang right away.
For now, she only wanted to come quietly and leave quietly.
..........
Yellow waters flowed by, and leaves fell in flurries.
After summer, the winds grew stronger and the fallen leaves multiplied, yet new leaves sprouted anew, presenting a scene full of vitality.
Cheng Guang was cultivating in the courtyard.
His divine sense was already extremely powerful now; he only needed to slowly build up his accumulation so as not to be sucked dry by the power of the Sage Fruit all at once.
His primary focus remained on conditioning his physical body.
Exercising his limbs in the courtyard, the metallic ringing sounds from his body grew faintly heavier. If one listened closely, the faint hissing of a divine python could be heard emanating from him.
Cheng Guang also clearly discovered that his stamina was becoming endlessly profound. Now, even without resorting to martial arts, he could handle ordinary sixth or seventh-grade martial artists without breaking much of a sweat.
After practicing martial arts for a while and reaching his current limit, Cheng Guang halted his movements.
Qingluan timely approached, holding a fine silk handkerchief to gently and meticulously wipe the beads of sweat from Cheng Guang's forehead.
Cheng Guang smiled as he looked at Qingluan, took the handkerchief from her hand, and said, "Qingluan, I can handle these little things myself."
Qingluan smiled softly: "Caring for the Heir Apparent is the very meaning of Qingluan's existence. Please let Qingluan do these things, Heir Apparent."
Cheng Guang was helpless.
As Qingluan took back the handkerchief and prepared to loosen Cheng Guang's garments to lead him to bathe, she heard a light yet hurried set of footsteps approaching from outside the courtyard.
"Is a guest arriving?"
Qingluan asked in confusion.
Cheng Guang remained silent, carefully sensing the aura of the incoming person. Once he felt it clearly, his eyes narrowed slightly, and his expression froze.
"Why is she here?"
"She? Who is that?" Qingluan wondered.
At that moment, Ning Qianxue beside them also seemed to have perceived something, her gaze snapping toward the outside of the courtyard.
Under her gaze, a figure clad in court robes, with gorgeous, radiant skirts and lotus-like steps, appeared outside the courtyard.
"It's you?"
The moment Ning Qianxue saw Wu Ling, she recognized her.
She pointed at Wu Ling and cried out in surprise.
Wu Ling stood at the courtyard entrance, surveying the interior.
Ignoring Ning Qianxue, she swept her gaze past her and locked her eyes directly onto Cheng Guang.
"May I come in?"
Wu Ling asked Cheng Guang.
Cheng Guang hadn't expected Wu Ling to come looking for him at a time like this.
He had only just returned from Wu Ling's Eastern Palace.
Cheng Guang felt perplexed, but he still stepped aside, gesturing an invitation as he spoke to Wu Ling:
"Come in."
Wu Ling nodded slightly and stepped into the Myriad Phenomena Garden.
She arrived before Cheng Guang,
her bright eyes flashing as she fixed her gaze upon him, staring deeply.
Just as her red lips parted slightly, and she was about to speak,
a figure nimbly flashed out from the side, wedging themselves right between Cheng Guang and Wu Ling.
Ning Qianxue crossed her arms, glaring at Wu Ling with open hostility.
"You're a crown prince, why aren't you staying in the imperial palace instead of running around outside all day?"
Seeing Ning Qianxue block the space between her and Cheng Guang, Wu Ling found the words she was about to utter momentarily stuck in her throat.
She opened her mouth slightly, rendered somewhat speechless.
Then she shifted her gaze back to Cheng Guang,
giving him an expression that seemed to say, "Deal with this."
Cheng Guang, however, paid no mind to Wu Ling's look. He chuckled and shook his head, gently patting Ning Qianxue's head. "Qianxue, she's probably here to see me because she has business."
Yet Ning Qianxue puffed out her cheeks and glared at Wu Ling.
A woman's intuition told her
that this woman named Wu Ling was definitely not simple.
Wu Ling herself felt secretly angry, clenching her fists before slowly loosening them.
"Fine, I'll leave."
With that, Wu Ling showed no reluctance, turning around to walk away.
Just as she was about to leave,
Wu Ling suddenly felt her hand being grabbed.
The movement was so swift that Wu Ling didn't even have time to react.
Startled out of her wits, Wu Ling whipped her head around, only to see that the person gripping her hand tightly was none other than Ning Qianxue.
This Ning Qianxue...
Could her strength actually be greater than her own?
How could her speed be this fast?
In Wu Ling's eyes, an unmaskable shock surged.
Ning Qianxue, however, seemed entirely unaware of Wu Ling's astonishment. She merely said, "Since you've come, why leave? I'm quite curious what business you have coming to see the Heir Apparent."
"Out with it."
Though Ning Qianxue allowed Wu Ling to stay,
she still harbored a trace of hostility toward Wu Ling.
Ning Qianxue couldn't quite explain why she felt this way.
She only felt that Wu Ling's arrival was likely meant to snatch something away from her.
What was she here to snatch?
Snatch the Heir Apparent?
But that didn't make sense either.
Qin Qin'an and Qingluan were both by the Heir Apparent's side, and Ning Qianxue hadn't felt jealous at all.
Why, then, should she feel uncomfortable around this Crown Prince Wu Ling?
Uncomprehending, Ning Qianxue clutched her chest, let go of Wu Ling's hand, and stepped up right beside Cheng Guang.
Wu Ling cast a startled look at Ning Qianxue, rubbed her slightly aching wrist, and then looked at Cheng Guang.
"Can I speak here?"
Cheng Guang nodded and smiled, "Go ahead. You've suddenly come looking for me; it surely isn't a small matter."
Wu Ling replied, "Indeed it is no small matter."
"The Great Yuan has invaded the Great Zhou. A border has already fallen, and an unknown number of cities have been overrun. Aside from a few sporadic reports, we still don't know how many troops the Great Yuan sent to attack us."
"Everyone who encountered the Great Yuan was likely silenced."
At this point,
Cheng Guang showed no sign of surprise on his face.
Given that this battle would reduce the Great Zhou to a single city, apart from the Southern Ming King's betrayal, the Great Yuan itself likely attached immense importance to it.
Therefore, it was quite normal that not a single person encountering the Great Yuan survived.
Noticing that Cheng Guang's expression didn't ripple in the slightest after she spoke, Wu Ling knew he probably already had wind of the matter.
Taking a slow, deep breath,
she continued:
"Didn't you say earlier that the Great Zhou would fall into chaos? May I ask you to take action?"
"I want to know, how do you plan to act?"
.......... (End of Chapter)