It was a big thing to be thanked by Empress Li, but Qianye simply couldn’t recall what he had done for her to treat him so well. After thinking long and hard, the only thing worth her verbal gratitude might be his bringing Li Kuanglan from the depths of the Great Maelstrom.
On the other hand, Empress Li was likely going to ask something troublesome for him. Qianye, of course, wouldn't agree right away.
Empress Li said, “I must thank you about Li Kuanglan. This matter is related to the future of our entire Li family, so it’s not excessive no matter how we judge its importance. Everything I did for you in the past involves little to no effort. In the future, our Li family will always be your support in the Empire.”
These words contained a different meaning when spoken by the Empress. Qianye stood up to express his gratitude and said, “I heard that the Li and Zhao families had always been at odds. I hope you’ll forgive me if I stand on their side if there are any future conflicts.”
Empress Li didn’t show any sign of displeasure. She even smiled somewhat, saying, “I know your background, so I definitely won’t make things difficult for you. Whatever conflict is there between our families will probably stay in the Imperial court. No party is right or wrong in such matters, only standpoints. Most people in the situation have no choice, you’ll understand that later on.”
“I thank you for your understanding.” Qianye’s expression remained the same, but he was slightly alarmed inside. He felt that Empress Li’s words contained a deeper meaning.
“Now let’s talk about my request for you.”
“I listen respectfully.”
“I haven’t thought about it yet.”
Qianye almost stumbled onto the tea table.
Seeing that Qianye’s indifferent expression had finally crumbled, Empress Li chuckled with her mouth covered. “I haven’t thought about it yet, but I may have something in a couple of days. You should just agree first. In any case, I won’t make you go against the Zhao clan or fight your brothers.”
Qianye nodded only after some serious thought. He had no choice but to give the Empress face under present circumstances. She would owe him a big favor, and that was a good thing for his friends in the Empire, even if not for himself.
At this point, the discussion was more or less over. Empress Li said, “Since you’re back, just stay in the Empire for a couple more days. I’ll send someone to take you to the Li clan for a visit. Do give the young ones some pointers and let them know that there’s always someone better. You should also pay the Zhao clan a visit, I’ve made arrangements for that as well. You can move about freely after that.”
She clapped gently, and an inner attendant arrived with a tray. On it was a jade waist-plate with an exquisite “Li” character carved onto it. The craftsmanship was beautiful, but it was overly exquisite to the point of losing its boldness. All in all, it couldn’t be considered a top-grade work.
“This is my identity token when I was younger, the calligraphy is also my work. It feels like a young girl’s scrawl now that I look at it. Keep it for now and feel free to use it when you encounter trouble. Those who recognize it won’t cause trouble for you, and those who don’t recognize it aren’t worth paying attention to anyway. I’ll deal with those ignorant people slowly.”
This was akin to a symbol of Empress Li’s authority, and Qianye didn’t refuse it. As he received the jade token respectfully, he could feel its warmth and a faint fragrance coming from it.
“I’m tired. If there’s nothing else, have the men send you to your next stop.”
Qianye asked, “I have a question. I hope you can tell me a bit about it.”
“What would that be?”
“The dark races were making plans for the new world a while ago, but recently, there hasn’t been any news about it. I wonder how much they have progressed and what I should do to prepare?”
Empress Li said, “Your information network is quite good. This matter is complicated and rarely spoken of in the open. The Evernight side has been mobilizing their forces and bolstering defenses on certain big continents. Their council members have also been moving in greater numbers and frequency as well, mainly focusing on those continents. There’s little news about the higher continents, but for now, we can say that the continents of Twilight, Abyss, and Summit are amassing forces. I’m guessing these places are related to the new world. Judging from the magnitude of their forces, they’re probably seeking to fill the gap in fighting power after their experts leave for the new world.
“The Empire has no counter-strategy against them. We understand nothing about this new world apart from its name, nor do we know when and how its passage will open. Besides, the Empire doesn’t have that much time to spare, either. With the war having just ended on the void continent and the frontline soldiers returning home, the interim units have to be disassembled, and financial support for the families of the dead have to be paid. The withdrawal of soldiers and the construction-work on the continent are enough to keep us busy for a while.”
This raised Qianye’s eyebrows. “Shouldn’t the new world be top-priority?”
“Of course, the new world is important, but that’s a matter for the experts. The Empire has just seen a change in heavenly monarchs, not to mention a war has just ended, everything is important right now. The Empire drafted a large number of troops from the aristocracy, and now, it’s time to return them and calculate their contributions. The issuance of rewards alone will eat up all of this year’s military budget. Speaking of which, you took the biggest single reward!”
Qianye turned silent. “Over ninety percent of the brothers I led to Whitetown died in battle. I might not have accepted the mission if I knew what was to come.”
Empress Li said, “You would have still accepted it. Whitetown was extremely important to the plan. If you guys hadn’t held your ground there, Evernight would not have lost so miserably. Not only that, they might have claimed the victory before things turned around for the Empire. Besides, that war was Imperial Steward Lin’s final effort. You wouldn’t deny him his long-cherished wish.”
Qianye looked up at Empress Li. “Whose war was the void continent!? If this war is the fruit of his labor, why was he not allowed to join the main forces? Why was he allowed to go alone at the most dangerous moment?”
Empress Li was startled. She didn’t know what to say, or how much.
In truth, it wasn’t as though the upper echelons of the Empire were ignorant about the feud between the Longevity Monarch’s bloodline and the Solemn Emperor’s. The recent change of heavenly monarchs and the removal of the Longevity Monarch’s descendants from power was enough to prove many peoples’ guesses. Yet, no one dared to say their knowledge covered everything, not even Empress Li herself.
Qianye’s obsidian eyes were like a dark abyss. When Zhang Boqian came to see him after the war, the monarch had revealed that all of this was the Longevity Monarch’s plan to topple the Imperial bloodline. Qianye was too shocked to ask questions back then, but after thinking about it, there were many things that puzzled him. He was never able to get them off his mind.
Now that Empress Li had brought this up on her own, he couldn’t help but want to hear her excuse.
Empress Li sighed. “The fall of a heavenly monarch is the Empire’s pain.”
Lin Xitang killing the Minister of the Right wasn’t a secret. However, just a third of the military’s power wasn’t enough to execute this scheme, or squeeze Lin Xitang out of the pre-war preparations. It was fine to use the Minister of the Right as an excuse for ordinary nobles, but the same couldn’t be said for Qianye. Empress Li couldn’t tell how much Qianye had heard, and she had no reason to cover up for the Longevity Monarch’s actions, either.
Empress Li gazed into Qianye’s gloomy eyes and said, “The mastermind behind everything has been executed. His Majesty, the heavenly monarchs, and the major clans will not tolerate such a malignancy that can shake the Empire’s foundations.”
This explanation was the same as Prince Greensun’s, but there was still no answer to his questions. “Why did my adoptive father have to sacrifice himself to turn the tides? It’s not like… there was no other way.” What Qianye didn’t say was that the alternative would mean a lot more casualties.
Now that Qianye himself was a commander, he understood that there would always be sacrifices no matter how much he loved his troops. Considering Lin Xitang’s ability, the Empire would benefit much more from his presence than winning this war. Besides, the man wouldn’t have become an Imperial marshal if he were the type to throw his life away so easily.
Empress Li was dazed for a moment. She couldn’t pretend to not understand since both of them were smart people, not to mention Qianye would sooner or later hear about the fishy reason behind Lin Xitang’s death.
After some thought, she said, “I don’t know what Imperial Steward Lin was thinking, but I do have some guesses. The problem is that this involves Imperial secrets, and I am bound by a divine oath, so I cannot tell you. If you really want to know, you should ask Prince Greensun in the future.”
Qianye frowned somewhat. He knew even before asking that his chances of getting an answer were slim, but he never imagined that she would recommend Zhang Boqian as the person to dispel his doubts.
He nodded, saying, “Very well, I will ask Prince Greensun personally when the opportunity arises.”
Empress Li said, “Prince Greensun cherishes talent greatly. He looks cold on the outside but has a warm heart. You will surely be rewarded if you ask him.” With that, she added, “Oh right, why are you so interested in the new world?”
Qianye, of course, wouldn’t say that it was because he missed Nighteye. “If the gates to the new world open, I want to go in and see.”
“You want to go in? News from the Evernight Faction says that only council members can enter when the gates open. The Empire’s standard threshold is a divine champion.”
Qianye replied calmly, “If the only requirement is to be a divine champion, I can indeed go in and see.”
He released a small bit of his aura. Empress Li’s eyes lit up as she grabbed Qianye by the hand, “You’re already a divine champion?”
The Empress’ hands were soft and cold. Even someone as strong-willed as Qianye couldn’t help but waver slightly. His expression remained unchanged as he pretended not to notice, almost as though his hand was a rock. “I ascended out of sheer luck.”
Realizing that she had lost her composure, Empress Li slowly retracted her hand. “How I envy Duke Chengen for having such wonderful children. You might not know, but Zhao Jundu has reached the divine champion stage after returning from the void continent. He can be considered the first among the younger generation.”
“Jundu has ascended?” Qianye had already received news of his swift recovery back in the neutral lands, but who would have thought there would be such a delightful surprise? Then again, why had this news not spread?
Qianye asked, “When did that happen? Why were there no celebrations?”
Reaching the divine champion realm was a big matter in any clan or family, especially for someone who had broken through at such a young age. They should be letting all kith and kin know of it.
“There were no celebrations this time. As for the reason, you will understand when you go to the Zhao clan.”
At this point, a maid arrived to lead Qianye away, and Eunuch Liu accompanied Qianye into the airship in person. Just as they were boarding the airship, someone hurriedly ran over and passed them a paper slip. Eunuch Liu laughed after opening it, saying, “He’s really fast!”
“What’s the matter?”
Eunuch Liu crushed the paper and threw it away. “It looks like we need to make a detour. General Song Zining somehow found out that you’re here. He sent word, asking to meet at a certain palace. I owe him a favor recently, so it’s difficult for me to make excuses. Considering your relationship, I don’t think you would refuse to see him, either, would you?”
Of course, Qianye wouldn’t refuse. The airship thus took the air and flew swiftly in a certain direction.
The airship arrived at its destination one day later. Qianye walked out of the cabin doors and into a completely alien locale. A towering grand mansion stood in the distance, one that was not at all inferior to that of the Song and Zhao clans’. The building sat on a vast land with its many courtyards linked together. This was more like a small city than a manor.
There were two golden letters on the doors of the main building: “Frozen Jade.”
Frozen Jade Manor was the headquarters of the Bai clan. There were many past conflicts between Qianye and the Bai clan, almost to the point of becoming enemies. Why would Song Zining want to see him here?
Just as he was thinking about it, he saw a person running over at great speed. He arrived before Qianye in the blink of an eye, not even kicking up dust despite his swift movement. “You arrived so quickly!”
This person was Song Zining. Qianye waited until he was in front before asking, “Why pick this place? Did they do anything to you?”
“No way. Besides, people who want to harm me will need to think about their own weight.”
That was true. Song Zining was rank seventeen, after all, and only one step away from the divine champion realm. With World Prosperity in hand, even a divine champion might find it difficult to kill him.
Song Zining said, “Get in the car, let’s go see a certain person.”
“Where’s the car?”
Song Zining slapped his forehead, remembering that he had run over in a rush. His car was still over a thousand meters away.
Qianye didn’t mind a bit of walking. The two chatted along the way until they arrived at the jeep, then drove toward Frozen Jade Manor.
In the residence of a major clan, taking a car was often more convenient than walking since specially marked vehicles could skip checkpoints.
The jeep passed through numerous courtyards and checkpoints, both visible and hidden. The car soon came to a stop at a quiet compound, one that was covered in the shade of tall, ancient trees.
Song Zining got off and knocked on the gates but, without even waiting for a response, entered with Qianye in tow.
There was a lady in the courtyard seated with her back toward the gate, her hair hanging loose over her shoulders.
She wore no decorative items, just like that simple courtyard.
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