351: Third Prince

Feng Ming and the others exited the main hall with the guards. It was dark now, and as he expected, the conferment ceremony had ended, and the victory banquet was about to begin.

After returning to his place, Feng Ming repeatedly pondered the position of Prefect of Qianzhou. The Prefect of Qianzhou was below the Provincial Governor but belonged to the Imperial Capital Administrative Department. This meant the Provincial Governor could not manage him. One was military and the other civil; the Provincial Governor held power of deterrence while he held administrative power. They were meant to perform their respective duties.

However, the reactions of everyone in the hall, and the deliberate attempts by the Second Prince and Third Prince to befriend him earlier, made this position seem mysterious and confusing.

But in his heart, he was actually willing to go to Qian Prefecture. First, the Hua Family was in Qian Prefecture, which was perfect for proposing marriage and claiming the reward for Hua Dieer. Second, the Feng family had lived in Qian Prefecture before their downfall. Returning in glory this time was the perfect opportunity to settle old scores. He could never forget his mother's grudge.

There were some things he didn't have the strength for before, but now he really should consider them. Before setting out, they had already expected the day they would face their enemies directly, but they didn't expect it to come so soon.

Especially the reactions of the crowd made Feng Ming particularly suspicious. He took out a communication stone, intending to send a message to Xun Luoyuan to ask for the reason, but after several attempts, the communication stone remained unresponsive. It had actually malfunctioned.

Helpless, Feng Ming could only give up and wait quietly for the conferment to end, looking for another chance to contact her during the victory banquet.

Meanwhile, at the Commandery Princesss Mansion, Xun Luoyuan looked at the darkening night sky, a faint smile playing on her lips. "This fool probably doesn't know yet that communication stones can't be used inside the Imperial Capital."

She smoothed her robes and said to her maid, "Prepare the carriage. We are going to the Imperial City for the banquet. Tonight's play should also begin. I want to see how he handles it."

Before long, the conferment for all nine provinces ended. Feng Ming and the others were led to a magnificent courtyard, the Myriad Dragons Villa, which was the venue for the victory banquet.

A guard announced the rules in a deep voice at the entrance: "Once inside the villa, no one is allowed to leave without an imperial decree. The courtyard is vast; if you get lost, you can find a maid to lead you to your residence. Men's and women's quarters are separate, do not enter the wrong ones. The banquet will end tomorrow morning, and you will gather here to leave the city. Those who have no objections may enter."

Everyone was already impatient and flocked inside upon hearing this.

Although they were Cultivators and did not fear hunger or cold, they were physically and mentally exhausted after today's ordeal. After entering, they first sought food and wine to fill their stomachs before wandering around.

Over here, Feng Ming had only walked a few steps when he was stopped several times, all by young disciples of the Imperial Capital's Noble Families.

"Is this Brother Feng, Feng Ming? The newly appointed Prefect of Qianzhou. A pleasure to meet you!"

"Brother Feng, please look after me in the future. My father is an official in the Ministry of Revenue!"

"Brother Feng, I am Sima Qian. My father serves in the Administrative Department. I hope we can visit each other often in the future!"

These people had never met him before, yet they knew his name and position perfectly. Their eager attempts to curry favor made Feng Ming feel increasingly uneasy.

He was just a newly appointed Prefect of Qianzhou. In the eyes of the Imperial Capital's powerful, he probably didn't even count as significant. Why would he attract such pursuit? What secret was hidden in Qian Prefecture?

Lu Qianqian, who was beside him, also whispered, "Brother-in-law, these people are too enthusiastic. Something's not right."

Feng Ming nodded. Just as he was about to find an excuse to avoid them, a clear, cold laugh suddenly came from behind, familiar and pleasant: "Prefect Feng is indeed quite popular, but I'm afraid this popularity isn't so easy to accept."

Feng Ming turned around and saw Xun Luoyuan standing under the corridor. Her moon-white dress accentuated her slender figure, and the black jade hairpin at her temple reflected the dim light of the palace lanterns. The maid behind her bowed her head, and she exuded an innate noble aura. When the surrounding disciples saw her, they all restrained their expressions and retreated dejectedly.

"Xun Luoyuan." Feng Ming cupped his hands, and Lu Qianqian also bowed politely.

Xun Luoyuan looked up and signaled for the two of them to follow her. "There are many eyes and ears here. Let's talk elsewhere."

The three of them passed through the winding corridor and walked to the Qinfang Pavilion deep within the villa. Below the pavilion, the autumn water shimmered, and koi swam, breaking the moonlight into pieces. Xun Luoyuan leaned against a red pillar, brushed away the fallen osmanthus from her shoulder, and got straight to the point:

"Are you curious why a Prefect of Qianzhou would attract so much attention from the entire Imperial Capital?"

"Please enlighten me, Xun Luoyuan." Feng Ming said directly; he indeed couldn't figure it out.

"The previous Prefect of Qianzhou died suddenly in his mansion three months ago. His death was bizarre, with all the Essence Blood in his body drained, and no clues were found." Xun Luoyuan's voice was extremely low, and the night wind carried a chill.

"Your Majesty sent three groups of people to investigate, but they either returned empty-handed or perished in Qian Prefecture, unable to send back even a shred of information. More importantly, there is an ancient Secret Realm beneath Qian Prefecture. It appeared briefly a hundred years ago, bringing out countless Heaven And Earth Treasures. Based on current calculations, the Secret Realm is likely to open again within half a year."

Feng Ming's heart jolted, and he finally understood the reason. Good grief, he knew it wasn't that simple. It turned out this Prefect of Qianzhou was a hot potato!

"Your Majesty's appointment of you seems like a promotion, but it's actually pushing you to the eye of the storm." Xun Luoyuan continued, "The Third Prince wants to use you to control the Secret Realm, the Second Prince wants to use you as a target to test the depths of Qian Prefecture, and the Noble Families want a piece of the pie."

"You have no sect or faction, you come from a background of a Loose Cultivator, and you only have the newly risen Feng family behind you. Using you is the least conspicuous and can best make all parties lower their guard."

These words were like a sudden enlightenment. Feng Ming finally realized that from the very beginning, he was a pawn in King Haoyue's hand and a piece of fat in the eyes of various forces.

He tightened his grip on his storage ring. The Ten Thousand Year Cold Ice inside trembled again, and a very faint fishy smell drifted out. Could the thing inside this ice be related to Qian Prefecture?

"Then what is the meaning of the Xun Luoyuan telling me this today?" Feng Ming looked up and met her gaze. "As a member of the royal family, you should be helping Your Majesty."

Xun Luoyuan chuckled upon hearing this, a hint of cunning appearing in her eyes. "Who I help depends on who is worth helping. You want to avenge your mother, protect the Feng family, and propose to the Hua Family. All of these require power, and I can provide you with assistance."

She took out a Mysterious Black Token from her sleeve and handed it to Feng Ming. The token was engraved with a powerful "Luo" character. "With this token, my people within Qian Prefecture will follow your orders! Remember, don't be a pawn at the mercy of others; be the one who plays the game."

Feng Ming took the token. It felt slightly cool and heavy, and the patterns on it seemed to have spiritual energy flowing through them.

He looked up: "Aren't you afraid I'll turn on you?"

"I bet you wouldn't dare." Xun Luoyuan raised an eyebrow. "What you want, I can give, and what you can do, others cannot."

Just then, a maid's announcement came from afar, vaguely carrying the words "The Third Prince has arrived."

Xun Luoyuan's expression changed slightly, and she took a step back, resuming her cold appearance. "The good show of the victory banquet has just begun."

"The Third Prince and the Second Prince are probably both waiting to see you, the new Prefect." She turned around, her skirt sweeping across the pavilion steps. Before leaving, she left a whisper that was carried into Feng Ming's ears by the night wind: "In the Imperial Capital, speak little, watch more, and be cautious about which side you join."

Feng Ming stood in the Qinfang Pavilion, clutching the black token, watching Xun Luoyuan's departing figure, and feeling the trembling ice in his storage ring. His heart was in turmoil.

Qian Prefecture, the Secret Realm, the struggle between princes, and the greed of Noble Families—this game had already been set, and he, the Prefect of Qianzhou, was the key pawn.

He would either be crushed to pieces in the game or use the momentum to break the situation and take charge of his own destiny.

The noise in the distance drew closer. The Third Prince's hearty laughter was mixed with the agreement of the crowd. Feng Ming took a deep breath, tucked the token into his robes, suppressed the waves in his heart, and walked toward the noise.

The game of the victory banquet had begun, and his own game should also start.