314: Chapter 314 The Art of the Emperor

Huai Capital, Imperial Palace.

Ye Qingcang was wearing a thick robe, sitting in the warm chamber, reviewing memorials one after another.

Two palace servants brought in another brazier and placed it beside his footrest.

"Your Majesty, it is time to take your medicine."

Ye Qingcang looked up at the red pill and clear water in the small box in the servant's hand, his eyelids heavy.

"Leave it there. I will eat it after I finish reviewing these memorials."

"Yes."

"Are there any new memorials from the Crown Prince or the Crown Princes Tutor?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, there are no new memorials."

"You may withdraw."

"Yes."

As the two servants retreated, Ye Qingcang pushed open the window of the warm chamber and looked at the empty walkway and the bright sky, a trace of anxiety and disappointment in his eyes.

It had been too long.

According to the information received earlier, Xu Chaoyang left the city last night, and Tang Long and Grand Preceptor Qian Wenzhao should have launched their move immediately.

An entire night had passed; why was there still no news?

It seemed that being struck by the cold wind made his chest uncomfortable, and he began to cough violently.

Just then, the chamber door was knocked again.

"Your Majesty, Crown Prince Your Highness requests an audience, saying there is an urgent report."

"Summon him!"

"Yes."

Soon, Crown Prince Ye Xuanji entered the warm chamber, covered in rainwater, his wet appearance and the cold air he brought causing Ye Qingcang to cough several more times.

"Father, what is wrong? Did you not take your medicine on time today?"

Ye Qingcang struggled to suppress his coughing and waved his hand.

"Is it intelligence from Song City? Bring it to me quickly!"

Crown Prince Ye Xuanji hurriedly took out a small red tube from his bosom and presented the secret report.

Ye Qingcang took it and, after reading only two lines, slapped the table and cheered repeatedly.

"Good! That is good!"

"Xu Chaoyang has been executed! And that old thief, his father Governor Xu Mingyang, who would have thought he would die? He hid himself for so many years and even became a Huagai Realm!"

"University Scholar Zong Liangchen is also dead. Heh, what a piece of trash."

Crown Prince Ye Xuanji laughed and said, "Father, Tang Long is truly a talent."

"He managed to calculate the deaths of major threats like University Scholar Zong Liangchen and the Xu father and son."

"In that battle last night, nearly thirty Spirit Map experts participated. It is truly remarkable."

Ye Qingcang nodded, but a strange light appeared in his eyes.

"It is indeed remarkable. However, this person cannot be used heavily. From now on, you must be careful of this person at all times."

Crown Prince Ye Xuanji was stunned. "Why?"

Ye Qingcang sighed. "My son, from this secret report, have you not seen it yet?"

"Without my permission, he installed Governor Jiang Shiqi as the Governor of Song City, and he also privately accepted the surrender of the Sangyu people. These are clearly acts of insubordination."

Crown Prince Ye Xuanji was still confused.

"Father, Governor Xu Mingyang is dead; the situation in Song City needs to be pacified. I think Governor Jiang Shiqi is a suitable candidate."

"And the Sangyu people—if we can avoid fighting, that is a good thing, right?"

"Tang Long has made such a great contribution. Should we not be a little more lenient regarding some of his expedient measures?"

Ye Qingcang sneered. "Expedient measures? You really are a foolish child."

"In that battle last night, nearly thirty Spirit Map experts participated, and he managed to win over almost half of them."

"The High Priest of Feng City didn't hesitate to come in person, and High Priest Shang Yuleng of Song City—I don't know how he suddenly became a Huagai Realm, yet he became his pawn."

"And that old fellow Zheng Buwan actually took the field himself."

"After this battle, his prestige in the Song City military goes without saying."

"Now, the entire Song City is full of his supporters! Who is to say he won't be another Governor Xu Mingyang in the future?"

"My son, the schemes and methods of this Tang Long are far superior to Governor Xu Mingyang."

"If left unchecked, do you believe that in a few years, the two cities of Sangyu will become his private garden?"

"I have also heard rumors that he is the Reincarnation of the Saint."

"If it is true, in a few years, when his wings are fully grown and the White Clothes Association is spread across the country, will you be able to suppress him?"

Crown Prince Ye Xuanji's expression fluctuated.

After a long while, he gritted his teeth and asked in a low voice, "Then... should we kill him now?"

"Master Grand Preceptor Qian Wenzhao is in Song City. I will send a message immediately and have him do it!"

Ye Qingcang shook his head slightly. "There is no need to be so hasty."

Crown Prince Ye Xuanji was even more confused. "But, didn't you just say..."

Ye Qingcang laughed, his smile somewhat desolate.

He stood up and patted his son's shoulder. "Xuan'er, Father is old and does not have much time left."

"I tell you these things only to teach you the art of imperial strategy."

"You must learn to doubt everyone."

"Whether they are meritorious officials or treacherous officials, to an emperor, they are just tools—useful, but not to be trusted."

"Take your Master, Grand Preceptor Qian Wenzhao, for example. You think he can be trusted unconditionally, right?"

"You are wrong."

"If he were worthy of your trust, the situation in Song City would not be what it is today."

"He has the legitimacy of the imperial court and the ability; at the very least, he could have reported it to me in time."

"But he didn't. He was there, watching everything happen, watching Governor Jiang Shiqi become Governor, yet he did nothing."

"The fact that this all happened can only mean that he and Tang Long have already reached an unknown deal."

Speaking of this, Ye Qingcang pointed to the pill on the table.

"That medicine was bestowed by the old man, and it was carefully checked by the Shadow; it should be fine."

"But why, after I have taken it for years, has my condition not improved, and my body becomes worse day by day?"

"The old man should hope for my death to replace me with a young person who is easier to control, but why would the Shadow do it?"

Crown Prince Ye Xuanji was horrified.

Because he knew that the Shadow was originally the leader of another sect of the Red Religion and had a deep hatred for the Pope's lineage; logically, it was impossible for them to collude.

But his father's suspicion could not possibly be groundless.

At this moment, Ye Qingcang shook his head again. "Actually, the reason is not important. Since it happened, they must have colluded."

"You must learn to see the connections between things from the smallest clues."

"To be an emperor is destined to be a lonely man."

"Except for yourself, everyone is your potential enemy."

"Thinking this through early will save you many detours and much suffering."

Crown Prince Ye Xuanji's eyes turned red without him realizing it, but he wiped his eyes and quickly asked again.

"Father, then why, since you saw the danger of Tang Long, did you not let me act immediately? What are we waiting for? Does he still have any utility value?"

A look of gratification finally appeared on Ye Qingcang's face.

"Not bad, this question is the one you should truly be asking."

"Let me ask you: if Tang Long is truly the Reincarnation of the Saint, or if this news spreads, who should be the most worried?"

Crown Prince Ye Xuanji's eyes lit up. "I am afraid it would be Tang Long himself, or The Sect... the old man?"

"Exactly!"

"The Saint is the person closest to the gods. In the canons of all sects, their status is the same as the descendants of the gods, and in the sequence, it is even higher."

"After all, there was a Saint first, and only then did the descendants of the gods descend."

"If Tang Long is a Reincarnation of the Saint, according to the canon, the old fellow should give up his chair for him to sit in, and then stand below the holy steps himself."

"Because he is not a descendant of the gods, just a great-grandson several hundred generations removed from the Bloodline of the gods."

"Therefore, he will never tolerate the appearance of a Reincarnation of the Saint in the Red Religion."

"Do you understand now?"

"Tang Long is not only still useful but has great utility. The greater his power and the higher his prestige, the better."

"Heh heh! Without capital, what can we use to fight the old fellow?"

Crown Prince Ye Xuanji nodded deeply. "Father is wise! The more they fight, the more the power of The Sect will consume itself, and the more opportunities we will have."

Ye Qingcang was very satisfied. "That is the principle, but we cannot just do nothing."

"In Huai Capital, this wind must be stirred up immediately. In Song City, we cannot let certain people turn it into an impenetrable fortress."

"Summon Left Prime Minister Xu Zuopeng, Right Prime Minister Zhao Jixian, and... my good uncle, Ye Baiyan."