15: Chapter 15 Stalemate

Ten days after Luo Cheng was assassinated.

The storm in the Imperial Court not only failed to subside but intensified.

Third Prince Xiao Yu seemed to have grasped the Crown Princes Mansion's fatal weakness and pressed on relentlessly. Every day at the morning court session, there were memorials impeaching the Crown Prince. Yesterday it was "assassinating a court general," today it was "forming cliques for private interests," and tomorrow it would be "embezzling military pay." The charges were increasingly severe, and the evidence grew with each passing day.

People from the Crown Princes Mansion naturally refused to be outdone, refuting each point and arguing with reason. The factions on both sides clashed with sharp tongues in the court, arguing incessantly. Emperor Xiao Yuanshan sat firmly on the Dragon Throne, saying nothing, letting them argue.

But everyone knew this was just the calm before the storm.

When both sides played all their cards, that would be the time for the decisive battle.

Yongan Ward, Seventh Princes Mansion.

First basement level.

Xiao Xuan stood before the sand table, listening to Zhao Gao report the latest developments in the Imperial Court.

"... At this morning's court session, the Third Prince submitted three more impeachment memorials. One claimed the Crown Prince embezzled military pay, one claimed the Crown Prince colluded with foreign enemies, and one claimed the Crown Prince intended to rebel. The people from the Crown Princes Mansion refuted it on the spot, saying the Third Prince was making false accusations. The two sides almost fought in the court."

Xiao Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"Colluding with foreign enemies? Intending to rebel? These charges are not light."

Strategist Jia Xu stroked his beard and said: "The Third Prince is desperate. The previous impeachments were all resolved by the Crown Prince one by one, so he must bring out heavier charges to topple the Crown Prince."

Strategist Guo Jia smiled slightly.

"But he has no evidence."

Xiao Xuan looked at Strategist Guo Jia.

"Fengxiao, in your opinion, how will this round end?"

Strategist Guo Jia pondered: "Although the Third Prince is aggressive, the Crown Prince's Foundation is too deep. The legitimacy of being the eldest legitimate son, the scholars in the court, and Vice Minister of War Chen Shouxin of the Capital Garrison—these are the Crown Prince's trump cards. It is impossible for the Third Prince to topple the Crown Prince with just a few impeachment memorials."

He paused and continued: "But the Crown Prince is not having an easy time either. With the Third Prince making such a fuss, his reputation is damaged, and morale is wavering. If he cannot counterattack quickly, his prestige will plummet."

Xiao Xuan asked: "Then how will the Crown Prince counterattack?"

Strategist Guo Jia smiled.

"Your Highness, have you forgotten? The Crown Prince also holds the Third Prince's weak points in his hands."

He pointed to the Third Princes Mansion on the sand table.

"Over these years, the Third Prince has formed cliques, bribed officials, and raised private soldiers—which of these is not a capital crime? It's just that no one dared to investigate before, and no one could. Now that the Crown Prince is backed into a corner, he must bring these things out and fight the Third Prince to the death."

Strategist Jia Xu said: "Does Fengxiao mean that both will expose each other and suffer mutual destruction?"

Strategist Guo Jia nodded.

"Exactly. The Third Prince exposes the Crown Prince for embezzlement, collusion, and rebellion. The Crown Prince exposes the Third Prince for factionalism, bribery, and raising an army. Both have problems; neither is clean. The final result will be—"

He paused, saying word by word.

"Both get fifty strokes, and it ends up as nothing."

Xiao Xuan was thoughtful.

"Just like last time?"

"Yes," Strategist Guo Jia said, "just like last time. The Emperor wants balance, not one side dominating. The harder the Crown Prince and the Third Prince fight, the safer he is. As long as they don't truly start a war, he won't intervene."

Xiao Xuan was silent for a moment and nodded slowly.

"Makes sense. And us?"

Strategist Guo Jia smiled slightly.

"We continue to wait."

Three days later.

The situation in the Imperial Court was indeed as Strategist Guo Jia expected.

The Crown Prince, backed into a corner, finally played his trump card.

At the morning court session, the Crown Prince's faction presented a thick memorial, detailing the Third Prince's various crimes of forming cliques, bribing officials, and raising private soldiers over the past three years. Times, locations, intermediaries, and amounts of silver were all clear.

The Third Prince's faction turned pale.

But they quickly produced evidence for their counterattack—the so-called "evidence" of the Crown Prince embezzling military pay and colluding with foreign enemies.

The two sides argued in the court, accusing and exposing each other.

Finally, Emperor Xiao Yuanshan spoke.

"Enough."

Two words, not loud, but like thunder, making the entire court instantly silent.

Emperor Xiao Yuanshan stood up, his gaze sweeping over the kneeling officials, and finally landing on the Crown Prince and the Third Prince.

"You have disappointed me."

The Crown Prince and the Third Prince kowtowed together.

"Your son is guilty!"

Emperor Xiao Yuanshan snorted coldly.

"Guilty? If you truly knew you were guilty, you wouldn't be arguing like this in the court."

He paused and said slowly.

"Crown Prince, reflect behind closed doors for three months. Third Prince, reflect behind closed doors for three months. During this period, you are not allowed to participate in government affairs or meet with outside guests. If you violate this order, you will be severely punished."

The Crown Prince and the Third Prince both changed expressions.

Reflecting behind closed doors again?

Both getting fifty strokes again?

But neither dared to argue and could only kowtow to accept the decree.

"Your son obeys the decree."

The news spread, and the capital was in an uproar.

The Crown Prince and the Third Prince were each given fifty strokes again and ordered to reflect behind closed doors for three months.

This was the second time in half a year.

Some said the Emperor was biased and deliberately protecting both.

Some said the Emperor was honing them to see who could hold their temper.

Others said the Emperor was not biased at all; he was just waiting.

Waiting for someone who could truly shoulder the responsibility to appear.

Yongan Ward, Seventh Princes Mansion.

First basement level.

Zhao Gao reported the news from the court to Xiao Xuan.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince and the Third Prince have been ordered to reflect behind closed doors for another three months. The storm in the court has temporarily subsided."

Xiao Xuan nodded and looked at Strategist Guo Jia.

"Fengxiao, you predicted it again."

Strategist Guo Jia smiled slightly.

"Your Highness, it's not that I predicted it accurately, but the situation is just like that. The Crown Prince and the Third Prince exposed each other, and neither is clean. To maintain balance, the Emperor had to give them both fifty strokes."

Strategist Jia Xu asked: "Then what shall we do in these three months?"

Xiao Xuan was silent for a moment and said slowly.

"Continue accumulating strength."

He looked at Master Lu Ban.

"Master Lu Ban, how is the progress on the weaponry?"

Master Lu Ban grinned: "Your Highness, the Qi-Breaking Repeating Crossbow has been mass-produced. One thousand arrows can injure a Void God. One hundred arrows fired together can kill a Void God. If equipped with the White Robe Army's repeating crossbows, below the Void God level, we can kill as many as come."

Xiao Xuan nodded with satisfaction and looked at Chen Qingzhi.

"What about the White Robe Army?"

Chen Qingzhi cupped his hands: "Your Highness, the White Robe Army has expanded to twelve thousand men. Eight thousand are equipped with Qi-Breaking Repeating Crossbows, and four thousand are equipped with heavy armor and long spears. In a frontal charge, they can break a nine-rank army Formation of thirty thousand men."

Xiao Xuan looked at Xiao He again.

"What about the finances?"

Xiao He said: "Your Highness, for the past six months, income from various industries has been stable. Plus the batch we secretly intercepted when the Baili Clan was raided, we now have enough silver to support an army of thirty thousand for three years."

Xiao Xuan nodded and finally looked at Jiang Ziya.

"Master Jiang, what about your side?"

Jiang Ziya smiled slightly.

"Your Highness, for the past few months, I have been researching a Formation. If deployed, it can block the full-force attack of a True God Late Stage for half an hour."

Xiao Xuan's eyes lit up.

"Truly?"

Jiang Ziya said: "I would not dare to deceive Your Highness. It's just that this Formation requires a large amount of Spirit Stones and needs to be overseen by a powerhouse at or above the True God Realm. If I oversee it personally, I can block a True God Late Stage. If someone else is used, the effect will be worse."

Xiao Xuan pondered: "The Spirit Stones are no problem. Xiao He can allocate them. As for the True God Realm expert to oversee it..."

He paused and looked at Jiang Ziya.

"Master Jiang, can you always oversee it?"

Jiang Ziya smiled: "If Your Highness commands, I will naturally comply. However, if I am not there, this Formation will be useless."

Xiao Xuan nodded.

"Then prepare it first. Use it when needed."

He turned and looked at the sand table.

On the sand table, the markers for the Crown Prince and the Third Prince both had an extra three-month "reflect behind closed doors" label.

This meant the next three months would be a rare period of calm.

Xiao Xuan's gaze moved away from the Crown Prince and the Third Prince's markers and landed on a new position.

There was the Capital Garrison.

There was General Han Zhong, the Duke of Dingguo.

"Three months..."

He muttered to himself.

"What will it be like after three months?"

The next three months were peaceful.

The Crown Princes Mansion kept its gates closed, and the Third Princes Mansion was under renovation. With the two factions' arguing gone, the court seemed exceptionally quiet. Officials went about their business, and the days passed peacefully.

Xiao Xuan's Seventh Princes Mansion remained quiet and deserted.

No one visited, no one sent gifts, and some didn't even remember there was such a prince.

But this was exactly what Xiao Xuan wanted.

In three months, the White Robe Army expanded by another two thousand, reaching a total of fourteen thousand. Master Lu Ban's workshop operated day and night, producing batch after batch of superior weaponry. Xiao He's financial income grew steadily, and silver piled up in the underground warehouse. Jiang Ziya's Formation research had a new Breakthrough; it was said that it could achieve "Formation moves with the person," and was no longer fixed.

Strategist Guo Jia and Strategist Jia Xu spent their days simulating on the sand table, studying every vital point of the Crown Prince and the Third Prince. They even drew a "Roadmap to the Throne," detailing what to do at each step, what obstacles might be encountered at each step, and how to deal with each step.

Xiao Xuan looked at this map, silent for a long time.

Then he smiled.

"Fengxiao, Strategist, you two are really planning to calculate the Crown Prince and the Third Prince to death."

Strategist Guo Jia smiled slightly.

"Your Highness, I am just doing my best."

Strategist Jia Xu stroked his beard and said: "Your Highness, once the Crown Prince and the Third Prince are unbanned, we can start the next step."

Xiao Xuan nodded.

"Then we wait."

Three months later.

Great Yan calendar, second month of Yuanchun.

The Crown Prince and the Third Prince's period of reflecting behind closed doors ended as scheduled.

On the day the ban was lifted, the two met face-to-face outside Chengde Palace.

This time, neither said a word.

They just looked at each other and then left separately.

But in that look, there was too much contained.

Hatred, wariness, vigilance, and also—

Killing intent.

Yongan Ward, Seventh Princes Mansion.

First basement level.

Xiao Xuan stood before the sand table, watching the markers for the Crown Prince and the Third Prince light up again.

"Three months."

He muttered to himself.

Strategist Guo Jia walked to his side and smiled slightly.

"Your Highness, it is time to move."

Xiao Xuan looked at him.

"How to move?"

Strategist Guo Jia pointed to a marker on the sand table.

That was the location of the Wang Clan.

The Third Prince's number one supporter, a clan possessing an Old Ancestor at the True God Early Stage.

"Your Highness, the Wang Clan is the Third Prince's right-hand man. If we can topple the Wang Clan, the Third Prince will lose an arm."

Xiao Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"Topple the Wang Clan? How to topple them?"

Strategist Guo Jia smiled.

"Your Highness has forgotten? How did the Baili Clan fall?"

Xiao Xuan's eyes lit up.

"You mean..."

"Yes," Strategist Guo Jia said, "investigate the Wang Clan's background. Embezzlement, bribery, occupying civilian land, privately selling Spirit Medicine—none of these clans are clean. As long as we investigate, we will definitely find something."

Strategist Jia Xu said: "But the Wang Clan is different from the Baili Clan. The Wang Clan has an Old Ancestor at the True God Early Stage, and their strength is greater. Moreover, the Third Prince will definitely protect them."

Strategist Guo Jia smiled slightly.

"Let them protect. The harder they protect, the deeper they will sink."

He pointed to the Crown Princes Mansion on the sand table.

"At that time, let the Crown Prince's people impeach them. The Crown Prince and the Third Prince are mortal enemies; he will definitely be willing to do it. We just need to deliver the evidence into the Crown Prince's hands."

Xiao Xuan was silent for a moment and nodded slowly.

"Feasible. Zhao Gao, send people to investigate the Wang Clan. Be fast, be thorough, and don't alert the enemy."

"Yes!"

Xiao Xuan turned and looked out the window.

Outside, the sun was bright, and spring was in full bloom.

The new year was finally about to begin.