17: White-haired Prime Minister Gu Wanlan

The center of the Wu Dynasty, Wu Prefecture, on the outskirts.

The Winged Dragon Camp, one of the four major camps guarding the Imperial Capital, received an imperial decree to station itself at the prefecture border.

The Winged Dragon Camp was the Great Wu Dynasty's most mobile army.

Even the lowest-ranking soldiers in the army had to at least step into the Acquired Realm and Cultivate Protective Aura.

The armor they wore was very special, exquisitely designed and as light as a feather, forged from a unique cloud iron, with a pair of foldable iron wings extending from the back.

Infusing a small amount of Protective Aura allowed the wearer to achieve flight.

At this moment, all 30,000 soldiers of the Winged Dragon Camp's vanguard were on the plains, waiting for something.

Not far away, several carriages, escorted by Imperial Capital guards, drove towards the military camp.

"The adults from the Imperial Capital have arrived."

Several officers and generals of the Winged Dragon Camp stepped forward to greet them.

From the foremost carriage, a person descended, with white hair and green robes, a handsome face, and eyes containing a faint glow.

Time had left only slight traces on his face; if not for his white hair, others might have thought he was some Young Master.

"Your subordinate greets the Prime Minister!"

Wing Rush, the commander of the Winged Dragon Camp, led the generals in a respectful bow.

The person who arrived was precisely Prime Minister, the Grand Censor, the head of all officials in the Great Wu Dynasty, the First Prime Minister with a golden seal and purple ribbon.

In the court, he was second only to one person and above ten thousand; Emperor Wanwu often secluded himself for Cultivation, and the Crown Prince lacked the energy to manage state affairs. Almost all military and national matters passed through his hands, making him incredibly busy.

"Dispense with the formalities."

Prime Minister sighed lightly, looking up at the sky as clear as a washed slate, his mind filled with many thoughts.

It had been a very, very long time since he had left the Imperial Capital; everything remained unchanged.

Wars in the Four Seas and Five Regions had never ceased, and the Great Wu Dynasty was about to face immense turmoil.

Where should he go, and where should the people of the Great Wu Dynasty go?

"Grand Censor, Grand Minister of Ceremonies, Commander...

Several people descended from the carriages one after another, all important ministers of the court.

Especially the Grand Censor, who also held the rank of one of the Three Ducal Ministers, effectively a vice-prime minister, responsible for overseeing all officials.

Furthermore, he was the Emperor's father-in-law, the maternal grandfather of the current Crown Prince, respected by everyone in the court and throughout the land.

"When can the Prince enter Wu Prefecture?"

The Grand Censor resembled a dying lion, yet emanated a vast, righteous Qi that seemed out of place with his appearance.

Like the Prime Minister and other civil officials, he Cultivated the ancient Dao of literature.

The threshold for the ancient Dao of literature was extremely high, requiring profound knowledge to perceive heaven and earth.

But once one stepped through this threshold, their offensive methods were no less than those of True Martial practitioners.

Taking another step, achieving the Literary Grandmaster Realm, they could even contend with the Divine Martial Realm with ease.

Legend has it that during the peak of the ancient Dao of literature, a Literary Saint could settle rivers with a single word, slay demons with a single character, and defeat Dharma Manifestations by reciting poetry!

Unfortunately, in today's world, both literature and martial arts had declined, and the Origin Qi of heaven and earth was only one or two percent of what it was in ancient times.

"You adults have arrived early. According to the journey, the Grand General's forces will need at least three more hours to reach here," Wing Rush said, neither humble nor arrogant.

The others exchanged glances, their gazes ultimately falling on Prime Minister.

Prime Minister gazed north, silent, and the others waited patiently without any complaints.

Three hours later.

At dusk, a light cavalry unit of about five hundred riders approached, riding against the setting sun.

"Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry!"

Many new recruits in the Winged Dragon Camp felt their emotions stir, looking enviously at this legendary cavalry of the Great Wu Dynasty.

This was an army capable of engaging the renowned Jade Luan Army of the Sun Moon Imperial Dynasty without falling behind, even managing to counterattack and maneuver.

The number of Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry always remained around thirty thousand. Their mounts were all legendary Dragon-blooded steeds, rare exotic beasts, whose speed surpassed even the Northern Plains Wolf Cavalry.

The five hundred riders approaching wore white robes and silver armor, and their dragon steeds were also covered in light armor.

Leading the five hundred riders was actually a carriage.

The Prince Who Guards the North, renowned throughout the world, personally served as the coachman.

"Grand General!"

"Your subjects greet Your Highness!"

Two different shouts, like a mountain roar and a sea surge.

All thirty thousand Winged Dragon Camp soldiers knelt in unison, their armor rubbing together, emitting a "shush" sound like exhilarating waves.

On the plains, on the Wu Prefecture side, only Prime Minister and the other important court ministers remained standing.

Apart from him, everyone else also bowed in salute.

"At the Son of Heaven's feet, what kind of propriety is it to kneel to me?"

Xu Tianlang, dressed in ordinary rich merchant's fine clothes, yet still unable to conceal his majesty, waved his hand impatiently and drove the carriage forward.

As he passed Prime Minister, he suddenly smiled freely:

"Youngster of the Gu family, stop looking. The grand army suppressing the Northern Plains will not set foot in Wu Prefecture."

"Your Highness travels so lightly, this official is somewhat concerned about Your Highness's safety in the Imperial Capital."

Prime Minister's tone was calm, yet it stirred the vast Qi of heaven and earth, shaking the cosmos.

In the eyes of others, the sky's clouds shifted, as if a fierce tiger from the north was confronting a flood Dragon entrenched in the Imperial Capital.

"Too many people want me dead. Prime Minister, you junior, still have to wait your turn."

Xu Tianlang shook his head and drove away.

As the carriages passed each other, Prime Minister turned back, bowed deeply, and laughed loudly: "Your Highness, rest assured, this official will ensure Your Highness's safety in the Imperial Capital."

He was determined to revitalize the court, and the Prince Who Guards the North was the biggest obstacle. He wielded military power, threatening imperial authority; if he didn't die, the Northern Army would always be a hidden danger.

But it was undeniable that the Prince Who Guards the North had achieved unparalleled feats in expanding the Great Wu Dynasty's territory.

The Prince Who Guards the North could die of old age, or die in battle, but he absolutely could not die in the Imperial Capital. Otherwise, the million-strong army of the Northern Plains would surely rebel!

This was a chaotic era of imperial struggle for hegemony.

Military power was crucial.

Prime Minister sighed lightly. If possible, he didn't want to lose a talent like the Prince Who Guards the North. He wanted him to be used for his own purposes, to quell a thousand years of chaos, and to plot unification.

Unfortunately, he was not confident in controlling the Prince Who Guards the North. Therefore, he complied with Emperor Wanwu's wishes and had always suppressed the development of the Prince Who Guards the North's faction in court, being at loggerheads with him.

The vast Winged Dragon Camp army escorted the Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry into the Imperial Capital.

Prince Chu's Mansion.

Wu Zhong advised Xia Xuan: "Your Highness, today is the day the Grand General returns to court. Are you truly not going to greet him? The Grand General returned specifically for Your Highness this time."

Xia Xuan ignored him, changing the subject: "Last time, you accompanied this Prince in capturing Black Owl and finding clues to the Killing Altar. I haven't had a chance to reward you."

He handed Wu Zhong two jade pill boxes and a large stack of yuan ticket, saying:

"One creation divine pill, one calamity crossing divine pill, and five million yuan ticket. The former two are your rewards. The latter is for you to establish a secret intelligence agency for this Prince, collecting intelligence from all sides, starting from Wu Prefecture and expanding outwards."

It wasn't that he didn't want to see the Grand General, but his previous self's attitude towards the Grand General was neither warm nor cold. He couldn't just break character, could he?

Wu Zhong initially thought the reward would be like before, a few thousand Origin Stones, just a token gesture.

After he heard clearly what Xia Xuan said, his head buzzed, and he even suspected he was hallucinating.

But the items were right in front of him, how could there be a mistake?

"Your Highness, this, this, this... it's too valuable."

"By the way, you Cultivate the Golden Dao Protective Aura, so cultivating this 'Indestructible Golden Body' shouldn't be a problem."

Xia Xuan then left behind an ancient true inheritance, looked at Wu Zhong, who was in a daze, and patted his shoulder: "Don't disappoint this Prince's expectations."

Wu Zhong's expression gradually firmed: "Your Highness's command, I will not hesitate even if it means death!"

The value of one calamity crossing divine pill was more expensive than his own life, not to mention a creation divine pill and a top-tier profound art renowned in ancient times.

Capturing Black Owl and finding clues to the Killing Altar had almost no credit to him.

Wu Zhong understood that this was just an excuse His Highness made to reward him.

Having such an enlightened lord, how could he ever repay him?