232: Xu Zhihu's arranged marriage is cancelled! Princess Suizhu goes north

Chapter 230: Imperial Marriage for Xu Zhihu Canceled! Princess Suizhu Enters Northern Liang!

In Tai'an City.

The black-robed National Preceptor Yang Taisui and Imperial Tutor Yuan Benxi were both urgently summoned into the palace by Emperor Zhao Chun.

The two met at the palace gate but did not speak. They rarely appeared together.

Yuan Benxi managed Intelligence Agency, specializing in schemes and stratagems, while Yang Taisui planned for the empire, always proposing overt strategies.

Their simultaneous appearance indicated that the Emperor had encountered a major problem.

Upon arriving at the Imperial Study, they saw Zhao Chun looking grim, with Han Shengxuan, the chief of the Twelve Eunuchs, standing behind him, and Superintendent Nan Huaiyu of the Imperial Observatory standing before the imperial desk.

The Imperial Observatory of the Li Yang Dynasty housed a group of Qi Refiners, who could observe the Luck of the world, and it also possessed a Mount Longhu Summoning Immortal Array.

The Mount Longhu Summoning Immortal Array could summon Immortals from Mount Longhu who had ascended to the Heavenly Gate to descend to the mortal Realm, making it one of the Li Yang Dynasty's great trump cards.

Several years prior, it was the Imperial Observatory that calculated that the child Wu Su was carrying was the Reincarnation of the True Martial Great Emperor.

The Reincarnation of the True Martial Great Emperor was typically a dominant and ambitious leader. The then-elderly Emperor Zhao Li was extremely alarmed, which is why he instructed Yuan Benxi, Yang Taisui, and Nan Huaiyu to orchestrate the White Robe Case in the capital.

And now, all the masterminds of that White Robe Case were present.

Zhao Chun's face was ashen, and the wrinkles on his forehead had deepened significantly overnight.

"Master, we were wrong..."

The Emperor's opening remark was a baffling one, leaving Yuan Benxi somewhat astonished.

Zhao Chun looked at Nan Huaiyu, "Superintendent, you speak."

The white-haired Nan Huaiyu cupped his hands to the two elderly officials, then began to explain the results of his divination.

"Gentlemen, two years ago, the Imperial Observatory detected an anomaly in the world's Luck."

"This anomaly was different from when Xu Fengnian was calculated to be the Reincarnation of the True Martial Great Emperor; it was extremely vague at first."

"After the great war between Sha Province and Northern Liang, it has now become increasingly clear."

Yang Taisui and Yuan Benxi both knew that the Imperial Observatory was established to identify enemies of the Li Yang Dynasty.

Nan Huaiyu continued, "King of Tang Li Chang'an has been gathering the world's Luck. According to this old man's divination, the King of Tang will overturn the Li Yang Dynasty!"

Yang Taisui said expressionlessly, "Superintendent, this is not the first time you've said this."

The Imperial Observatory did have a habit of alarmist talk to highlight its importance; its tone was similar when it spoke of the Reincarnation of the True Martial Great Emperor.

Nan Huaiyu stroked his snow-white beard and said with great certainty, "This time it's different. The King of Tang's Luck is unbelievably strong."

At this point, Yuan Benxi said with some indignation, "Superintendent's words, this Yuan finds hard to believe!"

"You previously said Xu Fengnian was the Reincarnation of the True Martial Great Emperor. The late Emperor and His Majesty took every precaution against him, but what was the result?"

"Xu Fengnian was clearly a complete good-for-nothing, accomplishing nothing!"

With the Imperial Tutor's outburst, Nan Huaiyu's pressure sharply increased.

"The Heavenly Dao is unpredictable. Mr. Yuan's doubts are also this old man's doubts..."

Yuan Benxi pressed on, "This old man asks you, when Li Chang'an was born, were there any unusual phenomena in heaven and earth?"

Nan Huaiyu said with difficulty, "No, Li Chang'an's Luck only surged dramatically in the last two years. Although Xu Fengnian is the Reincarnation of the True Martial Great Emperor, his Luck should have been seized by Li Chang'an."

Yuan Benxi sneered, "So, Li Chang'an is even more formidable than the True Martial Great Emperor. I wonder which Immortal descended as his Reincarnation?"

Nan Huaiyu continued to explain, "If he were an Immortal's Reincarnation, the Imperial Observatory would have detected it during his gestation. This Li Chang'an... this old man cannot see through him."

"However, this old man has already written to the Guanyin Sect in the Southern Sea. They are also Qi Refiners; let's see if they have any findings."

Sect Master Tantai Pingjing of the Southern Sea Guanyin Sect is a Terrestrial Deity who Cultivated as a Qi Refiner, and she is also skilled in the art of observing Qi.

Yuan Benxi's anger stemmed from the fact that if he had known earlier about the anomaly in Li Chang'an's Luck, he would never have used Li Chang'an in any 'drive a tiger to swallow a wolf' scheme.

At this moment, Zhao Chun stopped the three from arguing and beckoned to Han Shengxuan.

"Shengxuan, convey the words of the Grand Supervisor of Heaven and Man to them."

The Emperor's brief sentence carried more deterrent power than the imperial decree he usually issued.

The three venerable elders of the Li Yang Dynasty were somewhat dumbfounded, unable to comprehend what they had heard.

Grand Supervisor of Heaven and Man!

He had lived from the founding of the Li Yang Dynasty until now, appearing to be a young eunuch in his teens.

This eunuch was one with the Luck of the Li Yang Dynasty, achieving longevity through its Luck, and had already advanced to the Terrestrial Deity Realm.

The four Realms of the first rank are Vajra, Finger Profound, Celestial Phenomenon, and Terrestrial Deity. Beyond that, one transcends the nine ranks.

Super Grade Masters could no longer be called human, because Terrestrial Deities could already Ascend to the Immortal Realm.

However, not everyone wished to Ascend. Those who passed through the Heavenly Gate but did not enter were known as Heaven and Man.

This young eunuch of the Li Yang Dynasty was the true national treasure of the Li Yang Dynasty.

This Grand Supervisor did not concern himself with state affairs, nor even with the struggle for the throne, because for him, as long as the Emperor's surname remained Zhao and the Li Yang Dynasty endured, nothing else mattered.

Now that the Grand Supervisor of Heaven and Man had spoken, it indicated that a major event truly endangering the Li Yang Dynasty was about to occur.

Han Shengxuan slowly said, "The Grand Supervisor said that there are evil demons from outside the domain in the Northwest, which will endanger the Luck of the Li Yang Dynasty."

Upon hearing Han Shengxuan's words, even Nan Huaiyu, the Superintendent of the Imperial Observatory, couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Two hundred years. The Li Yang Dynasty had been founded for two hundred years, and this was the first time the Grand Supervisor of Heaven and Man had sent a message to the Emperor.

Because before, no matter how the Nine States of Spring and Autumn fought, or how unwieldy Northern Liang became, the Grand Supervisor of Heaven and Man had always remained silent.

This meant that those previous matters had never endangered the Luck of the Li Yang Dynasty.

"The Northwest... isn't that the direction of Sha Province?"

"Li Chang'an has risen in recent years, and Xu Xiao has been stationed in the Northwest for many years. If this great calamity were Northern Liang, the Grand Supervisor should have detected it long ago."

The Grand Supervisor of Heaven and Man's Cultivation was similar to the Daoist incense offerings. Leaving Tai'an City would greatly diminish his strength, no longer retaining his Terrestrial Deity Cultivation.

However, as long as he remained within Tai'an City, with the blessing of the Li Yang Luck, the Grand Supervisor of Heaven and Man would be invincible in this world!

Seeing that the venerable elders had all fallen silent, Emperor Zhao Chun said, "Gentlemen, what should be done now?"

"Since the Grand Supervisor of Heaven and Man has spoken, then Li Chang'an will be the primary internal threat to our Dynasty."

"Matters concerning Northern Liang and the other princely states of the same clan should be put aside for now. We cannot allow Li Chang'an to grow any stronger."

Yang Taisui suggested, "This old official humbly requests Your Majesty to immediately dispatch Grand General Gu Jiantang to Western Shu Province, under the pretext of suppressing the Green Shirt Alliance's rebellion there, to prepare the army for battle."

"At the same time, send a secret imperial decree to Xu Xiao, informing him that the Imperial Court supports Northern Liang between him and Li Chang'an."

Yuan Benxi added, "On the day of Li Chang'an's wedding, an imperial decree can be publicly issued to cancel the imperial marriage!"

"This way, we can win over the hearts of Northern Liang, strike a blow to Li Chang'an's arrogance, and also make Sha Province and Northern Liang mortal enemies."

"After all parties are prepared, Western Shu, Qing Province, and Northern Liang will dispatch troops together to completely annihilate Li Chang'an!"

Preparing a large army also required time, especially for a nationwide war of this scale. The consensus among them was to launch the war after Li Chang'an's wedding.

Zhao Chun mentally simulated the comparison of forces, considering the opinions of Yuan Benxi and Yang Taisui.

"Prince Yan guards the former Southern Tang territory. Now that the old imperial clan of Southern Tang is rebelling, he must send troops."

"Additionally, Western Shu Province is a crucial location and needs a prince to guard it. Gu Jiantang alone is not enough."

At this point, Yang Taisui directly said, "Among the imperial princes, Zhao Kai was born with Luck, and he can contend with Li Chang'an."

Yuan Benxi's face darkened as he said, "Nonsense, Zhao Kai is an illegitimate imperial prince!"

Zhao Kai's Senior Master was Han Shengxuan, and his Second Master was Yang Taisui. Both held Zhao Kai in high regard precisely because he was born with Luck.

Under normal circumstances, Zhao Kai would have no chance of being given an important position. Zhao Chun had six sons and one daughter, and by any calculation, it wouldn't be Zhao Kai's turn.

But now it was different. Li Chang'an was targeted by the Li Yang Dynasty because he threatened the dynasty's Luck.

Zhao Kai, born with great Luck, was perfectly suited to be arranged to go to Western Shu to deal with Li Chang'an. It was a contest of Luck, and the timing was just right.

Indeed, the Superintendent of the Imperial Observatory also echoed, "Your Majesty, in the struggle for Luck, one slow step leads to many slow steps. The annihilation of Li Chang'an must not go wrong."

At this moment, Han Shengxuan's pale hands clenched tightly. The opportunity he had longed for had finally arrived!

Zhao Kai was born with great Luck; all he needed was an opportunity like this!

However, eunuchs could not interfere in governance; at most, they could be executors. He currently had no right to speak.

Zhao Chun thought for a moment, then decisively said, "Issue an imperial decree, enfeoff Zhao Kai as the Prince of Shu."

"And give him another secret imperial decree: if he cannot sever Li Chang'an's head within one year, Zhao Kai will present his own head!"

Such an imperial decree, both bestowing a princely title and issuing a military order, was meant to accommodate the opinions of all parties, and it also satisfied a hidden concern in Zhao Chun's heart.

He also vaguely felt that to deal with someone who seized Luck, one should naturally use a person endowed with great Luck.

Although he had six sons and one daughter, at the time of their birth, the only one who drew the attention of the Imperial Observatory was Princess Suizhu.

In other words, among his six sons and one daughter, Princess Suizhu had the strongest Luck, but it still couldn't compare to Zhao Kai's.

Yang Taisui bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise!"

"There is one more matter. Li Chang'an is going to Northern Liang for the wedding. Merely canceling the engagement to humiliate him is not enough."

"If possible, it would be best to help Xu Xiao kill Li Chang'an."

The Imperial Court was aware of Li Chang'an's battle against Li Chungang, and they knew that killing Li Chang'an would not be easy.

Therefore, Yang Taisui continued, "Even if we cannot kill Li Chang'an, killing some of his experts will also serve as preparation for the future great war."

Zhao Chun said in a deep voice, "Granted!"

"Xu Xiao's daughter's marriage this time has stirred up quite a few people."

Xu Xiao invited Jianghu figures, ostensibly to attend his daughter's wedding ceremony, but in reality, to restore Northern Liang's prestige.

Moreover, two groups of experts in Xu Xiao's princely estate had been slaughtered by Li Chang'an, and now he needed to replenish his forces.

Xu Xiao's invitation this time was extremely broad, including Dongyue Sword Pond, the Xuanyuan family of Hui Mountain, Wudang Mountain, and so on.

"Intelligence Agency will notify those Schools that have pledged allegiance to the Imperial Court to also attend Xu Xiao's daughter's wedding."

"At that time, when the imperial marriage is canceled and Li Chang'an is enraged, it will be the perfect opportunity for everyone to attack him collectively!"

Yuan Benxi praised, "Acting in this manner, Li Chang'an will only believe Xu Xiao is the culprit, which will not affect the Imperial Court's troop preparations. Your Majesty's foresight is profound!"

In just one hour, the Li Yang monarch and his ministers decided on several major matters.

Firstly, to reorganize the military and prepare to encircle and suppress Li Chang'an, using the opportunity to mobilize the princely states' armies.

Secondly, to publicly issue an imperial decree, canceling the imperial marriage between Li Chang'an and Xu Zhihu, as a form of humiliation.

Thirdly, to enfeoff Zhao Kai as the Prince of Shu, and for him and Grand General Gu Jiantang to manage Western Shu Province.

Fourthly, Intelligence Agency would mobilize Jianghu figures to jointly attack Li Chang'an during the Northern Liang Princess's wedding ceremony.

Due to the directive from the Grand Supervisor of Heaven and Man, the matter of annihilating Li Chang'an required no consultation with other court officials.

After the ministers left, only Han Shengxuan remained in the Imperial Study.

Zhao Chun asked, "Where is Fengya?"

Han Shengxuan bowed and quietly replied, "Her Highness the Princess is already nearing Northern Liang. Zhang Heng will send regular updates."

Princess Zhao Fengya, originally betrothed to Xu Fengnian, was subsequently betrothed to Chen Zhibao after Xu Fengnian lost his position as heir apparent.

In the original story, Chen Zhibao became the Prince of Shu, and the Emperor also intended to betroth Princess Suizhu to Chen Zhibao.

In the current timeline, Princess Suizhu still could not escape this fate.

Princess Suizhu created a stir for several days, but the Emperor remained firm in his decision. In the current situation, it was even more imperative to win over Northern Liang to deal with Li Chang'an, so the Emperor's intention to bestow the marriage became even stronger.

Thus, the Princess, accompanied by Sun Diaosi and her friend Zhang Heng, traveled incognito to Northern Liang.

The Emperor wanted her to marry, and she couldn't resist. Even her mother, who always doted on her, didn't speak up for her.

Since she couldn't change it, she wanted to go and see what kind of person she was to marry.

The Emperor felt guilty towards his daughter, so he let her go.

Moreover, Northern Liang would soon be full of his own people, so it shouldn't be too dangerous.

Should any danger arise, Northern Liang would not stand idly by.

In Ling Province City.

Ever since Chen Zhibao achieved a Breakthrough to Terrestrial Deity, Xu Xiao had begun a series of plans to revitalize Northern Liang.

Xu Fengnian secretly practiced martial arts without telling his father, simply because the matter of his previous Reincarnation was too secretive, and he didn't want too many people to know.

After being struck down twice by Li Chang'an, Xu Fengnian had also matured. He understood true feigned weakness, choosing to hide until he possessed absolute strength.

Now that Xu Xiao and Chen Zhibao were fully committed to revitalizing Northern Liang, Xu Fengnian was confident that all of this was paving the way for him.

Luo Yang usually stayed in the Listening to the Tide Pavilion. She was elusive, and Li Yishan and others without martial arts naturally couldn't detect her.

Upon seeing Li Chang'an, Xu Fengnian's kneeling was instinctive; he was truly terrified by Li Chang'an.

However, the words he spoke afterward were genuinely meant to curry favor with Li Chang'an.

Li Chang'an's wedding procession had not yet arrived, but he himself had already reached Liang Province with Cao Zhengchun and Zhuge Liang.

Cao Zhengchun had now advanced to the Celestial Phenomenon Realm, and Zhuge Liang was an even greater Celestial Phenomenon of the Confucian School.

Liang Province was already secured. Ling Province and You Province would eventually be taken step by step, so understanding the situation beforehand was very necessary.

Upon arriving in Ling Province, Li Chang'an learned that Xu Xiao had invited many Jianghu figures to Northern Liang.

The events in the Imperial Court were also relayed to Li Chang'an by the Brocade-Clad Guards.

Furthermore, with the elite Brocade-Clad Guard secret agent Concubine Zheng, Li Chang'an received news even faster than Zhao Kai learned of his enfeoffment as Prince.

Looking at Xu Fengnian, who was kneeling on the ground, trembling, Li Chang'an smiled faintly.

"Get up. Feng Nian is much more obedient now. Would you be willing to let this courtesan be mine?"

Just then, Yu Youwei, standing not far from Xu Fengnian, suddenly flipped the long sword in her hand and stabbed towards the back of Xu Fengnian's neck!