Chapter 34: Major Revision (Recommended Rereading)

When they entered the city, the sky had already turned from dark to light.

As the carriage passed through the outer city and into the inner city, someone pushed open a window above an inn.

Movement came from beside them, and Xie Nihong leaned out to look, saying, "That dog of a Crown Prince has brought A-Sang back."

"My identity is inconvenient to reveal. Let Chen Changfeng send word first; we will talk once we have met."

...

At the Crown Prince's residence, Pang Qi was waiting at the gate as usual. As the carriage drew near, before he could speak, he heard Lou Zhao give a soft "hush."

A moment later, the carriage door was pushed open gently, and the Crown Prince stepped out, cradling Wen Besang with tender care.

The youth was fast asleep in his arms, wrapped in a warm cloak—clearly, the Prince was worried he would catch a chill the moment he left the carriage.

Watching the Crown Prince and the future Crown Princess head toward the bedchamber, Pang Qi could not help but ask, "Guard Qi, these two are..."

"I don't know."

Lou Zhao asked more insightfully, "Does the young master know the Prince's heart?"

"This is as obvious as Sima Zhao's heart, isn't it?"

"Everyone on the street knows it, but the person involved might not."

Pang Qi thought of Wen Besang's personality and remarked, "It seems there is still a long way to go."

"Not necessarily."

Qi Song was puzzled. "What do you mean, Daoist?"

"Since the young master knows nothing of this, it only shows that the Prince himself hasn't even started on the right path yet."

When Wen Besang was placed on the bed, he stirred slightly, his eyes hazy. He heard Cheng Yun whisper, "It's alright, go back to sleep."

Relieved, he fell back into a deep slumber.

He slept until the hour of the snake (9-11 AM), and only then because he was hungry.

The moment he opened his eyes, the bed curtains were pulled back by the Crown Prince. "Awake? Eat something, and I will take you to see the Emperor."

Wen Besang did not ask why. He got up, washed away the dust of the journey, filled his stomach, and walked over to have the Prince help him dress.

The garment was a pale gold; it was not as ornate or grandiose as the Crown Prince's robes, but it possessed a unique, refined elegance.

Wen Besang gazed at himself and Cheng Yun in the mirror. "Why are the color and style similar to yours?"

Cheng Yun’s hand lingered on his waist, his lips curving slightly. "Does it not look good?"

It was good-looking, but something felt strange.

"If I wear this to see your father, won't I be beaten?"

"If there is a beating, it will not fall upon you."

In the carriage, Wen Besang meticulously packed his small crossbow and strapped the sleeve-darts onto his arms.

Even so, he was still uneasy. "Will your father truly not have me captured and executed?"

"With me here, no one dares to touch you."

"That's true," Wen Besang said. "Since I entered Shengjing, you have been the one who bullies me the most."

"..."

Only the sound of the carriage wheels rumbling against the road filled the silence.

Within the Imperial Palace, not even the Crown Prince’s carriage was permitted to enter at will.

The two stepped out at the palace gates.

Cheng Yun asked him, "Are you afraid?"

Wen Besang looked at him immediately. "Has your father buried assassins inside the palace?!"

"With the Empress there, how could he dare?"

From Cheng Yun’s words, Wen Besang had already realized that the Empress was likely more than just the mistress of the inner palace; even the current Emperor had to fear her.

"Then what is there to be afraid of?"

Inside the palace gates was a wide road capable of accommodating ten carriages at once. Beyond the palace walls, one could see the magnificent, upturned eaves of the distant main halls.

Cheng Yun carried the long case containing the Fire-God Arrows and directed Wen Besang to wait outside the hall. "If anyone dares to bully you, just kill them. If anything happens, I will take the blame."

Qi Song was waiting outside the palace at this moment, worried that something might happen if Wen Besang were left alone outside the hall.

Wen Besang nodded; he had intended to do that anyway.

"If I cannot handle it, I will shout your name." He looked at Cheng Yun. "Are your ears sharp?"

"Rest assured, they are very sharp."

Cheng Yun ascended the white jade steps and looked back at him once.

Wen Besang, however, had already cast his gaze elsewhere, looking around at his surroundings with a mix of wariness and curiosity.

At this moment, inside the hall, the officials were reaching the most anticipated part of the proceedings: "If there are matters to report, speak; if not, retire from the court."

The crowd gathered their robes and shouted in unison, "Your Majesty—"

"Wait."

Before the ancient, unchanging "Long live, long live, ten thousand years" could be uttered, a voice suddenly rang out.

The Prince of Chu’s brows twitched, and he subconsciously exchanged a look with Zhou Cangshu.

Gong Chengyun has arrived... It seems the good show is about to begin.

The officials looked back to see the Crown Prince, his golden robes unchanged and his headgear formal and stern. A wooden box over three feet long was slung over his shoulder as he crossed the threshold of the Jiangshan Hall.

As he walked slowly among the officials, they noticed that he was followed by... a stretcher carried by two men.

The Yongchang Emperor, sitting on the dragon throne, also noticed something. He frowned and commanded with authority, "The court is about to adjourn, why have you come?"

"This son traveled by starlight, arriving in Shengjing only at dawn. After a simple wash, I came immediately to see Your Majesty."

The stretcher was placed on the floor. The man on it was using his arm to shield his face, but everyone recognized him by the silver armor he wore.

The Prince of Chu exclaimed, "Commander He! What has happened to you?"

He was reminding the Emperor that Cheng Yun had actually wounded the Imperial Guard.

Yongchang’s expression changed, and he said, "He Jichun?!"

Unable to lie down any longer, He Jichun lowered his arm in shame. With the help of He Yuanzhou, he struggled to rise from the stretcher, inadvertently aggravating his internal injuries, and blood spilled from the corners of his lips.

He knelt on the ground. "Your subject has failed in his duty; please punish me, Your Majesty."

Yongchang looked immediately at Cheng Yun, his voice stern. "What is the meaning of this?!"

Cheng Yun replied, "Yesterday, the Thunder-Fire Battalion was testing new firearms. Commander He happened to ride in on horseback and, by accident, collided with the Fire-God Arrows."

Anyone with eyes could see he was lying through his teeth. Yongchang’s face darkened like water. "Gong Sheng, your audacity grows ever greater! You dare to injure even my Imperial Guard!"

"Your Majesty need not be angry." Cheng Yun pointed to He Jichun. "Unless I am mistaken, Commander He is likely the first person to have survived the Fire-God Arrows. Does Your Majesty not wish to know the power of the new weapons forged by the Thunder-Fire Battalion?"

"I only wish to know how much greater your audacity can become!"

Cheng Yun’s expression was cold as frost. He bent down and placed the wooden box on the ground.

The officials stepped forward, peering. The box opened, and a long bow appeared before them. The crowd suddenly recoiled.

Yongchang’s face turned pale; he stood up and pointed at Cheng Yun. "What are you trying to do?!"

Beside him, Eunuch Liu struggled to suppress the urge to call for guards.

This old man still knew that he was filled with resentment.

Noticing his panic, a flicker of mockery crossed Cheng Yun’s eyes.

The Prince of Chu held his breath. Although he felt Cheng Yun would not dare to be this arrogant, with the Empress backing him, who knew how far he would act out?

However, the more hostile the relationship between the Crown Prince and the Emperor, the better it was for him.

Cheng Yun held the bow in one hand and an arrow in the other, displaying them to the surroundings. "This is the Fire-God Arrow that accidentally wounded Commander He. It has a faster rate of fire, a longer range, and greater impact than the Fire-God Cannon of the Qi Kingdom..."

Before he could finish, mocking laughter erupted around him.

"The Fire-God Cannon was crafted by Taishu Wendao of the Qi Kingdom. It stands over ten feet tall, has a range of nearly eight hundred feet, and can kill dozens of people upon impact. It is a weapon of mass destruction... This bow, such a delicate toy..."

Before the speaker could finish, others were already laughing.

"How can such a tiny thing be compared to the Fire-God Cannon?"

"The Taishu family has studied thunder-fire for generations; Taishu Wendao’s mastery of the art is unrivaled. He even earned the title of 'Blazing King' for the Fire-God Cannon. Even the descendants of the Taishu family have yet to surpass him. Based on an unknown weapon-smith from the Thunder-Fire Battalion?"

"This is truly a joke..."

"Do not spread this nonsense around."

...

Those speaking were all subordinates of the Prince of Chu and Zhou Cangshu. Cheng Yun looked around unhurriedly and said, "To be involved in the proceedings here, one must be at least a fourth-rank official. You all eat the grain of our Great Liang, so why are you boosting the prestige of the Qi Kingdom instead?"

The hall fell silent for a few breaths. The faces of those who had just spoken turned crimson.

Among them, an elderly man with white hair and a long beard nodded slightly, his eyes scrutinizing Cheng Yun with a touch of begrudging approval.

Zhou Cangshu closed his eyes at this moment.

Immediately, an official said, "Your Highness jests. It is just that the Fire-God Cannon is immensely powerful and substantial in size. The bow and arrow in your hand look as though anyone trained in archery could wield them."

"That is true." Cheng Yun looked at him. "Magistrate Hao, you must have also studied the Six Arts of a Gentleman?"

"Naturally." The official did not hesitate. "Born in Great Liang, who does not study the Six Arts?"

"Then shall we go to the drill grounds now and have you try this bow yourself?"

The official was stunned. The implication of Minister Zhou was not for the Crown Prince to show off at this moment.

Zhou Cangshu let out a soft breath through his nose. Immediately, someone else said, "It is known to all that Your Highness is obsessed with firearms, but I have heard that this newly appointed weapon-smith of the Thunder-Fire Battalion... seems to have a rather poor reputation?"

"Who cares if his reputation is good or bad?" This time, before Cheng Yun could speak, a military official could no longer hold back. "What kind of firearm is it that dares to be mentioned in the same breath as the Fire-God Cannon? We might as well go to the drill grounds and see!"

Outside the hall, Wen Besang shifted his gaze, eyeing the surrounding palace buildings as if they were rare artifacts, occasionally staring intently at something that piqued his interest.

Where the jade railings overlapped ahead, a nine-phoenix yellow silk umbrella suddenly approached.

Beneath the umbrella was an imperial palanquin carried by six men, accompanied by several female officials and maids.

Inside the hall.

The military official’s words played right into Cheng Yun’s hands, but they caused both Zhou Cangshu and the Prince of Chu to frown.

The Prince of Chu said nothing, but Zhou Cangshu was well aware of Wen Besang’s talent for fire arts. If they truly went to the drill grounds, wouldn't that allow him to steal the spotlight entirely?

He tapped his jade tablet lightly, and immediately another official said, "May I ask Your Highness, what is the name of this new weapon-smith of the Thunder-Fire Battalion?"

Cheng Yun raised his eyebrows, carrying a touch of pride. "Wen Besang."

"Wen Besang..." A few officials immediately laughed. "Isn't that the male concubine whose name is all over the streets?"

"Is something made by a male concubine worthy of the talented scholars of our court traveling to the drill grounds?"

"It is truly a joke."

Cheng Yun’s gaze was gloomy as it slowly swept over those who had spoken. Those officials immediately looked away.

At this moment, a voice suddenly came from the dragon throne: "Is what they say true?"

"It is not." Cheng Yun replied, "The new weapon-smith of the Thunder-Fire Battalion is a youth of astounding talent. The power of the Fire-God Arrow is something the soldiers of our battalion have all witnessed with their own eyes."

"Are you saying this person has no connection to you?"

"Not for the time being."

Yongchang’s expression was filled with anger. "If that is the case, have you seen the imperial decree I issued for your marriage?"