NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 364: That Man
Chapter 364: That Man
For three months, the imperial court remained silent in response to the accusations of the First, Third and Seventh Princes. They neither removed the Fifth Prince from power nor reprimanded the three legitimate princes. Their ambiguous stance kept everyone guessing.
Three months passed.
The three princes knelt at the palace gates for the entire three months, knowing that once they took this step, there was no turning back. They could only endure.
During this time, the Great Court of Justice, the Ministry of Punishment, and other departments of the Imperial Court thoroughly investigated the thousands of apprentice alchemists and hundreds of thousands of gardeners, but found nothing amiss.
Even the Quasi-Supremes and Sages dispatched by the Imperial Court came up empty-handed. There was no trace of the culprits who had plundered the three exclusive cultivation resource zones.
In the end, all the clues pointed to one person: a woman named Cai Yi. However, Cai Yi seemed to have vanished without a trace, as if she had appeared out of nowhere and just as suddenly disappeared. How could anyone find her?
The Empire offered a bounty and a huge reward for any information about Cai Yi, and anyone who provided a clue would receive a huge amount of cultivation resources. However, after three months, there was still no breakthrough.
This was mainly due to the suddenness of the incident. The Empire, which had enjoyed peace and prosperity for so long, was caught off guard. By the time they realized what was happening, it was already too late.
Now, after three months of frantic investigation, the imperial court had failed to identify the thieves who had raided the three exclusive cultivation resource zones. What would happen now? Who would be responsible for this disaster?
Holding the Quasi-Supremes accountable?
It didn’t seem appropriate to punish the three Quasi-Supremes responsible for guarding the Zones. In the world of upper-level factions, unless a Quasi-Supreme committed an unforgivable crime such as treason or betrayal, they were rarely punished for anything.
After all, Quasi-Supremes were the backbone of every major faction, and they were always on the verge of breaking through to become Supremes. Punishing them required extreme caution. If a Quasi-Supreme harbored a grudge and later ascended to Supreme status… the consequences could be disastrous.
Besides, cultivating a Quasi-Supreme was no small feat-it required an astronomical amount of cultivation resources. No one wanted to risk damaging their mental state over something like that, which might affect their chances of attaining Supreme status.
And with three Quasi-Supremes involved in this failure, punishing them became even more problematic.
Holding the Alchemists Accountable?
Punishing the three alchemists responsible for refining the Metamorphosis Elixir also seemed inappropriate. Their only duty was to refine the elixir; protecting the zones wasn’t one of their responsibilities.
If they were punished, it might discourage other alchemists, causing widespread dissatisfaction.
Moreover, and most importantly, Qin Feng’s ability to produce two elixirs from a single batch of materials made him invaluable to the Empire. He was untouchable. Punishing someone else might be acceptable, but not Qin Feng.
Then who?
After much deliberation, the imperial court finally settled on someone who seemed perfectly suited to shoulder the blame: the new emperor himself!
No one was more suitable than the new emperor to take responsibility for this disaster. After all, in the history of the dynasty, no such incidents had occurred under previous emperors. However, the Fifth Prince had allowed this disaster to happen shortly after ascending the throne. If he didn’t bear the responsibility, who would?
Therefore, the Supreme Elder of the Empire personally announced:
“The new emperor violated the rules during the Crown Prince succession trials by using a Sage-level weapon to seize the position of Crown Prince. His accession was illegitimate.
After ascending the throne, the new emperor grew lazy and careless, and failed to maintain proper control over the empire. As a result, the three exclusive cultivation resource zones were completely plundered.
The new emperor is unfit to rule.
The empire has decided to depose the new emperor and install the First Prince as the new emperor.”
The entire empire fell silent, though few were truly surprised. Many had expected this outcome.
The deposed Fifth Prince, his face ashen, slid off the dragon throne and collapsed onto the floor. He knew that his fate was sealed. Although he wouldn’t die, the rest of his life would be spent in imprisonment.
At the palace gates, the First Prince, who had been kneeling for three months, wept tears of joy, his eyes red and brimming with emotion. In his mind, an image of a certain middle-aged man surfaced – the second legitimate son of Marquis Qin. He muttered to himself, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Heaven rewards those who strive. So this is what it feels like to change one’s fate… it’s truly indescribably wonderful”.
“Big Brother, congratulations!”
“Congratulations, Big Brother!”
The Third Prince and the Seventh Prince felt a wave of relief wash over them. Their gamble had been risky, but it had paid off. Surely, the newly crowned emperor wouldn’t exile them to some remote county.
Meanwhile, the nobles and ministers who had supported the Fifth Prince – such as Prince Rui, Marquis Zhao, and Marquis Ning – were all pale with shock, completely at a loss as to what to do next.
Marquis Qin, on the other hand, remained calm and composed. He knew that with his second-born son’s unparalleled alchemical skills, no matter who ascended the throne, the status of the Marquis Qin household in the imperial court would remain unshaken.
The people with the most complicated emotions were undoubtedly those who had once supported the First Prince. Each of them felt a bitter taste in their hearts.
Ever since the First Prince’s failed bid for the throne, they had distanced themselves from him as if he were a plague, fearing that any association with him would invite suspicion from the new emperor, the Fifth Prince.
Who could have imagined that the “dried-up fish” First Prince, exiled to a remote county, would one day rise again?
If they tried to cozy up to him now, the First Prince surely wouldn’t give them a warm reception!
The empire’s high command acted swiftly. Following the Supreme’s announcement, the Fifth Prince-the current emperor-was placed under house arrest.
The Imperial Court moved just as quickly, immediately preparing for the coronation ceremony.
Nobles and officials flocked to the palace gates to welcome the First Prince as he ascended the throne.
Having experienced setbacks, the First Prince was no longer as excited or agitated as he once was. Instead, he carried an air of deeper composure and tranquility, traits that made him appear even more like a worthy emperor.
Surrounded by a retinue of eunuchs and palace maids, he bathed, changed into the dragon robe, and ascended step by step to the position that should have been his all along.
Sitting high upon the dragon throne, gazing at the kneeling nobles and officials, he felt a sudden clarity. The figure of that middle-aged man grew ever clearer in his mind.
When he had failed in the struggle for the crown prince position, when his father had scolded him and his supporters had abandoned him, he had collapsed on the arena stage, heartbroken and hopeless. It was then that the man had placed before him a spirit stone engraved with words that gave him a glimpse of hope.
In his darkest moments of confusion, it was that same man who had appeared at Thunder Slope as promised, pointing him in the right direction.
And when he had been exiled to a remote county, resigned to spending the rest of his life in solitude, it was still that man who had brought a jug of wine and shared it with him.
“Where is Qin Feng?”
The newly crowned emperor, the First Prince, asked the question even though he already knew the answer.
The Minister of the Grand Court of Justice hastily stepped forward. “He is imprisoned in the dungeon of the Grand Court.”
The First Prince’s voice was firm and undeniable. “Release him immediately and bring Qin Feng to the court.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the minister replied and hurried off.
The First Prince remained silent and waited patiently. The nobles and officials exchanged glances, but did not dare to say a word.
When Xu Lian finally arrived, a faint smile broke through the First Prince’s otherwise composed expression.
He rose from the dragon throne and gestured for Xu Lian to climb the stairs and stand in front of him. With great solemnity, he announced, “Qin Feng, the second-born son of the Marquis of Qin House, is hereby appointed Imperial Preceptor, bestowed with a rank surpassing the first tier, placing him above all officials. He will not be required to observe any formalities when addressing the Emperor, while all nobles and officials must show him respect. A seat shall be granted to him in the imperial presence, and a commemorative stele shall be erected at his residence”.
A eunuch hurriedly brought out a large chair.
Xu Lian felt a deep sense of satisfaction, but did not pretend to be humble. Step by step, he climbed up the stairs and took his seat on the grand chair.
Afterwards, the First Prince announced additional rewards for the Marquis of Qin household. As a hereditary first-class Maquis, Marquis Qin’s title could not be elevated any further, so the Emperor gave him cultivation resources instead-a direct and tangible benefit.
The lavish rewards and honors bestowed upon Xu Lian were not just expressions of gratitude from the First Prince. Rather, they were concessions to the will of the emperor. The First Prince was simply going with the flow.
The nobles and officials were all deeply shaken. Although rumors had spread about how Qin Feng had managed to refine two Metamorphosis Elixirs from a single batch of materials and would inevitably gain the favor of the empire, no one had expected such an unprecedented level of recognition and reverence.