Firmament Sword

SMACK!

Wei Feng slammed his palm down hard on the table before him, sending the brush holder and inkstone on top clattering.

In that moment, Wei Feng had lost all his usual stately composure. His face was ashen, and he ground his teeth. His chilling voice seemed to be squeezed from between them, ”Xu Luo… It’s you again, you damn little bastard. If I can’t put you in your grave, the Wei Family will fall at your hands sooner or later!”

Wei Ziting stood to the side, not daring to breathe. Hearing this, he looked up in surprise and asked cautiously, ”Father, are you certain Xu Luo was behind this?”

”How can you be so stupid?” Wei Feng shot his son a look of bitter disappointment, lamenting inwardly, ’If only you were like that Xu Luo, I would willingly give up my position as prime minister right now!’

The muscles on Wei Ziting’s face twitched violently. He retorted, unconvinced, ”Perhaps Xu Su did it…”

”Does that make a difference?” Wei Feng stared at Wei Ziting, exasperated. ”Xu Su may be called the Wise General, but that’s because he’s a brilliant military commander! Who else but that little turtle bastard Xu Luo would resort to such a dirty, underhanded scheme?”

Wei Ziting shut his mouth, but he was cursing inwardly, ’Aren’t you just as capable of it? How else did those two Civil Servants fall from power?’

Wei Feng stood up and began pacing the room, muttering, ”This can’t go on. The brothers Xu Luo and Xu Su have become a force to be reckoned with. The Xu Family is now a thorn in our side. If we can’t eliminate them completely, they’ll crush our Wei Family one day.”

”The Xu Family should be eliminated…” Wei Ziting fully agreed. He also hated the Xu Family to the bone, especially Xu Luo. The boy who had humiliated him and stolen all the glory that should have been his was the person he detested most.

Wei Feng’s eyes narrowed, a cold light glinting within them. He said slowly, ”Using political pressure… It seems that won’t be enough to crush the Xu Family. I originally thought that gathering the great families in the Imperial Capital would be enough to strong-arm them. But now it seems that with that little turtle bastard Xu Luo, who plays by no rules, the Xu Family doesn’t care about such things. So, we have no choice but to use our final resort!”

Wei Ziting looked up at his father, bewildered. ”What?”

”Assassination!” A murderous look filled Wei Feng’s eyes as he slowly uttered the single word.

...

”Imperial Father, your son wishes to report Xu Su, the eldest son of the Xu Family, for his lawless behavior—the deliberate murder of a Royal Family Descendant on the street.” The Sixth Prince knelt before his father, his face grief-stricken as he spoke in a solemn tone.

On the Dragon Throne, Huangfu Haoran looked at his son with a calm expression and said lightly, ”Do you have proof?”

”Of course. Countless people on Cyan Dragon Avenue saw it with their own eyes.” The Sixth Prince raised his head, his eyes flashing with anger and sorrow. ”My young Imperial Uncle may be aloof and haughty, but he is a man of noble character from a major sect. How could he possibly do something like abducting a common woman? This is clearly Xu Su’s doing! Because my young Imperial Uncle cracked down on the Imperial Capital’s underworld forces and hurt his lover, Xu Su framed him as a means of... deliberate revenge!”

Huangfu Haoran nodded gently. ”Then, what do you propose to do?”

The Sixth Prince’s gaze was firm as he ground his teeth. ”Even a prince who breaks the law should be punished like a commoner!”

”Well said.” The Emperor nodded, his face betraying no emotion. He said softly, ”I will leave this matter for you to handle. But listen well—do not believe one side of the story. I expect you to conduct a thorough investigation before reaching a conclusion. Do you understand?”

The Sixth Prince’s expression tightened. ”Your son obeys!” he said respectfully.

”Go.” Huangfu Haoran waved his hand, dismissing the Sixth Prince.

Afterward, the Crown Prince, who had been standing to the side, stepped forward and said softly, ”Imperial Father, your son has a different opinion on this matter.”

”Speak,” Huangfu Haoran said, glancing at the Crown Prince.

”All the civil and military officials of the court know that Prime Minister Wei and the Xu Family have long been at odds. As for the two Civil Servants he had imprisoned earlier, anyone with eyes can see they were framed. Then Wei Ziting led men to cause trouble for the Xu Family, shutting down several of their shops. And Imperial Uncle Huangfu Haoyue’s actions make even less sense...”

”How do they make no sense? Shouldn’t those detestable underworld forces, hiding in dark corners like rats, be eliminated?” Huangfu Haoran said coolly.

The Crown Prince nodded. ”They should be eliminated, but... may your son be so bold as to ask Imperial Father: in the fourteen hundred years since the founding of our Cangqiong Empire... has there ever been a dynasty that truly managed to exist completely without a dark, underground element?”

”That is not an excuse,” Huangfu Haoran said, his expression placid, neither pleased nor angry.

”Yes, it is certainly not an excuse. But that gang, which previously committed many evil deeds, became highly disciplined after being taken over by Guo Ying. Incidents of bullying the weak or monopolizing markets stopped occurring...” the Crown Prince said. ”Therefore, your son believes that since gangs cannot be completely eradicated, it’s better to allow such a gang to exist. At the very least, it can keep other forces in check.”

”That line of thinking is quite similar to my own when I was young...” Huangfu Haoran said with sudden feeling, before his tone shifted. ”However, you must understand that a well-disciplined and organized gang is a major taboo in the eyes of any ruler! Do you know why I, in a fit of anger, deposed you from your position as Crown Prince back then?”

The Crown Prince flinched slightly, then fell silent.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered this. He simply had great confidence in the Xu Family’s loyalty. But since his Imperial Father had brought it up, he naturally couldn’t press the point.

The reason for his deposal at the time, however, was that he had been framed... That incident was precisely what caused the relationship between him and the Sixth Prince to completely rupture. At the same time, the relationship between the Crown Prince and Wei Feng also became extremely delicate.

He had too many reasons to believe that Wei Feng and the Sixth Prince had orchestrated that incident together!

Fortunately, the Emperor later issued an edict stating that the Crown Prince had been wronged, and the matter... was simply dropped.

But deep in the Crown Prince’s heart, it left a deep-seated knot of resentment.

”All this time, the only reason I haven’t moved against that gang is because its leader is connected to the Xu Family. But that doesn’t mean I like having such a force exist in the Imperial Capital.” Huangfu Haoran spoke softly, giving the Crown Prince a deep, meaningful look. ”How can one allow another to snore beside one’s own bed?”

”Your son understands. Your son was wrong.” A thin layer of cold sweat beaded on the Crown Prince’s forehead as he hurriedly knelt on the ground.

”Rise. These matters have nothing to do with you. I just want you to understand that I will have to step down one day. This throne will be yours sooner or later. Therefore, there are certain principles you must grasp.”

A flash of joy appeared in the Crown Prince’s eyes. It seemed to be the first time his Imperial Father had so directly affirmed his status.

”I am old, but not muddled. I know very well what your sixth brother is up to,” Huangfu Haoran said coolly. ”However, some things must be done by him. It would be inappropriate for you, the Crown Prince, to do them.”

”Your son understands.”

”The Xu Family’s merits are indeed so great as to eclipse their sovereign’s, but I do not care. I know that Xu Ji will not betray me. But that does not mean Xu Ji’s children will be your loyal subjects.” Huangfu Haoran sighed softly, stood up, walked over to the Crown Prince, and patted his shoulder.

”Having Champion Marquis Xu Zhongtian in the South and Xu Ji in the north is a blessing for our Cangqiong Empire. But a military family should stick to doing what military families do!”

”I have always trusted the Xu Family, but power cannot be tilted too far in one direction. Otherwise, when you take the throne, what will you use to keep the Xu Family in check? I heard that Huangfu Haoyue was injured by Xu Su. That Xu Su was only a Tier Three Sword Venerable before, but now he was able to injure Huangfu Haoyue. Do you know what that implies?”

Before the Crown Prince could answer, Huangfu Haoran continued in a heavy tone, ”Xu Luo was originally someone who couldn’t cultivate, yet in the short span of a year or two, he has stirred up so many major incidents and made a name for himself among the younger generation. That, in itself, is nothing. But... his sworn brother is your eldest brother... Huangfu Chongzhi! Do you know... what *that* implies?”

The Crown Prince’s body trembled slightly. Only now did he finally understand why his Imperial Father had turned a blind eye to some of Prime Minister Wei’s actions against the Xu Family. So, this was the root of it all!

”Governing a nation is like playing chess. Every piece has its use. This world isn’t black and white. So, sometimes, you have to sacrifice a few pieces to maintain your advantage on the board.”

Huangfu Haoran continued coolly, ”When necessary, even the most outstanding pieces must be sacrificed. Because you are the one playing the game! Do you... understand?”

”Your son... thinks he understands, but is not sure,” the Crown Prince said softly.

”You will understand in the future.” Huangfu Haoran sighed softly, walked back to the Dragon Throne, and said, ”This seat is not an easy one to sit in.”

”Does Imperial Father believe the Xu Family... harbors treasonous intentions?” the Crown Prince asked boldly.

”They don’t now, but that doesn’t mean they won’t in the future. Some things cannot wait until after they’ve happened to be dealt with. By then, it might be too late.” Huangfu Haoran said this, then waved his hand. ”You may leave. Go and think it over carefully. I am tired.”

The Crown Prince bowed. ”Your son takes his leave.”

Watching the Crown Prince’s departing figure, a weary expression appeared on Huangfu Haoran’s face as he sat on the Dragon Throne. He reached up to rub his temples, where a considerable amount of white hair had grown.

After a long while, he murmured to himself, ”People who are too exceptional are always difficult to control. The thousand-year-old Xu Family... how did they produce such a freak? And why did he have to become such inseparable friends with Chongzhi?”

...

”Xiaoluo, will our actions today anger the Emperor?” Xu Su frowned slightly. Beating up Huangfu Haoyue was certainly satisfying, but in the aftermath, Xu Su felt a faint sense of worry.

”Heh, even if we hadn’t done this, I’m sure the Emperor would have found some other reason to cause trouble for the Xu Family,” Xu Luo said, leaning back in his chair with a lack of enthusiasm. ”Our family is too dazzling right now, and the Emperor... is getting a little old.”

”Don’t you dare let those words be heard outside.” Xu Su shot his audacious brother a glare. ”Otherwise, people might think we have seditious intentions.”

”Whether we have seditious intentions or not isn’t up to us. It’s up to the Emperor.” Xu Luo gave a bitter smile. ”Brother, haven’t you realized yet? In the Imperial Capital today, it’s not about what we want to do. It’s that the other families and the Royal Family are forcing our hand.”

”Why?” Xu Su asked instinctively, then also gave a bitter smile. ”Right. Father’s achievements already eclipse the sovereign’s. Now, we two brothers are also showing our excellence. Most importantly, you and the Eldest Prince are inseparable friends. Many people are uneasy because of this.”

”Exactly. Originally, no one would have paid any attention to an Eldest Prince with no status or position. But that’s not the case anymore. Unconsciously, the Eldest Prince’s reputation in the Empire is already starting to rival that of the Crown Prince and the Sixth Prince.”

Xu Luo said this, then smiled faintly. ”So, many people are afraid. Including the Emperor!”