Martial Cultivator

Just as many court officials were gathering at the palace gate, hoping to enter the palace to see the emperor, news suddenly spread from within the imperial city. Upon hearing the news, the court officials were momentarily stunned, followed by a profound silence. Without needing any further prompting, this group of officials turned away, leaving the palace gate, and no longer insisted on holding court sessions.

The Princess of Great Liang had passed away.

The court officials were not hotheads, nor had they become foolish from studying too much. Their protests at the palace gate were not entirely out of a sense of righteousness; a significant portion of them were driven by their reputations. Previously, they were unaware of the reasons behind the lack of court sessions, but now that they knew, it made sense that the emperor had not held court these past few days. If they continued to press the issue, not only would public opinion be against them, but they would also lose support from many of their peers in court.

Thus, remaining silent was the best course of action.

Not far away, the Grand Historian and the Premier watched the court officials slowly leave in silence.

The Premier turned to the Grand Historian and softly said, ”History’s pen is like a knife, will you be gentler this time?”

The Grand Historian remained expressionless, though the look in his eyes was complicated. Even if it was him, he was also somewhat moved at this moment.

The Great Liang Emperor was first the ruler of the realm, then the husband of his wife, and the father of his daughter. As a subject, it is natural to hold the Great Liang Emperor to the standards expected of a sovereign. But after setting aside the identity of a subject? He was merely a middle-aged man who had lost his wife and daughter one after another.

The Grand Historian thought for a long time and eventually shook his head.

The Premier sighed, ”Your temperament might bring you trouble one day.”

The Grand Historian replied calmly, ”Since I chose to be a historian, I must be true to history. Personal life and death are of little importance.”

The Premier did not try to persuade his friend further and simply lamented, ”When all is said and done, this emperor of ours is also a human being. The pain of separation through death is like a heavy rain that can soak him through.”

After saying this, the Premier waved to someone in the distance. Soon, a servant brought an oiled-paper umbrella. Opening the umbrella, the Premier walked away slowly.

The Grand Historian gazed at the palace walls in front of him, remaining silent for a long time.

……

……

The Ministry of Rites handled the funeral arrangements for the princess as per custom. However, unlike the previous grand ceremony for the deceased empress, the proceedings this time were much quieter. After the officials from the Ministry of Rites submitted the plan according to old customs, there was no objection from the imperial palace. One of the vice ministers of the Ministry of Rites had a sudden inspiration and, after considering the emperor’s thoughts, proposed burying the princess in the empress’ mausoleum to accompany her. He initially believed that this idea would certainly receive the emperor’s approval. But after submitting the proposal, it was like casting a stone into the ocean; there was no response.

This left the vice minister anxious for a long time. He had hoped to use this opportunity to get closer to the emperor, but it turned out to be a futile effort. Fortunately, the emperor did not take any action against him, neither overtly nor covertly, which finally allowed the vice minister to relax.

After the princess’ funeral was handled, the weather in the Divine Capital noticeably cooled. Autumn rains came one after another, prompting many citizens to start preparing charcoal for the winter. Though it was still early, they knew that waiting too long would cause the price of charcoal to rise significantly as winter approached. Wealthy families might not care, but for the common folk, saving money wherever possible was essential. Any savings could be used for other needs, like buying new clothes for a wife who had not had any all year or getting extra candied hawthorn sticks for children who loved them. There were all things to be happy about.

As the autumn rains paused, the Divine Capital enjoyed a rare few days of sunshine. However, with the temporary break in the rain, a new piece of news had already spread among the residences of the influential figures.

Unlike the news of the princess’s severe illness, which did not concern many, this piece of news immediately captured the attention of many once it spread.

At the lakeside pavilion of the academy, the Dean was having hotpot today.

This delicacy from the old Shu region had actually been introduced to the Divine Capital many years ago. However, the people from the north were not accustomed to the spicy flavor, so only a few liked it. As a result, it was hard to find authentic hotpot in the Divine Capital. The Dean did not particularly enjoy it either. In the past, he had only eaten it a few times. But today, on a whim, he decided to have some. However, as he watched the chilies and peppercorns boiling in the copper pot, he lost interest.

Wei Xu, who was serving by his side, also showed little interest in the fiery soup.

The Dean sighed, ”Some people have no conscience. They finally made a trip here and don’t even bother to visit.”

Wei Xu was taken aback, not understanding his teacher’s words. But he did not dwell on it and instead asked, ”Have you heard about the news circulating in the Divine Capital, Teacher?”

The Dean glanced at Wei Xu and asked curiously, ”What news? I’m not as well-informed as you.”

”You must be joking, Teacher,” Wei Xu said, without beating around the bush, and got straight to the point: ”It’s spreading throughout the court that His Majesty recently met with that Demon Emperor again.”

The Dean responded nonchalantly, ”Outside of the Infatuation Daoist Temple, with that Temple Master present too.”

Wei Xu nodded and continued, ”His Majesty, the Demon Emperor, and that Temple Master discussed a matter, and it’s already been decided.”

The Dean remarked, ”It’s just another mutual probing. Maybe there won’t be a major war in the coming years, or perhaps they don’t want to fight anymore. But it seems no one is willing to just quietly live like this for many years.”

Wei Xu said, ”The Demon Emperor wants to know the future of the human race, His Majesty wants to know the future of the demon race and the situation of the foreign lands, and the foreign cultivators also want to know the current situation of the Great Liang. It’s a three-way game.”

The Dean nodded, ”Stop beating around the bush, just say what you want to say.”

Wei Xu said softly, ”It seems the academy should not involved in this.”

The Dean smiled, ”Are you worried about your little junior sister or something else?”

Wei Xu did not speak.

The Dean looked at the hotpot in front of him, then picked up a piece with his chopsticks. Seeing that it was tripe, he lost his appetite and put down his chopsticks. ”The academy may be in the Divine Capital, but it doesn’t seem to have any subordinate relationship.”

”If His Majesty wishes to do something, as the Dean of the academy, I can naturally block it. But for this matter, it is not up to me alone to decide.”

The Dean suddenly became a little angry as he contemplated, ”You know exactly what kind of person your Little Junior Sister is!”

Wei Xu looked at the Dean and said, ”But right now, Little Junior Sister’s cultivation realm might not be enough.”

The Dean snorted coldly, ”Then let’s count on that brat.”

……

……

The Divine Capital at this moment was like a calm lake. But beneath the surface, undercurrents were surging.

”Dried long beans stewed with dried bamboo shoots, I’ve been craving this for a long time. Sister-in-law’s cooking is as good as ever, really delicious.”

While many were concerned about the news, Chen Chao was currently having a meal at Song Lian’s house.

The woman smiled brightly at Chen Chao’s compliment, ”If you like it, eat more. Come over anytime, Sister-in-law will make sure you’re full.”

Chen Chao sighed, ”That’s not necessarily true. Working under Lord Song, whether I can come or not depends on his mood.”

Song Lian who was eating heartily suddenly found himself wrongfully accused and his expression turned somewhat ugly. However, before he could say anything, the woman beside him gave him a fierce glare, making him feel a bit aggrieved.

”Don’t mind him. From now on, come whenever you want. Sister-in-law has the final say!”

The woman gave Chen Chao a big serving of dried bamboo shoots and then smiled as she asked, ”I heard from your Brother Song that you also have a girl you like. When do you plan to get married? Don’t keep it a secret when the time comes, Sister-in-law must be there.”

Chen Chao smiled awkwardly, ”No rush, no rush, it’s not at that stage yet.”

Song Lian poured cold water on the idea, ”This kid might want to marry her, but that girl may not want to marry him. The road is still long.”

When the woman heard this, she glared at Song Lian again.

Song Lian could only lower his head and continue eating.

”In Sister-in-law’s opinion, if you like someone, you should pursue her quickly. Don’t be like your Brother Song here, who won’t even let out a fart after a beating.”

Chen Chao smiled and just nodded.

The meal was very comfortable. At the end, Chen Chao patted his somewhat swollen belly and sat in the courtyard with Song Lian, basking in the sun, while the woman went to clean up the dishes.

Song Lian picked his teeth with a bamboo stick, glancing at the woman’s back and sighed, ”Actually, your sister-in-law is right. Matters of the heart can’t wait.”

Chen Chao retorted with a cold face, ”Do you think she’s the average girl? Do you think I can just pursue her and marry her?”

Song Lian laughed heartily, ”Then who can you blame? Who told you to like such a girl.”

Chen Chao was silent.

Only then, did Song Lian speak seriously, ”Have you heard about the rumors going around lately?”

Chen Chao shook his head listlessly, ”I don’t know.”

Song Lian sneered, ”Can you not know? You just don’t want to know, right?”

Chen Chao rubbed his belly and said indifferently, ”Do you really think I have a choice? This is all up to His Majesty.”

Song Lian smiled and nodded, ”That’s true, but when the time comes, will you put in the effort or just go through the motions?”

Chen Chao looked up in disbelief at Song Lian, ”Your Excellency, you and I both serve the imperial court, is this how you see me?” ”Don’t you know my character, Your Excellency?” ”Don’t you know what kind of person I am, Your Excellency?”

Song Lian frowned briefly, then smiled warmly, ”It’s hard to say. Either way, things seem a bit unclear to me.”

Chen Chao rolled his eyes.

Song Lian patted Chen Chao on the shoulder and said gravely, ”What I do know is that when the time comes, you won’t just be competing with the demon race, you’ll also have to compete with those youngsters in the North.”

Chen Chao frowned and said, ”We all serve the court. What’s there to compete for?”

Song Lian shook his head and smiled, ”That’s how you think, but it doesn’t mean they think the same way.”

Chen Chao was silent for a moment, then asked, ”When exactly? Next spring?”

Song Lian did not directly answer his question, he just said, ”His Majesty has already issued a decree. The next court session, the Warden faction will also join.”

Chen Chao asked, ”Should I be aware of this?”

Song Lian raised an eyebrow and said, ”Have you forgotten that I am the Commander of the Left Guard?”