Martial Cultivator

Li Shou quietly retracted his half-step forward. The Crown Prince ran up, laughing, “Elder Brother, when did you return to the capital? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Chen Chao smiled. “What would telling Your Highness accomplish? Would Your Highness try to sneak out of the palace to meet this subject?”

The corners of the Crown Prince’s mouth twitched and he said with a smile, “I come to pay respects to a high minister of the state. That will also earn me a note in the history books as a wise prince.”

Chen Chao smiled faintly, unconcerned. “This subject returned immediately after handling matters. I didn’t even have time to see a few of my disciples, nor to drink a mouthful of water, and yet I came to see Your Highness.”

The Crown Prince grabbed Chen Chao’s arm and laughed, “Li Shou, quickly fetch some fine alcohol. This imperial highness want to have a proper drink with my brother.”

Li Shou nodded and went to carry out the order.

Chen Chao sighed, “If Your Highness drinks with this subject, won’t people say that a treacherous minister is undermining the state?”

The Crown Prince laughed heartily, “Isn’t it because this imperial highness missed Elder Brother! Don’t worry. If anyone dares say that Elder Brother is a traitor, then I, the Crown Prince, will...”

He thought for a moment and could not come up with what to say.

If he were to beat them up, it wouldn’t be very elegant. If he were to refute them, arguing is not something he is good at. Besides, anyone who argued with him could argue just as well, wouldn’t that be a humiliation for himself?

Chen Chao only smiled. He said nothing, simply looking at this younger brother, noticing how much taller he had grown.

Thinking back, since the last time he returned to the Divine Capital, he had actually gone straight into closed cultivation. After emerging from seclusion, he headed south. The two of them had not truly met for a year or two.

The two walked together toward a nearby pavilion. After some thought, the Crown Prince rubbed his hands together and asked, “Did Elder Brother bring me a gift from this trip?”

Chen Chao said helplessly, “Bought some seashells in Ying Prefecture, but they were for my disciples. There isn’t one for Your Highness.”

“Is that appropriate? Elder Brother, we’re basically biological brothers. Are disciples closer to you than your own brother? I don’t care, I’m definitely getting one or two. Otherwise, I’ll get angry!”

The Crown Prince looked at Chen Chao with an expression that said: if you don’t give them to me, there’s nothing I can do about it, but I’ll still feel wronged.

Chen Chao had no choice but to take out the seashells and let this fellow choose first.

The Crown Prince blinked and asked curiously, “Elder Brother, did you hide one away for yourself? It must be the best-looking one, right? Is it for that future sister-in-law of mine?”

Chen Chao smiled silently.

The corners of the Crown Prince’s mouth twitched and he did not feel that anything was wrong. After all, he thought the same way himself - putting the woman one loved in the most important place was perfectly fine.

In the end, the Crown Prince chose a seashell that was passable, then came with Chen Chao to a pavilion and sat down. Li Shou had already prepared the wine vessels there.

The wine had been offered in tribute from Yellow Dragon Prefecture. It seemed to be brewed from some kind of sorghum and peach blossoms — good to drink, but not intoxicating.

Chen Chao glanced at Li Shou, who returned a faint smile.

After pouring wine for the two brothers - who were also the two most powerful men in Great Liang - Li Shou left the pavilion and went off into the distance.

In the palace, one had to be cautious in handling matters.

After sitting down, the Crown Prince hesitated for a moment, then raised his wine cup first and said, “There’s something I need to apologize to Elder Brother for. At first I didn’t think much of it, but after Li Shou reminded me, I realized it wasn’t right to act that way.”

He was naturally referring to the matters of taking a wife and the choice of the Premier. Although they were his own ideas, he should not have said them that way.

It was as if he had shoved all the burden onto his elder brother’s shoulders and made himself a hands-off shopkeeper.

Chen Chao naturally knew what he meant and shook his head. “It’s nothing. Back then, His Majesty protected this subject. Now, this subject can protect Your Highness.”

Here, there was no other explanation - it was simply because the person before him was his younger brother, and had never betrayed him.

The Crown Prince smiled. “I knew Elder Brother wasn’t the sort to nitpick. But things like this should only become rarer in the future. After all, I’m becoming more sensible.”

Chen Chao smiled and said, “It seems Great Liang won’t be long before it truly has a wise and enlightened ruler.”

The Crown Prince waved his hand. “You mustn’t say that. Imperial Father is still here. I’m only acting as regent.”

Chen Chao said nothing, but in truth he understood very well: no matter what, the Great Liang Emperor would never again sit on that dragon throne. In other words, the Crown Prince before him was already firmly nailed in as the next Great Liang Emperor. It was only a matter of when he would ascend the throne.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Chao said, “On this trip north and south, Your Highness already knows about what this subject did earlier. This subject will tell Your Highness about one of the more recent matters. In Ying Prefecture, a new sect will be established, named the Morning Dew Sect. The new sect master is named Feng Liu, the number one itinerant cultivator in the world today. This subject agreed to their establishment of the sect. In the future, if there is a major war on the Northern Frontier, they will send people to fight there.”

The Crown Prince gave a hum and smiled. “This sort of matter is something Elder Brother can handle himself. There’s no need to report it to me.”

Chen Chao smiled and said, “These matters are handled by this subject for now, but what if one day this subject is no longer here? Would Your Highness still not ask about them?”

The Crown Prince hurriedly spat three times and then looked at Chen Chao with a resentful expression. “Elder Brother mustn’t say such inauspicious things.”

Chen Chao said, “Military and state affairs, matters of the realm - Your Highness may delegate them to those below, but you must understand them clearly, know how they operate, and keep them in mind.”

The Crown Prince nodded and said softly, “I’ve been learning these things lately. It’s a bit tiring, but I’ll keep at it.”

Chen Chao nodded and asked, “Does Your Highness have someone in mind for the new Premier?”

The Crown Prince shook his head with a bitter smile. “I simply can’t choose. When the Premier was still around, I didn’t feel it, but now I realize that a Great Liang can even do without me, but it absolutely cannot do without a Premier.”

Chen Chao said, “But given the Premier’s condition, we shouldn’t be too demanding during his final days.”

“Does Elder Brother have a candidate?”

The Crown Prince said, “I truly have a headache over this. I don’t have the slightest clue.”

After thinking for a moment, Chen Chao said, “In terms of prestige, Minister Xie is certainly sufficient. If he were willing to come out of retirement, there would naturally be no problem. It’s just that this old minister likely wouldn’t be willing.”

The Xie Family’s ancestor was far older than the Premier, but fortunately he was a cultivator, so he could still live for some years.

The Crown Prince said, “Actually, before the Premier stepped down, he gave me a list, saying that with proper grooming, all of them have the makings of a Premier. But they’re still young. By the time they can shoulder such responsibility, I’ll probably be as old as Imperial Father.”

Chen Chao smiled. “This matter should also be taken seriously. Cultivate them well. They can serve Great Liang for decades in the future, and Your Highness won’t have to worry then.”

“Since this matter hasn’t been settled, shall we talk about another?”

The Crown Prince blinked, then his face filled with distress. “The court officials are forcing me to take a consort.”

The Crown Prince blinked, then his face filled with distress. “The court officials are forcing me to take a consort.”

“We haven’t even met, and I’m supposed to marry her and become husband and wife? Who would be happy about it?”

The Crown Prince truly had a belly full of grievances.

Chen Chao smiled faintly. “It’s not that you don’t want to marry, but that you don’t want to marry a woman you don’t like, isn’t it?”

Having his thoughts laid bare, the Crown Prince was, for once, a little embarrassed.

Chen Chao smiled and said, “It seems Your Highness has taken a liking to some young lady, and is finding it difficult?”

The Crown Prince chuckled, then sagged. “Forget it, forget it.”

“That won’t do. Say it. This subject will decide it for Your Highness. If you like someone, at the very least you should let her know that you like her. As for whether it works out, that’s between the two of you, not something for outsiders to decide!”

Chen Chao said seriously, “On this matter, whoever dares say another word, this subject will give him a good whack!”