Yinshan Record

Chapter 500 The Great Cause Will Change Policies from My Own

Chapter 500 The Great Cause Will Change Policies from My Own
Since the Middle Ages, the world has been in chaos, with various states constantly fighting each other.

Jiankang has always been the capital of the Southern Dynasties, a place imbued with imperial aura. As the saying goes, "Zhongshan Mountain is like a coiled dragon, and Shitou Mountain is like a crouching tiger; this is truly the imperial legacy." Regardless of the rapid changes in dynasties in the Southern Dynasties, Jiankang has maintained its unique status.

This was the center of the Southern Dynasties.

To the north of Jiankang City lies the wide expanse of the Yangtze River.

It was only early morning, and the morning mist over the river had not yet dissipated. Occasionally, a few white seagulls would glide swiftly across the river.

On the vast river, a fishing boat drifted aimlessly on the wide surface. Warships slowly passed by them, and the small fishing boat was like a withered leaf that could be submerged in the water at any moment, swaying with the current.

Two fishermen, dressed in straw raincoats and holding fishing rods made of green bamboo, sat on a small boat fishing. The oil in the brass lamps beside them was almost gone, and there were hardly any fish in the fish baskets next to them.

Clearly, this was another night of wasted effort.

"Damn it, I got nothing again."

An elderly man with a scholarly air shook the fishing rod in his hand and grumbled unhappily.

"Hey Su, you're so capable, go down and find me a bigger one to hang up."

"It's getting cold, let's wait until next spring, I'll definitely hang a big fish for Coach Wei."

Su Gui gazed at the mist on the river and gently shook the fishing rod in his hand.

Wei Huaiwen and Su Gui, two key figures of the Great Liang Dynasty, actually spent the whole night fishing on this great river.

The two looked at each other and smiled, both speechless.

"My troops are all in Gushu," Wei Huaiwen said softly. "If we want to accomplish something important, we must act quickly, or things may change."

"Yu Ze is already at the Crown Prince's residence."

Su Gui shook his wrist: "Let's wait for him."

"When undertaking great tasks, one cannot hesitate or look back. Does that mean we should give up just because the Crown Prince doesn't give his approval?"

Wei Huaiwen shook his head and shook the fishing rod in his hand.

"This isn't like you at all."

"We just need to wait until noon. Once noon arrives, Wuyundu will open the west gate, and Commander Wei's troops can enter the city."

What about the Jingye Division and the Censorate?

As Wei Huaiwen spoke, he glanced behind him.

"What a pity that such a beautiful city as Jiankang has been wasted."

"Marshal Wei, don't worry about them. I will naturally handle the Jingye Division and the Censorate."

Su Gui gripped the fishing rod in his hand and gently pulled, scooping up another big fish from under the water.

"The Wang and Xie families are nothing but bones in a tomb. They still have prestige, but no real capital. The only one they can be worried about is Du Chenghuang, who is almost comparable to an immortal in Jiankang..."

"He won't make a move either."

Su Gui stretched and yawned.

“Feng Buxing led Wuyundu to open the North Gate, Cheng Buyi led the Northern Army Guards to open the Sima Gate, and Commander Wei led his troops to the palace. I will personally go to capture General Wang Anzhi.”

"It's that simple?"

"It's that simple, how complicated could it be?" Su Gui raised his eyebrows and looked at Wei Huaiwen, saying, "Our old friend in the north has even saved us from having to make this trip."

“Yuwen Rui? He’s just good at enduring. If you or I could outlive four emperors, we would be just as transcendent as him.”

Wei Huaiwen shook his head as he spoke: "I just don't know how history will judge our actions today."

"Commander Wei is well-versed in history, so I won't bother with grand principles like 'the people are more important than the ruler.'" Su Gui stood up, gently removing his raincoat to reveal a dark crane cloak underneath. "Since the Middle Ages, dynasties have changed hands countless times. How many ministers who deposed and installed emperors can Commander Wei remember? How many deposed emperors can he remember? Besides, what do such empty titles have to do with us?"

"You see things more clearly."

Wei Huaiwen also put away his fishing rod.

"However, regarding the matter of Cizhou..."

"Does Coach Wei think I did something wrong?"

Su Gui smiled gently.

"Won't this create a rift in the hearts of the younger generation?" Wei Huaiwen shook his head and said, "After all, there is the lesson of the Xie family. We shouldn't let a good junior become an enemy."

"can you?"

This pillar of the state, respectfully addressed as "Lord Su," gazed at the river with a cool and aloof expression.

"I first feigned weakness in Jiankang, putting on an act of long-term planning. Then, Che'er ascended to the throne and ceded Cizhou. The court, as expected, couldn't sit still and sent people to fabricate a major case. Indeed, there was my planning involved, but ultimately, wasn't it just a matter of the times?"

"You still have your own plans."

Wei Huaiwen shook his head and said, "Compared to a high and mighty immortal immortal, you'd rather use Huang Tiandao's power to complete your final move. Old Su, our little scheme will eventually be seen through."

"Each generation has its own cause. I still remember when I first met Wei Shuai, he was just a playboy who spent his days chasing after falcons and dogs."

When Wei Huaiwen heard his old friend reminiscing about the past, a hint of disdain flashed across his lips.

"You talk as if you're any better than me."

“I still remember that year. They fabricated charges against me, convicted me of a serious crime, and sentenced me to corporal punishment. My family had already prepared money to atone for my sins, but then a messenger in blue robes suddenly appeared. In the blink of an eye, he could only send me to the silkworm room and endure that punishment.”

"They're all just painful memories of the past."

Wei Huaiwen reached out and patted his friend on the shoulder: "If it weren't for that, you would probably be a corpse after the Battle of Fangtou back then."

"That man who is constantly harassing us martial artists in Yongzhou has never stopped. In fact, half of the land of this Great Liang belongs to the martial artists of Yongzhou. Fangtou deliberately plots against us, trying to divide and weaken us on a daily basis, but every move he makes is aimed at us."

“That’s natural. Yuwen Rui is just a minor ailment. You and I are the real threats to him.”

"So it's just a matter of tit for tat."

Su Gui looked at Wei Huaiwen and said, "Since some things have been decided, there's no need to consider them too thoroughly. If Archer thinks I've secretly schemed against him, then let him come find me."

"What, you want to fight him and see who's better?"

Wei Huaiwen pursed his lips.

"Of course not. All this running around and working so hard is for them. If I didn't do this, he wouldn't be comfortable, and I wouldn't be comfortable either. We would both be overwhelmed by their pressure and wouldn't have a chance to breathe."

"It is indeed not a good thing that the emperor is too wise and powerful."

There was also a coldness in Wei Huaiwen's eyes.

Su Gui let out a long sigh, touched the mustache that was gradually growing on his lips, but looked at Jiankang.

On the riverbank not far away, a troop of elite armored cavalry stood in solemn formation, a red flag waving back and forth in the thick river mist, like a rising flame trying to pierce the darkness.

"Any news from Yu Ze?"

Wei Huaiwen rubbed his hands together: "They're willing to invest."

“That’s natural,” Su Gui said with his hands behind his back. “The movement of the red flag means that the Crown Prince has already agreed.”

"I'm going to Gushu."

Wei Huaiwen stood up and leaped toward a giant warship beside him.

"Waiting for good news."

"May everything go smoothly."

The two longtime friends bowed to each other and set off according to their plans.

In Jiankang, within the palace city, in the Chenhan Hall.

The emperor, dressed in a simple plain robe, sat quietly on a prayer mat, surrounded by swirling smoke. If one did not temporarily forget his supreme status and immense power, the emperor at this moment would appear like an ordinary ascetic, silently meditating.

His fingers traced across the ancient artifact before him.

"The True Spirit Position Chart is a technique used by almost every sect and lineage of the Xuanmen to visualize the spirit. It is said that this technique originated from this chart. This particular one is an ancient artifact passed down from the Celestial Masters to the previous dynasty. It contains the divine imprints of seven long-lived cultivators. Take it and study it carefully; you might just be able to achieve the Void Step Position."

The current Emperor of Liang spoke slowly. Below him knelt a middle-aged man dressed in a black silk robe. His face had dark veins, like some kind of pattern, exuding an ancient and simple aura.

The middle-aged man knelt there quietly, but strange phenomena appeared in the air around him. A green branch seemed to be spreading outward from the man, but it disappeared in an instant.

Zeng Mozhou is currently the leader of the Jingye Division of the Great Liang Dynasty and a master of the fourth rank of the Buxu realm.

"Li Yizhen interrogated Su Che multiple times, but was unable to convict him of a serious crime. However, he could fabricate a few charges: Su Che seems to have some unclear relationship with Lady Xue, the Ghost Cultivator. This woman previously recruited various powerful families in the court, intending to seize the position of God of Canglang River..."

"Ok?"

The emperor's voice was indifferent, making it unclear whether he was truly interested in the matter.

The leader of the Jingye Division seemed to have gotten used to his lord's behavior, and then said calmly.

"After extensive investigation, we found that during the previous dynasty, there was a Consort Lian who was the most favored concubine, serving three emperors before returning to the Canglang River. This Lady Xue should be a descendant of Consort Lian, meaning she is a noblewoman from the previous dynasty. The charge of colluding with the previous dynasty and plotting a rebellion should be valid."

The emperor remained silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled softly.

"His Majesty?"

Zeng Mozhou lowered his head, pressing the top of his head against the cold ground.

"It's nothing, I just suddenly thought about which noble lady from the previous dynasty this Lady Xue belongs to." The emperor shook his head and said, "It's too far-fetched, I'm afraid the court and people inside and outside the court will not be convinced. Besides, he is currently with Huang Tiandao, we can't just send someone to arrest him and bring him back to be convicted."

"Your Majesty means that the crime we choose should not be too serious, nor too minor. Ideally, it should be enough to prevent him from ever holding a position in the court again, but without causing too much trouble for the Su family?"

"Mo Zhou, how many years have you been with me?"

"I have been by Your Majesty's side since before you ascended the throne, which is more than fifty years now."

More than fifty years.

The emperor looked at Zeng Mozhou and said, "If I give you another fifty years, are you confident that you can attain immortality?"

"Your Majesty, I cannot deceive you. I am no match for Su Gui now. In another fifty years, I fear Su Gui will have accumulated enough power to achieve immortality. Within the Central Plains, it is difficult for the Xuanmen to achieve immortality, but Su Gui is not a Xuanmen cultivator."

"Ugh."

The emperor sighed softly.

"Any news from Wei Huaiwen?"

"Wei Huaiwen has stationed his troops at Gushu, where he conducts military drills daily, and his massive warships roam the river. Yu Ze enters and leaves the Eastern Palace daily, dismissing all attendants when speaking with the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince has recently shown signs of worry, and I fear they may be plotting something extraordinary..."

Zeng Mozhou knelt and said, "Your Majesty, the only solution now is to ask the Ancestor to come out of seclusion once to deter the villains."

silence.

The already chilly Chenhan Palace now felt even more desolate.

"Have you managed to contact the True Person of Yujingdao?"

"Your Majesty, there happens to be a True Man Yue Luan in Cizhou right now, but Your Majesty should also know that they are probably unwilling to show themselves."

Yu Jingdao, in the end, is still unreliable.

"The ancestor cannot leave the mountain."

Facing his most loyal subject, the emperor made no attempt to conceal anything and explained the situation directly.

"With the combined strength of the Censorate and the Night Watch, how confident are you in taking on Su Gui?"

"Your subject cannot deceive the emperor; Your subject was unaware."

Zeng Mozhou said, "Your Majesty once mentioned welcoming the National Preceptor. I have heard that there seems to be a reclusive Buddha on Qixia Mountain. Perhaps sending someone to investigate would yield some results..."

"Too little, too late."

The emperor stood up, slowly stepped off the prayer mat, walked to a window, and looked at the landscape before him.

"This time, I made a mistake."

"His Majesty."

Zeng Mozhou lowered his head: "The only solution now is to summon the Crown Prince to the palace. No matter what schemes the traitors have, they can't get around the Crown Prince..."

"No."

The emperor looked at the land before him.

"Do you want me to beg them?"

"I am the Son of Heaven. Since the Middle Ages, the legitimate ruler of the Central Plains has been the Emperor of this generation."

The emperor's words were powerful and imposing, exuding an undeniable air of dominance.

"I wield power, but I am the one who gives it. If I were to bow down to them, I would no longer be myself."

The emperor's gaze swept coldly down below.

"But Your Majesty, the current situation..."

Zeng Mozhou lowered his head and said, "Currently, the Jingye Division has twelve Huandan Death Warriors, and the Censorate has fifteen Xingyou Censors who are sworn to serve His Majesty to the death. Even if we were to fight a fierce battle with Su Gui, the result would probably be nothing more than turning Jiankang into a wasteland."

"Then there's no need to fight."

The emperor extended a finger and lightly removed the jade hairpin from his head, letting his long black hair fall down.

"Let's continue to stay hidden in the shadows."

"But……"

"If he wants to become Yuwen Rui, he'll have to see if I can help him. If I sacrifice all of you, he might not just be Yuwen Rui, he could even overthrow the dynasty."

A glint of light flashed in the emperor's eyes.

"This game is only in the middle stage; there's no reason to abandon a piece and concede defeat. Go back and burn the roster of spies, and have them all go into hiding."

The emperor looked at Zeng Mozhou and smiled slightly.

"Alas, I never imagined that you and I, ruler and subject, would one day fall into such a state of disgrace."

"His Majesty."

Zeng Mozhou looked at the emperor above.

At that moment, the emperor seemed to have lost his spine, appearing to have aged countless years.

"All the people are guilty, but the guilt lies with me. I do not accept this charge, and they cannot pin it on me."

The emperor sat down on the prayer mat again.

He suddenly opened his eyes.

"Outside, what's going on outside?"

A violent surge of primordial energy is currently shaking the imperial city.

"It seems to be a Xuanmen (Taoist) code of conduct, not a Su code."

Zeng Mozhou clasped his hands in a salute to the emperor.