Atlas of Heaven and Man.

Chapter 1398 The Hidden Palace and the Pivot Pass

After receiving Chen Chuan's approval, Wen Mingzhong did not hesitate at all and decisively and quickly led his men to set up the ceremony at the pass.

The men he brought appeared to be elites from the Secret Cult Review Bureau; after giving their orders, each of them began to do their work in an orderly manner.

The specific function of the ritual was, firstly, to suppress the secret rituals previously set up by the old imperial family, and to prevent the old imperial family from using it against them when they attacked.

Secondly, in order to set up that anomaly, it is necessary to create favorable conditions for them beforehand to enhance the anomaly's capabilities, and then ensure that it can be recovered afterward.

Chen Chuan also took the opportunity to learn about this anomaly and found it to be quite interesting.

Anomalies, also known as strange tales, are usually diverse in type, but in his personal understanding, they can be broadly categorized into two types: regional and trigger-based.

The representative of regional types is the Maoshan Ghost Story. It will no longer have any impact once it leaves a region. It needs to be resolved through certain steps. If that doesn't work, then the entire region needs to be destroyed.

Triggered types are like the Tanuki Ghost Stories he carries; if the conditions for their appearance are met, they can exist anywhere until the conditions disappear or they are triggered again.

It is worth noting that this type of ghost story may not be very powerful at the beginning, and cannot be compared with regional ghost stories, but it often has a certain potential for growth.

The strange tale brought by the Secret Sect Bureau this time clearly belongs to this category. This kind of strange tale can be used by people, and its power can be amplified under certain conditions.

Before bringing them out, Wen Mingzhong and the others had to consult with him first, and only with his permission could they succeed.

His abilities do meet his needs, but there might be some difficulties in the final outcome.

That's alright, there's plenty of time to deal with it after the war.

Just then, he sensed something and turned to look to the side. He saw a white-gold light shining in his direction. He stood still, and in a flash, a blinding light burst forth where he had been standing.

Everyone felt a blur before their eyes, and then couldn't help but close them. After their eyes adjusted, they opened them again and saw that Chen Chuan was still standing there, seemingly unchanged.

His military overcoat was fluttering, and there were faint wisps of purple aura surrounding it, but they disappeared after a moment.

Chen Chuan gripped the Snow Lord Blade and turned to look outside. Although the sky over the merging land was usually gloomy, there were no clouds at this moment, and the visibility was very high, so it was clear that there were no unusual occurrences in the surrounding area.

Chaoming continued to patrol in the distance.

Looks like we made it in time.

The old imperial family was unable to send out attacking forces in time, possibly due to the previous information blockage, which made it unclear about their specific strength and thus unable to make a decision in a hurry.

However, the old imperial family could not possibly abandon this place. Because it was too easy to get to Youdu from here, theoretically, the Great Shun could rely on this place to continuously send people here until they had gathered enough power to overthrow the old imperial family.

It's like a sword hanging over the head of the old imperial family, so even if it's just to gain enough strategic buffer, they will try to take it back. They can't just give up without even trying.

At this moment, a rustling sound came from the boundary token, which then became clearer, and a voice said: "Hello, Manager Chen, 'Wind and Sand' is at your service. You can contact anyone here wearing a boundary token through me."

The garrison acted swiftly, with active consciousness units and the field already set up. Behind them, rows of large-caliber railway guns advanced along the hastily laid tracks, aiming their muzzles at the pass.

For high-level fighters, such bombardment may have limited effect, but what will be loaded into the cannon barrel at that time may not just be a simple shell, but also other things.

At this moment, another notification message appeared on the device, saying that the items, documents, and support forces sent by the country were on their way and would arrive before nightfall.

He took two steps, sat down on a nearby chair, facing the vast plain ahead, and waited for the enemy to arrive.

Youdu, Anye Palace.

Because of the numerous special ritual sites located here, the entire palace is shrouded in a thick black cloud year-round.

Between the many palaces, ever-burning lamps converged into a brilliant band of light, while below the palaces and mountains, patrolmen dressed in black armor with covered faces and carrying lanterns and torches marched in formation. Their shadowy figures flickered in the shifting lamplight, making them seem like ghostly soldiers and generals emerging from the underworld.

In a corner of the Yunmeng Garden corridor, the eldest prince, Prince Qiong Yuan Conglai, had been standing there since last night, his hair and clothes already damp with the morning dew.

His figure stretched long under the eaves. Nearby stood an ancient locust tree with gnarled branches, its branches twisting and turning. Clouds and mist swirled beneath it, and wisps of crimson light spilled out from between the branches, landing on several cranes perched beneath it.

This scenery should be beautiful and charming, but placed here, it looks eerie and sinister.

King Qiong stood motionless in the same spot, his back straight, without a single servant accompanying him.

At that moment, a gust of wind blew by, carrying faint sounds of singing and dancing from the Zizhan Qingdian Palace.

On the opposite palace road, several white-faced palace eunuchs with powdered faces emerged from the mist. As they passed by, the leading eunuch noticed the figure by the roadside, shone his lantern on it, and exclaimed in surprise, "What is Your Highness Prince Qiong doing here?"

Yuan Conglai said, "I sent a letter last night requesting an audience, and I am waiting for my father to summon me." The palace eunuch glanced at his congenital lameness, his eyes filled with pity, and advised him, "Your Highness, Prince Qiong, you should go back. His Majesty was busy with state affairs last night and did not sleep all night. He has no time to see Your Highness today."

Yuan Conglai didn't speak, he just stood there.

The palace eunuch shook his head, bowed to him, and left with his entourage.

He sighed inwardly. This Prince Qiong had always been known for his virtue and treated them, his servants, very well. But they were not fortunate enough to be in that position.

Although he was the eldest son of the legitimate wife, he was born with a congenital disability and lacked talent, which made the emperor dislike him. However, he had not done anything wrong, so the emperor could not depose him even if he wanted to. Therefore, the emperor said many times in public and private that he should just die.

Before they had taken more than a few steps, a fast horse suddenly came up, and a palace attendant dismounted, strode up to Yuan Conglai, raised a token, and shouted: "By imperial decree, Prince Qiong is not allowed to linger in the palace gardens and must return immediately."

Then he whispered, "Her Majesty the Empress said that Prince Qiong should return first and not anger His Majesty."

Yuan Conglai sighed, "Since Father and Mother have said so, your son will naturally obey."

Under the watchful eyes of the palace attendants, he left Yunmeng Garden and returned to his Shaohua Palace with a sorrowful expression.

This place is desolate and quiet; apart from a few elderly servants, almost no one comes here.

Even if he wasn't favored by the emperor, given his status, many people were bound to fawn over him or try to curry favor with him. However, he knew he couldn't afford to make any mistakes, so he simply refused to see any officials from outside the capital. Over time, those who sought personal gain and curried favor gradually distanced themselves, and the place became increasingly quiet and secluded.

The official in charge of the Prince's residence had been waiting for him there. When he returned, the official looked at him and said, "Your Highness must have been unable to see His Majesty."

Yuan Conglai said anxiously, "With the fall of Yaolan Pass, the enemy could arrive any day or night. The nation is already in grave danger. Father, Father should make a quick decision and send troops to retake this place as soon as possible, but he is still not moving! I really don't understand!"

He was shocked to learn last night that Yaolan had fallen. The loss of this place was not as simple as just losing a pass.

The Da Shun fighters could reach Youdu in a single day using this location, which was extremely dangerous. The country might really be in danger of collapse, but the Imperial Court was not responding at all. How could he not be anxious?
The man calmly replied, “Your Highness, it’s probably not that His Majesty is indecisive, but rather that he has some concerns. I’ve heard that the Xuanji General who seized Yaolan Pass is very famous. Even the General Who Conquers the East, the General of Chariots and Cavalry, and Zong Zhengbei are no match for him. Currently, in the capital, only General Yuan is capable of fighting him. Even in a one-on-one fight, he might not be a match for him. How could His Majesty dare to act rashly?”

Yuan Conglai said unwillingly, "But there are still many members of the imperial family in the capital. Are they unwilling to stand up and share the burden for the country?"

There are also many powerful Xuanji generals among the royal family. Moreover, he heard that among those who attacked the city gate earlier, there seemed to be only that one Xuanji general. So if they had gathered enough strength, it would not have been difficult for them to take back the gate in one fell swoop.

But his father hesitated for a long time, and by the end of the night, he had probably missed the best opportunity.

The official replied, “Your Highness, although there are members of the imperial clan, they are needed to protect the royal family and deter all sides. At present, the dynasty is beset by internal and external troubles. The false dynasty is pressing us hard, the various lords have their own selfish motives, the remnants of the previous dynasty are waiting for an opportunity to launch a counterattack, and the gods are all harboring ulterior motives. The situation is so complicated, how can Your Majesty dare to easily entrust the power of the central court to others?”

"A single hair can affect the whole situation."

Yuan Conglai frowned and said, "Isn't there my imperial brother? He's always been portrayed as so powerful, why not let him lead the army..."

The official's expression changed, and he whispered a reminder: "Your Highness, please be careful with your words. Has Your Highness forgotten His Majesty's instructions? You must not utter a word about anything concerning Prince Lin."

Yuan Conglai lowered his head.

At that moment, the sound of hooves suddenly rang out, and a rider came over. After getting close to the two of them, he quickly dismounted.

The rider quickly dismounted and stepped forward, bowing to Yuan Conglai with his hands clasped. "Your Highness, His Majesty and the cabinet ministers have just drafted an edict ordering the recapture of Yaolan Pass." As he spoke, he handed over a scroll of documents.

Did it move?

Yuan Conglai hurriedly snatched the document from his hand, skipped over the front, and only looked at the people who were going into battle from the back.

Among them were General Yuan Congye, General Tie Rugan, General Yan Poling, General Cao Ping, and Embroidered-Robe Ambassador Chu Xianyun.

But after looking at it, he still felt it was not right, and kept saying, "It's not enough, it's not enough!"

You must know that this time the opponent is the Xuanji General, who is capable of taking on ten opponents at once, but how could these people be enough?
After looking at it from the perspective of the matter, he pondered for a moment and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, this is just a formality. How could His Majesty and the Grand Secretaries overlook the matters that Your Highness is concerned about?"

Moreover, in the past, it was customary to appoint members of the imperial clan as military supervisors during campaigns, but this document does not mention them. I suspect that there must be other assistance accompanying the expedition this time, presumably to guard against spies from the false dynasty, hence the omission of this detail in the document.

Looking back, he suddenly felt confident and said, "Your Highness, rest assured. This time, the army has also brought the exotic species raised in the Imperial Garden. His Majesty and the Grand Secretaries must attach great importance to this battle. We will surely kill the general of the false dynasty and recapture Yaolan Pass."

……

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(End of this chapter)