Liver into a martial arts legend: starting with Embroidered Spring Blade

Chapter 182 Rebellion Against This Broken Imperial Court
The atmosphere inside the Qianqing Palace was somewhat solemn.

Jiang Xuan looked at Zhu Youjian, who had a hint of mockery in his eyes, and forcibly suppressed the murderous intent in his heart.

He and Zhu Youjian eventually reached this point.

Zhu Youjian no longer concealed his emotions, abandoning him after he had served his purpose, showing him no mercy. However, thinking of the mysterious and terrifying figure in the palace, he had to suppress his inner turmoil and dare not embark on the path of 'regicide'.

Wei Zhongxian's fate is still vivid in our minds.

He understands that there are certain bottom lines that cannot be crossed.

However, there are many things that don't require my personal intervention. Moreover, the current situation is complicated, and even if I could kill Zhu Youjian, it would only give me a sense of satisfaction, but it wouldn't do me any good.

Often, we cannot act on impulse; we must consider the gains and losses.

Perhaps this is the helplessness of being in a high position.

Jiang Xuan took a deep breath, pretending not to notice the sarcasm in Zhu Youjian's words, and changed the subject, explaining his purpose for entering the palace.

He had barely finished speaking when he suddenly sensed something was wrong.

It felt as if a gaze had left me, and I felt a sense of relief.

But at this moment, there was no one else in the Qianqing Palace except for Zhu Youjian and Wang Chengen.

These two people naturally wouldn't pose a threat to him, so the outcome was obvious.

The moment I stepped into the Qianqing Palace, I was already being watched.

Who is this being who can silently observe you without you even noticing? It's obvious there's no need to think too much.

Jiang Xuan felt a chill run down his spine. He looked up into the depths of the palace, a look of seriousness flashing in his eyes, but also a sense of relief that he had managed to hold back.

The emperor's safety was indeed the bottom line for the Ming Dynasty.

Once you lose control and take action, the outcome will most likely be bad.

Jiang Xuan withdrew his gaze, not daring to overstep his bounds in the slightest. He concealed all his aura and pretended that nothing had happened.

Zhu Youjian clearly didn't notice anything unusual. Seeing Jiang Xuan's honest and respectful demeanor, a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes. He believed that his 'domineering aura' had won over Jiang Xuan, and he felt much more at ease with him.

What good are high martial arts skills or past prestige?
In this Ming Dynasty, ultimately, it is still me who calls the shots.

"Regarding the matter of Tianxiang cardamom, I have already sent people to investigate. Back then, Tianxiang Kingdom did indeed present three Tianxiang cardamoms to our dynasty. One of them was bestowed upon the Iron-Blooded Marquis, and of the other two, one was given to the Empress Dowager, and the other has been sealed in the palace ever since."

Seeing that Jiang Xuan was behaving well, Zhu Youjian's attitude softened considerably. He said, "I cannot ask for the one that was bestowed upon the Iron-Blooded Marquis back. You will have to find a way to get it back yourself. As for the one that was bestowed upon the Empress Dowager, it has been missing ever since her passing. I am powerless to help you with that either. I can only give you the one in your palace."

As he spoke, Zhu Youjian instructed Wang Chengen to take out the Tianxiang Doukou (a type of cardamom) that had been prepared beforehand and hand it to Jiang Xuan.

Jiang Xuan frowned slightly, somewhat disappointed.

All three Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom pods must be consumed to achieve the effect of bringing the dead back to life.

The pill in Iron-Blooded Marquis's hand has already been fed to Su Xin. Taking the second pill will awaken Su Xin, and she must take the third pill within a year to remove all the aftereffects and bring her back to life. Otherwise, she will surely die again after a year.

One Tianxiang cardamom is clearly not enough now.

Regardless, finding one now offers hope of awakening one's inner self.

Jiang Xuan accepted the box containing the Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom, cupped his hands in thanks, and said, "Your Majesty, I thank you."

Zhu Youjian waved his hand: "This is what you deserve. I am not the kind of person who would burn bridges after using someone else's tools. As long as you serve me well, I will naturally not treat you unfairly."

Jiang Xuan sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm, bowing once more to express his loyalty.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, you can go back now. I still have official business to attend to."

Zhu Youjian waved to see the guest off, then rubbed his temples. Before he could even pay attention to Jiang Xuan, he looked down at the memorials on the imperial desk, seemingly having a headache.

Jiang Xuan glanced at the contents of the memorial. Although it was far away, his eyesight at that moment allowed him to clearly see the words on the memorial.

"The rebel army in the Northwest has resurfaced, colluding with the martial arts force 'Ming Cult,' and is launching another rebellion?"

Jiang Xuan was shocked and finally understood why Zhu Youjian was angry.

The Northwest Expeditionary Army has somehow revived?
His eyes flickered slightly, but he said nothing, bowed, and left.

"This kid just showed murderous intent."

Deep within the palace, an elderly figure dressed in blue watched Jiang Xuan depart. Seemingly transcending the barriers of various buildings, he saw Jiang Xuan's retreating figure and frowned, saying, "He's getting bolder and bolder! Could he... really be going to become the next Wei Zhongxian?"

Opposite him, a black-robed man wearing a crown and playing chess smiled faintly and said, "He helped the emperor ascend the throne and quelled the rebellion, but in the end he suffered such treatment. If it were you or me, we would probably feel resentful as well."

"No matter what, such a rebellious act should not be committed!" the old man in blue said in a deep voice, disapproving of such behavior.

In his view, loyalty to the emperor and love for one's country are the most basic moral bottom line.

The man in black robes smiled and casually said, "This kid is a smart man, and his martial arts have progressed extremely quickly. In just two years, he has grown to this level. He should have already discovered our presence. Unless he's stupid, he won't dare to really take this step. Don't worry."

"But to be honest, what the Emperor did was indeed not very kind. When he first ascended the throne, he was walking on thin ice, working diligently and assiduously. I thought he would be a wise ruler, but unexpectedly, he still changed..."

As he spoke, the man in black robes shook his head and sighed, looking quite regretful.

The old man in blue was silent for a moment, then said, "The Ming Dynasty can't withstand much more turmoil. If he continues to be so incompetent, the Ming Dynasty will surely be ruined in his hands. I think it's time to find an opportunity to meet with him."

The man in black robes looked at him: "Back then, both the Taizu Emperor and the Chengzu Emperor left behind a will that unless the Ming Dynasty faced a life-or-death crisis, we should not interfere in politics. Do you intend to overstep that boundary?"

“I…” The old man in blue paused, then said with some anger, “Do you want to just stand by and watch him squander the last bit of the Ming Dynasty’s wealth?”

"It's not the final step yet, is it? No rush, with us here, what could possibly go wrong?"

The man in black robes appeared calm and confident. He then placed a black piece in his hand, a smug look on his face, and chuckled, "Five in a row! I've won again!"

"I'm not playing anymore, you can play by yourself!" The old man in blue robes was furious and immediately got up, waving his sleeves as he left.

"That old guy..."

Watching the old man's departing figure, the man in black robes didn't care. He simply shook his head and muttered to himself helplessly, "At such an old age, why think so much? Looking at thousands of years of history, which dynasty has ever lasted forever?"

"We can manage things for ten or a hundred years, but can we manage them for a thousand years? Are we really going to be trapped in this deep palace for the rest of our lives?"

As he spoke, the man in black robes looked up at the sky, a look of confusion flashing in his eyes. He shook his head and, without making any further moves, quietly disappeared from beside the stone table, leaving only a long sigh.

……

"Jiang Xuan has emerged from seclusion?"

Upon learning of Jiang Xuan's entry into the palace, Yu Huatian of the Western Depot also took it very seriously, frowning as he looked towards the palace: "He entered the palace as soon as he came out of seclusion, what does he want to do?"

"After half a year of silence, you finally couldn't wait any longer?" After half a year of training, his aura of majesty had become even stronger. In addition, he also had a touch of cold and ruthless aura, with a noble air mixed with iron-bloodedness.

Nevertheless, he still took the news about Jiang Xuan very seriously.

“My Lord, how about I go into the palace to investigate?” Ma Jinliang stepped forward and suggested, bowing. He understood what his Lord was most worried about.

Just as Yu Huatian was about to speak, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside, followed by a West Depot agent who quickly entered and whispered, "Reporting to the Chief Supervisor, someone from the palace has arrived. The Emperor summons you to the palace for an audience."

"Enter the palace?" Yu Huatian was taken aback, somewhat puzzled. Hadn't they just been summoned?

……

"Captain!"

"Meet the Governor!"

After leaving the palace, Jiang Xuan went straight to the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) headquarters.

Compared to six months ago, the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters was relatively quiet, but it was still well managed by Ren Yingying and others, and there was no sense of gloom or decline as one might have imagined.

Jiang Xuan went straight to the main hall of the government office, ordered someone to summon Ren Yingying, Luo Yangxing, and others, inquired about the recent political situation, and learned that everything was as usual and nothing major had happened, so he got down to business.

"Has something big happened in the Northwest recently?" Jiang Xuan asked.

"event?"

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned, not understanding what important matter Jiang Xuan was referring to.

Seeing this, Jiang Xuan shook his head. The intelligence of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was really outdated these days.

He stated directly, "Go and investigate the intelligence about the rebel army in the Northwest."

"The rebel army?!"

The crowd immediately stirred. Hadn't the rebel army been wiped out long ago? Could it be that they had reappeared?

Everyone was puzzled, but seeing Jiang Xuan's solemn expression, they knew he had likely received some information. They dared not say anything more, and all agreed to immediately send people to investigate.

Two days later.

Before the Embroidered Uniform Guard could find anything, Jiang Xuan received intelligence from 'Netherworld'.

Seven days ago, a mutiny broke out in the Northwest. A border garrison collectively rebelled and joined the rebel army. In just a few days, they captured several cities and quickly built up an army of more than 10,000 people.

The rebel army, which had been wiped out less than two years ago, has risen again and is now united in worshipping the new rebel king, Li Zicheng!

"As expected..."

Jiang Xuan frowned slightly; history always repeats itself in surprising ways.

Is it possible that the Ming Dynasty in this other world is also destined to be destroyed by the rebel army?

Two years ago, the rebel army was wiped out by the dispatch of troops. Only Gao Yingxiang's nephew, Li Zicheng, led dozens of remnants to escape, which was almost equivalent to the complete annihilation of the rebels.

Even under such circumstances, Li Zicheng was still able to rise again.

Moreover, this time, they directly targeted the border troops, instigating a mutiny and taking the opportunity to raise an army to rebel...

"That's not all!"

The messenger, Xiyu, also had a very serious expression. She said, "According to the information from our undercover agents, this time, Li Zicheng not only turned the border troops against the enemy, but also colluded with many Jianghu forces. The four famous families in the Northwest, Hu, Miao, Fan, and Tian, ​​have all been taken in by Li Zicheng as his bodyguards, and each of them is highly skilled in martial arts."

"Especially Hu Tian, ​​the head of the Hu family, nicknamed 'Flying Fox,' is a long-established grandmaster. His son, Hu Yidao, is also a master swordsman and a rising star in the Northwest martial arts world. It is said that his martial arts skills are no weaker than his father, Hu Tian."

"In addition, the Ming Cult, which had been defeated by the major sects and fled to the Western Regions, has made a comeback and openly supported the rebel army."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the mansion was deeply moved.

"It seems the previous intelligence was correct. The Ming Cult has indeed returned, and they've even colluded with the rebel army!"

Qiu Moyan frowned and said, "With the help of martial arts forces, especially a top-tier force like the Ming Cult, this turmoil will not be so easy to quell, and the world will probably be in chaos again."

Yang Huizhen sighed and said, "When the world is in turmoil, it is the common people who ultimately suffer."

They have not forgotten that when the White Lotus Rebellion broke out, countless innocent people were implicated, and countless families were destroyed as a result.

Perhaps because their own fates were also tragic, they could not bear to witness such human tragedies.

Xi Yu sneered, "This corrupt court should have changed its masters long ago!"

"Perhaps, if a new administration were in charge, the people's lives would be much better."

Ever since Jiang Xuan was sidelined, they have lost all goodwill towards this imperial court.

Jin Xiangyu, who hadn't returned for a long time, also came this time. She turned her gaze to Jiang Xuan and suggested with great interest, "Husband, why don't we take this opportunity to rebel, overthrow this damned court, and you become the emperor!"

"..." Jiang Xuan's lips twitched. How come these women were all so ambitious? What made him speechless was that the others all looked like they agreed.

“If the Palace Master raises an army, I am willing to be the vanguard!” Li Ding’an was the first to express his opinion.

Huang Xuemei said, "I don't care, I'll listen to you."

Jin Xiangyu immediately looked at Jiang Xuan excitedly: "Did you hear that? Husband, everyone supports you! Let's do it! Let's rebel against this damned court! Let that Chongzhen brat regret treating you like this!"

"Alright, alright!"

Jiang Xuan quickly stopped them. They were having a good talk, how did it turn into a discussion about a rebellion?

Regardless of whether it will succeed, he has no interest in becoming emperor at the moment. Staying in the palace every day with nowhere to go and endless memorials to deal with... This is not the life he wants.

At this moment, he was considering whether this matter would affect him.

After all, he was also in charge of handling cases related to the martial arts world, and this rebellion involved the Ming Cult and the Hu and Miao families, which, strictly speaking, all belonged to the martial arts world.

Just then, Lin Pingzhi hurriedly walked in from outside and stepped forward to say, "Master, someone from the palace has come. The Emperor summons you to the palace."

Jiang Xuan frowned: "Do you know why?"

Lin Pingzhi's expression was solemn. He said, "It is said that the Emperor summoned the cabinet ministers this morning to discuss the rebellion of the Northwest rebels. This matter has already spread throughout the court this morning, and the ministers are in a state of panic. The Emperor summoned you, perhaps to discuss sending troops to quell the rebellion. The eunuch who came to deliver the decree is still waiting at the yamen."

really!

What was bound to happen, happened...

(End of this chapter)