The Prison Break

“Cangting Bo… has escaped from prison!”

The civil and military officials suddenly felt that the censor’s death had been terribly unjust.

It seemed that from now on, they couldn’t rush to offer remonstrance.

They first had to figure out what His Majesty was thinking before opening their mouths.

No matter what the court officials thought, or how ugly the Grand Commandant’s expression had become, as Grand Tutor, he still had to consider Great Yan as a whole.

Regardless of how wise the new emperor’s decisions had been, forcibly taking a minister’s daughter and nearly driving her to death, ultimately pushing Cangting Bo into rebellion, was an incident bound to continue fermenting.

He had also heard that in a few days, His Majesty intended to officially bring Jingzhe into the palace.

And at such a sensitive moment, no less.

The Grand Tutor knew the young lady of the Qilin Clan.

She was capable enough, and pleasing to the eye as well.

But, Your Majesty… you truly shouldn’t have done things this way.

The only question was whether His Majesty had seen through his plans and acted deliberately…

…or whether he simply wanted to take another consort.

Cangting Bo’s prison escape was a major matter.

The officials immediately broke into heated discussion.

A Celestial Master who had composed a rebellious poem, been imprisoned, openly declared his intention to rebel, and was also the foremost expert beneath the Heavenly Master’s seat…

If someone like him truly rebelled, what would happen?

Anyone with eyes could tell.

He would either establish his own power…

…or throw his support behind a member of the imperial clan.

The Grand Commandant immediately stepped forward.

Military affairs were his domain.

He absolutely could not leave them in someone else’s hands.

If Cangting Bo chose to rebel in the northeast…

…and His Majesty had just happened to appoint Bai Dingshan as the Protector-General of the Northeast…

Wouldn’t those two brothers simply reunite?

Perhaps Cangting Bo’s rebellion was merely a pretext.

Bai Dingshan’s true objective was to secretly build an army under its cover.

The Grand Commandant had already seen through the scheme.

Good.

An opportunity like this was hard to come by.

He might as well eliminate both brothers in one stroke.

His own Shanhai Guard had developed quite well in the northeast already.

“Today, the feudal lords and the various tribes no longer obey the Son of Heaven’s command and have grown increasingly lawless.”

“If the imperial command cannot be enforced throughout the realm, chaos will inevitably follow.”

“I request permission to lead an army and eliminate danger before it takes root.”

“I also request permission to lead troops.”

Bai Dingshan stepped forward as well.

“My elder brother and I are now strangers.”

“Our ties have long since been severed.”

This time, after all his careful maneuvering, Bai Dingshan was acting for his own benefit.

No one had expected Cangting Bo to openly reveal his rebellious intentions and still manage to leave Baizao alive.

The moment he escaped, he became a genuine rebel.

Should he choose to support a prince of the imperial clan, he could carve out an independent domain.

That was precisely the situation the traitors within the court most wanted to see.

Therefore, there was no way they would simply watch him suppress the rebellion.

They would certainly object.

Once His Majesty saw through their intentions, he would naturally reward Bai Dingshan for luring them into exposing themselves through his proposal.

The Grand Tutor did indeed want Bai Dingshan to lead the campaign.

He wanted to see exactly what the two brothers were plotting.

However, he had serious doubts about Bai Dingshan’s military ability.

Could someone so glib and silver-tongued truly win battles?

Nevertheless, to avoid revealing anything, he maintained the same stance as before and respectfully remonstrated.

“Your Majesty, the people of Great Yan currently live in peace and prosperity.”

“They desire only a life free from war and slaughter, sharing together in an age of enlightened rule.”

“War is fraught with danger.”

“Wherever armies pass, looting and disorder inevitably follow.”

“It exhausts the people and drains the treasury.”

“None of this befits a flourishing age.”

This time, the Grand Tutor spoke neither for Cangting Bo nor for the Grand Commandant.

He was merely stating the facts.

He simply used the welfare of the common people as his reason for remonstrance.

War would only burden the people further.

Yet another fact remained.

If Cangting Bo successfully established an imperial prince as an independent ruler, it would weaken the True Dragon’s prestige throughout the provinces.

It would diminish Great Yan’s overwhelming authority in the eyes of local governments.

And in turn, it would expand the Grand Tutor’s own influence.

The Grand Commandant glanced sideways at him.

“The Grand Tutor’s words are not without reason.”

“But the majesty of the imperial court shines upon all beneath heaven.”

“Who would dare defy it?”

“If Cangting Bo rebels, then troops must be dispatched to suppress him.”

Seeing the two about to argue, Yan Shou interrupted.

“Cangting Bo is loyal.”

“I believe he would never dare rebel.”

“Three days from now, I shall welcome his disciple into the palace and pardon his crimes.”

“If we become family…”

“…why would he ever seek to harm me?”

Yan Shou’s meaning was obvious.

In three days, he would marry Jingzhe into the imperial harem.

Once he and the Qilin Clan became one family…

How could Cangting Bo possibly rebel against his own relatives?

Dispatch troops?

How could I possibly do that?

If Cangting Bo doesn’t rebel, I’ll be disappointed.

The more widely my reputation as a foolish tyrant spreads, the better.

Bai Dingshan naturally understood the deeper implications.

The Grand Commandant’s goal was to suppress the rebellion.

The Grand Tutor appeared to oppose military action, but in reality, he agreed with it as well.

Yet in His Majesty’s eyes…

The one who truly needed to be eliminated wasn’t Cangting Bo.

It was ambitious officials like the Grand Commandant…

People like the Grand Tutor, who had inadvertently exposed themselves…

And those members of the imperial clan harboring rebellious intentions.

The Grand Commandant found it rather strange.

How could a wise ruler fail to prepare for danger before it arrived?

Cangting Bo had already written a rebellious poem.

How could he possibly not rebel?

Suddenly, he fell silent.

It seemed…

…he had fallen into a trap.

The Grand Tutor froze as well.

Not good.

I’ve fallen for it too!

Baizao.

The prison of the Court of Judicial Review.

Inside the prison, Cangting Bo was relentlessly cursing the foolish emperor.

When Jingzhe quietly slipped inside, she happened to hear her master berating the reigning emperor.

As someone who had once served as a Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, her professional integrity told her what she was about to do was wrong.

But as His Majesty’s future consort…

She felt she ought to place Yan Shou above all else.

After a brief moment of thought, she earnestly carried out the task Yan Shou had entrusted to her.

She released Cangting Bo.

After all…

This concerned the greater plan.

Fortunately, Cangting Bo already understood the plan.

When he saw Jingzhe arrive, he stood up, continued cursing as he waved a hand, signaling that he understood everything.

Jingzhe informed him of the prison guards’ shift rotation at the Court of Judicial Review.

After unlocking the cell door, she quietly departed.

As a result…

Before Cangting Bo had even warmed his seat…

…he discovered he could simply escape.

“Everything is proceeding exactly according to plan.”

His Majesty truly was wise.

He had seen through his intentions at a glance and had even sent A Yan to escort him out.

This was His Majesty’s way of reassuring him.

There was no need to worry about the Qilin Manor.

No matter what he chose to do, Jingzhe would certainly enter the palace.

She would be perfectly safe.

Moreover, this was the middle of court session.

The Imperial Guards’ attention was focused entirely on the audience hall.

His Majesty would buy him time, making his escape even easier.

When the guards changed shifts, Cangting Bo pushed open the cell door.

Lightning crackled around him as he fled at top speed.

This time, however, he had learned his lesson.

He wasn’t going through the Xuanwu Gate.

Now then…

Where should he go next?

After only a brief consideration…

Cangting Bo shot toward a certain destination.

The citizens of Baizao saw only a streak of lightning tearing across the sky, dragging behind it a dazzling trail of sparks.

“What was that?”

“It was flying so fast!”

“Probably a Kuranta with wings.”

“Lightning as wings.”

“Of course it’d be that fast.”

“The hell are you talking about?”

“That’s a Qilin.”

Bailu and Ling were walking through the streets when they noticed everyone suddenly looking up at the sky.

The two of them raised their heads as well.

There, passing through everyone’s world…

…was Cangting Bo.

Many of the bystanders looked upward with expressions of reverence.

Among them were wandering martial artists whose eyes followed the long blazing trail without blinking.

Some even wore eager expressions.

He passed through their world.

They gazed up at him.

Yet he never looked back…

…until the wind and dust blurred their eyes.

Every place Cangting Bo passed seemed to sink into an indescribable atmosphere.

“Excuse me…”

“Who was the person that just flew past?”

Bailu—or rather, the Nine-Colored Deer—asked Ling, breaking the strange silence.

She had always thought the name “Jiucai” sounded awful.

It carried a strangely silly feeling.

After thinking it over, she decided to give herself a new name.

Bailu.

“Reeds grow lush and green.”

“White dew becomes frost.”

“The one I long for…”

“…is on the other shore.”

She was, after all, quite well-versed in literature.

Not only was the name poetic and elegant, it also carried rich cultural meaning.

It perfectly suited her purpose in coming to the capital.

Besides…

Anything was better than Jiucai.

“Who was he?”

“That’s the second strongest expert under heaven.”

“Even I’m no match for him.”

“He’s incredibly powerful!”

“Then who’s number one?”

“Obviously the old Heavenly Master!”

“So the old Heavenly Master is the strongest person in Great Yan?”

“If you’re talking about the strongest…”

“…it should be His Majesty.”

“Even the old Heavenly Master answers to the emperor.”

Ling had begun fooling the young girl again.

“Oh.”

As they chatted, the two entered an inn.

“Shopkeeper.”

The waiter had been absentmindedly staring at the sky, dreaming that one day he too would become one of those peerless masters found only once in ten thousand.

Then, all of a sudden…

A radiant fairy-like beauty walked into the inn.

Followed immediately by another beauty with an icy, ethereal temperament.

“Welcome, honored guests.”

“Will you be dining, or would you like a room?”

A bright smile spread across his face as he hurried over.

“Hmph.”

“Who needs martial arts?”

“This humble waiter has customers to attend to now.”