Chapter Thirty-Four: Prince Xin's Strategy, the First Stirring of the Primal Heavens

Although Prince Xin had been granted his title, his methods were shrewd; in just two short years, he had seized control over most of the military power in Shengjing. When the time came, he planned to force the crown prince from his position, compel the emperor to abdicate, and thus claim the merit of assisting the new regime. He would be rewarded with titles and command, and so he pledged allegiance to Prince Xin as his lord.

He had also carefully considered his retreat. Even if his plans failed, he could escape to the northern territories, where the new emperor would not dare act against him. Though nominally under the rule of the Great Liang Dynasty, the Liu family, his maternal kin, had cultivated the region for years; their roots ran deep and even imperial authority could not shake them. There, it was the Liu family who held sway, not the throne. Yet this was the worst-case scenario. He had no wish to end up fleeing north, having accomplished nothing.

Shangguan Hongyun thought his lord was somewhat timid. Within Shengjing alone, aside from the three thousand troops of the Initial Heavenly Machine Battalion, there were one hundred thousand soldiers in the Divine Wind Regiment. His father had taken ten thousand south to quell unrest, the crown prince controlled over ten thousand, and the other princes each commanded several thousand or hundreds, while Prince Xin commanded the remaining seventy thousand.

This was the strongest force in Shengjing. If it were him, he would simply stage a coup, crushing the city with seventy thousand troops—why bother with such elaborate schemes? Was he truly afraid of a mere three thousand in the Heavenly Machine Battalion?

Besides, wasn’t he himself present?

Shangguan Chuanyun felt the situation was nearly ripe, and so he spoke:

“My lord, in Shengjing, we have seventy thousand troops, plus nearly ten thousand household guards and retainers, and more than ten thousand men stationed outside the city. We could muster another ten thousand ourselves, making a force of one hundred thousand.” He paused, then continued, “If my lord wishes, my grandfather has expressed his willingness to personally lead the ten thousand finest northern warriors, wholly obedient to your command.”

“Oh? General Zhenyuan is certainly well-intentioned,” Chen Xuanji, Prince Xin, thought coldly to himself. Who was he trying to fool? Without absolute certainty, he would never dare invite that man here. For years, everyone knew Zhenyuan’s ambitions—inviting him was easy, sending him away much harder. He wasn’t naive enough to believe the general wished to help him seize power for the sake of merit.

The general already held sway over the realm, keeping the northern barbarians at bay for thirty years and fortifying the north like an iron barrel. Even the imperial Chen family was unable to intervene. Would he help for a mere measure of merit?

Most likely, what the general coveted was the throne itself, not any reward for assisting the new ruler.

Yet Prince Xin could not refuse. Since Shangguan Hongyun had spoken, the general must have given his assent, indicating his forces were already aimed at Shengjing.

He could not reject the offer; otherwise, the general might turn to support another prince, complicating his plans. After some consideration, he decided it was best to agree. Unstable elements were safest kept close. If he refused, the general would surely look down on him—like two chess players, the opponent had made his move, and it would not do to quit the game.

Prince Xin was himself a master, surrounded by skilled experts. If he played his cards well, perhaps he could make General Zhenyuan lose both his men and his ambitions.

It remained to be seen whose skills would prevail.

Li Xuanji, Prince Xin, rubbed his temples and, with a calm voice, said to Shangguan Hongyun:

“Indeed, General Zhenyuan is a pillar of the realm. With his support, how could our enterprise fail?”

Shangguan Hongyun was delighted, feeling he had fulfilled the task set by his grandfather, General Zhenyuan. Once this was accomplished, his main mission in returning to the capital would be complete. As for the disturbance caused by Shangguan Chuanyun, which had unsettled him before, that was a trivial ailment, easily erased. He said to Prince Xin:

“I obey your command, my lord. I shall contact my grandfather at once and serve you with all my strength.”

“Very good,” Prince Xin nodded, then continued, “Let it be as you suggest.”

Assured of Prince Xin’s approval, Shangguan Hongyun silently rejoiced, knowing his own share of benefit was inevitable. Inspired, he rose and bowed:

“For my lord, I would risk death without hesitation.”

“Haha, excellent! With your assistance, how could our cause fail?”

Prince Xin laughed heartily, then spoke again to Shangguan Hongyun.

“Please, be seated.”

Once Shangguan Hongyun had settled, Prince Xin paused in thought, recalling the matters discussed last night, and turned to his left:

“Where is the commander of the Divine Might Regiment?”

“Present, your highness.” Suddenly, a door opened in the left wall and a young man in sturdy attire entered, his bearing strong and measured—a clear military expert. A faint aura of blood surrounded him, the mark of condensed killing intent. He stood below and addressed Prince Xin.

“What of last night’s operations? You should be reporting by now.”

Prince Xin asked coolly.

“Your highness, last night we lay in ambush for Shangguan Chuanyun, but our efforts were fruitless. We waited all night halfway to the Marquis of Wu’an’s residence and found no trace.”

“Oh?” Prince Xin was puzzled, thought for a moment, then said, “Let it go, then. He escaped this time, and that is his fortune. You may leave.”

“Yes, your highness.” The young officer replied before exiting through the small wall door, leaving no trace from outside.

Prince Xin glanced at Shangguan Hongyun and said,

“The urgent task is to prepare and contact all our forces. This matter can be set aside for now.”

Shangguan Hongyun considered and replied,

“My lord, though Shangguan Chuanyun is young, he possesses considerable skill, even surpassing mine. I noticed this and sought to eliminate the threat early; if allowed to mature, he may become another version of my father.”

Prince Xin responded, “It matters not. Even if he is more gifted than me, so what? I reached the secret strength level at twenty, and spent eight years refining myself, aided by the royal family and expert guidance. By the time Shangguan Chuanyun becomes a master, the situation will already be decided.”

Shangguan Hongyun pressed, “But, my lord, what if—”

Prince Xin waved his hand to silence him, then said,

“Rest assured, once the outcome is settled, I will see to it that you are satisfied.”

Shangguan Hongyun could only accept; he knew that when Prince Xin had made up his mind, his duty was simply to carry it out. Further argument would be pointless.

After exchanging a few casual words, Shangguan Hongyun took his leave. He had been away from home for several days and now wished to return, seeking another solution to the matter of silver.

Once Shangguan Hongyun departed, a middle-aged scholar emerged from behind the screen.

Prince Xin asked,

“Wen He, what are your thoughts?”

This was Chen Xuanji’s most valued advisor, noted for his keen insight and deep strategy. The scholar pondered and replied,

“My lord, our spies report that after returning home, Shangguan Hongyun became enemies with Shangguan Chuanyun. His obsession with silver has reached a pathological level. It seems he hopes to profit from the strife.”

Prince Xin smiled.

“Ha, that must be General Zhenyuan Liu Xian behind him.”

“My lord is wise.”

Prince Xin shook his head and said,

“Wen He, spare me the riddles—just speak plainly.”

The scholar thought for a moment and said,

“From Shangguan Hongyun’s urgent efforts to gather silver, it appears the northern expedition is short on provisions, hence his actions. He wishes to avoid dependency on us, but his methods are a bit rash.”

Prince Xin said, “Indeed, none of the great families’ scions are simple; one careless move could lead us astray.”

“That is all the more reason not to target Shangguan Chuanyun. If we offend the Marquis of Wu’an, our plans will grow more complicated.”

...

In the haunted house, aside from a brief disturbance at midnight, the night passed peacefully.

As the morning light bathed the world, carrying the nourishing purple aura from the east, everything was refreshed.

Shangguan Chuanyun was in a state of vague, ethereal meditation when a burst of purple light suddenly appeared before him. Within it, he perceived the essence of all things, his spirit inspired, the elixir circulating, and several strands of purple energy were absorbed into his body, coursing through his meridians. He felt every pore immersed in primordial energy, an indescribable delight.

The energy split in two: one part, with his breath, entered the three-foot flying sword, where silver light mingled with purple. The other, he intended to store in his mind to nourish his soul and strengthen his spirit, guiding the purple energy through the governing vessel, past three gates, down through the heavenly portal into his consciousness.

Suddenly, the purple energy was uncontrollably drawn into a gray sphere within his mind.

Shangguan Chuanyun was puzzled and tried to communicate with this indistinct gray form using his spiritual sense, but his mind met no response, as if sinking into mud.

This gray orb was the only thing he had brought through reincarnation. Its original state encompassed all phenomena, unmatched in calculation, known through the ages as the Imperial Armillary Sphere, the nation’s greatest treasure.

At the last moment of his previous life, it manifested yin and yang and was struck by heavenly thunder, transforming into chaos—a gray, hazy form. Shangguan Chuanyun had tried countless times to probe it, but no matter the method, it remained motionless deep within his mind.

Unexpectedly, after nearly losing his elixir and stabilizing himself, at the final moment, he encountered the eastern purple aura, which not only fortified his small elixir but also improved his foundation.

The eastern purple aura held boundless marvels, containing the principle of creation and the way of transformation.

Originally, Shangguan Chuanyun planned to store the remaining energy in his mind to nourish his soul and comprehend the Dao, but the altered Armillary Sphere absorbed it.

Since it was his own possession, he did not mind. He focused on cultivating his flying sword, not rebuilding the sphere, for he still held hope for the gray orb.

The Dao esteems singular devotion; since he possessed such a thing, he would not waste effort seeking another path, lest it hinder his progress.

Thus, Shangguan Chuanyun decided to gather more eastern purple aura in the future, allowing the sphere to absorb it. Over time, results would surely emerge.