Volume One: Hidden Dragon in the Abyss Chapter 100: Concealment

Has Wang Chuan gone mad? Wherever he goes, he rushes to relieve the poor and build his reputation. People in the markets have even taken to calling him the Spendthrift Child."

Chen Lingyan glanced over and said helplessly.

The notice said that the Crown Prince of Jin was once again distributing porridge and clothing to the people of Luen City, telling them where and when to collect it and reminding them to keep order.

Even beneath the feet of the Son of Heaven, there were still places where people lived in hell.

There was poverty where sunlight never reached.

At a time like this, a bowl of thin porridge mixed with coarse grains, an extra new quilt to keep out the cold—such things might let someone stay warm through the night.

And yet this kind of conduct...

At the words, Xu Wei could not help looking toward Wang Chuan. Seeing that he showed no reaction at all, as if it had nothing to do with him, she felt even more puzzled.

All of this had always been handled by Yang Hao. He put in the money, the labor, and the effort, while taking on all the hardship.

Yet it was done under Wang Chuan's name.

Meanwhile, he himself hid in the shadows.

It was not deliberate. Yang Hao's identity and duties were simply like that.

"There was once a man in Jin who hunted tigers..." Wang Chuan said indifferently. "I discussed this before with others. Since it has been done, there is no need to worry about what people think. A clear conscience is enough. Sometimes even I cannot tell which is harder to bear: a good name or a bad one. Either way, it's carrying a burden and walking forward."

He truly did not care.

If he had the time, he would rather focus on cultivating his martial arts than waste energy listening to gossip.

"Mm, Brother, we're fine with it," Xu Wei said as well. She would support him all the way.

"At the very least, Wang Chuan is actually doing these things. As for others, they want a good name but are unwilling to pay for it," Zhong Yuqing added.

What this notice revealed about Wang Chuan was enough to win the favor of passersby.

At the very least, he was willing to do such things.

The sky was clear as washed silk, blue and high with sparse clouds.

In a dimly lit room, several men in official robes were discussing something with grave expressions.

"Indeed, someone is selling military grain and secretly transporting it to the Kingdom of Tang," said a middle-aged man.

"Damn it! Those people deserve death a thousand times over! They would disregard the realm and the common people!"

"We must put these corrupt officials to death and have them torn limb from limb! How dare they act with such brazen lawlessness and trample the law of the land underfoot!"

Someone slammed a hand hard on the table.

"Do we have evidence? Since the treacherous chancellor's old illness has flared up again, we can join forces with several lords, arrest them, and put them on trial directly."

Someone else offered the suggestion.

Ever since the emperor had gone into seclusion to cultivate, the chancellor had ruled the state, and the people had been made to suffer while he ran amok.

All loyal and righteous men were filled with grief and fury, advancing wave after wave.

Only in recent years, when the chancellor fell gravely ill and countless rumors in the capital said it was retribution, had they finally been able to press forward and seize many important posts in the court, standing against him in a struggle of equal strength.

The highest machinery of imperial power was the three departments and six ministries.

For major matters, one could still seek an audience with the emperor at the entrance to the hall; for lesser affairs, both sides would drag things out in a war of attrition.

Fearing that others might seize upon their actions, they dared not decide major matters on their own, nor did they dare overstep. Most of the time they sought audience with the emperor, and there were often officials waiting at the palace gates at all twelve hours of the day and night.

That was why, on the day Wang Chuan had entered the palace hall, the court and the bureaucracy had practically exploded.

Why was it that they alone were denied such treatment? Why could they not personally meet His Majesty to discuss state affairs and concern themselves with the people's well-being?

Their proudest and most successful exploit had been three years earlier, when the chancellor fell ill and the court's upright faction gathered together, almost forcing a palace coup.

At that time, the chief eunuch knew the matter was of great importance and, despite the risk of enraging the emperor, had no choice but to report it. That group of men was able to obtain an audience, and with the currents of the righteous faction surging, they finally gained the strength to contend, enough to sweep away some of the court's foul miasma.

They removed many useless and incompetent men, the upright faction rose in power, and the three departments and six ministries gained greater say. At last they had a basis on which to struggle.

And yet the government still remained a chaos of corruption and darkness.

They had studied the sages and worthies for many years, pursuing the order of the realm and the peace of all under heaven. The road ahead was still long.

"The treacherous faction is cunning. We have not found much evidence. Relying on only a few traces, it is difficult to bring them to justice. Even the righteous men who risked their lives to send us intelligence have lost contact. I fear something has already happened to them."

A sigh sounded.

The others, hearing this, also felt their spirits sink.

"From where are those traitors moving the grain?" an old and prudent official asked.

"By my estimation, it is from Huazhou and Shizhou," someone replied.

The others all looked over, listening intently, afraid of missing a single word.

As a core figure in their circle, he had always performed quite well, and his abilities were plain for all to see.

"These two places are close to Tang and easy for transport. Especially the traitors' stronghold there—they have governed it for years, an iron bucket with no leaks, impassable to water and impenetrable to a needle. Everywhere, from top to bottom, is their faction. But we have still not traced where the grain and provisions ultimately end up. Could it be that this is really nothing more than unscrupulous merchants speculating in grain and driving up the price?"

He fell into deep suspicion.

"As everyone knows, the ruler of Tang is foolish and lustful. Corrupt ministers also hold sway there. I fear this matter has little to do with them."

That emperor of Tang had an even worse reputation. None of them had ever considered comparing the two.

Their own ruler might be mediocre, but he was still their emperor. They could only request an audience, offer remonstrance, submit memorial after memorial, and if necessary, even die in protest.

They had studied hard for many years, achieved learning, and sold their knowledge to the imperial house.

They too had hoped to assist their sovereign and achieve renown.

Regrettably, they could only sigh that they had been born in the wrong age.

What reason would Tang have to buy their grain and provisions?

Unless they could not produce enough for themselves.

In ordinary circumstances, one would only suspect that some profiteer was again driving up the price of grain.

"I have already sent men to continue the investigation, but the two provinces are complex webs of power, and the traitors have entrenched themselves there. I'm afraid it will be very hard to obtain evidence," the man said again.

"Since we know where the grain is being shipped from, why not launch a direct raid on the two provinces?" someone suggested. "With the granaries emptied, we could catch them red-handed."

"The traitors will certainly falsify their accounts and fabricate ledgers. Besides, if we handle the case there, we will surely face all manner of obstruction, and they may well destroy the evidence as well. If that is so, we will only have one chance. We must strike in one blow!" the man said again. "We must find an opportunity to persuade His Majesty to dispatch an imperial commissioner, one who can inspect the prefectures openly while investigating the military grain in secret. If we are granted the emperor's banner and token, with the power of life and death in his hands, then he can execute them on the spot!"

When those words were spoken, everyone seemed suddenly to burn with fervor.

How many years had it been since they last retained such youthful spirit?

To set the court aright and accomplish a deed unparalleled in history—how many people dreamed of that day and night?

"But how easy is it to meet His Majesty, much less explain the advantages and disadvantages clearly..."

"His Majesty has summoned the chief steward several times today. Something may have happened in the palace," someone suddenly remembered and reminded the others.

If this had been in the past, they would not even have been allowed to bring food inside.

It was only because a few stewards feared their master might starve to death while cultivating himself to longevity and dying of old age that they would quietly go in during the second half of the night to check on him.

A situation like today, with repeated summons for the eunuchs, was truly rare.

"I fear it has something to do with Wang Chuan again," someone said in frustration.

"Why is it him again?"

Now it had become a name that irritated them the moment it was spoken, as though it never went away.

It was as if the presence of this villain, this outsider, had come to compete for the emperor's favor and stirred up their jealousy.

"No! Whether we can obtain an audience with His Majesty may depend entirely on Wang Chuan," someone reminded them.

At those words, the others suddenly understood.

Just as they were about to speak—

"He is here!"

Someone cried out in alarm, lifting his head toward a certain direction.

The broad and stern face that appeared was Zhong Jie.

"What is it?" the companions all looked shocked. Seeing him react like this, it was as though he were facing a great enemy.

"You wait here," Zhong Jie instructed them, and hurried out at once.

When the lady of the house heard that her daughter had brought a friend over, she came out herself to receive them.

Wang Chuan and the others had only just stepped through the doorway to the hall when Zhong Jie came striding out.

"Master..."

"Father..."

In the eyes of mother and daughter alike, he as the host seemed more like an unexpected intruder.

Hadn't he been discussing matters in the study all this time? The servants had not dared disturb him.

Yet now he walked straight up to Wang Chuan and bowed without hesitation. "Greetings, Your Highness!"

"Oh, it's you," Wang Chuan said only then, as if recalling something. "Just now I was wondering who your daughter looked like. She resembles you. No, that's not what I mean—I mean I didn't realize she was your daughter."

Only after seeing him did he remember.

There had been too much going on the previous night, and his impression of this man, the leader among the civil officials, was not very deep.

After all, he admired someone like Chen Ying more.

The other women were momentarily stunned, then quickly recovered when he stopped them and all paid their respects together.

A group of servants had already knelt down in good sense.

Chen Lingyan, still full of doubt, also saluted along with them.

"Greetings to Her Highness the Princess."

Zhong Jie led them in greeting Xu Wei as well.

Wang Chuan showed no reaction, only glancing again toward the direction from which Zhong Jie had just emerged.

Catching that look, Zhong Jie felt a stir of unease.

This Prince Wang Chuan was a martial genius whose name had long shaken the world.

Xu Wei also looked over, then had no choice but to ask them to rise herself.

"Oh, by the way, Sister, I forgot to tell you," she said after seeing their shocked expressions. "My Brother Chuan's name is Wang Chuan."

"It is the very Wang Chuan we were just talking about."

It was this fellow!

"Old Zhong, I would never have guessed you were so formidable in martial arts. By that girl's classification of realms, you're already at the Heavenly Rank, aren't you?" Wang Chuan said, glancing at Chen Lingyan before speaking with Zhong Jie as if they were close old acquaintances.

He even put an arm around his shoulder.

"In front of Your Highness, it amounts to nothing. I am ashamed," Zhong Jie said hurriedly.

For those who practiced martial arts, facing Wang Chuan made them feel all the more keenly the terror and dread he inspired.

And Wang Chuan kept glancing toward the back from time to time, which made Zhong Jie's unease even worse.

This caused the others to look over curiously several times, as though there were something hidden within.

But given his own level, the moment Wang Chuan approached, he would have been discovered.

Yet with Wang Chuan's level, how could he not know that there was a roomful of people hidden in the inner chamber?

Zhong Jie was suffering inwardly.

Of all times, why had Wang Chuan suddenly appeared at the very moment they were discussing him?

It was so abrupt, so unprepared.

And there was no telling how much he had overheard.

"Why has Your Highness come so suddenly without notifying us in advance?" Zhong Jie hurriedly invited him to take a seat and ordered the people below to attend them.

"You all sit as well. No need to be polite. Today, let us set aside status," Wang Chuan said courteously and calmly.

Had they not known his identity, Zhong Yuqing and the others would have thought the same.

This only made Zhong Jie feel even more miserable. After Wang Chuan sat in the honored seat, he was facing away from the room behind him, yet he still kept glancing back several times.

He seemed even more interested in the people hiding inside.

Zhong Jie almost wanted to ask whether he meant to call them out to meet him.

Fortunately, he eventually stopped looking.

"Old Zhong, you really are hiding your brilliance. A civil official like you, and yet your martial cultivation is so profound."