Volume 1: Hidden Dragon in the Abyss Chapter 151: Suppression

"You are being far too presumptuous. Such unruly behavior right under the emperor's nose—do you not intend to give our Heir apparent an explanation?" the man from the Wu family stepped forward and said.

"Who are you?" Xu Qing showed little interest, urging the carriage to move faster so they could return.

They could leave now anyway.

"I am Wu Song. I advise you to make a proper apology and beg the Heir's forgiveness," he said. "There are many people in this world you cannot afford to offend. Did nothing just happen here?"

"What a joke. Have your brains gone soft?" Wang Chuan sneered. "Move!"

The carriage slowly moved forward again.

"Stop them!" shouted the commander of the city guards.

Then, he instinctively straightened his clothes.

"I once heard a story about a frog at the bottom of a well; the patch of sky it saw was only that big, so it thought the entire sky was just that size," Xu Qing said with a sneer.

Mere members of the Wu family—what did they amount to before him?

"Get down here! This is my final warning!" the city guard commander bellowed sternly.

In the distance, crossbows had already been drawn, ready to fire at any moment.

The city guards faced the two barbarians as if confronting a formidable enemy.

"Perhaps something is amiss," the Heir knitted his brows. "My father also wished to subdue barbarian troops, as these men possess peerless strength on the battlefield, but he never found the proper method. Can your Wu family do it?"

"We have barely had any dealings with the barbarian tribes either, but we know they are the hardest people to tame. Only the mighty demon race ever managed to make them submit in the past!"

Both men suddenly felt a chill of foreboding. That meant anyone capable of keeping two barbarian warriors as servants...

Must be an extraordinary figure indeed.

At that moment, they saw a sword slowly extend from inside the carriage.

With a sharp *shing*, all the surrounding city guards dropped to their knees simultaneously.

The commoners nearby instinctively fell to their knees as well.

That sword...

The Heir recognized at a glance that this sword was vastly different from ordinary weapons.

The hilt was shaped into a golden dragon head, and the scabbard was carved with lifelike dragon patterns, exuding majesty and dominance.

"Your Highness."

A middle-of-the-road steward behind him panicked. Seeing that the Heir was clueless, the steward hurriedly pulled him down to kneel as well. "This is the Emperor's sword."

"His Majesty?" The Heir was startled.

"Not necessarily. His Majesty does not need to use such a method to prove his identity. It is usually bestowed upon an imperial commissioner or other high officials, granting them the power of execution before reporting," the middle-aged steward said.

Just like the imperial decree tally, it carried immense authority and could command the local troops in an emergency.

To see the sword was as good as seeing the Son of Heaven himself.

"Doesn't our family have the imperial iron certificate of pardon? Can't that compare to this?" the Heir asked.

The steward was utterly speechless. For aristocratic families, this was basic common knowledge: the iron certificate was meant for saving one's life in times of crisis, not for brandishing around to show off.

Did he really dare to think someone would casually pull that out?

It might scare people initially, but by the next day, the Censorate would flood the court with impeachment memorials.

It could not compare to the heavyweight entity sitting right in front of them. Besides, knowing that the carriage belonged to the Duke of Yun's household and yet still daring to challenge them meant the owner possessed formidable backing of his own.

The Duke of Yun had always kept a distance from court politics and rarely had personal enemies; this time, cleverness had simply been defeated by excessive cleverness.

Better first find out which great dignitary this was.

"The city guards here are truly... idle and with too much time on their hands, wasting my time! And blocking so many commoners—I really..." Xu Qing was left speechless and had no desire to say more. "Forget it, let's go!"

The carriage gradually drifted away.

The Heir could only feel a burning sensation on his face.

Beside him, Yan Mo watched the Heir's gloomy expression.

"How do you happen to have a sword bestowed by the emperor?"

Yan Mo secretly slipped into the carriage and asked.

A good many people were already following behind them, seemingly intent on finding out where this carriage was headed.

The Wu family had made a high-profile entry into the capital only to be thoroughly stepped on, and they still had no idea who they had crossed.

"Bestowed by His Majesty. The highest commander of the Imperial Guard, now renamed the Palace Commander-in-Chief—it won't be that fellow surnamed Wu, it will be me," Xu Qing said.

"What?" Yan Mo was utterly shocked.

"Do you really think His Majesty would hand the Imperial Guards over to the Duke of Yun, who holds immense military power and is allied with the Wu family through marriage? What a joke!" Xu Qing sneered. "Many of these city guards also hail from the Duke of Yun's army, as you saw earlier. I don't know whose bright idea this was, but judging by today, that Heir is both stupid and malicious. He could have lived a life of utter splendor simply riding on the coattails of his father's legacy."

"Even if the Wu family were given command of the Imperial Guards to safeguard the imperial city, the Duke of Yun would likely have to retire, but the Western Front simply cannot do without him... Could it be that he knew nothing of this? That the Heir acted entirely on his own accord?" Yan Mo was bewildered.

Why did so many people assume the Wu family would be the ones commanding the Imperial Guards?

"Someone in the court must have been pulling strings, but His Majesty probably never agreed to it. Years ago, His Majesty propped up Qi Hao precisely to maintain a balance. If the Wu family doesn't take the post, who else is suitable?" Yan Mo looked at him and asked. "Why did His Majesty hand the Imperial Guards over to you?"

"Because I am Wang Chuan's junior fellow apprentice," Xu Qing said indifferently.

"What?" Yan Mo was stunned.

"I won't say anything more. You can figure it out on your own." Xu Qing raised the sword again to inspect it. "The Emperor sent this on the day the little princess was born to protect her, though she hardly needs it. Take it back and return it to the Crown Princess once we arrive. I need to avoid any appearance of suspicion, and besides, she wants to see you."

The carriage slowly entered the Crown Prince's residence through the back gate.

"When did His Highness acquire a junior fellow apprentice?" Yan Mo did not understand.

"His Majesty didn't ask, so you shouldn't ask either. I was jointly recommended by the Crown Prince and his wife, and the Fourth Prince also agreed." Xu Qing patted his shoulder, speaking his final words before stepping down from the carriage. "It is fine for the Wu family to enter the capital and hold real power, but it cannot be a military post—especially not one as vital as the Imperial Guards. Those fools should thank me for saving them today. Since the Fourth Prince and the Crown Prince have no objections to me, tomorrow's memorials will only serve to impeach them. Learn to be smarter."

Very well.

Yan Mo went to the inner courtyard and met the Crown Princess. She was just as rumors described—gentle, refined, and spiritually alive.

She was cradling the little princess in her arms, who neither cried nor made a fuss and looked utterly adorable.

His mother and younger sister were also there keeping company.

"So you are Yan Mo. I have heard about you constantly, and your mother has always kept you on her mind." The Crown Princess greeted him warmly, asking about his recent circumstances and numerous other matters.

Yan Mo could sense an ineffable warmth and approachability from her.

In truth, among all the figures in the Jin State, the one he most wished to meet was the legendary Wang Chuan.

Yet, up until now, he had only ever encountered people connected to Wang Chuan.

"Your Highness, this..." Yan Mo did not forget his primary business and returned the sword to her.

"Mm." Xu Wei had someone put it away. "I hear you are quite talented."

"Your Highness flatters me," Yan Mo hastily replied with modesty.

"I also hope you can serve the Crown Prince's household, but I don't understand these administrative affairs very well. I have pondered it myself, and perhaps appointing you as a Crown Prince's aide would be best, as there are currently few vacancies in the residence," Xu Wei mused.

"This must never happen!" Yan Mo was startled and quickly dropped to his knees in a bow. "As His Royal Highness the Crown Prince once said, a nation relies on a ruler of maturity, and such a position should be held by someone of profound virtue and deep scholarship! I am ignorant and immature, quite unfit for such heavy responsibilities. Moreover, there is no one left in this world capable of teaching His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

The post of Crown Prince's aide—assisting the Crown Prince and instructing him in governance and literature—was utterly unnecessary now.

"Oh, is that so?" Xu Wei looked as if she half-understood. "Then we had best wait for Mr. Xu. He said he would arrange your affairs properly."

Xu Qing—was he also very familiar with the Crown Princess?

Yan Mo found this somewhat strange.

"What a good child." Xu Wei looked at him. "Then you should return first..."

Yang Hao and the others were walking toward this direction. They habitually bowed first, then glanced at Yan Mo. "There are guests with Your Highness..."

"It's fine, speak," Xu Wei said. "His name is Yan Mo, and from now on he will also reside in the manor. If anything comes up, the two of you can consult with one another."

Yang Hao nodded. Though this was his first time seeing the young man, the princess already placed such deep trust in him.

"The Wu family has sent a name card, stating their desire to offer an apology. Some events occurred when they entered the city today..." Yang Hao glanced back at the sword held by the maidservant.

"So that was it..." Xu Wei pondered. "Are we unable to afford offending the Wu family?"

"Not at all. It is merely an Heir. Even if the Duke of Yun himself were to see Your Highness, he should yield by three points," Yang Hao said. "It's just that at such a critical juncture, this subordinate feels it unwise to offend the Heir."

"I was present today as well, and our actions were improper..." Yan Mo hurriedly stood up.

Xu Wei pressed her hand down to signal him to sit, then looked at Yang Hao. "Then what should we do, in your opinion?"

"This sword?" Yang Hao looked toward it.

"His Majesty bestowed the sword to protect the little princess. If there are any objections, I will explain to His Majesty. I lent the sword to someone else because he is a person capable of protecting the princess," Xu Wei said.

"Is that person worthy of Your Highness's trust to this extent?" Yang Hao asked.

"That's not the way to look at it. It is we who are asking a favor of someone," Xu Wei said.

"The person residing in our manor—Xu Qing?" Yang Hao asked.

Along the journey here and after arriving, Yang Hao had rarely seen him.

The man also seemed to rarely go out.

He asked further, "Word has it that he is now Her Highness's junior fellow apprentice and has been appointed as the Palace Commander-in-Chief."

"Yes," Xu Wei nodded. "Brother Chuan is already aware of these matters. If there is an opportunity in the future, you should assist Mr. Xu as well."

Yang Hao was supposed to assist him?

How on earth had a junior fellow apprentice suddenly popped out of nowhere?

He could no longer make sense of it.

"Then as for the people of the Wu family..." Yang Hao said. "Why did we seize the position of the Imperial Guards? Although His Majesty forbids the formation of private cliques, it is said that the Duke of Yun is on good terms with the Fourth Prince, and now we have offended the Heir... If we could be on good terms with someone holding such immense military power, it would carry significant weight at a crucial moment."

The Wu family had made such a flamboyant entry into the capital precisely because of the Duke of Yun's backing; future officials in the capital would have had a clear path to ingratiate themselves.

Yet right outside the city gates, they had suddenly suffered a loss of face.

No matter who bore it, it looked unsightly.

"What do you think?" Xu Wei looked toward Yan Mo.

"Me?" Yan Mo was slightly taken aback, then spoke boldly. "A Commander-in-Chief is far more important than the Duke of Yun. Besides, the Duke of Yun is a man who understands the greater good. Even without us, His Majesty would never have handed the post over to the Wu family; he would only give it to someone from the Fourth Prince's faction. If they fail to understand that, then so be it."

Why did this style of reasoning sound so familiar?

It felt as though it should be—

"Brother Chuan would certainly think the exact same way," Xu Wei said. "I never receive visitors; you can simply have him sent away, or go entertain him yourself."

"I cannot possibly do that," Yang Hao was startled.

"Why?" Xu Wei asked. "You have been doing very well."

Xu Wei—was she genuinely unaware, or pretending?

He could no longer see through her.