Chapter 689: King of Zhao Returns to the Capital

Chapter 689: The Prince of Zhao Returns to the Capital

“With a single word from you, you made him not even want to drink.”

Watching Xue Canghai’s enthusiastic retreat toward the Blood God Sect camp, Wan Dongliu sighed. “Would you call that manipulation of the heart?”

Zhao Changhe plopped down in the spot Xue Canghai had just vacated, took a gulp of wine, and let out a satisfied sigh. “You’re overthinking it. Why not consider that Old Xue just isn’t familiar with you and never wanted to drink with you in the first place? You two are generations apart; he simply doesn’t care to bother with you.”

Wan Dongliu said, “I don’t see a generation gap. He got beaten by Yue Hongling, I got beaten by you—our standings are clearly the same.”

“Pfft…” Zhao Changhe nearly spat out his wine. So you two were swapping stories about getting thrashed, were you?

Wan Dongliu’s face was expressionless. “If he’s not familiar with me, then why was he wasting time chatting with me here?”

“He was just waiting for me.” Zhao Changhe smiled faintly. “And isn’t it the same for you, being here? Otherwise, how could the two of you have ended up drinking together in the Wang family mansion? Each of you has a bunch of subordinates to look after. If you really wanted to drink, you’d be with them.”

Wan Dongliu finally smiled too. “True. In the end, both he and I are fundamentally gangsters, a bit out of place in this setting. For gangsters, of course, drinking with your own brothers is what matters.”

“Old Xue was afraid that I might side with the court and look down on his bloodthirsty demon sect, so he came to find me, uneasy. I just needed to tell him that there are plenty of places where killing is needed—if he shifts his perspective from the martial world to national warfare, he can let loose and kill freely. Not only will no one think him a villain, but he’ll be hailed as a hero.”

“Mm.”

“And you? What were you afraid of when you came to find me?”

“Though I’m a member of the Four Symbols Sect, I’m also the young master of the Canal Guild… Abolishing the canal in favor of maritime trade—was that your proposal?”

“Yes.”

“The Venerable One pushed this to force my father into rebellion. I want to know: is this a temporary measure, or will it continue?” Wan Dongliu said seriously. “You can tell me the truth, even if the canal is still to be abolished.”

“Opening the seas without abolishing the canal—the two don’t conflict at all.” Zhao Changhe said, “From what I’ve seen overseas, as trade expands, canal transport will actually flourish even more, because you’ll have more goods to move.”

Wan Dongliu was taken aback. “Is that so?”

“The Wang family is also a pioneer in opening the seas. If you have time, don’t just sit here drinking—go take a look at the coast. I just came back from there; the Battle of Langya didn’t even affect the bustling activity.”

“Alright.”

“You and Buqi were on good terms before, and there was some tension lately, but now there’s no reason for it. Talk with him more later—you might open up a new world.” Zhao Changhe said, “Many conflicts arise simply from resource scarcity, including land… Actually, the world is vast. But of course, that’s provided technology and productivity also improve… uh…”

He might have said too much. Wan Dongliu was silent, not sure how much he had taken in.

Zhao Changhe took a sip of wine to cover up his anachronistic remarks, then suddenly asked, “Do you mean that the Canal Guild still just wants to be a profitable martial world gang, with no intention of meddling in local governance? Even now that you’ve gained power, you’re willing to step back to how things were?”

“Exactly.” Wan Dongliu said flatly, “It’s not just that we have no interest in it; more importantly, you wouldn’t want to see the Wan family rise after finally suppressing the great clans. No matter how powerful a martial world gang becomes, it’s one thing—but once it involves control over prefectures and counties, that’s another…”

He paused, then suddenly smiled. “Let the martial world stay in the martial world… I prefer it that way, and I believe you do too. When we meet again in Yangzhou, I’ll treat you to a drink at the Xiaoxiang Pavilion… Oh, Ruyan is married now.”

Zhao Changhe smiled too. “In the past, I always said this martial world wasn’t what I wanted… but looking back now, I find those days the most nostalgic. When you go from the martial world to the realm, from the mortal to the divine and demonic, it always feels like the burden is too heavy, crushing.”

“The capable bear more burdens. Before, there was Xia Longyuan to shoulder it… Now, you are Xia Longyuan.” Wan Dongliu raised his cup in a toast. “May you soon restore the realm… Just don’t hide away in some secret realm to break through and start the cycle all over again.”

Zhao Changhe raised his cup, staring absently at the wine inside. Suddenly he wondered if taking on the burden of the throne was partly to free him, Zhao Changhe? That seat looked tempting, but it was actually a dragon’s trap.

Thinking this, Zhao Changhe suddenly knew what he should do.

He had been considering how to handle the next situation—whether to lead the troops to Guanzhong or head north to Yanmen. But now he realized he didn’t need to go anywhere. These weren’t things for him to do.

Just like in this campaign at Langya and the capital, he hadn’t actually participated… Professional matters were for professionals. He shouldn’t be bogged down in military affairs. What he needed to do seemed more like…

Kunlun and Bashu.

To go and find out what Yuxu and Li Shengtong were really thinking.

Just as he was thinking this, Cui Yuanyong hurried in. Seeing Zhao Changhe and Wan Dongliu drinking privately here, he was taken aback. “You came out of the secret realm—why aren’t you at the victory banquet? And Brother Wan, why are you hiding here?”

Zhao Changhe said, “Official victory banquets have too many rules. Annoying. Better to have a few drinks in private.”

Cui Yuanyong chuckled. “You’re the king. The rules are yours to set. What you should be annoyed about is a bunch of sycophants fawning over you.”

“Same thing.” Zhao Changhe asked, “You seem in a hurry. Any new developments?”

Cui Yuanyong nodded. “Father sent a carrier pigeon. He says the Yang family is willing to retire into seclusion. Father thinks Yangyang should pay a visit to the Yang family.”

Cui Yuanyang, who had been inside comprehending the sea-calming intent from the celestial book, was quite absorbed. Hearing her brother’s words, she was startled. Zhao Changhe had also planned for her to visit the Yang and Li family territories—it seemed her father thought the same. She suddenly recalled how she had gone to the Yang family to communicate with the Lianshan Sword. Maybe it wasn’t just because she had experience communicating with the Qinghe family; perhaps, in some unseen way, it was due to past-life karma.

Zhao Changhe was saying, “Is it reliable? Sending Yangyang there? What if…”

Cui Yuanyong was exasperated. “Given the current situation, unless the Yang family wants to be wiped out, where would they get the nerve? Besides, Yangyang isn’t that crucial. What use would it be to scheme to lure her there? It would only offend us terribly. Yang Jingxiu isn’t stupid.”

Cui Yuanyang, feeling slighted that even as a hostage she wasn’t wanted, poked her head out and shouted, “Maybe precisely because I go, they won’t be wiped out! Let me show you what a key figure looks like!”

Cui Yuanyong couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, yes, you’re far too key.”

Wasn’t she, though? If he hadn’t taken her to Beimang back then, the Cui family might now be considering hiding from the world like the Yang family…

Cui Yuanyang hesitated, glancing at Zhao Changhe. He had just said he planned to go to Guanzhong and suggested they go together. Now, if she went to the Yang family, it wouldn’t be on the same route… Zhao Changhe had a mountain of things to do; he probably wouldn’t have time to visit the already-surrendered Yang family.

Zhao Changhe said, “Yangyang can go to the Yang family first. I’ll return to the capital to check the latest battle reports, especially what’s happening with Batu—any feedback yet? For now, we’re in no position to scheme against Guanzhong. If things are going well with Batu, I’ll need to head to Kunlun first.”

Cui Yuanyang was startled. “Go to Kunlun for what? To have them attack Guanzhong from both sides?”

“I want to ask Yuxu if his talk of severing the dragon veins for the world is just empty words.”

…

Night fell. Zhao Changhe arrived in the capital, staggering along.

The dark steed trotted beside him, twisting its head in utter confusion.

It had never seen anyone who, having a horse, insisted on leading it while flying—flying awkwardly, exhausting and ugly, and slow to boot. What was the point?

But what surprised the steed was that its master actually managed to fly the whole way without falling.

He just looked utterly drained. Flying from Langya to the capital left him pale and breathless, on the verge of collapse. If some demon or god had ambushed him now, this fool would have been done for.

Fortunately, with the biased announcement from the Chaos Chronicle, his deterrent power was still quite high in the short term. Everyone had to think twice; no one dared to provoke him easily. He arrived at the capital without incident. The city was brightly lit, with patrols everywhere—a state of martial law.

Occasionally, someone was dragged out and hauled into the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Zhao Changhe hesitated for a moment, then decided to head to the palace first.

Just as he led his horse above the palace walls, the stars suddenly flashed, light cascaded down, and a terrifying force slammed straight toward him.

Zhao Changhe: “…”

When had this defensive formation been set up? It was getting more and more arcane. The River of Stars sword unsheathed, blocking above him. The starfall’s power seemed to pause for a moment, then gradually dissipated.

Poor Prince of Zhao, returning in triumph to the capital, nearly got blown to bits by his own defensive formation—only saved by the “Sword of the Night Emperor” suppressing the Night Emperor’s own array.

“Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!” Guards rushed out from all directions. Seeing Zhao Changhe, they hastily bowed. “Your Highness.”

Zhao Changhe waved a hand to excuse them, curious. “Where did this formation come from?”

“It was set up a few days ago, specifically to defend the sky above, in case of demonic or divine sneak attacks. The ground doesn’t have such protection.” The guards, all elite members of the Four Symbols Sect, answered in detail. “Yesterday, when Yeletu led his troops here, His Majesty was worried about a celestial assault, but the enemy didn’t come from the sky.”

Zhao Changhe nodded. Chi Chi was indeed thorough. The Hu or the Li family had truly underestimated this young girl emperor… When he and Chi Chi had been planning the countermeasures, he hadn’t even dared to imagine such a surprise attack—he thought a full siege was most likely. But they actually dared to ride lightly into the city, like walking to their deaths.

He turned his head. Xia Chichi stood before the hall in her dragon robe, clearly overjoyed at his sudden appearance. “You… why are you back?”

Zhao Changhe said, “Worried about many things. Come, let’s talk inside.”

“Inside, huh…” Xia Chichi bit her lower lip. “The Prince of Zhao, single-handedly pacifying Qinghe, single-handedly repelling demons and gods, with one arrow settling Langya, sending messages from a thousand li to plan and decide the capital’s fate. Such great merit deserves a reward indeed…”

The guards and maids around them all turned their heads away.

It sounded like the emperor was about to untie the general’s battle robe—the implication was too strong.

But they had to admit, what Zhao Changhe had done was too legendary… Even now, it was hard to imagine that he had left the capital without a single soldier, made a loop, and returned to find the landscape almost completely transformed.