Twenty-seven: Returning to the Capital Immediately

Yawning, Qi Baichuan dragged his weary body towards the reception room, followed closely by his father-in-law, who dared not urge him to hurry. As the legitimate son of a prince from a different lineage, the constraints of the imperial fortune imposed by the Great Zhou dynasty were nearly negligible for him.

However, he did not exhibit the same obsession with martial arts as Prince Qi did in his youth, nor did he have much interest in the path of cultivation. Prince Qi had never insisted he pursue cultivation either, which was for the best, as it would prevent the emperor from using the excuse of "disorder in martial affairs" to diminish his power in the future.

Thus, Qi Baichuan's constitution was no different from that of an ordinary person. Last night, after a night of drinking with the Third Prince, he did not fall asleep until the latter half of the night after sobering up. He was not expecting a high-ranking official from the capital to visit so early today. Although he ordered his servants to receive the guests first, he felt it was inappropriate not to greet them personally. Even after rising early, his eyes were still puffy.

The cool morning breeze helped him to feel somewhat more awake as he contemplated what to say when he met Minister Sun and the others later. It seemed they had come from Hangzhou to escort the Third Prince back to the capital. This saved him the time of waiting for his father's reply regarding sending his personal guards to escort him. However, he was puzzled as to why the emperor had not promptly conferred a reward upon the Third Prince.

Even if the emperor had decided to delay the reward, the news of the recovery of Yunchuan would not have been so eagerly publicized. Even without receiving a letter from the prince in Hangzhou, Qi Baichuan felt that something was amiss. The factions in the court had already become numerous, and if the Third Prince’s influence grew after a few days of public opinion fermenting without the emperor's interference, it could lead to a split in the Crown Prince’s faction.

The factional struggles in the Great Zhou court were indeed chaotic, but chaos was not always beneficial; there was a limit to everything. The emperor would not casually allow a faction to split at this time, leading to the rise of a new faction, especially one as precarious as the Crown Prince's faction. If it were to fracture, it would give rise to various factions supporting different princes.

Thinking this through, Qi Baichuan stepped into the reception room. Inside, Minister Sun and the others had already taken their seats and seemed to be engaged in a pleasant conversation with the Third Prince. Upon his entrance, Pei Xiunian and the others stood and performed a slight bow. Qi Baichuan noticed that the Third Prince, who had also drunk late into the night, appeared completely refreshed and showed no signs of weariness.

As he took his seat, Qi Baichuan remarked in surprise, "What kind of miraculous elixir has the elder brother taken?" Pei Xiunian waved his hand and, under the gazes of the Minister of War and the current official, laughed, "While leading the army to drive back the Qing Qiu, I had a sudden epiphany and made progress in my cultivation. After returning to Hangzhou, by coincidence, I teamed up with Miss Jiang to destroy a demon lair, and she offered some guidance during that battle. Now, I am not the same as before."

The slender figure in a Confucian robe, who seemed somewhat familiar to Pei Xiunian, nodded slightly and, as if enlightened, said, "No wonder Your Highness has such a profound aura; it turns out you received guidance from the Heroine Jiang. The Third Prince, without having cultivated any techniques, has already reached the level of Qi refinement—truly a prodigy!"

Who exactly was Jiang Yunhe? A leader among the younger generation, her master was an extraordinary figure. To receive her guidance was indeed remarkable. Hearing this, Minister Sun quickly stood to personally serve tea to Pei Xiunian, respectfully saying, "With such talent under the constraints of the dragon vein, it seems our Great Zhou will surely prosper! I raise a cup to Your Highness."

The atmosphere in the reception room was harmonious, and Qi Baichuan was overjoyed. The Third Prince, being of royal blood, revealing his martial talent at this moment would not be seen as a weakness but rather strengthen his position. The more Qi Baichuan thought about it, the more he felt that sending the message promptly was the right decision; otherwise, when the Third Prince returned to the capital, it might not be him seeking support from factions but rather who could act quickly to place their bets on him.

Now it seemed that the Third Prince had made a remarkable debut, leaving the other princes who sought the throne far behind. Pei Xiunian clinked glasses with everyone. Uncertain if it was an illusion, the morning tea felt more like a drinking party. He quickly shifted the topic and asked, "This level of cultivation is not surprising, so I was just asking about that matter; do you think it is feasible, my lords?"

Qi Baichuan listened with keen interest, subtly inquiring about the matter he had previously overlooked. He noticed Minister Sun and the servant exchanged glances, and then Minister Sun, with a bitter expression, said, "Your Highness's idea for discrediting is indeed feasible, but it must go through the Ministry of Astronomy; those people are not easy to deal with. This matter needs to involve the emperor, and as you know, our Great Zhou has just finished a war, and Yunchuan is in dire need of rebuilding."

"Such an ingenious idea… perhaps even if the emperor wanted to agree, it would be rejected by the Minister of Revenue. After all, Your Highness knows that those in the Ministry of Revenue are only concerned with money, and getting them to agree to reallocate funds for such an endeavor at this time would be a long and arduous road."

Pei Xiunian nodded inwardly. He certainly did not take out the local papers from Hangzhou to show them, nor did he mention any trials; discussing this matter with them was merely a way to exploit a flaw that would make the Third Prince appear trustworthy. That flaw also yielded a piece of information: Minister Sun had a past grievance with the Minister of Revenue, prompting him to hastily shift the blame and attempt to use others as a weapon against his rival.

Sighing, Pei Xiunian said, "Then we will deliberate on this matter further. When we return to the capital for court, we can mention it then. Since you gentlemen have come to Hangzhou, why not rest here for a couple of days?"

"That is not possible," Minister Sun quickly waved his hand. "I must follow the emperor's orders to escort His Highness back to the capital immediately. With such a great achievement, he may face secret retaliation from the Qing Qiu demon clan; it is safer to return to the capital." He bowed deeply and stated solemnly, "My suggestion is to return to the capital at once, Your Highness's body is too precious, and if anything were to go wrong, I could not bear the responsibility…"

Pei Xiunian realized that the Minister of War was undoubtedly a member of the imperial faction. He feared that if the night dragged on, more turmoil would arise, and he could only calm the court's unease by swiftly sending the Third Prince back to the capital. Once under the emperor's control, it would be exceedingly easy to restrain a naïve prince.

Pei Xiunian understood that every rising force has its limits, and crossing that boundary could create a sense of uncontrollability. His recent actions seemed to be skirting that very boundary; while he had not charged directly in, he had not remained passive either. The case of the Cao family would surely leave the officials in the capital bewildered when it reached them.

Indeed, rushing back to the capital was what Pei Xiunian desired; however, whose mouth uttered the words "as soon as possible" was crucial. Hearing Minister Sun's words, he feigned regret and stood up, saying, "Since it is my father's order, I cannot make things difficult for you two gentlemen. I had hoped to trouble my younger brother for a little longer; what a pity."

Qi Baichuan stood and shook hands with Pei Xiunian again, awkwardly laughing, "It is truly stressful to drink with my elder brother, who has made such progress. It is better to part ways here."

Everyone laughed as they left the Prince Qi's residence. Accompanied by a young official, Pei Xiunian climbed into the carriage. The sound of the driver calling out and the rhythmic pounding of hooves echoed in his ears as he saw the long street and buildings speeding past outside the window.

The scholar with a Confucian cap floated past the swiftly moving window and reported to Pei Xiunian, "Your Highness, we will first head to the Ministry of Astronomy's branch to borrow a flying vessel. With its capabilities, we will reach the capital in no time."

Pei Xiunian replied with a soft "Hmm." Only then did he recall where he had seen this person before; this servant was the same one from that day at the relay station. However, this Minister Zhao had shown no unusual expressions throughout, and Pei Xiunian could guess that he had deliberately disguised himself at the relay station.

But the Empress Dowager did not know that even without using his clairvoyance, everything about disguises appeared ineffective in his eyes… So why was the current Empress Dowager so concerned about him?