Chapter Fifty-three: Competing Fathers

"Teacher, we've found the token!"

The sudden outcry shattered Pei Xiunian's rare moment of tranquility. He turned toward the commotion and saw a disciple running, nearly stumbling in his haste, waving a silver token in the air as he hurried toward Master Du, whose face was a shifting storm of emotions.

Pei Xiunian's eyes widened. The token had been found on one of the ruined puppets in the remains of the Alchemy Workshop... Which meant that the hope it was all just an accident caused by a batch of faulty puppets was now utterly dashed. If Luo Xiaoning hadn't been present today, even if the Divine Mechanism Camp had managed to hold out until the Embroidered Guards arrived, there would have been no way to explain the token's appearance. Whether it was sabotage or a deliberate frame-up, the Divine Mechanism Camp would inevitably become a thorn in the eye of the noble clans...

Their research had already skirted the bottom line for the aristocracy. There had been minor frictions all along, but because the Divine Mechanism Camp had always endured in silence and produced no notable results, the elites had turned a blind eye. Now, Du Zimo's expression grew even grimmer. He knew all too well what consequences would follow, but at the very least... the tragedy of being wiped out by his own creations had been averted.

He accepted the token with a heavy heart and stepped forward to thank Luo Xiaoning with solemn respect.

"Many thanks to the Junior Diviner for resolving this crisis for the Divine Mechanism Camp. Should our camp survive this ordeal, we will be at your disposal for any reward you desire."

Luo Xiaoning rose with a careless sweep of her robes, brushing off the dust as she replied lightly, "There's no need for such formality, Master Du. The Directorate of Astronomy and the Divine Mechanism Camp were once one and the same, after all... Today's matter was no more than a small effort. Besides, His Highness has already thanked me on your behalf. Let’s leave it at that."

At her words, Du Zimo put away the silver token and turned to Pei Xiunian, bowing with earnest gratitude.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Pei Xiunian waved a hand with a smile. "Hand me the token."

Du Zimo froze for a moment. Though only the time it takes to burn half a stick of incense had passed, the meaning of this token from the Divine Mechanism Camp had already been upended. Now, it represented not only the authority to command the Grade B battle puppets, but also the future of the entire camp—a burden too heavy to bear, something anyone in their right mind would avoid at all costs.

He took out the token and asked, after much hesitation, "Your Highness, are you certain you wish to accept this token?"

Pei Xiunian accepted it without a second thought and replied calmly, "Such ideas should not be drowned in the chaos of court politics."

Du Zimo was taken aback. Lowering his voice, he asked, "Does Your Highness know who may be behind all this?"

Pei Xiunian shook his head to indicate he did not know. He continued, "But with things as they are, my royal father will surely not openly confront the noble families. The Divine Mechanism Camp will be abandoned, but I can guarantee its safety."

These resolute words were like a shot of adrenaline. Du Zimo no longer dwelled on whether the third prince truly had the power to keep his promise; the fact that he could say such things was enough to inspire the entire camp to rally behind him.

Du Zimo bowed deeply, his posture filled with deference. "If our Divine Mechanism Camp survives this crisis, we shall entrust ourselves entirely to Your Highness’s command."

Hearing such words from a sect of puppet-obsessed scholars left Pei Xiunian a touch uneasy—if only you were a sect of saintly maidens instead...

He coughed. "There's no need to make your allegiance so obvious. The Divine Mechanism Camp still belongs to my royal father."

Du Zimo understood and cupped his fists. "I will obey Your Highness's instructions."

A thought struck Pei Xiunian, and he added, "But if this happens again, and there’s no token..."

Du Zimo waved it off. "No need for Your Highness to worry. Once we return, I will have the disciples work overtime to improve the camp’s defenses. I believe we can add several massive firearms protruding from the pavilion, which, with gears and mechanisms, could be made to move on their own. That way, the camp will be as impregnable as a fortress..."

At that moment, a chorus of hoofbeats approached. They all turned to see a group from the Six Gates galloping their way.

However, the riders at the front were not dressed in the usual black attire of the Six Gates. The young man leading them wore sumptuous robes and carried himself with commanding presence; the ones behind him had the look of attendants.

These were likely scions of the noble families, but Pei Xiunian had little knowledge of the aristocratic houses of the capital, much less their young elites.

Then he saw the young man swing down from his horse. As he surveyed the devastation, shock flickered across his features. It was a moment before he collected himself and cupped his hands in greeting.

"I am Yu Liancheng, and I have come because of the events at the Alchemy Workshop. Can anyone tell me what happened here?"

The Yu family of the capital—preeminent among the noble houses.

As the crowd fell silent, Yu Liancheng’s gaze swept indifferently over the members of the Divine Mechanism Camp clustered near the ruins. With a wave of his hand, he ordered, "Take them all to the Imperial Prison."

The constables of the Six Gates dared not refuse and moved at once to arrest the group.

Pei Xiunian stepped forward, his voice clear and unyielding. "Wait."

Yu Liancheng was about to object, but then noticed Pei Xiunian’s attire, which stood out starkly from the surrounding white robes. He stepped closer, but could not place the face.

Out of caution, Yu Liancheng cupped his hands and invoked the noble art of claiming powerful ancestors. "My grandfather is the Duke of Everlasting Happiness. May I ask which house you hail from?"

Though Pei Xiunian was not dressed in the typical garb of a prince, the innate nobility of royal blood was difficult to conceal, no matter how plain the clothing.

So the third prince truly was a recluse—so much so that even the scions of the great clans did not recognize him...

Pei Xiunian produced a jade plaque, stating coolly, "The Li family of the Forbidden City. My father is Emperor Zhaoning."

Gilded with golden dragons, the jade plaque bore the character "Nian."

Yu Liancheng, upon seeing the plaque, immediately knelt, his attendants and a swath of Six Gates constables following suit.

"Greetings to Your Highness, the Third Prince!"

In truth, the noble houses felt little real reverence for the imperial family. Such displays were merely gestures of goodwill to the favored candidate in the struggle for succession—or perhaps just a wager on the outcome.

At Pei Xiunian’s gesture, Yu Liancheng rose and asked, "What brings Your Highness here in person? And do you know how the Alchemy Workshop came to be destroyed?"

"On my royal father’s orders, I am here to inspect the Divine Mechanism Camp." Pei Xiunian’s gaze swept over the ruins of the noble-owned workshop, trailing into the distance like a dragon’s spine.

He continued, "As for the destruction, it was caused by a malfunction with the camp's puppets. The root cause, however, remains unknown."

"It must have been these people from the Divine Mechanism Camp who acted against our workshop!" Yu Liancheng’s anger flared as he pointed at the white-robed scholars. "Do you realize the fortune this workshop represented? Do you know the loss you’ve caused? Take them all away!"

Pei Xiunian interjected again, "Hold, Master Yu. Do not let anger cloud your judgment. The truth is still unclear, and the Divine Mechanism Camp is directly under my royal father’s command. Do not let this cause unnecessary divisions."

Yu Liancheng seized the opportunity to relent, sighing, "Your Highness may be right, but the workshop lies in ruins—how could I go back empty-handed?"

Pei Xiunian considered. "Taking a few people away will solve nothing; this is a complex matter, and further action may only create new troubles. Here’s what I propose: I will report this to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager. I am certain the Office of Pacification will give a satisfactory answer."

With that, Yu Liancheng had nothing more to say. Lately, rumors had abounded in the palace that the Empress Dowager was inclined to support the Third Prince. It was likely no idle boast.

And the Empress Dowager, it was said, hailed from the once-mighty Meng family—though the clan had been wiped out during the upheavals of years past, she too could be counted among the aristocracy...

Yu Liancheng had little need to actually seize anyone; having a pretext was enough to extricate himself. He merely cupped his hands and said, "I wish Your Highness every success. I must report this to my clan, so I will take my leave."