Chapter 1433: Chapter 1433
Time flew by swiftly, and more than a month had passed in the blink of an eye.
Originally, the group stayed in the Divine Sword Sect, wishing to consolidate their cultivation. However, Ji Wanrong sent word, and it was enormous news.
The Third Prince had ascended to the throne in Chang’an City, taking the title of Emperor and changing the era name to Tai’an.
Long Fei was surprised; he didn’t expect the Third Prince to be so impatient.
But upon second thought, he understood the Third Prince.
The throne had remained vacant for too long, and the realm was on the brink of collapse.
If he didn’t ascend the throne, those waiting and watching would surely side with others, which would be even more disadvantageous for him.
During this time, he must have resolved the political enemies at court.
Last month, the Mount Tai Secret Realm opened, and Long Fei heard that Yi Chunqiu, that old man, had visited once.
However, upon leaving, it was said that Yi Chunqiu had to leave in a hurry due to some matter.
Long Fei had speculated at the time that something must have changed in Chang’an City.
Now it seems his speculations were all correct.
The Chang’an Daily prominently published the Third Prince’s coronation decree: "The Saint Martial Emperor has passed for many days, the throne of the Great Xia Country has remained empty, and no ruler could be established for a long time. It’s not that the Crown Prince, my imperial brother, was unwilling to ascend, but because the Crown Prince lacks the Nine Cauldrons Imperial Qi. I hold no desire for the throne, but the imperial fortune has befallen me, so I must sit. The Crown Prince, in his benevolence for the people under heaven, has ceded the throne to me. Although I am deeply uneasy, for the sake of the countless common people of the Great Xia Country, I must assume this position. Since the ancestors have chosen me, I certainly won’t betray their trust and will work diligently to lead our Great Xia Country toward a path of rejuvenation and prosperity..."
Following this decree was a large roster of awards and appointments.
Long Fei saw Monk Bujie listed among them, holding a zen staff and wearing golden armor, appointed by the New Emperor as the Imperial Guard Commander of the Capital City.
This appearance was strange, to say the least.
For a monk to become the Imperial Guard Commander was a first in the Great Xia Country.
As for Yi Chunqiu, there was no need to mention; he was in high spirits, with his son Yi Zhongmou appointed as the current Prime Minister, and he himself appointed as the current Grand Tutor.
The remaining civil and military officials were all replaced by people of the New Emperor.
Finally, the New Emperor issued a decree, summoning all the Imperial Family and Nobility from across the regions to the Capital City to attend the coronation ceremony.
Those who disobeyed were to be treated as rebels.
Now, in the South Yangtze Prefecture, people were uneasy, all watching to see how Ji Wanrong would handle this matter.
When the Third Prince had not ascended, he had no legal authority.
Thus, he could not wield the Imperial Sword, nor command the heroes in the name of the law.
Now that he has ascended and holds power, if Ji Wanrong does not heed the decree, she is a rebel, an insurgent, losing all legitimacy.
If she obeys the decree and goes to the Capital City, the New Emperor will surely lay down an Inescapable Net. Without addressing the troubles in the South Yangtze, he will not let Ji Wanrong leave safely.
In her letter, Ji Wanrong explained the situation to Long Fei, notifying him that the South Yangtze had just stabilized, with a weak public opinion foundation, and economic reforms had just begun. If war breaks out, the common people cannot bear it, and who knows how many homes will be destroyed.
Women, at critical times, often deliberate and cannot make decisions.
Long Fei immediately replied to Ji Wanrong, telling her to stick to the established strategy and raise the banner of revering the king and expelling the barbarians.
Only recognize the Crown Prince as Emperor, first defeating the Third Prince in legal and public opinion.
The realm is still unsettled, with various regional governors watching.
As long as the South Yangtze raises this banner, Long Fei believes there will be those with ulterior motives who will follow.
The conflict of interest with the Third Prince is not limited to the South Yangtze alone.
The Fourth Prince Ji Mingren controls the Shu Region, the Fifth Prince Ji Mingzhi controls Guandong, the Sixth Prince Ji Mingxin controls the Western Desert, the Eighth Prince Ji Mingde controls the Northern Desert, and the Twelfth Prince Ji Mingxiao controls the Southern Ridge.
These border regions have deeply rooted forces.
It’s not something the Third Prince could address by roping them in or weakening them overnight.
As long as the South Yangtze starts resisting, these forces will inevitably respond. When the coronation ceremony comes, let the Third Prince play it out alone.
The letter was placed in the Storage Ring and carried away by a specialized lightning bird for sending messages.
In short distances, one can use the Transmission Jade for communication, but for distances like from Mount Tai to the South Yangtze, in this world, one still relies on this primitive method of message delivery. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩·𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢·𝔫𝔢𝔱
Having prepared these, Long Fei gathered everyone and informed them about what Ji Wanrong had said.
The entire group was astounded, not expecting the Third Prince to be so impatient; at least let the Crown Prince ascend first as a pretense, then manipulate the Emperor’s authority to command the feudal lords, using this method to remove the wings from the court.
Although this method takes some time, its effects are apparently the best.
In his haste to ascend now, others can oppose him with any excuse; he’s essentially gambling with the fate of the realm.
At this point, Long Fei had no choice but to reveal the matters concerning the Flame Emperor Palace, telling them what the Third Prince’s biggest reliance was.
He had promised Emperor Flame’s Palace to keep it confidential, but since they were already preparing to tear off the mask, there was nothing more to hide.
Chu Feng and the others were even more surprised, even Chang Xi raised her brows, looking at Long Fei with astonishment.
She asked Long Fei, "Are you saying the Flame Emperor Palace is the legacy of the ancient Great Yan Country?"
Long Fei nodded, telling her, "The Yao Grass you want is inside the Flame Emperor Palace, and I’ve only been there once."
Chu Feng curiously asked, "What are these people trying to do? This is not their era anymore, so why are they jumping out to create chaos?"
Long Fei explained, "They are doing this to fight against the Demon Race. The Demon Race is about to emerge; they have no time to follow the normal procedures. They can only fight with a risky move, hoping to stabilize the world quickly with force, then confront the Demon Race according to their method."
"Arrogant, blindly self-important. The Great Yan Country was destroyed once, do they want to be destroyed again?"
Wang Jie angrily slammed the table.
Long Fei said, "This is a struggle of Daoist Orthodoxies. The descendants of Emperor Flame have their path, and we have ours. They don’t trust us, so they want to personally intervene. We can either follow their path or carve out our own path; it all depends on our choice."
Murong Chong said, "We mustn’t comply. Their path has long been proven impassable since ancient times. Now, without knowing how to adapt, they want to harm our Great Xia Country; we absolutely cannot allow them to have their way."
Chu Feng said, "Indeed, I only believe in ourselves. Combining technology and cultivation is definitely the right path. With such a large population in the Great Xia Country, utilizing technological power to arm everyone would be an incomparable force."
Long Fei took a sip of wine and instructed, "The situation is urgent; you all should return to the South Yangtze and assist. Miss Chang Xi and I will go to Chang’an City, looking for Yao Grass and trying to talk things over with the people from the Flame Emperor Palace."
Wang Xiaoya looked at Long Fei, feeling uneasy about him.
He can be impulsive, and she’s worried he might get into a fight after just a few words.
She has the Chaos Green Lotus, which can help him in critical moments.
Lin Shanshan chimed in, "Brother-in-law, let me go with you too; another person means another helper."
Long Fei said, "Nope, you go back to the South Yangtze first and help out. You can go to the outside world to procure resources to set up our military factory in the South Yangtze."
Lin Shanshan pouted, saying that Long Fei wasn’t being fair, forgetting his sister-in-law for his wife.
Wang Xiaoya could go with him, but she could not.