The night was deep.
Within the Crown Prince’s Mansion, the lights still shimmered like stars; the ever-burning lamps never extinguished day or night.
In the dark corners of a nearby street, several shadowy figures gathered, gazing toward the Crown Prince’s Mansion, their eyes gleaming with a sinister light.
“The purple aura is thick, displaying a five-colored brilliance—an omen of kingship indeed!”
An aged voice spoke, filled with an emotion that was hard to tell whether it was envy or jealousy: “Look at how this fortune is firmly established, as solid as a rock, without the slightest flaw! This indicates not only a strong foundation but also the Emperor’s deep favor, something outsiders can never shake.”
“Hehe… ‘unshakable’ is still just ‘difficult to shake’! Even the strongest imperial favor cannot withstand the power of collective voices. Haven’t we seen enough examples from previous dynasties?”
Another voice sneered coldly.
“In any case, the Crown Prince’s fortune is strong now, so we must not act rashly. We should start from the border regions, making the thousand-mile-long dike collapse from an ant hole!”
“Even if the Great Wu Dynasty has won countless battles and now enjoys a prosperous fate, if internal strife arises and the barbarians rebel again, its downfall is not impossible!”
…
As these people spoke, one sinister plot after another unfolded, filled with hatred.
The Great Wu Dynasty rose to power in the Central Plains through conquest and unification, inevitably causing the destruction of many Daoist sects that had invested their hopes in other candidates. Some sects, failing to recognize the times, even attempted resistance and were ruthlessly eradicated by Empress Wu Zhi. These people were the few who escaped that purge, filled with resentment toward the court.
Of course, even with their arcane arts, these Daoists could do little once the dynasty had consolidated its rule.
However, everything changed when spies from the barbarian tribes joined them.
The current border unrest in the Great Wu Dynasty was, in essence, part of a plan laid out at the time of the fall of the Celestial Immortal Sovereign.
Back then, cornered by Wu Ming and the Heavenly Emperor, the Celestial Immortal Sovereign chose to disperse his very essence into fragments, casting them into the corners of the Great Zhou.
Even if most of a Golden Immortal’s essence was consumed, the last remnants split into dozens of portions still had the power to create immense influence.
In other words, the local chieftains, tribal kings, and warlords who now rose in rebellion were figures blessed by heavenly mandate, each a man of extraordinary talent. Naturally, they understood that if the Great Wu Dynasty continued in peace and prosperity, they would have no chance at all.
Therefore, they had long ago infiltrated a large number of spies and traitors into the Wu Dynasty’s territory. With deep conspiracies and secret interventions from immortal sects, they joined forces with local aristocrats dissatisfied with Wu Zhi’s policies, forming a vast hidden force.
Though they would perish instantly if exposed, in the shadows, they were a formidable power.
At present, the Wu Dynasty, though not yet in its golden age, was stable and prosperous, with the people content. They could all see this clearly, and their only hope lay in the growing mistrust between the Crown Prince and the Empress.
“Although the Crown Prince is the heir apparent, the expectations upon him are immense, and there are strange omens surrounding his birth… any emperor would feel some unease.”
“Who can say for sure what is mere speculation?”
“With the support of the barbarian kings and the planning of several Immortal Sovereigns, we will surely succeed! When the throne changes hands, you and I will be hailed as great contributors!”
“But… I don’t understand. Even if Wu Zhi has become a true dragon, gathering the fortune of nineteen provinces, making even Immortal Sovereigns powerless, why can’t our supporting Daoist sects unite and perform a grand ritual? Even if we cannot cloud her mind, any slight deviation would be our opportunity!”
A newly joined Daoist raised his question.
“Sigh…”
At this, the other Daoists’ expressions turned uneasy.
After a pause, one finally spoke: “Since ancient times, emperors cannot attain immortality, and those who seek immortality cannot remain emperors! You must know this principle, right?”
“In every dynasty, even emperors who sought eternal life ended up with nothing but failure, damaging their dynasties in the process…”
“But Wu Zhi is an exception. Not only did she unify the world, but…”
A Daoist gritted his teeth: “Have you heard of the Qingye Void Heaven?”
“That was one of the Thirty-Six Sacred Realms of our Dao, the home of the Qingye Sect, whose Grand Elder was an Immortal Sovereign. But it was destroyed by the Empress for supporting King Wu Ji Quan!”
The questioning Daoist replied, puzzled: “That has always been a mystery!”
“Yes, a Heaven Lord is the master of a sacred realm. Even if his side loses in the struggle for the throne, he should still be able to retreat to his realm with his disciples. Why was the Qingye Sect completely destroyed?”
The old Daoist’s voice grew heavy: “And it wasn’t even another Immortal Sovereign or hidden force that helped. It was the might of the Wu Dynasty alone!”
“Could it be…”
Only now did the questioning Daoist truly feel fear.
“Because that Empress entered the Dao through martial cultivation, forging a new path beyond the Martial Sage. According to the elders supporting us, she had already reached the legendary ultimate martial realm by the time she destroyed the Qingye Sect!”
The old Daoist sighed deeply, “That is also why the martial families across the land flocked to the new dynasty, seeking the secret to shattering the void. It is said that once a martial artist reaches that realm, even without the power of a sacred realm, their every movement can reduce space itself to dust, rivaling even a Heaven Immortal!”
“If that were not the case, why could we not unite our forces and strike a decisive blow?”
“Truly… such a person exists, and she is the greatest disruption to the natural order of the world!”
“She must be eliminated, and this dynasty must fall!”
“Revenge! Revenge!”
The Daoists muttered, their eyes burning with hatred.
…
Zezhou.
One of the Nine Southern Provinces, Zezhou lay in the remote southwest, plagued by miasma. Despite repeated efforts by the government to settle migrants and exiled officials and convicts, after centuries, the Han population still could not dominate the region.
Xinfeng Commandery.
Since Wu Zhi unified the south, Zezhou, being weak, had submitted early, integrating into the imperial system.
However, with the chaos in the Central Plains and the resulting population shortage, there was still much fertile land needing cultivation and settlement. Thus, unlike previous dynasties, the government no longer relocated large numbers of people to Zezhou.
Thanks to its remoteness, Zezhou had also suffered less during the great turmoil of the Zhou Dynasty. Although the people of Xinfeng could not exactly be said to live in peace and prosperity, they at least survived the wars intact, which could be considered fortunate.
But on this day, their luck ran out.
“Kill all the Han people and reclaim our land!”
Numerous short-statured, oddly dressed southern barbarians, wielding primitive weapons, formed an army led by several tribal chieftains and kings. Taking the city by surprise, they captured several counties of Xinfeng Commandery.
“Mercy, my lord!”
“Help!”
“Barbarians… I will never forgive you… Ah!”
…
The county was immediately plunged into massacre. The native soldiers, with no discipline, went berserk upon entering the city, breaking into homes, killing, and looting everything they desired.
Even some of their own kind, who had assimilated into the city, could not escape their wrath.
“Great Chieftain Wugu Ditu, we cannot keep killing like this!”
Inside the county office, the former county magistrate had already hanged himself. A group of barbarian soldiers brazenly occupied the office, wearing stolen silks and brocades, looking absurd.
The leader of this invasion, a chieftain named Majin Da, sat in the magistrate’s seat, his face painted, feasting on meat and wine. Beside him, a black-robed scholar advised him: “My lord, to oppose the Central Dynasty, we need the Han people to farm and produce for us. Their grain will feed our warriors, and their iron will forge sharper weapons.”
“Haha… I know all this!”
The chieftain drank a large mouthful of wine, licking his lips: “Indeed, the wine from the Central Plains is the best, the purest…”
“That’s right. This rebellion unites many southern chieftains, as well as friends from the north, the Central Plains, and the East. Once we seize the land, we won’t give it up. Therefore, taking in some Han people is inevitable. But these Han are too arrogant. If we don’t break their spirit, how can we rule them later?”
The chieftain’s eyes gleamed with greed and cunning, like a wolf’s: “First, we massacre a city that resists fiercely. Once the news spreads, the other cities will fall more easily.”
“Wise words, my lord!”
The scholar’s eyes flickered with surprise, bowing deeply in flattery.
“Haha… You thought I was just a savage who eats raw meat?”
The chieftain laughed heartily: “Before I inherited the throne, I once disguised myself and studied in the Central Plains. I even attended a scholarly academy and gained some reputation!”
“What?”
The scholar was stunned, unable to reconcile this brutal, murderous savage with the refined scholars of the Central Plains.
“There is an ancient book in the Central Plains that says well: those who enter the barbarians become barbarians; those who enter the Central Plains become Central. So, once our savage people enter the Central Plains, we naturally become the rightful rulers!”
“To be honest, this campaign is out of necessity. When misfortune reaches its peak, fortune will return. The Great Wu has just established a new dynasty. Once it reaches its golden age, we will have no chance at all. We must seize this moment of instability and take a desperate gamble! We must seize the fate of the world. And I must thank you, sir, for your connections on the grasslands. When the day comes, your merit will be great, hahaha…”
The chieftain slapped the scholar’s shoulder, the force making the latter’s face turn pale.
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