Zhong Xuansheng’s inner turmoil was a secret previously shared only with Fourteen. Now, Jiang Wang too was privy to it.

Fourteen was a person of few words, so it was Jiang Wang who broke the silence. “These past days, neither of us has had a moment of rest. Today is like yesterday, and I imagine tomorrow will be the same.”

They strived as hard today as they did yesterday, and they would strive just as hard tomorrow. The successes they reaped yesterday, they would surely reap again tomorrow. Of course, this was a hopeful aspiration. But it was also an affirmation of their journey thus far, for both himself and Zhong Xuansheng. After all, together they had accomplished many things, feats that were once considered impossible!

Zhong Xuansheng chuckled first, a light sound. “I’m all worn thin!” Only then did he add, “All that we desire will come to pass. Tomorrow shall be as yesterday!”

“War is a matter of paramount importance to the state, a realm of life and death, a path to survival or annihilation,” Zhong Xuan Chuliang interjected at this juncture. “Do not imagine war is something you can trifle with. If you approach the battlefield with such a mindset, I fear I will only be collecting your corpses!”

Both Jiang Wang and Zhong Xuansheng grew solemn. On the subject of war, Zhong Xuan Chuliang undeniably held authority. This time, with both Zhong Xuansheng and Jiang Wang bound for the battlefield, he had specifically brought Jiang Wang to Dingyuan Hou Manor, intending to put him through a last-minute training regimen before the conflict. He didn’t expect Jiang Wang to become a military expert, but at the very least, he wanted him to grasp the commanding general’s intentions during battle.

On the eve of this monumental war, the entire state of Qi was mobilizing its troops and sharpening its blades. Had Zhong Xuan Chuliang not still been awaiting the Emperor’s final decision, he would not have had the leisure to attend to them. At this moment, Zhong Xuan Chuliang gazed at the two young men across the writing desk, his words naturally directed primarily at his nephew, who was both too clever and too reliant on his cleverness.

“What kind of nation do you say Xia is?”

“The Southern Domain is divided in two, separated by Book Mountain. Great sects reign supreme, and numerous great nations stand tall. For thousands of years, warfare has been constant. Tell me, how did Xia Country fight its way out of the mud, unify the eastern part of the Southern Domain, destroy Li and Yan and Liang, and turn its military might towards the northeast?”

Li Country and Liang Country had both been destroyed by Xia Country in history. Of course, Xia Country had destroyed far more than just these two nations… it was merely that these two countries later successfully re-established themselves, hence this segment of history was mentioned.

The gaze in Zhong Xuan Chuliang’s eyes at this moment held a historical weight. “Do you think invading Xia will be an easy path to glory?”

“Do you think Xia Country is like Yang Country, a soft persimmon, whose calendar and script were already erased before the war even began?”

“Do you think the military order I submitted to the Emperor was because this matter is without danger, thus I arbitrarily sought merit?”

“What do you think the Military God, and General Cao, and General Xiu, and I are striving for?”

“How dare you underestimate Xia Country?”

“Ah Sheng, Ah Sheng, you must understand. Before that war began that year, half the court advocated for peace! Many people feared Xia like a tiger. Before the great war even commenced, ten thousand families were already weeping. There were soldiers who broke their own legs, solely to avoid going to the front lines!”

Zhong Xuan Chuliang paused here, then continued, “You must understand… that battle that year, was won with great difficulty!”

Zhong Xuansheng, of course, knew what he left unsaid. There were things that could not be spoken, and things that were too painful to speak. The former, like the deposed Crown Prince Jiang Wuliang. The latter, like the already deceased Zhong Xuan Mingtu, Zhong Xuan Mingshan, not to mention those who were equally famous in those years but were now already forgotten.

Ten thousand families’ dry bones were exchanged for a single general’s success. Hundreds of thousands of corpses paved the way for hegemony. In a great war of this magnitude, True Monarchs could fall, True People could not necessarily guarantee their safety, and God Arrive cultivators might vanish in a single charge. So-called favored sons of heaven, so-called geniuses… how were they any different from floating dust?

Zhong Xuansheng sat upright. He said sincerely, “It was this nephew’s arrogance.”

Then he asked, “Uncle, in your view, which figures in today’s Xia Country are worthy of note?”

Zhong Xuan Chuliang glanced at him faintly. “Figures worthy of you two paying attention to, there are far too many.”

Jiang Wang listened attentively.

“Figures worthy of *your* attention, eh?” Zhong Xuansheng asked again.

Zhong Xuan Chuliang was silent for a while, then said, “First, of course, is Empress Dowager Xia!”

“In that battle that year, the Emperor of Xia died in the midst of a hundred thousand troops, his head taken by our Emperor. The Crown Prince of Xia, the Second Prince of Xia, the Fourth Prince of Xia, the Fifth Imperial Daughter of Xia, all died! The Third Prince of Xia was personally beheaded by me…”

“At that time, the heroic lord who could be called the Emperor of Xia left behind only a nine-year-old child, thus the Empress supervised the country. The first thing she did upon taking power was to form an alliance with Jing Country and secretly build the Yi Tian Guan. At that time, she wore a phoenix crown and robes of rosy clouds, sat atop the Xia Capital city walls, gazed far across the eastern lands, facing the military might of our Great Qi, and declared, ‘If the Great Xia dragon pulse is severed, it shall begin with the mother of the nation.’ Thus, she heavily bribed the four neighbors, negotiated with all directions, and decreed that the world should diligently serve the king. After the Emperor of Xia died in battle, our army still encountered very stubborn resistance. By the time our soldiers finally approached the Xia Capital… the Yi Tian Guan was already completed. We were forced to retreat from the Southern Domain, return to the eastern lands, allowing Xia Country to preserve its state and altars. And to this day, that is thanks to today’s Empress Dowager Xia!”

Zhong Xuansheng praised, “Some things read in books don’t seem so strange. Today, hearing Uncle’s narration, I truly feel she is indeed the mother of the nation, a hero.”

What Jiang Wang cared about more, however, was the Dingyuan Hou’s casual mention of the “Third Prince of Xia.” Though it was a mere passing reference, someone remembered by a fierce slaughter, how could they be simple? Zhong Xuan Chuliang’s feat of entering Xia Country alone and fighting for a thousand miles was still regarded as a remarkable achievement today. The process was, of course, extremely perilous. Opponents like the Third Prince of Xia were certainly not the only ones he encountered in Xia Country’s borders. But in the end, he still managed to break through the rear of the Xia army, coming and going freely, as if entering a land without people. This was why, indeed, Zhong Xuan Chuliang was the First God Arrive of the Eastern Domain!

At this time, Zhong Xuan Chuliang continued, “Furthermore, Xia Country still has two princes, who share the glory of the nation, both World True Monarchs, who dares to underestimate them?”

Jiang Wang’s history lessons had not yet reached Xia Country.

Zhong Xuansheng glanced at him, and helped him ask, “Though this nephew knows their names, he doesn’t know how formidable they are. How do they compare to our Military God?”

Zhong Xuan Chuliang said, “One is King Wu, Si Xingjiao. He is of the Xia Country imperial lineage, tracing back nine generations from the current Emperor of Xia. He is a truly formidable figure who safeguards Xia Country. Even in that great war that year, he once exchanged blows with our Majesty.”

“The second, well, that is King Min, Yu Liyang. The last time at Jian Feng Mountain, it was he who led people to surround our Great Qi Military God.”

King Wu, Si Xingjiao, was a long-established True Monarch, who had even exchanged blows with the Qi Emperor. His strength would naturally not be weak. As for King Min, Yu Liyang, he had initially joined forces with five True People to surround Great Qi’s Military God, Jiang Mengxiong. The result was that one True Person was killed on the spot, causing heaven to rain blood. The contrast in strength between him and Jiang Mengxiong, of course, needed no further elaboration. The True Person who died at that time was a famous figure in Array Dao, True Person Tai Hua of the Tai Clan of Xia Country.

Zhong Xuansheng, thinking of these things, suddenly said, “That True Person Tai Hua who died, he had a grandnephew named Tai Yin, didn’t he? He once went to Guan He Terrace?” He looked at Jiang Wang. “Brother Wang, did you exchange blows with him in the Shan Hai Border?”

“Yes,” Jiang Wang’s tone was calm. “At that time, I was against him and Xiang Bei.” He didn’t elaborate on the outcome of the fight, as victory or defeat was not something that needed to be stated.

Tai Yin was beaten by Zhong Xuanzun at Guan He Terrace without any power to retaliate. Today’s Tai Yin, although far stronger than the Tai Yin of that day – techniques like the Five Dragons Seal Heaven Technique and the God Prison Six Paths Array were all learned later, spurred by shame and courage, elevating him to a higher level. But today’s Zhong Xuanzun was even less comparable to the Zhong Xuanzun of that day. In the Xuan He Mi Realm, he already possessed an invincible posture at the Outer Building level. This invincibility was not just amongst the young favored sons of heaven on Guan He Terrace, but included all cultivators who could not break through to God Arrive, those who had accumulated at the Outer Building level.

If Jiang Wang couldn’t even defeat Tai Yin, then indeed, there was no possibility of him contending with Zhong Xuanzun now.

Hence, Zhong Xuansheng only asked, “Was it a difficult win?”

Jiang Wang stated factually, “Not easy, they still managed to stab me in the back!”

“So…”

Zhong Xuansheng was not disappointed by this answer. From the beginning, he and Jiang Wang were both in the role of pursuers. He had rapidly grown from a mere showpiece used to intimidate Zhong Xuanzun to a family heir who stood on equal footing with Zhong Xuanzun. While Jiang Wang, when he first arrived in Qi land, hadn’t even opened the Heaven and Earth Gate, he later also suppressed Wang Yiwu with the power of his realm. Jiang Wang had already grown very fast, and indeed, he shouldn’t be given too much pressure. However, in the situation where Jiang Wang was unable to catch up to Zhong Xuanzun, in the upcoming war against Xia, he would have to do more thinking…

Having known Zhong Xuansheng for so long, Jiang Wang naturally knew what Zhong Xuansheng was thinking at this moment. Even the mention of Tai Yin by the fat man was nothing more than a desire to gauge his current strength and at the same time not wanting to burden him with the pressure of facing Zhong Xuanzun.

After a moment of thought, Jiang Wang said calmly, “If it were at the Yellow River Meeting, facing Tai Yin, victory or defeat would be hard to say. At the Shan Hai Border, if Tai Yin hadn’t launched a sneak attack, if Xiang Bei hadn’t been there, in a solo fight between him and me, I could have killed him without injury. If it were now… the two of them combined couldn’t hurt me in the slightest.”

He didn’t utter any boastful words, merely calmly listed the contrast in strength between himself and Tai Yin at different periods: the Yellow River Meeting, the Shan Hai Border, and now. However, this contrast was so intuitive, so clearly outlining his growth trajectory. With a genius figure like Tai Yin, who himself was constantly making rapid progress, as a comparison, one could see how astonishing his growth speed was!

Jiang Wang didn’t say what he would do against Zhong Xuanzun now, but his confidence was already unspoken, validated by the distant road he had calmly walked.

Zhong Xuansheng naturally also understood. So he simply grinned widely through his full face of fat, and then turned to Zhong Xuan Chuliang, saying, “Doesn’t Xia Country have any contemporary True People worthy of your attention?”

When the imperial decree-carrying eunuch Qiu Ji walked into the Jiang Manor at Yaoguang Fang, the sky was still dark. Jiang Wang truly hadn’t expected it. At such a critical moment of preparing to invade Xia, the Qi Emperor, who treated the world as a chessboard, would actually summon a young person like him who held no real power. Moreover, he had only been back in Linzi for two days, and the Qi Emperor had already found the time. There was even a sense of urgency…

Such a powerful emperor, standing at the pinnacle of his generation, a hegemon country. Moreover, with mountains and rivers as his board, nations as his pieces, dragon coiled in all directions, sword pointed at the world! The chess pieces the Qi Emperor was moving at this time were either ministers of the Politics Hall or commanders of the nine divisions of the Military Hall. His moves stirred the winds and clouds of the current world, shifted human mountains and rivers… using a Jiang Wang, truly could not cause any influence on the overall situation.

So why would he be summoned at this time? He racked his brain and couldn’t come up with a reason. Could it really just be for idle chatter?

Jiang Wang inexplicably looked at Qiu Ji with unease. This eunuch, who had always been friendly to him, was now viewing his nose, viewing his heart, not even giving him a single glance. This made Jiang Wang even more uneasy. However, with the Emperor’s summons, there was no opportunity for him to calm his mood. Forget burning incense or bathing, without even a clear explanation, Qiu Ji ordered them to set out.

Accompanying Qiu Ji was a large sedan chair, which separated Zhong Xuansheng’s thoughtful gaze and a completely blank Jiang Qingyang. He headed towards the deep palace.

Qiu Ji walked in front of the sedan chair, his footsteps silent. With him leading the way, they naturally passed unimpeded. The sedan chair stopped in front of the Dong Hua Cabinet. The imperial decree-carrying eunuch stood still in front of the sedan chair and said in a calm tone, “Master Jiang, we have arrived.”

Jiang Wang woke from his contemplation of the Twin Liberation Ears, bent over, and stepped out of the large sedan chair. He subconsciously glanced at Qiu Ji, who still had an expressionless face. It seemed as if their previous interactions had never happened, as if they were strangers. But then he thought again, perhaps Qiu Ji’s lack of indication was actually a kind of reassurance. No matter what, the Emperor using the familiar Qiu Ji to convey the order should in itself be a manifestation of friendliness, not to the point of fear and apprehension…

Thus, he dispelled the雜 thoughts, followed behind Qiu Ji, walking neither too fast nor too slow towards the cabinet. The last time he came to Dong Hua Cabinet was with Zhong Xuansheng. At that time, Zhong Xuansheng had come in his “naked body,” asking the Emperor for purple robes. That was also the time he truly realized the authority of the Qi Emperor…

Dong Hua Cabinet was not far from Zi Ji Hall. The Emperor was accustomed to resting here temporarily before court meetings, either reading or receiving information about the court meeting in advance. Generally, this time was not too long. Therefore, audiences in Dong Hua Cabinet were always brief. But today, the Emperor had arrived relatively early, not even yet to Yin hour. The sky was dark, and the lamps inside the Dong Hua Cabinet were also very soft.

Qiu Ji stood outside the door, and Jiang Wang walked in alone. In the bright yellow lamplight, the Qi Emperor sat on a soft couch, holding a scroll in his hand, reading it leisurely. The person standing beside him was Li Yushu, who had just been speaking softly with the Emperor. Before Jiang Wang entered, he had already stopped speaking. Jiang Wang could hear the movement from afar, but he very consciously did not listen intently to the content of the conversation. At this moment, he walked into the cabinet and bowed respectfully: “Your subject Jiang Wang, requests an audience upon your decree!”

It could be said that this was the second time he had come to Dong Hua Cabinet, and only now did he dare to slightly examine the layout of the room where the Emperor was located. Unlike the grand and majestic, lofty atmosphere of Zi Ji Hall, this Dong Hua Cabinet, on the contrary, had a few points of warmth and intimacy.

The Emperor did not speak for a time. Jiang Wang also remained bowed. Thus, invisible pressure already descended. The cabinet was very quiet. For a long time, there was only the sound of turning book pages. It vaguely seemed to echo with a kind of fate.

The last time he came to Dong Hua Cabinet was a key step for Zhong Xuansheng to change his fate, and it was also when Li Yushu, who was almost bound by the title of “Dong Hua Scholar,” was waiting by his side. Now, it was again a critical moment in the contention between Zhong Xuansheng and Zhong Xuanzun. And he had come here again. Only the previous time, with Zhong Xuansheng in control, he had nothing else to do except bare his scarred body. This time, however, he was here alone to face it.

In this silent endurance, where time dripped away like leaking sand, his heart involuntarily thought of Dingyuan Hou’s words again—

“The heart of Heaven is difficult to fathom!”