The Battle of Feng City was devastating, yet as long as the widow of Prince Jianwen is still alive, so too is the banner of the Kuangfu Society. We still have some personnel dispersed in various sub-branches...
However, without Grandmaster Zhuang, among those left in the society, who is capable of commanding respect? Who has the qualification to raise the banner again? Is it you? Or is it me?"
He shook his head, despairingly:
"You and I are only skilled in battle; we cannot rally the people's hearts at all, and no one else in the society has the credentials.
In that case, does it mean our only option is to flee in all directions? Perhaps we should take the Princess Consort and the Princely Heir, and leave Yu Country, to hide in a more remote place."
This Great Commander seemed to have lost his spirit, entertaining thoughts of disbanding.
Ren Kun was silent for a moment, then said:
"Actually... there's something I haven't told you. Before the Grand Tutor died, right before ordering the assassination of the Zhao thief, he gave me a silk pouch privately, telling me that if anything unexpected happened, I should open it only three days later.
At the time, I didn't realize that the 'unexpected' he referred to was blowing up the mountain and perishing together."
"A silk pouch?" Qi Yuchun was startled, his breath quickening, and he stepped forward a few paces: "Where is it?"
"Today is the third day after the assassination, and I've already secretly opened it."
Ren Kun took a silk pouch from his bosom and tossed it to him: "Inside is an address."
Qi Yuchun hastily took out a note, which bore no other words, save for a single address, located west of Feng City, near the border with Linfeng.
"What are we waiting for?" Qi Yuchun seemed to have found his backbone all of a sudden, his eyes lit up:
"Of course! How foolish of me. With the Grand Tutor's wisdom, since he already had a plan to perish together, he would undoubtedly have thought of making posthumous arrangements. He must have anticipated this; only then does it make sense! Let's go."
Only then did he finally understand why Ren Kun had been so calm and collected, not at all at a loss.
"What's the rush? Let's have lunch first..."
"If I gave you a big spear would you eat it?"
The magician Ren Kun was helpless, being dragged out of the teahouse by the impatient Qi Yuchun. The two wrapped in cotton-padded clothes rode westward on horseback.
They traveled for another day on the road before arriving by midday on the second day at an inn situated along a forested official road, at the border between Linfeng and the Coastal area, where travelers lodged.
"This is the place! Let's go in and take a look."
Qi Yuchun looked up at the inn's signboard, dismounted, and entered the inn's courtyard with Ren Kun. A shop assistant greeted them warmly: "Are you two staying?"
"Yes, we need two rooms." Qi Yuchun feigned nonchalance, unhurriedly securing the rooms, and then casually inquired: "Has Room A1 been taken?"
The innkeeper replied: "Apologies, Room A1 has been booked by a guest who has stayed for seven consecutive days."
The two exchanged glances. After paying, they first settled their luggage before discreetly knocking on Room A1.
A voice of a man came from inside the room.
Both being skilled and brave, they immediately pushed open the door. The inn's simple furnishings and setup included a burning stove in the room, with doors and windows tightly sealed.
A figure clad in a black cloak stood with his back to them by the window, gazing out at the bleak winter day.
Qi Yuchun closed the door behind him, watching the mysterious figure cautiously with Ren Kun, and said:
"Sir, are you waiting for someone?"
The cloaked figure responded: "I have been waiting for you two for a long time now. Has Zhuang Xiaocheng died?"
The hearts of the two men skipped a beat: "He is dead, along with Zhao Douan."
Ren Kun hesitated and said: "The Grand Tutor instructed me to come here three days after his death, presumably to meet you. I don't know what arrangements the Grand Tutor made; please enlighten us."
Qi Yuchun remained secretly on guard: "Could you turn around and speak to us face to face, sir?"
The man by the window seemed oblivious, merely chewing on the words "dead," and after a long time, let out a deep sigh.
Then he slowly turned around, revealing hands that were well-formed, clearly belonging to someone from a wealthy family, from within the cloak.
He slowly removed the hood, unveiling a face of imposing nobility that should have long ceased to exist in the Human World.
Ren Kun was taken aback.
Qi Yuchun's eyes widened in disbelief, as if struck by lightning, he stammered:
"Second... Second Prince?!"
The mastermind behind the Xuanmen Coup and the royal palace massacre, the Second Prince of Yu Country, Xu Jianwen, who died three years ago outside the Meridian Gate, calmly looked at the two and said:
Outside the Meridian Gate of the Imperial Palace, the officials gathered once again, preparing for their daily court session.
Zhao Douan traveled back and forth, the road long and distant, and in the blink of an eye, more than two months have passed since the New Year.
By the end of winter, the Capital was no longer as cold, and spring was not far off.
The old officials seemed much more at ease when attending court, no longer having to brace against the wind or snow.
Furthermore, since the beginning of the year, a series of reforms, led by the New Policy, began to take effect.
After the National Treasury recovered, the cold and lifeless body of the six-hundred-year-old Great Yu dynasty began to warm up again, and the faces of the officials grew increasingly joyful, while the Empress Xu Zhenguan's frost-covered face also gained the vitality of the Spring God.
With the sound of the bell, the officials entered the hall.
Clad in the Dragon Robe and wearing the bejeweled crown, Xu Zhenguan sat solemnly on the throne, as the officials presented their reports in order.
The process was uneventful, mostly dealing with daily affairs.
—Most often, the court sessions were filled with trivial matters, and rarely with major events.
As Zhao Douan had known from his past life:
Only small issues and decisions that had already been discussed by all parties and were brought to the Golden Throne Hall merely for formality were usually the mainstream of morning court.
Major issues, however, were decided in private meetings by small groups.
While the gravest matters often resided only in the minds and secret gatherings of a select few individuals.