TGPSAC – Chapter 78

The seven days of prayer passed peacefully, but it felt more like the calm before a storm.

If the assassins didn’t make a move soon, Yu Jiuzhou planned to create an opportunity for them.

As for Chi Wan, she hadn’t slept soundly with Yu Jiuzhou for the past two days. How had she agreed to this?

It had been made perfectly clear that the reason for having a child was indeed for the sake of seizing power. Why hadn’t she firmly refused?

The most astonishing thing she’d heard was that their child would be the future emperor.

In five thousand years of history, there had only been one female emperor. Yu Jiuzhou not only wanted to be emperor herself, but she also wanted to pass the throne to their child in the future, regardless of whether that child was a Qian Yuan or a Kun Ze.

It was worth noting that this world had never seen a Kun Ze female emperor. In fact, a Kun Ze had never been emperor at all.

This meant that the pressure Yu Jiuzhou would have to bear would be even greater.

Although Chi Wan didn’t think being emperor was anything special, Yu Jiuzhou’s goal in this life was to become a female emperor. To be precise, no member of the imperial family didn’t want to be emperor. For the throne to be promised to their child like this was, in its own way, a form of profound affection.

Looking at it from another angle, since Yu Jiuzhou hadn’t become emperor yet, one could say she was making an empty promise.

But Chi Wan believed in Yu Jiuzhou; she could hear the earnestness and sincerity in her voice.

It was undeniable that this heartfelt confession had moved Chi Wan.

She had even impulsively agreed. If they hadn’t been in a temple, she might have just gone along with it after some token resistance.

However, even though she had agreed, Yu Jiuzhou still said, “I don’t want your answer now. Tell me if you are willing when we return to Shengjing.”

The other woman was giving her time to think, so she wouldn’t make an impulsive decision she might later regret.

Chi Wan knew herself. Once the two of them had a child, she would shoulder that responsibility. Her original plan to leave after Yu Jiuzhou succeeded would be postponed indefinitely.

With a child, she would have to be responsible.

When a normal couple has a child, unless their relationship breaks down, they raise the child together. Unless things became truly untenable between her and Yu Jiuzhou, they would have to discuss a separation.

It seemed the imperial family could not separate, only be widowed.

Throughout history, if a member of the imperial family absolutely had to separate, their partner had only one fate: to spend the rest of their life in a Daoist temple, never to leave it again.

Chi Wan couldn’t say for sure what her future would hold. For now, it was best to follow her heart.

Now that the prayers were over, it was time for them to return to Shengjing. The problem was, the assassins still hadn’t made a move. They were likely planning something big.

Both Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou were wondering when the assassins would strike, and what the opportune moment would be.

In her past life, the assassins had struck before Yu Jiuzhou had even finished the prayers. This time, they had waited until the prayers were over and still hadn’t acted.

Could it be that the assassins weren’t going to strike this time?

Impossible. The Imperial City Division had already detected unusual movements from the assassins. They had mobilized a large number of people; it was impossible for them not to leave a trace. The Imperial City Division had been steadily expanding its influence, and its unofficial personnel now numbered over ten thousand.

Chi Wan had divided the Imperial City Division into official and unofficial personnel.

The unofficial personnel provided information, and if the information was accurate, they were directly given a cash reward. Many clues came from them.

As for the official personnel, besides the public-facing ones, a large number of underground agents were being cultivated. Talents hidden in the shadows were far more formidable.

After this period of hard work, the Imperial City Division had seen initial improvements.

Chi Wan, in turn, had received a great deal of information. This information wasn’t necessarily major, but it wasn’t minor either, and one never knew when it might prove useful.

For example, one piece of intelligence stated that in a village near Xuanyang Temple, all the young and able-bodied men had disappeared overnight. The village had not reported it to the authorities; it was discovered by a passing messenger.

Messengers and couriers were very well-informed. These people traveled throughout Shengjing, its surroundings, and even the entire Great Zhou, making them the most knowledgeable about current events.

This was especially true for the yamen runners who delivered official reports. If these people didn’t return by a certain time, it meant they had either died on the road or encountered some disaster along the way.

A man-made disaster, or a natural one.

Regardless of the type, the person responsible for records had to report it to the imperial court so that the court could prepare in advance.

First, martial law would be declared. Second, troops near Shengjing would be gathered. Then, relevant personnel would be dispatched to investigate.

Therefore, the overnight disappearance of all the young and able-bodied men from a village near Xuanyang Temple was likely no simple matter.

Great Zhou was not like the world Chi Wan came from, where it was normal for villages to be empty of young people who had gone to work or moved to the cities.

Ancient times were different. Household registration was tied to a specific locality. To live somewhere, one had to have local registration. To travel, one needed a travel permit, a pass of sorts. These permits were very difficult to obtain; not just anyone could get one.

Officials certainly could, as could scholars traveling for examinations. As for commoners, merchants could buy expensive permits for their business travels. What about the poor who wanted to leave? They had to queue up and wait for approval, and not everyone would pass. Even if they did get a permit, the distance they could travel was limited.

Applications for nearby areas would be approved, but applications for distant places would be denied. Basically, in the absence of a disaster, no one would leave their hometown, nor could they.

Many people lived their entire lives in one place, with only a few ever getting to visit the county town.

Therefore, the disappearance of all the young and able-bodied men from a village was a matter of great concern, especially at such a critical time.

That village was not small, with at least a hundred households. The number of young men would be one or two hundred. For a hundred households, having over three hundred young and able-bodied men was already more than in other villages.

An average of three able-bodied men per family was a substantial number indeed.

And the village was right next to Xuanyang Temple, which made Chi Wan think even more.

That was over three hundred people already. Adding in other hidden personnel, it was hard to say if the number of assassins would exceed five hundred.

Most importantly, and this was something Yu Jiuzhou had just told her, many of the martial monks at Xuanyang Temple were compromised. The martial monks were highly skilled; one of them could take on three to five Imperial Guards without a problem.

Those who had cultivated internal energy were even more formidable.

There were three monks at Xuanyang Temple with profound internal energy, though none had yet reached mastery.

But on their side, only Chi Wan had profound internal energy. One against three, she couldn’t win.

Chi Wan stood outside the small courtyard. The prayer procession was already packing up, preparing to depart for Shengjing early the next morning.

The longer she observed, the more she felt something was wrong. There were many strange details. The field ration bags on the waists of several Imperial Guards were full.

The Imperial Guards had brought half a day’s rations for the seven-day prayer, plus rations for the round trip between Shengjing and Xuanyang Temple. By now, their supplies should have been greatly depleted. Why were the ration bags on these guards’ waists still so full?

There was another point. Most of the Imperial Guards were haughty. As the Son of Heaven’s personal army, they had the right to be arrogant. But she had encountered several who, while looking straight ahead, lacked that particular air of self-importance.

Even if some Imperial Guards were different, it was unlikely that several of them would be like this, and they were all part of the same small squad, conveniently gathered together.

Chi Wan didn’t believe in such coincidences. These men were all suspicious.

Even though the selection of the Imperial Guard had been very cautious, assassins had still managed to infiltrate their ranks.

Chi Wan observed for a while, a sense of foreboding growing in her heart, and she quickly walked back into the room.

“What is it?” Yu Jiuzhou asked, seeing her grave expression.

“Your Highness, when do you think they will make their move this time?”

They were about to face a fierce battle. Chi Wan wanted to quickly formulate a viable plan. She had to get Yu Jiuzhou out of Xuanyang Temple safely and return to Shengjing unscathed.

Yu Jiuzhou sipped her tea. “A moonless night is for murder, a windy day for arson.”

Murder, of course, was best done at night, when one was asleep and defenseless.

As night fell, even though they knew assassins were very likely to strike, the two of them washed up and rested as usual. When the time was right, Chi Wan slipped into Yu Jiuzhou’s room.

No one could know she was sleeping in Yu Jiuzhou’s room. The assassins would probably be very surprised to see her.

Tonight, neither of them planned to sleep, so they just stared at each other.

“Your Highness, should we put out the lights?” With the room lit, the assassins might not act.

“Mm.”

As soon as Yu Jiuzhou’s voice fell, Chi Wan extinguished the candle with her internal energy.

They lay side by side, the air around their noses filled with the scent of the other’s body. Having slept together for so long, both had grown accustomed to having someone next to them.

Chi Wan had grown even more accustomed to waking up every morning with her head buried in Yu Jiuzhou’s embrace.

She suspected she might be waking up from being smothered, not naturally.

This had been going on for several days. Yu Jiuzhou must have realized she was being used as a pillow. Given Yu Jiuzhou’s personality, after discovering this, she probably wanted to wake up early even less.

It was such an awkward situation; it was best to pretend not to know.

Chi Wan was also wondering if they would be able to sleep when they returned to Shengjing and could no longer sleep together.

Of course, they didn’t just sleep when they lay together. She had also been teaching Yu Jiuzhou how to practice her internal energy.

Yu Jiuzhou had a good foundation, but it had unfortunately been ruined by an aphrodisiac. Now was a process of repair and reconstruction.

Under her continuous guidance with internal energy, Yu Jiuzhou could already feel a sensation of qi in her body. Once she had that sensation, the next step was to guide it and begin cultivation.

When the sensation of qi turned into internal energy, it meant she had entered the threshold.

The funniest part was that the posture Yu Jiuzhou used to practice her internal energy made it incredibly easy to fall asleep. Although she managed to stay awake a little longer each day, as soon as she fell asleep, Chi Wan had to manually help her cultivate her internal energy.

Thankfully, as a martial artist, she was strong. Yu Jiuzhou weighed a hundred-some catties, a weight she could lift with ease.

Chi Wan’s hand fumbled under the covers, then took Yu Jiuzhou’s. Their arms crossed, allowing their hands to clasp together more effectively.

Then she slowly circulated her internal energy, guiding the sensation of qi within Yu Jiuzhou’s body.

Yu Jiuzhou, accustomed to this, quietly closed her eyes, savoring the tranquility of the moment.

She was very used to this feeling. There was no grand, passionate pursuit, but a steady, flowing companionship.

What Yu Jiuzhou detested most were those Qian Yuan who, disregarding a Kun Ze’s reputation, believed their love to be noble and pursued them with great fanfare. In the end, the person had no choice but to marry them, otherwise their reputation would be ruined. With such a dramatic affair, other noble families wouldn’t dare to propose marriage.

That was why marriage negotiations for Kun Ze were kept very quiet. In case something went wrong, they could still negotiate with others.

If the secret got out, even if it was the Qian Yuan’s fault, the Kun Ze’s reputation would still be damaged, and they could only insist that no negotiations had ever taken place.

The old Chi Wan’s actions had been just that—using the imperial family’s prestige and the pressure of public opinion to force the emperor to grant the marriage. And she had succeeded.

Her success showed many people that this was a viable method. For a time, many Qian Yuan followed suit, harassing others.

Although this was limited to those of poor character or the scoundrels from great noble houses whose reputations were already bad and whom no one wanted to marry—unless it was to climb the social ladder. But they couldn’t afford to provoke higher officials, so they targeted those from families with less power than their own.

Once the person’s reputation was ruined, they had no choice but to marry them.

If someone hadn’t tried this on the daughter of the fiercely protective Commander of the Imperial Guard, who, in a rage, charged into their home alone with a spear, this trend would not have stopped.

Emperor Shengyuan never considered the consequences of his actions. Because of this, the situation for Kun Ze became even more difficult. Before, Kun Ze could at least go out wearing veiled hats. After this incident, they began to be restricted from leaving their homes at all.

However, to be honest, Yu Jiuzhou’s hatred for the old Chi Wan had gradually dissipated. Perhaps it was because she had tortured that person so horribly in her past life, taking revenge with her own hands. Or perhaps it was because of the arrival of the current Chi Wan; she didn’t want to transfer her hatred onto her.

To carry hatred for someone who was already gone would mean she couldn’t live this life. She had greater goals waiting for her to achieve.

Yu Jiuzhou felt the warmth on her hand, and her heart warmed as well.

To have such a person by her side in this life was, for her, a stroke of good fortune.

A moment later, Chi Wan withdrew her hand and tapped the back of Yu Jiuzhou’s hand twice. Yu Jiuzhou immediately became alert.

They’re here.

A dark and windy night, a time for murder. These people truly did not want them to live.

Chi Wan didn’t get up. They had both gone to bed with their shoes on, wearing tight-fitting clothes under the covers, which concealed their attire.

They were both dressed in black. After the lights were out, even someone with the best eyesight wouldn’t be able to tell they hadn’t changed into their nightclothes.

As for their equipment, they had placed it by their side long ago: mini sleeve arrows and firearm explosives.

Since Chi Wan had the Ministry of Works modify the firearms and explosives, the first batch had been produced, and she had used her authority to take them away.

She provided the ideas, so what was wrong with using them herself?

The small hand cannons certainly couldn’t compare to pistols, but at just over thirty centimeters long, they were much more portable. The secret guards by their side each had one. Moreover, tests had shown that misfires were extremely rare, almost negligible.

There were also flintlock pistols. The ignition cord had been replaced with a flintlock mechanism, so they worked even in the rain. The construction was simple, and firing was easy. Unfortunately, only two had been made; she and Yu Jiuzhou each had one.

Chi Wan believed that with increased research, percussion cap pistols, magazine-fed pistols, and automatic pistols were not just a dream.

These were the most incredible inventions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. If she provided the ideas, Great Zhou, which already had a foundation, could surely invent them within a hundred years.

It seemed that when she had time, she would have to write a history of firearm development, putting all her ideas down for trusted weaponsmiths to research.

But with Great Zhou’s technology, to develop more advanced guns, they first needed to make steel. That would require writing a book on “How the Steel Was Tempered.”

Chi Wan thought that if another modern person transmigrated here, they would probably think this world also had a “Nikola.”

“What are you laughing at?”

Yu Jiuzhou’s questioning voice sounded, and only then did Chi Wan realize she had just laughed out loud.

“Your Highness, stay behind me later. Make sure you hide well.”

Chi Wan had brought two sabers, and beside her was a long spear. The spearhead’s core was red, surrounded by the original color of the metal. The shaft was red, with metal caps on both ends.

She had chosen it from the Grand Princess’s armory. It weighed several dozen catties, was black, three meters long, and felt very good in her hands.

Most importantly, the spear was retractable. A pull and a twist locked it in place, extending it to three meters. The metal casing above the spearhead could be pulled up to the joint, where it would lock perfectly, maintaining the best feel.

In fact, even when collapsed, it was nearly two meters long. There was no need to extend it for unmounted combat.

Two sabers, one long spear, a dagger in her boot, sleeve arrows in her left sleeve, and a hand cannon by her side. With all this equipment, if she encountered an assassination attempt on the same level as the one in the bamboo forest, she could handle it quite easily on her own, without any need for a battle of wits.

Chi Wan’s ears twitched. “They’re close.”

Sure enough, within ten breaths, the sound of clashing metal was heard, followed by someone shouting, “Assassins! Protect Her Highness the Grand Princess! Assassins!”

“Where are the Imperial Guards? Form up, assume formation!”

“Where are the personal guards? Do not let the villains near the Grand Princess’s room!”

But the villains were already near, right on the roof.

A moment later, someone else shouted, “Poison smoke! Tear off your clothes and cover your mouths and noses!”

“This is bad, the Buddhist hall is on fire!”

“What about the Hall of Praying for Blessings?”

“The Hall of Praying for Blessings is fine.”

Hearing this, it seemed the villains still had some scruples.

But Yu Jiuzhou’s eyes turned cold. “Someone, go and set fire to the Hall of Praying for Blessings.”

“Yes.”

A voice sounded from the shadows. The secret guards had long been hidden in the room, ready to protect the Grand Princess at all costs.

Chi Wan looked at Yu Jiuzhou in confusion, only to hear her sneer, “If we’re going to make a scene, let’s make it a big one. Otherwise, how can we make those people feel the Son of Heaven’s wrath, where a million corpses lie and blood flows for a thousand li?”

If it were just Yu Jiuzhou’s disappearance, Emperor Shengyuan would be angry, but not so angry as to recklessly hunt down the culprits and kill many people.

But if the Hall of Praying for Blessings caught fire, that would be an act of great treason. The ancestors did not warn me, yet you dogs dare to set fire to the Hall of Praying for Blessings.

The history books would record with a bold stroke: In the spring of the twenty-eighth year of the Shengyuan era, Xuanyang Temple caught fire, a sign of the Yu imperial family’s lack of virtue.

Then the wise ruler persona he had painstakingly crafted, his reputation as an emperor, and how he would face his ancestors in the afterlife would all be in jeopardy.

For the sake of the imperial family’s prestige, the emperor could treat his only child with casual cruelty. But setting fire to the Hall of Praying for Blessings was like someone stomping on the imperial family’s face several times and then spitting on it.

Emperor Shengyuan would not tolerate it. He would kill many people, until the streets of Shengjing flowed with blood.

Chi Wan thought it over and realized it was true. Emperor Shengyuan was an extremely selfish person; only his core interests could move him.

If the villains dared to burn the Hall of Praying for Blessings today, tomorrow they could burn down the imperial palace. What would become of his authority and safety as emperor then?

Suddenly, a silver glint shot towards them. Chi Wan threw the quilt, blocking the silver needle for a moment, then flicked out a silver needle of her own. The sound of two needles hitting the floor was heard.

When it came to playing with needles, she was the professional.

Chi Wan hung the two sabers at her waist, leaped up, and grabbed the long spear. She stared coldly in the direction of the assassins, not moving half a step away from Yu Jiuzhou.

Soon, secret guards rushed forward to engage them, and a battle broke out.

More and more assassins appeared. Shi Lun rushed in to report, “Your Highness, Fuma, the poison smoke has knocked out more than half of the Imperial Guard. Some who used the masks the Fuma provided are still conscious, but only eight hundred remain.”

“The enemy has over a thousand men, and there are also assassins with internal energy.”

The young men from the village, plus the martial monks, plus people from other places—a fighting force of over a thousand was to be expected.

Suddenly, with a “bang,” an explosion sounded. They had even brought explosives. The enemy was dead set on killing them. As long as they were dead, it didn’t matter if they were a pile of mangled flesh or something else.

Several more assassins approached, two of whom actually had profound internal energy. No wonder they could break through the outer perimeter so easily.

Chi Wan narrowed her eyes. The next second, the enemy lit the candles in the room, but they were quickly extinguished. The assassins only wanted a brief look at the room’s layout.

But she had also seen the assassins’ positions. Before they could react, she immediately fired her sleeve arrows.

Six consecutive sleeve arrows were fired. As the assassins hastily defended themselves, the secret guards also charged forward.

Although the secret guards accompanying Yu Jiuzhou didn’t have such formidable internal energy, their external martial arts were not to be underestimated. They were not opponents that ordinary internal energy masters could handle.

Besides, there were seven secret guards and only three assassins. They could hold them off for a while.

But Chi Wan didn’t dare to relax. She took Yu Jiuzhou’s hand, listening cautiously to the sounds around them.

With a few “swishes,” the enemy also fired sleeve arrows. Chi Wan swept them away with her spear.

This was just the probing before the main battle. When they felt the time was right, it would be a fight to the death.

Chi Wan sneered, kicking the solid wood bed to pieces. As wood chips flew everywhere, two shields were revealed from under the bed—one small, one large.

She picked them up and handed the small one to Yu Jiuzhou. “Protect your head.”

Then she herself lifted the large one and held it in front of her. No arrow could pierce such a shield.

The one in Yu Jiuzhou’s hand was small; it was all she could manage. It could defend against arrows, but not against firearms.

Chi Wan’s, however, was different. As long as it wasn’t a satchel charge, it could even block a hand cannon. An invincibly thick and heavy greatshield. Right now, she was a tank, capable of charging straight through anything.

She constantly remembered her objective. Until Yu Jiuzhou decided to retreat, her job was to protect Yu Jiuzhou, not to charge out and slaughter everyone. If she charged out, someone else would have to protect Yu Jiuzhou.

Just then, Shi Lun returned again. “Your Highness, the assassins are using explosives. The Imperial Guard is about to be overwhelmed.”

Chi Wan said directly, “If they use explosives, we’ll use them too. Just blow them up.”

“We have, but they are wearing Imperial Guard uniforms, strapping explosives to their bodies, and lighting them directly.”

So they were human bombs. How ruthless. They would stop at nothing to achieve their goal.

The Imperial Guards were soldiers. They would never let the soldiers of Great Zhou do such a thing. They might do so on a battlefield, but this was not a battlefield.

Those people truly had no regard for human life.

Seeing the secret guards losing ground, Chi Wan’s eyes grew cold. “All of you, fall back and protect Her Highness.”

“What are you doing?” Yu Jiuzhou grabbed her.

“Your Highness, they are no match for the assassins.”

“No.”

Chi Wan patted Yu Jiuzhou’s head. “Don’t worry.”

The seven secret guards withdrew, forming a circle around Yu Jiuzhou. The personal guards outside had already started using their hand cannons to prevent more villains from breaking in.

Chi Wan advanced with her spear and suddenly shouted, “Qiantang’s Chi Jinzhao is here!”

If she had a white horse, the image would be even more perfect. Oh, and she would need to be wearing silver-white armor. That would surely mesmerize Yu Jiuzhou, making her unable to look away.

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