socalfunplaces Page 204
Page 204
Imperial guards carrying flags are directing the convoy.
"Those of the third rank and below, and those of earldom and below, proceed straight ahead!"
"Those of the third rank and above, or earls and above, turn right and go up the mountain!"
Fan Xian, sitting on the carriage shaft, called out, "I happen to be an earl, which way should we go?"
The Imperial Guard soldiers bowed and replied, "Under normal circumstances, proceed straight!"
"If this is Lord Fan, please turn right!"
Fan Xian said with a smile, "So, does that mean I'm an exception?"
The Imperial Guards soldiers respectfully replied, "Please, Lord Fan, come up the mountain!"
Fan Xian was sitting in the carriage, and had only gone a dozen or so feet when he suddenly heard someone flying overhead.
He looked up and saw two figures flying swiftly through the forest. "Zong Zhui, who are those people!"
Zong Zhui excels in light-footed skills and has better observation and tracking abilities than the average person.
"My lord, these two are extremely skilled in lightness techniques; most people wouldn't be able to detect them!"
"Although they are faster than me, they still can't escape my keen eyes!"
"Those two are none other than His Highness Prince Yong and Wang Qinian!"
Fan Xian asked in confusion, "Wang Qinian is a ninth-rank cultivator with unparalleled lightness skills; the whole capital knows that."
"How does Li Chang'an also have such fast movement speed?"
Zong Zhui said mysteriously, "It is said that His Highness Prince Yong witnessed Grandmaster Ye Liuyun's attack and gained some insights, thus breaking through to the ninth rank!"
"You survived an assassination attempt last time, but it also turned out to be a blessing in disguise, allowing you to break through to the ninth rank. By all accounts, you are the youngest ninth rank cultivator!"
Fan Xian still found it somewhat unbelievable, "My cultivation method is special, so my cultivation level advances very quickly, but why is Prince Yong's cultivation so fast?"
Zong Zhui guessed, "When Prince Yong roamed the Jianghu, he acquired many treasured secret manuals."
His bodyguards were numerous and highly skilled, spending their days helping Prince Yong research secret manuals, which enabled him to rapidly improve his cultivation!
Fan Xian clicked his tongue and sighed, "In the end, money is still the most useful thing! Only with money can you hire so many helpers!"
Li Chang'an and Wang Qinian rushed to the entrance of the Hanging Temple and then landed on the ground.
Ye Zhong hurriedly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness Prince Yong. Please walk up the mountain from the gate to the Hanging Temple on the top."
Li Chang'an knew that traveling by carriage would inevitably lead to traffic jams, so he and Wang Qinian used their light-footed skills to travel, arriving at the Hanging Temple in less than a quarter of an hour.
However, the Hanging Temple is currently under high alert. If someone were to fly directly into the Hanging Temple from the mountain gate, it would likely alarm countless experts from the inner court.
At that time, Ye Zhong, the division commander in charge of guarding the area, will have a terrible headache.
Behind Ye Zhong at the entrance of the Hanging Temple, the soldiers were breathing heavily, all of them possessing the cultivation level of the seventh rank.
Under normal circumstances, a rank of seventh grade or above is sufficient to serve as a military officer.
Therefore, these seventh-rank soldiers are not ordinary soldiers, but should be the elite ace troops of the Kyoto Guard Division.
Ye Zhong said enviously, "His Highness Prince Yong has really broken through to the ninth rank!"
Wang Qinian chuckled, "Our prince's strength is the most unfathomable."
"However, I still gained some insights after witnessing your Grandmaster's move, cleaving the building in two with a single sword strike!"
Ye Zhong said with a solemn expression, "Both Prince Yong and Lord Fan have broken through to the ninth rank, which should be related to my uncle."
Li Chang'an asked in a low voice, "How is Grandmaster Ye's injury?"
Ye Zhong replied helplessly, "Your Highness, I don't know!"
Upon hearing the news that my uncle was injured, we immediately dispatched people to Jiangnan.
"But my uncle disappeared without a trace after that; he must have gone into hiding to recover from his injuries."
“When a Grandmaster is injured, it is the most dangerous time. Who knows if Ku He and Si Gu Jian will take the opportunity to assassinate him.”
"After all, my Great Qing has two Grandmasters. For Dongyi City and Northern Qi, it's safer if there are fewer Grandmasters."
Wang Qinian sighed and said, "I was fortunate enough to be present on the day Grandmaster Ye was injured."
"What kind of bizarre hidden weapon could possibly injure a Grandmaster!"
Ye Zhong's eyes darted around. There were all sorts of rumors flying around about Ye Liuyun's injury.
Some say it's a new type of concealed weapon from the Surveillance Bureau, while others say it's a legendary weapon from the martial arts world that was seized by the Shadow Guard.
Some say it was done by the other three grandmasters hiding in the shadows, while many others genuinely believe it was caused by thunder.
Ye Liuyun is related to the rise and fall of the Ye family, so Ye Zhong is actually very nervous. Don't be fooled by what Wang Qinian said; there's a good chance that the divine weapon is in the Shadow Guard.
After all, Wang Qinian, Xing Yusen, and Teng Zijing of the Shadow Guard have already broken through to the ninth rank, and even the maid that Li Chang'an gave to Princess Yichen has broken through to the ninth rank.
If there are any powerful divine weapons or techniques in the world, the Shadow Guards are the most likely suspects!
"Commander Wang, I have no time to care about divine weapons. If my uncle's injuries are too serious, it could shake the foundation of my Ye family."
Li Chang'an smiled slightly, "No, your Ye family is currently enjoying the Emperor's favor. His Majesty has always valued you, so there will be no problem!"
Ye Zhong chuckled awkwardly, then said in a low voice, "Your Highness, I would appreciate it if you could help look after the chrysanthemum appreciation event today."
"His Majesty has decreed that we, the Imperial Guards, must not disturb His Majesty's enjoyment of the flowers."
"Therefore, the area within several miles of the Hanging Temple is heavily guarded, but once inside the Hanging Temple, only the inner court guards are on guard."
"There aren't enough people inside, and I've already mentioned it to His Highness."
Since you reached the ninth rank before him, of course I had to inform you.
Li Chang'an chuckled inwardly, thinking that Emperor Qing was probably still planning to set a trap for the Ye family.
However, the current situation is very different from the original drama, and the second prince has been completely eliminated.
Then Emperor Qing's plans will likely undergo significant changes. Will he still orchestrate a scheme to drive the Ye family out of the capital?
This is a question that probably only Emperor Qing himself knows the answer to.
"Commander Ye, are you afraid of assassins? Such fear in the face of the enemy will affect morale."
Ye Zhong said somewhat nervously, "Protecting His Majesty is a great responsibility, and I dare not fail!"
It seems Ye Zhong has a strong sense of crisis, knowing that Ye Liuyun's serious injury will have an impact on the Ye family.
If anything happens during the chrysanthemum appreciation event, the Ye family will be implicated.
"Lord Ye, your junior brother Gong Dian is the commander of the Imperial Guards. Is he not here?"
Ye Zhong frowned and said, "Firstly, Junior Brother Gong's cultivation is still a little bit inferior to yours."
"Secondly, he happens to be out today because of other important matters!"
Li Chang'an knew that Emperor Qing had used the Empress Dowager's decree to transfer Gong Dian out of the capital.
"Don't worry, Lord Ye. The Hanging Temple is only open once every three years, and nothing has ever happened before. You can put your mind at ease."
After he finished speaking, he turned to Wang Qinian and said, "Old Wang, I'm going up myself. You go find your place."
Wang Qinian cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, please take care."
The Hanging Temple is orderly on each floor, with officials and nobles arranged on different floors according to their positions and titles.
On the uppermost walkway of the Hanging Temple, several princes were walking along the walkway towards the viewing platform.
The Third Prince, Li Chengping, clung to the rock wall, trembling, clearly suffering from severe acrophobia. The First Prince mocked him while protecting him as they moved forward.
The prince caught up from behind, revealing a simple and honest smile, "Oh, little one, are you afraid of heights?"
Li Chengping swallowed hard and said, "I was too young to attend the chrysanthemum appreciation event three years ago."
"Only after arriving today did I realize how high this plank road is and how steep this cliff is. It's terrifying!"
The crown prince chuckled and said, "What's there to be afraid of? Only from a high place can you see all the mountains below!"
At this moment, Li Chengze, who had not appeared for a long time, suddenly appeared. "Uncle Yong's poem is well quoted, but not everyone likes to stand so high."
The Crown Prince looked surprised when he saw Li Chengze. "Oh! Second Brother, you've come out!"
Li Chengze snorted coldly, "I am not a prince, but I am still His Majesty's son. It is His Majesty's special permission for me to come out and enjoy the flowers."
The Crown Prince said solemnly, “It is said that the imperial family is the most ruthless, but our family is an exception.”
As he spoke, he noticed the disdainful look on Li Chengze's face, and the Crown Prince subconsciously took a few steps back.
Ever since Li Chengze slapped him in public, the Crown Prince has become much more cautious, making sure to stay away from the Second Prince during performances.
Now the second son is barefoot and has nothing to fear, so hitting him is pointless.
The Crown Prince said to Li Chengping, "Although this plank road is high, it is not scary at all. You can see for yourself."
As Li Chengqian spoke, he pressed himself tightly against the railing of the plank road, with his upper body even extending beyond the plank road, showing no fear of heights whatsoever.
"When I reach the summit, all the mountains below appear small." What a fine poem by Prince Yong!
Li Chengze sneered, "Uncle Yongwang also wrote a poem, 'The higher you climb, the colder it gets. Only by standing firm at the top can you enjoy the beautiful scenery.'"
Li Chengqian leaned his upper body over the railing, his clothes rustling in the wind, which frightened Li Chengping, who had a severe fear of heights, so much that he covered his eyes.
The crown prince laughed heartily, "Indeed, not just anyone can stand at such a high place, hahaha..."