Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts - Chapter 489

Xu Ming slowly opened his eyes, and what he saw was a ceiling that felt both familiar and unfamiliar.

“Am I… in the Jinyiwei Commander’s Office?”

As Xu Ming’s consciousness gradually returned, he realized where he was.

“Fifth Brother, you’re awake!”

Before long, a round face filled with a joyful smile appeared in his line of sight.

Xu Ming sat up, shook his head, and felt a dull ache in his skull.

“Fifth Brother, here, drink some water.” Xu Pangda quickly poured him a cup.

“Thanks, Third Brother.” Xu Ming took the water and drank it all in one go before asking, “Speaking of which, Third Brother, what happened? Why am I at the Commander’s Office?”

“It’s normal if you don’t remember, since the imperial physician said you were completely exhausted. He mentioned you might have memory gaps, like being drunk,” Xu Pangda explained with a smile.

“After you endured those three punches from the Grand Pillar of the Nation, you passed out immediately. We rushed you to the Commander’s Office right away.”

Hearing this, Xu Ming’s memory fully returned.

Just as Xu Pangda had said, after enduring three punches from the Grand Pillar of the Nation and announcing the verdict on Mo Yuanshan, he could no longer hold on and collapsed.

“How long have I been unconscious?” Xu Ming asked.

It had been a long time since he felt this groggy. Usually, that only happened when he had been asleep for an extended period.

“Today is the sixth day,” Xu Pangda replied. “Over the past few days, many officials have come to visit you, but the princess turned them all away.”

“Hmm.” Xu Ming nodded. He looked at his bandaged fists, then slowly opened and clenched his hands.

His arms ached faintly, but the pain was manageable. He could still move them, and it didn’t seem like he had suffered any lasting injuries.

“Fifth Brother, your physique is truly incredible. Even the imperial physician from the palace couldn’t stop praising your recovery ability when he was treating you.”

Xu Pangda sighed in admiration, his expression and tone filled with pride for his brother.

“That physician said that if it had been anyone else, their arms would have been crippled. But you, Fifth Brother, seem to have a body of iron and steel. He even speculated that you must have obtained some extraordinary fortuitous encounters.”

Xu Ming chuckled. “I have had my fair share of opportunities, but mostly, I built up my body through constant training during my travels. If my body weren’t strong enough, you’d be burning incense for me right now.”

“By the way, Third Brother, how are things in the court right now? What’s been happening in Jinyiwei while I was unconscious? And how did His Majesty react?”

The political landscape could change in just a few days, let alone after such a major event. What he had done was bound to send shockwaves through the court.

Especially when it came to Emperor Wu—his reaction would not be insignificant.

In truth, Xu Ming already had some idea of how the emperor might respond.

There was no way Emperor Wu wasn’t aware of what had transpired in the Jinyiwei Headquarters. After all, he had his own people stationed within Jinyiwei.

In fact, the moment Xu Ming stepped into Jinyiwei and sent messages to the Grand Pillar of the Nation and the Grand Justice, the emperor had likely already received word.

Yet, throughout the entire ordeal, Emperor Wu had not interfered. This signified his tacit approval of Xu Ming’s actions—he, too, wanted to rein in the Grand Pillar of the Nation.

Or perhaps, the emperor wanted to test Xu Ming’s capabilities.

As for whether the final outcome was what Emperor Wu had anticipated, that was something Xu Ming couldn’t be certain of. But it didn’t matter. After all, he had done everything by the book.

The most likely scenario was that after Xu Ming had imprisoned the Grand Pillar of the Nation’s son, the emperor would step in to offer some form of consolation. He would probably try to mediate between both sides, ensuring that he remained in favor with both parties.

After all, the Grand Pillar of the Nation was the strongest warrior in the empire—the very guardian of the nation.

Many people have their own ideas about Wu Kingdom, but most schemes ultimately come to nothing because of one crucial factor—the Grand Pillar of the Nation.

In fact, even Emperor Wu was troubled by this, because the Grand Pillar of the Nation did not have much time left.

Once the Grand Pillar of the Nation passed away, Wu Kingdom’s military strength would drop significantly—unless another Limit Realm martial artist emerged before his death.

Right now, the person most likely to reach the Limit Realm was his daughter.

Xu Pangda organized his thoughts before speaking concisely, focusing on the key points.

“The Jinyiwei is stable for now. Initially, when you fell unconscious, the entire Jinyiwei was furious. But Mister Yu and Her Highness managed to calm everyone down.”

“Over the past few days, even I can feel it—Jinyiwei is becoming an unbreakable fortress. If one person gets into trouble, the others will go all out to support them.”

“As for your prestige within Jinyiwei, Fifth Brother, there’s no need to even mention it. Many of our brothers are truly willing to give their lives for you.”

“And that’s understandable. If I were in their shoes—if I were injured, and my superior fought with everything he had to ensure justice for me—I’d be deeply moved too.”

“Throughout the capital, Jinyiwei’s reputation has spread. Nearly everyone knows of your deeds. To most commoners now, Jinyiwei is the name they recognize, not the Jingzhao Bureau anymore.”

“Naturally, this has made the court even more wary of Jinyiwei.”

“While you were unconscious, many officials came bearing gifts. Since we didn’t know your stance on it, the Old Ancestor accepted them on your behalf. Everything has been recorded as usual, so if you want to return or keep anything, you can check the ledgers with the Old Ancestor.”

“Mm.” Xu Ming nodded. Everything was unfolding exactly as he had expected, without much deviation.

For a newly established institution to earn true recognition—whether from court officials or the common people—there had to be a defining event.

That recognition, whether forced or voluntary, had to be built upon something tangible.

In other words, there had to be an initial impression of the institution, an impression that would follow it for a long time—perhaps even until its eventual dissolution.

With this event, Xu Ming had ensured that everyone now understood—Jinyiwei was an unshakable force, bound together like iron.

When people spoke of Jinyiwei from now on, even their hearts would instinctively tremble.

“However, Fifth Brother, your time in the spotlight didn’t last long,” Xu Pangda continued. “His Majesty originally intended to visit you, but then someone arrived in the capital.”

“Now, all of Wudu’s streets and alleys are talking about that person. His Majesty even personally left the palace to welcome him.”

“After that, His Majesty no longer had the mind to come visit you.”

Xu Pangda sighed as he spoke.

From the look on his face, Xu Ming could tell that there were turbulent undercurrents within the court.

“And this person is?” Xu Ming asked.

“The King of Xiliang—Takeda Tora.”

“…”

The moment he heard the name Takeda Tora, Xu Ming’s brows furrowed.

He was no stranger to the reputation of the King of Xiliang.

Takeda Tora, the King of Xiliang, was one of Wu Kingdom’s founding heroes—Emperor Taizong’s own younger brother.

After Emperor Taizong established Wu Kingdom, he enshrined ten founding ministers in Lingyan Terrace.

Among them, Liu Feng ranked first.

The Grand Pillar of the Nation, Mo Peinan, ranked second.

And Takeda Tora was ranked third.

Of those ten founding heroes, only the top three were still alive.

Takeda Tora had been enfeoffed in Xiliang, ruling over three provinces as the King of Xiliang.

Xiliang bordered Chu Kingdom and served as a defensive front against it.

Wu and Chu had never shared a good relationship. In recent years, tensions had eased somewhat, but a few years ago, conflicts were frequent.

More often than not, Wu Kingdom had held the advantage in these clashes.

The credit for Wu Kingdom’s military success, of course, belonged entirely to the King of Xiliang.

Over the years, Emperor Wu had frequently attempted to weaken the power of the feudal lords, but that blade had never fallen upon the King of Xiliang.

Not even the Tui’en Decree had any effect.

For one, the King of Xiliang had only a single son—no matter how the decree was applied, the title would still be passed down to his sole heir.

And even if he had multiple sons, the King of Xiliang could simply ignore the decree altogether.

And what could Emperor Wu do about it?

In Xiliang, the King of Xiliang was the undisputed ruler. His orders carried more weight in the three Xiliang provinces than the emperor’s own decrees.

If the King of Xiliang ever raised his banner, he could easily declare independence from Wu Kingdom.

Of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to do so—after all, Xiliang was sandwiched between Wu and Chu. If he broke away, he’d be caught between enemies on both sides.

But at the same time, Emperor Wu didn’t dare provoke him.

The emperor had always feared that any attempt to weaken his power would push the King of Xiliang over the edge—if that happened, he might just march on the capital with his 200,000 iron cavalry.

Granted, even with those forces, Xiliang alone wasn’t enough to challenge the central government.

But there were plenty of feudal lords who had long resented the Tui’en Decree. They had been waiting for a chance to rebel.

Everyone knew the decree was an open conspiracy. If the King of Xiliang revolted, many other lords would surely follow.

At that point, Wu Kingdom would be thrown into chaos.

Even if Emperor Wu ultimately suppressed the rebellion, the kingdom would be left severely weakened.

And if Wu Kingdom was weakened, then there was the Northern Wasteland to the north, Chu Kingdom to the west, the Southern Demon Kingdoma to the south, and the human nations to the east.

Would they not seize the opportunity to strike?

There was a high chance they would.

Or rather, it was almost a certainty.

So, Emperor Wu had never known a moment of peace these past years. He probably even dreamed of the King of Xiliang suddenly dropping dead.

But unfortunately for him, the King of Xiliang was a Mountain Summit Realm martial artist and was in excellent health.

Rumor had it he was even quite focused on maintaining his well-being.

“Did His Majesty summon the King of Xiliang to Wudu?” Xu Ming asked.

“Of course not.” Xu Pangda shook his head, sighing again as if he, too, was troubled by the court’s affairs.

“If His Majesty had summoned him, it wouldn’t have caused such a commotion. The King of Xiliang entered the capital of his own accord.”

“…”

Hearing this, Xu Ming’s brows furrowed.

“How many men did he bring?” he asked.

Xu Pangda shook his head. “Not many, but…”

He trailed off, looking at Xu Ming with hesitation.

Xu Ming chuckled. “Third Brother, just say it. There’s no need for secrets between us.”

“Alright, but don’t get too worked up.” Xu Pangda took a deep breath before continuing.

“The King of Xiliang didn’t bring many soldiers, but he did bring a considerable betrothal gift—he wants his son to marry our princess.”

“…”

Xu Ming was momentarily stunned before letting out a soft laugh.

“The King of Xiliang is quite the strategist, isn’t he?”

“Fifth Brother, how can you still be laughing?!” Xu Pangda was growing anxious on his behalf.

“According to Wu Kingdom’s laws, marriage within five generations of relation is forbidden—but the princess and the Xiliang heir fall just outside that limit. Meaning, this marriage is legally permissible. Aren’t you concerned?”

Xu Ming’s tone remained calm.

“What was Yanhan’s reaction?”

Xu Pangda thought for a moment. “She didn’t react much. She just calmly said, ‘I won’t marry.'”

Xu Ming smiled. “Then that settles it.”

Xu Pangda grew even more agitated.

“Fifth Brother, just because the princess says she won’t marry, do you think that means she truly won’t? What if His Majesty issues an imperial decree for the marriage?”

Xu Ming shook his head, cutting off Xu Pangda mid-sentence.

“Third Brother, you’re overthinking this. Since Yanhan said she won’t marry, then she won’t—no matter if it’s an imperial decree or not.”

He paused for a moment, then added, “But you did remind me of something—I should go see the princess.”

Xu Pangda blinked. “Right now? How about tomorrow instead? I heard the King of Xiliang and his heir are currently guests at the Prince Qin’s Mansion.”

Xu Ming chuckled. “That just means I need to go even more.”

Xu Pangda: “???”

Feeling uneasy, he cautioned, “Fifth Brother, you’re not thinking of making a scene, are you? Listen, I really have to advise you to stay calm this time. The Grand Pillar was just one man, but the King of Xiliang has an entire region behind him.”

Xu Ming’s smile didn’t falter. “No need to remind me, Third Brother—I know what I’m doing. Just help me prepare a carriage.”

“Alright…”

Xu Pangda couldn’t help but worry. But since his younger brother was so determined, what else could he say?

Not long after, the carriage was ready.

Xu Ming hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided not to wear his Flying Fish Robes.

He was still technically on leave—showing up in full official attire would make things unnecessarily formal, carrying an entirely different implication.

The carriage rolled down the bustling streets.

Inside, Xu Ming sat with his eyes closed, resting. Xu Pangda, on the other hand, was visibly tense.

The Jinyiwei Commander’s residence wasn’t far from the Prince Qin’s Mansion. In just a short while, the carriage arrived at its destination.

Inside the Prince Qin’s Mansion’s Guest Hall

Seated at the head of the hall was Wu Yanhan, her expression as composed as ever.

To her side, smiling with an air of ease, sat the King of Xiliang, Wu Tianhu, along with his son, Wu Lei.

At that moment, a maid briskly entered the hall, curtsying toward Wu Yanhan before speaking respectfully:

“Your Highness, the Jinyiwei Commander, Xu Ming, has arrived.”