Free Web NovelChapter 1589: Chapter 1 Yanju_2
The young prince, draped in a white fox fur, sat at the desk. His left hand was clenched, the back of his fist lightly pressed against his lips, coughing until his face flushed. His right hand held a wolf brush, suspended over the inkstone. A droplet of ink trembled on the tip of the brush, yet refused to fall despite his coughing.
As his coughing subsided, Feng Gu gently advised, "Your Highness, perhaps you should have a bowl of medicine."
At the top left corner of the desk, a white jade bowl sat quietly, filled with a black medicinal liquid, wisps of steam lingering above it.
"I don’t want to drink it," Jiang Wuqi said with some difficulty.
He coughed a few more times before stopping.
Holding the wolf brush in one hand, he turned his head to look out the window.
At some point, the faint daylight had already pierced through the night.
"There should be news from Star Moon Plain by now," he said quietly.
As if in response to his words, the sound of hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from outside the hall.
Feng Gu turned slightly, already blocking the entrance to the hall.
After a short while, the footsteps faded away, and Feng Gu returned to the desk, now holding a letter in his hand.
"Your Highness, urgent military intelligence."
"Read it."
Feng Gu opened the letter, reading aloud as he scanned through it: "The outcome at Star Moon Plain is decided. Jiang Qingyang has returned from beyond the heavens, settling the conflict with a single sword. The War God and the Commander of Fighting Calamity, Yu Que, have signed the ’Star Moon Treaty’ at Wanhe Temple."
Having read the urgent letter, Feng Gu’s face remained impassive, yet his eyes were filled with both respect and admiration.
In his early years, he was a trusted confidant of Concubine Lei, always by her side. After Concubine Lei was assassinated, he volunteered to serve Jiang Wuqi.
Over the years, he had watched Jiang Wuqi grow day by day.
This illustrious prince had endured pains unimaginable to ordinary people and possessed wisdom unattainable by most.
Just like now.
Concerning the intelligence from Star Moon Plain, he knew as much as Jiang Wuqi, yet could not predict the course of the war, while Jiang Wuqi could accurately foresee its conclusion.
Only an in-depth understanding of both sides’ talents and the entire battlefield could allow such clear deductions about the battle’s outcome.
"I had thought the highlights of this battle would be Chen Suan or Zhongxuan Sheng, but I didn’t expect Jiang Qingyang to return," Jiang Wuqi said, pausing briefly before continuing, "It seems the anomaly of the Yuheng Star is also related to him... Speaking of which, how did the Military Affairs Hall handle his desertion at the frontlines?"
"Merit was used to offset it," Feng Gu replied.
Jiang Wuqi fell silent for a moment, then said, "I suppose the ’Star Moon Treaty’ emphasizes punishment for Zhuang Country."
Upon hearing this, Feng Gu flipped through the letter’s back page for the detailed terms of the ’Star Moon Treaty’—he was familiar with the earlier treaty, so hadn’t examined it closely before.
Seeing it now, he was momentarily stunned. For such a treaty between two overlord countries, signed after a war, every word would be scrutinized thoroughly, and yet, it was adjusted for Jiang Wang?
How terrifying must his performance on the battlefield have been? freewebnσvel.cøm
"Truly..." Feng Gu was momentarily at a loss for words.
"This man is destined to soar!" Jiang Wuqi sighed, then smiled, turning his gaze back to the rice paper.
The droplet of ink on the brush’s tip finally fell, creating ripples in the inkstone.
The last few words he completed with a flourish of his brush.
Then, setting the brush aside, he stood up and walked out alone.
Feng Gu took a step to follow but was halted by Jiang Wuqi’s raised hand: "Thank you for your hard work all these years. This path, I’ll walk it myself."
"Your Highness..." Feng Gu stood in place, his voice trembling.
The noble prince, draped in white fox fur, walked on with a smile, asking, "The Emperor is a wise Son of Heaven, the War God is today’s golden beam of the sea, Jiang Qingyang is tomorrow’s pillar of jade to uphold the sky... The Crown Prince is broad-minded and benevolent, a true potential ruler; my third sister has founded her path in martial arts, her aura magnificent; my ninth brother is intelligent and illustrious, his noble spirit corresponds with the stars... So what about me? Who am I?"
He asked this as he walked, not waiting for anyone’s answer.
There was no need for an answer.
Feng Gu stood silently by the desk, his expression sorrowful.
Who is the Eleventh Prince of Daqi?
Once the master of the Longevity Palace, the most cherished son of the current Son of Heaven, known for his bold and heroic actions, deeply trusted and admired by all, regarded as "most resembling the present Emperor," and the strongest contender for the Crown Prince position.
Yet, because of the Zhang Song ancestral temple incident, in one night, court and public alike fell silent.
The Phoenix Immortal of the Zhang Clan was a descendant of a minister who restored the country, and Jiang Wuqi sheltered Zhang Song for the sake of the Imperial Dynasty’s reputation. All the cultivation techniques and resources were never withheld from him... and yet, this was the outcome.
How could Feng Gu not be saddened?
The noble prince who used to say, "Supporting Daqi is supporting me," now asked himself—"Who am I?"
The sorrow in Jiang Wuqi’s words, how could it not break the heart of those long by his side?
But watching Jiang Wuqi’s back, he could only remain silent.
Silently watching Jiang Wuqi leave the palace, silently rolling up the completed piece of calligraphy, silently resembling a lone wandering spirit in the vast palace...
Wandering from the thirty-ninth year of Yuan Feng to the present.
...
...
The tallest mountain within Linyi City would be Yunwu Mountain.
On the winding paths of accumulating clouds and mist, the figure draped in white fox fur gradually approached.
At that time, the sky’s faint light was dim, and even though the mountain was so tall, it still wasn’t transparent.
The slender figure walked in the clouds and mist, and although it came closer, it still felt very distant.
Though the Tianxiang Cloud Pavilion, one of Linzi’s four famous places, stood here, Jiang Wuqi did not come for the beauties.
Each time he came at dawn, he climbed Yunwu Mountain and sat alone in the stone pavilion at the summit.
A pot of flower tea was hidden in the clouds, sitting from sunrise to midday.
After that incident in front of the Purple Pole Hall, where he exposed his body with jade, he spent many days forming this habit.
It was more a form of self-punishment than enjoyment.
For Jiang Wuqi, who had suffered from cold poison since infancy, this high, windy place might as well be a form of punishment.
If in the past he needed to prove with these acts that cold poison couldn’t affect him, to bolster confidence among the followers of Longevity Palace, what purpose did he have coming here now that he had fallen from favor?
Could the Emperor’s favor, or the position of Crown Prince, be gained through misery?
Someone like Jiang Wuqi would not engage in meaningless acts.
Many cannot help but wonder—
Was this Eleventh Prince of the Great Qi Empire using this cold place for cultivation?
Or was he perhaps searching for some clue here?
Upon closer examination, Yunwu Mountain was the place where Zhang Song first fought for Jiang Wuqi in front of others after joining Longevity Palace. His opponent at the time was the now-world-renowned Jiang Qingyang.
Jiang Qingyang won with an eight-tone Flame Sparrow, and Jiang Wuqi forgave Zhang Song’s defeat, maintaining his trust and winning people’s hearts.
In retrospect, both Jiang Wang and Jiang Wuqi handled matters well, achieving a win-win outcome.
Who could have foreseen that later Zhang Song would be the one to implicate Jiang Wang in charges of treason, also blocking Jiang Wuqi’s path to Tongtian?
Fate is unpredictable, and it has come to this.
Whether it was Cui Zhu’s assassination of the Emperor or the Zhang Song ancestral temple incident, all happened too suddenly, without prior hints, and struck with precision. Although the chaos was swiftly quelled by Emperor Qi with a decisive move, it must be noted—the forces of Equality Country lurking within this eastern overlord nation were deep and well concealed, capable of such a feat.
Unfortunately, those swept into the mess were muddied beyond recognition.
Now Jiang Wang has cleansed his name, shining bright across the land. But what about the master of Longevity Palace, Jiang Wuqi?
The battle of Star Moon Plain saw Qi Tianjiao’s victory over Jing Tianjiao, Qi’s future triumphing over Jing’s future, resounding the might of Daqi with great momentum!
At this time, when the Great Qi Empire was in full bloom, what were Jiang Wuqi’s thoughts as he walked the paths of Yunwu Mountain this morning?
Feng Gu was not present today, nor were there any other attendants.
Linyi City was teeming with powerful individuals, but none would monitor every location constantly.
So when a hunched old man with a cane approached, it seemed unsurprising.
The old man walked very slowly, his steps unsteady.
Yet, for such a stumbling figure to traverse the swaying paths was itself an oddity.
Jiang Wuqi seemed unfazed, continuing forward.
At this early hour, there was no third person on the paths.
Those who spent the night on Yunwu Mountain were now lying on soft beds in Tianxiang Cloud Pavilion.
For a while, only the mountain wind, unending coughs, and the sound of the cane tapping on the path could be heard—
"Hu hu hu..."
"Cough cough cough..."
"Tok tok tok..."
