The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  With this powerful foe present, he always felt like he was walking on thin ice, and he couldn’t help but be cautious.

  Xu Qiqin turned pensive, and the tea house fell silent.

  “Qiqin, if you were Genesis Supreme, what would you do?” Wang Chong suddenly said.

  It was just an offhand question from Wang Chong. After all, while Xu Qiqin was the Queen of Logistics, intelligent and graceful, she was no powerful martial artist. She would not be able to offer much of an opinion here.

  But to Wang Chong’s surprise, Xu Qiqin really gave an answer.

  “This!”

  After a moment of surprise, Xu Qiqin really began to ponder the question.

  “I don’t understand this whole thing that much, but you said before that the core of the Miniature Nine Provinces Domain was the Three Emperors Formation beneath Taiji Palace. If there’s no way of breaking the formation externally, the best way would be to find someone to break the formation from the inside. This person would have to be strong and familiar with the layout of the palace. This is the only way they could get close to the Three Emperors Formation without being discovered.”

  Xu Qiqin lowered her head, a contemplative look on her face.

  “The number of people who can get close to the Three Emperors Formation isn’t a lot. I suppose palace maids, eunuchs, and Imperial Army soldiers could barely manage it. I presume this is why they’ve been sending so many disguised eunuchs and maids there recently. But Taiji Palace is guarded by the Dragon Guards. It doesn’t matter how many maids or eunuchs they bribe; it will be very hard for them to succeed.

  “And Genesis Supreme and his subordinates can’t enter the Miniature Nine Provinces Domain, so they are at an impasse.”

  Wang Chong chuckled. He had already thought about these things.

  It would be very hard for these lowly and inferior tricks to succeed.

  “There is one other method. They can find someone of similar strength to you, much stronger than the Dragon Guards, and have that person force their way into Taiji Palace to break the formation,” Xu Qiqin suggested.

  “Impossible. If there were this sort of person, they would have succeeded long ago.”

  Wang Chong shook his head and smiled.

  Wang Chong was at the peak of the Subtle realm, infinitesimally close to the Grotto Heaven realm.

  The men in black had existed for many ages and had many experts. It would be easy to find an expert amongst their ranks who was Wang Chong’s equal or better, but such a character was incredibly difficult to find in the entire realm, let alone the capital.

  The Subtle realm was not that easy to reach.

  Anyone who could have reached this realm would have become famous long ago.

  “Then there’s only one method left: to find someone who can control the formation and have him destroy it,” Xu Qiqin said.

  “Impossible. The formation is under my control!”

  Wang Chong shook his head. Xu Qiqin was smart, but she lacked in cultivation. He had asked her a question beyond her abilities.

  He hadn’t been thinking clearly.

  But to his surprise, Xu Qiqin firmly shook her head. “That’s not for certain!

  “You only control the Miniature Nine Provinces Domain, not the Three Emperors Formation. Did you forget who built the Three Emperors Formation?!”

  Xu Qiqin’s words struck Wang Chong like a bolt of lightning, and he shivered as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured over him.

  Xu Qiqin was right. Wang Chong had inadvertently forgotten that he only controlled the Miniature Nine Provinces Domain. He had never controlled the Three Emperors Formation beneath Taiji Palace.

  The Three Emperors Formation was of vital importance, and it had been passed down through successive Sons of Heaven, an exclusive privilege of the imperial household.

  With the Sage Emperor’s death, the controller of the Three Emperors Formation was naturally Li Heng.

  Besides the Son of Heaven, there was one other person who could control the Three Emperors Formation: the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince was the heir apparent, the future Son of Heaven. The possibility of the Emperor leaking the existence of the Three Emperors Formation ahead of time could not be ruled out.

  Li Heng would never give the Three Emperors Formation to the men in black, so the men in black should have had no way of accessing it, but that was not a guarantee.

  “Li Xuantu!”

  Suddenly, Wang Chong had a flash of insight, and his body trembled in immense shock.

  Li Linfu!

  Genesis Supreme!

  Wang Chong’s face instantly turned grave.

  He had initially come to see Xu Qiqin and chat with her, never imagining that Xu Qiqin’s insight would lead him to an unexpected discovery.

  The two entirely unrelated matters suddenly intersected, revealing a secretive connection that he had never before realized.

  Why did Li Linfu want to find Li Xuantu?

  What did it matter if he knew where Li Xuantu was?

  Wang Chong had been perplexed by these questions.

  He could find no logical connection.

  But now, Wang Chong suddenly understood.

  The one who wanted to find Li Xuantu was not Li Linfu, but Genesis Supreme!

  According to existing records, Li Xuantu had been invested as Crown Prince and had almost succeeded to the throne. There was an extremely high chance that he knew how to control the Three Emperors Formation. More importantly…

  Li Xuantu was the Sage Emperor’s mortal foe!

  Countless ripples appeared in Wang Chong’s mind.

  In the Divine Dragon Coup, the Sage Emperor seized the realm from Li Xuantu. If Li Xuantu was still alive, he would undoubtedly be the best target to exploit for the men in black.

  Li Linfu had no connection with Li Xuantu, and Li Xuantu would certainly not be of any help to Li Linfu’s current situation. But what if the men in black were looking for Li Xuantu, and Li Linfu was colluding with the men in black?

  Hisss!

  Wang Chong took in a deep breath, his expression turning even more grim.

  He had never imagined that Li Linfu was connected to the men in black, but if it was really the case, it would explain many of the bizarre and confusing things about him.

  Wang Chong also came to understand several other things.

  An Yaluoshan was backed by the men in black, and during the feast of all countries, Li Linfu and An Yaluoshan, despite meeting for the first time, seemed very familiar with each other. Was this simply because they shared a common enemy?

  Was the truth really that simple?

  Was there some connection between Li Linfu, An Yaluoshan, and the men in black?

  One suspicious incident was not proof of anything. After all, he could have just been seeing things.

  But two incidents could no longer be considered coincidence.

  “Surprising. Truly surprising!” Wang Chong muttered.

  The wise Prime Minister of the Great Tang, the leader of all officials, who had presided over the court for ten-some years and had enjoyed the Sage Emperor’s favor, had been working together with the Sage Emperor’s mortal foes this entire time. It was probably the most ridiculous thing to have taken place since the founding of the empire.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Xu Qiqin widened her eyes in unease.

  She had not expected her musing to elicit such a reaction from Wang Chong.

  “I have some things to take care of, so I have to go. For the time being, stay in your residence. You must not leave the capital, no matter what!”

  Wang Chong quickly stood up.

  “Mm!”

  Seeing how serious Wang Chong was, Xu Qiqin nodded and asked no more.

  Wang Chong hastily departed.

  Wang Chong had always believed that Li Xuantu had died thirty years ago, but current events hinted that the deposed Crown Prince might still be alive.

  Even though it was hard to
believe, it was probably the truth.

  A matter from thirty years ago meant that many things were no longer possible to investigate. But Wang Chong knew that there was at least one person in the Great Tang who could know Li Xuantu’s location…

  Eunuch Gao!

  Wang Chong had a flash of insight.

  After the Sage Emperor’s death, Eunuch Gao had withdrawn from the court, and nobody knew where he had gone.

  But Wang Chong could track anyone down so long as they left even the smallest sliver of evidence.

  When Eunuch Gao disappeared, many believed that he had left the capital and found some remote place to retire.

  But Wang Chong knew that Eunuch Gao hadn’t left the capital at all. Rather, he had erected a hut near the imperial mausoleum so he could silently watch over the Sage Emperor’s tomb.

  Attendant in life, guardian in death!

  It was at this place that Wang Chong met with this renowned eunuch.

  But in the short time since their last meeting, Eunuch Gao seemed to have aged ten-some years.

  Eunuch Gao’s ruddy and beaming face was now sallow, lean, and covered in wrinkles, his hair completely white. He appeared like an ordinary old man.

  After leaving the palace, Eunuch Gao had put away his silken robes for simple robes of cloth. No one could have ever realized without foreknowledge that this ordinary old man had once been the Eunuch Director of the Inner Court, Gao Lishi!

  His expression was firm, not the hesitant and lost face Wang Chong had envisioned. After some time to gather his thoughts, he had seemingly determined that his purpose in life was to guard the Sage Emperor’s tomb.

  Chapter 2092 - The Key of Sui!

  Chapter 2092: The Key of Sui!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  “Did His Majesty (Li Heng) tell you?” Gao Lishi said, sitting across from Wang Chong.

  “Yes!”

  Wang Chong nodded.

  Gao Lishi needed the approval of Li Heng to build his hut next to the imperial mausoleum.

  Wang Chong had learned of Gao Lishi’s location from Li Heng.

  “Sir Eunuch, Wang Chong has something he doesn’t understand, and requests Sir Eunuch’s instruction.”

  Wang Chong went straight to the point.

  “Speak. I will tell you what I can,” Gao Lishi calmly said, his indifferent eyes seeming to see through all.

  “This junior wishes to ask Sir Eunuch about a matter from thirty years ago, about the deposed Crown Prince, Li Xuantu,” Wang Chong said.

  “Li Xuantu?”

  The snow-white brows on Gao Lishi’s calm face twitched upon hearing this.

  “Why do you wish to find him?”

  Wang Chong swiftly described Genesis Supreme’s recent activities and his speculations on Li Linfu.

  Eunuch Gao’s brow creased in thought after hearing Wang Chong’s words.

  “Li Linfu dares to collude with the men in black? How bold!”

  The news Wang Chong had brought was an immense shock to Eunuch Gao.

  “Eunuch Gao, forgive this Wang Chong for being presumptuous, but did the deposed Crown Prince really not die in the Divine Dragon Coup thirty years ago?” Wang Chong asked.

  He stared at Eunuch Gao, taking in every shift on his face.

  Eunuch Gao continued to frown as he pondered the question.

  This simple action made Wang Chong’s heart thump.

  If Li Xuantu was already dead, Eunuch Gao wouldn’t have hesitated and would have outright denied it. But his silence indicated that there had been something suspicious about that matter, that the historians had not recorded the truth.

  After a long while, Eunuch Gao raised his head and sighed.

  “After so many years, I did not think anyone still remembered him!”

  Bang!

  This simple sentence was like a boulder crashing into the lake of Wang Chong’s mind, stirring mighty waves.

  Li Xuantu… really wasn’t dead!

  Although Eunuch Gao had not directly said it, his expression said it all.

  “How could this be?!”

  Wang Chong’s mind was in turmoil.

  He had only had some speculations, but alas, his last ember of hope had been extinguished.

  But Wang Chong had one thing he didn’t understand. Everyone believed that Li Xuantu had been executed after the Divine Dragon Coup. Why had the Sage Emperor left him alive?

  As if knowing what Wang Chong was thinking, Eunuch Gao began to speak about that matter of the past.

  “Thirty years ago, when Gaozong reigned and the previous Emperor was still a Prince, the most dazzling Prince was not the Sage Emperor, but the now-deposed Crown Prince, Li Xuantu. In terms of cultural, political, and martial attainments, none of the other Princes could compare. In certain aspects, not even the Sage Emperor could match him.

  “Thus, Li Xuantu naturally became His Majesty’s strongest foe and rival.

  “Who would not like a son like this!? Emperor Gaozong was naturally no exception. In addition, Li Xuantu was the eldest son of the Empress, so Emperor Gaozong was set on having Li Xuantu succeed to the throne, not the Sage Emperor at all.

  “If the Sage Emperor hadn’t appeared, the Emperor of the Great Tang would probably have been Li Xuantu!”

  Eunuch Gao became sentimental as he recalled the events of the past.

  He had been raised in the imperial household ever since he was a child, so he naturally understood the situation back then.

  Wang Chong listened to all of this in shock.

  Eunuch Gao was devoted to the Sage Emperor, his number one confidant. Thus, Wang Chong was surprised to hear that Eunuch Gao would have such a high evaluation of this enemy, even finding him to be superior to the Sage Emperor in some ways.

  “Alas, he was too proud and conceited. None of the Princes had been able to surpass him before this, so it wasn’t obvious, but when the Sage Emperor appeared, his hidden flaws were completely exposed.

  “Before the Divine Dragon Coup, Li Xuantu and the Sage Emperor were already getting along like fire and water, each person gathering many capable subordinates at his side. By that point, the situation was an arrow on the string, and it was no longer the arrow’s choice whether it was to be loosed or not. In the end, the Sage Emperor won, resulting in the Great Tang’s golden age!!”

  Eunuch Gao let out a deep sigh.

  No one who had not been deeply involved in that incident could ever understand just how dangerous it was.

  It did not matter who had been right or wrong. What mattered the most was that the Sage Emperor was the victor.

  And the circumstances showed that this was the best result for the Great Tang!

  “What happened after that? Why didn’t the Sage Emperor kill him?” Wang Chong said.

  Wang Chong had been born after the coup, and though he hadn’t been through the coup, he could tell through Gao Lishi’s tone that Li Xuantu was a talented strategist of extraordinary quality. For every day a man like this lived, another enormous threat would hang over the Sage Emperor’s head.

  Wang Chong didn’t understand. Why would the Sage Emperor leave him alive?

  “This!”

  Eunuch Gao hesitated before finally beginning to speak.

  “I also cannot fathom His Majesty’s mind. When that matter was over, Minister Yao and I advised him many times to deal with him, but His Majesty would not listen. Later on, after some thought, we concluded that His Majesty was considering the affection between brothers and also cherished his incredible talent, in the end sparing his life. After all, didn’t His Majesty also give Third Son Xuan a chance?”

  Wang Chong had nothing to say.

  If someone found out that a major threat like Li Xuantu still lived, it would undoubtedly stir up a great storm. Leaving him alive was undoubtedly unwise.

  But when he thought about it, this was truly in line with the Sage Emperor’s style!

  If there was one person
in the world with the confidence to successfully restrain people like this, it could only be the now-deceased Sage Emperor!

  Wang Chong was sure that this was not out of some softheartedness.

  The Sage Emperor’s open-mindedness and daring had transcended those of everyone in the world!

  But now was not the time to sigh in wonder. Wang Chong only wanted to know where the Sage Emperor had imprisoned him.

  “I’m also not sure about this. I only vaguely know that he was imprisoned somewhere under the imperial prison, somewhere deep under the abandoned palace of the Sui Dynasty. Every year, His Majesty would pay a visit, but he would bring no one with him, not even me. No one except His Majesty knows where the entrance is.

  “But now that I think of it, didn’t you also pay a visit to the imperial prison three-some years ago during the Regional Commanders incident?” Eunuch Gao said.

  Bang!

  It was just an offhand comment from Eunuch Gao, but Wang Chong was thrown into turmoil, his brow twitching.

  Beneath the imperial prison… the Sui Dynasty’s palace… the deposed Crown Prince Li Xuantu…

  Wang Chong suddenly recalled a person.

  Three-some years ago, he had been only sixteen. A single memorial of his had offended all the Hu of the realm, and he had been imprisoned by the Sage Emperor in a mysterious prison beneath the imperial prison. At the time, he had encountered an enigmatic character who had asked him a few questions using a voice transmission technique.

  That man had even transferred him some energy, assisting him in breaking that bottleneck and cultivating the Little Yinyang Art.

  Wang Chong remembered that he had asked that man where he was, and the man had replied that he was twenty floors below the imperial prison, in the Sui Dynasty’s palace.

  Could it be him?

  Wang Chong had a complicated expression on his face.

  He had never imagined that the mysterious man he had encountered in the prison would be the Sage Emperor’s greatest foe from Emperor Gaozong’s reign, deposed Crown Prince Li Xuantu!

  “Eunuch Gao, my thanks!”

  No longer able to restrain himself, Wang Chong prepared to leave.

  “If you are worried that Li Xuantu will be used by the men in black, there is no need to concern yourself. Although I have never personally been there, I do know that the area is heavily guarded, reinforced with powerful formations and seals. Li Xuantu has no chance of escaping. If it had really been that easy, someone of Li Xuantu’s ability would have gotten free many years ago rather than waiting until now.