Chapter 99

The middle-aged man is called Tianhai Chengwu. Since his father, Tianhai Youguo, died suddenly twenty years ago, he has become the head of the Tianhai family. Under his leadership, the Tianhai family has flourished, and sometimes people even forget that he is the nephew of the Empress.

In the context of the Empress's rule, to achieve this, it must be said, is a great compliment.

"The elders are very powerful, even I dare not easily provoke them... Shengxue's actions are too childish. As his uncle, not only do you not stop him, but you even give him a lot of leeway. Do you want to see how much blood he will shed in the end?"

Xu Shiji walked to the chair in front of him and sat down, looking indifferently at the wall outside the courtyard. He said, "When someone dies, the Archbishop must pay a price."

Xue Xingchuan manages the imperial guards of the Great Zhou Dynasty. As a trusted subordinate of the Empress, after being recalled from the front lines, he is responsible for the security of the capital. The gathering of so many idle people in front of the Church's headquarters today would not have been possible without his tacit approval.

"What kind of price? Are you saying he will be expelled from the Church's headquarters? You are all wrong. The worse his relationship with the Pope, the more secure his position, because now in the national church, only he can match the Pope in terms of seniority. So, Aunt... needs him."

Tianhai Chengwu said, "Whoever Aunt likes will be prominent, like Xu Yourong and Mo Yu. Whoever Aunt values will be favored, like you and Xue Xingchuan. But nothing compares to being needed... because it represents uniqueness and a certain equality."

"Stop trying to provoke the sleeping fox in the Church's headquarters."

He stared at Xu Shiji and said, "I have been watching Mei Lisha for decades and still can't figure him out... How could Shengxue, a young man, be his match?"

Xu Shiji was silent for a moment and said, "Do nothing then."

Tianhai Chengwu knew what he was concerned about, and he glanced at him indifferently. "The marriage contract has been announced to the world. The more you probe, the less meaningful it becomes, and it will only get more complicated because the bigger the issue, the harder it is to eliminate people."

Xu Shiji frowned slightly but said nothing.

"I can't understand why that young man has been in the capital for several months, and you didn't kill him at the beginning, but instead waited until the Qingteng Banquet, where he used the marriage contract to turn the tables. That's not your style."

Tianhai Chengwu looked at him, slightly annoyed.

Xu Shiji rarely saw such an emotion on his face, knowing that he was truly irritated.

The Tianhai family has always been friendly with the southerners. On the surface, they follow the established national policy of the Great Zhou Dynasty, promoting the integration of the north and south. But anyone with clear eyes knows what the head of the Tianhai family values most—the southerners' inclination is crucial for his future claim to the throne.

From this perspective, whether it's national affairs, family affairs, or the imperial throne, the marriage between the Dongyu Divine General's residence and the Qiushan family is a very critical link. But now, there is a significant problem, and that problem should have been eliminated by Xu Shiji long ago.

"Xu Yourong wrote a letter, saying not to touch him," Xu Shiji said after a moment of silence.

Tianhai Chengwu angrily slapped the armrest of the bamboo chair, making a loud noise. "That's your daughter."

Xu Shiji's expression turned bitter. "She also wrote to Mo Yu, I'm not sure if the Empress has seen it."

The bamboo grove fell silent.

After a long time, Tianhai Chengwu sighed deeply. "Everyone thinks that our family is just using the little monster Tianhai Yar as an excuse, but few people understand that I really want to crush that guy named Chen Changsheng into pieces."

"Indeed, Yar is from the outer six rooms, far from the main room, but the little guy really has great potential... He entered the Zuo Zhao realm at such a young age, you should know what that means. If he were on the Qingyun List, the little guy could easily be in the top twenty."

There have always been many different opinions about Tianhai Yar's realm in the capital. It wasn't until the first night of the Qingteng Banquet that some clues emerged, but what was seen and what the head of the Tianhai family admitted were two different things. Xu Shiji's expression became even more serious.

Tianhai Chengwu's eyes burned with a ghostly fire. "Speaking of cultivation potential, he is stronger than Shengxue, and much stronger than Shengxue's three brothers. To enter the Zuo Zhao realm at such a young age, if everything goes smoothly, within five years, he will surely reach the threshold of the Tongyou realm. If he survives the transition, he will be younger than... Qiushan Jun when he reached the Tongyou realm. But now, he has been crippled."

Xu Shiji's expression was wooden. "What exactly do you want to say?"

"I want Chen Changsheng dead."

Tianhai Chengwu looked at him with a half-smile. "Princess Luoluo is untouchable, and now Chen Changsheng is also hard to touch, but you are different. You are his future father-in-law, and you have more leeway to do what you want to him than others."

Hearing this, Xu Shiji's face turned abnormally ugly. After the Qingteng Banquet, he became a laughingstock in the capital—everyone knew he was a snob, though the truth was more complicated. The marriage contract kept slapping him in the face.

As long as the National Academy remains in the capital and Chen Changsheng exists in the world, this humiliation will continue. He had no good feelings toward Chen Changsheng and could be considered the person who most wanted Chen Changsheng dead, but he was also the person who could least afford to act.

Many people were watching the Dongyu Divine General's residence, waiting to see how he would respond, especially the old men in the national church, who were waiting for him to make a move. If he dared to act against Chen Changsheng, it would likely cause another major upheaval, possibly even dragging the Empress into it.

Xu Shiji would never take such a risk. He stared into Tianhai Chengwu's eyes, trying to discern what the head of the Tianhai family, known for his domineering and strong personality, was thinking. "If it were before, I would have killed him, but now it's not possible."

"Does the Divine General not want to help the Tianhai family?" Tianhai Chengwu stood up, looking at him indifferently.

Xu Shiji understood his meaning and, after a moment of silence, said, "Sir, I am the Divine General appointed by the Empress."

After saying this, he turned and walked out of the garden.

Tianhai Chengwu looked at his back and said, "Is that so? Then what did you and Prince Chenliu talk about last time?"

Xu Shiji did not pause, as if he hadn't heard him at all.

On a rainy autumn morning, Tianhai Shengxue rode to the National Academy, intending to break through the gate and crush it, but was stopped by Chen Changsheng and two others. Then Jin Yulv appeared, forcing the other side to retreat without success. After that, the people attacked the National Academy, and the horses in front of the Church's headquarters neighed, and the people bled.

In just one day, several conflicts between the new and old factions of the Great Zhou Dynasty, centered around the National Academy and Chen Changsheng, occurred. Although it didn't reach the point of bloodshed, it could be described as a fierce confrontation, making the atmosphere in the capital extremely tense. Many people recalled the days of over a decade ago.

Fortunately, the scale and level of the conflict were strictly controlled. Both the new and old factions remained relatively calm or rational, as the Empress and the Pope had not yet made any statements. The entire capital was in a state of subtle confrontation, and the symbolic significance of the National Academy, as the cause of the conflict, became even more pronounced.

Whether the National Academy can continue to operate, what will happen to Chen Changsheng's fate, and whether the marriage contract will be torn up by the big shots using public opinion, ultimately depends on the judgment of the Empress and the Pope.

"The previous emperor ruled for four hundred years, often ill, and because he enjoyed music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, he could not handle the complex affairs of state. The Empress began to handle the imperial decrees and manage the country. Now, if you count carefully, she has been in power for over two hundred years. The government is entirely in her hands, and many famous generals and ministers are her disciples. Otherwise, how could she have ascended to the throne after the previous emperor's death? No matter how angry the royal family and the ministers, they could not accept it, and after a bloody purge, they became as docile as sheep."

"The Empress is certainly remarkable, but why she is remarkable, I really don't know. I only know that my grandfather, such a arrogant and unrestrained old man, has stayed in Wen Shui for years, unwilling to come out of the mountains, and has cursed the Tianhai family as dog shit, but he dares not say a bad word about the Empress, whether in public or in private, in the hall or in the dark room."

"Everything about the Great Zhou Dynasty ultimately depends on the Empress's attitude. Now that she is in good health, she must think about the future. Who will the throne of the Great Zhou Dynasty be passed to? The Empress can use her supreme prestige to control the ministers, and even the Pope must remain silent, but if the throne is not returned to the Chen royal family, neither the widely recognized Tianhai Chengwu nor the most cunning Tianhai Chengwen has the ability to control the opposing forces. But if the throne is returned to the Chen royal family, after the Empress is gone, the Tianhai family will surely be purged. Since she is surnamed Tianhai, how can she bear to see this happen?"

"So the Empress must be very hesitant. The struggle between the new and old factions is because her hesitation has given both sides a chance and a sense of danger. Unfortunately, our National Academy has become a symbol of this conflict. The Pope brought Luoluo to the annex of the cathedral, which already indicates a certain attitude. If the Empress has the same attitude, the National Academy will be in danger. Even the White Emperor cannot protect someone the Empress truly wants to kill."

Tang Sanshi looked at Chen Changsheng and said, "If I were you, what I would do now is find the Empress and kneel before her, hug her legs, and bitterly complain about my grievances, then ask her to uphold justice."

Chen Changsheng thought for a long time and said, "Then, how can I find her?"

Tang Sanshi was silent for a moment, then suddenly shouted angrily at the window, "Is the meal not ready yet?"

(Next chapter in the evening)

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