Knife splashing

Chapter 718 Opening Ceremony

"Tell me, which bastard told you that!"

Han Mo was furious and even got up and grabbed Lu Xun by the collar.

At this point, all the composure of a high-ranking official of the second rank was gone.

Seeing his appearance, Li Yan was completely certain.

The steam engine represented a significant advancement.

It's not surprising, given the abundance of skilled craftsmen in the world, and the fact that he had given them hints and reminders at the time, so that they didn't dismiss the steam engine as just a whimsical invention.

With steam engines in place, what else can be far behind...?

Li Yan was lost in thought, while Lu Xun below the hall was terrified, his whole body trembling like a leaf.

"Say!"

"You are not saving yourself now, but the lives of your entire clan!"

Under Han Mo's angry rebuke, Lu Xun dared not hide the truth any longer and told the truth.

It turned out that after Han Mo took office, Lu Xun knew that he was not well-liked, so he focused on finding ways to get promoted, or at least keep his position.

However, he was under the command of the former Minister of Works and was in charge of river and water conservancy. No one knew what kind of hidden dangers lay behind him, so no one paid him any attention.

Meanwhile, Mo Clan elder Yuan Feng, the Director of the Imperial Secretariat, went to Liangzi Lake with Li Yan and discovered the steam engine. They hurriedly transported it back to the capital and went to the palace with Han Mo to explain its value. From then on, he was ordered to conduct secret research in the palace, and his management affairs were handed over to his subordinate, an official, who would report to Han Mo if anything happened.

This matter was originally confidential, but since others were unaware of it, things went wrong.

The document that Yuanfeng sent back from the palace was originally intended for Han Mo, but the clerk, in his haste, forwarded it back to the Yuheng Qingli Division.

The "Yuheng Qingli Si" was not only in charge of military equipment manufacturing, but also responsible for the mining and logging of mountains and lakes.

Lu Xun happened to be asked to intercede on behalf of a wealthy merchant who was illegally mining copper.

He stumbled upon the report and immediately realized that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The report mentioned that the iron oxcarts were very fast, but that they would be built in large numbers in the future, and that the official roads would need to be rebuilt.

Lu Xun didn't know what the iron ox cart was, but he knew that the reconstruction of the official road would involve a lot of money. So he had an idea and invited Zhou, the temple keeper, and Jin Yanmen to contact people from the Prince of Yan's mansion and Luo Gongsheng to discuss how to make arrangements in advance and profit from this matter.

His purpose, of course, was to use this information to find the Prince of Yan to be his patron.

But unexpectedly, the matter of the divine artifact was suddenly leaked, causing a great uproar throughout the city. Coupled with the emperor's attitude, the old man finally became frightened.

Upon hearing that Zhou Miaozhu had disappeared, Luo Mingzi came to find him and immediately hanged himself.

"Humph!"

Upon hearing this, Luo Mingzi's face also turned gloomy. "So this matter was leaked from your side."

Lu Xun trembled and lowered his head.

This is exactly what he fears.

If I had known that thing was so important, I would never have touched it, even if you killed me.

Han Mo was also furious. He turned to Luo Mingzi and said, "I will go to the palace to apologize immediately."

Luo Mingzi pondered for a moment before speaking, "This matter has also implicated the chief steward of the Prince of Yan's mansion and Luo Gongsheng, the president of the Iron Anchor Society. It is no small matter. The sorcerer Zhao Qingxu is like a shadow, and with layers of connections, his henchmen may be hiding in the Prince of Yan's mansion for protection."

"Minister Han, this humble Taoist priest will accompany you to the palace to inform His Majesty and request a search of the Prince of Yan's residence!"

Such a big matter was naturally beyond Li Yan's ability to make a decision. Moreover, it involved the Prince of Yan's residence, and he did not want to get involved in the quagmire of these princes and grandsons. So he simply took his leave and returned to Rouyuan Post Station.

However, the development of events took an unexpected turn.

Not long after Luo Mingzi and his group entered the palace, the Prince of Yan's sedan chair had already come to a steady stop outside the palace gate.

Prince Yan, Xiao Jinglie, straightened his hat and belt, his face full of anger, and actually took the initiative to enter the palace to "accept his punishment and ask for retribution".

Meanwhile, another team of elite troops from the Commandery moved even more swiftly.

Based on the key information provided by Lu Xun and previous clues, they stormed the Iron Anchor Society headquarters like tigers descending a mountain. With the intimidation of muskets and the interlocking of chains, they captured Luo Gongsheng, the Iron Anchor Society chairman who had held sway over both the underworld and legitimate society in Beijing for many years and wielded immense power, in front of everyone.

This man, who once commanded respect and whose every stomp shook the capital, was now in a sorry state, bound hand and foot, and dragged to the stone steps in front of the palace square. There, he was forced to kneel like a boneless lump of soft flesh, his body trembling like a leaf.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, yet it could not dispel the chilling aura.

"Your Majesty! Your son has failed in his duty to discipline his subordinates, allowing such short-sighted individuals to become entangled with the remnants of the evil forces, nearly causing a great disaster! I have heard that the traitor Lu Xun has confessed that the chief steward of the Prince's Palace had colluded with the villain Luo Gongsheng. Your son is heartbroken and has come here to beg for forgiveness! The chief steward has already committed suicide in the study of the Prince's Palace!"

Prince Xiao Jinglie of Yan prostrated himself on the ground, his voice earnest and indignant, lowering his posture to the lowest possible level.

Outside the palace square, Luo Gongsheng shouted hoarsely, "Injustice! It was all due to my momentary greed! His Highness Prince Yan has absolutely nothing to do with this matter. I was deceived by the villain and knew nothing about it. Please, Your Majesty, investigate thoroughly!"

On the throne, Xiao Qixuan listened to Luo Mingzi's report with an expressionless face, his eyes chillingly cold.

boom!
He suddenly slammed the teacup in his hand to the ground, sending shards of porcelain flying!
The crisp explosion startled the attendants in the palace into silence.

"Good! What a wonderful 'completely unaware'!"

"What a brilliant 'self-imposed isolation from the study'!"

The emperor's voice wasn't loud, but it contained thunderous rage: "My decree hasn't even left this inner study, yet it's already been sent to your Prince Yan's residence?!"

"Jinglie, you've managed my Forbidden City quite well!"

"Your subject deserves death!"

The King of Yan felt a chill in his heart, and slammed his forehead heavily against the gold brick, not daring to utter a single word in rebuttal.

He was an impatient person, and upon hearing about this, he rushed over without consulting anyone.

Upon hearing the emperor's words, he suddenly realized that he had broken a taboo.

"Humph!"

The Prince of Yan was muddle-headed, but Emperor Xiao Qixuan was very shrewd. He said coldly, "You pig-brain, you're being used without even realizing it. Tell me, who told you this news?"

Inside the main hall, Han Mo and Luo Mingzi both lowered their heads and remained silent.

Anyone could tell something was wrong.

If Prince Yan, Xiao Jinglie, has something to hide and has planted spies in the capital, the best course of action upon learning of this matter would be to immediately eliminate all evidence and pretend to know nothing while remaining in his palace.

Such a hasty delivery is most likely a result of being deceived.

"this…"

Sweat beaded on Prince Yan Xiao Jinglie's forehead as he knelt on the ground and trembled as he said, "The chief steward of the Prince's mansion committed suicide, leaving behind a will that said he had been bewitched by a sorcerer and brought disaster upon himself, and that he had no face to face anyone. Only then did I learn of this matter."

Xiao Qixuan said in a deep voice: "Get back to the Prince's Mansion! No one in the Prince's Mansion is allowed to leave without my written order! We await a thorough investigation by the Imperial Clan Court and the Military Command!"

He already had a plan to deal with the premature leak of the artifact.

His anger stemmed more from a leak of information from the palace, which was likely related to a sorcerer.

"As for this lowly slave..."

He glanced at Luo Gongsheng, who was slumped on the square outside the window, and said, "Throw him into a death row! Interrogate him thoroughly! Skin him alive and tear him apart, but find out Zhao Qingxu's true colors! Not a single one of the foreign merchants, spies, or corrupt officials in the capital who colluded with him shall be spared!"

After dealing with the Prince of Yan, the emperor's cold gaze swept over the Grandmaster Huo Yin, who was standing to the side: "Minister Huo, you have been in charge of the capital, arresting evil spirits. Luo Gongsheng has been under your nose for so many years, and you haven't noticed anything?"

Huo Yin's face was ashen as he knelt on one knee: "Your Majesty, I failed in my duty and beg for punishment!"

"Punishment? First, atone for your crime by performing good deeds!"

Xiao Qixuan's anger had not subsided. "Order the Commandery to cooperate with the Xuanji Division's Enforcement Hall to question and arrest anyone involved in this case, regardless of whether they are nobles, officials, merchants, or powerful figures! Any further oversights will result in punishment for both crimes! Dismissed!"

With the imperial edict issued, the Prince of Yan's residence was naturally in a difficult situation.

From top to bottom, they were all investigated one by one by the Commandant's Office and the Enforcement Hall.

Even the Earth Immortal who had just escaped into the royal palace for protection was surrounded by several Imperial Preceptors. After questioning him in detail, they produced the Priest's warrant and ordered him to get out of the capital immediately.

In the Great Xuan Dynasty, royal power surpassed divine power; when the emperor was angry, even earth immortals had to leave in disgrace.

However, despite making such a big fuss, nothing was ultimately found out.

All the clues point to the chief steward of the Prince of Yan's residence.

Wang She was originally planted in the Iron Anchor Society by him, but was later protected by the Prince of Yan on the grounds of ignorance.

Even Luo Gongsheng was an unlucky fellow who was implicated and misled by the steward into believing that it was the Prince of Yan's doing.

Moreover, the men who arrested the chief steward of the Prince's Palace also learned that Zhou Miaozhu was arranged by the chief steward to lure him out with a secret letter, then kill him and bury him outside the city.

With the death of the steward, all leads went cold once again.

Luo Mingzi judged that this incident happened suddenly, so Zhao Qingxu abandoned the chief steward of the Prince's mansion as a pawn and took the opportunity to set a trap, causing the impatient Prince of Yan to come to the palace.

If Emperor Xiao Qixuan is not of sound mind, the Prince of Yan will likely be doomed.

Inside the palace, another investigation was naturally conducted. Zhao Wujiu, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, was ruthless, uncovering several individuals, but they were either involved in theft of palace items or embezzlement, none of which were related to Jianmu. From the palace to the prince's residence, the whole day was filled with activity…

……

Li Yan also received two guests one after the other.

One was the president of the Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce in the capital, and the other was a middle-aged wealthy merchant with a pale face and wearing fine clothes but unable to hide his fear. They rushed into the post station with several equally apprehensive managers.

Upon seeing Li Yan, he rushed forward as if grasping at a straw, then knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down his face: "Young Master Li! Great Master Li! Help! We've been deceived by that damned Luo Gongsheng! He used all that nonsense about 'divine artifacts' and 'iron oxcarts on official roads,' making it sound so amazing that he tricked our chamber of commerce into investing huge sums of money..."

"The money lost is a small matter, but being implicated in the case of colluding with the enemy and becoming a demon is a disaster that could wipe out our entire family! We beg you, Master Li, for the sake of our fellow martial arts practitioners, to put in a good word for us with the imperial court. We will be eternally grateful!"

The Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce's situation was purely a matter of bad luck.

They dared not refuse the invitation from the steward of the Prince of Yan's residence and Luo Gongsheng.

"You all think too highly of me."

Looking at these merchants, Li Yan felt somewhat helpless.

He wanted to refuse, but the Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce had treated him with great courtesy, and it would be unreasonable to stand by and watch him die.

Suddenly, a question popped into his mind, and he asked, "Gentlemen, tell me, why did you discuss inviting the temple keeper of the Five Generals Temple that night?"

The death of Zhou, the temple keeper, is a highly suspicious matter.

The steward silenced him, and the demonic energy inhabited the clay figures of the Five Paths Generals, surely with ulterior motives.

"It's for building a temple!"

The president of the Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce in the capital dared not conceal the truth. “That day, we discussed that the Five Generals are the gods of the road. Our Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce will fund the construction of temples for the Five Generals along the route. Firstly, it will ensure the safety of the road. Secondly, we can do some business along this road. Thirdly, it can help His Highness Prince Yan to achieve some merit.”

He said with a bitter expression, "It was supposed to be a good thing, but who knew it would turn out like this..."

Temples were built along the way?
A flash of inspiration struck Li Yan, and he guessed the reason.

The Five Generals are the gods of roads, protecting those who are lost and confused by ghosts. At present, they are only rebuilding the official road. If a railway is built in the future, and the road is constructed along the route, their incense offerings will surely flourish.

That demonic energy clearly wanted to usurp the incense offerings.

Thinking of this, Li Yan's eyes darted around, and he said, "Helping is fine, but you all have to agree to one condition."

"Young Master Li, please speak!"

The president of the Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce in Beijing immediately brightened up.

He wasn't afraid that Li Yan would take the opportunity to extort money; he was afraid that if the money wasn't spent properly, it would lead to his utter destruction.

"it is good!"

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "The plan to build the Temple of the Five Generals is indeed good. I will plead for you, but you must continue to push forward with this matter."

The chamber of commerce president was taken aback, then hurriedly nodded, "I'll follow your suggestion, young hero."

He didn't understand what Li Yan was trying to do. As long as he could live, spending a little more money was no big deal.

No sooner had I seen off the president of the Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce in Beijing than an acquaintance came to visit.

It was Su Yu, the owner of the Su Garden of the Golden Swallow Sect and Zhao Wanfang's master.

The reason for his visit was, of course, to have him plead with Luo Mingzi on his behalf.

This time, Su Garden borrowed the space and also sent a message to the steward of the Prince of Yan's mansion to prepare for the banquet.

They were not involved in what happened afterward.

The Golden Swallow Sect has considerable influence, so this incident doesn't affect them much, and they will surely escape disaster. The real concern is that Luo Mingzi and his men will relentlessly pursue them and investigate several times, forcing Su Garden to close down.

Since the two parties already had a cooperative relationship, Li Yan naturally agreed without hesitation.

"Brother Yan."

After they left, Shalifei laughed and said, "We've only been here a few days and people are already coming to our door asking for help. If we stayed for another year or two, they'd probably wear down our doorstep."

"What a good thing this is..." Lu San muttered under his breath, sounding somewhat annoyed, "The waters of this capital are so murky you can't even catch a clean fish! It's so frustrating!"

Li Yan's eyes flickered slightly, and he nodded in agreement.

To be honest, he felt mentally and physically exhausted ever since he arrived in the capital.

While the elusive and extremely troublesome Zhao Qingxu is manageable, the power struggles and undercurrents of various factions in the capital are far more exhausting than slaying demons and monsters.

"Everyone!"

Thinking of this, Li Yan looked at his companion and said resolutely, "The capital is a place of right and wrong, a melting pot of all sorts of people, where fame and fortune are like a net. The longer we stay, the deeper we get entangled. We are wandering immortals, what does it matter if we get tainted with something dirty?"

"What I mean is, after the opening ceremony, once we've finished refining the magical artifacts, and after we've found and killed Zhao Qingxu, we should leave this place of trouble immediately."

"The world is so vast, where isn't it more joyful than here?"

"That suits my purposes perfectly!"

Wang Daoxuan nodded in agreement, saying, "The capital city is a place of worldly affairs, filled with malevolent energy, and is indeed not a place for cultivation."

With their minds made up, everyone felt a sense of relief.

This capital city is a stage for fame and fortune, a place to make a name for oneself, but also a suffocatingly large prison.

……

Amidst the turmoil and undercurrents of various forces, the grand opening ceremony finally arrived.

That morning, the continuous rain that had lasted for several days mysteriously stopped for a moment.

The sky, however, remained filled with low-hanging leaden clouds, exuding an oppressive atmosphere as if a storm was brewing.

In the eastern suburbs of the capital, outside the Qiankun Academy, there were already guards every three steps and sentries every five steps.

The elite Shenji Battalion deployed layers of defenses, their armor gleaming, muskets loaded, and checkpoints set up along the way.

No one other than the invitees is allowed to approach.

A huge open-air platform was temporarily erected in front of the grand and imposing academy gate.

The platform was covered with a vermilion carpet that stretched all the way to the main gate of the academy.

The invited civil and military officials, nobles and relatives, envoys from various countries, and representatives of major sects of Taoism arrived one after another after strict inspection and took their places in the viewing areas on both sides of the platform according to their rank and status.

Some people's faces were full of curiosity, while others looked on with anticipation.

Their eyes met, they whispered amongst themselves, the air seemed to freeze, and everyone's focus was drawn to the back of the platform—a huge outline tightly covered by a thick curtain.

Li Yan mingled in the "offering" seats arranged by Yan Jiuling, with Sha Lifeng and others behind him.

Officials from the Ministry of Rites loudly proclaimed their respects, and the lengthy ceremony proceeded one step at a time.

"On this auspicious day, heaven and earth are established; culture and learning gather, and imperial grace abounds. Heaven bestows its bounty upon all things, pursuing the truth with utmost precision; sacred learning flourishes, perpetuating the imperial brilliance..."

The newly appointed supervisor of the academy, Yuanfeng, read the document aloud on the stage, but no one listened carefully to its contents.

"The auspicious time has come!"

Finally, as the supervisor's voice faded, the most captivating moment arrived.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, several strong and powerful soldiers stepped forward and worked together to hold the edge of the curtain.

The Minister of Rites personally stood in the center of the platform, took a deep breath, and shouted:
"We respectfully request—the divine artifact that will determine the fate of the world, to appear!"

Swish—!
The curtain suddenly fell!

In an instant, a colossal, bell-shaped object, cast in steel and resembling a legendary earth vein, was exposed to the cool morning light!
The gnarled and robust connecting rods, the huge flywheel, the massive boiler wrapped in coarse cloth, iron hoops and rivets, the neatly arranged bronze instruments gleaming with a cold light, and the complex transmission gears below.

But before they could even discuss it, something even more surprising happened.

Li Yan's expression also became extremely strange.

A massive, gilded dragon carriage slowly emerged from the academy.

The dragon carriage was propelled by steam, moving slowly while belching out black smoke.

Emperor Xiao Qixuan sat on the dragon throne and, amidst the roar of machinery, arrived at the gate of the academy.

"I have met His Majesty!"

"Long live my emperor!"

Xiao Qixuan was already immune to these things, and simply reached out to stroke the steam dragon carriage.

"Gentlemen, this is the 'divine artifact' you've been talking about!"

(End of this chapter)