Knife splashing

Chapter 723 First Meeting with the Crown Prince
Respectfully yours, Mr. Li:
I haven't seen you for several days, and coincidentally, my humble abode has recently acquired several rare items from the Nanzhao Kingdom.

At 3:45 PM tonight, the "Listening to the Spring Pavilion" at Su Academy awaits you.

A gold thread serves as proof; once you've passed through the door, you're gone.

Su Yu bowed his head.
Li Yan frowned slightly as he looked at the indigo satin invitation card with gold lettering in his hand.

He asked someone for help, but did not contact the Golden Swallow Sect.

The reason is simple: the Golden Swallow Gate's methods are too unscrupulous. They are engaged in matchmaking and exchanging benefits, which inevitably attracts a lot of trouble. Previously, Lu Xun of the Ministry of Works leaked secrets and the chief steward of the Prince's Mansion, who had already sided with Zhao Qingxu, set up a scheme. The Golden Swallow Gate was the one who facilitated this.

Although they were kept in the dark, the trouble that followed was considerable.

So later, Su Yu went to Luo Mingzi's door to ask him to intercede with Luo Mingzi and ask him to be lenient.

Before you've even received any benefits, trouble has already come knocking.

After this incident, Li Yan no longer wanted to deal with the Golden Swallow Sect.

This time, I don't know where they got the information from...

After pondering for a while, Li Yan decided to keep the appointment.

This hasty search for rare and precious treasures will inevitably leave him indebted to others. He urgently needs them, and if he misses the opportunity, it will delay him for at least half a month.

…………

Li Yan looked up at the sky and saw that the twilight had soaked through the eaves before he stepped into the gate of Su Garden.

"Young Master Li, this way please~"

The same attendant who had guided us last time was even more respectful this time.

Passing through flowers and willows, the two walked around two screen walls, and the sound of water gradually became clearer.

Su Garden was renowned among the upper class in the capital, and its scenery was naturally extraordinary. Along the cobblestone path, a winding stream, fed by a living spring, gurgled in the grooves of the bluestone, and a few koi carp stirred the lotus leaves, creating ripples.

Along the winding corridors, lights twinkled, and the faint sounds of string and wind instruments drifted into the twilight like wisps of smoke.

"Tingquanxuan" is a small pavilion by the water, with the water pavilion under the corridor open on three sides.

Li Yan gradually slowed his pace, and the attendants behind him left without making a sound.

Inside the pavilion, a woman was seen tuning her instrument with her back turned. Her lotus-colored brocade skirt trailed on the ground, and the light gauze around her arms swayed gently in the evening breeze.

Hearing footsteps, she turned around abruptly, her almond-shaped eyes curving like crescent moons beneath her willow-leaf eyebrows, and smiled, "Brother Li, you've been late since we parted in Linqing."

The speaker was Zhao Wanfang, with a radiant smile.

"When did you come back?"

Li Yan chuckled and strode into the pavilion, speaking without any formalities.

The two of them had weathered hardships together in Chang'an and both harbored grudges against the Jianmu tree. Although Zhao Wanfang's environment inevitably changed after arriving in the capital, and he was no longer the insignificant person he once was, their relationship remained fairly good.

"I just got back a couple of days ago."

Zhao Wanfang picked up the porcelain teapot on the red clay stove. "I've heard of your name even before we've arrived in the capital. Just like before, you're the center of attention wherever you go."

As they spoke, she lowered her eyelashes and poured tea into a sky-blue cup, the amber-colored tea soup filling the air with a delicate aroma.

"Oh, what beautiful scenery is there in the south?"

Li Yan took a sip of tea and asked with a smile.

He wasn't asking about the scenery, but rather about the intelligence from the south.

"It's very lively over there."

Zhao Wanfang didn't hide anything. While serving up some exquisite pastries, she whispered, "Since the opening of the sea, many wealthy merchants have set up numerous workshops. Whether it's silk, tea, or porcelain, a single trip overseas can yield dozens of times the profit."

"Martial arts practitioners and sorcerers have all been hired on board with hefty sums. The seas are bustling, and the inland areas are also unsettled. Outlaws and bandits are active again, and evil spirits are taking advantage of the chaos. Manpower is scarce, and even those lowly fellows of the past have seen their value double. If you twelve Yuan Chen go, you will surely be invited by everyone..."

Li Yan was taken aback. "Is the South really that chaotic?"

According to Zhao Wanfang, it was completely different from what was said in the North.

"Human life is like the tide; everyone just goes with the flow."

Zhao Wanfang glanced at the door and whispered, "Master troubled you a while ago and kept saying he wanted to find a way to repay you. Hearing that you urgently needed spiritual materials, he asked someone to inquire. Who knew that a benefactor would take the initiative to invite you? Today, I'll make a connection."

"If you don't want to provoke them, don't say anything later. Your master will deal with them afterward."

"Oh?"

Li Yan was somewhat surprised, "You can't afford to offend the Golden Swallow Sect, so who is it that has come?"

Zhao Wanfang didn't say anything. She dipped her finger in the tea and wrote the two characters "Zhaode" on the table. Then, with a flick of her wrist, she quickly wiped it off with a burlap sack.

Zhaode?!
Li Yan frowned upon seeing this.

The term "Zhaode" refers to Crown Prince Xiao Jingheng.

His title was Zhaode. It is said that he was a man of great literary talent and kind-heartedness, and was deeply supported by Confucianists. However, he was frightened when he was young and had been in poor health and sickly since childhood.

That's why the position of crown prince was only decided this year.

The affairs of these princes and grandsons are the most troublesome, no wonder Zhao Wanfang spoke like that.

Just as he was about to continue asking questions, Li Yan twitched his nose slightly and looked towards the door.

Outside the gate, along the winding path, beside the rugged, dark shadows of Taihu stones, flickering candlelight and a faint fragrance wafted through the air. Su Yu, the owner of Su Garden, was leading the way with a lantern.

Behind them was a slender figure, dressed in a white fox fur coat even though it was early summer.

He wore a jade crown and white clothes, his face looked sickly, but his eyes were very gentle. Two people were with him.

A tall and burly eunuch carefully helped him up.

The other person was a middle-aged scholar with a goatee.

Li Yan hesitated for a moment, then stood up to greet him, cupping his hands and saying, "This humble subject, Li Yan, greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."

"Young Master Li, there's no need for such formalities."

Crown Prince Xiao Jingheng of Zhaode had a clear and elegant voice, and a gentle smile on his lips.

After the eunuch helped him into the room and sat him down, Su Yu smiled and said, "We just received some fresh food today, and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to enjoy it, so I invited Young Hero Li and His Highness the Crown Prince to come. Wanfang said that Young Hero Li is also a master of food, so he certainly won't come for nothing tonight."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, smiled, and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, saying, "Senior Su, you're too kind."

As expected of an elder of the Golden Swallow Sect, his words were quite cryptic.

What does "not a free lunch" even mean? It's just a hint at tonight's deal.

But this statement piqued Li Yan's interest.

The Crown Prince came in person; though his purpose is unknown, his offer certainly won't be stingy…

As soon as Su Yu finished speaking, several waiters quickly entered and served the dishes.

This garden is the best in Beijing, so the dishes must be excellent.

The white jade basin held "Snow Frog and Fritillaria Soup," while the small celadon cups contained "Golden Bird's Nest Porridge." The table was also laden with dishes such as "Amber Walnut Cream" and "Crystal Lamb Offal," all of which were a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.

What attracted Li Yan the most was the huge lotus leaf plate in the center.

Upon opening it, there was a two-foot-long giant grouper!
Li Yan was clearly surprised to see this. "They also have this in the capital. How was it transported here?"

This thing is a large deep-sea grouper.

Having this item at a banquet with the Crown Prince present is nothing special, but this is the capital city in the interior.

"That's not surprising."

Su Yu smiled gently and said, "There are 'ice-fresh ships' along the coast. They are layered with ice and use 'living water tanks'. With the addition of some esoteric techniques, they can speed to the capital day and night, thus keeping the meat fresh and tender."

"But of such a large grouper, the first one that survived is still the first one. When I learned that the Minzhou Chamber of Commerce had brought it over, I immediately went to ask for it to entertain you two."

Li Yan was speechless, unsure of what to say.

In today's coastal areas, grouper is nothing special, but transporting it to the capital costs more than making one out of silver. It's clearly a luxury item.

After starting with food and drinks to liven up the atmosphere, Su Yu tactfully got up and left.

As for Zhao Wanfang, she stood with her head bowed, three steps behind Li Yan.

Holding the wine pot, pouring the wine, and serving the dishes, her fingertips were as steady as if she were plucking a flower, and not a drop of water spilled from the rim of the cup.

"I would like to offer a toast to Your Highness."

"Young Master Li, there's no need for formalities. I'm not feeling well, so I can only offer tea instead of wine."

"Your Highness is too kind." "I've heard of Young Hero Li's reputation for a long time..."

The two ate and chatted, striking up conversations with each other.

Li Yan responded with a smile, while secretly observing.

Just as the rumors had been circulating, the Crown Prince was in poor health, but he spoke very gently and politely, which made it easy for people to like him. No wonder those Confucian scholars supported him.

After a few rounds of drinks, we finally got down to business.

The prince clapped his hands slightly, and two strong servants immediately carried in a foot-long gilded sandalwood box.

The moment the box was opened, a pillar of cold, hard, and tangible Qi of malevolent energy dissipated.

Li Yan felt a chill and immediately focused his attention.

When the wooden box was opened, a piece of dark metal as thick as a child's arm was found inside.

The surface is covered with silvery-white patterns resembling shattered ice.

zizi~
Faintly visible are eerie blue electric lights moving through the cracks.

This was the first time Li Yan had ever seen such a miraculous material. He suppressed his surprise and asked, "May I ask, Your Highness, what kind of treasure is this?"

"The relics of the previous dynasty have been gathering dust in the treasury for a hundred years."

The Crown Prince smiled and said, “The Tang Dynasty’s ‘Boyilu’ records that ‘thunderous meteorite black metal, devouring thunder and hiding evil, indestructible even with ten thousand jun’ refers to this object. It was originally a meteorite that fell from the sky. The previous dynasty’s Daxing refined it into a statue of the Thunder Ancestor and placed it in Jinling to suppress the fortune.”

"After the fall of Nanjing, this item was smashed and placed in the inner treasury."

"Oh, so this is what it is..."

Upon hearing this, Li Yan suddenly understood.

He had heard of this thing before.

In addition to the various incense offerings and mortal deities, the grand array of the Xuanmen sect in the capital city also requires a talisman to suppress it.

The sword now enshrined in the palace is the "True Martial Demon-Slaying Sword" presented by Wudang Mountain. With this sword as the core of the formation, plus the incense offerings from the land and the people, not to mention ordinary cultivators, even earth immortals would not be able to withstand it.

Its origin is also related to the patriarch Zhang Sanfeng.

As for the great prosperity of the previous dynasty, it was the statue of Leizu enshrined in the Jinling Imperial Palace.

Legend has it that back then, any evil spirit that dared to enter Jinling City would be struck by lightning; the story was quite fantastical.

Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince brought such a thing, which is no less precious than a dragon horn.

Seeing Li Yan's appearance, Crown Prince Xiao Jingheng smiled and said, "This material is extremely tough and can be drawn without breaking. If it is woven into protective gear, it will relieve Young Hero Li's worries."

Li Yan paused for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "There's no such thing as a free lunch. What does the Crown Prince want?"

This thing suits him perfectly, but it's not what he wants to submit to the Crown Prince just because it's an inanimate object. Therefore, he made it clear that he would trade according to the rules of the wandering immortals' team.

Even if it offends the other party, this matter must not be broken.

Upon hearing this, the room fell silent.

The tall eunuch serving behind the crown prince immediately turned grim.

The scholar beside him wore a smile, as if he had already guessed it.

"Young Master Li has misunderstood."

Crown Prince Xiao Jingheng coughed a few times and smiled, "Young Master Li thwarted the Jianmu demon's plot several times. Although it was a chivalrous act, it also helped the court overcome a calamity. If we were to arrive in the capital and not even be able to find the materials to forge magical artifacts, wouldn't the world laugh at our royal family?"

"Having heard that Young Hero Li is looking for spiritual materials, I sent someone to the Imperial Treasury to find them. I'd like to take advantage of this precious place, Lady Su, to get to know the young talents of our land."

Li Yan was somewhat surprised, his eyes narrowing slightly as he asked, "Really given away for free?"

"Be bold!"

The tall eunuch serving nearby immediately said in a deep voice, "The Crown Prince went to the Imperial Treasury to search for it and then personally delivered it to your door. He has given you a lot of face. Even people in the martial arts world should have some manners, right?"

Li Yan glanced at him coldly, about to retort.

He's the type to suffer losses.

Before he could finish speaking, Crown Prince Xiao Jingheng coughed a few times, his face pale, and said with displeasure, "Lu Ling, Young Hero Li has rendered meritorious service to the nation and cannot speak nonsense. Apologize quickly."

The tall eunuch's face turned bright red, but he gritted his teeth, cupped his hands, and said, "Young Master Li, I'm sorry for offending you."

"Hahaha…"

The middle-aged scholar smiled and said, "Young Master Li, please don't be offended. Eunuch Lü is a man of strong character. He is not in the palace most of the year. You will know this when you get to know him better."

Li Yan frowned slightly. "What do you mean, sir?"

The middle-aged scholar smiled, stood up, and cupped his hands, saying, "I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Chen Wenxian, from Minzhou. I am currently the Chief Secretary of the Crown Prince's Palace and am also in charge of the royal fleet."

Minzhou, surnamed Chen, took over the royal fleet…

Upon hearing this, Li Yan immediately had a guess in his mind.

The Chen family of Minzhou is a prominent clan in the Minzhou Chamber of Commerce and a major force in the pioneering spirit of the maritime industry.

There has been no news of the royal fleet since its accident at sea, and it seems that it is to be handed over to the Crown Prince.

It seems that with the Prince of Yan's incident and his being ordered not to leave his residence, the struggle for the crown prince position is no longer in doubt.

With the opening of the seas and the support of Confucianism, the crown prince's position was immediately secured.

Taking over the royal fleet was probably a power granted by the emperor.

Seeing that Li Yan remained silent, Chen Wenxian did not care. After sitting down, he smiled and said, "Young Master Li, please do not misunderstand. The Crown Prince's gift of the treasure is a genuine expression of his appreciation for you. As for me, I shamelessly followed along, hoping to take this opportunity to discuss a business deal with the Twelve Yuan Chen."

"Oh?"

Li Yan narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "What kind of deal?"

Chen Wenxian's expression also turned serious. He said, "The royal fleet has encountered an accident. Although most of them escaped, several treasure ships were sunk by the Portuguese. There are some very important items on board. I would like to ask the Twelve Yuan Chen to go out to sea with the ships to salvage these items."

Li Yan was somewhat puzzled, "I'm afraid the Portuguese have already taken it?"

"That would be better."

Chen Wenxian shook his head and said, "The place where the ship sank has abnormal weather and constant storms all year round. We have received news that something strange happened at sea. The Portuguese fleet went down to salvage it, but the entire fleet was wiped out."

"Later, several Japanese pirate fleets also went there, but none of them returned."

Upon hearing this, Li Yan hesitated for a moment.

This sounds very dangerous. The Twelve Yuan Chen are mostly on land, and it's not certain they can handle things well in the sea.

"It's not urgent."

Chen Wenxian spoke first, saying, "Young Master Li, you may consider it and then give me your reply."

After saying this, he gave a wink, and he and the Crown Prince got up to take their leave.

Not long after leaving Su Garden, the tall eunuch Lü Ling said with displeasure, "Your Highness, these江湖人士 (jianghu figures) act recklessly. Your noble status doesn't warrant such behavior..."

“Eunuch Lü, you don’t understand.”

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Wenxian interrupted him.

He smiled at the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, do you know why I sent you here?"

Crown Prince Xiao Jingheng pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "A young talent like him deserves to be met."

"No."

Chen Wenxian shook his head and said, "He has quite a few connections. High Priest Pei and Minister Han of the Ministry of Works have both requested His Majesty to open the Imperial Treasury to him in order to find a suitable spiritual material."

“Although the spiritual material is precious, it is not difficult for the two lords to ask for it. However, His Majesty refused and instead sent it to the Crown Prince’s residence. Do you know what his intention is?”

Crown Prince Xiao Jingheng bowed slightly, "Please enlighten me, sir."

This is why he is so highly regarded by Confucianism.

The crown prince's talent wasn't top-notch, but he was kind and could listen to advice.

Chen Wenxian quickly cupped his hands and said in a low voice, "I have heard that many masters of the Xuanmen have met Li Yan and called him a master, but he is arrogant and unwilling to enter the court."

"His Majesty is old, and Huo Yin is also old. His Majesty knows the Crown Prince's benevolence, which is why he sent the things to the Crown Prince's residence."

"Only with the assistance of a grandmaster can the royal family keep those people in check."

"Congratulations, Your Highness, His Majesty is already paving the way for you..."

(End of this chapter)