Chapter 747 - 339: Passing the Knife

Chapter 747: Chapter 339: Passing the Knife

The current sales of the Freedom Daily are almost comparable to the three major bird newspapers. Although its foundation and credibility aren’t as strong, the Utopia Mountain Chronicles has still attracted a considerable number of readers, and the insights from the Celestial Principle School have gained some recognition among discerning individuals, but there’s still a long way to go from recognition to support.

In Chen Rutang’s election campaign room, the core campaign team was all present: Chen Rutang, Dean Mordo, Grandmaster Philson, Li Xin, Lin Fei, Zhuang Zhidong, Lu Shuai, Huerta, and Bai Peng, among others.

"Because of Chief Editor Lin’s suggestion, I’ve gathered everyone here," Chen Rutang said. "Chief Editor Lin, maybe you should speak."

Lin Fei nodded, "Councillor Chen, Dean Mordo, colleagues, here’s the situation. I recently noticed that the Justice Daily, along with Avian and Citizen Daily, have been writing articles to set the stage for a royal restoration. It’s possible I’m overthinking it, which is why I called everyone to discuss it."

For a moment, the room was stunned. Restoration?

Everyone looked at Lin Fei, Mordo and Philson exchanged glances; they didn’t have much say in this matter. The situation with Li Long on the Dao Yuan Continent is unique; the fact that the Royal Family was replaced by the Council is quite remarkable. Wouldn’t it be reasonable to think of a restoration?

"In front of everyone are some very telling pieces. If we look back a few months, all three major bird newspapers have subtly reported on the Royal Family’s charitable deeds, donations, and past glories. Now, during the election period, their reports have become somewhat obvious," Lin Fei stated, "We at the Freedom Daily were also approached, with offers of a hefty sum to run articles."

Everyone quietly reviewed the papers in front of them. Li Xin read quickly, noticing some plainly suggestive content. Many openly reminisced about the Royal Family, the orthodoxy of the Beijing people, and some articles suggested that the Council was merely transitional. Luthor had used this method to unify Li Long, and the Royal Family made huge sacrifices at that time to make it all seem justifiable. Now with Li Long stable and encountering issues with the Council, should the power be returned to the Princess?

"There are quite a few similar reports, all emerging within a few days."

"Initially, I didn’t pay much attention, but Chief Editor Lin’s remarks reminded me. For these articles to be published, there must be substantial support behind them. It’s unlikely to be the Potter Family; they’re currently restricted in exerting their influence, at least openly. It could be the Justice faction."

"Ye Shidao?" Philson asked.

"Yes, I inquired about the Justice faction, and no one seems to be doing this, nor is there any motive. As it stands, only Ye Shidao seems plausible," Chen Rutang said.

"Although there have been significant twists, the Liberal and Justice factions have a consensus about Ye Shidao. Regardless of who gets elected, Ye Shidao can’t continue in his role; otherwise, an emperor will emerge. So, could it be that Ye Shidao aims to restore the Royal Family to extend his governance?" Zhuang Zhidong suggested. He is a seasoned Scholar in Dragon Capital with more insight into the Celestial Capital’s situation.

"Is that possible?" Chen Rutang hesitated.

None were sure. Restoring the Royal Family wasn’t easy; current interests are well-distributed. The Justice and Liberal factions share the power alongside the Church Court. Rallying them together sounds promising but is actually unlikely. Even if some newspapers have narratives, the Royal Family’s reputation is decent but talking about restoration feels naive.

"Having the desire and achieving it are two different things," Philson remarked.

Lu Shuai listened, formulating thoughts. In the Council, Ye Shidao collaborated with him, deliberately not mentioning termination but suspension, granting a two-month period. Clearly, this lingering was not his aim—could the real goal be this?

"Suppose we assume Ye Shidao suspends the election, temporarily suppressing the Potter Family under the guise of investigating perpetrators. With righteousness, neither the Liberal nor Justice factions would greatly object, and even the Potter Family might cooperate until the investigation concludes," Lu Shuai said slowly. "At this point, the Royal Family could rally, with Ye Shidao as the lead, supported by some Beijing families. Could they dissolve the Council and restore royal rule?"

"The justification is there, but not the power," Zhuang Zhidong replied, "The Knight Order, City Guard, and Church Court wouldn’t agree."

"The Knight Order has been relocated; the city is now under the Black Iron Guard. The City Guard’s combat power isn’t as strong. As for the Church Court, what if the Royal Family and Ye Shidao promise more? After all, the Church Court isn’t that satisfied with the status quo," Li Xin added.

The belief in the Moon God is waning; the honeymoon phase between the Church Court and Li Long ended after Luthor’s death, and it has been severely weakening over the years. Luthor’s most potent move was promoting freedom of belief, which prevented the Moon God’s Court from harvesting enough effective faith in Li Long.

"Ahem, not sure if I should say this," Bai Peng suddenly coughed, breaking his longstanding silence.

"Brother Peng, this is no time for jokes. What information do you have?" Lu Shuai asked.

"Over the past year, Ji Sheng, the Royal Family’s chief steward, has been in contact with our Bai Family. For a while, the association was very close. I inadvertently overheard discussions about restoring Beijing people’s glory and bringing the Royal Family back to power. However, I felt our patriarch wasn’t very interested in this," Bai Peng shared.

The Bai Family had instructed him to fully support Chen Rutang’s campaign, which in itself was a stance, definitely aligning with Chen Rutang, and also it was one of the core forces of the Justice faction.

Everyone present was silent; no smoke without fire—clearly, they had begun planning long ago.

"Even if the Bai Family doesn’t agree, someone will. Especially those who lost power during the reforms might be very proactive. If Ye Shidao shows support, as well, it’s hard to say,"

"If Ye Shidao joins forces with the Royal Family, raising the banner of Ji Mingyue, and with his years of placement across various layers, elsewhere is uncertain, but in Dragon Capital, he definitely wields strong power. Currently, Dragon Capital’s greatest authorities are the Black Iron Guard and Church Court," Chen Rutang remarked. Underestimating someone’s influence in Dragon Capital is not wise; it seems nobles hold power, but what about the executors below? Many were strategically positioned by Ye Shidao over a decade; guess who they listen to.

"I think idly speculating is pointless; we should take action. Aunt Fei, you can start by investigating the contributors. I’ll probe the Church Court’s stance," Li Xin suggested.

"Our family has some connections with the Knight Order; I’ll have my family check with the Black Iron Guard," Bai Peng said.

"Let’s split up and take action!"

Li Xin boarded the Shadow Owl’s carriage. Unlike the previous era, the idea of restoring the Royal Family didn’t evoke strong repulsion, neither from the top nor the populace. The main current conflict is about power and interests, not social development views. Even the Celestial Principle School doesn’t necessarily agree that the Council system is superior to the Royal Authority system.

The societal system’s replacement requires prolonged time and struggles for eventual transformation. Although Luthor astutely balanced various interests to achieve Li Long’s current situation, it’s not as stable as it appears.

Initially, even Dean Chen wasn’t overly concerned about a royal restoration. The focus was on how Ye Shidao might use the Royal Family’s banner to achieve his actual goal of ruling Li Long.

Li Xin didn’t engage in long speeches; it wasn’t suitable for that occasion. Sometimes, overly advanced ideas may not align with the current circumstances.

The issue is, what kind of person is Ye Shidao? If he achieves his goal, will it be good or bad for Li Long? This determines his stance on this matter. While he believes Dean Chen is a good choice—compared to Nalan Jingguo—he hasn’t had much interaction with Ye Shidao. However, in these years, Ye Shidao has indeed implemented Luthor’s established policies in most aspects.

"Brother Li, Brother Li."

Li Xin opened the carriage door, and Lu Shuai squeezed in, "Marshal, although I haven’t seen you recently, your reports are everywhere."

"Stop teasing, let’s get to business. What do you think of Ye Shidao?" Lu Shuai asked.

"His reputation is quite average; as a Governor, he’s decent," Li Xin didn’t entirely dismiss the other because of differing positions. "But these are just surface aspects. His true intentions and purposes are unclear."

"Take a look at this," Lu Shuai handed over a letter.

Li Xin opened it, his pupils immediately constricting, "Where did you get this?"

"Someone secretly delivered it to me. I don’t know if it’s genuine. What is this Blood Origin Cult?" Lu Shuai asked, unclear about secretive matters but sensing it’s not a legitimate church.

Ye Shidao is the Sect Hierarch of the Blood Origin Cult.