Chapter 1797 - 903: Capital, Torrent

Not on me?

Li Yan’s mind raced.

Chen Wenxian’s words likely meant the target was the Crown Prince.

But if Ba Donghai challenged him with someone backing it, who could that be?

"Chen Changshi’s words are perplexing."

Li Yan’s expression remained unchanged, and he calmly said, "The Crown Prince is already the legitimate successor. Even if some harbor rebellious thoughts and act against the state, what does the Grandmaster Battle have to do with the Temple?"

Chen Wenxian’s face seemed to be overflowing with bitterness upon hearing this.

He glanced around the tea pavilion, leaned forward, and spoke in a voice only those at the table could hear, "Young hero, it is not a question of ’dare or not,’ but... His Highness simply cannot intimidate those eager to stir trouble."

"The Crown Prince is ill!"

"Since last winter, after the fierce battle in Guangzhou Prefecture, His Highness led the guards in combat. Though victorious and returned to the Capital, he contracted a severe illness on the way back and has been bedridden ever since. Initially, it was only a cold and exhaustion; the Imperial Hospital treated him, yet his condition fluctuated. After the late Emperor... went to heaven, His Highness’s excessive grief worsened his illness suddenly."

"He is now... confined to bed, often in a deep sleep."

"He seldom awakens and has great difficulty even handling affairs."

As the words fell, the tea pavilion fell silent.

The red glow from the brazier cast shadows on their faces.

Sha Lifei opened his mouth but made no sound.

Li Yan’s fingers tightened slightly around the sword sheath.

The Crown Prince was ill, and so gravely.

Right as the Emperor suddenly died, and political tensions ran high.

An heir unable to govern or even remain conscious... This is beyond complex; it’s as if the last supporting stone was pulled from a soon-to-erupt volcano!

No wonder the situation is so chaotic.

"So..."

Li Yan’s eyes narrowed, he spoke deeply, "Ba Donghai’s challenge to the north, particularly his public challenge against me—if he wins, he will step on the reputation of ’Hero against Japanese pirates’ and ’Rising star of the Mystical Sect,’ instantly becoming the most sought-after ’Grandmaster Seed’ with unrivaled prestige."

"And at that point, those backing him can leverage this reputation for their agenda?"

Chen Wenxian nodded heavily, "Yes, young hero sees clearly."

"Currently, the Capital appears solemn due to the late Emperor’s demise, but below the surface, hidden dangers abound. King Yan, Liang King, and King Wu’s envoys frequently come to the Capital, ostensibly for mourning but truly mingling closely with various officials and even some noble clans from past generations. Several Chambers of Commerce controlling Cao Yun, salt, and iron are also frequent in their movements."

"When His Majesty was present, he skillfully asserted control over all parties. Now... His Highness is gravely ill, and the Eastern Palace’s officials are anxious. The Ten Grandmasters already hold esteemed positions, and some wish to exploit this."

"But which faction lies behind the scenes and their ultimate goal, I cannot deduce..."

Everyone exchanged glances, feeling somewhat bewildered.

The complexity of the situation was anticipated, but not such a headache-inducing scenario.

Even the Crown Prince struggles to ensure his own safety—a minor misstep could plunge the world into chaos.

Li Yan rubbed his temples, "Is there a cure for the Crown Prince’s illness?"

Such a predicament cannot be resolved by a few from the pugilistic world.

Numerous ambitious individuals are eager to act.

Taking out one, could they eliminate all the princes and Chamber leaders?

Various forces have deep entanglements, with skilled warriors among them.

Like Ba Donghai today, appearing suddenly, Li Yan is not assured of victory.

The only chance is for the Crown Prince to recover quickly, putting the anxious forces at ease.

Upon saying this, Chen Wenxian’s expression became more somber, "Renowned healers have been consulted, several Masters of the Mystical Sect and the State Preceptor have checked, but His Highness suffers from Innate deficiencies and damaged foundations, beyond the cure of medicine."

As he spoke, he glanced around, "The current strategy requires only one method, asking the young hero to come to the Crown Prince Mansion for discussion."

Li Yan’s eyelid twitched, "Alright."

Truth be told, he didn’t want to invite trouble.

But this matter was unavoidable; it’s better to confront it actively...

......

The sound of hooves rang out on the official road as they rode towards the Capital.

The sky was gray, and low clouds pressed down heavily, with the distant outline of the Capital faintly visible in the winter fog, like a dormant giant beast. The fields beside the official road lay barren, the dry grass fallen.

Occasionally, lonely graves could be seen, with paper banners rotting into wisps, fluttering in the wind.

"This weather..." Sha Lifei muttered, pressing down his bamboo hat.

Soon, they saw the Jingjiao Tonghui River Ferry.

Li Yan remembered this place.

Before leaving the Capital last year, this area was a sprawling slum.

The low, crooked shacks crowded together, sewage flowed freely, barefoot children ran about, elders squatted by the walls basking in the sun, and porters carrying burlap bags shouted their commands.

The air was always filled with the smell of sweat, excrement, urine, and cheap food.

But now—

The shacks were gone.

Replaced by an endless stretch of tidy, but low gray-black factory buildings.

Walls built of coarse bricks, roofs tiled with azure shingles, reflecting a cold light on cloudy days.

Thick chimneys jabbed straight into the sky, spewing dense smoke.

The smoke was black, viscous, drawn by the north wind into long black lines.

"Boom... Clang... Bang!"

A rhythmically booming sound emanated from the factory buildings.

Heavy, dense, as if a beast underground was breathing, pounding.

Amidst it were sharp metallic screeches, hissing steam eruptions, and faint shouts of human voices.

Even at a distance, the ground beneath their feet seemed to tremble slightly.

The original slum flattened entirely, moved to a farther, low-lying area.