Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 602 - 602 0397 Chen Wenbos whereabouts

Chapter 602: Chapter 0397: Chen Wenbo’s whereabouts Chapter 602: Chapter 0397: Chen Wenbo’s whereabouts Chapter 0397: The Whereabouts of Chen Wenbo

Considering Wangdu County is named for its proximity to the capital of Great Zhao, it’s not too far away. If an army marches towards it, it may still take a few days. However, an ordinary person riding a horse at full tilt could reach the capital within a day.

Qi Tian stationed his army here, not only to consolidate his cultivation but also issued several commands. Firstly, he ordered Lu Jingfei, Xu Jifa, and Wang Xiuwu, three Pseudo Core Realm cultivators, to cooperate with the army led by Marquis Ma in purging Wangdu County. Any cultivator, bureaucrat, or soldier opposing Prince Zhao, the Crown Prince and affairs of state would be targeted and cleaned out. Offenders, when found, would either be executed or exiled to hard labor. There would be no mercy, Queen Tian’s actions were relatively lenient in comparison to historical precedence, where entire families were eradicated.

The second order was for Gao Jinmei to return to Lubei County to welcome Prince Zhao to Wangdu County. With the capital’s fall in sight, in order to legitimize this operation, a valid reason would need to be communicated to the entire world, necessitating Prince Zhao’s presence. Qi Tian considered the safety of Prince Zhao as paramount and prepared numerous arrangements.

When he led Deng Chuanliang, Gao Jinmei, and others out with the army, Prince Zhao’s entire family was housed in the Imperial Master Mansion. Additionally, Qi Tian assigned people like Guan Xun and Wu Tao to safeguard Prince Zhao personally.

When Prince Zhao set off for Wangdu County, apart from Guan Xun and others accompanying him, Qi Tian also tasked thirty mid to late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Imperial Master Mansion to protect Prince Zhao. In theory, along with Gao Jinmei welcoming them, these protective forces are enough to ensure Prince Zhao’s safety. Yet, to be on the safe side, Qi Tian gave Prince Zhao several Protective Talismans capable of defending against a full-out attack from a Gold Core cultivator. He also kept Prince Zhao’s beloved son at the Imperial Master Mansion. That way, even if Prince Zhao did meet his end, they could still carry out Qi Tian’s plan in his son’s name.

The third order was a formal public announcement by Qi Tian, calling for action against the current Crown Prince to purge corruption from the courts. Besides outlining the Crown Prince’s misconduct and how the Emperor was deceived, Qi Tian urged all nobles and military leaders to mobilize against the Crown Prince. Those willing to assist in subjugation would be rewarded handsomely once the nation was stabilized. Those unwilling to participate could adopt neutrality without fear of post-war retribution unless, of course, they themselves had skeletons in their closet and they will have to stand trial once the nation was pacified. Any refusal to subjugate the Crown Prince or maintain neutrality will be seen as rebellion and will be dealt with accordingly with no exception.

Simultaneously, Qi Tian ordered all nobles and officials supporting Prince Zhao for the position of the Crown Prince, to report to Wangdu County to pay homage to Prince Zhao.

Cultivators were no exception. All cultivation factions within the borders of Great Zhao, regardless of their family or sect, had to express their stance—either support Prince Zhao, the rightful heir or the Crown Prince, the rebellious son. Amongst the cultivators, there could not be a neutral party. One had to declare one’s allegiance, or else they would be labelled as a supporter of the Crown Prince’s party and annihilated accordingly.

With Qi Tian’s consecutive orders, Wangdu County became a hotspot for an assortment of nobles and officers. Especially with Qi Tian’s overwhelming dominance, all cultivation forces within Great Zhao sent their representatives to Wangdu County to make their allegiance known to Qi Tian.

Qi Tian did not take interest in Great Zhao’s worldly affairs; hence he did not meet a single noble or official who travelled from afar. Initially, Marquis Ma and King Zhangbei Zhao Qian represented Prince Zhao and himself to greet these individuals. After Prince Zhao successfully reached Wangdu County, they directly allowed Prince Zhao to meet these individuals along with Zhao Qian and others. As for how they planned to siege the capital and distribute post-war benefits, Qi Tian disconnected himself from these matters and allowed Prince Zhao and his staff to take charge.

Prince Zhao was clever. He did not display any intention of severing ties with Qi Tian. He frequently sent individuals to report back to Qi Tian and occasionally personally consulted Qi Tian. If Qi Tian objected, Prince Zhao would definitely not agree.

Of course, all these were explicit decisions made by Qi Tian in full view of the world for Prince Zhao to ascend the throne to the capital as the new Crown Prince rightfully. Behind the scenes, Qi Tian certainly did not forget why he initiated this grand military action sweeping across much of the Great Zhao nation. In essence, it was to kill the Crown Prince and those around him. If, during his grand preparation for Prince Zhao in Wangdu County, the Crown Prince took the opportunity to escape, it would cause a significant issue.

The day Qi Tian executed Sun Xingbiao, he sent Deng Chuanliang to infiltrate the capital secretly, to trace the Crown Prince, preventing him from escaping. In fact, if Qi Tian wished, he could directly command Deng Chuanliang to execute the Crown Prince. However, this action would cause Prince Zhao to lose legitimacy, which was unfavorable for Prince Zhao’s future rule over Great Zhao and the Imperial Master Mansion’s control over Great Zhao’s cultivation world. Therefore, Qi Tian rather go through the trouble to ensure the due process is followed.