Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 292 - 216: The Overt Stratagem of Jiatiange_2

Chapter 292: Chapter 216: The Overt Stratagem of Jiatiange_2

The night breeze caressed gently, and Feng Jiuxuan suddenly cast a glance towards the direction of the Inner Court.

Then,

a middle-aged man in a black dragon robe with golden edges descended onto the open space in front of the Sword Pavilion, bathed in the moonlight.

Xu Yinhè looked around and first set his gaze on Xu Yuan, whose fingers were trembling slightly from his recent brush with death.

A flash of barely noticeable concern passed by in a moment.

Without voicing his concern, Xu Yinhè silently looked at the half-transparent soul body of Old Man Luo and said in a steady and deep voice,

"I heard about what just happened. Rest assured, Senior, I have already found the disciple you were looking for."

Upon hearing this, Old Man Luo’s soul body’s gaze sharpened, and soon his lips curled into a slight smile as he cupped his hands in a traditional gesture,

"I knew the Prime Minister would not forget this matter, but may I know when I will be able to meet my future disciple?"

Xu Yinhè did not immediately answer, but instead said,

"Heaven’s Watchtower has emerged, and they have announced to the world through the Communication Crystal that their envoys are on their way to the Imperial Capital to receive investiture from the Imperial Court. Based on the information the Prime Minister’s Mansion has, their power and influence are considerable."

Old Man Luo’s expression changed as he feigned confusion,

"I wonder what meaning Xu Prime Minister’s words carry?"

"Old Man Luo, can’t even figure out something this simple? You are the Saint of Heaven’s Watchtower~"

Xu Yuan interjected at this point, giving the perfect setup with a teasing tone, "Tianyan knows you’re here with me; when their envoys come to the Imperial Capital for the investiture, is there a possibility that they might also wish to ’welcome’ you back on the way?"

"....."

Old Man Luo did not speak, looking at Xu Yinhè, knowing that in the Prime Minister’s Mansion, the word of Xu Prime Minister was law.

Xu Yinhè, too, said nothing, simply using a look to signal that he should discuss this matter with Xu Yuan.

"...." Old Man Luo felt a sinking feeling in his heart and cursed inwardly.

He had seen Xu Yuan’s slyness all along the way.

After saying goodbye to Ran Qingmo, he headed north to the Imperial Capital, and along the way, there were three Secret Realms on the route. He wanted to let the young fellow seek treasures inside and also secretly take some items needed for a body-snatching preparation.

Every time he suggested it, Xu Yuan would not say anything, just looked at you with a smile on his face.

That made your scalp tingle.

This gave Old Man Luo the illusion that the kid knew him better than he knew himself.

Thinking this, the Saint’s Remnant Soul glanced at Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan blinked at him and gave a shy smile.

"....."

The corner of the Saint’s Remnant Soul’s eye twitched, and his face was as still as water,

"I...won’t talk to this youngster."

Seeing this, Xu Yuan was about to speak, but Xu Yinhè raised his hand slightly to signal, and Xu Yuan reluctantly shut his mouth.

With a sweep of his robes, the Soul Ring fell directly from Xu Yuan’s fingertip, flying into Xu Yinhè’s palm,

"Since you are reluctant to talk to Changtian, then please, Senior, step into the main hall to discuss affairs."

Having said that, Xu Yinhè nodded towards Feng Jiuxuan,

"Big brother, Wu Yuan will visit the Prime Minister’s Mansion tomorrow. Changtian needs to meet her, so for tonight and tomorrow....."

...

...

...

Most areas of the Prime Minister’s Mansion were devoid of the hustle and bustle of the day, tranquil and silent at night.

Xu Yinhè walked with steady steps at the front, followed quietly by Xu Yuan.

Closing more than ten days, Xu Yuan, who had finally left the hell-like Sword Pavilion dojo for the first time, didn’t feel much relief. After pondering over his wording, Xu Yuan still initiated the conversation,

"Father, about Heaven’s Watchtower..."

Xu Yinhè seemed to have anticipated such a question from his third son,

"The envoys from Heaven’s Watchtower will probably arrive in the Imperial Capital in about two months, and it is said they will be led by their Saintess who intends to meet His Majesty personally. Changtian, you should be familiar with her."

"......."

Xu Yuan hesitated for a moment before asking in a measured tone,

"With such an approach, isn’t Heaven’s Watchtower afraid that the Imperial Court will detain their Saintess?"

Xu Yinhè glanced at him,

"The majority of Sects from the two provinces of the Southern Borders have no objections to the emergence of Heaven’s Watchtower. Many of the originally hostile Sects have also put aside their disputes."

Xu Yuan cautiously asked,

"Does this mean that the Jiatiange essentially controls the two provinces of the Southern Borders? And the clashes among the Sects are just for show?"

Sects’ influence stretches across all the states, yet the region around Di’an City has none, thanks to the decades of governance by Li Yaoxuan and his father.

In the descriptions of the war to curb the Sects within Cang Yuan, details were vague, but it was evident that the Imperial Court generally pushed from the north to the south.

Just as the unification was nearing completion, the Prime Minister’s Mansion collapsed due to dramatic plot twists.

In that case, Heaven’s Watchtower must indeed have exerted considerable effort to secure control over the two provinces of the Southern Borders.

Xu Yinhè continued on his way, walking by the lake, which reflected the round moon:

"Right, this time Jiatiange has sent envoys to the Imperial Capital. On the surface, they accept the Imperial Court’s official appointment, but in fact, they are pressuring the Imperial Court’s military operations in the Northern Frontier."

"Pressuring?" Xu Yuan murmured.

Xu Yinhè narrowed his eyes, his expression loaded with meaning:

"Jiatiange would not stand with the Imperial Court. Their stance, interests, and motives make it impossible. This pressure is like delivering a declaration of allegiance to all the Sects."

"Declaration of allegiance?" Xu Yuan frowned: "The Sects wouldn’t have a favorable view of Jiatiange. Would they accept such a declaration?"

Sects are individuals, yet they are also a collective.

With the sudden emergence of Jiatiange, an elder statesman from ten thousand years ago, vying to join the collective of Sects, it is bound to cause friction with the current leading Sects, making it uncertain whether they will accept Jiatiange.

In the past life’s storyline, the Sword Sect vanished as soon as the war began.

Sects need a leader, thus Jiatiange has ample room to scheme in the shadows. But now, the Sword Sect is still intact, and with Ran Jianli remaining as the State Preceptor, Jiatiange’s emergence will inevitably cause division within the Sects.

One faction aligns with the Sword Sect, the other with Jiatiange.

In such a situation, the Imperial Court has great potential to make a move.

Xu Yinhè sighed, turned his gaze back to Xu Yuan, and calmly uttered:

"Changtian, what if Jiatiange uses the pretext of a looming calamity?"

"......"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan’s eyes widened slightly.

His mind suddenly flooded with myriad thoughts, intricate and disordered.

Due to the special nature of the Yantian Art, Jiatiange holds an awkward position and can even be considered naturally opposed to any other faction.

Their words and stances won’t attract many Sects to follow them.

But if it benefits the Sects, it would be a different case.

Claims of an impending calamity, whether fabricated by Jiatiange or not, will be unanimously endorsed by the Sects to establish credibility.

Xu Yuan, frowning, walked more than ten zhang out:

"If we let Jiatiange arrive in the capital for an audience, the matter of the calamity will cause the Imperial Court to lose its moral high ground."

Moral high ground may seem useless at times, yet it can be extremely useful when invoked.

The Dayan Dynasty is still a united entity, and within the rules, moral high ground is the excuse for action. It can win the hearts of the people and provide legitimacy to stabilize military morale, making it impossible for anyone to publicly oppose it.

Moreover, the Dayan Dynasty’s current military use against the Barbarian Tribes enjoys absolute moral high ground.

While Sects may not welcome it, they can go no further than using mouthpieces in court to advise against it as "exhausting and draining to the people," or employing self-destructive tactics to obstruct it. Publicly, they cannot oppose outright.

But a calamity...

The top Sects in Dayan should be aware of such a calamity, and if not, those in the know will surely inform others.

Thus, the pretext of hoarding Dayan’s strength to face the impending calamity can become an even more significant moral argument than eradicating foreign tribes.

Xu Yinhè stood still, his gaze probing the south with a deep look:

"To lose the moral high ground to the court in exchange for a declaration of allegiance to join the Sects is a shrewd move by Heaven’s Watchtower Master indeed."

Xu Yuan rubbed the Sumeru Ring on his fingertip:

"Such an overt scheme, unless the Imperial Court is prepared to completely sever ties, will be difficult to counter, but now we are not yet in a position to openly break with the Sects."

Xu Yinhè nodded, then suddenly asked:

"Changtian, do you have any strategies to counter this situation?"

Without a second thought, Xu Yuan blurted out one word:

"Delay."

"Delay?"

Xu Yinhè murmured to himself, his understanding clear. He looked at Xu Yuan with a hint of a smile in his eyes: "Why?"

Looking at each other,

Xu Yuan spread his hands, his voice carrying a smile:

"The Emperor has been secluded in the palace for a long time and Father, you are always busy with state affairs. Even if Jiatiange spreads the word about the looming calamity far and wide, there will inevitably be some cunning scoundrels who mislead the Emperor and yourself."

"Before the arrival of the Jiatiange delegation, neither of you would be aware of this matter."