Chapter 329: Strike First to Gain the Advantage

Hearing her describe matters so gravely, Niu Youdao still seemed somewhat unconvinced. He hesitated before saying, "From what I've seen of the emperor of Qi, he has considerable breadth of mind. He doesn't strike me as an indecisive man. If he knows what sort of temperament this son of his has, why would he indulge him?"

"It isn't indulgence!" Guan Fangyi sighed. "There's history here you don't know. Struggles over the imperial throne have always been bloody, and Hao Yuntu's ascent was no exception. When the previous emperor died, the imperial princes immediately began a life-or-death struggle for the throne. I was already in the Qi capital then. Blood practically ran through the streets. Hao Yuntu was badly outnumbered and surrounded by heavy troops. When a storm of arrows came down, Hao Qi's birth mother used her own body to shield him and saved his life. Bu Xun persuaded the three major sects, which had remained neutral until then, to support Hao Yuntu. By the time he hurried over with men to rescue him, Hao Qi's mother had already been shot full of arrows like a hedgehog. Hao Yuntu had to crawl out from beneath her corpse. Her blood had soaked straight through his clothes. He held her body amid a heap of corpses and wept bitterly. If that woman hadn't sacrificed herself to save him, there would be no Hao Yuntu today. Now that matters have come this far, what is Hao Yuntu supposed to choose? He's caught in a dilemma too."

Niu Youdao had not expected such a history behind the matter.

"Would Prince Jin really dare go against Bu Xun, Chief Steward of the Inner Palace?"

"Exactly!" Guan Fangyi immediately said. "That's why I'm telling you not to go back to Qingshan Commandery. What's so good about returning to that poor mountain backwater? Just stay here in the capital. With Bu Xun behind you, and with Bu Xun absolutely capable of affecting whether Prince Jin becomes heir apparent, Prince Jin won't dare offend him before the succession is settled. But once you leave the capital, it's another matter. The Office of Investigation certainly doesn't control affairs outside as tightly as it controls the capital. Even if someone attacks you, who could prove Prince Jin was behind it?"

Niu Youdao said, "By that logic, am I supposed to remain in the Qi capital for the rest of my life?"

"So what if you do? I haven't left the city in years. If something needs doing, send people beneath you to handle it."

"If I become a useless man who hides in this city forever, do you think Bu Xun would still support me?"

"..."

Guan Fangyi had no answer. His point was not without reason. In truth, she did not actually know the real nature of the relationship between Niu Youdao and Bu Xun.

Niu Youdao asked again, "Can Prince Jin mobilize people from the three major sects?"

Guan Fangyi thought for a moment.

"He can certainly mobilize them, but it depends on the matter. If he wants them to do something that openly opposes his father, the three sects definitely won't obey him. Since you have Bu Xun's support, I don't think Prince Jin could mobilize people from the three sects to deal with you."

"What other cultivator forces does Prince Jin have under him?"

"As an imperial prince, he doesn't yet dare openly build a faction of his own in the cultivation world. The three major sects would be the first to refuse to tolerate it. In the open, he has the three major sects. In secret, he has Wei Chu."

"What faction does this Wei Chu belong to?"

"Wei Chu was originally an independent cultivator. You can't really say he belongs to any particular power. But after attaching himself to Prince Jin, he used Prince Jin's influence to cultivate influence of his own in the cultivation world. Then he turned that influence back around and used it to serve Prince Jin. The people he associates with are quite complicated."

"In other words, if Prince Jin wants to deal with me, there's an eighty or ninety percent chance Wei Chu will be the one to do it?"

"More or less." Guan Fangyi nodded. "Wei Chu is extremely exclusionary. To preserve his own influence over Prince Jin, he has eliminated other people who tried to attach themselves to the prince. But in my view, that man is destined to die a violent death sooner or later."

Linghu Qiu gave an interested "Oh?"

"Why do you say that?"

Guan Fangyi said, "The reason is simple. If Prince Jin ascends the throne, the three major sects will never tolerate another force maintaining influence and control over him. That would threaten the interests of the three sects, so they would inevitably remove Wei Chu. If Prince Jin fails to ascend, whoever does take the throne will certainly cut away Prince Jin's wings. Wei Chu will still be one of the first people targeted. So Wei Chu's final fate is almost already decided. Yet by now he can't separate himself from Prince Jin either. What he's doing is no different from drinking poison to quench his thirst. His only chance of survival will depend on whether he can escape when disaster finally comes."

Just then, a maid arrived and invited Guan Fangyi to dinner.

Guan Fangyi gave Niu Youdao a sidelong glance and said in a strange tone, "Would you like me to wait on you while you eat?"

"I'm afraid you'd poison me to death." Niu Youdao teased her with a sentence and waved her away.

After watching her leave, Niu Youdao turned back with a smile.

"Second Brother, this Hongniang is a much more competent broker than you. She knows far more."

Linghu Qiu smiled bitterly. "Can you compare us? She's been in the Qi capital for decades. If she knew less than I did, she'd have wasted all those years."

Niu Youdao abruptly changed the subject.

"Second Brother, what do you make of Wei Chu?"

Linghu Qiu heard the hidden meaning in his words.

"What are you getting at?"

Niu Youdao stood and faced him directly.

"I'd like to ask Second Brother for a favor."

Linghu Qiu looked at him uncertainly.

"What favor?"

Niu Youdao enunciated each word.

"Strike first to gain the advantage!"

"..."

Linghu Qiu was speechless.

He exchanged a look with Hongfu beside him, then hesitantly asked, "You want to get rid of Wei Chu?"

Niu Youdao nodded faintly.

"What does Second Brother think?"

Linghu Qiu's expression turned solemn.

"That man won't be easy to touch. He borrows the power of Prince Jin's residence. He must have gathered plenty of capable experts beneath him. Killing him won't be easy. And if the attempt fails and we're exposed, then after killing someone from Prince Jin's residence, even Bu Xun may find it difficult to step forward and protect you."

Niu Youdao said, "If I want to leave this place safely, I need to create enough disorder around Prince Jin's residence that they don't have the attention to spare for me. Killing Wei Chu is the best possible move. Hongniang already explained the situation clearly. Wei Chu controls Prince Jin's forces in the shadows. Once Wei Chu dies, Prince Jin won't be able to rebuild a network capable of targeting me overnight. That gives me enough time to get away."

Linghu Qiu did not know whether to laugh or cry.

"It's not that I don't want to help you. Where am I supposed to find that kind of ability? Forget me. How many people in the State of Qi dare move against someone from Prince Jin's residence, especially one of Prince Jin's trusted confidants?"

"Second Brother knows people everywhere. Think of a way. There must be someone suitable for the job. If money is needed, I'll find a way to provide it."

At that, Niu Youdao cupped his hands with complete sincerity.

"Second Brother, matters have already reached this point. I have no other choice. This concerns whether I live or die. I hope Second Brother won't refuse me."

Linghu Qiu neither agreed nor refused. He only said he needed time to think. Agreeing rashly to something like this, he said, would itself be irresponsible toward Niu Youdao. After watching Niu Youdao leave, Linghu Qiu sighed again and again. Hongfu beside him knew he was in a difficult position too. Just then, Hongxiu arrived and presented a sheet of paper.

"The reply concerning Wei Chu has come from above."

Linghu Qiu took it and read through the message. Then he passed it to Hongfu. He sighed.

"It's basically the same as what Guan Fangyi said, only more detailed."

After reading it, Hongfu rubbed the paper between her hands until it crumbled into drifting ash. Watching this, Linghu Qiu sighed yet again.

"Ah. Earlier I wanted to throw this pot onto Niu Third. Now Niu Third has thrown it right back onto me."

Hongxiu looked surprised.

"What happened?"

"He wants Sir to kill Wei Chu..." Hongfu briefly explained what had just happened.

Hongxiu's expression turned grave.

"How could one of Prince Jin's trusted confidants be so easy to touch?"

Linghu Qiu narrowed his eyes.

"Judging from what we know now, Wei Chu isn't impossible to kill. If we eliminate him, the probability of the three major sects avenging him is very low. Nor is there any real power standing behind Wei Chu himself. But it has to be done without gods or ghosts knowing. Otherwise, the consequences will be severe. Cutting off one of Prince Jin's arms is no small matter. It could alter the balance of the court of the State of Qi. I don't know whether it would interfere with the arrangements above. And this isn't something we can accomplish ourselves anyway. Only the people above could make the move. I'm afraid they may not agree to do something like this. Moving against a son of the Qi emperor carries real risk."

Hongxiu asked, "Then what do we do?"

"I'm stuck too. If I refuse this, it'll become even harder to win Niu Third's trust."

Linghu Qiu sighed deeply, then turned.

"This isn't something I can decide. Send a message upward. Have them make a decision and reply as quickly as possible!"

In a secret chamber, the lamplight was dim. The room was nearly empty. There was only one long table, two chairs, and a single candle. The candle flame did not stir.

Prince Yu, Hao Hong, sat quietly in splendid clothing, his expression calm and steady as he stared at the candle at the side of the table like an old monk in meditation. The candle had already burned more than halfway down. Suddenly, a current of air came from nowhere. The flame flickered. Hao Hong turned his head toward one corner of the room.

Buzz!

A section of the wall shifted and rotated. A figure wrapped in a black cloak stepped through. Hao Hong rose. The newcomer walked to the opposite side of the table and pulled back his hood, revealing a lean face with a goatee. It was Wei Chu.

"Uncle!" Hao Hong cupped his hands in greeting.

"Your Highness, please sit." Wei Chu gestured.

Once the two were seated, he said, "We don't have much time. Let's keep this brief. Why did the Princess Consort go see Niu Youdao?"

Hao Hong said, "It was Father Emperor's intention. He wants to use Shang Xue's influence over her father, together with Niu Youdao's influence over Shang Chaozong, to reconcile the two sides."

"Eh?" Wei Chu could not help making a surprised sound.

Hao Hong asked, "Why is Uncle surprised?"

Wei Chu stroked his beard.

"So what Niu Youdao told me was actually true. He didn't hide anything from me... Looks like he truly doesn't want to offend Prince Jin. Unfortunately, Prince Jin has no intention of letting him go."

Hao Hong blinked.

"Eldest Brother wants to kill Niu Youdao?"

Wei Chu nodded.

"Don't tell me he's ordered Uncle to do it again. Until we've figured out Niu Youdao's relationship with Bu Xun, you can't act recklessly. Besides, Niu Youdao doesn't seem easy to deal with."

"Whether it succeeds or fails, it's good for you. The more mistakes he makes, the more it benefits you. Why do you think I've stayed beside him all these years? To encourage his violent, perverse temper. I've gradually been pushing him toward a dead end while using his hand to suppress the other princes. You simply remain calm and continue playing the virtuous prince. Ah. He really has benefited from his mother's sacrifice. Otherwise, we would have overturned him long ago. For now, we can only proceed slowly and make your father grow increasingly sick of him. By the way, what did Bu Xun want with Niu Youdao? If the purpose was reconciliation, why would Bu Xun and the Princess Consort need to visit him one after another?"

"I don't know that either. Bu Xun didn't say, and it wasn't convenient for me to press him."

Wei Chu frowned and thought for a while. Unable to make sense of it, he finally stood.

"Then we'll leave it at that. I should go back."

Hao Hong quickly rose as well.

"Uncle, after all these years, Mother has always missed you and thought about you. She quietly mentioned you to me again yesterday. She wants to see you once, if only to ease the ache of all these years apart."

Wei Chu waved the suggestion away.

"No. We cannot meet! Before the larger affair is settled, we absolutely cannot meet. Tell your mother never to mention me again either. She must act as though this elder brother of hers does not exist. Neither you nor I truly understand how deep the Office of Investigation's control over this capital goes. If even the slightest rumor leaks out, all the dislike your father has accumulated toward Prince Jin over these years will pour onto you instead. He will treat you as the true culprit behind it all. That consequence is more than either you or I can bear. Your mother couldn't bear it either. Everything we've worked for all these years would be destroyed in a single stroke. Do you understand?"

Hao Hong bowed deeply and cupped his hands.

"Yes. I will remember."

[End of Chapter 329]