Chapter 430: Secret Plot Behind Closed Doors

"This..." Peng Yulan truly did not know whether she should agree.

It was not that she could not bear to harm Shang Chaozong. Matters had already reached this point. In struggles over power, family affection was easily cast aside, especially when the interests of her entire household were involved. She no longer cared much whether Shang Chaozong lived or died. What troubled her was how she would face her father and daughter afterward. Yet Feng Lingbo had already opened a breach in the embankment around her heart. Thoughts she could no longer restrain began flowing through it like poison.

Combined with Feng Lingbo's determination and persuasion, some things were already becoming unavoidable... Hooves thundered along the official road. More than a dozen riders led by Peng Youzai raced back from Jinzhou and crossed again into Nanzhou territory. Most of the riders thundered directly past a relay station beside the road.

Several whose mounts were falling behind from exhaustion turned into the station instead, changed horses, then charged back out and continued pursuing the lead group. That was how they had traveled the entire way, taking turns changing mounts. A Goldenwing descended from the sky.

A disciple decoded the secret message while still on horseback, then urged his horse faster and caught up with Peng Youzai at the head of the column.

He reported loudly, "Feng Lingbo has sent confirmation. The people from the three sects are indeed heading toward Changping City!"

Everyone traveling with Peng Youzai turned toward him. Coldness spread across Peng Youzai's face.

He said in a deep voice, "It is not yet the three sects' turn to jump out and dictate terms in Nanzhou. Send word to Elder Chen. The three sects are not to be allowed into the city. If they force their way in, kill them! Yes!"

The disciple accepted the order. On a sheer cliff beneath an old tree, Niu Youdao sat alone while tea boiled over a charcoal brazier. Gongsun Bu and Guan Fangyi arrived together. Guan Fangyi sat directly opposite Niu Youdao.

"Old Second Wu has already taken his men into position outside Changping City, but cultivators simply can't enter the city."

"Tianyu Sect disciples are helping inspect every gate. They use spiritual power to examine everyone entering and leaving. Any cultivator with spiritual power in the body has no way to slip through."

"There are Tianyu Sect disciples watching from the city walls as well. Climbing over without being discovered is practically impossible."

"Forget meeting Shang Chaozong. They can't even get close."

Niu Youdao reached out for the boiling kettle and calmly poured himself tea.

Gongsun Bu continued, "Yuan Gang did manage to bring his people into the city, but he has no way to see His Highness either. Troops are stationed around the outside of the residence where His Highness is being confined, while cultivators guard the interior. There's no way to approach. Even communication between Yuan Gang and Old Second Wu outside the city is troublesome. Someone has to pass through the gates each time. Changping City is under close surveillance, so using a Goldenwing isn't convenient."

Niu Youdao poured tea for all three of them.

"Can you get a message to His Highness?"

"No," Gongsun Bu replied.

"Master Yuan had people make contact with servants inside the Feng household and drew out a little information."

"The cultivators guarding the residence where His Highness is confined are extremely strict. Even food sent inside has to pass through careful inspection by cultivators. There's no opening to tamper with anything."

Hearing this, Niu Youdao actually relaxed. Things had reached this point, and what he feared most was Feng Lingbo becoming a cornered dog desperate enough to leap the wall. From the sound of it, Tianyu Sect seemed to be guarding against Feng Lingbo as well. As long as Tianyu Sect was protecting Shang Chaozong, there should not be much danger.

"Tell Yuan Gang that if Feng Lingbo truly tries to move against His Highness, Tianyu Sect will not stand with Feng Lingbo."

"Have him respond according to circumstances and support His Highness's safety."

Niu Youdao set a cup of tea in front of Gongsun Bu, then added, "Everyone's own safety comes first. Tell him to be careful. If something cannot be done, don't force it."

"All right!" Gongsun Bu answered.

Guan Fangyi asked, "You've hidden away for this long. When are you planning to come back out?"

"I'm not bored in the slightest," Niu Youdao replied with teasing amusement.

Seeing her roll her eyes, he smiled.

"I still can't show myself. Wait a little longer."

Feng Lingbo set down the urgent report in his hand and leaned back against the chair. It was another report on the three sects. They were getting closer and closer to Changping City. The news made him intensely anxious. Once the people from the three sects met Shang Chaozong and surrounded him with cultivators, Feng Lingbo would lose any opportunity to strike. In truth, it was already difficult to find an opportunity now. He had no way to remove all the cultivators protecting Shang Chaozong.

Bai Yao in particular remained at the residence almost without leaving Shang Chaozong's side. Peng Yulan had no chance to make a surprise attack on Shang Chaozong either. Whenever anyone from outside the residence approached, Bai Yao immediately appeared beside Shang Chaozong. Peng Yulan had no opening. Feng Lingbo's side could not even find a gap through which to use poison. The more tightly sealed the situation became, the more anxious Feng Lingbo grew. Peng Yulan hurried into the room. Feng Lingbo immediately stood and went to meet her.

"Any way to draw the Tianyu Sect disciples away from that side?"

Peng Yulan shook her head with difficulty. "At most, I can draw some of them away. Getting every one of them to leave and abandoning Shang Chaozong there alone is basically impossible."

Feng Lingbo tipped his head back and let out a long sigh.

"Is Heaven determined to destroy me?"

Peng Yulan comforted him. "Don't panic. We still have at least one more day."

"I just received word from Tianyu Sect. Father has already ordered the Tianyu Sect disciples here to stop the three sects outside the city and refuse them entry. If those three sects force their way through, Tianyu Sect is to kill them."

"So until Father returns, there's no chance the three sects can enter the city and meet Shang Chaozong."

"We still have one day to think of a way."

"That's true..." Feng Lingbo had only just spoken when he froze.

His eyes brightened sharply.

He demanded, "Is that true? Father really ordered Tianyu Sect's disciples to stop the three sects from entering the city?"

Peng Yulan replied, "Of course it's true. Why would I lie to you? Good!"

Feng Lingbo smashed one fist into his palm and began pacing excitedly.

"Heaven has not abandoned me. When the three sects arrive, that may be precisely our chance to succeed!"

Peng Yulan stared at him. "How so? Stopping the three sects should not require moving the disciples guarding Shang Chaozong."

Feng Lingbo immediately stopped beside her and whispered several sentences into her ear. After listening, Peng Yulan looked doubtful.

"Will that work?"

A vicious expression appeared on Feng Lingbo's face.

"Whether it works or not, we have to try!"

"Yulan, this is our only chance."

"Once we miss it, once Father returns, once Shang Chaozong takes power, then after everything we've already done to him, even if our whole family can preserve our lives, your sons and grandsons may spend the rest of their days huddled beneath Tianyu Sect's mountain farming the soil."

"As long as Shang Chaozong remains standing, your descendants will never have a chance to rise!"

Peng Yulan's breathing grew heavy. Nothing else needed to be said. The moment she thought about the future of her descendants, it was enough to make her decision. She nodded hard.

"Good. We'll do it this way. Make your preparations in secret."

Feng Lingbo said, "Don't worry. As long as you can successfully draw the Tianyu Sect disciples away, I can send a large force directly inside. Crossbows fire in volleys. The few people remaining within won't be able to withstand it. In only moments, Shang Chaozong and the others will be chopped into minced flesh. They won't last long enough for Tianyu Sect's disciples to hear the alarm and rush back. By the time Tianyu Sect arrives, the rice will already be cooked. Good. I'll go prepare now."

Peng Yulan threw down those words and strode away. Feng Lingbo then summoned four trusted generals. His eldest son, Feng Ruoyi. His second son, Feng Ruojie. Tao Yan. Nong Changguang. A matter like this could only be entrusted to absolutely reliable men. Naturally, his two sons had to be included. As for Tao Yan and Nong Changguang, both had been Feng Lingbo's trusted subordinates when he presided over Guangyi Commandery. After Feng Lingbo lost power, the two had inevitably been affected as well.

Once Shang Chaozong took over the two commanderies, there was no possibility he would place Feng Lingbo's trusted men back into important positions. The two had endured several years of frustration and neglect. The moment Feng Lingbo returned to power, he had recalled and reinstated them. Whether his two sons or Tao Yan and Nong Changguang, all four had once been fierce generals under Feng Lingbo. Years ago, Guangyi Commandery had managed to hold together inside Nanzhou without collapsing, and the four men had contributed no small share.

Since this was a secret plot behind closed doors, and the actual execution would depend upon these men, Feng Lingbo did not conceal the situation from them. He laid out the approaching crisis in full, then plainly revealed his intention to eliminate Shang Chaozong.

"What do all of you think?"

Feng Ruoyi and Feng Ruojie exchanged glances. Kill their own younger sister's husband? For a moment, neither knew how to answer. Tao Yan and Nong Changguang exchanged silent looks as well. They had endured so much frustration over these years. Now that they had finally returned to positions of authority, neither wanted to suffer that humiliation again. How could they willingly surrender the fruits of victory already in their hands? They would fight desperately to preserve them if necessary. Men forged on battlefields did not fear killing.

But this was still their lord's own son-in-law. Neither man wanted to be the first to eagerly agree, which would look rather ugly. So both watched Feng Ruoyi and Feng Ruojie's reactions as well. If everyone agreed, the two of them would naturally agree too. If the others objected, they would say nothing and let Feng Lingbo decide. Feng Lingbo stared coldly at his two sons and forced them to declare themselves.

"What your father is fighting for is what I'm fighting for on your behalf!"

Feng Ruoyi sighed. "What about Younger Sister? Are we really going to make her a widow? I know her temper. If we truly move to kill him, she will absolutely try to stop us. If she stands in front of him, do we attack or not? Are we supposed to step over Ruonan's corpse to reach Shang Chaozong?"

Feng Lingbo waved a hand.

"You needn't worry about that. She is my daughter too, flesh of my heart. Before we act, we will naturally send Ruonan elsewhere. I won't allow her to be placed in danger. Her safety will be guaranteed."

Feng Ruojie asked, "Father, will Tianyu Sect agree? If Tianyu Sect doesn't agree, with those cultivators protecting him, it'll be very difficult for us to make a move."

"Do I need you to teach me that?" Feng Lingbo replied.

"Relax. Your mother will find a way to draw the Tianyu Sect people away. If that cannot be done, then we won't act."

Feng Ruoyi smiled bitterly. "Father, Ruonan refused to marry him back then. Our family forced her into the marriage."

"Now that she has finally married, we're going to kill her husband with our own hands."

"Even if we succeed, how are we supposed to face Younger Sister afterward?"

Those words made Feng Lingbo's heart sink somewhat too. If he spoke according to conscience, then doing such a thing truly would wrong his daughter terribly. Tao Yan had been observing from the side. Now he spoke decisively.

"When Shang Chaozong seized authority from his father-in-law back then, did he ever show mercy?"

"My lord only married his precious daughter to the man because Shang Chaozong deceived him. There is no need for the young lady to remain a Princess Consort."

"Eldest Young Master can rest assured."

"Afterward, I will personally find the young lady a good household. I will absolutely not let her remain a widow. Leave that matter to me."

"If all else fails, and if my lord doesn't disdain this subordinate for being somewhat older, I am willing to divorce my wife and marry the young lady myself. I swear I will never let her suffer the slightest grievance!"

[End of Chapter 430]