Chapter One Hundred and One: The Young Lord Fusu Pays a Visit

I respectfully report to Your Majesty that I have grown used to an idle, unrestrained life, roaming like cloud and crane, and fear I am unfit to shoulder so weighty a duty.

When Yi Xiaochuan said this, everyone in the great hall turned to look at him.

Even Li Si stared at Yi Xiaochuan in astonishment.

The post of commander guarding the imperial palace was by no means an office one could simply ask for at will, and only the favor of the First Emperor could bestow such an appointment.

Yet Yi Xiaochuan had actually refused it, leaving many utterly stunned and unable to fathom what he was thinking.

His refusal seemed to displease the First Emperor as well, who sat with a silent majesty that needed no anger to inspire awe.

At that moment, Consort Li, seated beside the dragon throne, suddenly spoke up: “Lord Yi, the imperial palace is the most secret and vital place under heaven. For His Majesty to entrust its defense to you is the highest honor. Only by having loyal warriors like you guarding it day and night can we rest easy.”

If another had said such words, it might well have had the opposite effect, for Yi Xiaochuan cared little for honor and glory.

But Consort Li was different. As soon as she spoke, Yi Xiaochuan hesitated. Then he clasped his hands toward the First Emperor and said, “Your Majesty, I was momentarily confused and nearly wasted Your Majesty’s profound goodwill. I deserve ten thousand deaths.”

With that, he knelt and bowed, performing the full ritual of minister to sovereign.

Seeing this, the First Emperor smiled faintly and said, “This office is of utmost importance. Many covet it day and night and still cannot obtain it, yet Lord Yi could have had it at a gesture and instead declined it. This shows that Lord Yi is not a man who lusts after power. And Lord Yang, you are brave beyond measure, one man worth a thousand troops. You two are the talents I require. Beginning tomorrow, take up your posts.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

Yang Wenhao and Yi Xiaochuan bowed in gratitude.

Though Yang Wenhao was a cultivator, in the presence of an emperor of such singular stature, he harbored no other thoughts and still performed the rites of subject to ruler.

Thus, Yang Wenhao became the commander guarding Xianyang City, while Yi Xiaochuan became the commander guarding the imperial palace.

One outside, one inside; in an instant, their power had reached its peak.

Afterward, Yang Wenhao and Yi Xiaochuan were each assigned an estate to serve as their official residence.

The First Emperor trusted Yang Wenhao as well, and gave him two thousand men directly under his command.

These two thousand men effectively became Yang Wenhao’s private army.

And throughout all of Xianyang, almost no one dared lay a hand on the newly appointed Yang Wenhao.

In order to show his gratitude, the First Emperor specifically ordered Moonwater Grotto Heaven to present the palace with some fine wine.

This wine was far superior to anything sold by other merchants, by several magnitudes.

After tasting it, the First Emperor praised it repeatedly.

One day, in Moonwater Grotto Heaven, while speaking of certain matters, Yi Xiaochuan kept shaking his head.

“What is it? What happened?” Yang Wenhao asked.

Yi Xiaochuan sighed. “It’s my elder brother, Liu Bang. When he heard that I had become commander of the imperial palace, he came to me asking for an official post.”

“And did you give him one?” Yang Wenhao asked.

“I couldn’t refuse him, so I made him my deputy,” Yi Xiaochuan said.

Yang Wenhao laughed. “Then that settles it. Since the decision has already been made, what more can be done?”

“Honestly, I’m still a little uneasy about him. After all, he sold me out once already.” In truth, Yi Xiaochuan understood as well how hard it was, throughout history, for anyone to rise and found a dynasty. He simply was unwilling to alter history, and besides, he and Liu Bang had sworn brotherhood.

So there was the matter of brotherly bonds.

Yang Wenhao sipped his wine and smiled without speaking. He knew what Yi Xiaochuan was thinking, but he also knew Yi Xiaochuan would never lay a hand on Liu Bang.

As for himself, he had never intended to kill Liu Bang either. In fact, having someone like Liu Bang stir up trouble was rather amusing; at the very least, it kept things from becoming too dull.

Just then, Cui Wenzi walked in.

Seeing him burdened with bundles and baggage, Yi Xiaochuan asked in confusion, “What’s going on, Old Cui?”

“I’m preparing to leave,” Cui Wenzi said.

“Leave? Why?” Yi Xiaochuan asked, puzzled.

“The Empress’s illness has been cured. There’s nothing more for me to do here, so I ought to go where I’m needed,” Cui Wenzi said. “I came today to bid you farewell one last time.”

“Then let’s have one last drink together,” Yi Xiaochuan said.

“Very well.” Cui Wenzi nodded.

During this final drinking session, Cui Wenzi said many things to Yi Xiaochuan.

But whether Yi Xiaochuan truly took them to heart, he did not know.

In the days that followed, Yang Wenhao devoted himself to cultivation and continued serving as the commander of Xianyang’s defenses.

And those two thousand men he had been given soon became as tightly knit as a sealed iron barrel.

As a man from the modern age, with Yang Wenhao’s capabilities, was he really unable to handle these ancient men?

Before long, those two thousand had truly become his private guard.

Thanks to the relationship he had with the First Emperor and Li Si, almost no one dared move against Yang Wenhao.

So Yang Wenhao was perfectly content to live in leisure and ease.

He was waiting for the proper moment. When that moment arrived, it would be time for him to support a new emperor.

As for who that new emperor would be, he had not yet decided.

In the blink of an eye, twenty-seven days had passed since the day he first began consuming thousand-year wild ginseng.

And when he refined the final portion, he surged forward in one breath and broke through to the second level of Foundation Establishment.

However, after reaching the second level, the whole-body sensation of cleansing and tempering that had accompanied the earlier breakthroughs was no longer there.

His body had in fact already been cleared of many impurities, though not entirely. His realm had simply not yet advanced enough to expel the deeper ones.

Li Lingyun’s practice of the Nine Swords of the Lone Sword had also shown progress.

She no longer seemed as utterly powerless before Yang Wenhao as she had at the beginning. Though she was still not far from that state, Yang Wenhao could clearly feel that she had been putting in real effort.

That day, after inspecting Xianyang City, Yang Wenhao returned to his residence.

Just as he was about to enter, he saw Li Lingyun waiting outside.

“What is it?” Yang Wenhao asked.

“Master, Young Master Fusu is here,” Li Lingyun said hurriedly.

“Prince Fusu?” Yang Wenhao paused slightly, then stepped inside, where he found Prince Fusu waiting in the main hall.

Compared with their previous meeting, Prince Fusu was still as refined and courteous as ever.

When Prince Fusu saw Yang Wenhao arrive, he clasped his hands and said, “General Yang.”

Yang Wenhao returned the salute. “You are too kind, Prince Fusu. May I ask what brings you to this humble residence?”

Prince Fusu smiled faintly. “It is like this: I have come to invite General Yang to join my Hall of Worthies.”

“Join your Hall of Worthies?” Yang Wenhao frowned.

It seemed Prince Fusu was trying to force him to choose a side.

Meng Tian was also, as far as he knew, a guest scholar of the Hall of Worthies. Among the civil and military officials of the court, most who supported Prince Fusu had some connection to it in one way or another.