However, today's poetry gathering was hosted by the Crown Prince, so no matter how dissatisfied they were, they didn't dare to show it easily.
Just then, a procession approached from afar.
Ye Qinghe and the others stood up one after another, watching respectfully.
The newcomer was none other than the Crown Prince, but almost everyone's eyes involuntarily fell upon the graceful figure beside him.
"It really is Fairy Yu!"
"Her face is truly breathtaking. In the Daxia Capital—no, forget the Daxia Capital, even in countries like Qingsong, Guhe, Longdu, and Yizhou, I doubt there is a woman who can compare!"
Someone muttered to themselves.
Hearing this, Goddess Xiao's face immediately flashed with a cold sneer, and she quietly began to size up Fairy Yu. At first, she felt extremely unconvinced, but upon taking a clear look at Fairy Yu's face, a flash of astonishment inevitably crossed her eyes.
"Can such a woman truly exist in this world? This appearance—surely she is naturally formed like an immortal stepping out of the dust..."
Goddess Xiao was secretly shocked in her heart.
Scholars from countries like Guhe were also completely entranced at that moment.
"Fairy Yu, with you here to add to the festivity today, this poetry gathering can finally be considered complete."
The Crown Prince smiled softly.
He swept his gaze across the crowd, immediately spotted Fang Chen, and then calmly withdrew his gaze.
Fairy Yu also noticed Fang Chen, a faint smile appearing on her face: "Your Highness is joking. For this humble maiden to be able to attend today's poetry gathering is a great honor."
The Crown Prince chuckled lightly, sizing up Fairy Yu's face from the side as a trace of secret greed flashed in his eyes.
Chapter 29: Utter Nonsense
The Crown Prince led Fairy Yu to her seat. Their arrival marked the official start of the "Ending War" poetry gathering for the day, and everyone was brimming with energy, planning to pull out the poems they had composed beforehand and make a name for themselves!
"Military God Fang, how is it that you have the leisure to come here today?"
After taking his seat, the Crown Prince glanced at Fang Chen seemingly nonchalantly and smiled.
Tao Yu answered on Fang Chen's behalf: "Your Highness, the Military God Fang says he wishes to soak in the fragrance of ink and brush."
"I see."
The Crown Prince realized: "That works too. Since Military God Fang won't be able to enter the court or command troops in the future, he might as well abandon the martial path for the literary one, which could also add a touch of brilliance to our Daxia. Military God Fang is a martial arts prodigy, so presumably switching to the literary path won't be any weaker than everyone here."
"Your Highness, have you ever seen a butcher recite poetry?"
Ye Qinghe couldn't help laughing.
This remark immediately provoked a burst of uproarious laughter at the scene.
Fairy Yu's brows furrowed inadvertently. She memorized the faces of everyone who had laughed at that moment, particularly Tao Yu and Ye Qinghe.
Bored stiff, Fang Chen waved a hand: "I'm here to soak in the poetry and ink, not to chat with you people. Hurry up and start reciting your poems."
Everyone's expressions shifted slightly. Seeing this, the Crown Prince stopped paying attention to Fang Chen and immediately smiled at the crowd:
"The theme of today's poetry gathering is 'Ending War.' I wonder who will go first to claim the top prize?"
Hearing this, someone immediately jumped out and chanted a poem they had long since prepared, instantly drawing thunderous applause from the hall.
"Utter nonsense."
Fang Chen muttered to himself, then also smiled and clapped his hands, while his gaze casually sized up the retainers brought by the Crown Prince.
As one "Ending War" poem after another was presented, the atmosphere of the poetry gathering gradually reached its peak. No one cared about Fang Chen's presence anymore; they all wanted to seize today's opportunity to gain a little bit of shallow fame for themselves and leave an impression on the Crown Prince, hoping to use it for future advancement.
"His retainers are all martial artists, and their highest cultivation is only at Peak Qi Burst. There's no trace of the Blood Spirit Cult here, however..."
A smile flashed in Fang Chen's eyes.
His people had already taken action; today would determine the relationship between that Daoist and the Crown Prince.
If the Crown Prince was connected to the Blood Spirit Cult—
Then the nature of this matter would completely change.
"Weapons and armor as steeds ascending cloud-capped peaks,
Bones buried in the Three Realms, ten thousand loyal souls.
Old careers already vanished with campaigns of war,
Only hearing family members wetting their lapels with tears."
"Fine poetry!"
"As expected of the number one talent in Daxia! Listening to this poem, I can almost see countless loyal souls weeping, unable ever to return home to joyfully reunite with their families!"
"Brother Tao, if you can enter the court in the future, you will surely lead Daxia to truly end all wars—just like my Guhe, which has not known warfare for a hundred years, with joyous celebrations year after year!"
The crowd erupted into cheers, continuously praising Tao Yu's poem. It was as if they could see with their own eyes the tragic deaths of countless loyal souls during that battle at the Mountains of the Three Realms!
Tao Yu gave a gentle smile, shaking the folding fan in his hand, while his gaze fell upon Fang Chen.
This poem carried a pointed message.
Everyone could hear it. Having long since ceased to care about Fang Chen's existence, upon hearing this poem, they all looked at Fang Chen with anger, resentment, dissatisfaction, and contempt.
Goddess Xiao showed a trace of slight astonishment before also looking at Fang Chen, a surge of anticipation welling up in the depths of her eyes. What would Fang Chen do next?
Tao Yu reciting this poem in front of Fang Chen today was clearly an act of reprimand, disdain, and mockery!
Fairy Yu glanced at Tao Yu, a peculiar glint flashing in her eyes.
Sensing something, Tao Yu glanced back at Fairy Yu, smiled softly, and nodded in acknowledgment, feeling somewhat secretly pleased. His poem had clearly won Fairy Yu's favor.
"Fairy Yu, what do you think of Brother Tao's poem?"
The Crown Prince smiled.
"Please, Fairy Yu, give us your critique."
Tao Yu cupped his fists.
"This poem..."
Fairy Yu pondered slightly.
Everyone's eyes lit up, eagerly awaiting how Fairy Yu would critique Tao Yu's poem. Today's poetry gathering was bound to become a legendary tale!
"This poem... is utter nonsense."
After a brief moment of contemplation, Fairy Yu said with a completely serious expression.
Everyone was slightly taken aback, all of them wearing looks of utter astonishment as they exchanged blank glances, their minds a blur.
Did they mishear?
Or did Fairy Yu say the wrong thing?
Tao Yu, who had been waiting for Fairy Yu's praise, found his expression freezing. The Crown Prince's expression also shifted, though possessing a degree of poise, he said coolly:
"Fairy Yu, what do you mean by this? I actually feel that Tao Yu's poem fully captures the sorrow of warfare. Given today's theme of ending war, this poem truly deserves the top spot."
"Your Highness, this humble maiden does not understand state affairs. She only knows that while a world without war is naturally ideal, Daxia is currently facing a tempestuous crisis. Wishful thinking about ending war will likely become a soft spot in the eyes of our enemies.
Facing fierce and ruthless enemies, we citizens of Daxia ought to bare our fangs, transforming every single one of us into butchers, lifting our blades to sever enemy heads and unsheathing our swords to crush enemy armies."
Fairy Yu smiled faintly: "Only by doing this—by beating the enemy until they dare not bare their claws or launch reckless invasions—can we buy a peaceful and prosperous age."
Everyone fell silent.
A trace of astonishment flashed in Goddess Xiao's eyes, and she couldn't help casting a few extra glances at Fairy Yu, thinking to herself that this woman actually had quite a clear perspective.
The Crown Prince's expression turned rather unsightly. Today's theme was ending war, yet he never expected that the Fairy Yu he had invited would advocate for war!
This was tantamount to delivering a fierce slap across his face, but constrained by her status in the Daxia Capital, as the Crown Prince, he could not easily scold her on the spot.
"Yet if we do this... who can the fallen soldiers ask for accountability?"
Tao Yu spoke slowly, his gaze landing on Fang Chen.
Fairy Yu looked at him: "When enemy armies invade, who do the fallen commoners ask for accountability? You? Young Master Tao."
Quite a few scholars revealed thoughtful expressions.
The scholars from the three countries of Guhe, Longdu, and Yizhou had originally intended to join the fun and befriend these talented scholars and ladies of the Daxia Capital, never expecting to witness such a scene.
A woman slowly spoke up: "Fairy Yu, you are mistaken. If your Daxia is unwilling to fight, then there will be no enemy states. It is precisely because of this that my Guhe has not seen warfare for a hundred years."
With that, she looked at the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, inviting a courtesan to this 'Ending War' poetry gathering is likely to taint the atmosphere of this place."
Everyone fell silent.
This woman's background was also extraordinary; she was a member of the Long Family, the number one noble clan of the Guhe Empire. Because Guhe and Daxia frequently engaged in mineral trade, Long Huixin was the person responsible for this matter in the Daxia Capital.
Fairy Yu glanced at Long Huixin, smiled slightly with an indifferent gaze, and had no intention of arguing with her.
Unexpectedly, Fang Chen gently turned his gaze toward Long Huixin: "Your Guhe Empire has a population of barely ten million, residing in remote and barren lands, yet you possess rich mineral veins.
Every year, you offer seventy percent of your mineral veins as tribute to an eighth-rank upper nation, relying on them to step forward and ensure Guhe's safety—that is why you have enjoyed a hundred years of peace without warfare."
At this point, Fang Chen changed the subject, his words growing several degrees sharper: "Yet I wonder if this move keeps you nobles well-fed and warmly clothed, while the commoners under your rule starve and lack proper garments. What is the use of having peace if there is no prosperity?"
Chapter 30: If Only the Flying General of Longcheng Were Still Here!
Fang Chen's words immediately caused the expressions of the Guhe scholars present to change drastically, a trace of annoyance flashing across their faces one after another.
Long Huixin's expression shifted repeatedly.
In truth, Daxia scholars knew nothing about the current affairs of the Guhe nation; what they knew were merely superficial matters.
They did not even know that within the Guhe nation, not everyone was allowed to study, nor was everyone allowed to join the military.
Ordinary commoners remained mere miners all their lives.
The children and grandchildren of commoners were fated to inherit their fathers' trades.
Only the children of these great clans were born to a life of abundance and possessed the qualifications to climb upward. The social strata were rigid and strictly delineated!
Indeed, even the martial path in the Guhe nation was tightly monopolized by the great clans. No matter how much natural talent an ordinary commoner possessed, they might not even have the qualifications to come into contact with it!
Their nobility directly cut off all paths of upward mobility for the commoners under their rule.
"So, what qualification do you have to rant and rave here? If our Daxia abandons the common people below, pooling our nation's strength to continually offer tribute to an upper nation year after year, do you think Qingsong would still dare to bully us?"
Fang Chen said with a faint smile.
Long Huixin's face turned white and then green, until she finally said in anger: "Fang Chen, stop spouting nonsense! How are the commoners of my Guhe nation starving and lacking warm clothes?"
"Such are the facts. Use your own eyes to see them; even a blind person like me can see it clearly. As a member of the Long Family, have you truly never heard of this?"
Fang Chen sneered: "When our Daxia fights Qingsong, it is simply so that the common folk under our rule can have a full meal and a basin of warm charcoal in winter.
I feel Fairy Yu's words are quite correct. When someone cannot even understand current affairs, nor knows what kind of daily life the commoners under their rule are living, what qualification do they have to sit here and talk about poetry on ending war?"
Fairy Yu's eyes lit up. She secretly glanced at Fang Chen, feeling quite pleased in her heart. She knew that the young lord currently disliked drawing attention to himself, and his decision to openly scold Long Huixin today was precisely because of that remark about her being a courtesan!
As a woman, Goddess Xiao possessed keen intuition and vaguely sensed something. She couldn't help looking at Fang Chen and then at Fairy Yu.
Fairy Yu seemed to have noticed as well, her gaze suddenly falling upon Goddess Xiao with a trace of deep thought in her eyes.
She remembered that the young lord didn't have any maidservants by his side; why had he suddenly brought along a maid today?
Things were not so simple!
A trace of a threat stirred in Fairy Yu's heart, and the look she directed at Goddess Xiao carried a hint of coldness.
"Military God Fang, this is a poetry gathering. Miss Long and Fairy Yu only had a minor dispute because of poetry, which is quite normal.
Since you don't understand poetry, shouldn't you refrain from meddling?"
Ye Qinghe spoke up to smooth things over.
The expressions of Long Huixin and the others were somewhat unsightly; they seemed on the verge of standing up and leaving, but were persuaded to stay by the scholars from the Longdu and Yizhou delegations.
As the author of the poem, having his work judged by Fairy Yu as utter nonsense and thereby sparking this quarrel, Tao Yu gradually suppressed his anger, shifting his resentment toward Fang Chen:
"Military God Fang, you have been soaking here for quite some time. Since you hold 'ending war' in disdain, I wonder if you have any ink in your heart to let us witness your attitude?"
"You want me to write a poem? That truly is a difficult task. However... I once saw a poem in an ancient text that I felt quite matched my state of mind.
Shall I recite it to share with everyone, and see what you all think?"
Fang Chen smiled.
"Then go ahead and recite it for us to hear."
The Crown Prince said coolly.
Everyone's eyes fell in unison upon Fang Chen. A simultaneous look of curiosity appeared in the eyes of both Fairy Yu and Goddess Xiao. Based on their understanding of Fang Chen, he ought to be completely clueless about poetry, let alone someone who would flip through ancient poetry collections.
Fang Chen closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, a smile suddenly appearing on his face as he said indifferently:
"Qin-era moon and Han-era passes,
A ten-thousand-li campaign, yet none return.
If only the Flying General of Longcheng were still here,
No barbarian horses would ever cross the Yin Mountains."
The soft, flowing recitation, driven by spiritual power, clearly reached the ears of everyone present.
Hearing this poem, the crowd pondered it carefully for a moment, their expressions changing abruptly as they looked at Fang Chen in disbelief.
"Where is Qin? And what place is the Han?"
"What are barbarian horses?"
"The Flying General... is he referring to himself?"
"What a magnificent poem."
Fairy Yu couldn't help praising.
"I have made a fool of myself. This poem was not written by me, nor is it about Daxia, so I must ask you all not to guess."
Fang Chen smiled as he stood up and began to walk outside.
Deep within his mind, a wisp of memory that he had suppressed for over twenty years surged forth.
Goddess Xiao quickly followed after him, her expression rather solemn. She had a lingering feeling that these "barbarian horses" were Fang Chen's substitute name for Qingsong!
"Your Highness, this humble maiden is feeling unwell and will return to rest first."
Fairy Yu also stood up to take her leave.
The Crown Prince nodded slightly, intending to have someone escort her a part of the way, but Fairy Yu softly and politely declined.
Fang Chen had left, and Fairy Yu had left as well.
Yet both of them had left something behind at today's "Ending War" poetry gathering.
The crowd fell into a heavy silence, with some still murmuring and reciting the verses Fang Chen had just left behind.
Tao Yu's expression was ashen. His poem had been dismissed by Fairy Yu as utter nonsense, while Fang Chen's poem had won her praise, causing him to lose all his face today.
"Ahem... Fang Chen said that this poem wasn't written by him."
Ye Qinghe gave a light cough: "Everyone, please don't take it to heart."
The crowd glanced at him in silence.
The poem wasn't written by Fang Chen?
Then why had they never heard this poem before?
"Everyone, today's theme is ending war. Let us continue the gathering."
The Crown Prince said.
Although everyone nodded silently, seeing their expressions at that moment, the Crown Prince knew that the "Ending War" poetry gathering he had hosted had already failed.
He glanced in the direction where Fang Chen had departed, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes.
"If only the Flying General of Longcheng were still here? If you, this Flying General, are no longer here, that would actually be a good thing."
The Crown Prince murmured softly to himself.
Leaving the banks of the Daxia River, Fang Chen went to the teahouse he frequently visited. Seeing this, Goddess Xiao couldn't help speaking in a low voice:
"That poem just now—was it written about Daxia and Qingsong?"
"No."
Fang Chen shook his head: "Your Qingsong isn't worthy."
Goddess Xiao's face immediately turned ashen, and she said coldly: "What was your purpose in attending this poetry gathering today? Have you sent people to investigate the background of that Daoist from last night?"
"What's the rush? We'll talk once we're seated at the teahouse."
Fang Chen smiled.
The two of them quickly arrived at the teahouse. The people here seemed accustomed to Fang Chen's visits, though over the past few days, upon learning that Fang Chen's cultivation had recovered, their attitudes had changed somewhat.
"Military God Fang, your tea."
The attendant immediately served Fang Chen the tea he loved best, then glanced at Goddess Xiao before obediently retreating.
Fang Chen picked up his teacup, underneath which lay a slip of paper.
Goddess Xiao had sharp eyes and had already seen what was written on it:
Six years ago, the Daoist showed his face at a banquet hosted by the Crown Prince, at the time following among the entourage of the Fifth Prince.
Fang Chen paused slightly. The Fifth Prince? His memories were growing increasingly clear. Would that leisure-loving prince, who had always remained aloof from worldly disputes and served as the abbot of Dahua Temple while having already begun his retirement early on, be entangled with the Blood Spirit Cult?
"Your Fifth Prince has problems, then. With such a formidable expert among his retainers, how could he willingly and contentedly handle miscellaneous chores for your Daxia Emperor?"
Goddess Xiao said gloomily.
Chapter 31: Young Lord, You Must Keep Your Word!
"It's not necessarily the Fifth Prince."
Fang Chen said indifferently.
He had deliberately gone to the "Ending War" poetry gathering today to see if there were any cultivators by the Crown Prince's side, and the result was none—though that didn't prove much.
It had been confirmed today that that Daoist from last night had indeed stayed in the Daxia Capital for quite some time.
Having read the Blood Spirit Arts, he was well aware that for a cultivator of this caliber to practice, they could not do without the vital blood of human beings. With that Daoist staying in the Capital for so long, how many Daxia commoners had died at his hands?
"In this regard, we should be able to find a trace of a clue."
Fang Chen murmured softly.
A few breaths later, he glanced not far away at Xu Ge: "Send her back to the estate, and have Old Huang keep an eye on her."
Hearing this, Xu Ge immediately stepped forward and smiled at Goddess Xiao: "Let's go."
"What are you going to do?"
Goddess Xiao frowned.
"What business is it of yours?"
Fang Chen smiled.
"I want to follow you."
Goddess Xiao's gaze shifted slightly.
"We did reach an agreement, but that doesn't mean you can follow me wherever I go. If you don't understand this principle, I'll have you sent out of the Capital right now."
Fang Chen dropped those words, stood up, and walked away.
Goddess Xiao immediately fell silent.
Seeing this, Xu Ge grinned broadly: "What's wrong? Did you really think our young lord was marrying into your Xiao family? Don't forget, you're our hostage right now."
"Hmph."
Goddess Xiao let out a cold snort and followed Xu Ge away without another word.
Hidden Courtyard.
Fang Chen quietly stopped for a moment, and a figure silently arrived behind him, cupping their fists in a bow:
"Young lord, what are your orders?"
"Officer Zhao, among the case files in Dahua Temple over the past few years, are there any that seem abnormal?"
Fang Chen turned to look at the other person, a faint smile on his face.
The newcomer was none other than the superior of all senior investigators in Dahua Temple, Officer Zhao. Yuan Zhuang was one of his subordinates, and it was he who had originally dispatched Yuan Zhuang to arrest Fang Chen.
Officer Zhao's expression shifted. Why had the young lord suddenly asked about the case files of Dahua Temple? He thought carefully for a moment and said in a low voice:
"Young lord, if you're talking about oddities, there are indeed a few case files that are rather strange."
"Tell me about them."
Fang Chen nodded.
"Just two years ago, someone came to Dahua Temple to report a case, claiming that his younger sister had gone missing for many years from her master's household without a trace.
After we investigated, we found out she had been a maidservant in the Ministry of Rites Councilor's residence. My subordinate, investigator Yuan Zhuang, went to investigate and learned that her sister might have eloped with someone."