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 of honor guards approached from the distance.
Ye Qinghe and the others stood up one after another, watching respectfully.
The newcomer was none other than the Crown Prince, but the gazes of many people fell almost unanimously on the graceful figure beside him.
"It really is the Jade Fairy!"
"This face is truly peerless. In the Capital of Great Xia, no... let alone the Capital of Great Xia, even in countries like Qingsong, Guhe, Longdu, and Yizhou, I'm afraid there isn't a single woman who can compare!"
Someone muttered to themselves.
Hearing this, a sneer immediately appeared on Xiao Shennü's face. She quietly sized up the Jade Fairy as well. Though she had been deeply unconvinced at first, when she saw the Jade Fairy's face, a flash of astonishment inevitably crossed her eyes.
"Can such a woman truly exist in this world? This appearance—surely it is as naturally formed as an otherworldly immortal..."
Xiao Shennü felt secretly shocked.
Scholars from Guhe and other nations were now entranced, staring blankly.
"Jade Fairy, only with your presence to add to the festivity can today's poetry gathering be truly complete."
The Crown Prince said with a soft smile.
His gaze swept across the crowd, and he immediately spotted Fang Chen, withdrawing his look without changing his expression.
The Jade Fairy also saw Fang Chen, a faint smile appearing on her face: "Your Highness flatters me. It is my great honor to be able to attend today's poetry gathering."
The Crown Prince chuckled, appraising the Jade Fairy's face from the side while a flash of secret greed flickered in his eyes.
Chapter 29: Utterly Nonsensical
The Crown Prince led the Jade Fairy to her seat. Their arrival marked the official beginning of today's Cease-Arms Poetry Gathering. Everyone gathered their energy, determined to unleash the poems they had prepared a while ago and make a name for themselves in a single battle!
"Military God Fang, how is it that you have the leisure to come here today?"
After taking his seat, the Crown Prince glanced casually at Fang Chen and smiled.
Tao Yu answered on Fang Chen's behalf: "Your Highness, the Military God says he wishes to be immersed in the fragrance of ink and brush."
"So that's how it is."
The Crown Prince realized: "That's fine too. Since Military God Fang will no longer be able to enter the imperial court or lead troops in the future, abandoning martial arts for the literary path might just add a touch of brilliance to our Great Xia. Military God Fang is a martial arts prodigy, so I suppose changing over to the literary path won't be any weaker than everyone here."
"Your Highness, have you ever seen a butcher compose poetry?"
Ye Qinghe couldn't help laughing.
This remark instantly provoked a burst of uproarious laughter at the scene.
The Jade Fairy's brows furrowed involuntarily. She memorized the faces of everyone who laughed today, especially Tao Yu and Ye Qinghe.
Bored stiff, Fang Chen waved a hand: "I'm here to be immersed in poetry, ink, and brush, not to chat idly with you lot. Hurry up and start composing your poems."
The expressions of the crowd shifted slightly. Seeing this, the Crown Prince no longer paid attention to Fang Chen, and instead smiled at the gathered crowd:
"The theme of today's poetry gathering is Cease-Arms. I wonder who will take the lead and win the first prize?"
Upon hearing this, someone immediately jumped out, chanted a poem they had long since prepared, and instantly drew thunderous applause from the entire room.
"Utterly nonsensical,"
Fang Chen muttered to himself, then smiled and clapped his hands, though his gaze casually sized up the retainers brought by the Crown Prince.
As one Cease-Arms poem after another was recited, the atmosphere of the gathering gradually reached a peak. No one cared about Fang Chen's presence anymore; they all wanted to seize today's opportunity to gain a shred of superficial fame for themselves, and by the way, leave an impression on the Crown Prince so as to pave the way for their future advancement.
"His retainers are all martial practitioners, and their highest cultivation is no more than Peak Qi Burst. There's no trace of the Blood Spirit Cult here, but..."
A smile flashed in Fang Chen's eyes.
His people were already in motion. Today, the relationship between that Daoist priest and the Crown Prince would be confirmed.
If the Crown Prince had ties to the Blood Spirit Cult...
Then the nature of this matter would completely change.
"Weapons of war turn into steeds climbing the cloudy peak,
Myriads of loyal souls bury their bones across the Three Realms.
Old businesses have vanished with the campaigns of old,
Leaving only the sounds of family members weeping on wet collars."
"Fine poetry!"
"As expected of the number one talent of Great Xia! Listening to this poem, I can almost see countless loyal souls weeping, never able to return home to joyfully reunite with their families!"
"Brother Tao, if you can enter the imperial court in the future, you will surely lead Great Xia to truly cease all arms—just like my Guhe, where there has been no warfare for a hundred years and every single year brings celebration!"
The crowd burst into applause, continuously praising Tao Yu's poem. It was as if they could witness with their own eyes the tragic death of countless loyal souls during that battle at Three Realms Mountain!
Tao Yu smiled faintly, shaking the folding fan in his hand, while his gaze landed on Fang Chen.
This poem pointed at something specific.
Everyone could hear it. Having long since ceased to care about Fang Chen's presence, they now looked at him upon hearing the poem, their eyes filled with resentment, bitterness, dissatisfaction, and contempt.
Xiao Shennü felt a slight sense of astonishment before looking toward Fang Chen as well, a surge of anticipation rising deep within her eyes: What would Fang Chen do next?
Tao Yu reciting this poem right in front of Fang Chen today was clearly an act of scolding, despising, and mocking him!
The Jade Fairy glanced at Tao Yu, a bizarre glint flashing in her eyes.
Sensing something, Tao Yu looked back at the Jade Fairy, smiled faintly, and nodded in acknowledgment, while feeling somewhat smug inside. Clearly, this poem of his had already won the Jade Fairy's favor.
"Jade Fairy, what do you think of Brother Tao's poem?"
The Crown Prince smiled.
"Please offer your critique, Jade Fairy."
Tao Yu cupped his fists.
"This poem..."
The Jade Fairy pondered slightly.
Everyone's eyes lit up, eagerly anticipating how the Jade Fairy would critique Tao Yu's poem. Today's poetry gathering was bound to become a celebrated tale!
"This poem... is utterly nonsensical."
After a brief moment of contemplation, the Jade Fairy said with a deadpan expression.
The crowd froze slightly, astonishment sweeping across all their faces. They looked at one another in blank confusion.
Did they mishear?
Or did the Jade Fairy speak wrongly?
Tao Yu, who had been waiting for the Jade Fairy's praise, stiffened. The Crown Prince's expression changed as well, though he possessed some self-control and said indifferently:
"Jade Fairy, what do you mean by this? I actually feel that Tao Yu's poem fully captures the tragedy of warfare. Given today's theme of ceasing arms, this poem rightly deserves first place."
"Your Highness, this humble woman does not understand state affairs. She only knows that while a lack of warfare is naturally best, Great Xia is currently weathering a storm. Wishful thinking about ceasing arms will only make us a soft spot in the eyes of our enemies.
Faced with fierce enemies, we citizens of Great Xia ought to bare our fangs, transforming every single one of us into a butcher, swinging our blades to sever enemy heads and drawing our swords to crush enemy armies."
The Jade Fairy smiled faintly: "Only by doing so—by beating the enemy until they dare not bare their claws or make unprovoked incursions—can we trade for a peaceful and prosperous era."
The crowd fell silent.
A flash of astonishment crossed Xiao Shennü's eyes, and she couldn't help taking a few extra looks at the Jade Fairy, thinking to herself that this woman certainly had a clear perspective.
The Crown Prince's expression turned rather ugly. Today's theme was ceasing arms, yet the Jade Fairy whom he had invited turned out to be a proponent of war!
This was tantamount to a heavy slap across his face. But constrained by her status in the Capital of Great Xia, the Crown Prince found it difficult to reprimand her on the spot.
"If it comes to that... who can the fallen soldiers ask for an account?"
Tao Yu spoke slowly, his gaze locking onto Fang Chen.
The Jade Fairy looked at him: "When enemy armies invade, who can the fallen commoners ask for an account from? You, Young Master Tao?"
Quite a few scholars revealed thoughtful expressions.
The scholars from the three nations of Guhe, Longdu, and Yizhou had originally intended to join the fun and befriend the talents and ladies of the Capital of Great Xia, never expecting to witness such a scene.
A woman spoke slowly: "Jade Fairy, you are mistaken. If your Great Xia is unwilling to fight wars, there will be no enemy states. It is precisely because my Guhe does so that we have not seen warfare for a hundred years."
With that, she looked toward the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, by inviting a woman of the dust to this Cease-Arms Poetry Gathering, I fear you have sullied the atmosphere of this place."
The crowd fell silent.
This woman was no ordinary person either; she was a member of the Long Family, the premier great clan of the Guhe Empire. Because Guhe frequently engaged in ore trade with Great Xia, Long Huixin was the one responsible for this matter in the Capital of Great Xia.
The Jade Fairy glanced at Long Huixin and smiled faintly, her gaze indifferent, with no intention of arguing with her.
To everyone's surprise, Fang Chen looked slightly toward Long Huixin: "Your Guhe Empire has a population of barely ten million and resides in a barren backcountry, yet you possess rich mineral veins.
Every year, you offer seventy percent of these mines as tribute to an Eighth-Rank Upper Country, relying on them to ensure Guhe's safety. That is why you have experienced a century of peaceful prosperity without warfare."
At this point, Fang Chen shifted his tone, his words turning somewhat sharper: "Yet I wonder if this practice leaves your nobility well-fed and warmly clothed, while the commoners under your rule starve and go in rags. Having peace without a prosperous era—what is the use of it?"
Chapter 30: If Only the Flying General of Longcheng Were Here!
Fang Chen's words instantly caused the expressions of the Guhe scholars present to change drastically, a trace of annoyance appearing on their faces.
Long Huixin's expression shifted repeatedly.
In truth, the scholars of Great Xia knew nothing about the current affairs of the Guhe Empire; what they knew were merely superficial matters.
They didn't even know that within the borders of Guhe, not everyone was permitted to read books, nor was everyone permitted to join the military.
Ordinary commoners remained mere miners for their entire lives.
The children and grandchildren of commoners could only inherit their fathers' trades.
Only the children of these great clans were born into warmth and plenty, possessing the qualifications to climb upward. The social hierarchy was strict and rigidly defined!
Indeed, Guhe even kept a tight grip on martial arts within the hands of the great clans. No matter how much talent an ordinary commoner possessed, they might not even have the qualification to touch it!
Their nobility completely blocked off every avenue of advancement for the commoners under their rule.
"So, what qualification do you have to spew such nonsense here? If Great Xia abandoned the commoners below, threw the power of the entire nation into paying annual tributes to an Upper Country, do you think Qingsong would still dare to bully us?"
Fang Chen smiled faintly.
Long Huixin's face turned pale and then green, until she finally said angrily in frustration: "Fang Chen, stop talking nonsense! How are the commoners of my Guhe Empire starving and going in rags?"
"Facts are facts. Use your own eyes to look. Even a blind man like me can see it clearly. As a member of the Long Family, have you truly never heard of it?"
Fang Chen sneered: "When Great Xia fights Qingsong, it is simply so that the commoners under our rule can have a full meal and a basin of warm charcoal in winter.
I think the Jade Fairy's words are quite right. If you can't even understand current affairs, and don't even know what kind of days the commoners under your rule are living, what qualification do you have to sit here and talk about Cease-Arms poetry?"
The Jade Fairy's eyes lit up. She secretly glanced at Fang Chen, feeling quite pleased inside. She knew that the heir disliked drawing attention to himself nowadays, and that his scolding of Long Huixin just now was partly because of that woman's "woman of the dust" remark!
As a woman, Xiao Shennü possessed keen intuition. Vaguely sensing something, she couldn't help looking back and forth between Fang Chen and the Jade Fairy.
The Jade Fairy seemed to notice this as well, her gaze suddenly falling onto Xiao Shennü, a flash of deep thought in her eyes.
She remembered that the heir had no female attendants by his side. Why had he suddenly brought a maid today?
Things were not that simple!
A trace of threat arose in the Jade Fairy's heart, and the look she directed toward Xiao Shennü carried a hint of coldness.
"Military God Fang, this is a poetry gathering. Lady Long and the Jade Fairy only had a brief dispute because of poetry matters, which is quite normal.
Since you don't understand poetry, why don't you refrain from meddling?"
Ye Qinghe stepped forward to smooth things over.
The expressions of Long Huixin and the others were somewhat unsightly. They looked as though they intended to leave the venue, but were persuaded to stay by the scholars from Longdu and Yizhou.
As the author of the poem, whose verses had been dismissed as utter nonsense by the Jade Fairy and thus triggered this argument, Tao Yu gradually suppressed his inner anger and redirected it toward Fang Chen:
"Military God Fang, you have spent quite some time being immersed here. Since you hold the concept of ceasing arms in disdain, I wonder if you possess any ink of your own to let us witness your attitude?"
"You want me to write a poem? That is truly a difficult task. However... I once saw a poem in an ancient text that I felt fit my state of mind quite well.
Shall I recite it to share with everyone, and see what you all think?"
Fang Chen smiled.
"Then recite it for us to hear."
The Crown Prince said indifferently.
The gazes of the crowd fell squarely on Fang Chen. A mixture of curiosity surfaced simultaneously in the eyes of the Jade Fairy and Xiao Shennü. Based on their understanding of Fang Chen, he ought to be completely clueless about poetry, let alone bother browsing through classic anthologies of ancient verse.
Fang Chen closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. A smile suddenly appeared on his face as he said calmly:
"The moon of Qin and the passes of Han,
Ten thousand miles of long marches, men have not returned.
If only the Flying General of Longcheng were here,
He would not let the barbarian horses cross Yinshan."
The calm voice, driven by spiritual energy, clearly carried into the ears of everyone present.
Hearing this poem and pondering it carefully for a moment, the expressions of the crowd underwent a drastic shift as they stared at Fang Chen in disbelief.
"Where is Qin? And where is Han?"
"What are barbarian horses?"
"The Flying General... is he referring to himself?"
"What a fine poem."
The Jade Fairy couldn't help saying.
"I have made a fool of myself. This poem was not written by me, nor is it about Great Xia, so please do not speculate."
Fang Chen smiled, stood up, and walked outward.
In the depths of his mind, a wisp of memory that he had suppressed for over twenty years surged up.
Xiao Shennü quickly followed him, her expression rather solemn. She always felt that these "barbarian horses" were Fang Chen's designation for Qingsong!
"Your Highness, I am feeling unwell, so I will return to rest first."
The Jade Fairy also stood up to take her leave.
The Crown Prince nodded slightly, intending to have someone escort her a part of the way, but the Jade Fairy softly declined.
Fang Chen had left, and the Jade Fairy had left as well.
Yet both of them had left something behind at today's Cease-Arms 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 as utter nonsense by the Jade Fairy, while Fang Chen's poem had won her praise, causing him to lose all face today.
"Ahem... Fang Chen said 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 and remained silent.
The poem wasn't written by Fang Chen?
Yet why had they never heard this poem before?
"Everyone, today's theme is ceasing arms. Let us continue the poetry gathering."
The Crown Prince said.
Although the crowd nodded silently, the Crown Prince could tell from their expressions right now that the Cease-Arms Poetry Gathering he had hosted today was a failure.
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 here? If you, this Flying General, were gone, that would truly be a good thing."
The Crown Prince muttered softly to himself.
Leaving the banks of the Great Xia River, Fang Chen went to the teahouse he frequented. Seeing this, Xiao Shennü couldn't help lowering her voice to ask:
"Was that poem just now written about Great Xia and Qingsong?"
"No."
Fang Chen shook his head: "Your Qingsong is not worthy."
Xiao Shennü's expression instantly turned ashen, and she said coldly: "What was your purpose in attending this poetry gathering today? Have you sent people to investigate the origins of that Daoist priest from last night?"
"What's the rush? We'll chat after we sit down at the teahouse."
Fang Chen smiled.
The two quickly arrived at the teahouse. The people here seemed accustomed to Fang Chen's visits, though over the past few days, upon learning that his cultivation had recovered, their attitudes had also shifted somewhat.
"Military God Fang, your tea."
The attendant immediately served Fang Chen his favorite tea, then glanced at Xiao Shennü before obediently stepping back.
Fang Chen picked up his teacup. Beneath it lay a slip of paper.
With sharp eyes, Xiao Shennü had already caught what was written on it:
Six years ago, the Daoist priest made an appearance at a banquet hosted by the Crown Prince, at the time accompanying the retinue of the Fifth Prince.
Fang Chen paused slightly. The Fifth Prince? His memory was 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 starting to live in retirement early, have entanglements with the Blood Spirit Cult?
"Your Fifth Prince has issues. Since he has such a powerful expert under his command, how could he willingly and contentedly handle chores for your Great Xia Emperor?"
Xiao Shennü said softly.
Chapter 31: Heir, You Must Keep Your Word!
"It may not necessarily be the Fifth Prince."
Fang Chen said indifferently.
He had gone to the Cease-Arms Poetry Gathering today specifically to see if there were any cultivators by the Crown Prince's side, and the result was none. However, that proved nothing.
It was already certain that last night's Daoist priest had indeed stayed in the Capital of Great Xia for quite some time.
Having read the Blood Spirit Scripture, he knew all too well that if a cultivator of this kind wished to cultivate, they could not do without the vital blood of the Human Clan. With that Daoist priest lingering in the capital for so long, how many Great Xia commoners had died at his hands?
"Along these lines, we should be able to track down 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 Xiao Shennü: "Let's go."
"What are you going to do?"
Xiao Shennü frowned.
"What business is it of yours?"
Fang Chen smiled.
"I want to follow you."
Xiao Shennü'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."
Dropping these words, Fang Chen stood up and walked away.
Xiao Shennü fell silent instantly.
Seeing this, Xu Ge grinned and said: "What's wrong? Did you really think my house's heir was marrying into your Xiao family? Don't forget, you're our hostage right now."
"Hmph."
Xiao Shennü gave a cold snort and followed Xu Ge away without another word.
The Hidden Courtyard.
Fang Chen paused quietly for a moment before a figure silently appeared behind him, cupping fists in a salute:
"Heir, what are your orders?"
"Director Zhao, among the case files of Dahua Temple over these past few years, are there any that seem abnormal?"
Fang Chen turned to look at the other man, a faint smile on his face.
The newcomer was none other than Director Zhao, the superior of all senior investigators in Dahua Temple. Yuan Zhuang was one of his subordinates, and it was he who had originally dispatched Yuan Zhuang to arrest Fang Chen.
Director Zhao's expression shifted. Why was the heir suddenly asking about the case files of Dahua Temple? Pondering carefully, he lowered his voice and said:
"Heir, if we are talking about anomalies, there indeed happen to be a few rather bizarre case files."
"Tell me about them."
Fang Chen nodded.
"Just two years ago, someone came to Dahua Temple to report a crime, claiming that his younger sister had gone missing for years from her master's household without a trace of news.
Upon investigation by us, we learned that his sister had been a maid in the residence of the Junior Minister of Rites. My subordinate, investigator Yuan Zhuang, went to investigate and concluded that the younger sister might have eloped with someone."