Over the countless years, she had seen many heroes, high-spirited, cultured and refined, caring for the world, bemoaning the state of the universe and pitying the fate of mankind. She had seen countless geniuses and experts, those who thought themselves supreme, those who mingled with the light, those who shared the kang bed with their wives and children. Of these people, only that man had ever made her feel fear. Even though she had already caught up to his cultivation level, even though she would often reveal an expression of ridicule and disdain when she mentioned that man, she had to admit that even today, that man's name still made her feel a tinge of fear.
Perhaps it was because when she first faced that man, she was just an innocent, lively, and adorable little girl, completely ignorant of the ways of the world, while he was the supreme expert of the world, still alive but already destined to be recorded in the annals of history as the sovereign father of all emperors?
"His Majesty Taizong, you've already been dead for so many years. Are you still not willing to rest in peace?"
She raised her head to the starry sky, gazing at the place where the brightest star had once stood many years ago. After a very long silence, she creased her brow.
… …
… …
This early autumn night was truly very long. It was very easy to think of old friends.
When the Tianhai Divine Empress was thinking of Emperor Taizong, Zhou Tong was also thinking of that one-time Principal of the Orthodox Academy, Shang Xingzhou.
Zhou Tong was a pure evil person. He enjoyed the pain of his enemies and even his friends — though besides Xue Xingchuan, he had no true friends — but this did not mean that he was crazy or that there was something wrong with his head. On the contrary, he was more clear-headed and rational than the vast majority of people, and this was true evil.
If he wanted to continue this beautiful life, he needed to protect his own position, needed to ensure that the Divine Empress's imperial throne could not be shaken.
It now seemed that the person most likely to shake the Empress's imperial throne was naturally Chen Changsheng.
Perhaps in a few days, he would die, but Zhou Tong would not take this risk. He would just silently wait.
This was a problem that Shang Xingzhou, the Imperial clan, and countless other great powers had posed. He felt that he had already found the method to solve this problem, but he first had to find this problem.
As he pondered how to solve this problem, his admiration for Shang Xingzhou deepened, and ultimately, he even felt reverence.
This world was the world of the strong. One person could control a storm, one Saint could shake the world.
Shang Xingzhou was fully deserving of his title as an expert of the orthodox line of the Orthodoxy. Although his reputation was not prominent and he did not enter the ranks of the Storms, anyone could clearly see that he had assuredly stepped into the Divine Domain long ago, his strength unfathomable. However, what truly made Zhou Tong revere him was his deep plans and farsightedness.
He had raised Chen Changsheng in Xi Ning Village's old temple for fifteen years. Without teaching him anything, he directly sent him to the Capital and then wrote a letter to the Pope.
He was still alive. This should have been the favor the Pope had shown him back then, but now it had become his weapon. As for the relationship between fellow disciples of the orthodox Orthodoxy, it was naturally also a weapon. As for Mei Li Sha, as a representative of the Orthodoxy's conservative faction, an old man who wholeheartedly wanted to assist the Imperial clan in regaining the throne, perhaps he had long since known of Chen Chang Sheng's identity, thus he had been in such a rush, even somewhat like pulling up a seedling to help it grow. In a short span of two years, Chen Chang Sheng had become the successor to the Orthodoxy. In this way, when the Divine Empress wanted to kill Chen Changsheng, the Orthodoxy would assuredly protect Chen Changsheng, and the alliance that was not so firm in the first place would naturally collapse. The Divine Empress would lose her greatest supporter, and the Chen Imperial clan would naturally have hope of regaining the throne!
Just the unremarkable matter of sending Chen Changsheng to the Capital had shattered the nearly twenty years of peace of the Great Zhou Dynasty!
It was said that the Saint treated the world as a chessboard, placing a piece without regret, but Shang Xingzhou dared to use the Saint as a chess piece, to use the legacy of the Orthodoxy as a method. As for emotions, experiences, and the hearts of people, these things were all at his fingertips, easily discarded. He truly was an extraordinary schemer!
Of course, Zhou Tong had deduced all of this, because he was also a schemer.
The more he admired Shang Xingzhou, the more he regretted, regretted that he had not killed Chen Changsheng earlier.
"What I want is not the process, but the result."
He stood on the stone steps and gazed at his subordinates kneeling in the courtyard. Smiling, he said, "I don't care how you analyze and judge. I want to see him die."
He was not a pervert, so whether it was when he was executing or abusing ministers, he would not deliberately pretend to be quiet and refined, nor would he wear a shy smile on his lips. When he smiled, it was usually because he felt that the development of the matter made him speechless, so speechless that he could only bitterly smile, just like now.
"That's a living person, and a famous one at that. Crucially, he's also a sick person … but in the end, none of you can find where he is?"
Zhou Tong gazed at his subordinates in the courtyard, but he did not finish speaking.
Only he knew that Chen Changsheng was a person about to die.
Whether he was a famous person, a sick person, or a person about to die, in the end, they were all people that were very easy to find.
The Department for Purging Officials had several thousand spies and even more informers, but even after spending half the night, they had still not been able to find this person.
Zhou Tong truly couldn't help but want to laugh at this.
Seeing the smile on their lord's face, not a single official of the Department for Purging Officials in the courtyard felt relaxed, and there was certainly no one foolish enough to try and laugh along with him. The officials all had very pale complexions, their black hats unable to block out the starlight descending from the sky, making them seem particularly dismal.
Zhou Tong gazed at the official kneeling at the very front, his smile fading as he calmly said, "The Imperial Court gives you the highest salary, so I naturally have the highest expectations of you."
This official was a high official of the Department for Purging Officials who specialized in intelligence. Normally, he could enter and leave the various ministries and the halls of the Orthodoxy without restriction, so he was deeply revered. But now that his immediate superior had so indifferently mentioned his name, his body could not help but fiercely tremble.
With high expectations came great disappointment. He knew that he had to do something, or else Lord Zhou Tong would assuredly use some other method to make him remember tonight's defeat.
There was a crisp crack. It was the sound of a finger breaking!
He had forcibly snapped off the pinkie of his left hand, his face even paler, faintly showing signs of pain. His voice also began to tremble.
"This lowly official is incapable. Your Excellency, please give me another hour. I will definitely find that person!"
Zhou Tong gazed at this official, his expression unchanged. On the side, Cheng Jun frowned. In his view, just breaking off a pinkie was far from a resolution. If it were one of his direct subordinates in the redcoated cavalry, he would definitely request that they cut off one of his arms.
In Cheng Jun's view, this broken finger made Lord Zhou Tong seem too merciful, but in the eyes of the officials of the Department for Purging Officials in the courtyard, this was already an extremely clear and terrifying warning. The officials dispersed from the small courtyard, leading their subordinates as they once more began their search in the darkness of the capital. Their movements and mood were even faster and more tense than before.
"Using half the night without finding a single clue means that the other party has the ability to conceal his tracks … after all, he is the future Pope."
Cheng Jun followed Zhou Tong back into the room and very respectfully poured a cup of tea for him. Suppressing his voice, he said, "In my view, rather than aimlessly searching like this, it's better to first figure out where he's going after leaving the Orthodox Academy, and then we can go there in advance to set up a trap."
This small courtyard in the alley of the Northern Military Department had countless precious tea leaves prepared, but Zhou Tong had always only drunk one kind: the Great Crimson Gown from the south.
At this moment, the pot was steeping the Great Crimson Gown, but because there wasn't enough time, the color of the tea poured into the cup was somewhat fainter.
Zhou Tong gazed at the rippling color of the tea in the cup and said, "If we could guess where he was going, the Li Palace wouldn't be in such a rush."
A sinister smile appeared on Cheng Jun's face. "Then we'll just force him to show himself."
Zhou Tong's gaze was still fixed on the tea cup, as if if he stared long enough, he would be able to see the color of the tea in the cup thicken.
His expression did not change at Cheng Jun's words. With a faint 'oh', he asked, "How do we force him?"
As the most arrogant member of the orthodox Eight Tigers, Cheng Jun's methods were always simple and crude.
"Even if he wants to distance himself from this storm in the capital, he still has people he cares about." Cheng Jun clenched his teeth and said, "Let's go capture a few students of the Orthodox Academy and a few peddlers of Hundred Flowers Lane. Chop off their hands and feet and throw them on Vermillion Bird Street. I don't believe that he won't get wind of it."
Zhou Tong suddenly smiled, as if the color of the tea in the cup had really thickened.
The rich and fragrant Great Crimson Gown looked like blood.
Bloody and crude did not mean that it was ineffective. Zhou Tong glanced out the door. His subordinates understood and stealthily entered the darkness. He was confident that it wouldn't take long for this seemingly insane idea to spread throughout the capital, and it would also reach Chen Changsheng's ears.
"Did you ever think that this represents an official declaration of war with the Li Palace? Back when Chen Changsheng came to my place to ask for people, the Orthodoxy's cavalry had me surrounded. "
Zhou Tong smiled at Cheng Jun, his smile containing an extremely deep meaning.
Cheng Jun knew that his opponent wanted to know the degree of his resolve.
He had thought things through very clearly. He was just like Zhou Tong. If the Divine Empress lost power, only death awaited him.
Thus, tonight, he had personally come to the alley of the Northern Military Department. Disregarding his usual vigilance, he had placed all the redcoated cavalry under the command of the Department for Purging Officials.
He looked at Zhou Tong, maintaining a humble attitude, yet filled with a sense of heroism. In a shrill voice, he said, "It's already either one of us lives or the other of us lives! We can't yield another step!"
… …
… …
No one could have imagined that Chen Changsheng had already returned to the Orthodox Academy. To put it more accurately, he had returned to that alley outside the Orthodox Academy.
He had no idea of the bloody plan that the Department for Purging Officials had just drawn up.
He had not come to Hundred Flowers Lane to prevent Zhou Tong from going crazy and attacking the students of the Orthodox Academy or the surrounding peddlers. He had something else to do.
He stood in the shadows of Hundred Flowers Lane, watching those indistinct figures — those of the Imperial Court and the Li Palace — before finally resting his gaze on that carriage at the end of the street.
In the autumn of last year, the Tianhai clan and the Orthodoxy's new faction, in order to suppress the Orthodox Academy, had used the All-School Martial Exhibition proposal to send many experts to challenge it. It was a very interesting story. At that time, he had noticed that carriage at the end of the street.
Every time there was a match, that carriage would assuredly appear.
This carriage made no effort to conceal its identity, so everyone knew that it came from the Department for Purging Officials.
Just knowing was not enough. Zhexiu had specially investigated this carriage, and all the information he had found was now in his mind.
… …
… …
The alley of the Northern Military Department was not narrow. In truth, it was a straight street that could accommodate two carriages running side by side. The office of the Department for Purging Officials was also very large. Besides the sinister prison, there were also countless buildings. That famous small courtyard with blooming crabapples was in its deepest depths. It required a very long time to get from the outside of the office to this place, passing through countless inspections.
The carriage that had returned from the Orthodox Academy drove straight into the yamen. Following the pebbled path inside, it passed the inspection and continued forward. Those fierce and terrifying Three-Headed Black Hounds did not display any abnormalities. Finally, they arrived outside the small courtyard.
It was late at night, but many people in the capital were unable to sleep, and the people in the small courtyard were no exception.
Zhou Tong and Cheng Jun were currently sitting opposite each other, drinking tea. It was unknown if they could taste the true flavor of the tea.
As the announcement came from outside the courtyard, Cheng Jun's mind somewhat roused.
This carriage had brought back the latest news on the Orthodox Academy. He was very concerned about this matter.
The courtyard gate was pushed open, footsteps could be heard, and then stopped. Presumably, the official had already stopped and was standing on the ground of the small courtyard.
Cheng Jun turned his head to glance at the courtyard. He realized that the official had his head slightly lowered and had no intention of reporting. He couldn't help but slightly frown.
As an important minister of the Imperial Court, his reputation was extremely terrible, but his abilities were actually not bad. He was extremely strict with his subordinates. If it were a redcoated cavalry officer reporting to him so lazily, he would definitely have already thrown the teacup in his hand at them, not allowing them to dodge …
But this was the alley of the Northern Military Department, not his territory. He seemed crude and ruthless, but he was actually very intelligent. He would never discipline his subordinates in front of Lord Zhou Tong. Just like before, he felt that the punishment of that official of the Department for Purging Officials breaking his pinkie finger was too light, so he said nothing. He also maintained his calm.
But in the next moment, he found it impossible to maintain his calm.
Because the official in the courtyard had raised his head.
It was a very young face.
Cheng Jun stood up in shock.
Zhou Tong turned to look at the courtyard, his pupils constricting as a chill suddenly arose.
Chen Changsheng.
The person who had come was Chen Changsheng.
The entire capital was searching for him. After searching for him for an entire night, not a single person knew of his whereabouts.
The assassins and killers of the Department for Purging Officials were searching everywhere for him, but he had appeared in the Department for Purging Officials!
What did he want to do?
Zhou Tong calmly gazed at the young man in the courtyard. Without a word, he slowly put down the teacup in his hand.
The Great Crimson Gown in the teacup had been steeped for some time, the color of the soup as thick as blood and dazzling to the eyes.
Chen Changsheng calmly gazed at him, his right hand rising, gripping the hilt of his sword in the autumn wind at his waist.
In this long autumn night, Zhou Tong had been searching for him, wanting to kill him.
Little did he know that he was also searching for Zhou Tong, wanting to kill him.
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