Additionally, the continued use of the "Xiping" era name this year meant that unless deliberately mentioned, the common folk didn’t even realize that the seat atop the Ziwei Palace had changed.
Whenever someone did bring it up, there was always someone who would say, "The late emperor was indeed a good ruler!"
As for the death of Emperor Xiping...
Yang Ge had asked acquaintances from Mount Longhu, Lou Wai Lou, Ming Sect, Lianhuan Fort, and other esteemed martial sects to investigate, but all came back empty-handed.
Too much time had passed, and to make matters worse, that meddlesome old monk had sown chaos when the southern martial arts world was already a tangled mess. It was now too late and too hard to investigate where that old troublemaker had gone, aside from finding Yang Potian.
This unresolved case cast a deep shadow over the new dynasty.
Many people felt uneasy, like sitting atop a time bomb, restless and insecure.
They weren’t oblivious to where the problem lay, but what good did that knowledge do?
For instance, Yang Ge, could he really march to the capital and slay the entire court?
Of course, he was capable, but after such slaughter, then what? Who could resolve the aftermath?
The capital was the heart of Wei because its every beat affected every muscle and every drop of blood throughout the Wei dynasty...
If he were to wipe out the entire court with one stroke, the land would descend into chaos within a month!
Therefore, he could only try to suppress the jianghu, buying time for Zhao Hong to clean up the court and re-establish the dynasty’s discipline, maintaining the peace at hand and prolonging this sliver of hope...
...
At the end of August.
Xiang Wudi’s "Invincible Fleet" was fully organized and preparing to set sail. Yang Ge went to Zhoushan to see them off.
Perhaps it was some sort of bond, Xiang Wudi still chose to assemble his Invincible Fleet at Nansha Bay.
When Yang Ge arrived at Nansha Bay, Yang Tiansheng, Xiang Wudi, and Li Jincheng had already been waiting for him for quite some time.
"Let’s have a drink!"
Wine frothed as the four hefty jars clinked against one another.
On the deck, the four men staggered to their feet, each grabbing a jar and taking a gulp.
Since Emperor Xiping’s demise, Yang Ge had not had a chance to relax like this for days; now he sat sloppily atop two sacks, holding the gourd of wine and laughing heartily.
All four knew there was something off about his indulgent appearance.
"To be frank, second brother, you might as well not take care of the Zhao Family’s mess!"
Xiang Wudi, dressed in a loose, bare-chested hemp outfit, clutched a wine jar in one hand and slapped his thigh with the other, "I heard about Emperor Xiping’s issue. They even suspected you? Damn it, no more waiting on them; let’s sail the seas, conquer a great nation, and sit on the dragon throne ourselves, free from the putrid airs of the Zhao Family!"
Yang Ge, with raised eyebrows in surprise, said, "Where did you hear that from?"
Xiang Wudi nodded toward Yang Tiansheng, "Yang told me."
Yang Ge turned to look at Yang Tiansheng.
Visit frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓ for the b𝘦st novel reading experience.
Yang Tiansheng pulled his shirt open, purse-lipped, and said, "I got it from the Imperial Guard..."
Snatching up the wine jar, Yang Ge took a swig and wondered, "You’ve settled those old dinosaurs at the Ming Sect already?"
"That’s exactly the problem."
Yang Tiansheng scoffed, "haven’t managed them yet. But they’re eager as reapers to come knocking for peace talks, each more arrogant than the last... If not for old Wei’s face, I would’ve slaughtered those ignorant fools long ago! What are they trying to pull with me? If the Ming Sect was to submit to them, would it be their turn to strut their stuff?"
"I say, we should give ’em a good hammering!"
His eyes blazing, Li Jincheng slammed his thigh, "We’re just too lazy to bother, not that we’re bloody pushovers, ready to be molded like clay! "
Yang Ge looked at him puzzled, "What? Did the court trouble Lianhuan Fort as well?"
"Exactly!"
Li Jincheng, equally bewildered, exclaimed, "I mean, Lianhuan Fort didn’t stir up any trouble, right? I give them money when they want it, people when they demand it, and now they’ve got the nerve to harass us every other day, growing bolder each time. Damn it, several times I was this close to poking those sons of bitches with a hundred and eight clear holes!"
Yang Ge, with a straight face, turned to Xiang Wudi.
Xiang Wudi spread his hands, "The court hasn’t bothered me personally, but they’ve been trying to sneak people into my ranks. After I rejected them, they started to hold back supplies... luckily, this is Jiangzhe!"
"Second brother, do you reckon they think since they’ve killed Yang Potian, we should all obey them?"
Scratching his head with furrowed brows, Yang Ge said, "Why haven’t you ever talked to me about these issues?"
"Was there any need to tell you?"
Yang Tiansheng sneered, "Do you belong to the court? Or do you think us brothers can’t handle them without your help? Who do you look down on?"
Yang Ge remained silent.
He knew that deep down, Yang Tiansheng’s overt taunting was actually his way of sparing him the difficulty and not wanting him to wade into these muddy waters.
Silently gripping the wine jar, Yang Ge took a hefty swig and then, with alcohol on his breath, said, "I have friends in the court, but you are also my good friends. I don’t want to add to the chaos of this world, nor do I want to let you down. If they really don’t know what’s good for them, getting too cocky, you do what you must. I, Yang Erlang, don’t command that much respect, and even if I did, it’s not meant to have my friends slighted..."
Yang Tiansheng roughly cut him off, "Enough, let’s not dwell on these rotten matters. When it’s time to act, we’ll know to do it... Anyway, as long as our conscience is clear, it’s all that matters!"