Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)

Chapter 932 – A Letter from Shang Xingzhou

Tang Thirty-Six was rather startled to see the Prince of Louyang prostrate. Even if Chen Changsheng was the Pope and the prince was most cowardly, what need was there for such respect?

Chen Changsheng became somewhat absentminded as he looked at the Prince of Louyang’s clumsy movements and cumbersome body. Whatever he was thinking, it made it so that he did not immediately have the prince rise.

Tang Thirty-Six once more felt that something was wrong. It was obvious that Chen Changsheng had a problem with this prince’s attitude or mentality.

Amongst the princes of the Chen clan, the Prince of Louyang was the most low-key and obedient. No matter how fierce the conflict between the Imperial Court and the Orthodoxy, he had always maintained a respectful attitude toward the Li Palace, his actions just now proof of this fact. Logically speaking, Chen Changsheng’s personality and demeanor would not make him treat this prince so coldly, no matter how little he was acquainted with this prince.

Not hearing Chen Changsheng’s voice made the Prince of Louyang extremely nervous. While profusely sweating, he aimed a pitiful glance at Tang Thirty-Six.

Tang Thirty-Six lightly poked Chen Changsheng on the back, upon which Chen Changsheng finally came to his senses and hurriedly had the Prince of Louyang rise.

The Prince of Louyang gave a deep sigh and quickly took out a thin letter from his bosom. Like he was offering a treasure of his clan, he very carefully placed the letter in front of Chen Changsheng.

Hu Thirty-Two saw the seal on the letter and confirmed that it was not from the same person that wrote the letter from this morning and the ones from the past. So just who had written this letter?

The paper decorations pasted on the windows were numerous and varied, seeming almost real. The light passing through them into the room was greatly weakened, becoming rather gloomy.

Chen Changsheng gazed at the seal on the letter, pausing for a moment before smoothly opening the envelope.

It had been many years since he had seen this handwriting, but it was still so familiar, just like the writer.

The brushstrokes were smooth and flowing, like the stream outside the village. The words were elegant and charming but concealed a powerful vigor, like a solitary mountain within the mists.

Chen Changsheng read the first line of words, his complexion growing slightly dark.

As expected, the news relayed to him by the letter from this morning was true.

His brow creased and remained so.

Tang Thirty-Six and Hu Thirty-Two looked at him, using their gazes to inquire as to what was going on.

“This is a letter Teacher wrote to me.”

Chen Changsheng explained.

This answer shocked the pair into speechlessness while the Prince of Louyang incessantly wiped the cold sweat off his face. The room was quiet, the entirety of the Prince of Luling’s estate shrouded in silence.

The Imperial Court and the Li Palace, Shang Xingzhou and Chen Changsheng, had been at odds for several years, the situation between them extremely tense.

All of a sudden, Shang Xingzhou had written a letter to his student. What did he want?

It naturally wasn’t because he had drunk two pots of wine last night and suddenly wanted to see the Moon of the demons, thus deciding to turn his hostility toward his student into friendship.

It could only be because something extremely important was happening on the continent.

This event was even more important than the conflict between the Orthodoxy and the Imperial Court.

It was so important that even someone as clear-minded and powerful as Shang Xingzhou had put his aside his problems with Chen Changsheng and sought his aid.

Shang Xingzhou’s letter was simple and concise. Chen Changsheng quickly finished reading it and thanked the Prince of Louyang for his troubles.

The Prince of Louyang was elated, but he didn’t know what he should do next, so he blankly stood where he was.

Tang Thirty-Six winked at him.

The Prince of Louyang quickly responded, bowing as he retreated out of the room.

After he left, Tang Thirty-Six immediately asked, “Just what’s happened?”

Chen Changsheng replied, “White Emperor City will be holding the grand ceremony of Heavenly Selection.”

Tang Thirty-Six found the words ‘Heavenly Selection’ to be somewhat familiar, but he had forgotten where he had heard them or what they meant.

On the other hand, Hu Thirty-Two’s expression suddenly changed as he sternly said, “Preposterous! Just what are the demi-humans thinking?”

It was only after listening to Hu Thirty-Two’s explanation that Tang Thirty-Six finally understood the meaning of the Heavenly Selection ceremony, and his expression turned solemn.

“The one Princess Luoluo chooses to marry will become the next White Emperor?”

“Correct.”

Tang Thirty-Six asked Chen Changsheng, “Didn’t you already take care of her meridians? Why can’t she succeed to the throne of the White Emperor?”

Chen Changsheng silently thought for a few moments before saying, “It’s naturally because there’s someone that doesn’t want her to become the next White Emperor.”

Tang Thirty-Six understood who he was referring and asked in confusion, “Madam Mu is her mother by blood. How does doing this benefit her?”

Hu Thirty-Two’s concerns were on another question. “Who is Madam Mu prepared to marry Princess Luoluo off to?”

Chen Changsheng recalled the contents of the letter he had received this morning and said, “There are many rumors in White Emperor City, but right now it seems that the groom should be the Second Prince of the Great Western Continent.”

“The evil intentions of the Great Western Continent’s Imperial clan are truly undying,” Hu Thirty-Two harshly said. “The blue-clothed visitor only died two days ago and here they are again with this sort of move.”

“Madam Mu has been married to the White Emperor for several centuries now, and it’s said that those two have always loved each other. Who could have known that her heart had always been on the clan of her parents? She’s even willing to deprive her daughter of any benefits. In the past, I thought that such deceiving wives existed only in a few uncivilized and remote villages. I truly didn’t think…”

Tang Thirty-Six was deeply annoyed.

Confused, Hu Thirty-Two asked, “How can the White Emperor agree to her actions?”

Chen Changsheng noted, “His Majesty the White Emperor is still in secluded cultivation, so no one knows his thoughts on the matter.”

Tang Thirty-Six suddenly felt that something was not right about this matter.

The scheme of the Great Western Continent’s from a few days ago clearly had the Imperial Court and Shang Xingzhou’s backing.

To put it another way, it had always been an alliance between Shang Xingzhou and Madam Mu so that they could remove Chen Changsheng.

If Madam Mu wanted to use this chance to forge a marriage alliance and have the Great Western Continent’s Imperial clan successfully make landfall on the continent, Shang Xingzhou should have been wishing them the best, so why this fierce opposition?

Shang Xingzhou had written this letter to Chen Changsheng naturally with the hopes that he could ruin this grand ceremony that would inaugurate the Great Western Continent’s return to their homeland.

Chen Changsheng was the best candidate for stopping the marriage alliance between White Emperor City and the Great Western Continent. His status was sufficiently revered and he had a very unique relationship with the Demi-human race.

In this matter, he was more useful than Shang Xingzhou.

The problem was that Shang Xingzhou was the de facto ruler of the world and Chen Changsheng was the student that he wanted most dearly to die, so the two had an extremely complicated relationship. It had assuredly been no easy task for him to write this letter to Chen Changsheng, a decision only taken after long and careful deliberation. The more difficult the task, the more it was evident how strong his stance on this subject was. Why did he have such a strong stance that he was even willing to seek aid from his student, even if this would cause him to yield some ground to his student in the future?

“Black Robe is not in Xuelao City.”

Chen Changsheng added, “Moreover, twenty-some days ago, the Demon Palace held a ceremony to the stars. It caused quite a stir, but it’s still not clear what it was for.”

Hu Thirty-Two understood what this meant, and his face paled.

Tang Thirty-Six also turned grave.

If Shang Xingzhou’s judgment was not wrong, the Human race was about to face its most dangerous situation since the siege of Luoyang a thousand years ago.

Everyone thought that Luoluo might be married off to the Second Prince of the Great Western Continent, but what if she wasn’t?

What if White Emperor City planned to form a marriage alliance with another person?

What if this person came from the north?