Chapter 744
Chapter 744
“Prince Gong, if you would be so kind, please insert these silver needles into the back of his head.”
Prince Gong was also a master of martial arts, so he inserted the needles with ease. Watching him, Shen Lang couldn't help but look at the prince anew.
*I had no idea his martial arts were this formidable.*
“I am one who has transformed their bloodline.”
*So that's how it is.*
After Prince Gong inserted the silver needles into the back of the catatonic man's head, Shen Lang placed the modified Nightmare Stone on top of them and sent a current through it to stimulate the stone. Instantly, the Nightmare Stone flashed, and Prince Gong instinctively narrowed his eyes. His senses were so acute that at such a close distance, he felt a burning sensation on his skin. The modified Nightmare Stone emitted a special energy wave that pierced directly into the catatonic man's brain. His closed eyelids twitched violently for a moment, but then there was no further reaction.
*Did it fail? Was it ineffective?*
But just thirty minutes later, the man who had been catatonic moments before shot up into a sitting position.
“Wh-what is this situation?”
Shen Lang and Prince Gong were overjoyed.
*To have an effect so quickly! He woke up just like that, without any recovery time? Did a miracle just happen in an instant? This ancient Nightmare Stone is truly incredible.*
“Sword King, let's go! We must go!”
After waking the catatonic giant, Shen Lang left in a hurry, with no time to share his joy with the State Preceptor. Time was extremely tight. Fifteen days had already passed since Shen Lang left the capital; a catastrophe could erupt there at any moment. Shen Lang sat back down in his rattan chair, and Sword King Li Qianqiu prepared to carry him and sprint madly. But at that moment, a sturdy man from the Saman Tribe ran up from the side, hoisted Shen Lang's rattan chair without a word, and sprinted madly northward. Shen Lang fell fast asleep in his rattan chair, and the Saman tribesman ran for thirty li before stopping.
Another sturdy Saman tribesman was waiting there, and he took over carrying the rattan chair with Shen Lang in it, continuing north. Sprinting nonstop like this, Shen Lang and Li Qianqiu left the territory of the Great Southern Kingdom and entered the State of Jiang in just two days. Throughout this entire process, Shen Lang didn't even wake up. When he finally awoke again, he was inside a large carriage. He had been bathed, his beard cleanly shaven, and his hair neatly combed.
Beside him, Wu Lie said.
“Young Master, your meal is ready. Please eat.”
Outside, a thousand armored cavalrymen from the State of Jiang protected Shen Lang's carriage at their center, galloping madly toward the State of Yue.
* * *
Meanwhile, in the royal palace of the capital, a preposterous scene was unfolding at the Crown Prince Selection Assembly.
“Ning Zheng, Ning Zheng, Ning Qi, Ning Qi, Ning Zheng...”
Everyone in the grand hall held their breath. Who could have expected such a result? Had Ning Zheng conspired with people beforehand to produce this outcome? Not at all. Then why was this happening? Hadn't all the civil and military officials supported Ning Qi before? When Ning Yuanxian had previously asked the officials of Yue publicly whether they supported Ning Zheng or Ning Qi, over eighty percent had supported Ning Qi.
In truth, the reason for this situation was quite simple. The silent majority in the hall at that time had been supporters of Ning Zheng. There were hundreds of officials in the grand hall, but only a tenth of them were able to stand up and voice their opinions. While it was true that officials from the Zhong and Zhu clans held immense power in the court, only the highest-ranking officials could truly be considered part of the Zhu or Zhong factions. The vast majority of the remaining officials, though they might rely on the Zhu and Zhong clans, were not part of their direct inner circles.
Previously, they would have still supported Ning Qi, but recent events had swayed them significantly. First were the two miraculous great victories achieved by Ning Zheng, and the most influential factor was King Ning Yuanxian's sudden collapse. Of course, the officials secretly harbored ill feelings toward the King, and some even held grudges. This was because King Ning Yuanxian had undoubtedly treated his subjects harshly. But he was their sovereign, after all, and the idea of a son assassinating his own father and king was utterly horrifying to them. The officials could not accept such an act in their hearts, so in the anonymous Crown Prince Selection Assembly, the silent majority chose Ning Zheng. As the votes were counted, the faces of the Empire's Prince Yan, Queen Zhu, Zhu Hongzhu, Zhong E, and Xue Che twisted in dismay.
*We were careless. So careless.*
They had expected Ning Qi to be chosen in the Selection Assembly with near certainty, yet this was the situation that unfolded. The assassination of Ning Yuanxian had brought about far more severe consequences than anticipated. The situation improved slightly as it continued. The higher the official's rank, the more likely they were to choose Ning Qi. This was because their relationships were bound by mutual interests. Ning Qi's expression remained cold, while the Empire's Prince Yan's face was so grim it looked as if water would drip from it. This was truly a disaster. Ning Zheng had received too many votes. Although Ning Qi's votes increased among the higher-ranking officials, they couldn't risk it. What would they do if, in the end, more votes for Ning Zheng were counted? Would they have to go back on their word and overturn the result, effectively spitting in their own faces?
In that moment, the Empire's Prince Yan tapped his chair lightly. It was a signal. To ensure absolute fairness, the person counting the votes was an official from the Empire, not from Ning Qi's or Ning Zheng's faction. Upon receiving Prince Yan's signal, a small object slipped from the official's sleeve. After opening a ballot, if Ning Qi's name was written, he did nothing. But if he opened a ballot with Ning Zheng's name, he would lightly trace over the characters with the object in his hand, causing the writing on the paper to vanish, turning it into a blank, abstaining vote.
“Ning Qi, abstention, abstention, Ning Qi...”
A bizarre situation began to unfold. The number of abstentions grew and grew, and the officials in the grand hall began to whisper among themselves.
*What's going on? There were no abstentions just a moment ago, how can there suddenly be so many?*
Zhang Chong's son, Zhang Shun, stepped forward and said.
“Why has there suddenly been such a flood of abstentions? This is clearly not normal.”
Hearing this, the lower-ranking officials in the hall all looked puzzled.
*There's definitely something fishy going on. There wasn't a single abstention before, and now there's a flood of them? Are you kidding me?*
Zhang Shun said, "Royal Uncle Ning Ji, I believe we must send two ministers to supervise the vote-counting process."
The imperial official counting the votes said coldly, "Are you questioning my integrity?"
“For the sake of Your Excellency's reputation and the reputation of the Empire, we must supervise the proceedings.”
Royal Uncle Ning Ji bowed and said, "Prince Yan, I believe he has a point."
The Empire's Prince Yan shot to his feet and shouted coldly.
“What is the meaning of this, officials of Yue? The selection of a king is a sacred affair, yet you abstain, showing disrespect to this prince? Is this a display of dissatisfaction with the Empire? The purpose of this Selection Assembly is for the civil and military officials to recommend a new sovereign. If you all abdicate this right, what meaning does this assembly have? With so many abstentions, even if a new crown prince were to be chosen, it would be unfair.
I hereby declare the results of this Selection Assembly null and void. We shall hold another assembly in three days. At that time, no one will be permitted to abstain. It is only right that everyone takes responsibility for their choice, so it will no longer be an anonymous vote. In three days, each official will be given a ballot with their name and rank already written on it.”
Everyone was shocked to hear this.
*How... how can they be so shameless?*
It was nothing short of a threat. Just as Ning Zheng was about to win, they nullified the results and changed the rules of the assembly on the spot. With a public vote, no one would dare to cast their ballot for Ning Zheng. Wouldn't they face retaliation? Such an action completely crossed the line. The Empire's Prince Yan looked at Queen Zhu, who then spoke.
“I am but a woman and have no opinion of my own. What say the Secretariat and the Bureau of Military Affairs?”
Zhu Hongzhu said, "This old servant believes that in a matter as important as selecting a king, the officials must take responsibility for their choices."
Zhong E chimed in, "This subject agrees."
Several chancellors from the Secretariat and vice commissioners from the Bureau of Military Affairs unilaterally supported Prince Yan's proposal. Ning Ji alone could not turn the tide, and so it was decided in the court assembly to nullify the results of the Selection Assembly and reconvene in three days.
* * *
It goes without saying what happened over the next three days. Agents from the Blackwater Terrace and the Secretariat visited nearly every official in the State of Yue. They spoke about the officials' careers, their households, and their families. Their tone was exceedingly polite, but those who listened felt their hair stand on end as cold sweat broke out. Following that, the Bureau of Military Affairs and the Secretariat held several meetings, grandly proclaiming the sanctity of the Crown Prince Selection Assembly. Finally, the imperial delegation led by Prince Yan met with representatives of the Yue officials. Specifically, those officials who had chosen Ning Zheng and voiced opposing opinions. The Empire's Prince Yan spoke of His Majesty the Emperor's sanctity, his concern for the State of Yue, the relationship between the Empire and Yue, and so on. Not a single word of threat was uttered, but countless officials were jolted from their dreams. The meaning was crystal clear.
*If you dare to write the wrong name again at the next Selection Assembly, your entire family could be annihilated. To preserve your wealth, family, and life, you had best side with the Empire.*
* * *
Three days passed quickly, and the sacred Crown Prince Selection Assembly was held once more. As announced, the officials received their own ballots, on which their names, courtesy names, ranks, and places of origin were clearly written. Now, anyone who dared to write Ning Zheng's name would be investigated to the fullest extent.
The Empire's Prince Yan began to speak.
“I need not say more for you to understand how sacred this Selection Assembly is. The one chosen will lead the State of Yue to prosperity, peace, and strength, so you must understand that each of your votes carries the weight of a thousand catties. Begin!”
At Prince Yan's command, the civil and military officials in the grand hall of Yue felt utterly humiliated, but they all wrote the same name on their ballots.
*That's more like it!*
* * *
Faster, faster! With a thunderous sound of hooves, protected by a troop of cavalry, Shen Lang's carriage raced through the Vermilion Bird Gate and into the capital. They galloped swiftly along Vermilion Bird Avenue and entered the royal palace directly.
“Make way! Make way!”
Wherever Shen Lang passed upon entering the palace, everyone hastily moved aside. Grand Eunuch Lu Jun hurried out to greet him. Before Shen Lang left, he had said it would take a month, but he had returned in just twenty-three days. Lu Jun was overjoyed. It was clear that Shen Lang had returned earlier than planned because he had succeeded.
“Young Master, a grand performance is taking place in the main hall.”
*Even Grand Eunuch Lu Jun is calling me Young Master. I can hardly bear to receive such a title from you.*
Shen Lang smiled and said, "Let them act their hearts out. The more passionately they perform now, the more thrilling it will be when they lose face in a little while, won't it?"
Shen Lang had already heard that the Crown Prince Selection Assembly was being held. What a progressive and peculiar spectacle. But the assembly would not end until Ning Qi was chosen. This was a true show trial performance. Thus, after this assembly, the Empire would completely lose the hearts of Yue's officials, and even the reputations of Ning Qi, Zhu Hongzhu, and the others would be ruined. This was no different from shoving the heads of Yue's civil and military officials into a basin full of filth and shouting, "Hurry up and eat." But how could they eat when the basin was filled with nothing but filth? Shen Lang began to imagine how satisfying it would be to crush their pride after Ning Yuanxian woke up. If King Ning Yuanxian were to reject Ning Qi with a single word right after they selected him as crown prince just as they wished, the scene would be so gratifying it would feel like soaring to the heavens.