Chapter 291
Chapter 291
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: [Number]
Chapter Title: Pressures at the Meridian Gate
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That very night, the outcome of the duel between Chen Shi and his father Chen Tang was compiled into reports and promptly delivered to the desks of high-ranking officials across major factions, including the Grand Secretariat, Eastern Depot, Five Armies, Divine Pivot, and Divine Mechanism.
The clash between Chen Shi and Chen Tang had already captured widespread attention.
Chen Shi's strength was difficult to gauge, but this battle offered a basis for estimation. Former Chief Grand Secretary Yan Xizhi received a copy as well. He swiftly scanned it once, his expression turning somewhat grave.
"Chen Shi's strength has advanced far too quickly. If this continues, it will be hard for the Young Master to prevail."
He furrowed his brow slightly. Chen Shi was at the Nascent Soul Realm, yet Chen Tang had unleashed Soul Transformation Realm power in their fight, and the two sides were evenly matched.
However, though Chen Tang had mobilized Soul Transformation Realm cultivation, his insight and experience far exceeded that of typical Soul Transformation cultivators. His power could not be judged solely by Soul Transformation standards. "A Nascent Soul Realm cultivator holding their own against Chen Tang at Soul Transformation—not to be underestimated."
Yan Xizhi closed the dossier, his thoughts drifting back unbidden to the days when Chen Tang had arrived in the capital for the metropolitan and palace examinations.
Back then, Chen Yindu had not yet earned his title as the Butcher of the Western Capital and was preoccupied with scouring the land for the truth behind the True King's era of decline. Chen Tang had left home, journeyed to the Western Capital for the imperial examinations, and stunned the entire city.
"Every metropolitan and palace exam saw thirteen spots at the top claimed by scions of the Thirteen Families. The Top Scholar position rotated endlessly among the surnames Yan, Xia, Zhang, and Li. Only that one time, during the martial segment of the metropolitan exam, did Chen Tang fight the thirteen young elites of the Thirteen Families to a draw."
His expression grew peculiar. During that exam, every opponent Chen Tang faced ended in a perfect tie, with no victor or vanquished. Tying with one person was simple enough; tying with them all was another matter entirely!
People at the time claimed Chen Tang had held back against the young elites of the Thirteen Families. Many of those elites had since risen to prominent positions in the court.
The highest among them was Fei Zhong of the Fei Family, now one of the Thirteen Grand Secretaries of the Grand Secretariat— a man of immense authority, serving as the ancient Fei Family's mouthpiece in the Western Capital. Fei Zhong was also a leading contender for the role of Chief Grand Secretary.
Chen Tang had held back against him that year.
But Yan Xizhi knew that among those thirteen was one who would become the future patriarch of the Yan Family: contemporary patriarch Yan Hanqing. Yan Hanqing had just turned fifty this year, and fifteen years prior, during the exam, he had fought Chen Tang to a draw.
Chen Tang back then was a rural scholar, accompanied by a handful of fellow examinees from his native township. He knew when to advance and when to yield, securing the fourteenth place. The essay he wrote for the metropolitan exam circulated far and wide at the time, driving up the price of paper in the Western Capital with its dazzling literary brilliance that left readers in awe.
"The foundations of the great families are beyond what others can match. The higher the realm, the wider the gap pulls open. Chen Tang, after all, is no family scion. How vast is the distance he's fallen behind Lord Fei? And behind the patriarch?"
Yan Xizhi murmured to himself, "For Chen Shi to match him at Nascent Soul against his Soul Transformation... can he stand against the Young Master?"
He gazed out the window. The Thirteen Families had long been kept in check. They needed to seize this mutation of the Heavenly Outer True God, prop up a True King, and build their strength to resist. Would Chen Shi prove to be the stumbling block in this grand upheaval?
"The disciples the Thirteen Families dispatched to the Western Capital for the exams have vanished. This must be connected to Chen Shi. He's far too lawless." Staring at the full moon in the sky, he murmured, "The Thirteen Families should give Chen Tang a proper warning—make him rein in that son of his."
At the third watch of the night, Chen Tang left the Chen residence as usual, heading toward the Meridian Gate.
The streets of the inner city lay deserted, devoid of people. By the time he reached the Meridian Gate, many officials had already gathered.
Morning court followed the same old routine: reviewing memorials from across the realm, discussing disaster relief and demonic upheavals, followed by the high officials trading barbs and squabbling, until the Chief Grand Secretary finally spoke to rebuke the civil and martial officials and declare the session adjourned.
These proceedings had grown utterly formulaic, yet the civil and martial officials never tired of them, devising fresh antics each day. Beneath the Meridian Gate, the high officials chatted and laughed amiably while awaiting the start, clustering in small groups to debate court policies and discipline.
Chen Tang took no part in it. Apart from addressing his own duties in court, he rarely engaged in other matters. The court, aware of his temperament, seldom bothered him.
The Grand Secretariat knew full well who handled real work, who could be touched, and who could not.
An official like Chen Tang—taking him down would be like slashing the great artery of the Great Ming: blood spraying everywhere, hastening the empire's chill. Yet with his temperament, few officials cared to associate closely with him.
The man was too inflexible. He could expound endlessly on official business but clammed up tight at talk of personal matters or camaraderie. "Lord Chen! A word, if you please."
Chen Tang turned to the speaker and bowed. "What guidance do you have, Lord Xia?"
Xia Canghai beamed with smiles as he drew him aside to one flank of the Meridian Gate. "Lord Chen, you've surely noticed the celestial anomalies, yes? Nightfall now comes a full four quarters early. With the changes accelerating, climates across the land grow erratic, disasters proliferate, and malign spirits stir with unnatural vigor."
Chen Tang nodded faintly. "This official intends to raise the matter in court today and petition the throne to reduce this year's taxes."
"Tax reduction can wait for later discussion."
Xia Canghai grew solemn. "The real reason I sought you out concerns another matter. For this round of metropolitan and palace exams, have your son Chen Shi stand down from contending for Top Scholar. The title belongs to the Young Master—he couldn't win it even if he tried. The Young Master has great need of that honor. The celestial changes are speeding up; the court can no longer afford to remain a pile of loose sand."
With deep meaning, he added, "Lord Chen, you must know that the West Ox Continent needs a True King."
Chen Tang replied, "This official knows nothing of it. Pray enlighten me, Lord Xia."
"You!"
Xia Canghai bristled with anger, lowering his voice. "Have you not heard of the Young Master's origins? His surname is Zhu!"
Chen Tang said, "Is he not surnamed Ren?"
Xia Canghai flicked his sleeve in fury. "Are you feigning ignorance? Tell your Chen Shi to yield the Top Scholar title to the Young Master. It is a matter of righteousness!"
Chen Tang's expression remained unchanged. "Has Lord Xia forgotten? The court still owes my son a Top Scholar title."
Xia Canghai frowned, knowing he referred to the child prodigy incident. Eleven years prior, when Chen Shi's Divine Embryo had been extracted, all Thirteen Families had a hand in it!
"Chen Tang, let bygones be bygones. You and your son—mind yourselves well." With that, he flicked his sleeve and departed.
Chen Tang was about to return to the throng beneath the gate when another voice called out, laughing, "Lord Chen, hold a moment."
Chen Tang turned to see Grand Secretary Yan Shuhu of the Yan Family. "What urgent matter brings you, Lord Yan?"
Yan Shuhu approached his side with a smile. "Lord Xia's words just now carried no ill intent. If there was any offense, pray overlook it, Lord Chen. Merely... have your son refrain from contesting this year's Top Scholar position."
He smiled faintly. "I know full well the court owes your son that title from the incident eleven years past—no one desired that outcome. As compensation, let him wait three more years and sit the exams again; he'll claim Top Scholar then. Yield this year's to the Young Master."
Chen Tang's face grew stern. "Does Lord Yan propose fraud in the examinations? Do you know the penalty for such a crime?"
Yan Shuhu flushed with anger and flicked his sleeve as he stormed off. "You are utterly impervious!"
No sooner had he departed than Lord Cui Zegui arrived at Chen Tang's side, smiling. "Lord Chen, stay a moment. Allow me to play the mediator today."
Chen Tang received him with courtesy.
Cui Zegui offered the same counsel in similar terms, urging Chen Tang to have Chen Shi forgo contending for Top Scholar this year.
Chen Tang replied, "My son is set on claiming the title. To withdraw now would lead others to assume he yields because he cannot match the Young Master. With my son's reputation, to bolster the Young Master thus—as his father, how could I allow it? Pray speak no more of this, Lord Cui."
Thereafter, Grand Secretaries Jiang, Zhai, Fei, Ma, and others came to劝说, all with the same plea for Chen Tang to have Chen Shi abandon the contest for Top Scholar. Chen Tang refused them each in turn.
Among the Thirteen Grand Secretaries, only Chief Grand Secretary Zhang Fujing refrained from approaching him.
At last, the court session commenced. Civil and martial officials began filing toward the Hall of Supreme Harmony. "Lord Chen."
Minister of War Ren Chao lagged a step behind, falling in beside Chen Tang. They advanced unhurriedly, his gaze fixed ahead as he said flatly, "My son sits the metropolitan and palace exams this year and desires the top spot. Have your son yield it—no need to contest for Top Scholar."
His frame was towering and robust, shoulders broad and thick, hair streaked white, features stern and imposing. His voice boomed with weight, befitting one who commanded the realm's armies, exuding an aura of authority without need for rage. His words rang as if self-evident truth: refusal would make Chen Tang foe to the world itself.
"Lord Ren, glory through your son, it seems."
Chen Tang kept his eyes forward, refusing to glance aside. "Surnames beyond the Thirteen have reached the peak at vice minister. The Ren name holds no family status, yet you ascended to Minister of War, second rank—a rare feat indeed. Your seat among the second-rank elite owes chiefly to your son's countenance."
Ren Chao eyed the portals of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, ascending the stairs in lockstep with the crowd. "What are you driving at?" His tone carried anger, prompting surrounding officials to quicken their pace and give the pair a wide berth.
Chen Tang said, "You bear the surname Ren, yet your son is Zhu. Has it ever occurred to you, Lord Ren, that the Young Master is not your son? Quite generous of you, raising another man's child."
Ren Chao clenched his fists, then burst into sudden laughter. "Chen Tang, I command the realm's armies, wielding heavy authority. My cultivation has reached God-Refining peak, half a step from Void Return Realm. I lead a million cultivators; wherever my sword points, all turns to ash. My long blade sweeps, and demons cower. Now my son the Young Master claims the Top Scholar title as gift for his twenty-fourth birthday—perfectly fitting. Will you yield or not?"
His words rang clear to every civil and martial official in earshot, yet they all pretended deafness, continuing their chatter as they proceeded to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. "No."
Chen Tang said, "My son wishes to contend as well. Let all rely on their merits."
"No?"
Ren Chao abruptly twisted sideways and slammed into Chen Tang with crushing force.
Xia Canghai, Yan Shuhu, and the others frowned but did not turn.
They knew Minister of War Ren Chao for his fiery temper. Chen Tang had struck his sore spot this time—he was bound to suffer heavily. Then again, with Chen Tang so unyielding, a little setback might do him good and spare them further futile persuasion.
Ren Chao was the Young Master's foster father, a general tasked with guarding the imperial bloodline, utterly loyal to the throne.
The Young Master was nominally his son but truly of royal blood: first fostered in the Ren household, later sent to the Zheng Marquis's residence in Bath Capital. Upon reaching adulthood, he rallied the Thirteen Families, elevating Ren Chao to seize military command.
Ren Chao cultivated a merit law imparted by the Young Master himself. He had once manifested divine might before the Five Camps, his cultivation profound and unfathomable, tyrannical and domineering.
The pair collided, and before the Hall of Supreme Harmony, thunder seemed to rumble through the void— a muffled, shocking peal, like the clash of two primordial behemoths. It sent every footstep wavering and blood essence churning.
"Bang!"
A massive boom echoed from the distant Zhongji Hall. Officials whipped their heads toward the sound, only to see Minister of War Ren Chao's hulking form plastered against the hall's wall in a spread-eagle splay. The supreme artifact suppressing the fortunes of the West Ox Continent shuddered, spilling radiant light that pierced straight to the clouds!
With a thud, Ren Chao peeled from the wall and crashed to the ground, his body twitching twice before he fell unconscious. Dread gripped the assembled officials; they turned as one to stare at Chen Tang.
Chen Tang remained rooted on the stone steps leading to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, utterly unmoved.
Moments ago, Minister of War Ren Chao had collided with him as if against an ironclad fortress of bronze and steel—rebounding to grievous self-injury! Shock and uncertainty rippled through the officials.
What was Chen Tang's true cultivation?
The Minister of War at God-Refining Great Perfection—half a step from Void Return—had offered no resistance whatsoever!
Chen Tang resumed his ascent toward the Hall of Supreme Harmony, calm as ever. "Yielding to others stems from my good nature. Do not force my hand to rudeness."
Yan Shuhu and Xia Canghai exchanged glances and frowned.
At this juncture, Zhang Fujing turned back with a faint smile for Chen Tang. "Lord Chen, after you."
Chen Tang bowed. "Lord Zhang, please."
Awe settled over the civil and martial officials. They exchanged covert glances before filing silently into the court.
Outside, soldiers of the Divine Mechanism Camp rushed up, hoisted the Minister of War Ren Chao onto a stretcher, and hurried him away.
In the early morning, Chen Shi arrived at the alley off the third junction of Chang'an Avenue, at the base of Tingyu Tower. He was about to ascend when a child's voice called out: "Hey—you here for Chen Wu?"
Chen Shi traced the voice. It was that boy who often played cuju with Creation Little Five—seemed to be called Yuan Xiaoye. "Yes." Chen Shi nodded. "Where is he?"
"He's gone!"
Yuan Xiaoye dashed over, ball tucked under his arm. "He told me to tell you: he's thrilled you beat Chen Tang. Western Capital's no fun anymore; he's off chasing some secrets. He asked me to give you this."
Yuan Xiaoye drew a palm-sized copper mirror from his bosom—the very Fox Grape Mirror concealing the Little Zhoutian. Chen Shi froze, a hollow emptiness settling in his chest.
He looked skyward. At some point, that familiar cloud had vanished from the heavens, spirited away to parts unknown. "Did he say where he was headed?" Chen Shi asked.
"No idea."
Yuan Xiaoye set the ball down and began juggling it with his feet. "He just said: go ahead and take the exam boldly, claim Top Scholar, seize back what's lost. If you fail, better off cutting your own throat and dying—spare the Chen name the disgrace. Top Scholar that easy? Weird. My dad slaved away and barely passed xiucai."
Chen Shi burst out laughing.
"Top Scholar? Piece of cake—with hands, anyone can snag one. In a few days, I'll bring one home!"