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The next day, as the day was barely getting started, a group left Danzhou’s port. Since it was the Emperor’s entourage, the situation was not normal. Although all manners of honor guard had not come out, there was three li of densely packed people surrounding the noble and large carriage in the center. It appeared very imposing.

The common people of Danzhou knelt on the ground and respectfully kowtowed to the leaving Emperor. This might be the first and last time they would see the Emperor. As citizens of Qing Kingdom, no one wanted to miss it.

Fan Xian rode in the rear of the group. He looked at the group in the distance on the official road with a worried expression on his face. He was about to follow the Emperor to the great Dong Mountain’s temple to worship heaven. However, his heart was full of unease and confusion.

Last night, he had secretly met up with Ren Shao’an. He learned the reason that the Emperor had chosen the great Dong Mountain to worship heaven was not just because he had begun to miss the air of freedom, the meetings of the past, and Danzhou’s sea breeze. It was because a problem had appeared in the original plan to worship the heavens at the Qing Temple in Jingdou.

No one in the Jingdou Qing Temple had the authority to conduct such a large worship ceremony.

Qing Kingdom always believed in the military. Although its people feared and respected spirits, it was in a distant way, particularly under the influence of the present Emperor. The power of the Ascetic Monks of the Temples grew weaker by the day. The proper Tianyi Dao with Northern Qi’s Ku He at the head had even less a possibility of entering into Qing Kingdom’s system of temples.

The few virtuous and prestigious Great Priests left all had things happen to them these few years. First, there was that Great Priest who had returned to the capital through the South. In less than a month, because of his age and weak body, he had caught a cold and died. The Second Priest Great Master, San Shi, had tragically died in the woods outside Jingdou.

Fan Xian guessed that the deaths of the Great Priests were secretly the work of the Emperor. However, this meant that if they wanted to worship heaven, they could only go to Dong Mountain. After all, it was known as the location most like a spiritual temple. It was profound and where the incense was the thickest.

But was it just because of this absurd reason?

Fan Xian squeezed the horse’s flank and caught up to the group with furrowed brows. The Emperor’s protection work went on methodically, so he did not need to worry too much. After seeing the more than a hundred long-knifed Tiger Guards sandwiched between the Imperial Guards, he could feel more at ease.

Seven Tiger Guards could fight Haitang Duoduo. What could a hundred Tiger Guards do?

He should have felt at ease, but he still did not. In the minds of most people, Fan Xian was probably an expert in manipulation and conspiracy. But a person knows their own secrets. He knew his ability to calculate was truly not that amazing. In the past, he was able to fight without defeat in the South Kingdom and Northern Qi because he had Yan Bingyun’s help and Chen Pingping’s care. Plus, his biggest supporter was the Emperor. With him as a mountain to lean on, all obstacles moved when he approached it. What was there to really be afraid of?

The target of an opponent conspirator was his own support. Fan Xian was self-aware enough to know that he did not have sufficient intelligence to handle such a major situation.

He saw himself clearly, so he was particularly careful and sensitive. Thinking of the question that had been circling his mind since yesterday, he felt a bit of caution.

It was a major event for the Emperor to go on an inspection tour. Even if he had been floating on the ocean and broken his connection to the Overwatch Council’s intelligence network, Yan Bingyun, who was in charge of Council business in Jingdou, should have had a way to notify him. The internal communications between the Qinian Unit had been kept open. Why had Yan Bingyun not notified him ahead of time?

He summoned Wang Qinian over and asked a few questions. After receiving the report that everything was as normal with the Council reports, he couldn’t help but scratch his head. He didn’t say anything more. He just smiled self-mockingly, feeling that he was too overly suspicious and in an abnormal state.

...

...

They traveled by land. It only took a few days before they saw the giant lonely mountain by the seaside that had blocked 10,000 years of sea wind and hid the sunrise to the east. It stood isolated and stubborn, piercing into the sky like a half-piece of jade.

Fan Xian rode beside the Emperor’s carriage and unconsciously gave a shiver. He looked at the massive mountain with narrowed eyes and sighed in appreciation. This was the third time he had seen the great Dong Mountain by the sea. Every time he saw it, he couldn’t help but let out a sigh at the wonder of nature.

How could such a stunning sight not make one open-minded? After sighing, Fan Xian also felt great pity and irritation. He had lived in Danzhou 16 years. He had not known that not far from his home, there was such a sacred place. Otherwise, he certainly would have dragged Uncle Wu Zhu there to play.

Although the court had stopped all jade extraction in Dong Mountain, it did not prohibit common people from entering the temple to pray. Presumably, no one would have stopped him if he had often come to play.

However, if he was still a child and wanted to enter the great Dong Mountain today, it would not be so easy.

At the foot of the mountain, flags and banners fluttered in the breeze. Thousands of people were standing in lines. All the paths leading into the mountain had been sealed. Three days previously, the imperial edict had gone up the mountain. The priests and monks in the temple on the mountain were waiting respectfully in front of the gates for the imperial entourage. The people who had come to the mountain to burn incense had long been herded down the mountain by the local provincial soldiers.

Currently, there were thousands of people restraining their breathing in this isolated and lonely mountain. An oppressively strict atmosphere enveloped the surrounding areas. All of this was for that one person, the first person in the world.

Eunuch Yao stepped onto the wooden frame and helped the imposing Emperor in the bright yellow formal clothing out of the large carriage. The Emperor stood on the flat stage in front of the carriage.

Without anyone giving an order, the thousands of people at the foot of the mountain uniformly knelt down with a swish. Cries of “wansui” rang out through the mountain.

The Emperor waved his hand calmly to indicate for everyone to rise. After being helped down from the carriage by Eunuch Yao, he naturally left the eunuch’s hand. After placing his hands behind his back, he walked toward the newly repaired gates that shone like white jade.

Old Eunuch Hong followed behind the Emperor.

Fan Xian lagged behind a few steps, calmly watching the situation.

Approaching the gates to the mountain, the robe wearing priests bowed respectfully once again to the Emperor. They then bent their bodies in a flattering manner and asked the Emperor to ascend the mountain to listen to the will of heaven.

Fan Xian watched this and laughed to himself. The Monks in Qing Kingdom indeed did not have as much status as in Northern Qi.

The Emperor did not immediately move. He looked at the beautiful gates and smiled warmly. “The first edict came earlier in the month, while my exact time of arrival was set three days ago. The temple has certainly reacted quickly. However, the people should not be overly disrupted. A mountain gate is already so extravagant. Be careful that Dongshan Road doesn’t run out of silver.”

The priests’ expressions became embarrassed. The head priest explained in a trembling voice, “Your Majesty, it is only a mountain gate. The Temple at the peak is still how it was 20 years ago. There has been no change at all.”

The Emperor smiled slightly and said, “That is very good.”

The Governor of Dongshan Road, He Yongzhi, who had rushed to meet the entourage, wiped the sweat from his brows. He thought to himself that his attempt at flattering had missed its mark. Fortunately, the Emperor’s next words were relatively gentle.

The Emperor glanced at this Governor and furrowed his brows. “Didn’t I tell you in the letter to not come?”

He Yongzhi was one of the seven governors. Although his position was a bit weaker than Xue Qing’s, he was still a first-rank official. In front of the Emperor, he didn’t have the semblance of being a major figure. He forced a smile and said, “It’s rare for your Majesty to leave the capital and come to Dongshan Road. I and all the officials from the Road and province all feel the glory. How could I not come?”

It was clear that the Governors of the Seven Roads were the Emperor’s most trusted officials. The Emperor laughingly scolded, “Get back to your Luozhou. The Governor leads one side of the military. It is enough for you to your job. There has never been a lack of people serving me at my side...” He glanced at Fan Xian behind him. “With Commissioner Fan here, you can go back.”

He Yongzhi did not dare object. He knew that although this Emperor appeared warm, he always expected prompt obedience. The Governor also didn’t delay. He knelt and kowtowed again, nodded towards Fan Xian as a greeting, and hurried back to the Governor’s manor in Luozhou.

Fan Xian smiled as he watched and didn’t say anything.

...

...

The great Dong Mountain was very tall. If it was calculated using Fan Xian’s units, it was at least 2,000 meters. Furthermore, it was surrounded by either the sea or grassland. Contrasting the two, the mountain appeared even more towering. It seemed to reach the heavens. If one had to ascend it, there wasn’t anyone who wouldn’t feel scared.

Fortunately, the side of the mountain facing the sea was a completely smooth precipice. The side facing the land was filled with dirt and life that had accumulated over millions of years. Stone steps rose on either side with grass growing abundantly and tall trees shooting into the sky. The branches and leaves were like little green fans that hid the newly risen summer sun. They danced in the light mountain breeze like countless little fans and brought a welcome coolness to people walking.

This beautiful and secluded scene was perhaps what gave the common people, who had come to light incense, the bravery to finish walking this seemingly endless series of stone steps.

Thousands of soldiers were spread out at the foot of Dong Mountain. Those following the Emperor up the mountain to worship the heavens were old Eunuch Hong, Fan Xian, the Minister of Rites, and a group of officials. There were also a number of eunuchs following them and a hundred or so Tiger Guards warily spread around the Emperor. However, they weren’t taking the stone steps. They were going up the small trails in the mountain, which was a bit more difficult.

The tens of thousands of stone steps truly tested one’s perseverance and energy. The people called this long series of steps the staircase to heaven. Only those who walked up showed sufficient sincerity and were able to use the mysterious power of the temple in the mountain to cure illnesses.

This group was not common people going to pray to the heavens. The Tiger Guards walking through the mountain could hold up. Even the eunuchs seemed to have sufficient energy. However, the civil officials, the Minister of Rites and Ren Shao’an, were almost at the end of their strength. They had no energy to care about losing face in front of the Emperor. Each of them supported their waists and puffed for breath.

Fan Xian had climbed mountains and jumped precipices since he was young. These tens of thousands of stone steps were not a problem for him. He wasn’t even breathing hard. He watched the people and found that the eunuchs at the Emperor’s side were very strong. He couldn’t help but be silently speechless. Old Eunuch Hong was a strange creature. He also knew that Eunuch Yao had martial training. However, the eunuchs who brought tea were exemplary. It made him feel that there were indeed talented individuals hiding at the Emperor’s side.

After an indeterminable amount of time, the group finally reached the summit of the mountain. A few priests and civil officials collapsed limply on the ground. They didn’t come to themselves for a while.

The Emperor smiled mockingly as he glanced at them, but he couldn’t be bothered to criticize. He put his hands behind his back and walked to the side of the precipice at the top of the mountain. He watched the floating clouds in front of the cliff and considered the sun above. His expression was extraordinarily calm and joyful. It was as if he had finally achieved, or was about to achieve, a goal.

Fan Xian followed behind him and smiled slightly. He saw the slight rise and fall of the Emperor’s chest, and his slightly flushed and sweaty face. It seemed that although the Emperor’s body was still healthy and strong, he was no longer the young man who rode into battle in. It was only for the Emperor’s face that he forcibly endured it.

After resting for a moment, the people who had come along began to organize the ceremony and make the very troublesome arrangements for living and food. The Emperor and Fan Xian remained standing beside the precipice. The father and son seemed to be caught by the wondrous view below Dong Mountain. They didn’t say a single word. They only stared forward in a daze.

In front of them was the ocean, an endless ocean. The ocean they were looking at was not the same one they saw while standing on the Danzhou dock.

The ocean in Danzhou was intimate yet difficult to be close to. It was calm but surging and close beneath their feet. The sound was beside their ears, and the white foam wet the bottoms of their robes.

The ocean below the great Dong Mountain was distant and cold. Standing on the edge of the precipice, one could not hear the roar of the waves. Gazing down along the precipice as smooth as jade, one could only see streaks of white moving forward and back on the ocean, crashing into and soaking the precipice of Dong Mountain, doing an endlessly pointless task.

In front of the precipice was a layer of very thin and light cloud, like a piece of paper. It rose and fell as it flowed slowly around the precipice.

The red sun on the surface of the ocean had long risen. It didn’t seem to be much taller than the great Dong Mountain. Standing on the mountain, the sun seemed very close. Its brilliance pierced through the layer of white cloud and shone with twisted and beautiful streaks. Gradually, it lightened the pure white cloud until it almost disappeared into the air.

Watching the clouds spread and disperse, and the tide rise and all, Fan Xian unconsciously rubbed his nose and smiled self-mockingly. Why was he standing here beside the Emperor? Then he saw the Emperor’s body sway.

Fan Xian’s hand flashed out like lightning. His left hand was like a vine. His fingers exerted a slight strength. In a flash, the Coffin-Breaker technique came out. He caught the Emperor’s hand and pulled him back a step.

Below their feet was a bottomless abyss. If one fell down, the chance of survival was slim. After Fan Xian’s scare had passed, he felt that he had acted impetuously and gave his apologies. He also noticed that behind him, old Eunuch Hong was looking at him with a strange gaze.

The Emperor lightly touched his forehead. He did not resent him. Rather, he self-mockingly said, “Seems like I really am old. I actually became a bit dizzy after looking for too long.”

Suddenly, the Emperor put down his hand and gazed at Fan Xian with a slight smile. “Do you believe there are sacred temples in the world?”