Chapter 68: The Great Zhou Dynasty Leads to Speculation

Chapter 68: Great Zhou Dynasty's Tumult Leads to Speculation

According to historical records, before the Great Yan Dynasty unified the land, there were Nine vassal states in this world. These Nine vassal states constantly fought and killed each other. At that time, the Imperial Court and the Jianghu were in extreme chaos, giving rise to countless masters and remarkable figures.

The Soul-Devouring Old Man was just one of them. Besides him, many other masters emerged. Today's Seven Great Sects of Great Yan, the Yuheng Sword Sect and the Blue River Sect, were founded at that time and have continued to this day.

Tracing back further, before the chaos of the Nine Kingdoms, there was the immensely powerful Great Zhou Dynasty.

However, historical records only documented the Great Zhou Dynasty's prosperous and glorious history. As for why such a powerful Great Zhou Dynasty fell and suddenly disintegrated, there was no record whatsoever, as if the once-flourishing Great Zhou Dynasty had simply declined overnight.

This led to the later rise of nine great vassal kings who carved up the land, establishing the Nine vassal states and ushering in an era of vast conquests and mounted warfare.

What puzzled An Jing was that neither historical records nor folk tales contained any information about the Great Zhou Dynasty's sudden decline, as if it were a blank period in history.

Although the Nine Kingdoms constantly warred with each other, they seemed to share a natural unspoken agreement: to burn and bury this period of history.

As for why the Nine Kingdoms did this, not many people knew. Perhaps most of those who did know were no longer in this world.

"I'm not entirely sure either."

Jiang Sanjia shook his head.

"Is there anything in this world that your Ghost Valley Sect doesn't know?" Mu Xiaoyun raised an eyebrow. "Besides, isn't your Ghost Valley Sect a School that has existed since the Great Zhou Dynasty?"

As the oldest School in the current Jianghu, the Ghost Valley Sect was skilled in divining heavenly secrets and knew many hidden truths of the world. Jiang Sanjia had also previously served in the Directorate of Imperial Astronomy of Great Yan, where he could access some imperial secret scrolls. Logically speaking, there should be very few things in the world he didn't know.

"Heavenly secrets cannot be fully divined; this is a rule of our sect."

Jiang Sanjia pondered for a long time, then said, "I only know one thing: the decline of the Great Zhou Dynasty definitely has something to do with the Seal beneath the earth. This is stated in the Ghost Valley Book. There are six Seals beneath the earth in the current world. In fact, these Seals have existed for a long time. During the Great Zhou Dynasty, Buddhism suppressed these Seals. And now, the Emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty has built the Lock Dragon Well in Yujing City, seemingly reinforcing a new Seal, so there are a total of seven Seals beneath the earth."

"Oh, and Faxi Temple has one Seal, and the Seal is about to break. I just don't know what will happen when it breaks."

Mu Xiaoyun shook her head. "I've heard of these things, but they seem to be related to the national destiny."

Hearing this, An Jing became even more curious about the Seal.

The fall of the Great Zhou Dynasty was actually related to that Seal. What exactly was beneath that Seal, and why did the nine vassal kings erase this period of history?

Why was the Faxi Temple Seal on the verge of breaking, and his own destiny was constantly rising?

And what was he and that Dragon, or what did it symbolize? Why did it go mad when it saw him?

Could it be that the Seal was his own destiny, and that's why as the Seal broke, his destiny was constantly rising?

All of these questions filled An Jing's heart with doubt.

The three spoke a few more simple sentences, then fell into a brief silence.

"Since that's the case, I plan to leave after burying Xue Chen's body."

Mu Xiaoyun carried Xue Chen's body, looked at the two, and bade them farewell.

An Jing looked at Mu Xiaoyun, sighing inwardly.

A precious ancient jade essence blood in exchange for a dead body. It was hard to imagine that this was a choice the woman known as the 'Viper Beauty' in the Jianghu, Mu Xiaoyun, would make.

"Go, it's good to leave Great Yan." Jiang Sanjia sighed with emotion.

"Sanjia, don't draw a circle on the ground and trap yourself." Mu Xiaoyun looked at Jiang Sanjia seriously, then said, "The mountains are high and the rivers are long; we'll meet again in the Jianghu."

"I hope next time, we won't meet in the Jianghu." An Jing said with a faint smile.

"Good, good, 'we won't meet in the Jianghu'."

Mu Xiaoyun was stunned for a moment, then smiled knowingly. With a leap, she soared into the distance.

Yujing City, Yonghe Palace.

The courtyard was vast and empty, with white stone slabs covering the ground, neatly arranged lawns and flowers, and elegant pine trees standing tall.

In the center of the courtyard, on a Sumeru pedestal, stood a pair of ten-meter-tall ornamental columns made of white marble, adorned with entwined Dragons, with clouds rising from them. At the top were cloud boards, dew-collecting plates, and crouching beasts, giving them a solemn and dignified appearance.

On a stone bench in the courtyard sat a young man. He wore a crimson robe, a winged-crown, and a jade-glazed belt around his waist. His appearance wasn't strikingly handsome, but he was somewhat pleasant to look at, and his thin lips left a lasting impression.

He held a jade birdcage in his hand, teasing the spiritual bird inside.

"Second Prince."

Just then, a middle-aged man, led by a guard, slowly walked in.

The man's face was full of wrinkles, showing the marks of time, but his eyes were bright. This person was none other than Yue Tingchen, the current Minister of Public Works.

And the young man before him was Zhao Mengtai, the second son of the current Emperor.

"Has the cause of the Lock Dragon Well's recent tremor been investigated?" Second Prince Zhao Mengtai asked casually, looking at the bird in the cage.

"No major issues." Yue Tingchen said indifferently, "In recent years, the tremors of the Lock Dragon Well have become more frequent. The Imperial Preceptor once said it was due to the loosening of other Seals across Great Yan. However, as long as the last Seal of the Lock Dragon Well is intact, we can rest easy."

"The Imperial Preceptor did say that, yes."

Zhao Mengtai put down the birdcage, then clapped his hands. "But my Imperial Father didn't say that. He said that not a single Seal in any location can be missing, and no single Seal can go wrong. You still need to investigate this matter further."

Yue Tingchen nodded and said, "What Second Prince says is very true."

Zhao Mengtai nodded slightly, smiling, "I heard that Jiangnan Province has been restless recently. Has Lord Yue heard of it?"

"I have. It seems there are experts from the Demonic Sect active there." Yue Tingchen frowned.

The Demonic Sect had also launched a rebel coup in Great Yan, so in the Imperial Court of Great Yan, they were feared like tigers.

"I'm not talking about the Demonic Sect." The Second Prince narrowed his eyes and said, "I'm talking about Jiang Sanjia."

"Jiang Sanjia?"

Yue Tingchen was somewhat puzzled.

He naturally knew Jiang Sanjia very well. He used to work in the Directorate of Imperial Astronomy. What kind of place was the Directorate of Imperial Astronomy? And Jiang Sanjia was an important figure who specialized in divining heavenly secrets for the Emperor. This position was not something an ordinary person could hold.

However, Jiang Sanjia's personality was very eccentric. Various forces in the Imperial Court had tried to win him over, but he was not interested. Coupled with a series of events later, he lost the Emperor's trust. When the Directorate of Imperial Astronomy was favored, it was extremely influential, but once it fell out of favor, it was also extremely miserable. After all, the Directorate of Imperial Astronomy knew many secrets, and not only would the Emperor be suspicious, but many others in the Imperial Court were also uneasy about it.

Ultimately, two years after Jiang Sanjia resigned, he was still arrested and imprisoned on charges of corruption and bribery. Later, it seemed he was secretly escorted to Jiangnan Province.

Chu Nanying, the Governor of Jiangnan Province, was the Crown Prince's man. It went without saying that this must have been some method used by the Crown Prince to have Jiang Sanjia escorted to the Yu Prefecture prison.

According to the intelligence gathered, Chu Nanying, the Governor of Jiangnan Province, and Liu Qingshan, the leader of the Cao Gang, also had an unbreakable bond. As an old fox who had been in the Imperial Court for decades, he naturally smelled something unusual.

"What does Second Prince mean?" Yue Tingchen asked in a hushed voice.

Zhao Mengtai slowly said, "The offenses Jiang Sanjia committed back then were just minor matters. Moreover, wasn't it Minister of Rites Zhu Yongfang who impeached him? Most of the people in the Directorate of Imperial Astronomy now are useless, and Jiang Sanjia is a Ghost Valley Sect descendant. Why don't we make good use of him?"

"Furthermore, this Crown Prince brother of mine, his ambition is not small. He actually wants to stir up this vast Jianghu."

Minister of Rites Zhu Yongfang was also part of the Crown Prince's faction. If Jiang Sanjia were exonerated, it would not only win over Jiang Sanjia but also eliminate and weaken the Crown Prince's faction.

Most importantly, it could stop the Crown Prince's next steps.

If the Five Gangs Alliance were to be formed, then the Crown Prince would have a terrifying force within the Jianghu.

Yue Tingchen's heart trembled when he heard this. Zhao Mengtai had only revealed a hint of information, and he had already guessed some of it. He hadn't expected His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to scheme so deeply, his hand unknowingly reaching into the Jianghu.

Logically speaking, given Zhao Mengtai's personality, he couldn't possibly not respond.

If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wanted to form the Five Gangs Alliance and seek help in the Jianghu, then the Second Prince couldn't remain indifferent.

Yue Tingchen seemed to have thought of something, and a sudden chill ran through his heart.

"What's wrong?" Zhao Mengtai asked with a smile when he saw Yue Tingchen's expression.

Zhao Mengtai's lips curved into a smile, but his eyes were like sharp swords, making people afraid to look directly at him.

However, Yue Tingchen was an old fox who had been in the Imperial Court for a long time. He smiled without changing his expression and said, "Second Prince's plan is excellent. Jiang Sanjia is very capable. If we can win him over, it would indeed be a great help."

Zhao Mengtai nodded and said, "Good, let's do that. How do you think we should handle it specifically?"

Yue Tingchen pondered for a moment, then said, "Using the Lock Dragon Well as a reason, the Emperor cannot refuse."

"That's a good reason."

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