Chapter 49: Bestowing the Title of Prince of the Double Pearls

Zheng Yi, the Commander of the Qingwu Guard.

When Gao Changsheng learned his name, he could not help but smile faintly.

Operating within the shadows of the Qingwu Guard and engaging in dirty deeds, yet convincing oneself that it was an act of righteousness.

How ironic!

In every dynasty, there existed institutions akin to the Qingwu Guard—unbound by rules and wielding boundless power.

Ultimately, they represented nothing more than the personal will of the sovereign.

Commoners were overseen by the magistrates, and civil officials were monitored by the imperial censors.

Yet who could ever hold the Qingwu Guard and the emperor himself in check?

"What a ridiculous sense of justice!"

Gao Changsheng watched with an expressionless face as the Qingwu Guard departed.

Although Zheng Yi had taken the initiative to extend an olive branch to him, Gao Changsheng still needed to deliberate repeatedly over whether he could actually make use of this man.

With his current strength, he was still incapable of challenging the authority of the Divine Martial Emperor.

To meddle with the Qingwu Guard at this juncture would be tantamount to seeking his own death.

He could afford to cross the Crown Prince.

He could even openly lock horns with the Empress and the two imperial princes.

The one thing he could not challenge, however, was the imperial power itself.

At least not for a short while!

"Does Your Highness suspect that Zheng Yi is being used by the Divine Martial Emperor to test you?"

Miaofa's voice suddenly drifted from behind Gao Changsheng.

Gao Changsheng chuckled softly, offering no reply.

Because such a possibility was self-evident.

At the very least, the probability was extremely high.

"Actually, it is not difficult for Your Highness to figure out whether Zheng Yi's intentions are genuine."

"If we can gain control of the Qingwu Guard, it will be of immense assistance to Your Highness's path in the succession struggle."

Miaofa said with a confident expression.

"Oh?"

Gao Changsheng could not conceal his astonishment.

He had always considered himself sufficiently astute, yet compared to Miaofa, he still fell somewhat short.

He had always treaded very carefully when it came to the Qingwu Guard.

Yet from Miaofa's words, it was easy to discern that the Daoist seemed to have set his sights on the Qingwu Guard long ago, and held great certainty.

"Let's hear your thoughts," Gao Changsheng said with considerable interest.

"The logic is quite simple. The key lies in human nature!"

Miaofa expounded eloquently:

"The Qingwu Guard wields supreme power and is unbound by rules."

"During the battle at Fengxi County, Your Highness witnessed firsthand just how formidable the Qingwu Guard truly is."

"Within a mere tiny county like Fengxi, at least three thousand agents of the Qingwu Guard were concealed."

"One can easily imagine just how vast and intricate the influence of the Qingwu Guard is throughout the entire Great Yong Dynasty!"

"If Your Highness puts yourself in the shoes of the Divine Martial Emperor, could a ruler sitting merely within the confines of the imperial palace completely control such a colossal apparatus without a single flaw?"

"If that were possible, the Divine Martial Emperor would no longer be a mortal, but an immortal."

Miaofa chuckled softly, carrying a hint of mockery in his tone.

Hearing this, Gao Changsheng roughly grasped Miaofa's meaning.

Simply put, the power of the Qingwu Guard had grown too immense, long since surpassing the control of the Divine Martial Emperor.

Presumably, the Divine Martial Emperor had also perceived this reality long ago, and thus he was constantly on guard against the Qingwu Guard.

Once this mindset took root, it would inevitably give birth to suspicion and distrust.

By the same token, this distrust did not merely exist within the Divine Martial Emperor alone; it would likewise germinate among the numerous and complex ranks of the Qingwu Guard.

As long as one knew how to exploit the mutual distrust between the two sides, it was entirely possible to dig up the foundation of the Divine Martial Emperor's power.

"Zheng Yi is a Commander of the Qingwu Guard, second in status only to Lang Qingzao."

"If you can help this Prince subdue Zheng Yi, I shall count it as a monumental contribution on your part!"

Gao Changsheng patted Miaofa on the shoulder, painting a grand picture of future rewards for him.

"Heh!"

"Your Highness overestimates this poor Daoist."

"This poor Daoist is merely one man. I possess neither veterans like Han Chong nor thugs like Shi Meng under my command."

"Aside from this brain of mine to offer strategies for Your Highness, I am capable of nothing else!"

Miaofa said with a wry smile.

Through his recent interactions with Miaofa, Gao Changsheng had come to understand the temper of this Daoist priest to some extent.

Though he sounded like he was grumbling, he was actually dropping a hint.

"If you want manpower, just say so."

"Dealing with those slippery old foxes day in and day out is already exhausting enough; if I still have to rack my brains to guess what my own subordinates are implying, do you want to work me to death?"

Gao Changsheng retorted with a mixture of exasperation and amusement.

"Hehe, nothing can be hidden from Your Highness."

"In that case, I must ask Your Highness to confer with General Dou and dispatch a thousand elite troops to this poor Daoist."

Miaofa said with a solemn expression.

A thousand elite soldiers?

Such a force was enough to conquer a small county town; what on earth did he need so many men for?

Gao Changsheng was just about to inquire when realization suddenly dawned upon him.

He then cast his gaze toward the city gates.

At that moment, the Qingwu Guard led by Zheng Yi was escorting Song Ziyong and Duke of Wei Cao Rui out of the city.

Any one of these two top-tier criminals, if singled out, could trigger a massive uproar in Jinyong City.

They might even alter the destiny of quite a few prominent figures.

It was not difficult to imagine how many people wanted them dead.

However, Gao Changsheng had never dared to underestimate the strength of the Qingwu Guard.

Though there were only a few hundred agents escorting the prisoners out of the city at this moment, there was no telling how many more Qingwu Guard operatives might be lurking in various corners along the route.

It was precisely because of this realization that Gao Changsheng had never ventured down this line of thought.

Yet after Miaofa's reminder, he was suddenly awakened to an extremely grave issue.

That was the fact that the Qingwu Guard were, after all, not a regular army; once they clashed with a true military force, the outcome remained very difficult to predict.

"Such a critical matter, why didn't you mention it earlier!"

Gao Changsheng shot Miaofa a fierce glare before hurrying off to find Dou Yuan in a flurry of anxiety.

Shortly after, he laid out his and Miaofa's conjectures entirely to Dou Yuan.

Dou Yuan instantly recognized the severity of the situation.

"I shall immediately select a thousand elite troops and place them at the Daoist priest's disposal."

"Although Han Chong is no longer an active military officer, having him lead the troop will guarantee absolute success."

"Furthermore, I will assign several veteran generals from the army to accompany them; they are all old acquaintances of Han Chong."

"That way, there will be no obstacles whatsoever for Han Chong to command this thousand-man force."

Though Dou Yuan appeared rugged and unrefined, his mind was exceptionally meticulous.

Coupled with Miaofa accompanying the army, his strategic acumen would maximize the combat effectiveness of this thousand-man elite force to the utmost.

"Many thanks, Great General!"

Miaofa bowed to Dou Yuan, and then departed under the watchful gaze of Gao Changsheng.

As the rebellion in Fengxi County drew gradually to a close.

The traces of war were swept away.

This central hub connecting Jinyong City and the northern frontier returned once more to its former tranquility.

Yet, while Fengxi County had grown peaceful, other parts of the Great Yong Dynasty began to churn with rising winds and gathering clouds.

The first place to be thrown into turmoil by the Fengxi rebellion was Jinyong City.

Duke of Wei Cao Rui had revolted, and Song Ziyong, a high-ranking court official of the second rank, had unexpectedly turned out to be a secret agent of Northern Qi.

The arrival of these two major developments in Jinyong City immediately caused an enormous sensation.

At the imperial court audience.

As Song Ziyong's direct superior, Chu Jiangnian endured what were undoubtedly the most agonizing hours of his entire life.

Whenever the wrath of the Son of Heaven flared up, Chu Jiangnian felt as though he had walked a circle around the gates of hell.

Fortunately, the outcome was somewhat satisfactory.

The Divine Martial Emperor merely docked three years of his salary, refusing to pin this towering blame squarely upon his head.

In contrast, Crown Prince Gao Changling was far more miserable.

Under the pretext of dereliction of duty in supervising the state, the Divine Martial Emperor unleashed a half-hour-long tirade against Gao Changling in front of all the civil and military officials of the court.

For a time, the officials genuinely believed that the Divine Martial Emperor was about to depose the Crown Prince.

Yet in the end, the result left Gao Changwen and Gao Changfei deeply disappointed.

"In this rebellion at Fengxi County, had it not been for the Sixth Prince Gao Changsheng taking a desperate risk on behalf of General Dou Yuan, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

"Amidst such perilous circumstances, Gao Changsheng resolved the rebellion through his own solitary efforts. His courage and resourcefulness have greatly gratified Us."

"Therefore, We confer upon the Sixth Prince Gao Changsheng the title of Twin-Pearl Imperial Prince!"