Chapter 0295: What is the Secret of the Heavenly Decree? It is Our Forbidden Artifact.
After finishing his lament, Guo Tianheng turned to the two juniors and said kindly, “There’s nothing more for you two to do here. Go and rest now.”
Zhang Yuheng opened his small notebook: “Ti Ling, do immortals truly exist in this world?”
Back in Yi Province, the Second Prince had deceived them scholars by claiming things like mountain immortals sending dreams or the heavens being unjust. Although he later seriously told a few close scholars not to speak of supernatural forces, Zhang Yuheng always felt something wasn’t quite right.
Now, having witnessed with his own eyes that the Heavenly Decree wasn’t derived from the Directorate of Celestial Observation’s astrological divinations but came from within the forbidden gate, Zhang Yuheng’s convictions began to waver once more.
Guo Tianheng paused, avoiding a direct answer, “You’ll understand naturally when you’re capable of taking my position someday.”
With that, he strode away.
Zhang Yuheng couldn’t help but turn to Su Qinghe, his expression clearly asking: Brother Su, what do you think?
Su Qinghe shook his head: “Not curious.”
He’d rather solve a few more math problems than ponder such matters.
Seeing his calm demeanor, Zhang Yuheng felt a surge of admiration. Though Brother Su appeared gentle and unassuming, he never expected him to be so utterly indifferent to the power of immortals, showing neither curiosity nor yearning.
Anyone else would have long been begging immortals for eternal life by now.
As Su Qinghe turned to leave, Zhang Yuheng hurried after him with his notebook.
Speaking of immortals… Zhang Yuheng began scribbling again, extending the notebook for Su Qinghe to see: Brother Su, has the Second Prince truly passed away?
After reading it, Su Qinghe glared angrily at Zhang Yuheng.
You’re the one who’s dead!
How could someone as capable as the Second Prince possibly die in a mere fire? Do you think Lord Wuhen and Lord Wuji are just sitting around doing nothing?
Watching Su Qinghe storm off angrily, Zhang Yuheng scratched his head in confusion.
Why is he mad again?
His temper changes faster than my mother’s.
After scratching his head, Zhang Yuheng glanced back thoughtfully before turning toward his own quarters.
He… must uncover the secret of the Heavenly Decree.
——
The tolling of the celestial bell and the impending disaster of the earth dragon’s upheaval sent shockwaves through the imperial court.
The ministers finally settled down, no longer submitting nonsensical memorials to bother the Crown Prince and Shen Yuan. Instead, they lavished praise on the Crown Prince as the true Son of Heaven, marveling at his ability to predict the earth dragon’s movement and declaring him Jian’an’s greatest blessing.
Freed from the ministers’ disruptions, Shen Yuan and Xie Jinyu finally found some relief. Xie Jinyu wanted to go to Jizhou to find Xie Chengze, but Shen Yuan stopped him.
“Shen Yuan, don’t test my patience.” Frowning at the man blocking his way, Xie Jinyu struggled to contain the irritation and displeasure in his expression. “Wouldn’t my absence from the palace suit your purposes perfectly?”
He still refused to believe Shen Yuan harbored no rebellious intentions.
Of course, he had long prepared for it. If Shen Yuan dared rebel, he would capture him immediately.
With the pretext of rebellion, perhaps his second brother would permit him to kill Shen Yuan. At the very least, he could chop off one of Shen Yuan’s legs and see if his second brother still valued him then.
Shen Yuan gazed at him calmly, “This subject doesn’t care where Your Highness wishes to go or whom you wish to see. I simply want to keep you confined within Jingcheng.”
“Do you truly believe you can confine me?” Xie Jinyu sneered, his deep, shadowed gaze fixed on Shen Yuan as he added with a mocking expression, “All of you wish for me to become the Son of Heaven, yet none have ever asked whether I am willing.”
The Emperor was like this, the Empress was like this, the Cao family was like this, the ministers were like this.
Shen Yuan, even you are no exception.
In our previous life, you believed I was the most suitable to claim the throne and devoted yourself to assisting me.
In this life, though you know full well I am no longer fit to be Emperor, you still dedicate yourself to supporting me.
All of you are forcing me to take control of this empire.
“Shen Yuan, you cannot stop me.” Xie Jinyu drew his sword and pointed it at Shen Yuan, his voice icy.
As a subject, Shen Yuan dared not harm him, so there was no way he could prevent him from leaving.
Shen Yuan’s expression remained placid as he said, “But the court requires Your Highness to oversee the greater situation.”
“I’ve said it—I care nothing for the court!” Xie Jinyu roared, the tip of his sword pressing closer to Shen Yuan’s neck. “Step aside!”
Shen Yuan, however, let out a soft laugh and advanced step by step toward Xie Jinyu, his expression growing increasingly amused. “How intriguing the Crown Prince is. The court needs you so desperately, and I, your subject, am compelling you to stay—yet Your Highness cannot endure it.”
“But when you need the Second Prince so badly…” He came to a halt before Xie Jinyu, his eyes fixed intently on him. Beneath his calm demeanor seemed to lie boundless mockery. “Forcing him to remain by your side after faking his death, disregarding his own wishes—somehow that is justified?”
“In my view, it seems there is no difference between you and me, is there?”
Borrowing a phrase from Xie Chengze’s lexicon, the irony in Shen Yuan’s eyes deepened. “Double standards.”
With these words, Xie Jinyu’s expression grew increasingly somber.
“You understand nothing.” Xie Jinyu stared fixedly at Shen Yuan for a long moment before the corners of his lips abruptly curled into a smile. That smile seemed to flaunt the secret bond between him and Xie Chengze, while also mocking Shen Yuan’s ignorance and arrogance.
“Shen Yuan, you are not one of us. You are not of the imperial family, so you will never comprehend the ties of kinship that bind us.”
This was what Second Brother owed them.
The familial affection they could not receive from the Emperor and Empress, they could only seek from the gentle and kind-hearted Xie Chengze. This was the debt to be repaid by the son who enjoyed the Emperor’s exclusive favor.
He was their forbidden possession.
Shen Yuan parted his lips slightly, the words he had long contemplated brewing within him. Yet, in the end, they were overpowered by Xie Jinyu’s statement: “You are not one of us.”
Shen Yuan detested cryptic conversations. Xie Jinyu refused to disclose anything, and Xie Chengze followed suit, keeping him in the dark.
“It seems Second Brother has told you nothing.” Seeing Shen Yuan’s reaction, Xie Jinyu could not resist smugly tapping Shen Yuan’s shoulder with the flat of his sword, unable to suppress the smile on his lips. “It appears you mean little to Second Brother after all, Minister Shen.”
Shen Yuan took a deep breath.
Silently reminding himself that strangling Xie Jinyu would mean having to cultivate a replacement, leaving no time to accompany Xie Chengze, he barely managed to suppress the urge to throttle Xie Jinyu. Forcing a faint smile, he said, “I truly do not know what secrets the imperial family holds. I only know that the late Emperor betrothed the Second Prince to me, not to Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
Xie Jinyu: …
Xie Jinyu truly wanted to tear off that composed, boastful mask of Shen Yuan’s, just as Shen Yuan was tempted to abandon all restraint and support the Fourth Prince instead.
Both men flicked their sleeves in unison, snorted coldly, and departed.
Shen Yuan couldn’t stop Xie Jinyu from going to Jizhou to find Xie Chengze, but he could be certain that Xie Jinyu would never harm Xie Chengze.
As for whether Xie Jinyu might secretly hide Xie Chengze again, Shen Yuan believed that with Wuhen and Wuji present, Xie Jinyu wouldn’t be able to accomplish this.
After finding Xie Chengze, Xie Jinyu would definitely return. Although he claimed not to want the throne, he needed to secure a high position to legitimize Xie Chengze’s return to the capital and palace under a different identity.
Thinking this, Shen Yuan couldn’t help but sigh.
To ensure Xie Chengze’s physical freedom in the future, he needed to make secondary preparations.
Let me see who else could be supported.
Shen Yuan strolled toward Wu De Hall.