Chapter 489: Chapter 32: An Audience with the Emperor
October 2nd.
After a journey of five days, the Crown Prince and his entourage finally arrived at Lanling City.
A throng of officials and a ceremonial troop had been waiting outside the train station early, awaiting to welco the Crown Prince.
The entire railway station had been under martial law since 8 a.m., all trains had stopped running, and no other trains were allowed to enter the station.
Those wishing to catch a train could only wait outside the station.
No one dared to express dissatisfaction with this, after all, it was in order to make way for the current Crown Prince.
At 9:08 a.m., the special train pulled into the station.
The square outside the station had already been cordoned off, and rows of guards with real guns isolated the crowd.
Those who had co to catch a train and those who were there to watch the spectacle gathered in the square, all craning their necks and looking toward the station’s exit.
“Here they co! They’re here!”
The crowd suddenly stirred.
From the exit, three people erged at the forefront.
The person at the lead, wearing a bright yellow python robe and displaying an air of regality that was plain to see, was none other than the Crown Prince!
He was holding the arms of two people, one on each side, with a smile on his face, walking out of the station.
“Who are those two?”
“That monk must be the youngest Martial Arts Master in history, Ming Qi from Pudu Temple.”
“And the one with such an upright deanor must be the champion of this Martial Arts competition, the unparalleled Li Fei.”
…
People were abuzz, recognizing who the Crown Prince was leading by the arms.
After all, the recently concluded Martial Arts competition had been the first ever to be broadcast nationwide on television, with extensive coverage by major newspapers and radio stations. Its popularity was incredibly high, already a topic of national fascination!
So now, many already knew that Ming Qi had beco the youngest Martial Arts Master in history, and that Li Fei was the champion of this edition.
One could say that although it was their first ti in Lanling City, the Imperial City already had legends of them!
By walking out of the station with the two n in such a public manner today, the Crown Prince was displaying a gesture of honoring the virtuous and the talented. This act would surely spread quickly throughout Lanling City, further elevating the reputation of Li Fei and Ming Qi.
Soon, the Crown Prince, Li Fei, and Ming Qi boarded a ‘Golden Dragon’.
Like the ‘Qilin’, this was also an armored car with superior defensive capabilities!
However, the ‘Golden Dragon’ was exclusive to the royal family, and only mbers of the royal family were allowed to use it for travel.
Strictly speaking, Li Fei and Ming Qi were not qualified to ride in it.
But under the watchful eyes of the public, the Crown Prince personally invited them aboard, sharing the sa vehicle with him.
Shortly after, the convoy made an impressive passage through the Outer City, into the Inner City, and finally entered the Imperial City.
Inside a luxurious mansion in the Inner City, a man with features sowhat resembling those of the Crown Prince sat fishing by a pond.
The man was also wearing a bright yellow python robe, notably a Four-clawed Eight Python Robe.
Just one rank below the Crown Prince’s Four-clawed Nine Python Robe!
“Your Highness.”
A rather plain-looking Maid walked up behind the man and recounted in detail what had transpired at the railway station that day.
The man smiled slightly after hearing the account, “Our Crown Prince is still as adept at winning hearts as ever. The Emperor sent him to inspect the Southwest, and with just one trip, he manages to bring back two unparalleled figures. Who could not be impressed?”
The man who could wear a Four-clawed Eight Python Robe and address the Emperor as ‘father’ could naturally only be a Prince.
He was the Third Prince, born to Consort Liu.
The plain Maid stood quietly behind the Third Prince, showing no intention of joining the conversation.
The Third Prince, unfazed, continued to inquire,
“Little Hua, in your eyes, what do you make of these two unparalleled figures?”
The Maid nad ‘Little Hua’ replied calmly,
“They can be killed.”
In her eyes, there were only two kinds of opponents in the world:
Those that could be killed and those that, for the ti being, could not.
The Third Prince was accustod to such responses.
He suddenly pulled at his fishing rod, hooking a plump fish from the pond, and couldn’t help but break into a smile,
“Ah, got it!”
…
“This way, young master.”
Li Fei was led into a separate courtyard by a Maid.
He had arrived at the Imperial City in the Crown Prince’s ‘Golden Dragon’, but as the Crown Prince was to enter the palace, it was naturally impossible for him to continue to bring Li Fei and Ming Qi along, so they were arranged to stay temporarily within the Imperial City.
With the Crown Prince’s generosity, it was impossible to simply arrange for two rooms; each was given a whole courtyard.
“If the young master has any needs, please inform this servant.”
The guiding Maid bowed to Li Fei, speaking softly.
“I will be cultivating in the courtyard. You can just leave als outside the door. Unless it’s urgent, do not allow anyone to enter and disturb .”
Li Fei instructed.
“Yes.”
The Maid bowed and then took her leave.
Li Fei’s goal in coming to the Imperial City to see the Emperor was simple: to obtain the ‘Vajra Eight Parts’.
But many things do not shift according to one’s will.
The waters of the Imperial City run deep, and the current Crown Prince is undoubtedly at the center of the whirlpool!
As soon as the Crown Prince made such a high-profile entrance with him to the Imperial City today, Li Fei knew that there were many things he likely wouldn’t be able to avoid.
On the special train, the Crown Prince had confidently stated he knew he would eventually ascend to the throne, but in reality, his position was not unassailable.
Prior to coming here, Li Fei had deliberately exercised his authority as a secret inspector, getting Lu ngyang to provide him with so intelligence about the Imperial City:
The present Emperor had a total of seven Princes and four Princesses.
Aside from the Crown Prince, there were currently two particularly influential and powerful Princes.
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