Meanwhile, Lu Mingyuan, embodied in a paperman and riding in a carriage, was completely unaware that a bloody spectacle was unfolding in some unremarkable residence.
He followed the Eldest Prince, Lu Changfeng, in a carriage all the way to Shengjing Academy.
It was a place his original body had never visited, lingering only as a vague impression in his memories.
Shengjing Academy was one of the four most renowned academies in Great Yan. It was situated to the northwest of the Imperial City, at the foot of Lushan Mountain, and covered a vast expanse of land. With its green ridges, emerald bamboo, and small bridges over flowing streams, the environment was exceptionally tranquil. As the oldest academy in the Central Plains World, it had endured through seven dynasties and twenty-three emperors, predating the very establishment of Great Yan.
Its traditional architecture has been perfectly preserved to this day. During the peaceful and prosperous Yong'an Era, academies thrived, and the number of Confucian Dao disciples exploded. Many new academies were established, but no matter how many there were, Shengjing Academy remained the premier choice for scholars.
Lu Mingyuan equated it to an Ivy League university from his world. Faced with such a prestigious institution, the scholars of Great Yan were all clamoring to get in.
Legend had it that the founder of Shengjing Academy was the first Confucian Saint in the Central Plains World. He was revered by successive dynasties as the "Celestial Talent Saint" and the "Supreme Ancestor Master," and his title was Ren Sheng.
His stone statue was enshrined in the primary position of the Confucian Temple. He was the first Saint to propose the concepts of "Royal Dao Cultivation," "Based on Benevolence," and "Teaching Without Discrimination."
He was the one who truly spread the Confucian Dao, making it possible for common people to study and read. Education was no longer the exclusive privilege of princes and nobles, and this marked the beginning of its journey to becoming one of the Three Religions.
In Great Yan, there were generally three paths to becoming an official. The first, of course, was through the imperial examinations, passing tests all the way from the State and County level.
The second path was through ancestral privilege. If one's parents were high-ranking officials, their descendants inherited the right to serve as officials as well. Some of the great Noble Families, and even the descendants of the highest ministers, held official posts for generations.
Take Qi Muxue, for example. As a descendant of a Confucian Saint, she also enjoyed special privileges. Even if she were utterly mediocre, she could have secured a sinecure and lived a life of ease. In truth, however, she was far more driven than that.
The final path was to find a suitable academy. If a student earned the recommendation of a Great Scholar from the academy, they could also be appointed as an official.
Lu Changfeng had come to Shengjing Academy, clearly intending to wait for Qi Xingyan's return.
Lu Mingyuan waited in the carriage for quite some time before it finally stopped near a winding stream with a gurgling spring and a verdant pond perfect for fish-gazing.
Shengjing Academy was built at the foot of the mountain, granting it superb scenery. In summer, one could stroll down paths shaded by paulownia trees and inhale the evening fragrance of lotuses on the breeze. In winter, one could feel the ambiance of sitting on a stone bench by the flowerbeds under the moon, surrounded by the vibrant green of the bamboo forest.
Once the carriage stopped and the Eldest Prince had disembarked, Lu Mingyuan had his paperman scurry into the academy.
Lu Changfeng said nothing along the way, apparently contemplating how to handle the situation.
"Your Highness, do you think it's possible that Elder Mr. Qi has betrayed us and gone over to the Second Prince?"
A Sword-Carrying Personal Guard at his side asked.
"Do not speak such nonsense!"
Lu Changfeng retorted sharply.
"Elder Mr. Qi is my honored teacher. How could he possibly betray me? There must be some misunderstanding!"
The icy tone instantly silenced the guard, who dared not speak another word.
'Lu Changfeng knew that of all the people he relied on, be they Civil Servants or Military Ministers, the one most worthy of his trust was Qi Xingyan.'
'Without him, how could I have gotten this far?'
'That insidious rat Lu Guangjing only knows his petty calculations and despicable schemes.'
'To eliminate this threat, I must rely on Mr. Qi. It's no exaggeration to call him my right-hand man, and I'm not foolish enough to cut off my own arm.'
'I must get to the bottom of this today. I came here for an explanation.'
The wait was agonizingly long.
Even Lu Mingyuan was growing impatient. His paperman had a limited duration. It was animated by a wisp of his Bloodthirsty Blood, and if the energy within that wisp ran out, the paperman would instantly revert to a simple sheet of paper.
'If it weren't for my desire to figure out what was truly going on between the Eldest and Second Princes, I wouldn't be wasting my time here.'
Fortunately, after the time it took for three incense sticks to burn...
Qi Xingyan finally returned from outside. He wore a deep blue Confucian Shirt, his hands clasped behind his back, carrying an air of scholarly elegance. Seeing the Eldest Prince, Lu Changfeng, waiting in the academy's main hall, he was visibly stunned and asked in confusion,
"Your Highness, what brings you here?"
Lu Changfeng offered a gentle smile, choosing not to press him immediately. Instead, he said slowly, "I've realized there are still many aspects of your 'act on the momentum' strategy that I don't quite understand. And where were you just now, Mr. Qi? Why were you not at the academy?"
"Oh, I just stepped out to take care of something."
Qi Xingyan seemed to pay his words no mind, apparently believing the prince had truly come to seek his guidance.
Lu Changfeng was secretly displeased. He didn't understand why his esteemed teacher wouldn't speak the truth, so he decided to be direct:
"I just heard... that you met with that fellow Lu Guangjing?"
The moment he said this, Qi Xingyan realized what was happening and understood the reason for the Eldest Prince's visit. But he showed no sign of alarm. Instead, he calmly sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, and chuckled lightly.
"I knew it. That was one of your men."
Clearly, he had discovered the Eldest Prince's surveillance long ago.
He explained patiently, "Your Highness, please rest assured. It was not a serious matter. The Second Prince and I did not speak for long. He sought me out regarding a matter of official business."
"There is an impoverished scholar by the name of Chen, a distant relative of mine. He heard the Second Prince was recruiting Guest Scholars, so he approached him, hoping to enter the academy and find an opportunity to become an official. Later, when the Second Prince learned of our connection, he came to me and urged me to accept the man."
After listening, Lu Changfeng's brow furrowed deeply, his face filled with confusion.
"It's that simple?"
Qi Xingyan chuckled. "As I said, it was merely a trivial matter."
'What is Lu Guangjing playing at?' Lu Changfeng thought to himself.
He wasn't the only one; even Lu Mingyuan, who was listening in, couldn't make sense of it.
Neither of them could fathom Lu Guangjing's true intentions.
"Who's there? How dare you eavesdrop?"
Suddenly, Qi Xingyan's eyes narrowed. He slammed his hand on the table, and a dense, golden wave of Literary Qi surged forward. The radiant energy coalesced into gleaming golden characters that smashed into the paperman hidden behind an ink wash painting on the wall.
'Crap, I've been discovered!'
By the time Lu Mingyuan reacted, he suddenly found himself back in Qingzhu Hall. The connection to his paperman had been severed.
He couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
'Is this an Eleventh Realm Great Scholar of the Confucian Dao?'
'That pressure was overwhelming!'
Far away in Shengjing Academy, Qi Xingyan picked up the thumb-sized paperman from the floor and frowned.
"This is the Paper Cutting Technique of the Taoist Sect..."
"The qi signature has been severed. It can't be traced."
The Eldest Prince, Lu Changfeng, strode forward. Looking at the paperman, he said furiously,
"So, the Taoist Sect is this treacherous. To think they've started spying on me."
Qi Xingyan murmured under his breath, "Perhaps they've already sided with Lu Guangjing. Since the Holy Emperor left the capital, the Taoist Sect's activities haven't died down; they've become even more rampant. This paperman was probably left here so they could watch us make a spectacle of ourselves."
Hearing his honored teacher say this, Lu Changfeng's expression turned grim.
'Why hadn't I noticed this paperman?'
'And what's more, why would the Taoist Sect target me?'
The answers to it all were a mystery.
But as the two were lost in thought, a guard's voice cried out from outside Shengjing Academy:
"Disaster, Your Highness! Something terrible has happened!"
"What is it? Why are you in such a panic?"
His train of thought broken, Lu Changfeng asked, clearly annoyed.
The Sword-Carrying Personal Guard dropped to one knee, his expression one of utter shock. Gasping for breath, he stammered, "The Fifth... Prince... the Fifth Prince, he..."
"What happened to the Fifth Prince?"
Lu Changfeng strode forward, grabbed the guard by the collar, and demanded impatiently.
"The Fifth Prince is dead!"
The Sword-Carrying Personal Guard finally managed to get the words out.
"What?!"
Lu Changfeng's eyes widened in disbelief. The news was utterly shocking.
He wasn't the only one; Qi Xingyan, at his side, also had his brow deeply furrowed.
He gazed out at the gloomy sky, an ominous premonition flashing through his mind.
'Someone had actually crossed the ultimate line in the struggle for succession.'
'It seems the very heavens are about to change.'
...