Chapter 360: Planning Ahead

“Did Yan Liqiang really say that?”

In the royal palace’s imperial garden, the Emperor who just finished his dinner gave Eunuch Liu an astonished look as he asked the question.

Nightfall had just arrived and it was quiet in the imperial garden. Under the illumination of the palace lanterns, one could still see the beautiful flowers in the garden. A few dozen palace guards stood watch from several zhang away. Even a mosquito would have a hard time infiltrating the place, let alone a human.

Eunuch Liu hunched as he walked behind the Emperor. “Your old servant, I, did not expect for him to make such a request either. It is indeed unexpected. Truth be told, his words touched me. Over the years, I have seen many who have come to the Imperial Capital and their willingness to abandon everything, including their family, just for a promotion in the bureaucracy. Never have I met anyone like Liqiang. Some people wouldn’t even remember their old parents back at home if they were awarded a small promotion!”

“So what did he say about his cultivation at Deer Villa…?” the Emperor asked while walking.

“He mentioned that since he has obtained true wisdom from Li Hongtu and Ji Xiaoyao, his cultivation will not go to waste even if he returns to the Gan Province. Likewise, he can still continue to serve Your Majesty even if he is there…”

The Emperor frowned slightly. “We cannot help but feel that his return to Gan Province is a little too sudden and unexpected. Is he going to abandon everything in the Imperial Capital over a contest to take care of his father back home?”

“I heard that unlike others, Yan Liqiang and his father only have each other to rely on ever since he was a child. Perhaps they really have a special bond. His father seems to hold a very important place in his heart. At a time like this, he finds it difficult to not be worried about him. Therefore, he can only choose to fulfill his loyalty to Your Majesty first, then fulfill his obligation as a son by returning home. Otherwise, why would he give up on the bright future that awaits him if he wins the contest and gains Your Majesty’s favor? His willingness to participate in this blindfolded contest proves that he fears neither death nor Lin Qingtian. Then what else would possibly make someone like him shy away from the Imperial Capital…?”

“You have a point there. If he fears neither death nor Lin Qingtian, we truly cannot imagine what else in the Imperial Capital can possibly frighten him so much that he chooses to return to Gan Province!” The Emperor nodded slowly as he relaxed his previously knitted eyebrows.

“Your Majesty… Well, your humble servant wonders if it is appropriate to say something?” Eunuch Liu lifted his gaze to look at the man in the dragon robe before him as he spoke cautiously.

“Only you and I are here. Speak your mind…”

“Well… Yan Liqiang is only fifteen years old right now. Given time, he will have boundless prospects ahead of him and be of great use. His current cultivation in archery has far exceeded that of others. However, if his opponent in the blindfolded contest is Shi Minzhang, a seasoned expert archer in the capital city who has long attained the Fifth Heavenly Layer in archery, I am afraid that Yan Liqiang will only have a 50-50 or even lower chance in winning, despite the enormous amount of strength he possesses. This is also the reason why Lin Qingtian and his party dared to pull Shi Minzhang into this. If something really happened to Yan Liqiang during the blindfolded contest, wouldn’t that be a pity?”

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The Emperor cast a glance at Eunuch Liu, slightly startling the latter, thus making him lower his head once again.

The Emperor lifted his head to look at the stars that were starting to appear in the sky with a strange expression on his face. “If he is the person whom We desire, then he will definitely not be slain by Shi Minzhang in this contest. On the contrary, if he cannot make it through this, that would prove that We have made a mistake and he would hardly be of great use in the future!” the Emperor replied with an indifferent tone.

“Then… What should I, your humble servant, relay to him upon my return?”

The Emperor only strolled around the imperial garden silently for a long time. Eunuch Liu followed by his side, not daring to utter another word.

Two minutes later, the Emperor suddenly slowed down his footsteps when he was underneath a few pine trees in the imperial garden. He gently caressed the solid tree trunk as his thinking face grew determined. “You are right. Yan Liqiang is indeed still young and needs more experience. Given time, he will definitely have boundless prospects and be of great use. Binding him to a place like the Imperial Capital at his young age where the water is murky would restrain him too much. Perhaps his potential can be maximized if he returns to Gan Province. We are interested to see what he is capable of after leaving the Imperial Capital. Go back and tell him that he is allowed to return to Gan Province and will be entrusted with great responsibility should he emerge victorious in this blindfolded contest…”

“Understood. I, your humble servant, shall return and relay the message to him at once…”

After Eunuch Liu received a response from the Emperor, he very quickly left the imperial garden and the royal palace before making his way back to Deer Villa.

After Eunuch Liu left, the Emperor strolled around the imperial garden with his hands behind him. He had no one to share his thoughts with. By the time the sky was covered by stars and the silver moon was shining bright, only then did he lift his head to look at the river of stars as he mumbled to himself, “We wonder if you will be able to be Our Di Longtu and pillar of support?”

……

Yan Liqiang certainly wasn’t aware of His Majesty’s intention. He felt that the Emperor wanted him to take up the challenge to prove his loyalty. Yet, he was oblivious to His Majesty’s other secret agenda — to prove if he was the person the Emperor was searching for…

……

Yan Liqiang was relieved to receive a response from Eunuch Liu at night on the same day.

It went without saying that Yan Liqiang didn’t wish to return to Gan Province on a whim. He had been thinking about this matter for the past two days. He couldn’t stop thinking ever since he found out the grim situation that the Great Han Empire might face in four years time and discovered that Lin Qingtian might have known about this Heavenly Tribulation. He couldn’t calm down, especially after knowing the Shatu Seven Tribes would turn their weapons against the Great Han Empire and carry out a bloody purge in Gan Province and Pingxi Prefecture. The familiar faces of his friends and family flashed across his mind, white from the gleams of the Shatu people’s scimitars.

Before this, Yan Liqiang thought he only had to deal with the Heavenly Tribulation that would occur four years in the future by urging more people to evacuate from the Capital Regions before the calamity would strike. From the looks of it, the aftermath of the catastrophe in the Great Han Empire would be the most somber part. The political landscape in the empire would change completely in four years time. Therefore, Yan Liqiang had to take appropriate measures and plan ahead. At the very least, he must not helplessly watch the most tragic scene unfold in his hometown…