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Upon hearing this, Princess Zhulan and Lu Chen were both taken aback. The Old King had just passed away, and before the mourning period had even begun, the Kalan Prince had already taken his posthumous title, calling himself the Great Kindness and Filial Piety Emperor, with the temple name Baozong, just waiting to issue an edict before ascending the throne.
"Three days later, such haste? What a Great Kindness and Filial Piety Emperor! The Kalan Prince is truly excessive. Where is the National Master? Doesn’t he have anything to say?" Princess Zhulan said angrily, her pretty face slightly flushed, nearly bursting with rage.
The Kalan Prince's actions were indeed outrageous. When the Old King passed away, there would typically be rituals such as mourning, tomb sweeping, and guarding the tomb before a new emperor's posthumous title was announced, culminating in his ascension. This was an essential process.
Yet here was the Kalan Prince, whose predecessor's remains were still warm, already claiming his posthumous title and preparing to ascend in just three days. It seemed he had long coveted that royal throne.
Adolf shook his head and said, "The National Master has been at Luban Temple all along, never showing his face or expressing an opinion. I wonder what he is planning? He must be siding with the Kalan Prince; however, he does not stop the Kalan Prince's rebellious actions but rather allows them to happen. His stance is difficult to fathom."
Upon hearing this, Princess Zhulan narrowed her eyes slightly, her dark eyes sparkling with intelligence. At that moment, she seemed to revert to the shrewd and commanding woman she had been before.
Princess Zhulan said, "This is obvious; historically, the National Master has always supported the Crown Prince. Moreover, the Crown Prince once studied under him. Perhaps Prince Kaoran's actions are indeed under his guidance."
The Yushan Kingdom practiced a combination of politics and religion. In the vast Luban Divine Ridge stood a grand temple called Lu Chen Temple, which worshipped the ancient Luban and had long intervened in significant matters of the Yushan Kingdom’s cabinet while enjoying offerings from ministers in mutual support.
Currently, Miao Sheng Maiyi served as the National Master of Yushan Kingdom, wielding power comparable to that of the Six Ministries. Furthermore, Luban Temple was a sacred place for cultivation with countless disciples and students mastering various cultivation methods.
Although Luban Temple could not compete with the Four Great Sects of Central Plains in strength, it was still the largest within Yushan Kingdom with a deep-rooted foundation spanning over a thousand years.
Miao Sheng Maiyi was now a Void Immortal Level existence with unfathomable cultivation. Looking across Yushan Kingdom, no one could rival him. His stance was unequivocally in support of the Kalan Prince without any doubt.
"The Old King has passed away and a new emperor ascends; as a national master, how can Miao Sheng Maiyi not speak out? What kind of decorum is this? However, Luban Divine Ridge is vast and wide; it would be difficult to hold him accountable or even find him. Regardless, both Prince Kaoran and Miao Sheng Maiyi have gone too far this time. If I can meet Miao Sheng Maiyi, I will definitely confront him directly."
Princess Zhulan said angrily, her delicate fists clenched tightly as her body trembled slightly in fury at the actions of the Kalan Prince and others.
"Is there any other important news?" After a moment of silence, Princess Zhulan asked Adolf.
Adolf sighed and said, "The Border Minister, Cah Er Hei, has already blocked the main route north. The Navy's ships cannot reach the Underworld at all. Furthermore, the War Minister is secretly amassing troops in the Underworld. The current Underworld is as fortified as iron; we should not aim to break through it but rather aim to blend in." Adolf briefly outlined the situation.
The Border Minister is responsible for guarding the southwestern Heishui Pass and commands a strong military presence. Now, he has focused on blocking the main route from the southern Yushan Kingdom to the north, clearly intending to restrain Adolf's Navy and absolutely not allowing any movements from him.
Additionally, the War Minister is secretly gathering troops in the Underworld without the king's authorization, effectively surrounding the Underworld with a solid defense to ensure that nothing goes wrong three days from now, before the new emperor ascends to the throne.
After all, the Four Ministers supporting Kalan Prince are all taking secret actions to prepare for Kalan Prince's ascension.
"This move is truly ruthless; they have left no room for maneuver," Princess Zhulan said bitterly.
The Border Minister has blocked the main route, preventing Adolf from moving north. Without cavalry, and aside from waterways, there is no way for him to launch a long-distance assault. Thus, the Navy's forces are destined to play a minimal role in this power struggle.
"Now that things have developed to this point, it seems we can only rely on ourselves. The information we possess is still insufficient; it looks like we will have to wait until we reach the Underworld before making further plans," Princess Zhulan said. Lu Chen and Adolf nodded in agreement.
"How many people do you plan to bring, Princess?" Adolf asked with concern.
It was clear that the Navy's large army could no longer be of assistance, yet Princess Zhulan still intended to head to the Underworld herself. Knowing there were tigers in the mountains, she chose to venture into their lair. Moreover, the current situation in the Underworld was far more complicated than just a few tigers.
In addition to the Four Ministers, Kalan Prince has countless subordinates and covert support from Miao Sheng Maiyi. Princess Zhulan would need at least an army of one hundred thousand to have any chance of defeating Kalan Prince.
But now that the Underworld is sealed off, where could she find one hundred thousand men? Even having eight or ten thousand troops would be quite noticeable.
Princess Zhulan shook her head and exchanged glances with Lu Chen, who was leaning against an armchair with a remarkably calm expression, seemingly lost in thought.
Princess Zhulan then said, "We have no troops; it’s just us ten or so." She was referring to Lu Chen and his close confidants, who would not exceed ten individuals.
Upon hearing this, Adolf immediately gasped in shock and said, "How can it be so few? This is too dangerous. I know that the person named Lu beside you has some skills, but in front of Miao Sheng Maiyi, I don't think he stands a chance against them."
Adolf expressed his concerns; he did not want Princess Zhulan to venture into the Underworld. Although Lu Chen was formidable—Adolf had seen his abilities—he would have no hope of victory against Miao Sheng Maiyi.
Moreover, under the gates of Miao Sheng Maiyi's Luban Temple, there were countless powerful disciples, each as fierce as wolves and tigers, far beyond what an ordinary person could imagine or contend with.
"Uncle, please don’t stop me. No matter what, I must go to the Underworld. Even if I voluntarily give up my claim to the throne, that Kalan Prince will eventually find an opportunity to deal with me due to his inner unrest. And my mother cannot leave the Underworld either. Do you think I have any other choice?" Princess Zhulan said helplessly.
Regardless of the situation, she had to go to the Underworld—not just for herself but also for her mother. Even if it meant walking into a den of dragons and tigers, she had to do it.
Hearing this, Adolf sighed and said, "Alright, Princess. I know I can't stop you. However, this time, I really can't provide you with much help. I will assign Wolf Ba and Sonantu to you; when the critical moment comes, they will protect your safety and ensure you leave safely."
Princess Zhulan pondered for a moment and then replied, "That works. I can make use of those two. Right now, the focus of Yushan Kingdom is on the Underworld, so there probably won't be any issues here in the short term. Let's settle on this for now."
Adolf nodded and asked, "When are you planning to depart? I need to make arrangements for you."
"We'll leave early tomorrow morning and try to take the water route to save time," Princess Zhulan said.
After a night without incident, early the next morning, under Adolf's arrangements, Lu Chen and Princess Zhulan, along with Wolf Ba and Sonantu—two Qi Gong Masters assigned by Adolf—secretly boarded an Official Vessel and headed up the Blackwater River.
Given the current situation, large ships could no longer set sail due to their size attracting too much attention from Cah Er Hei. Instead, a smaller vessel was much safer; traveling under the guise of a merchant ship would draw less scrutiny.
As the Official Vessel sailed upstream along the river, they successfully avoided Cah Er Hei's spies without incident. After some time, Lu Chen and the others arrived at a city located in the middle of the Blackwater River. Their goal was not to reach their destination directly; rather, they intended to switch from waterway travel to land travel.
Furthermore, they could not continue on with the official ship because as they moved forward, there would be more scouts and checkpoints along the way that could easily expose them.
The Official Vessel quietly sailed into the port of the city, and then Lu Chen and others disembarked. They had a meal in the city, took a break, and then bought some horses, continuing northward without pause.
The number of scouts and checkpoints on the waterways increased, and the situation became more tense. In contrast, the land routes became easier as they progressed, allowing Lu Chen and his group to take advantage of this situation by combining both water and land routes, resulting in a perfect timing.
They spent less than half the time and successfully arrived at the Ancient City of Didu.
The Yushan Kingdom can be considered part of China. Although it is not as prosperous as the Great Zhou Dynasty, the capital Underworld is not lagging behind at all.
Especially since Underworld is a thousand-year-old ancient city, the Yushan Kingdom has never relocated its capital since its establishment. All emperors have ruled from here, so the Underground City is very prosperous with continuous trade and commerce.
Standing two or three miles away, one can see the tall buildings within the Underground City, which have diverse styles that differ from those in Central Plains but still possess an imposing grandeur.
At this time, the Underground City was under curfew; all activities were strictly prohibited at night. Even during the day, there were strict checks at the city gates for anyone entering or exiting. The instructions given were to ensure that no mistakes occurred.
The Ancient City of Didu covers an area of over ten to twenty miles, with dozens of city gates, all manned by sentries and equipped with military barricades.
However, this situation was not difficult for Princess Zhulan. She still had some influence within the city; as long as she received assistance, she could easily gain entry.
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