Imperial Cultivation

Halfway there, Chu Zhiyuan was met by Feng Xi.

"Young Master, a Grandmaster has appeared," Feng Xi whispered. "This servant took the liberty of having the three of them withdraw."

Chu Zhiyuan nodded. "Yes, Old Feng, you did the right thing. A Grandmaster…"

The destructive power of a Grandmaster is astonishing, far beyond ordinary people's imagination. And the Prince's Mansion can only mobilize the three Grandmasters before them. The others have their own duties and cannot be moved without authorization.

When it comes to Grandmasters, one must be extremely cautious.

Innate experts have almost no power to resist against Grandmasters. The crushing of realms is not just talk; it is an iron law proven by countless blood.

For the sake of prudence, external forces must be used.

The Court of Clan Affairs or the Town Defender Bureau?

The Court of Clan Affairs is an衙門 (yámen - government office) specifically responsible for the affairs of imperial princes and grandsons, from clothing and food to life and death.

Even if the Qing Prince's Mansion is declining, it is still a prince's mansion. With just a word, the Court of Clan Affairs will increase guards and even mobilize Grandmasters from the Grandmaster's Mansion.

The Town Defender Bureau also has the responsibility of protecting the imperial family. With just a word, they will also send experts to reinforce.

Should I choose the Court of Clan Affairs, or the Town Defender Bureau, or both?

Chu Zhiyuan thought for a moment, "Let's do this. I'll write a letter to the Town Defender Bureau for help. Who should I contact?"

Feng Xi said, "For the Town Defender Bureau, should we directly contact the Central Director?… Below the Director of the Town Defender Bureau are five Directors. The East, South, West, and North Directors are stationed outside the capital, while the Central Director is stationed in Jade Capital. Contacting the Central Director should be correct."

"Then let's contact the Central Director. I hope I won't be turned away at the door?"

"Does the Young Master know this Central Director?"

"Where would I know him?" Chu Zhiyuan smiled wryly. "Besides, he may not want to know me."

Guo Chi sneered, "Young Master, the Town Defender Bureau is indeed becoming more and more arrogant. They have no respect for rank!"

Feng Xi nodded slightly. "With so many experts at their disposal, they naturally have plenty of confidence."

Guo Chi snorted, very unconvinced. "They belong to the imperial court, and their experts also belong to the imperial court. Everything they have is given by the imperial court."

"That's not necessarily true," Chu Zhiyuan smiled, shaking his head. "They think they earned their positions themselves."

The Town Defender Bureau has a detached and independent status, directly under the Emperor, and is a true imperial watchdog.

The imperial court has no right to interfere in the promotion and appointment of positions in the Town Defender Bureau.

The Emperor appoints the Director, but the remaining five Directors and the positions below the Directors are all earned by their own abilities and merits.

When Chu Zhiyuan was researching the Town Defender Bureau a few months ago, he marveled at the founding Emperor of the Great Jing Dynasty. His confidence was too great. Was he not afraid of backlash?

He guessed that the founding Emperor allowed the Town Defender Bureau to maintain relative independence as both an incentive for future emperors and a protection for the Town Defender Bureau.

The Director of the Town Defender Bureau is extremely important. First, they must have the absolute trust of the imperial court, and second, they must be able to suppress the Town Defender Bureau enough to prevent being sidelined.

The Director of the Town Defender Bureau is often a Grand Grandmaster, a Grand Grandmaster deeply trusted by the Emperor.

But now, the position of Director of the Town Defender Bureau has been vacant for ten years. The previous Director went to the Four Great Heavens ten years ago to find a way to break through.

Without the Director's suppression, the five Directors each do their own thing, reporting directly to the Emperor, which is equivalent to a higher level of power.

Thinking of this, he shook his head.

This is likely a decentralization move. It seems that his imperial grandfather is a suspicious person and does not trust anyone to hold the position of Director.

— —

Before dinner, Chu Zhiyuan went to the study to write a letter and handed it to Feng Xi.

When Feng Xi returned, Chu Zhiyuan had already finished dinner and was playing the zither on the lake in the back garden.

The lake water swayed slightly, bright and heavy.

The bright moon in the water seemed to be constantly moving.

The small pavilion in the middle of the lake was brightly lit.

Zou Fang, wearing a blue robe and holding a white jade whisk, stood at the entrance of the pavilion, motionless like a wooden stake, blending into the pavilion and difficult to notice.

Two beautiful maids in colored clothes sat beside Chu Zhiyuan, their graceful figures exuding a faint fragrance.

Their bright eyes were charming, their sparkling eyes flowed, and their slender fingers would either pick up a piece of pastry and send it to his mouth, or pick up a grape and send it to his mouth.

Chu Zhiyuan learned the zither from Princess Consort Ning Baishuang since he was a child, and his zither skills are already extremely deep. He can adjust his state of mind through playing the zither.

The heartstrings are like zither strings, and need to be adjusted to be tight and loose. Adjusting the heartstrings through playing the zither is a wonderful and quick method.

He wanted to calm his mind.

The Great Snow Collapse Sword Technique suppressed the princes and young masters. No matter how calm he pretended to be, he could not avoid the excitement, pride, and arrogance that welled up from the bottom of his heart.

Moreover, during dinner, his mother, Bai Ningshuang, was radiant, his younger sister, Chu Yi, was beaming, and Chu Minghou, who never asked about worldly affairs, was also happy.

The matter of the competition in the Mingwu Hall in the afternoon spread quickly to the various prince's mansions, as if it had grown wings. Bai Ningshuang was chatting idly at Consort Rou's place when she heard the news.

This made them feel proud.

Chu Zhiyuan was also inevitably affected, but he knew that he could not be impetuous, and his heart still had to continue to sink down to practice diligently, to act sincerely and to think carefully.

In the midst of the zither music, Feng Xi appeared outside the pavilion.

"Zheng—!"

Chu Zhiyuan pressed the strings, stopping abruptly.

Feng Xi stepped into the pavilion and bowed. "Young Master."

"How is it?" Chu Zhiyuan asked.

Feng Xi shook his head helplessly. "I couldn't see the Central Director."

"Hmm—?"

"I was blocked by the guards outside, who said that the Central Director was busy and that visits required advance notice, unless there was an extremely urgent matter, otherwise no one would be seen," Feng Xi said. "This servant has already submitted the letter."

"Then let's wait."

Chu Zhiyuan shook his head.

This is why the princes and young masters of the Great Jing Dynasty cannot be wealthy idlers.

Even as a prince, if he does not have enough power, he will still be wronged and humiliated, neither carefree nor comfortable.

The Town Defender Bureau has the duty to protect the safety of the imperial family, but now even a Director can treat a young master with such an attitude.

Would it be better if I chose the Court of Clan Affairs?

But choosing the Court of Clan Affairs would involve too much and even alarm the entire imperial family.

More importantly, the Court of Clan Affairs and the Town Defender Bureau have different styles. The Court of Clan Affairs will only send guards over, while the Town Defender Bureau will delve into the matter.

Chu Zhiyuan dismissed these thoughts in an instant and asked, "What about the character of the three of them?"

Feng Xi sighed. "They have a lot of problems. They've all become old foxes."

"Let Liang Guanjie come over."

"Yes."

Feng Xi left the pavilion.

Chu Zhiyuan pushed aside the zither, got up and stood in front of the railing, looking up at the bright moon in the night sky.

The moon was bright and the stars were few.

A gust of cold wind blew, blocked by the felt curtain hanging down on the north side of the pavilion, unable to enter the pavilion.

The two maids obediently closed their mouths and stood quietly aside, their bright eyes staring at him like water.

Zou Fang still stood silently at the entrance of the pavilion.

Chu Zhiyuan looked at the bright moon, his thoughts fluttering.

Finally, he shook his head.

His cultivation is not strong, the Prince's Mansion's strength is not strong, and his status is not high. It is indeed embarrassing to borrow the power of others.

Relying on power is ultimately not as good as one's own strength. He still has to practice hard.

… …

Liang Guanjie, with his bulging belly, strode through the corridor and came to the pavilion, cupping his fists and saluting: "Young Master."

"Old Liang, how is it?"

"There are no trackers around the Young Masters of the Tenth Prince and Thirteenth Prince."

"None…" Chu Zhiyuan frowned.

Then it's only targeting him.

Not the imperial family's enemies, but the Qing Prince's Mansion's enemies?

"… … Your three friends have many minor problems. As your subordinates, can you manage them?"

"Absolutely no problem!" Liang Guanjie patted his chest without hesitation.

"Won't you be restrained by sentiment?"

Liang Guanjie grinned. "Young Master, please rest assured. I could manage them when I was in the Eagle Rise Camp, and I can manage them now. It's a piece of cake to deal with them."

"Then transfer them to your command." Chu Zhiyuan patted the railing. "The four of you will be responsible for tracking in the dark, not included in the daily patrols."

"Thank you, Young Master!" Liang Guanjie was overjoyed.

This means a promotion in status.

He can finally show his talents.

Making him patrol like ordinary guards was really boring. He only felt at ease in the shadows, only then could he truly exert his strength.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "If they cause trouble, I will only hold you accountable!"

"Yes!" Liang Guanjie nodded solemnly.

Chu Zhiyuan waved his hand.

After Liang Guanjie cupped his fists and bid farewell, he leaned on the railing and looked up to admire the moonlight.

A dark cloud was floating towards the bright moon.

After a while, Chu Zhiyuan turned and left the pavilion.

Zou Fang carried a lantern and led the way, with the two maids following behind him, returning to Tingtao Courtyard together.

Back in the courtyard, Chu Zhiyuan waved his hand, telling Zou Fang to rest and not to serve him.

Zou Fang respectfully retreated.

Chu Zhiyuan then began to practice his skills.

Time waits for no one. The current situation made him extremely uncomfortable, and the only way to get rid of it was to improve his cultivation. How could he slack off?