On the Verge of Collapse: 'Chu Jin Will Undoubtedly Die.'

Since ancient times, when a new emperor ascends the throne, four sacrifices are required. The first is to the heaven and earth, the second to the mountains and rivers for their well-being, the third to the common people, and the fourth to the bleached bones of fallen soldiers.

Since the founding of Great Qin, three sacrifices have been held. Afterwards, Emperor Yan of Qin, Chu Guansong, fell ill, so this final sacrifice was delayed again and again, until now.

The Prince Regent of Great Qin chose the location for this sacrifice to be in Xufang City, by the banks of the Qiu Jiang.

In the direction of Xufang City, a horse-drawn carriage was slowly making its way.

A pair of hands lifted the window curtain. The owner of the hands watched the mountains on both sides slowly recede, then suddenly let out a cold snort of unclear meaning: "The scenery of Xufang is nothing special. Damp and humid, with a musty smell."

Du Changfu sat beside him, forcing a smile.

Li Sheng unhurriedly withdrew his hand and said indifferently, "I don't know what possessed our Prince Regent to choose such a poor and remote place for the grand sacrifice of Great Qin."

In his heart, Du Changfu didn't quite agree with this description of a "poor and remote place," but he still had to verbally agree repeatedly. He said in a low voice, "I heard that when the Prince Regent was a Hostage Prince, he spent most of his time here."

He had only entered officialdom after Great Qin was established, so his knowledge of previous events was rather vague.

"That's right," Li Sheng said. "Back then, Chu Jin, as the Heir, was not favored. Later, to deal with the State of Dai, His Majesty formed an alliance with the old master of Yanling and sent him to Yanling as a hostage. Being humiliated and monitored, it's inevitable that he would harbor resentment."

There was another point he didn't mention. Back then, after Old Qin heard that Chu Jin had been assassinated, they were completely indifferent to the details of the assassination. They didn't even ask Xiao Zhuo for the body of their nation's Heir. Instead, they used the last bit of his value after death to completely break off relations with Yanling.

Dynasties changed and years passed. Most of the ministers in the court today are not very clear about this matter. Only a few old ministers who experienced those turbulent times are deeply wary of the current Prince Regent, who could be said to have been completely reborn.

He let out a heavy sigh, causing Du Changfu beside him to tremble with fear. "So the rumors that the Prince Regent intends to restore Yanling... are true?"

But this is far too absurd. A prince with the blood of the Chu Clan wanting to help a former enemy nation rise from the dead.

"Absurd?" Li Sheng sneered. "If it's him, it's not absurd. Because the people of the world have yet to see his true face."

If he were Chu Jin, he would surely hate this motherland that devoured his flesh and blood, using his life and death to establish its hegemony.

"He is the grievance brought upon our Great Qin." Li Sheng's expression was sinister. "He despises our Great Qin, and he doesn't want Yanling to fare well either. So he wants to establish himself as a king, putting all of Great Qin's efforts to the torch, and making the once arrogant old ministers of Yanling bow down to him."

"A person like this absolutely cannot be allowed to live. I should have killed him long ago!"

Du Changfu said cautiously, "Lord Li, but I've heard that during the War of Yan-Qin, the Prince Regent also made great military contributions for Great Qin. What if he doesn't actually harbor such intentions..."

Before his words had faded, Li Sheng's eyes moved, his constricted pupils suddenly fixing on him. Suspicion, arrogance, malice... a multitude of emotions mixed together, turning into a suffocating, rolling killing intent.

Du Changfu was so startled he was rendered speechless.

The Grand Censor was heard saying unhurriedly, "Whether he harbors such intentions or not is unimportant. What I want is an excuse sufficient to kill him."

"If there was a madman, and I wanted you to kill him, would you do it?"

Du Changfu shook his head.

"What if I told you this was a madman who kills without remorse and might point his sword at you in the next second?" Li Sheng revealed a strange smile. "This might be false, but for your own benefit, for you to survive—"

"Grand Master of Ceremonies Du, would you kill him or not?"

The word "no" got stuck in his throat. Du Changfu fell silent.

"Without me saying a word, you would take the initiative to eliminate this person who is a detriment to you." Li Sheng looked at his expression and snorted. "So what if it's true? So what if it's false? As long as one's own interests are threatened, the false can be made true."

His expression relaxed, as if he were in a good mood. "I have already tailor-made a set of lies for the Prince Regent, sufficient to convince the world. From tomorrow onwards, no one will believe him again, not even his closest confidants—"

"Chu Jin will undoubtedly die."

Hearing this sentence, Du Changfu couldn't help but shudder.

He knew that Li Sheng had not yet taken him as a confidant. Although they had talked a lot, Li Sheng hadn't revealed a single detail of tomorrow's plan. But just these few confident and murderous words were enough to make him break out in a cold sweat for the Prince Regent.

'I'm afraid tomorrow on the Qiu Jiang, it will be another bloody storm...'

Just then, the carriage suddenly stopped, and someone outside said, "Lord Censor, this subordinate Fan Qu requests an audience."

"Enter."

The curtain was then lifted, and a slightly chubby, middle-aged man squeezed in. Seeing the people inside, he was stunned for a moment, then bowed. "Lord Censor, Grand Master of Ceremonies Du."

Du Changfu quickly returned the bow. "Greetings, Vice Minister Fan."

Li Sheng waved his hand, excusing them from the formalities. "What is it?"

Fan Qu looked hesitant, then took a piece of paper from his robes and handed it to Li Sheng. "My lord, this is a secret letter sent by a storyteller in Xufang City today. The matter it speaks of... is related to the Autumn River Ritual."

Li Sheng frowned slightly. "A storyteller?"

"Yes, it's that famous storyteller from the past, Liu Chengyin." Fan Qu explained, "He is one of the agents we placed in the city to spread the old stories about the Prince Regent's time as a hostage."

Li Sheng nodded, unfolded the note, and glanced at it. The next second, his face darkened. In an instant, his expression could be described as sinister and terrifying.

Fan Qu seemed to have anticipated his reaction. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, the fat on his face trembling. "This subordinate knows this matter has not yet been confirmed and shouldn't have been presented like this. But... it is truly a matter of great importance, and this subordinate did not dare to be negligent, so..."

But in the next moment, Li Sheng suddenly burst out laughing without any warning!

"Hahahaha... Good, excellent!" He clapped his hands and laughed heartily. "Heaven is truly on my side, truly on my side!"

Not to mention Fan Qu, even Du Changfu was stunned. "Lord Li..."

His voice was drowned out by the laughter, failing to cause the slightest ripple.

After laughing his fill, Li Sheng finally calmed down, his gaze chillingly cold.

He looked at Fan Qu. "Go and arrest that storyteller. I have questions for him later."

Fan Qu shuddered. "Yes!"

Du Changfu couldn't help but glance at the note. He could only see the back, the writing was blurry and illegible.

'What could have made Li Sheng so happy?'

But he also knew that Li Sheng would certainly not tell him at this moment, so he simply retracted his gaze and put on a submissive and well-behaved appearance.

Li Sheng put away the paper, glanced at him, and said meaningfully, "Grand Master of Ceremonies Du, do you usually have the habit of fasting?"

Du Changfu was taken aback, his face full of confusion. "...No."

"What a coincidence, this old man doesn't either." Li Sheng said to himself. "It seems you and I will have to suffer a bit more tomorrow."

'What kind of question is that?'

Du Changfu was full of questions with no answers, so he could only suppress them. Judging by the situation, he would have to be on high alert aboard the painted boat tomorrow.

When the day of the autumn sacrifice arrived, Xufang City was strangely quiet.

Over a thousand soldiers had been dispatched to the city, keeping a strict watch on every household and forbidding anyone from going out onto the streets. Anyone who disobeyed or resisted was arrested and taken to the yamen.

On the river, the azure sky was as clear as if it had been washed, bright and crisp. A painted boat glided slowly across the calm river surface. The boat was adorned with lanterns and streamers, with green tiles and vermilion lacquer, carved beams and painted phoenixes, all exquisitely crafted. Its frame was made of nanmu wood, its lamps were luminous pearls, inlaid with jade and traced with silver. Its exterior was already extraordinary, and the interior was a world of its own.

Lu Qing sat in a lower seat on the right, secretly observing the surging undercurrents on the painted boat, finding it exceptionally fascinating.

He was a mere Vice Commandant of Justice. On a normal day, amending laws and managing prisons was fine, but in front of these powerful figures who could turn the world upside down, he was naturally insignificant. But he didn't mind. He handled many cases and loved to watch the excitement, especially when he could get a glimpse of the conflicts and entanglements among the powerful court officials and imperial relatives, which made him itch with curiosity.

From the few times he had entered the palace, he knew that the one now sitting in the highest seat on the left was the current Prince Regent.

The first time Lu Qing entered the palace for an audience, he had accidentally encountered this Prince Regent. With just a fleeting glance, he was completely captivated, standing frozen on the spot while clutching his memorial. It wasn't until the man had walked far away and the old Commandant of Justice smacked him on the head that he finally snapped back to his senses.

Lu Qing was still a young lad back then. He clutched his head and asked the old Commandant of Justice, "Was that person just now the beauty sent from an allied nation overseas?!"

The old Commandant of Justice looked at his astonishingly bright eyes and sighed in exasperation, "That's the current Prince Regent!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Qing felt as if he had been struck by lightning, muttering endlessly, "Why didn't you tell me sooner..."

Why didn't you tell me sooner that the current Prince Regent looked like that! Had he known, he would have insisted on entering the palace the last few times!

But the fact was, even though he ran to the palace almost every day afterwards, he never once managed to encounter the Prince Regent again. It made him lose his appetite, and he spent all day pondering how he could see that breathtaking figure once more.

So, a few days ago, when the old Commandant of Justice asked him to go to the Qiu Jiang Painted Boat, he agreed without a second thought.

Lu Qing surreptitiously glanced at the Prince Regent several times before reluctantly tearing his gaze away and turning to the table opposite him.

The highest seat on the left should have been occupied by the Prime Minister, but Wei Junlan had claimed illness and did not come, so it was empty. Below the Prime Minister was the Grand Censor, Li Sheng. This person was no different from Lu Qing's impression of him: a slender figure, a cold and severe face, and a full head of white hair and beard that did nothing to add a touch of kindness, but rather made him seem even more difficult to get along with.

Below the Prince Regent was Grand Marshal Xu Ying. Grand Marshal Xu was thirty years old, with sharp brows and bright eyes, looking valiant and extraordinary. It was just a pity that whether at a banquet or in the court, he was always silent, like a block of wood. But this was no ordinary block of wood; this man had once led five thousand cavalry to crush an enemy force of thirty thousand, driving deep into their territory and capturing six cities. Lu Qing still held him in particular awe.

He looked at the few people at the very top, swallowed, and finally decided to continue stealing glances at the Prince Regent. After all, he was much more pleasing to the eye.

He had a natural love for beauty, and he could remember almost every beautiful person he had ever seen. The Prince Regent was the most stunning and brilliant stroke in all his years of aesthetic appreciation, almost making everyone else seem like dust on the ground, making Lu Qing feel that his life was complete.

Lu Qing couldn't help but murmur, "The Pearl of the Nine Provinces, truly unparalleled..."

Although his voice was soft, the person beside him seemed to have an extra ear and suddenly turned his head. "Who are you talking about?"

Lu Qing jumped in fright and turned to see that it was the Minister of the Imperial Clan, Wu Ruoxun. He gave a dry cough and hurriedly said, "Nothing, you heard wrong."

"The Pearl of the Nine Provinces, truly unparalleled." Wu Ruoxun repeated his words and glanced over coolly. "You're quite bold, daring to secretly watch and comment on the Prince Regent?"

"..." Lu Qing was speechless.

He lowered his voice and pleaded humbly, "Lord Wu, please let this subordinate off. A love for beauty is common to all. Don't you think that the Prince Regent has a world-shocking appearance?"

Hearing this, Wu Ruoxun pondered for a few seconds, then smiled slightly. "I don't think so."