Xuanqing Guard

The Emperor lay back in the bath again. His voice was ominous: "The signs of this matter appeared at the end of that great war forty years ago. The Barbarian Race’s combat power during the war was obvious to all; when we hunted them down in desperation afterward, they must have fiercely resisted. Yet the army Yang Yansi dispatched to wipe out the remnants returned with few casualties. I suspected something was amiss back then, but did not investigate, merely assuming those below were lax and wishing to preserve the lives of soldiers."

"But now it seems all his calculations began from that very moment. Yang Yansi truly lives up to the fame of ’God’s Ingenious Stratagems’; as for laying plans, few in this world can match him..."

The Emperor’s information was prompt—even the frontline news reached him within less than an hour, near real-time. Thus he was already clear on the whole course and now relayed it briefly to Yang Xiusheng.

With a bang, Yang Xiusheng smashed a corner of the table, yet it did not ease his anger. He cursed: "Utterly brazen!"

"Brazen indeed, but if you count it carefully it isn’t wholly incomprehensible. Everyone likes to leave themselves a way out—the higher one stands, the more so."

"A way out? You mean colluding with the Barbarian Race is Yang Yansi paving another retreat for himself? Hmph, does he intend to someday throw his lot in with the Barbarians?"

"Uncle, have you heard of the phrase ’bird exhausted, bow put away’? Without waiting for Yang Xiusheng to answer, the Emperor continued: "I only heard it recently, but those four words best explain Yang Yansi’s inner anxiety and can count as his motive."

The new term from the Emperor’s mouth was not invented by himself, but learned from the copper rods reported from below; he found it apt and concise.

"Bird exhausted, bow put away?" Yang Xiusheng repeated the new phrase, and gradually understood. Even taken literally, in Yang Yansi’s case it represented a very likely crisis.

If all birds are slain, what use is the bow and arrow?

In other words, if all enemies are gone, why keep soldiers? Do you need more food than you can eat?

The logic is basic, yet easily overlooked. Few make arrangements in their peak for the eventuality of their own decline.

Yang Xiusheng could not help but endorse the Emperor’s ’God’s Ingenious Stratagems’; fully forty years ago Yang Yansi was preparing for the possible fate of ’bird exhausted, bow put away,’ and when the hour arrived, dared to take action.

"But since he arranged for so many years, why only begin to act in recent ones?" Yang Xiusheng still had doubts.

"Because of me."

"Hm?"

"Uncle, you can see it too—my body won’t last much longer. Though none know how many days I have left, I understand I must arrange matters swiftly. So, like Father before me, I wish to select a worthy heir for the Dynasty."

The Emperor did not elaborate further, but Yang Xiusheng understood. Though he had ignored court affairs for years, he knew well of the late Emperor’s actions in choosing the Crown Prince.

Back then, the late Emperor had five sons; after all the selection, three died, one went far away and has not been heard from since, and the last remaining was Yang Jian.

Now Yang Jian, intent on imitating his father, is bound to stir up another bloody storm.

Yang Xiusheng could even picture it: to establish the Crown Prince, Yang Jian must first observe his sons’ abilities, so he will relax control over the temple hall, which breeds factions and private cliques. And the military, the decisive power, will be purposely suppressed by Yang Jian so that every soldier fears for himself and dares not meddle in the succession, thus keeping the ’selection’ within manageable bounds.

But alas, man proposes, Heaven disposes. This series of actions by Yang Jian to ’select’ a Crown Prince deeply provoked the top figure of the military, Yang Yansi, who, to protect himself, was compelled to bring out a retreat hidden for decades: supporting the enemy, allowing them to grow rapidly to threaten the Jingjiu Dynasty, thus forcing the Dynasty to reorganize the military’s authority.

Simply put: fearful of ’bird exhausted, bow put away’? Simple—keep prey ever-present.

Yang Xiusheng did not need every detail, just the general outline. Nor did he ask if the Emperor had evidence. If the Emperor thinks you’re a threat, you are one, that’s all. Yang Xiusheng viewed things from the same angle as the Emperor, and to him Yang Yansi was at best a ’trouble,’ hardly a real challenge.

"For such a brazen figure, is suppression truly enough?" Yang Xiusheng was clearly uneasy, favoring eradication over mere restraint.

"Suppression suffices. Yang Yansi has rendered uncountable service to the Dynasty—his merit almost warrants a kingship. Though merit cannot offset his offense, the Dynasty’s reputation must be preserved; to kill him outright would be too ugly, too noisy. Besides, with war looming, if the ’War God’ Yang Yansi’s reputation fell, it would be disastrous."

"So your meaning is?" Yang Xiusheng originally thought even if the Emperor spared Yang Yansi, he would have him confined, for instance within the prison at Fenghong Manor. But the Emperor mentioned the word ’reputation’—a reputation cannot be hidden or imprisoned, so what kind of ’suppression’ is this?

"Seal his cultivation, impose a restriction, and then have him watched constantly."

In the Emperor’s view, Yang Yansi was problematic partly because of his great prestige in the military, and partly due to his daunting Profound Sea Realm First Layer cultivation. His reputation could be left for now, but his cultivation must be suppressed—only then could control be ensured.

This set Yang Xiusheng thinking.

"With sealing meridian techniques, his meridians can be blocked, preventing any True Qi circulation. Coupled long-term with elixirs to dull his True Qi and cloud his Sea of Consciousness, it should meet your requirements, and subtly erode his cultivation foundation. Over time, even Profound Sea Realm cultivators would regress."

This method was insidious, but the safest Yang Xiusheng could devise.

"It cannot be undone?" The Emperor was unsure of cultivation matters; he needed certainty.

"Sealing Meridian is the Royal Family’s unique technique, effective against anyone below Profound Sea Realm Third Layer. Without the unraveling method, forcing it open ends only in shattered meridians. If others assist, their cultivation must exceed mine by forty percent at minimum. So I do not believe Yang Yansi could break it."

The Emperor nodded once he heard Yang Xiusheng’s assurance. He paused a moment, then said: "Do as you suggest. When Yang Yansi arrives shortly, you will act. Are you confident?"

Yang Xiusheng did not reply, merely snorted with contempt.