Martial Cultivator

Chapter 574: All My Friends

There was a deeper meaning in those words.

The First Prince understood clearly and took a moment to compose himself before smiling and saying, “Since Imperial Father has summoned us, as his sons, how can we not share in our father's worries and defy his decree?”

The Second Prince released his hand and replied nonchalantly, “Since Imperial Elder Brother is unwell, as your younger brother, I should actually do more to alleviate worries for Imperial Father and you, so that Imperial Elder Brother can rest and recover in peace.”

The First Prince straightened up and looked at his younger brother. After a moment of thought, he said calmly, “Second Brother, it's good that you want to take on more responsibilities, but the world belongs to Imperial Father. Whatever Imperial Father decides, we sons can only follow. Any other thoughts are of no use, even if Second Brother may wish otherwise.”

The Second Prince smiled faintly and did not respond further.

Their exchange was quite restrained, it had not escalated into open hostility. But anyone could sense that while the two princes' words were polite, their hearts were not in agreement.

Meanwhile, the Third Prince, who had always remained somewhat aloof from the two elder brothers, was now just listlessly eyeing the table of dishes, feeling a bit hungry after waiting for so long.

After a long wait.

That emperor robe finally made its entrance. Once the Great Liang Emperor appeared, all three princes knelt in unison, “We pay our respects to Imperial Father.”

The Great Liang Emperor asked them to sit, and then took his place at the head of the table, waiting for his three sons to sit down.

The three princes remained anxious and tense, not daring to meet their imperial father's gaze.

In truth, there was little semblance of a father-son relationship among them, it was perhaps even more distant than the typical ruler-subject relationship.

"Eat."

The Great Liang Emperor only just one word before picking up his chopsticks and starting to eat. The three princes exchanged glances, and in the end, it was the Third Prince who picked up his chopsticks first and began to eat, followed by the other two princes.

During the banquet, none of the three princes said much, and the Great Liang Emperor had only spoken a couple of words at the beginning. This gathering, which could not be described as warm, was instead somewhat cold and strange. To some extent, it could reflect the relationship between His Majesty and the few princes.

After an unknown amount of time, the Great Liang Emperor stood up and said, “Youngest, come with me.”

The Third Prince was taken aback for a moment, then quickly rose and said respectfully, “Your son and subject, obey the command.”

The First and Second Princes bowed their heads, unsure of what to think, but they quickly rose to kneel and bid farewell to their imperial father.

No one knew why this banquet was held, nor did anyone know what the Emperor was thinking at that moment. Just like in countless years past, they had never felt any familial affection from the Emperor. It was already not easy to get along like this.

Li Heng arrived and saw off the two princes.

The Great Liang Emperor walked through the palace, with the Third Prince silently following behind, holding a lantern.

This father and son pair had not spoken for a long time.

The Third Prince glanced at his imperial father's back and found that it was still imposing, stirring a sense of respect within him.

After some time, the Great Liang Emperor suddenly asked, “Have you heard the current rumors from the Divine Capital?”

The Third Prince was taken aback for a moment, then quickly nodded and said, “Your son and subject has heard about it.”

The Great Liang Emperor asked, “What do you think?”

The Third Prince thought for a moment and said, “It seems that Elder Brother's identity has been revealed.”

The Great Liang Emperor was indifferent, “Even you know about this matter, it's not surprising that his identity has been exposed.”

For a moment, the Third Prince was speechless and somewhat confused as he asked, “Is it that Elder Brother's identity is to be used by those with ulterior motives, and Imperial Father wants to ask what this son and subject should do?”

The Great Liang Emperor remained silent.

The Third Prince thought for a moment, gritted his teeth, and said, “Imperial Father, this son and subject feel that we cannot betray Elder Brother.”

Before the Great Liang Emperor could respond, the Third Prince continued speaking on his own, “The matter back then didn't really have right or wrong to speak of, but now that Elder Brother has done so much for the Great Liang, the Great Liang cannot forsake him. This principle is actually quite simple, and Imperial Father must know this as well.”

“If We do not kill him, the throne will become unstable. At that time, if the demon race invades from the south and wreaks havoc, the world will no longer bear the Chen surname, what then?” The Great Liang Emperor looked at the bright moon hanging in the night sky and spoke calmly.

The Third Prince was taken aback and murmured, "Will it really be like that?"

The Great Liang Emperor turned his head, looking at this youthful son, his eyes carrying a hint of an emotion that was difficult to detect. He then asked, “If you were sitting in Our place, and not killing him would mean the fall of the empire, how would you choose?”

The Third Prince raised his head and looked at his imperial father, who rarely spoke so many words to him. He hesitated for a long, long time but could not say a word.

The Great Liang Emperor looked at him and did not press any further.

The father and son stood opposite each other in silence.

……

……

When Chen Chao woke up, it was already midnight. The night sky was dotted with stars, and the sweet potato left behind had long grown cold, but Xie Nandu still had not returned.

However, Chen Chao saw someone in the courtyard.

A scholar.

Wei Xu was the most famous scholar in the Divine Capital, and even in the entire world. However, he was not the most learned or remarkable scholar.

The most learned scholar was naturally the dean of the academy, and could only be the dean of the academy.

If Chen Chao remembered correctly, this should be the second time he had been alone with this academy Dean.

A long time had passed since the last meeting.

This encounter felt abrupt because Chen Chao had not expected it. But at the same time, it did not seem so sudden since the Dean had appeared here of his own accord.

Chen Chao stood up and instinctively grasped the hilt of his saber, not caring in the slightest what the Dean might think.

The Dean said, "You're not considered a good guest. After all, this is the academy. Who comes to someone else's place while thinking about drawing their saber?"

Chen Chao smiled slightly, but his hand never let go of the saber hilt. He simply said, "Dean, your cultivation level is profound, and you showed up at this moment. I’m just a little scared."

"Scared of what? Scared that I might kill you?" "If that were the case, would you even have woken up?" The Dean was indifferent and continued on his own, "If I really killed you, would that girl still recognize me as her teacher?"

Chen Chao frowned and said, "Lord Dean, you don't seem like someone who would truly care about such things."

"Then what do you think I care about? This world?" "What's there to care about in such matters? In the end, it's all about you Chen family members. Does it really make any difference who sits on the throne?" The Dean chuckled self-deprecatingly, seemingly genuinely indifferent to such concerns.

But Chen Chao shook his head and said calmly, "If that were truly the case, why would Dean appear here and say all of this?"

The Dean listened, frowning slightly before saying with vicissitudes of emotion, "It seems you've matured a great deal since then, and your cultivation realm has also improved quite a bit. But right now, even though you're gripping the saber hilt, the saber is still in someone else's hand. It's rather amusing."

Chen Chao remained silent.

"That girl has been gone for a long time and hasn't returned yet. She's probably discussing something important, and I imagine you can guess what that might be." The dean looked directly at Chen Chao and got straight to the point, saying, "You know there are countless eyes on you right now, waiting for you to make a choice."

Ever since the rumors began and since Chen Chao returned to the Divine Capital, everything had started to unfold.

This was a story that involved many people, but at its core, the truly important part was the choice of only two individuals.

Two people with the surname Chen, whose choices could very well determine the future course of the entire world.

Chen Chao said, "Sometimes I really don't know what she will do."

The Dean smiled and replied, "What she will do likely depends on what you choose to do. Right now, you're hesitating, so naturally, she isn't taking any action either. But you must understand, time waits for no one. Often, once you hesitate, you miss many good opportunities, and the outcome may not be favorable."

Chen Chao frowned slightly but did not speak. Behind Xie Nandu stood the Xie Family, as well as the academy. The Xie Family was one of the greatest aristocratic families in the Great Liang, and the academy was an immensely important existence in the Great Liang. If both sides chose to support Xie Nandu, and if Xie Nandu in turn chose to stand behind Chen Chao...

It might not be impossible to overturn this world.

Not to mention, there were still so many former officials operating in secret.

Chen Chao curiously asked, "Isn't Lord Dean a friend of His Majesty?"

The academy dean looked at Chen Chao, hesitated for a long time, and finally said, "But I was also a very good friend of your father. I knew him even earlier than I knew His Majesty."

Very few people knew about this connection. Most of those who did were long gone, having faded into history.

"Your father was actually a brilliant scholar too. If he were still alive, he would probably be the most knowledgeable scholar in the world. There were many times when I couldn't figure something out, and I would go ask him, and I could always get an answer. Over time, we naturally became friends."

The Dean seemed a bit nostalgic; most of his old friends from those days were no longer around.

Chen Chao said, "Since that’s the case, when His Majesty rose in rebellion back then, it seems like you didn't do much."

The Dean replied, "A nephew wants to kill his uncle, so the uncle fights back and kills the nephew. Even I didn't know what to do in such a situation. And since they were both my friends, the only thing I could do was nothing, just stand by and watch."

Many times, making a choice was a difficult thing to do. Having experienced it many times himself, Chen Chao deeply understood this feeling.

Chen Chao asked again, "Since that's the case, why are you coming forward now?"

The Dean looked at Chen Chao and said, "Because recently, I heard some news."

Chen Chao already knew what the Dean was referring to.

"If one of my friends killed another friend, then as his friend, I would naturally want to help him avenge that."

There was a hint of doubt in the Dean's eyes. "But I can't figure it out. I can't tell if it's true or false, so I wanted to ask you."

Chen Chao gave a bitter smile and said, "This junior has only lived for so long, how could I possibly see things more clearly than you?"

The Dean shook his head and said, "Sometimes, living too long can cause one to get stuck in the mud, unable to see the bigger picture. When you're too close to a situation, you lose clarity. You're still young, maybe your honest thoughts are actually the right ones."

Chen Chao asked, "Will you believe my answer?"

The Dean nodded and said, "I think I will."