「One Hour ago.」
At the gates of the towering city walls of the Imperial Capital City.
Squads of Great Yan Armored Warriors, imposing and grim, rode into the city. Clad entirely in black armor and carrying sabers, their faces were hidden behind ferocious iron masks. The warriors' armor was severely battle-damaged, their Scale Armor spattered with blood—whether it was their own or the enemy's, it was impossible to say.
This scene naturally drew a large crowd of commoners and passersby.
"It's only been seven days. Has the Holy Emperor returned?"
"With Dragon-Scale Horses, covering a thousand li is no problem. They should have arrived in two or three days. Has the war ended already?"
"Those small Eastern Barbarian nations are fragile. How could they possibly withstand the celestial might of Great Yan?"
However, from the center of the army, a swift horse shot through, fast as thunder, galloping towards the Imperial Palace. As it rode, the rider shouted:
"A Holy Decree from His Majesty! A thousand-li express!"
At the very front of the army, the leading General was none other than the renowned Third Prince, Lu Guangyao.
At this moment, however, he gazed east, his face a mixture of complex emotions: worry, gravity, and more.
He rode his horse hastily through the Divine Martial Gate of the Imperial City.
After the Holy Decree reached the Imperial Palace, the Cabinet Ministers serving as regents, along with the other high officials of the Imperial Court, convened an emergency meeting.
Afterward, a series of Holy Decrees were dispatched from the Imperial Palace throughout the entire Imperial Capital.
The first person to receive a Holy Decree was none other than Lu Yunqing, who was closest, reading a book in his study at Shengjing Academy.
"Your Highness, the Eighth Prince, a Holy Decree from His Majesty. Please receive the order."
Lu Yunqing saw a group of the Bright Lamp Bureau's Brocade Clothing guards and an Imperial Eunuch pass through the round archway and approach him, and doubt crept into his heart.
"What happened?"
He no longer had the heart to continue reading and had no choice but to kneel on one knee to receive the decree.
The Imperial Eunuch held the golden imperial edict and slowly read: "The Eighth Prince is exceptionally intelligent and of outstanding character. Effective immediately, Lu Yunqing is enfeoffed as Prince Chongwen, granted the stipend of a commandery, and permitted to establish his own manor and govern it."
Lu Yunqing's expression was strange, but he still accepted the Holy Decree.
"Your son receives the decree."
He truly did not understand the deeper meaning behind this, so he asked the Imperial Eunuch, "What does my Imperial Father mean by this?"
The Imperial Eunuch, however, just shook his head. "For the specific details, you will have to ask the Third Prince. He has now returned to the capital and should be the one who knows the most."
"Third Brother is back?"
Lu Yunqing was slightly surprised. Lu Guangyao had followed their Imperial Father on the expedition. Only a few days had passed, and he was already back. 'He must know what has happened.'
As he was passing through the academy's main hall, he saw the scene within. In the very center of the academy, inside the sacrificial hall, stood a tall stone statue with incense burning before it.
It depicted an old man in plain Confucian robes, his feet resting on a Golden Lotus of written characters as he wielded a brush over a scroll. Upon the scroll were inscribed four large words: "Investigate Things, Attain Knowledge."
A sacred, violet Literary Qi flickered, forming the ethereal image of a purple mulberry tree.
"The Heavenly Principle is above; do not transgress."
These seven words flowed like a heavenly melody into Lu Yunqing's ears.
Lu Yunqing bowed respectfully and said slowly, "I understand, Teacher."
This figure was his teacher, the current Vice Sect Leader of the Confucian Temple.
.....
Meanwhile, in Qingzhu Hall, Lu Mingyuan was still utterly dumbfounded, waiting for the eunuch before him to finish announcing the Holy Decree. Then came the final sentence:
"...In consideration of our past affection, We hereby specially enfeoff Lu Mingyuan as Prince Huai'an, with the stipend of one commandery."
Lu Mingyuan asked the eunuch:
"Has my Imperial Father returned?"
The eunuch replied faintly, "The Holy Emperor has not returned. Instead, he sent a messenger back to the Capital with a Holy Decree to enfeoff the Ninth Prince."
"Enfeoffing the Ninth Prince?"
Hearing this, Lu Mingyuan recalled what his maternal grandfather had told him.
The skies over Great Yan were about to change.
'But what was his Imperial Father's purpose in enfeoffing the Ninth Prince? Other than gaining a title and some extra silver, he saw no other benefit for himself.'
"What titles were my other brothers given?"
Lu Mingyuan couldn't help but ask curiously.
The Consul Eunuch shook his head. "I am just following orders. I know nothing of the others."
With that, he turned and left with his attendants.
'The situation on the front lines must have taken a turn for the worse.'
This was the first possibility that came to Lu Mingyuan's mind as he lowered his head in thought.
'The Great Yan Dragon Vein is in turmoil, and now the Ninth Prince is being enfeoffed. Could this be a move to placate the people? However, he felt the probability of Emperor Yong'an meeting with a mishap was quite low. After all, he was protected by the Great Yan Dragon Fortune. Impervious to Demon Fiends, who could possibly kill him?'
Half an incense stick later, a flustered Wang Zhaoyan hurried into the palace. Finding Lu Mingyuan, she asked with a panicked look on her face:
"Yuan'Er, you received a Holy Decree as well?"
Her eyes filled with hope as she asked, "What princely title?"
"Prince Huai'an."
Lu Mingyuan replied honestly, scratching the back of his head.
"Prince Huai'an..." Wang Zhaoyan murmured softly. "Just a two-character princedom. It seems the opportunity hasn't arrived yet."
"What's wrong, Mother?"
Wang Zhaoyan composed her expression and said seriously, "Just an hour ago, the Third Prince returned to the capital with ten thousand men. He also brought back a Holy Decree from your Imperial Father. The ministers of the Imperial Court held an assembly—your maternal grandfather was there as well. What exactly happened is unknown, but what we do know is that all of your brothers have been enfeoffed as princes."
"However, you were made a two-character prince, while your older brothers are all one-character princes. All of them, except for you, were given the right to establish their own manors."
Lu Mingyuan's face filled with astonishment. "One-character princes? For real?"
Wang Zhaoyan said grimly, "Of course it's real. The Eldest Prince, Lu Changfeng, was made Prince Zhao. The Second Prince, Lu Guangjing, was made Prince Jin. We don't know about the Third Prince, but he is likely a one-character prince as well, because even the Fourth Prince, Lu Guangren—that dolt obsessed with Daoist Skills—was enfeoffed as Prince Zhuang."
"From the Fifth Prince onward, all were made two-character princes. It's a pity Lu Mingkong is already dead. You were made Prince Huai'an, your younger brother Lu Yunwan was made Prince Langya, your closest brother Lu Yunqing was made Prince Chongwen, and even the ever-obscure Ninth Prince, the son of a Palace Maid, was granted the title of Prince Jiangling."
"Prince Zhao, Prince Jin, Prince Zhuang..."
Lu Mingyuan murmured the names, sinking into thought. 'Ever since the rebellion of the three princes was quelled, no prince born afterward had been granted a noble title, merely enjoying the stipends from their territories. Now, for the first time, they were being given the titles of princes. The purpose was also very direct. It was to prevent any single prince's faction from growing too powerful and to maintain stability in the Imperial Capital. Being allowed to establish their own manors and govern them meant that each prince could openly recruit their own followers. And since they weren't leaving the Imperial Capital for the provinces, they wouldn't become Vassal Kings who could threaten the central government. Take his eldest brother, Lu Changfeng, for example. He himself held no military power; he only had a greater say in matters because the Pei Family he was allied with was a family of Military Generals. With too many supporters, a certain Momentum naturally formed around him. But now, everyone was on equal footing. How would the Eldest and Second Princes dare to act rashly? It seemed his Imperial Father truly intended to use this method to pacify the realm and stabilize the situation in the Imperial Capital. Even from a thousand li away, the Emperor's Balance Skill was as sharp and cunning as ever. But didn't this also expose the situation at the front lines? It seemed things weren't going too well.'
"I heard just a moment ago that your maternal grandfather came to see you?"
"Er... yes."
Wang Zhaoyan advised him carefully, "Listen to your grandfather. The Imperial Court is now entirely controlled by the Cui Family and the Xie Family. On the surface, the Cabinet is overseeing the nation, but in reality, those two families call the shots. The Cui Family has been illustrious for a century, producing three dukes for four generations, and many people listen to them. Both families support the Eldest Prince, so there are bound to be changes soon. We will not compete with them. It's enough to maintain the power we currently have."
Hearing this, Lu Mingyuan gave an embarrassed smile. "Grandfather said the same thing just now. He told me to be steady and careful, and not to give anyone a reason to use against me."
"By the way, Mother, do you think Eldest Brother will become the Crown Prince in the end?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhaoyan sighed. "Given the current situation, it is very likely."
...