Chapter 182 — The Waters of the Southern Wilds Run Deep

But they all guessed wrong. My Yuyuan house does not prize the throne; it prizes the people of Yuyuan. When the Yuyuan Kingdom still stood, Jingping was already grown great, and might attack at any moment. My father knew that if war came, the kingdom would fall and the family be destroyed. Then the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping entered Yuyuan and discoursed with my father on the Way -- with all the civil and military officials present, discoursing on governance and the people's livelihood. My brother and I were in the court as well. And then, we lost. " Her face was calm. "Whether in the Way of governing or the Way of the people's livelihood, we were utterly defeated, and we yielded in our hearts.

My father abdicated and had my brother succeed him; my brother would not accept, and passed the throne to me. I. .

. " A faint smile appeared on her face, whether self-mocking or truly amused, it was hard to tell. "I told the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping: in governing I am not your equal, nor in the people's livelihood; so let the Yuyuan Kingdom be given to you. But if your governance and your care for the people fail to satisfy me, then one day I shall rebel against you. The Imperial Preceptor of Jingping agreed, and let me govern Yuyuan -- which is now Lizhou.

" "So that is how it was.

" The others understood all at once.

Xue Hu'er said in surprise, "Sister, so you were an empress too! " Yuyuan Chuyu laughed. "I was an empress for a single day, and there was no joy in it.

If you wish to be empress, just find some place and declare yourself one -- it is only a question of how many people you govern. " She looked at the rolling smoke and fire upon the river, then drew back her gaze and said to Shen Wanyun and the others with a smile, "That you are able to follow little brother is truly your good fortune. His abilities are quite out of the ordinary.

" Yue Qinghong and Yun Que exchanged glances, not knowing how this woman general had discerned that Shen Mu's abilities were out of the ordinary.

Yuyuan Chuyu recalled the red corpse beetles she had found strewn across the hills north of Huyang County. Besides the red corpse beetles, there had been a skeleton; the flesh upon the corpse had all melted away, leaving only bone and clothing, and from the clothing she had judged it to be a master of the Corpse Immortal Cult. Though it was no longer possible to tell who this Corpse Immortal Cult master had been, judging from the means and the number of corpse beetles he had commanded, his cultivation realm must have reached the Seven-Star realm. The Corpse Immortal Cult excelled in corpses and poisons; their cultivation realms were not especially high, but in fighting them, even one whose cultivation and battle strength surpassed theirs would find it hard to win.

And this Corpse Immortal Cult master had died of poison -- and the one who poisoned him was likely none other than this honest-looking little brother at her side. At the time, this little brother had even fooled her, and she had written him a travel pass and recommended him to the capital.

In Yuyuan Chuyu's heart, the fact that Shen Wanyun and the others could follow so cunning a fellow out to temper themselves was perhaps safer even than following the Imperial Academy -- which was why she had called it their good fortune. When they reached the far side, the city across the river had been battered until its towers had collapsed; who knew how many had died or been wounded.

Yuyuan Chuyu led her army into the city. "When I spoke of deep waters just now, besides that reason, there is another.

Look -- I took Lu County without much effort, capturing it very easily. The rebels are rather too weak, are they not?

" Shen Mu was slightly startled. "Luring the enemy in deep? " "Not only luring the enemy in deep -- the old foxes have not stirred at all.

" Yuyuan Chuyu's eyes flickered.

"Those three old monsters who wounded the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping have not appeared to this day, and there are likely more old monsters of the old age than just those three. Qiu Dieyi, Palace Master of Liqing Palace; the three fortress lords of Sanqi Fortress; the Grand Executive Minister who turned traitor; and the Dragon King of the Dragon-Taming Sect -- not one of them has shown himself. The other sect leaders and masters of every size and kind are all perfectly quiet.

And moreover.

.

. " She lowered her voice. "Who knows whether some gods of the old age still live? " Shen Mu shuddered several times. Shen Wanyun and the others also felt a chill run through them. Yuyuan Chuyu clearly knew a great deal about the old age, but she did not speak of it in depth.

"Rest assured, these old monsters will not lightly move against juniors like you.

Their target is the Imperial Preceptor of Jingping, and the first-rank great officials of the court.

What holds Lu County is a sect not much greater than the Corpse Immortal Cult, called the Nine Nether Sect.

Lu County has just been pacified, and some remnants of the Nine Nether Sect have fled. I will give you an easy errand -- wipe out the remnants. " Her gaze was bright as it fell on Shen Mu and the others. "The Nine Nether Sect is skilled at playing tricks with gods and ghosts; they claim they can summon ghosts and spirits to fight for them. Prepare yourselves in advance. When the other scholars arrive, you will go and wipe them out.

"