The Face-Slapping Journey of a Sword Cultivator Male God (QT) Chapter 015: The Rightful Heir's Retaliation in the Story of a Reincarnated Concubine's Son - Part 14

In the silent expanse of the study, a faint rustling noise arose, as gentle as the delicate rustle of paper. Yet the room held no life, save for Xuan Yuan. Unmoving, Xuan Yuan left one pondering with a sense of unease about the origin of the sound.

As the sound of thin, white paper turning filled the room, Xuan Yuan strode towards his desk. There, he saw a small figure, meticulously crafted from folded paper, laboring to extricate an ink-drenched sheet from the bookcase.

Evidently, someone had visited the study during Xuan Yuan's absence. To evade detection, the small paper figure had hidden in the bookcase, clutching a sheet littered with enigmatic symbols. The sheet now being wrestled free bore the marks of repeated 'torment', its crisp lines marred by crumples.

Here, this is what you requested — the formula for gunpowder. The proportions may not be exact, but after a few experiments, it should prove effective," a thin, slightly shaky voice resonated. The paper figure, 'Lin Yingjie', drew the ink-saturated sheet to the desk's center.

Xuan Yuan offered a subtle nod before taking a seat at his desk, lifting the sheet covered in inked strokes. His eyes roved over rows of characters that varied widely in size, ink concentration, and stroke style, leading him to shake his head.

Observing Xuan Yuan's slight shake of the head, the paper figure perched on the desk recoiled slightly, a tinge of timidity evident. "I exerted myself to make it readable!" The task had already been difficult enough in his present paper form, striving to ensure every stroke was correctly placed... After all, his expertise lay in writing simplified Chinese!

Unmindful of the doll's inner turmoil, Xuan Yuan stayed silent, his eyes meticulously scanning the formula inscribed on the paper. Once he deciphered it, the corner of his mouth lifted subtly, revealing a hint of satisfaction.

"Not bad," Xuan Yuan complimented offhandedly. 'Lin Yingjie' was nearly awash in elation, seeming on the verge of swooning from sheer joy.

He had actually received praise from the great demon king! As he suspected, as long as he proved useful, he would be spared from being devoured! The paper doll clenched its minuscule fists, a surge of exhilaration coursing through him.

"Eh... Host, why do you require the formula for gunpowder?" 0617 surfaced, its tone marked by confusion.

0617 had been taken aback when Xuan Yuan had requested 'Lin Yingjie' for the gunpowder formula. Initially, it was stunned that the host was aware of gunpowder and then found itself perplexed as to why the host would require it.

The system had restrained its queries for some time but finally reached a point where it could no longer contain them, hence the hesitant question at this moment.

"Didn't the original narrative mention that after the emperor's demise and the crown prince's ascension to the throne, the Xiongnu from the northwest declared war?" Xuan Yuan responded casually, transcribing the gunpowder recipe onto a blotchy, ink-stained sheet of paper.

Promptly, the paper was filled with his robust calligraphy. Each character was uniform in size, his pen strokes crisp and assertive, akin to a sword slicing through the air. The vigor behind his writing seemed to permeate the paper, untamed and unrestrained, imbuing the sheet with a sharpness and a fierceness reminiscent of a sword's edge.

"But, but..." 0617 appeared flustered, "Can the crown prince still ascend to the throne?" It wasn't fully privy to the host's covert strategy, but one thing it was certain of — the crown prince, being a nemesis of Lin Xuanzhu, might not have much time left.

"Regardless of whether the crown prince ascends to the throne, the emperor's demise is imminent." Xuan Yuan set down his writing brush, lifted the sheet of paper, gently blew on it, set it aside, and then spoke at a relaxed pace.

He offered a slight smile, a knowing look gracing his handsome visage, "Moreover, if the crown prince loses favor and the other mature princes initiate a power struggle for the throne, won't that throw the Great Wei into further turmoil? If the Xiongnu fail to capitalize on this opportunity, that would indeed be peculiar.

"But even if conflict erupts in the northwest, it bears no relevance to you, host." 0617 was bewildered. Hadn't the host resolved to tread Lin Xuanzhu's path and take the imperial examination to assume a civilian court role? He wasn't a military officer. What influence could he possibly exert over the looming war?

Dropping his gaze, Xuan Yuan's lips curled into a subtle smile. His voice was tranquil as he stated, "I have my strategies prepared. There's no need for excessive inquiries." He paused, then appended with a touch of mirth, "Naturally, it would be delightful if you could hazard a guess."

0617: ...If I could guess, I wouldn't have asked! Couldn't the host be a tad more accommodating?

Realizing that persistent questioning wouldn't reap any more information, 0617 buzzed in mild exasperation, deciding to drop the inquiry. Shifting gears, it relayed, "Host, of your three missions, the first one is six-tenths complete, the second is two-tenths done, and the third stands at three-tenths."

"What's the next step?" Ever since confirming its host wasn't a contemporary individual, System 0617 had abstained from using terms like 'fifty percent', apprehensive that the host might not comprehend, potentially obstructing their communication.

"The final two missions won't be accomplished overnight. We can't hasten them." Xuan Yuan's words carried an air of indifference, his eyes brimming with boundless wisdom and strategy. He had consistently been laying the groundwork for the future, with every calculation and plan directed at attaining a superior position, wielding more substantial power.

Only then could he pursue his desires and safeguard those he wished to protect.

If he were to employ sheer might, Xuan Yuan had the cultivation base to decimate the entire capital of the Great Wei Dynasty. However, overwhelming others with raw force was too pedestrian and lacked any real challenge.

This mortal realm served as an ideal sharpening stone for refining one's heart. If Xuan Yuan wished to journey further, he would need to begin unraveling the intricacies of this complex world and its human emotions anew.

"And what comes next?" Xuan Yuan chuckled softly, neatly folding the white paper covered with the gunpowder formula and stashing it away. His eyes sparkled with expectancy, "Next, our sole task is to wait patiently."

"For what?" 0617 was confounded by its host's cryptic comments. Despite its certainty that he wouldn't respond, it felt compelled to ask.

Predictably, Xuan Yuan simply chuckled lightly, his tone dismissive as he uttered, "Just watch and wait. The time for the curtain to rise isn't quite here yet."

While Xuan Yuan remained serene, the Great Wei Dynasty plunged into pandemonium. Ever since the Emperor collapsed during a morning court assembly, the political landscape had become progressively more chaotic.

The Emperor was critically ill, and the Crown Prince was under siege and facing impeachment. The Crown Prince's position teetered on the brink of collapse, seemingly on the cusp of dissolution at any given moment. The Crown Prince's matured younger siblings would undoubtedly seize this chance, and covert strategies were brewing beneath the surface.

On the sixteenth day of the fourth month in the twenty-sixth year of the Wenjing era of the Great Wei Dynasty, the dethroned Crown Prince conspired with General Gao, the commander of the Imperial Guard, to orchestrate a nocturnal assault on the palace, their aim being to coerce the Emperor into abdication.

However, before the Imperial Guard could storm into the Emperor's private chambers, they were intercepted by the third, fourth, and fifth princes. These princes, wielding the imperial edict, rebuked the Imperial Guard, leading to their defection and subsequent abandonment of their armors.

With the rebellion thwarted, the dethroned Crown Prince took his own life by slashing his throat at the Shenwu Gate (Gate of Divine Prowess). Upon receiving the news, the Emperor spat blood, and his condition markedly deteriorated. The Great Wei Dynasty was abruptly plunged into a state of tumult. The overt power struggle among the mature princes escalated the chaos, rendering the situation virtually uncontrollable.

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