Chapter 119: Transformed into a Prince? Yu Chenyu’s Scheme, the Mother and Son Confront Each Other
Liu Fu’s pupils constricted. “What did you say?”
“I said—help me drag the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion into the water,” Shen Yanzhou repeated once more.
Liu Fu was completely stunned upon hearing this.
Did Shen Yanzhou truly mean what he said, or was this yet another of his schemes?
No, if he really wanted to set up a plot against the Duke’s Residence, why would he bother with such trouble?
“Dragging the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion down with us brings me no benefit whatsoever,” Liu Fu sneered coldly after a brief silence.
“Raising demon beasts, colluding with the Foreign Demon Kingdom or with Beiyu—any one of these charges would be enough to annihilate all nine generations of the Duke’s family.” Shen Yanzhou still smiled faintly as he spoke.
Liu Fu did not understand what “annihilating nine generations” meant in his words, but he understood well enough the threat behind them.
Judging by the current situation in the imperial capital, the Duke’s Residence had little chance of emerging unscathed—unless another noble clan stepped in to help.
Moreover, the most critical point was that the Cold Crow had already self-destructed.
If it were before, Liu Fu could have easily explained that the creature was simply his own raised demon pet. Many aristocratic scions in the capital secretly kept demon concubines of their own.
Although it was something officially forbidden, he was the Young Duke—he could easily work things around and escape punishment.
Unfortunately, that Cold Crow’s intelligence had been far too great; it had already revealed shocking secrets and information.
Such an excuse was clearly useless now.
“To drag the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion down, in the end the Duke’s Residence would still have to take the fall. Unless you can guarantee me that our residence will come out safe and sound.” Liu Fu took a deep breath as he spoke.
“Isn’t the Young Duke mistaken about something? This is not the time for you to negotiate terms with me.”
“The Duke’s Residence now has no way out. If you choose to cooperate with me, I may yet show mercy and leave your family a spark to survive.”
“Besides, I believe you wish to know the whereabouts of your son, don’t you?” Shen Yanzhou said with a faint smile.
Liu Fu’s expression suddenly turned ugly. Shen Yanzhou had him completely cornered.
And indeed—he had no other way.
After a moment of silence, countless thoughts and calculations crossed Liu Fu’s mind. At last, he sighed, a hint of weariness in his tone—accepting his fate.
“Speak, what do you want me to do?” he asked.
Shen Yanzhou smiled lightly. “Very simple. Just do as I say, and everything will be fine…”
…
Inside the Bureau of Immortal Inspection, in a side courtyard, Ye Xingchen’s face looked grim.
Several Immortal Officers who had been on good terms with him before now stood outside the courtyard, their expressions equally troubled as they watched the scene before them—but none dared to intervene.
“As an Immortal Officer, you violated the decree and brazenly interfered in court affairs. From this day forth, your Immortal Officer’s seal is revoked.”
A high-ranking Immortal Officer with a cold, detached expression spoke indifferently. With a flick of his hand, the token hanging at Ye Xingchen’s waist flew straight into his palm.
Ye Xingchen’s lips trembled slightly. His fists clenched tight, anger boiling within him—but he could only endure it with effort.
He knew very well—this was targeted at him.
Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to have just returned to the Bureau of Immortal Inspection, only for a senior officer to arrive immediately afterward with such an order.
Moreover, in this Bureau, only the Deputy Sacrificers possessed such power.
He had rarely offended anyone on ordinary days.
And his visits to the Crown Prince’s Mansion had been made in such secrecy—how could it be discovered and reported so swiftly?
In the capital, the only organization with such an extensive spy network was the Chilin Guards.
“Shen Yanzhou, you’ve forced me to this…”
Ye Xingchen had already guessed who was behind it. His eyes glimmered with cold light, and his fists creaked audibly.
Fortunately, he had already begun to gain the Crown Prince’s trust. Once he went to Fanzhou to retrieve the Eight-Cloud Crimson Pearl Buddhist Treasure, he would become one of the Crown Prince’s closest confidants.
The identity of Immortal Officer—he no longer needed it.
The Immortal Officers who had initially thought to plead for him now looked at him in shock upon hearing that he had meddled in court politics.
Such matters, if kept private, would normally be ignored. After all, in the Bureau of Immortal Inspection—who could truly claim they had no dealings with the nobles of the capital?
The roots of that towering ancient tree were all tangled and intertwined—you in me, and I in you. Such was the true state of the capital’s power.
But for Ye Xingchen’s case to be dragged into public view—he had clearly offended someone high up.
“Sigh…”
A few Immortal Officers looked at Ye Xingchen with helpless faces, silently shaking their heads.
For such a vast organization as the Bureau of Immortal Inspection, stripping one Immortal Officer of his title was a mere triviality—hardly enough to stir the surface.
Gu Ruoxi stood atop a tall pavilion, gazing into the distance toward the commotion. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly.
Something felt wrong to her—Ye Xingchen had been far too calm from start to finish.
To not even argue or show anger in such a situation?
“There is indeed something amiss with this man,” she thought inwardly.
Ye Xingchen showed no emotion. After packing his belongings, he strode out of the Bureau’s gate without looking back, heading straight toward the Crown Prince’s Mansion.
…
Negative emotions from Ye Xingchen +18 +21 +24…
Inside the Thousand-Household Office, Shen Yanzhou sat behind his desk, reviewing several confidential scrolls. Li Yunpeng was beside him, assisting in sorting them.
“Where’s Wu Ruyue? Haven’t seen her these past two days,” Shen Yanzhou asked casually.
“Miss Wu hasn’t come by recently. I heard it’s because she’s still investigating the remnants of the Grand Radiance Kingdom…” Li Yunpeng explained.
“She’s still investigating the Grand Radiance Kingdom’s remnants? Seems she’s made quite a bit of progress.” Shen Yanzhou nodded slightly.
“My lord, this subordinate has something to say… though I’m not sure whether I should.” Li Yunpeng’s expression grew hesitant.
“Speak,” Shen Yanzhou said, glancing at him.
“It’s about the remnants of the Grand Radiance Kingdom…” Li Yunpeng lowered his voice deliberately.
“Oh?”
Shen Yanzhou raised a brow.
“Some time ago, those remnants appeared in Yun Prefecture. That region suffers constant plagues of insects and rats. This year’s drought left the land barren—many starved to death. With famine and disease spreading, countless more followed…” Li Yunpeng paused, then gritted his teeth and continued.
“Something like that happened in Yun Prefecture, and yet the capital received no word?” Shen Yanzhou immediately grasped his meaning.
If he remembered correctly, the governor of Yun Prefecture was from the Cui Clan.
“Yes. Only our Chilin Guards received specific intelligence. Amid drought and misery, those remnants of the Grand Radiance Kingdom—deemed heretical by the empire—appeared there, performing good deeds and providing relief for refugees. But soon after, local troops suppressed them. Then came reports claiming those remnants preached about the Lord of Holy Light and held obscene rituals, which supposedly caused the spread of the plague…”
“All those who died of hunger and disease became the sacrifices in that foul rite.” Li Yunpeng’s face was complicated.
In truth, he had not uncovered these scrolls himself—it had been Wu Ruyue. They were sealed deep within the Chilin Guards’ secret archives.
After reading them, he too had been shocked and deeply disturbed.
And such scrolls—there were quite a few among the Chilin Guards. The truth behind them could never be made public, but each was recorded and sealed in dust.
“Miss Wu must have been occupied these past few days trying to verify the authenticity of this particular document…” Li Yunpeng explained softly.
Shen Yanzhou’s expression remained calm. He waved a hand. “I understand.”
He already knew the true story behind the fall of the Grand Radiance Kingdom. There was no need to verify the Cui Clan’s character.
Just as in the original script—though the Great Qian Dynasty now stood as a magnificent empire ruling the Four Seas, rot and filth had long festered within.
Indeed, one could say the source of it all lay with the Cui Clan of Hejian.
Yet, the royal family and all the great noble houses of Great Qian were no less guilty.
…
That night, Shen Yanzhou returned to the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion.
Shen Jingxiao came to find him voluntarily, asking about the Duke’s Residence. Naturally, Shen Jingxiao did not believe that the Duke’s family would collude with demon beasts—the matter was filled with suspicion.
“That was no demon beast, but the pet of a certain Daoist master. The Empress’s birthday approaches, and someone intends to deliberately disturb the balance of the capital,” Shen Yanzhou explained solemnly.
“A Daoist master?” Shen Jingxiao asked. By now, he no longer doubted that Shen Yanzhou would deceive him.
“The Young Duke Liu Fu keeps his mouth shut. He refuses to reveal anything. After all, he is the descendant of a noble Duke’s line. With such a prestigious background, even the Chilin Guards cannot use torture on him. We can only wait until he decides to talk.” Shen Yanzhou sighed.
Shen Jingxiao showed no doubt at his words, yet the confusion in his heart deepened—such matters surely involved entanglements of great depth.
If it was truly the work of a Daoist master, could it perhaps be those sects and lineages once banished overseas, now seeking to return and vie for power once more?
The thought brought him delight.
He had initially wanted to ally with those so-called “Heretical Daoists and Demonic Sects” in order to balance the power of the Immortal Sects within the Great Qian Dynasty.
Now, if those overseas sects were to intervene, the situation of the future would only grow more chaotic.
By then, once he launched troops from the southern border, broke through Yao Pass, and allowed the demon army to sweep inland, how could the noble clans and great houses of the Great Qian possibly resist?
Then, when he donned the imperial robe and raised his banners, all directions would bow in submission—wouldn’t the royal surname of Great Qian be changed to Shen thereafter?
Just the thought of it made Shen Jingxiao’s blood surge with heat. Some plans, it seemed, were ready to be set in motion. There was no more time to wait.
“I must return to the Southern Border. You’d best not stir up trouble in the capital while I’m gone—or you know well what the consequences will be.”
Shen Jingxiao cast a cold glance at Shen Yanzhou, his tone laced with threat. Though the Death Curse served to restrain him, there was no guarantee Shen Yanzhou would not make mischief in secret.
“Rest assured, I’ll be leaving the capital as well—heading to Fanzhou. You don’t have to worry about me stirring trouble,” Shen Yanzhou replied with a shrug, seemingly exasperated by the man’s threats.
Shen Jingxiao frowned. “What are you going to Fanzhou for?”
Though Fanzhou was within the borders of Great Qian, the court held little real control over it. Owing to the spread of Buddhist faith there, temples filled the land, monks traveled freely, and nearly every household paid respect to the Buddha.
In Fanzhou, to show irreverence toward Buddhism was no different from courting death.
Even the laws of the Great Qian court carried little weight there. Furthermore, the current Empress was known to be devoted to Buddhism—she often invited Buddhist masters from Fanzhou into the palace to debate scriptures and expound the Dharma.
“Her Majesty the Empress’s birthday is approaching. Mother wishes to present her with a gift, so she sent me to Fanzhou to find a suitable Buddhist treasure.” Shen Yanzhou answered casually.
Shen Jingxiao’s frown eased slightly.
With the Empress’s birthday nearing, what better gift than a Buddhist relic to please her?
The Consort’s actions were, in that regard, understandable.
“Strange that the Princess Consort didn’t send Shen Tian to Fanzhou, but you instead.” Shen Jingxiao felt a flicker of dissatisfaction.
Shen Tian was her own son, yet the Princess Consort seemed to favor Shen Yanzhou more and more.
What on earth was she planning?
“You’ll have to ask Mother that,” Shen Yanzhou said, shrugging again, indifferent.
Shen Jingxiao snorted coldly, then turned and left.
Shen Yanzhou had already guessed what the man was thinking, but he didn’t care. Just as Shen Jingxiao planned to get rid of him later, he too was scheming to eliminate Shen Jingxiao.
Afterward, Shen Yanzhou went to the Emerald Bamboo Courtyard to speak with the Princess Consort, Yu Chenyu, about his next plans.
“By the looks of it, the timing is about right. A round trip to Fanzhou should take until the end of the month.” Yu Chenyu leaned lazily against the couch, with Chunchao behind her fanning gently.
Shen Yanzhou said, “So this time, I’ve returned to ask Mother for that thing you promised me before.”
Yu Chenyu arched a brow. “What promised thing? Did I ever promise you anything?”
Seeing she intended to play dumb, Shen Yanzhou sighed. “Mother truly has a selective memory. You did promise me, quite clearly.”
Yu Chenyu’s lips curved slightly, amusement flickering in her eyes, but her tone remained calm. “You mean that so-called encouragement?”
Shen Yanzhou nodded. “Exactly.”
Yu Chenyu motioned for Chunchao to help her sit up. She adjusted herself gracefully upon the couch, her long legs folded neatly to the side. Her gaze was cool as she asked, “And what kind of thing, in your view, counts as encouragement?”
Shen Yanzhou seemed to ponder for a moment before replying, “A reason worthy enough to make me seize that monastic robe.”
“Heh…”
“You’re truly clever—you must have already guessed something from all the recent hints,” Yu Chenyu said, her gaze fixed on Shen Yanzhou.
Both were sharp-minded. Though Shen Yanzhou hadn’t spoken his suspicions aloud, she had already seen through them.
He wanted to confirm his true parentage.
Recently, Emperor Mingde’s behavior had indeed stirred his doubts.
Of course, Yu Chenyu’s reason for sending Shen Yanzhou to the Floating Sky Temple in Fanzhou to retrieve that monastic robe was precisely this.
Shen Yanzhou, too, had long suspected that his original body’s lineage might not be simple.
In the original story, Yu Chenyu was the mastermind behind countless plots.
From the perspective of both Great Qian and his body’s former self, she could indeed be called the great black hand behind the scenes. Even the Demon Suppression King’s planned rebellion had been undone when she revealed that Shen Tian was not his biological son—crushing his will and leading to his ultimate failure.
The decline of Great Qian—Yu Chenyu could be said to have played a pivotal role in it.
On the Empress’s birthday, the assassination that sparked the chaos of the capital had also been set into motion by her own hand.
All these events revealed her methods and cunning.
To have hidden for so many years without being exposed—even her pillow-side companion, Shen Jingxiao, had been reduced to nothing more than a foolish clown.
Were Shen Yanzhou not a transmigrator, he might never have known any of this.
Thus, if his body truly was the illegitimate son of Emperor Mingde, there could not have been more than a handful of people in the entire capital capable of secretly spiriting him away at birth.
And Yu Chenyu was undoubtedly one of them.
“It seems everything matches my suspicions,” Shen Yanzhou sighed softly.
He was merely curious—if he truly was Emperor Mingde’s illegitimate son, why had the original story made no mention of it?
Moreover, in the story, the original body had died without ever recognizing his true father.
If Emperor Mingde had known he was his son, how could he have stood idly by and watched him die in the streets?
There had to be something more—something hidden he did not yet understand.
Now, only Yu Chenyu could give him the answer.
“Now that you know this answer, are you satisfied?”
“When you retrieve that monastic robe, you’ll be a rightful prince, no longer a false heir. With the royal family’s backing, your rise to the throne will be within reach.”
Yu Chenyu’s eyes glimmered with an almost playful curiosity as she looked at Shen Yanzhou.
Shen Yanzhou’s expression remained unchanged. “Transformed overnight from a false heir to a so-called prince? Where in this world does such fortune exist? Even if my identity is confirmed, who would tolerate me? The Crown Prince, Xia Chongming? The Cui Clan of Hejian behind him? They would never let me live.”
“‘Prince’” sounded grand enough—but once it was known that he was Emperor Mingde’s illegitimate son, there would be no place left for him in all nine provinces.
An illegitimate prince with no maternal clan?
Yu Chenyu was not surprised by his reaction.
“You’re far too clever. Since you already suspected as much, and came here tonight not merely to verify it—what do you truly want?” she asked calmly.
Shen Yanzhou had to admit—her mind was as intricate as a spider’s web.
“I’ve been your pawn all this time. I was overlooked when I appeared mediocre, always disposable. Only when I revealed my worth did you begin to take notice of me again…”
“If I’m not mistaken, the day I present that monastic robe to the Empress will be the day she recognizes me as the illegitimate son—and by then, I’ll have no choice but to stand against her.” Shen Yanzhou sighed lightly.
This whole game had been set up by Yu Chenyu from the very beginning.
Even though he knew the original plot, he hadn’t seen it coming.
Had Emperor Mingde not been so unusually kind to him lately, he might never have suspected anything.
As for what was special about that monastic robe, he couldn’t yet say—but it clearly carried some deeper meaning.
From the very moment he accepted Yu Chenyu’s request, he had already been placed upon her chessboard.
Yu Chenyu said calmly, “You already know you’re my pawn—so what, do you plan to bite your master now?”
She did not deny his deduction.
Indeed, it was exactly as Shen Yanzhou had said—that was her original plan.
As for the monastic robe, others might not understand its significance—but the Empress, Cui Jingyi, certainly would.
Back then, when the successor of the Luoxian Sect, Qing Shu, met her death, the Empress had known everything.
“Bite the master?”
“Actually, I’d quite like to try,” Shen Yanzhou replied with a careless smile.
“It seems your wings have hardened—and your courage as well. If you think that merely relying on the remnant will of a lingering soul that let you resist Shen Jingxiao means you can bare your fangs before me, then by all means—try.” Yu Chenyu’s tone remained calm, as if she had never once placed him in her eyes.
The two of them spoke casually, as though discussing household matters, yet Chunchao—standing beside them—could feel the air brimming with tension, like smoldering embers ready to erupt into flame.