Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 211: The Rise of Chaos
While Li Xian was inspecting technology in the Qingyun Valley, the imperial capital of the Great Xia Kingdom, Wuyang City, was draped in mourning. However, the last emperor of the Great Xia Kingdom… left people speechless!
At His Majesty’s funeral, not a single regional governor or provincial official attended! It wasn’t just Li Xian who didn’t come—none of the other governors, provincial inspectors, or key local officials showed up either.
Instead, only the “trusted aides” of these local officials came in large numbers.
Moreover, many high-ranking officials from outside the capital, who had still been lingering in the imperial city, disappeared overnight. When they reappeared, they had already returned to their respective territories, leaving only their “trusted aides” to attend the funeral.
Throughout the entire funeral, the only high-ranking officials present were the three highest ranking officials—Li Yulong, Kong Xiang, and Fu Minghui—along with some capital officials who had no choice but to stay. Besides them, there were hardly any attendees. Even the commoners of the capital showed little concern, as they had long ceased to think of themselves as part of the Great Xia Kingdom. This was the Immortal Realm, after all—most people were more focused on their cultivation.
The funeral was pitifully sparse! There was no ten-mile procession, no wailing crowds. Some ignorant children even cheerfully ran circles around the procession, making Li Yulong’s eyelids twitch—he was tempted to give those little rascals a beating.
In the end, Fu Minghui led over a thousand elite soldiers to escort the emperor’s coffin five hundred miles away to the imperial mausoleum.
The emperor was gone, but his departure seemed too sudden—he left behind no final edict. Although there was a crown prince, he had not been officially named as the successor, and he was still thousands of miles away.
Officials, led by Li Yulong and Kong Xiang, formed a temporary government and quickly reached a decision over a single meal—they would bring back the crown prince, the second prince, to ascend the throne.
This was the proper and expected course of action, but the real question was—could the Great Xia Kingdom even be considered a kingdom anymore?
Perhaps the late emperor had not left an edict because there was no need. The Great Xia Kingdom was already in ruins—there was no need for an emperor anymore!
With the emperor’s death, the ambitious men of the kingdom sharpened their gazes. However, most of them remained cautious, waiting for someone else to make the first move. Still, a heavy, indescribable pressure began to spread throughout the land.
The scholars of the Immortal Realm had a word for this kind of pressure—Sha Qi (killing aura).
Many factors contributed to this atmosphere—social turmoil, the maneuvers of ambitious men, and the national tragedy. A country, like a living being, could also emit a deathly aura, and this was it.
But for now, the ambitious men did not act immediately. They watched and waited, secretly sharpening their blades, preparing for a grand contest to see who would have the last laugh.
The delegation to Luliang Prefecture, tasked with inviting the crown prince back to take the throne, set off. But no sooner had they departed than the Wang family made their move. They intended to install the third prince—an eleven-year-old boy—as the new emperor!
Wang Chuan spoke firmly, “The third prince is the wisest and possesses the greatest imperial bearing. In this time of crisis, we must enthrone him!”
“But the third prince is not the crown prince!” Li Yulong and Kong Xiang rebutted.
Yet, the Wang family had allies.
Shangguan Guang stepped forward. “Honorable ministers, while it is true that the third prince is not the crown prince, he is the only heir apparent!
“The title of ‘heir apparent’ means one does nothing but wait in the palace to become emperor. The moment one leaves the imperial capital, they lose this status. The second prince may be the crown prince, but he has already lost his qualification!
“Moreover, a nation cannot be without a ruler for even a day. The court is in chaos—we must stabilize the situation as quickly as possible.
“Besides, the current crown prince has neither the ability to govern the country nor the talent to lead an army. He cannot even manage a small Luliang Prefecture! Meanwhile, the third prince, though young, is intelligent and well-educated. He has studied under great mentors from a young age and has even taken an interest in Li Xian’s ‘industrialization’ philosophy. He has learned directly from Li Xian himself!” (This was an attempt to win over Li Yulong.)
“Aside from his age, in every other aspect, the third prince is more suited to inherit the throne!”
To be fair, Shangguan Guang’s argument was not entirely unreasonable. Other than lacking the title of crown prince, the third prince was indeed a strong candidate. On the other hand, the current crown prince had utterly failed to govern even a minor territory—how could he rule the kingdom, especially in its current state?
However, the third prince’s biggest flaw was his age. No matter how many virtues he had, the fact remained that if he ascended the throne, it would mean either the Noble Consort would rule from behind the curtain or the Wang family would seize power as regents—there was no third possibility!
Thus, 70% of the officials opposed the proposal.
Shangguan Guang looked around and spoke earnestly, “Gentlemen, can you not all work together to support the third prince as he grows? Give him just three years, and he will surely become a wise ruler!”
Li Yulong stepped forward. “I fear that the Great Xia Kingdom does not have three years left!”
Shangguan Guang remained ‘sincere.’ “If Grand Chancellor Li and Prime Minister Kong dedicate themselves to assisting him, they can surely buy the kingdom ten more years!”
Li Yulong sighed. “At most, I can buy the Great Xia Kingdom three more months. No more than that. The surrounding nations are already eyeing us like hungry wolves. In three months, chaos will surely erupt!”
A heavy silence fell over the officials.
Upon hearing these words, Shangguan Guang finally dropped his pretense, revealing a sinister expression. “Since Lord Li admits he is powerless, why not step down and make way for someone more capable?”
Li Yulong’s eyes flickered for a moment, then he made his decision. “Once the crown prince returns, I will immediately resign. But until then, I, Li Yulong, must hold up the sky over this crumbling court!”
Kong Xiang stepped forward as well. “I agree with Lord Li!”
Shangguan Guang’s expression turned twisted. “So none of you will support the third prince?”
Some officials stepped back, some stood still, and only a handful stepped forward, siding with either Li Yulong or Kong Xiang.
“Very well! You refuse to drink the toast, so you’ll have to drink the forfeit!” Shangguan Guang sneered. “It seems you are all unaware that Wuyang City… already belongs to the third prince! Guards!”
Shangguan Guang gave an order, and two soldiers dragged in a person who was covered in wounds and barely alive, throwing him directly onto the ground.
Everyone looked over, and sure enough, it was the messenger who had just attempted to leave the city to deliver a letter, summoning the crown prince to return and inherit the throne. However, it was clear that this messenger had never even left Wuyang City before being captured.
Shangguan Guang stepped forward and stomped on the barely breathing messenger. “Everyone, this messenger ‘lost’ the original letter. Such audacity! So, I had my men teach him a lesson. Now, do you all wish to write a new letter?”
The atmosphere became heavy.
Li Yulong glanced at the messenger lying on the ground, then at the grim-faced Shangguan Guang, and finally at the cold gleam of swords flickering outside the hall. He had to admit: “You win.”
With that, Li Yulong personally removed the Grand Chancellor’s seal, along with his jade tablet and other official items, placing them on the steps before the throne. Then, without another word, he turned and walked away.
Outside, the soldiers surged forward; Shangguan Guang hesitated for a moment but finally waved his hand, allowing Li Yulong to leave.
Kong Xiang wanted to follow suit, but Shangguan Guang suddenly laughed. “Prime Minister Kong, you cannot leave!”
Kong Xiang’s face changed instantly.
Li Yulong had controlled the Great Xia Kingdom for over a decade, with deep-rooted influence. His voluntary resignation was something the Wang family, Shangguan Guang, and others desperately wanted, so naturally, they made it easy for him to leave. But Kong Xiang was different!
Moreover, if they couldn’t even keep one of the elders behind, it would be a disgrace. So, Li Yulong had to go, but Kong Xiang could not!
Not to mention that Nanyang County, where the Kong family was based, bordered Guangling County, controlled by the Wang family. Keeping a member of the Kong family in their grasp was necessary.
Meanwhile, after returning to the Li residence, Li Yulong immediately dismissed all his servants and retainers, keeping only a few trusted aides like Yang Zhong. They swiftly left Wuyang City, rendezvoused with a few key members of the Li family outside the city, and then departed directly by aircraft. The rest could follow at a slower pace.
The entire process went smoothly without obstruction.
Seated in the aircraft, Li Yulong silently gazed down at the seemingly peaceful Wuyang City. Only when the city had shrunk to a mere speck in the distance did he turn his attention to the aircraft beneath him.
This was, in fact, Li Yulong’s first time riding an aircraft.
“What’s your name?” Li Yulong asked the young general in charge of the aircraft. According to Anyang’s current terminology, he should be called an officer.
“Master, my name is Tang Junfeng. I am temporarily one of the captains of the air force.”
“Air force?” Li Yulong was no ordinary person; he immediately sensed something different from just those two words. “Besides the air force, is there also a navy?”
“Yes, Anyang will eventually have three military branches. But instead of upper, middle, and lower armies or left, center, and right armies, they will be: army, navy, and air force.”
Li Yulong nodded. “What is the maximum speed of this aircraft?”
“The highest speed it can reach is 420 kilometers per hour. Right now, we are flying at about 330 kilometers per hour.”
“Not bad. At this speed, it already has great potential for warfare.”
Tang Junfeng said proudly, “Master, but the young master is not satisfied with this speed. He says that it must reach at least 500 kilometers per hour to barely keep up with future warfare. And supersonic speed—only that will truly meet the demands of future wars.”
“Supersonic speed? What is that?” Li Yulong only had a rough understanding of Li Xian’s ideas but was unaware of the details. And he didn’t need to know the details.
The concept of supersonic speed immediately caught the attention of several members of the Li family.
Tang Junfeng chuckled. “Master, sound has a speed limit when it travels. According to our measurements, the speed of sound is about 340 meters per second, which is approximately 1,224 kilometers per hour.
And supersonic speed, as the name implies, means flying faster than the speed of sound. This way, we can complete an attack before the enemy even hears the sound of our aircraft. By the time they hear it, we will already be long gone.”
On the surface, Li Yulong remained calm, but inside, waves of shock surged.
Supersonic speed? Completing an attack before the sound arrives?