In the Divine Domain, the Imperial Capital of Qin State.
At the main gate of the Qin Prince’s Mansion, a man dressed in ragged clothes, his face covered in stubble, was half-kneeling outside the entrance.
Passers-by had long grown accustomed to the sight.
Just one month ago, this man had already begun half-kneeling at the gate. For a full month, he had neither eaten nor drunk, all for the sake of meeting the master of the Qin Prince’s Mansion once.
The Qin Prince’s Mansion was the residence of the “Prince of Qin” in Qin State. In truth, the so-called Prince of Qin was none other than the current Crown Prince, Di Qin!
Before Di Qin was named Crown Prince, he held the title of Prince of Qin. After being appointed Crown Prince, he moved into the inner palace and rarely returned.
The man had come from afar. Not only was he unknown, but in his current state he looked no different from a beggar on the street. He could not enter the palace at all. If he wanted to see the Crown Prince, he had no choice but to wait here.
And he had waited for more than a month!
Creak.
Suddenly, the heavy main gate of the Qin Prince’s Mansion opened. A richly dressed, pot-bellied middle-aged man walked out, followed by two attendants with long and steady breaths.
As soon as the gate opened, the middle-aged fat man spotted the man kneeling outside. His brows immediately furrowed slightly.
Why is this fellow still here?
The middle-aged fat man spoke with some surprise, then asked: Do you know how long he has been kneeling here?
Reporting to the steward, it has already been more than a month! One of the attendants quickly answered.
A whole month?
The middle-aged fat man raised an eyebrow. The other attendant then asked: Steward, shall I go and drive him away?
We are people from the Qin Prince’s Mansion. Chasing away a beggar on the street would only give people something to gossip about.
The middle-aged fat man shook his head. He then walked up to the kneeling man, casually tossed out three copper coins, and said: Stop kneeling here. Take this money and buy something to eat.
The man’s face twitched slightly. His lips moved as he said: I am not a beggar!
If you are not a beggar, then why are you kneeling here?
The middle-aged fat man looked at him in surprise. Then he seemed to understand and said: Our mansion is not short of servants at the moment, so you should leave.
I am not here to be a servant!
Hey! Why are you so stubborn?
I am here to see His Highness the Crown Prince!
Just as the middle-aged fat man was growing impatient, the man finally stated his purpose.
His Highness the Crown Prince has long since moved into the palace. He has not come back to the Qin Prince’s Mansion for two years already. You should go back where you came from as soon as possible!
The middle-aged fat man shook his head. He no longer paid attention to the man. Instead, he smiled at the two attendants beside him and said: Tell me, with perfectly good limbs, what can’t these people do? They insist on thinking they are above others and want to take shortcuts!
But are shortcuts really that easy to take?
If the path is wrong, no matter how hard you try, you will never get in. In the end, you end up bruised and bleeding, losing both face and dignity. Why bother?
Hearing the middle-aged fat man’s words, the man furrowed his brows slightly. Then he spoke in a deep voice: I, Du, am no mediocre talent. If the Prince of Qin obtains me, it is like obtaining half of the Divine Domain!
Pfft!
As soon as he said this, the three of them burst into laughter. The middle-aged fat man sneered and said: What a big mouth you have. If you really had such ability, you would not have fallen to this miserable state!
Exactly. This guy must be suffering from delusions!
Young man, listen to my advice. Go back early, work the land honestly, and stop aiming too high with unrealistic dreams!
The middle-aged fat man spoke slowly. He looked at the man gravely and said: I already told you, His Highness the Crown Prince has not returned here for a long time. Even if you kneel until next year, he will not come. By then your knees will be ruined, and your life will be over. What is the point?
A true man stands between heaven and earth. He kneels to heaven, to earth, and to his parents. Do not lose your ambition!
You are not me. How could you understand my great aspirations?
The man gave a faint smile. He was not angry. Instead, he looked down at the three copper coins on the ground. His smile grew wider as he murmured: The hexagram is on top, three yangs bring prosperity. A great auspicious sign!
With that, he looked up at the clouds in the sky. He noticed that above the Qin Prince’s Mansion, purple qi lingered without dispersing, shaped like a roaming dragon. His pupils immediately contracted!
Purple qi approaches the gate, fate like a roaming dragon, soaring straight up ninety thousand li. This is the aura of an imperial minister!
Hearing the man’s words, the three exchanged glances. They all felt this fellow was definitely spouting madness.
This guy’s delusions are quite severe!
Let us go. No need to bother with him. Once His Highness does not show up, he will leave on his own!
The middle-aged fat man shook his head and prepared to leave. Behind him came the man’s voice: His Highness the Crown Prince will soon send someone here. I advise you to return to the mansion quickly and pack your belongings. Otherwise, when the palace people arrive and have to wait too long, you will miss the opportunity.
Great! This guy is starting his crazy talk again!
Ignore him. He must have some problem. If not for His Highness’s rule from long ago to treat common people kindly, I would have driven him away already…
In the end, the three left. They did not see the man behind them shaking his head with a look of pity on his face.
Not long after, a column of soldiers clad in black armour, wearing masks, swords at their waists, and holding fine iron long spears descended from the sky. Leading them were two generals in bronze armour, each wearing a mythical beast mask.
As soon as the two generals landed, they saw the man kneeling outside the Qin Prince’s Mansion gate. Both furrowed their brows slightly.
Who are you? Why are you blocking the way here?!
One of the generals, wearing a chicken-head mask, spoke in a low shout. His voice rolled out like rumbling thunder.
The man stood up from the ground. He turned and gave a slight bow to the two generals, saying calmly: This poor Daoist is Du Fanchen, current Sect Master of the Heavenly Fate Sect. I have come here specifically to seek an audience with His Majesty the Great Qin Emperor!
As soon as these words came out, the pupils of both masked generals contracted. The one with the chicken-head mask sneered coldly: Where did this beggar come from, daring to spout nonsense here!
If you want to see His Majesty, why not go to the palace? What are you doing here?
Men, drive away this swindler! He is an eyesore!
Yes!
Immediately, two black-armoured soldiers stepped out from the ranks and moved toward Du Fanchen.
However, before they could get close, Du Fanchen spoke: Whether this poor Daoist is speaking nonsense or not, the lords know best in their hearts!
The reason this poor Daoist waited here is because the original master of this mansion has already broken free like a trapped dragon ascending to heaven. His status is now priceless!
And the ones this poor Daoist was waiting for are precisely you two lords!
Stand down!
Beside him, the general wearing the dog-head mask raised his hand slightly. The two black-armoured soldiers immediately stopped and retreated back into formation.
How did you know?
This general looked at Du Fanchen with interest.
This poor Daoist has already said, I am the current Sect Master of the Heavenly Fate Sect. Our Heavenly Fate lineage may not excel at cultivation, but when it comes to the affairs of this world, we can still deduce a thread of heavenly secrets!
If you bring this poor Daoist to see the Qin Emperor, it will surely be a great achievement!
Obtain me, and it is like obtaining half of this Divine Domain!
Lose me, and you are destined to miss the chance to stand beside an emperor of a thousand ages!
Du Fanchen stood with his hands behind his back, speaking with an arrogant air. If not for his truly wretched appearance, he might have carried a bit of real presence.
Quite the tone!
Unfortunately, our Majesty dislikes arrogant people the most!
Men, capture this fraud and await judgement!
The dog-head general’s words caused Du Fanchen’s expression to change. He tried to rise and flee, but found he could not move at all. It was as if an invisible giant hand had firmly gripped his body, holding him in place.
Soon, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Fate Sect, full of grand ambitions, was seized by the Great Qin Imperial Guards.
By the new Emperor’s command, all living beings in the Qin Prince’s Mansion are now blessed by imperial grace. From this day forward, the entire Qin Prince’s Mansion shall be relocated to the Great Qin Imperial Palace!
Activate the formation!
With the two generals’ orders, most of the black-armoured soldiers soared into the sky, forming hand seals.
Moments later, the ground shook. A deafening roar filled the air. The entire Qin Prince’s Mansion rose from the earth and ascended into the sky along with the Great Qin Imperial Guards!
When the three who had earlier mocked Du Fanchen returned and saw the empty ground, they were all left dumbfounded…
On this day, four earth-shaking events occurred in the Great Qin Imperial Capital!
First, the Qin Prince’s Mansion vanished without a trace!
Second, Great Qin’s Lord of Chang’an, Di Jiao, rebelled, attempted to assassinate the Qin Emperor, and fled. He is now a traitor to the state!
Third, Great Qin’s Emperor Di Xing succumbed to his wounds and passed away!
Fourth, Crown Prince Di Qin succeeded to the throne of Great Qin in proper order and declared a general amnesty throughout the realm!
