From bone collectors to the supreme ruler of humanity

Chapter 93 Advisor on the Defense of the Capital

Li Zhengxin leaned back in his chair, observing Lin Yan who was lost in thought, and asked, "What are your plans next?"

Lin Yan was slightly taken aback; he hadn't expected the Crown Prince to ask so directly.

After a moment of silence, Lin Yan raised his head to meet Li Zhengxin's gaze and said, "Your subject wishes to return to the Northern Border."

Li Zhengxin tapped his fingers rhythmically on the armrest of the chair, without replying.

"I come from the northern border. I have finished my business in the capital and wish to return. There are still many brothers in Zhenbei City who have risked their lives with me. I wish to go back and lead them to continue training."

Lin Yan paused here, his voice lowering a few decibels, "I know that with my second-grade cultivation, I am unable to do my best for the Crown Prince. This time, I intend to return to Zhenbei Pass to cultivate diligently and improve my cultivation."

Lin Yan did not want to stay in the capital.

The waters in the capital are too deep. The three princes are fighting openly and secretly. The old emperor is seriously ill and doesn't have much time left. As a young general from the northern border, he will be crushed to pieces if the aftermath of the struggle hits him.

Li Zhengxin understood Lin Yan's meaning. He wasn't angry. He curled the corners of his mouth and said to Lin Yan, "You want to go back to the Northern Border. Will Father Emperor agree? You were just awarded a title in the palace yesterday. If you go back now, what will people think? They'll say that the Crown Prince can't keep people, and that Father Emperor made a mistake in his judgment."

Li Zhengxin stood up, walked up to Lin Yan, and looked down at him.

"More importantly, do you think you can escape by returning to the North?"

"Your second brother's men are looking for you, and your third brother's men are also inquiring about you. What do you think they're after? Lin Yan, you're already a pawn in this game; you're there no matter where you go."

Li Zhengxin turned around, walked back behind the desk, took out a document from the drawer, and pushed it in front of Lin Yan.

"Your position as the Capital Defense Advisor is not required to report for duty normally; you are only needed when there is a crisis. Although it is not a particularly important job, having this title will give you a foothold in the capital. As for the soldiers under your command, I will reward them with a sum of money, enough for them to live a good life."

Lin Yan stared at the documents on the table, hesitating to reach for them.

Li Zhengxin pushed the document forward again. "Take it. I know what you're worried about: getting involved, choosing the wrong side one day, and not having enough resources to cause trouble. But have you considered that turning around and leaving now is the biggest risk? Once you leave the capital, your second brother's people will come after you."

Lin Yan remained silent for a long time before finally reaching out to take the document.

"Your Highness, I thank you."

"There's one more thing."

Li Zhengxin sat down again, his tone becoming more casual. "Your little courtyard is too cramped; it can't accommodate you and your sister. I've already arranged a house in the east of the city, a three-courtyard house, which should be enough for you. Your mother and sister will move there today."

Lin Yan's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Your Highness..."

Bang!

Li Zhengxin slammed his hand on the table. The smile on his face was still there, but his eyes had changed.

"Your mother has already been granted the title of Lady An, and it's inappropriate for her to live in such a place. I've assigned several servants to take care of her in the house, and there will be soldiers guarding the gate. The capital has been quite turbulent lately, so safety comes first."

Li Zhengxin deliberately emphasized the words "safety first".

"That sounds nice," Lin Yan thought to himself. "What servants and soldiers? They're just spies and locks to keep an eye on my mother and Xiu'er. The Crown Prince wants to use his family to keep him firmly on the Eastern Palace side."

Lin Yan gritted his teeth and answered slowly and deliberately, "Your Highness has considered everything very well. I am deeply grateful."

"No need for gratitude."

Li Zhengxin waved his hand, his tone becoming more relaxed again, "Go back and pack your things, move in before dark today. In a few days, take the documents to report for duty, and in the next few days, just do what you're supposed to do."

Lin Yan stood up, clasped his hands in a salute, and turned to walk out.

He paused when he reached the door.

"Your Highness, I have another question."

"explain."

"Does Your Highness know where the Taiqing Palace is located?"

"Oh? Taiqing Palace is neither in the northern border nor in the capital. Taiqing Palace is on Qingxuan Mountain on the coast of the East China Sea, a full three thousand miles away from the capital."

"Your Highness, when I was in the Northern Border, Ye Qingxue saved my life by freeing me from my social status. I wish to meet her."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhengxin fell silent.

Taiqing Palace!

Forget about him, even if you asked his father to demand the person, do you think the Taiqing Palace would give them that kind of face?

After thinking it over, the Crown Prince decided not to reveal the matter, as he still needed to save face in front of Lin Yan.

He slowly said, "You don't know this, but behind Taiqing Palace is Taiqing Mountain, one of the seven great immortal sects in the world. With your current cultivation level, you can't even enter the gate of Taiqing Palace, let alone Taiqing Mountain."

Lin Yan was shocked. He said he never expected that the Taiqing Palace had such a powerful background.

Seeing Lin Yan remain silent, Li Zhengxin continued, "First, take care of things in the capital and improve your cultivation. When the time is right, I'll find a way to help you."

Lin Yan raised his head and replied earnestly, "Is Your Highness truly serious?"

A ruler's word is his bond.

After saying this, Li Zhengxin chuckled to himself, "Although I am not a king, I would not lie to you."

Lin Yan nodded, bowed to the Crown Prince, and went out the door.

Steward Feng waited outside, holding a stack of documents, and said with a smile, "General Lin, congratulations on your housewarming. His Highness has been keeping that house in the east of the city for a long time; it's not a place for just anyone to live."

Lin Yan glanced at him but didn't reply.

He took the document and flipped through it. Xiong Kuo, Sun Dayong, Zhang Dabiao, and the twenty-odd veterans who had followed him down from Tieguanya were all on the list. Their monthly salary was almost double what it was when they were in Zhenbeiguan.

Judging from this perspective, the conditions offered by the Crown Prince are indeed quite good.

"Manager Feng, those maids in the manor..."

"They were all handpicked by His Highness; they are quick and efficient, and their mouths are tight-lipped. General Lin, rest assured."

"By the way, Steward Feng, what exactly is this position of Advisor on the Defense of the Capital that His Highness mentioned today?"

Manager Feng smiled and then said, "To put it bluntly, if there's any trouble in the capital, the Ministry of War will inform you. You can intervene if you feel it's your responsibility, and pretend you don't know about things you shouldn't."

"What's the difference between this kind of position and not having one at all?"

"Before, you were a general in the provinces, with no connections in the capital. Now, with this position of advisor, you're a government official in the capital, with the Ministry of War's authority, making things much easier. As for other things..." Steward Feng lowered his voice and said to Lin Yan, "His Highness didn't say, so please don't ask."

Lin Yan returned the document and turned to leave the East Palace.

As Lin Yan reached the door, he looked up at the sky.

The autumn sky is high and the clouds are light. A flock of wild geese is flying south in a V-formation.

Geese can fly away, but people cannot.