Chapter 316: Chapter 220: Cyan Shadow Joins the 4 Great Maids of the Eastern Palace Mansion, the Empress Personally Leads a Campaign

The Eastern Palace Mansion.

The mansion featured intricately carved roofs and ornate railings, with imposing stone lions guarding the entrance.

A sedan chair slowly entered the main gate. A woman with a disguised, ordinary face lifted the beaded curtain, peeked her head out, and gave the walls and furnishings of the Eastern Palace Mansion a cursory glance.

She thought to herself.

’This is much larger than Prince Jin’s Mansion was.’

"So? I trust the Eastern Palace Mansion hasn’t disappointed you, Lord Ying?"

Luo Ying glanced at Yang Erlang, who had spoken from her side.

She didn’t give him a pleasant look, but for the sake of the Eastern Palace’s dignity, she simply said coolly,

"It’s adequate."

The moment she stepped through the gates of the Eastern Palace, Luo Ying reflected that she never would have imagined ending up under the Crown Prince’s banner.

’Strictly speaking, this isn’t submission.’

’This is a cooperation with the Eastern Palace.’

’It’s to unify the Endless Pavilion in the Imperial Capital, take the leader’s seat, and get revenge on my sister from the Golden Crow Country!’

’No one can stand in my way.’

She had never been one to rely on others, unless she had absolutely no other choice.

This was one of those times.

Luo Ying knew full well.

The Eastern Palace wanted to use her to eliminate the hidden threat of Great Yan’s Infinite Faction, allowing the Crown Prince’s party to gain more influence.

’But wasn’t she using the Eastern Palace in return?’

’Since the Eastern Palace can help me eliminate the White Lotus Ancient Sect, the other factions will naturally fall into place.’

’After I’m done using the Eastern Palace, I must be on my guard. I can’t let them get any leverage on me.’

But before that, she needed to meet this Crown Prince of Great Yan.

Luo Ying considered herself a patient person, but she was still somewhat curious about this Crown Prince of Great Yan.

’Among all the Princes, aside from the Ninth Prince, none were easy to deal with. How did the Sixth Prince, Lu Mingyuan, manage to seize the position of Crown Prince from all of them?’

’That alone meant he couldn’t be underestimated.’

She had heard many stories about this new Crown Prince.

As soon as he left the palace, he made a proclamation for the nation, drawing immense Dragon Fortune to himself. His aura as Crown Prince was astonishing. If there had been any doubts before, this aura proved that Lu Mingyuan was the Celestial Dao’s acknowledged Crown Prince of Great Yan.

After taking his position, he wasn’t meek or submissive. Instead, he displayed astonishing skill and a fearsome temper.

On his very first day at Court, he disbanded the Cabinet and dismissed a large number of officials.

It sent shockwaves through the government and sparked widespread discussion among the populace.

Luo Ying felt this new Crown Prince was rather like Emperor Yong’an in his youth.

He had laid low in the Cold Palace for a long time, only to emerge as the final winner. One could never afford to underestimate such a person.

As she walked along the cobblestone path in the Eastern Palace, the soldiers stationed there all watched her with a formal salute.

Su Youhuai had been waiting for a long time in front of the inner hall’s courtyard.

"I am Su Youhuai, the Chief Steward of the Eastern Palace."

He smiled at Luo Ying, who had just arrived, and gestured with his hand.

"You must be the Miss Luo Ying whom the Crown Prince mentioned. Please, come in. Tributor Yang’s task is complete; he has other matters to attend to. I will guide you the rest of the way."

"Lord Ying, we’ll meet again."

Yang Erlang nodded to Luo Ying, then vanished from their sight.

Luo Ying’s gaze was cold as she watched Yang Erlang’s retreating back.

Su Youhuai, holding his feather fan, noticed this and chuckled. "Miss Luo Ying, you seem to hold quite a grudge against Tributor Yang?"

Luo Ying said flatly, "He was once my Great Protector, yet now he has pledged himself to the Eastern Palace. If you were in my place, wouldn’t you be angry?" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Su Youhuai replied meaningfully, "The Crown Prince is a man of exceptional virtue and wisdom. It’s no surprise that in just a few short days, many factions and Tributors have come to pledge their allegiance, drawn by His Highness’s great reputation."

"Lord Chief Steward, for a dignified Tenth Realm Great Sage to be managing internal affairs in the Eastern Palace Mansion... it’s truly a waste of your talents."

Luo Ying said, quite surprised, as she glanced at Su Youhuai’s Realm.

She decided to probe for more information about the Eastern Palace’s true strength.

Su Youhuai knew what to say and what not to say. He smiled faintly. "Since you, Miss, have managed to reach the Eleventh Realm and previously served in Prince Jin’s Mansion, you surely understand the principle that ’a wise bird chooses the right tree to nest in’."

"Though the Crown Prince has only just left the palace, he has already shown an extraordinary presence. He will certainly not disappoint you."

As Su Youhuai led Luo Ying through a series of arched corridors and past a picturesque scene of small bridges over flowing water,

they came across a monk sitting cross-legged on a granite slab atop a rockery in a side courtyard.

The monk’s exposed right arm was corded with muscle, and his vitality radiated like the blazing sun. He wore a red kasaya, his hands pressed together, and a large string of Buddha Beads hung around his neck.

"Allow me to introduce you. This is another Tributor of the Eastern Palace Mansion, known as Fa Hai. He too has recently pledged allegiance to the Crown Prince."

Luo Ying’s eyes widened in astonishment when she saw the tall monk.

"Master Fahai? What is he doing here?"

She remembered that Master Fahai’s name had once been famous throughout the Endless Pavilion. His physical strength was terrifying, and his myriad Golden Light Spells were his trademark.

’Even he abandoned Prince Jin’s Mansion to join the Eastern Palace?’

Seeing a Tributor she once knew now in the Eastern Palace Mansion...

...gave Luo Ying a strange feeling.

’As if joining the Eastern Palace was actually a very wise decision.’

To receive the protection of the Court was something countless Wild Cultivators dreamed of.

However, the Court’s requirements for accepting Cultivators were high; ordinary people didn’t have the qualifications.

’It seems Yang Jian’s decision to join the Eastern Palace might not have been a coincidence after all.’

This reminded her of a rumor that had circulated in Prince Jin’s Mansion.

Even three months after Prince Jin’s death, the cause was still a mystery.

No one knew how Prince Jin had died.

Such an important figure had simply vanished without a trace in the Wilderness Cave Heaven.

The Taoist Sect’s Qi Cultivators had paid a great price to perform the Soul Summoning Technique, but they couldn’t even find his Three Souls and Six Spirits.