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Li Jian Cheng paid his respects to the statues and offered incense money. He had hoped to meet the Abbot, but that was not meant to be. It was to be expected, as Suwei, Yang Su, and others had to pay their respects as disciples; it was normal for someone of his junior status to be overlooked.
He followed a Disciple to a quiet courtyard where the Bashu Diviner, Wang Fuxian, resided. Inside, he could faintly hear voices in conversation. Li Jian Cheng stopped the Disciple who was about to announce him.
Although his family was a patron of Wang Fuxian, people like fortune tellers valued respect and honor above all else. They would not bow down for money.
After waiting for a while, someone emerged from within, accompanied by a plump child dressed like a wealthy merchant's offspring. They did not recognize Li Jian Cheng and assumed he was another seeker of divination.
Once they left, the Disciple went in to announce him. Soon after, Wang Fuxian came out to greet him with polite gestures before leading him inside to take a seat. The room was filled with fragrant incense, and the blue smoke danced gracefully in the air.
"Thank you for your patience, Lord."
"I have only just arrived myself; you are too kind, sir."
Wang Fuxian was dressed like a scholar, with graying hair and a clean face that exuded an air of dignity. One could not help but feel compelled to trust him; without such qualities, it would be difficult for anyone to establish themselves in the capital.
"What have you decided, sir?"
Li Jian Cheng had met with Wang Fuxian several times before and had hinted at matters he needed him to handle. However, he had yet to receive a definitive answer. If today did not yield results, he would have no choice but to seek someone else and arrange for Wang Fuxian's removal.
Killing a well-respected fortune teller in the Capital City was no small matter; it might even require Prince Jin's involvement—a situation he wished to avoid.
Yet troubles must be dealt with. Li Jian Cheng's demeanor shifted from his usual warm politeness to an intense gaze fixed on Wang Fuxian's eyes, conveying an unmistakable pressure.
Wealth can be relinquished, but life is hard to forsake.
Wang Fuxian sighed inwardly but solemnly replied, "I will follow your wishes entirely, Lord. I only hope you do not forget your promises."
Li Jian Cheng stood and clasped his hands together. "When the time is right, I will arrange for you to enjoy life in Jiangdu."
The two began speaking softly together. After half an hour, Li Jian Cheng took his leave. Wang Fuxian accompanied him to the front of the temple before stopping and watching as Li Jian Cheng mounted his horse and rode away.
He truly wished to escape at that moment; however, glancing at several burly men nearby who were openly watching him made him lower his head and return inside the temple.
A week later, for reasons unknown, the entire court suddenly began to jointly petition against the Crown Prince, accusing him of various faults. Some of these were trivial matters that the Crown Prince had already corrected, yet the accusations continued to be exaggerated and relentless.
In particular, officials from the Crown Prince's Residence spoke out about many of the Crown Prince's private misdeeds. It was a time of great turmoil, with rumors spreading both inside and outside the palace regarding his faults.
Although the Duke of Qi, Gao Shan, repeatedly vouched for the Crown Prince's character, and many of his students wrote letters in support of him, the Emperor seemed intent on allowing this situation to unfold. The Crown Prince was forced to admit his mistakes publicly.
Even Gao Shan found himself implicated; many accused him of protecting the Crown Prince simply because his daughter was a Consort in the Eastern Palace and his son was set to marry the Crown Prince's daughter.
Despite such slanderous remarks, the Empress and Emperor, who usually defended Gao Shan, remained silent. This led to Gao Shan being humiliated by lower-ranking officials in court.
With criticism came praise for the other princes; officials took turns lauding them, implying that aside from the Crown Prince, the other princes were all worthy of inheriting the throne.
The Crown Prince attempted to fight back but was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—unable to change the situation.
Now it seemed they could only rely on Gao Shan's assertion of hierarchy to maintain some semblance of order.
Gao Shan was doing everything he could, but the Crown Prince became increasingly self-destructive. Li Jian Cheng sometimes guarded the Eastern Palace and witnessed the Crown Prince indulging in wine and song, often shouting in drunken rage or praying fervently when sober.
One day, an official from the Crown Prince's entourage brought Wang Fuxian to meet His Highness. After a brief inspection, they were allowed inside.
Wang Fuxian nervously stepped into the Eastern Palace but instinctively maintained a calm demeanor until he saw someone approach him disheveled and barefoot.
Seeing such a person calmed his heart; someone like that would be stripped of everything if encountered outside the palace.
Before Wang Fuxian could bow, Yang Yong rushed forward and grabbed his sleeve, pleading, "Master, please help me! If you can rid me of this misfortune, I will reward you with a fortune."
Wang Fuxian gently pushed his hand away and said, "Please stand still; I need to observe your fate."
Yang Yong steadied himself as Wang Fuxian circled around him a few times. He then looked up at the heavens while calculating with his fingers. After being led around the Eastern Palace once more, he finally spoke: "A white rainbow spans the gate of the Eastern Palace; Venus is rising with the moon. This is an omen of your downfall as Crown Prince."
This was mere common knowledge that anyone could learn by asking around. However, for Yang Yong, who felt like a drowning man, divine fate was his last lifeline.
He hurriedly begged Wang Fuxian for a solution and made numerous promises. He even declared that if fortune turned in his favor, he would bestow upon him a title as Duke and grant him a position as National Master.
Wang Fuxian was truly hungry, but he knew that a prince like this would never have the chance to fulfill his promises.
He came up with a rather peculiar idea: to take advantage of the situation and deceive fate. If the prince were to be deposed, he would become a commoner. Therefore, why not move out of the palace and build a thatched hut in the courtyard of the Eastern Palace?
On ordinary days, he could wear commoner's clothes and eat coarse food in the shabby hut, thus aligning himself with the heavens and warding off misfortune.
At this moment, Yang Yong was quite proactive. He immediately ordered the guards of the Eastern Palace to construct a village for commoners beside the palace, erecting several low and dilapidated thatched houses. Inside, they laid down straw mats, and every day he began dressing in rags to go there to eat and sleep.
Not only did he do this himself, but he also brought his wives and children along. A large crowd squeezed inside, crying and making noise, creating quite a commotion that attracted attention outside the palace.
When the emperor learned of this, he became furious and began to weaken the prince's guard at the Eastern Palace, transferring the Brave Warriors to the military camp outside the city. Although Crown Prince's Official opposed this by saying, "If we take away all the strong ones, how can the Eastern Palace's guards be effective?"
But the emperor replied firmly, "I sometimes come and go; my guards must be brave. The Eastern Palace does not need strong warriors if they are of my choosing. On days of rotation, they will be assigned to the Eastern Palace. Wouldn't it be a good thing if there were no distinction between upper and lower ranks?"
As a result, the prince lost his direct guard, and those close to the emperor, such as Yang Jishan, Dugu Kaiyuan, and Li Jian Cheng, would now also have to take on the responsibility of guarding the Eastern Palace.
Dugu Kaiyuan and Dou Dan felt some pity for the prince's current situation, while Li Jian Cheng and Yang Jishan gathered together to discuss future matters.
After their shift ended that day, they made several rounds until they reached Jin Wangfu. Inside were many people standing or sitting; Yang Guang occupied the main seat with Duke of Yue, Yang Su sitting at his left side and Duke of Bao, Yuwen Shu on his right.
With respect on one side and humility on the other, it was evident that Yang Su had become the top figure under Prince Jin's command.
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