Chapter 136: Tang Clan's Paper Flower

Wow, a Grand Prince. Kinda impressive.

That was Qing's assessment.

Truthfully, Jayu hadn't really tried to hide the fact that he came from a well-off family. And Qing hadn't particularly cared either. It was like a silent agreement to feign ignorance about each other. Qing didn't think she'd done anything wrong in that regard.

The unfamiliarity of the 'Grand Prince' system also played a part. For a Korean dropped into a medieval martial arts world, wouldn't hearing 'ruler' just make you think, "Wow, the Emperor!" and that's it?

Talk about some Royal Prefecture being the de facto master of a region, or having command over a province's military, or holding the top spot among the Princes, Generals, and Ministers beneath the Son of Heaven – none of that rings a bell. Because no nation on earth cares about medieval China. Even their descendants, the Chinese themselves, didn't care enough not to burn their own history, so knowing about it would be stranger. Maybe there’s a tiny bit of demand for ancient China, back when Liu Bei and his brothers were running around.

(Even that's only thanks to the medium of comics; otherwise, it would be unheard of.)

So, Qing's reaction was lukewarm.

"Uh, um. Your Highness the Grand Prince? What should I call you?"

"Insolence! How dare you not show proper courtesy!"

Jeez. Why does this one keep screeching?

Qing shot the noisy woman an irritated glance before looking back at Jayu—no, Grand Prince Dexian.

"Address me as Your Highness," he said.

"Ah. Your Highness."

"So, what's this? Why pretend to be dead? Or wait, did the news arrive back when we were eating together?"

"You wench! It is His Highness! You should be straightening your attire and prostrating yourself humbly, yet you dare! Do you think a slight acquaintance with His Highness gives you the right to cling to him now?"

The woman frothed at the mouth again.

But hearing her out, she had a point. Thinking about it, just because a prince got bored, hid his identity, and slummed it for a bit, becoming slightly friendly then didn't mean they'd stay friends forever. It was like… maybe an heir to a conglomerate who came down to experience an entry-level production job for a change of pace? How ridiculous and pathetic would those bizarre blue-collar cultures like 'auto-hunt gaming means self-imposed breaks' and 'potluck dinners' seem to them?

Realizing this soured Qing's mood.

Did he think that suddenly revealing, "Ta-da, I'm a Grand Prince!" would make her gasp, "Wow, amazing!" and burst into applause? Did she look like some kind of sycophant, eager to scramble for whatever crumbs might fall from someone whose only assets were money and power?

Any decent person, upon their identity being revealed, would try to properly define the relationship, saying something like, "Circumstances led to this, but thank you for everything," or "I'd still like to remain friends."

Besides, His Highness hadn't made any move to stop the woman. That's how it usually is with high-ranking people – they let others say the unpleasant things they don't want to say themselves.

Qing immediately straightened her previously defiant posture. As if she were two different people, she instantly adopted a demure and modest demeanor.

"This humble girl lacked awareness and committed a discourtesy towards Your Highness. It was done in ignorance, so would you grant me your generous forgiveness?"

"I was traveling incognito, so it is only natural you did not know. Do not concern yourself; there is no need to worry about it."

"Yes. Thank you for everything until now, Your Highness."

"Ah. Hmm. Hmm."

Grand Prince Dexian looked towards the woman, flustered. The woman looked equally taken aback. Saying "thank you for everything" usually signaled the end of a relationship.

"Ahem. Spear Woman."

Spear Woman felt a sense of dismay. She was the one who had insisted on vetting Qing. Just because Elder Gyeon was nearing his end, any girl who even got close to His Highness caused a huge fuss, with people making noise about serving the 'young master'. But that wasn't the unanimous opinion among the Royal Prefecture's servants. Spear Woman had heard Qing was just a flirtatious girl trying to latch onto a powerful man's son. She suspected Qing would try to act overly familiar once His Highness revealed his identity, aiming for the position of consort.

Well, that was the purpose of the vetting.

Meanwhile, Qing was in shock.

Wait, how can a person's name be Spear Woman? [^(Qing finds "Spear Woman" (Changyeoin) absurd/offensive partly because "chang" (spear) sounds like the Korean word for prostitute.)]

Especially for a woman!

No way, right? It must be a title or something?

But still, how can someone's title be Spear Woman?

And a woman at that!

Just then, the unfortunate woman with the pitiful name or title, Spear Woman, spoke to her, her tone significantly softened and tinged with embarrassment.

"Ah, kheum. Um. Miss Ximen, was it? How can you sever human connection so coldly?"

"Isn't clinging stubbornly to a connection that isn't meant to be just seen as pitiful begging? In that case, I'd rather just have one bragging right left – that I was once called 'friend' by His Highness back in the day."

"No, that is. It doesn't necessarily have to be 'back in the day'."

"Forget it. If he has something to say, tell him to say it himself. Setting up a spokesperson just to embarrass someone. Does he think just because I grew up poor, I'll go crazy and jump at any high-and-mighty person?"

Hearing this, the Tang Clan members who were listening turned pale. While Qing’s rough analogy of a conglomerate heir fit the Grand Prince to some extent, no analogy is perfect. This was blasphemy beyond belief; the Grand Prince they thought was a lifeline might turn out to be a fuse leading to an explosion.

"I... I apologize. That was not my intention. I did not hide it deliberately, so please, do not be so angry."

The Tang Clan members, who had been watching nervously, ended up sucking in another breath. He's actually apologizing so readily!

"If it wasn't deliberate, why did you remain silent until things reached this point? If Your Highness had just said 'I am alive' from the start, wouldn't all this chaos have been avoided?"

"Well, I too heard the news that I had perished, did I not? The double who took my place collapsed while I was away. I needed time to investigate as well..."

Qing narrowed her eyes.

Jayu broke into a cold sweat, then suddenly thought.

Wait, why am I acting like the guilty party here?

"Ahem, I am a Grand Prince."

"Yes, Your Highness Grand Prince. And this here is the Tang Clan's underground, which just got bombarded. It looked pretty devastated up there."

Ahem. The Tang Clan Lord coughed uncomfortably and muttered, "It wasn't that devastated..."

"...Do not view me as too cold-hearted," Jayu shrank back again.

Watching this, the Tang Clan members thought. He's completely caught. Totally wrapped around her finger. She's just leading him around.

Feeling their gazes, Jayu looked embarrassed.

"Um. Right. We should probably move somewhere else."

The Emperor detests the martial arts world.

This hatred, passed down since the Celestial Martial Emperor, has already surpassed common sense, to the point where the imperial throne was passed down to the child who hated the martial arts world the most.

No matter how strong martial artists are, unless they are giants reaching the heavens like the Celestial Martial Emperor, they cannot survive against hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers. The military doesn't neglect martial training either. A master's internal energy is not limitless. Once their true qi is depleted, they are merely sturdy, skilled individuals. Overwhelming them with sheer numbers might cause great losses, but it's not impossible to crush them.

However, such heavy losses could potentially lead to a change in the Imperial Dynasty after dealing with the martial arts world, so they couldn't recklessly attack.

Thus, while cautiously looking for one target to eliminate, it seemed they decided it best to remove the most dangerous one.

That was the Sichuan Tang Clan. Because they possessed biochemical weapons capable of creating an overwhelmingly disadvantageous exchange ratio between one martial artist and enemy soldiers.

"I wondered why my elder brother sent me to Sichuan. Is this place not also a capital established by a king?"

The wise assume the worst. The Dexian Royal Prefecture was established about ten years ago. Assuming the plan to handle the Tang Clan after an assassination was conceived back then, revealing himself would inevitably put him in danger.

"I thought I conducted myself well enough not to fall out of favor, but I suppose he intended to eliminate me after all."

So, he acted like a non-existent person. The image of a good prince praised by the people was, in reality, an illusion. To avoid drawing attention, he didn't accumulate personal wealth; instead, he bought grain and distributed it to the poor. By placing people loyal to him in key government positions instead of the Emperor's officials, he stirred up a commotion by driving out corrupt officials. It wasn't governance through virtuous non-interference, but simply keeping a low profile out of fear of the Emperor.

"Well, then. Can't be helped if it was for survival. But why are you here now?"

"This could be an opportunity to secure the Tang Clan's cooperation and seize control of Sichuan entirely. If Sichuan's government and martial arts world join forces, His Majesty would surely have no answer. However."

"However?"

The Grand Prince straightened his posture. Despite having learned no martial arts, a natural dignity emanated from him. Qing was struck anew by the thought that not just anyone could be royalty.

"Is there truly a reason for the martial arts world to exist? His Majesty, as the Son of Heaven, receives the mandate of heaven and rules the land with legitimate authority. The stern laws governing this vast land originate from him, yet do not these sword-wielding groups dare to arbitrarily claim ownership of the land and exploit the common people?"

Grand Prince Dexian siding with the Sichuan Tang Clan was not a matter to be taken lightly. The Emperor had already sent the Imperial Censor and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to eradicate the Tang Clan. For the Grand Prince to oppose this was tantamount to raising a banner of rebellion against him. After that, it would truly become treason.

Of course, the Emperor had indeed tried to kill the Grand Prince. But wasn't the Emperor someone who held the authority to command death upon his subjects?

Therefore, the reason Grand Prince Dexian was asking was not mere curiosity to hear her opinion. It was because he had struggled alone with this question and couldn't reach a conclusion. About whether the martial arts world was necessary for the world, whether it was acceptable to share the authority of governance with them.

It was the final question before making an irreversible decision – whether the Grand Prince of Sichuan should help a mere martial arts sect and raise his sword against the Imperial Court.

And so, Qing answered.

"Why are you asking me?"

Jayu frowned deeply.

"Hmm. Did it not feel like I was asking something tremendously important? You—no. You, my friend, also helped the Tang Clan, fulfilling your duty as a member of the martial arts world, did you not? Therefore, I am asking you, a martial artist friend, not one of my subjects."

"Member of the martial arts world? What nonsense. I just helped them because the Tang Clan people seemed like good people. They offered free medical treatment and had a good reputation, didn't they?"

"Offered? Wasn't it merely work done to advance their own medical arts? Just because the outcome of pursuing their own interests turned out well, does that make it a good deed?"

Qing let out a scoffing laugh and said,

"As long as the result is good, that's what matters. If other people benefit, isn't that a good thing? The way I see it, the Tang Clan, acting as free healers, are far more beneficial to the world than the notoriously infamous Emperor."