43: Chapter 43 Fourth Life, All-in Failure? Watch Me Turn the Tide (Part 20)

Subsequently, the Grand Supreme King in White continued:

"This time, in escorting Lin Lantian, I had originally planned to take a group of newly trained clan descendants and family soldiers to the Great Wall to rotate garrison duties and replenish our forces.

Since you have this ambition, you shall accompany me!" The Grand Supreme King in White looked at First Prince Xiao Jing, his eyes filled with approval.

"The Great Wall is indeed extremely dangerous, but it is also the best place to temper the strong and achieve great deeds.

As long as you are bold enough and willing to fight, there will be a place for you there even at the peak of the Iron Skin realm, and you will be able to carve out a future!"

First Prince Xiao Jing trembled with excitement and kowtowed heavily once more: "First Prince Xiao Jing thanks the Ancestor for fulfilling my wish! I will not fail the Ancestor's expectations, nor will I fail the name of the Xiao Family!"

Heir Xiao Heng stepped forward and helped First Prince Xiao Jing up.

The two brothers locked eyes; in this moment, the estrangement and competition of the past completely melted away.

Replacing them was a profound understanding and mutual support, as both were descendants of the Xiao Family, sharing the same family mission.

"Big Brother." Heir Xiao Heng called out with unprecedented sincerity.

"The Great Wall is treacherous; you must take care. Do not worry about the Prince's Estate.

As for your subordinates, as long as they serve with sincerity, I will treat them equally and employ them according to their talents. I will also ensure that Mother and Big Brother's family are well cared for."

First Prince Xiao Jing patted Heir Xiao Heng's shoulder firmly, everything understood without words: "Good! Third Brother, the Prince's Estate, and Father, I leave them to you. I am going to the Great Wall to slay a few more monsters for our Xiao Family!"

Time flew by, and a few days passed in a flash.

Heir Xiao Heng acted with swift and decisive action, raising the curtain on the purge in Tianhuang City.

Officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Clan Court, holding the pre-prepared lists, knocked on one vermilion door after another, supported by the Prince's Estate guards and soldiers who had newly defected.

Sounds of wailing, pleading, and the clashing of armor became the persistent, inescapable sounds of Tianhuang City for the next several days.

Those forces that had participated in the Second Prince and Lin Lantian's plan for a military coup, regardless of size, were all uprooted. Forces that were closely associated with them were also gradually marginalized.

The air at the vegetable market execution grounds remained thick with the scent of blood for days, and a continuous stream of exiled parties left the city, heading toward the frontier.

While carrying out the purge, Heir Xiao Heng did not forget the request of his older brother, First Prince Xiao Jing. He personally summoned the core civil officials of the First Prince's faction, led by Estate Chancellor Zhou Wenyuan, and stated his position clearly: "In the past, we each served our own masters; there is no need to dwell on that. Now, as I am in need of capable people, as long as you are loyal to the Prince's Estate and serve with sincerity, I will employ you according to your talents and treat you all equally."

These words, coupled with the miserable state of the Second Prince's faction, carried extra weight. Estate Chancellor Zhou Wenyuan and the others were moved to tears and quickly integrated into the new power structure, working diligently to prove their worth. These men were truly the pillars of the First Prince, and they handled many affairs in an orderly manner.

However, the purge was not all smooth sailing; after all, even the best plans require people on the ground to execute them properly. Heir Xiao Heng soon felt many constraints. His truly capable and absolutely loyal confidants were too few, and even Wang Shi was stretched thin. Many specific matters still had to rely on the existing bureaucratic system of the Prince's Estate. And this system, deeply entrenched, had long been thoroughly infiltrated by various forces.

Consequently, all sorts of bizarre situations began to emerge. Certain important culprits could always get wind of things in advance and vanish without a trace before they could be arrested. Some verdicts with concrete evidence would always encounter various 'procedural issues' or 'interventions for the sake of human connections' before execution.

There were even a few high-ranking officials who were on the kill list, yet managed to save their lives by relying on pleas from 'old subordinates of the Old Prince' or 'relatives of some Dowager Concubine' who appeared out of nowhere, ending up only being demoted.

Inside the study of the Heirs Courtyard, Heir Xiao Heng irritably slammed another verdict document that had been 'reduced at discretion' onto the desk.

"This is outrageous! Why is it so difficult to uphold the law! Do these people have any regard for the law, or for me, the Heir?"

Wang Shi silently picked up the document, placed it back on the desk, and poured him a cup of refreshing tea.

"Your Highness, please calm your anger. The ice is thick because of three feet of freezing, not a single day's cold. The Prince's Estate's bureaucratic system has been passed down for generations, and the network of relationships is deeply rooted. Although Your Highness now holds authority, they collude and protect one another. Using 'precedent' and 'human connections' as shields, it is indeed difficult to eradicate in a single day. Although the Second Prince's faction is no longer a concern, this invisible web still firmly covers Tianhuang City."

Heir Xiao Heng sat down heavily, rubbing his temples: "Big Brother's people are usable and quite diligent, but there is ultimately a layer of separation. I cannot handle everything personally, nor can I replace all the officials. If this continues, my orders will not leave the Prince's Estate, and how would I be any different from a puppet? How could I face Father after he comes out of seclusion to take over the throne and succeed to the great lineage!"

He looked at Wang Shi, his eyes filled with deep exhaustion and unwillingness.

"Grand Attendant Wang, is there really no way to solve this once and for all, or a method that would allow me to truly command things as easily as moving my own arm?"

This was the moment Wang Shi had been waiting for. He stepped forward, his voice low and clear: "Your Highness's concerns are things I have also pondered for a long time. Purging only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. To treat the root, you need a 'sharp blade' that obeys only Your Highness and is unaffected by any other forces, and you also need 'eyes and ears' that can perceive every movement in the entire province."

"Oh?" Heir Xiao Heng's gaze sharpened. "I wonder if you have a good strategy, my loyal subject?"

"I believe we should emulate ancient systems and establish a new government office independent of the Prince's Estate's existing civil and military systems." Wang Shi's eyes shone with the light of long-term planning as he spoke, word by word:

"The core personnel of this office should be eunuchs. A eunuch's life and livelihood are tied entirely to their master; they have no family burdens, no entanglements with the outer court, and their loyalty is beyond doubt. Supplemented by carefully selected, loyal guards from the Prince's Estate as the backbone, and by recruiting those who have performed well and have clean backgrounds during this time. Combined with the intelligence network we have built, we shall define its authority: to monitor all civil and military officials in the province, powerful clans, and even sects of the martial arts world. They may report based on rumors, and hold the power of arrest and interrogation, but the final judgment of life and death shall remain solely with Your Highness."

He paused, emphasizing his tone: "This office will report only to Your Highness, and all its authority will stem from Your Highness. It will be your clairvoyant eyes and far-reaching ears, as well as the blade in your palm and the sword at your feet.

It can perceive movements in all directions, collect cultivation resources, and also monitor illegal activities, cleanse the administration, and consolidate royal power. Most importantly, it is completely independent of the old system, and there is no risk of it becoming too big to manage or being infiltrated and coerced by other forces. The name could be called the Yanling Guard."

"Yanling Guard..." Heir Xiao Heng repeated it softly, the exhaustion in his eyes vanishing, replaced by a sudden, astonishing brilliance. He stood up abruptly and paced back and forth in the study, the more he thought about it, the more he felt this strategy was absolutely brilliant. This would not only solve the immediate constraints but also lay the most solid foundation for him to wield supreme power in the future.

"Good! A wonderful Yanling Guard! Grand Attendant Wang, this strategy is exactly to my liking!" He stopped walking and looked at Wang Shi with burning eyes: "I entrust this matter entirely to you. I shall issue the order immediately to establish the Yanling Guard, and you shall be the first Commander of the Yanling Guard. All personnel, regulations, and structure shall be drafted by you and submitted to me. All necessary resources shall be provided in full by the Prince's Estate."

Wang Shi's heart surged with emotion; the stage he had waited for so long had finally arrived. It was worth his decade-plus of planning, even the tearful slaying of his own peerless younger brother.

[Fang Xiaoru, you dog, your days are numbered! I will ensure that not even a chicken or dog of your Fang Family remains, and that all nine generations are wiped out! As for the others who might have escaped Big Brother's purge, not a single one shall get away!]

He lifted his robes and knelt, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Subject Wang Shi accepts the command! I will surely forge the sharpest blade and weave the tightest net for Your Highness. My life and body are committed to Your Highness, and I will not shrink from death!"