Chapter 396 - 374: Who Under Heaven Doesn’t Know You?

Song Ciwan and Yin Xunyi traveled together on the bamboo raft for half a day.

During that time, Yin Xunyi spoke of matters concerning the Great Zhou Imperial Family, described the current state of the Dynasty, and briefly touched upon the major Sects and the Four Great Border Passes.

He spoke casually, as if saying whatever came to mind. After mentioning that the current Emperor showed signs of breaking through to the True Immortal realm, he added, "The Ninth Prince, Prince Yu, is the youngest of the Emperor’s sons. He’s already at the Innate Third Transformation and is ranked sixth on the Ten Thousand Spirits Celestial Pride List."

’Sixth on the Ten Thousand Spirits Celestial Pride List!’

Song Ciwan immediately searched her memory. That was right—the sixth-ranked was Bu Tianzhi. The Celestial Pride List only stated that Bu Tianzhi was from the Great Zhou Royal Family. So, this royal wasn’t just from an ordinary branch of the clan, but a direct son of the current Emperor.

He had even been granted the title of Prince!

Recalling the Celestial Pride List, besides Bu Tianzhi, there were three others with the surname "Bu."

They were ranked twenty-ninth, forty-eighth, and ninety-second on the Celestial Pride List, respectively.

The list’s description for each of them included a suffix: Great Zhou Royal Family!

The list drew from the Ten Thousand Races and all living spirits, yet only included one hundred names. Of those, a total of fifty-seven were from the Human Race. And on such a list, the Great Zhou Royal Family alone took a full four spots.

To call the Great Zhou Royal Family the number one clan in the Nine Provinces was no exaggeration at all.

After mentioning Bu Tianzhi, Yin Xunyi suddenly added, "The Ninth Prince is young. Although he’s been named a Prince, he still resides in the capital and has not left to govern his fiefdom. Besides him, the only other princes still in the capital are the Second Prince, Prince Hui, who is the Emperor’s current favorite, and the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace."

Prince Hui. Song Ciwan had never heard of him before. Of course, that wasn’t surprising. She had only just learned from Yin Xunyi that the current Emperor even had nine sons.

’A rogue cultivator with gaps in her knowledge. This is all very normal.’

However, Song Ciwan had heard some rumors about the Crown Prince.

No matter how little news of the Royal Family circulated among the common people, some information about the Crown Prince was bound to get out.

He was the Crown Prince, after all. What kind of Crown Prince would he be with no reputation among the populace?

It was said the Crown Prince was His Majesty’s eldest son. After ascending the throne, the current Emperor remained childless for many years until the 23rd Year of Yuanxi, when the first prince was finally born.

For over a decade after that, until the 36th Year of Yuanxi, His Majesty had no other children for a very long time.

By the time the eldest prince turned sixteen, he had grown into a graceful and remarkably heroic young man, already possessing the bearing of a sovereign.

And so, amid calls from all circles, the current Emperor directly named his eldest son the Crown Prince!

Interestingly enough, not long after the Crown Prince was formally invested, joyous news came from the imperial harem. After years of silence, a concubine was finally with child.

Half a year or so later, the Second Prince was born!

From then on, it was as if His Majesty the Emperor’s harem had caught a favorable wind and burst into bloom; joyous announcements came one after another.

His Majesty the Emperor, who had been childless for so many years, now not only had a first and second prince, but also an Eldest Princess, a second princess...

...and even a Third Princess, a fourth princess...

As for how many princesses His Majesty the Emperor actually had, the common people didn’t know. They only knew there were more princesses and more princes. In short, the family line suddenly branched out and flourished.

A rumor inevitably began to circulate among the people that the Crown Prince was a lucky star.

And this Crown Prince had never disappointed. It was said he was deeply concerned with the people’s livelihood, had a passion for agriculture, and often went among the common folk to solve their various hardships, possessing the demeanor of the Great Scholar Emperor Chengzu.

The Crown Prince honored the worthy and stooped to the lowly; the Crown Prince was brilliant and martial; the Crown Prince was benevolent and loved his people...

All sorts of praises, every one of them positive.

Among the common people, the Crown Prince’s reputation was nearly flawless.

At this moment, however, Song Ciwan pinched her fingers together in a quick calculation and suddenly said, "Brother Yin, has the Crown Prince been the Crown Prince for ninety-seven years now?"

Yin Xunyi had been sitting cross-legged on the raft, holding a wine cup in one hand and propping himself up on an elbow in a half-reclining posture.

Later, as they talked, he somehow went from propping himself up to lying askew on the raft.

He seemed genuinely drunk. His slightly weathered cheeks were flushed with a drunken blush, and his eyes were hazy, as if he could barely keep them open.

But the logic in his speech was perfectly clear. He chuckled. "Yes, that’s right. The Crown Prince has been the Crown Prince for ninety-seven years!"

After a pause, he continued, "Although the Crown Prince has held his title for ninety-seven years, in all that time, he has never left the Central State. Not only has he never left the Central State, he rarely even leaves the capital.

In recent years, the Crown Prince has remained in the capital. Emulating Emperor Chengzu, he has been compiling books on agriculture and has produced several works of his own."

Song Ciwan asked, "Daoist Yin, is the Crown Prince also a Scholar? Does he also walk the Confucian Dao?"

Yin Xunyi replied, "Yes, the Crown Prince is a Scholar. He follows both the Confucian Dao and the way of the Agronomist. Ministers at court often comment that the Crown Prince greatly resembles Emperor Chengzu, hehe..."

He laughed while taking another drink.

Whenever his small wine cup emptied, the Wine God Gourd hanging in mid-air would automatically refill it for him.

Song Ciwan drank less than he did. By the end, Yin Xunyi was downing a cup in a single gulp, while Song Ciwan was only taking slow, small sips.

But a hint of intoxication also showed on Song Ciwan’s face. She drank slowly and asked another question, "His Majesty favors the Second Prince the most?"

Yin Xunyi said, "Yes, His Majesty dotes on the Second Prince, giving him the most prosperous fiefdom and keeping him by his side, personally teaching him how to cultivate Immortality and practice the Dao. His Majesty has even declared publicly on multiple occasions that he loves his second son the most!

Hah. If His Majesty hadn’t said it himself, who would dare to make such a claim? Who would dare to gossip about the Emperor’s family?"

At this point, Yin Xunyi suddenly changed the subject, turning to Song Ciwan. "Daoist Song, everyone on the Celestial Pride List is a Celestial Pride of their generation, a hero of the current age. You’ve debuted on the list at tenth place. Overnight, your name will spread throughout the Great Zhou.

And not just the Great Zhou—your name will surely echo through the Nine Celestial Demon Countries, the Sea Abyss, and the World Beyond the World. The world is vast, Daoist Song. No matter where you go, as long as you are willing, you can become an honored guest of any power!

Daoist Song, is there anywhere you wish to go now?"

The question was so direct that Song Ciwan was taken aback for a moment.

Then, she laughed and said, "Daoist Yin, you’ve spoken so freely with me today. On the surface, it’s to make a friend, but in reality, could it be that you’re here to lobby for some power?"

At this counter-question, Yin Xunyi burst out laughing. "Daoist Song, you think too highly of me. I don’t belong to any power myself! How could I lobby for one? HAHAHA, I’m just an unfettered wanderer. What power would dare entrust such an important matter to me?"

Song Ciwan asked, surprised, "Aren’t you from Mang Mountain, Daoist Yin?"

Yin Xunyi said, "Mang Mountain is one of the World-Outside Sects; it doesn’t involve itself in the world’s conflicts. To be honest with you, Daoist Song, I may have been rambling just now, but in truth, I have no desire whatsoever to get involved in all this worldly strife and its endless troubles!"

Song Ciwan replied, "As if anyone does."

Yin Xunyi was speechless.