In the morning, Xia Qing was awakened by the flute.
The faint light of dawn streamed through the nine palaces and into the room through the western window. In the glow of the high platform lamp, he groggily looked up to see Lou Guan Xue standing in front of him. Lou Guan Xue had already changed into a black silk robe, standing tall and graceful.
“What time is it?” Xia Qing mumbled.
Lou Guan Xue replied calmly, “It’s the hour of Chen.”
Xia Qing’s modern brain couldn’t quite grasp what time the hour of Chen was.
Lou Guan Xue said, “You should go pay respects to Yan Lan Yu.”
Xia Qing sluggishly responded, “Oh.” He understood; it was time to get to work.
He rubbed his eyes and sat up obediently. Xia Qing wasn’t cranky upon waking, but it would take him a while to fully wake up from his groggy state.
Lou Guan Xue watched him for a moment, finding it amusing. He reached out with the flute in his hand and tapped the tuft of hair sticking up on Xia Qing’s head.
Xia Qing didn’t get angry either; he just gave Lou Guan Xue a cold stare, as if to say, “Do you have something to say?”
Lou Guan Xue smirked and said, “I don’t think I’ve asked you your age yet.”
Xia Qing rubbed his eyes again and casually remarked, “Let me calculate… I’m probably around three hundred years old. If we’re really talking about age, you should call me ancestor.”
Lou Guan Xue nodded, completely ignoring his comment.
Like punching cotton, Xia Qing gradually got used to being frustrated.
Today, Lou Guan Xue wore a crown, with his black hair neatly tied up under the ink jade crown. His pale complexion contrasted with the black brocade robe embroidered with crimson cloud patterns. Holding the bone flute emitting an eerie light, he exuded an aura of enchantment. “Today, you’re going alone.”
Xia Qing widened his eyes, feeling a bit at a loss, and stammered, “I… I’m going alone?”
Lou Guan Xue nodded. “Yes.”
While Xia Qing couldn’t leave Lou Guan Xue in his soul state, Lou Guan Xue wasn’t bound by that constraint at all. It isn’t fair!
After some thought, Xia Qing anxiously asked, “You’re not going to leave me here alone, are you?” Then he would be left alone in the Chu Kingdom’s palace, facing Yan Lan Yu, that unpredictable madwoman, and a group of palace maids and eunuchs who regarded him as a god of death?
Lou Guan Xue smiled and softly said, “I won’t run. I’ll just stay in the bedroom.”
Xia Qing breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, do you want to take a rest?”
Lou Guan Xue nodded. “Yes.”
“Alright then.” Xia Qing reassured himself. He was now a tyrant; anyone who saw him would tremble in fear. As for Yan Lan Yu, she surely wouldn’t suddenly go crazy and kill him.
Lou Guan Xue didn’t like being served personally, so Zhang Shan waited outside for half an hour before Xia Qing slowly went out.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“May Your Majesty enjoy peace and prosperity for many years to come.”
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—-
There were already many people in the Jing Xin Hall before Xia Qing arrived
The bronze incense burner silently emitted smoke, and the sandalwood fragrance permeated the air. On the left sat the current three dukes of Chu and the prime minister, while on the right sat the Regent, almost constituting the entire power center of Ling Guang.
Yan Lan Yu was still dressed in her green robes, her black hair adorned with a few scattered pearls as she sat on the phoenix couch, speaking softly.
“Today, I have invited the three dukes, the prime minister, and the Regent to discuss two matters.”
The three dukes exchanged glances and chose to remain silent.
The prime minister, a member of the Wu family, had never looked favorably upon the Queen Mother and the Regent, who monopolized political power. His face was grim.
It was the Regent who glanced at the others and spoke up, “If Her Majesty wishes it, then so be it.”
Yan Lan Yu smiled slightly in response to the confirmation and continued, “The first matter concerns the selection of a consort for His Majesty. It is rather inappropriate for the emperor, who is already fifteen years old, to have an empty harem. If there are suitable daughters among your families, please present their names.”
The three dukes breathed a sigh of relief, and the prime minister’s grim expression softened slightly. After all, with the sudden death of the previous emperor and the new emperor’s poor health, the imperial succession was precarious, and selecting a consort was indeed a pressing matter.
Yan Lan Yu added, “Let’s finalize the selection of the consort at next month’s Spring Banquet in the palace. At that time, I will inform all the officials to bring their female relatives.” Then, she casually added with a warm tone, “Speaking of which, I’ve heard that the 16th daughter of the Wei family is exceptionally beautiful. Is it true?”
Minister Wei smirked, “Your Majesty, the praise is too kind. My daughter’s beauty is not worthy of such acclaim.”
Yan Lan Yu covered her lips and chuckled, “Nonsense. I look forward to meeting her at the Spring Banquet.” Then, she laughed and asked a nearby eunuch, “Remember to prepare more floating flower cakes for the Spring Banquet. The young girls in the capital seem to love them lately, am I correct?”
The eunuch replied, “You are correct, Your Majesty.”
The three dukes and the prime minister remained expressionless. After dealing with this woman for so long, they all understood her temperament.
Afterwards, Yan Lan Yu lowered her hand and, with the green sleeves embroidered with red cloud patterns, continued, “The second matter concerns the pagoda.”
The pagoda.
As soon as this word were uttered, everyone’s expression turned serious.
Yan Lan Yu continued calmly, “In the past, our ancestors embarked on expeditions to the Sea of Heaven, bringing back countless treasures and gaining the favor of the gods.”
“It was under the protection of the divine dragon that our Chu Kingdom was able to gradually expand from a small border state to unify the sixteen provinces and achieve the current prosperity of being visited by envoys from all over the world.”
“However, those blessed by the gods will also face divine retribution. The evil beasts of the merfolk have returned, and evil spirits have appeared in the mortal realm.”
“Our ancestors fell victim to the demon and perished within the Zhai Xing Lou. It was only through the joint efforts of the high priest and the three sects of monks, who established a powerful demon-suppressing formation beneath the pagoda, that the demon was barely sealed away. Since then, descendants of the Lou family have had to enter the tower every year on the day of the Jingzhe to suppress the demon. Over the past century, the power of the formation has weakened, and the demon inside the pagoda have become increasingly restless, posing a growing danger.”
“Our family has been negotiating with the Jingshi Hall for many years, and finally received some good news a few days ago. The High Priest, after scouring ancient texts, found a way to completely exterminate the demon. Currently, we are searching for clues in the Dongzhou. However, the matter of exterminating the demon is equally urgent. After returning, I hope that you can immediately contact the Taoist priests under your command to come to Ling Guang.”
Most aristocratic families had their own martial arts sects and Taoist priests, and the relationships between them were intricate and complex.
Minister Wu’s face remained as calm as water as he spoke directly, “How is His Majesty’s health after leaving the Zhai Xing Lou this time?”
Yan Lan Yu glanced at him casually, smiling, “Just a little weakened, nothing serious. Minister Wu, you are asking about His Majesty’s health. As His Majesty’s mother, how could I not be concerned?”
Minister Wu smiled faintly, “Your Majesty’s thoughts are beyond my ability to fathom.”
Yan Lan Yu looked at him steadily for a moment, and whispered, “Her Majesty knows that in Minister Wu’s eyes, it’s a great taboo for a mere woman like myself to hold power behind the curtain. But with the sudden passing of the late Emperor and His Majesty’s young age and frail health, if Her Majesty doesn’t provide support, what if His Majesty makes mistakes?”
She continued slowly, “Making mistakes is not a problem, but Her Majesty is more concerned that he may be manipulated while sitting on the throne without even realizing it. After all, as you all know, His Majesty cherishes old relationships the most.”
—His Majesty cherishes old relationships.
The rest of the people kept their eyes down and their minds on their own business.
Minister Wu had been an exceptional mentor to His Majesty, and it was evident to one whom the Queen Mother was alluding to.
Having been at odds with each other for so long, Minister Wu finally snapped, “Queen Mother seems to have forgotten that His Majesty has been wise and prudent since childhood, and may well be capable of governing. How could he be manipulated into making mistakes?”
Yan Lan Yu sat upright, smiling, “Is Minister Wu blaming Her Majesty?”
Minister Wu replied coldly, “That’s not what I meant.”
As the tension mounted, the Regent took a sip of tea and spoke up.
“Why are we discussing this now? Wasn’t the purpose of coming here to listen to the Queen Mother’s matters?”
Minister Wu sneered.
Each of the three dukes harbored their own thoughts.
Yan Lan Yu’s sleeve, embroidered with red cloud patterns, seemed like an ominous portent. Her gaze drifted lightly over Minister Wu, her smile still lingering as she said, “Today, the three Dukes, the Prime Minister, and the Regent have come here for these two matters. If there are no objections, then let’s disperse.”
Minister Wu had no intention of lingering in the Jing Xin Hall for even a second longer and left in a huff.
The next to leave was the Duke Wei.
The other two bowed to the Queen Mother before departing.
After everyone left.
The Regent slammed down his cup heavily. He wore a crimson robe, his features were handsome, but there was a hint of ferocity in his eyes, and he said with a cold tone, “Those two old fools.”
Yan Lan Yu played with her nails, casually changing the subject, “Yan Mu and Wei Liu Guang had a conflict?”
The Regent’s expression darkened at the mention of the matter, “Yes! That little brat really embarrassed me! He got into a fight over a courtesan from a brothel, I heard she’s even a lowly mermaid prostitute.”
“A mermaid prostitute?” Yan Lan Yu chuckled, “Where is he?”
The Regent replied, “I had him kneeling at the gate of the Jin Luan Hall ”
Yan Lan Yu nodded, “No wonder Duke Wei had a stern face today.” She smiled gracefully, exuding the gentleness of a young lady from a noble family, “Two scions of distinguished families fighting over a mermaid prostitute, it’s simply ridiculous.” She tilted her head, “Just kill that mermaid prostitute, these strange creatures are truly ominous.”
—-
As Xia Qing rode in the imperial carriage through a square, he caught sight of a person kneeling straight ahead.
What caught his attention the most was how casual the person kneeling on the ground was. He was so nonchalant, changing his posture from time to time, with a group of eunuchs surrounding him, attending to his needs with water, handkerchiefs, and fruits.
Xia Qing’s puzzled gaze was too obvious.
Zhang Shan eagerly said, “Your Majesty, that’s Young Master Yan being punished.”
Xia Qing asked, “Young Master Yan?”
Zhang Shan explained, “Yes, he got into trouble a few days ago, and the Regent ordered him to kneel here to apologize to Duke Wei.”
Oh, now he knew who the person was.
It was that tyrant from Ling Guang, Yan Mu.
Xia Qing hurried to meet Yan Lan Yu, not planning to stay long. He ignored Yan Mu, but the man didn’t let him off.
Yan Mu didn’t see the imperial carriage passing by. He was chatting with the eunuchs next to him, his tone full of mockery and disdain, “I had no idea that was the person Wei Liu Guang had eyes on. I didn’t even get to taste the victory before it was ruined. I didn’t intend to compete with him, but that brat Wei Liu Guang kept pestering me. It’s unlucky to bump into him. Next time, don’t let me be with him again.”
“But that mermaid prostitute is indeed attractive. In the entire Chu Kingdom, only His Majesty’s birth mother can rival her.” With that, he burst into laughter, not bothering to conceal his malice and vulgarity.
Upon hearing this, Xia Qing swiftly opened the curtain and looked over coldly.
Zhang Shan, standing beside him, was dumbfounded. “Yo-Your Majesty,” he stuttered, his tongue tied. He inwardly complained about Young Master Yan, who dared to say anything privately, taking advantage of the Queen Mother’s favor.
Suppressing his anger, Xia Qing’s expression remained indifferent as he turned and asked, “Since it was Yan Mu and Wei Liu Guang causing trouble together, where is Wei Liu Guang?”
Zhang Shan, sweating profusely, replied, “Young Master Wei should be kneeling at his home.”
Xia Qing said, “Summon him to the palace and make him kneel alongside Yan Mu.”
Zhang Shan exclaimed, “Ah?”
Xia Qing lowered his finger from the curtain. “I don’t feel comfortable with Young Master Yan kneeling here alone.”
To be precise, this person was talkative, so he was not very trusting of kneeling here alone.
Zhang Shan repeated, “Ah?”
Thank you for the chapter 😍
Wow, power of emperor
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