Chapter 207 - I Don"t Want To Reward You
In the palace, Emperor Zhou frowned.
He looked at Su Wen who was kneeling on the ground. However, Su Wen was completely different from usual.
Even Emperor Zhou could not recognize him.
Furthermore, in his eyes, this guy only had a cultivation base of 4th Grade Common Rank! He wasn"t even at the Star Rank!
Su Wen knelt on the ground and said, "This lowly one is Su Daqiang, a servant of the Su family. Today, Young Master sent back news! Before he left, he told this lowly one that he would let this lowly one enter the palace to inform His Majesty if there was any news. He also said to only come at night and not let anyone else know."
Emperor Zhou said coldly, "Tell me, what news did your young master send back?"
"My young master sent a note back."
Su Wen took out the slip of paper he had prepared and bowed as he handed it over. Immediately, an old eunuch came over and handed the slip to Emperor Zhou.
Emperor Zhou looked over and saw that it was all nonsense. He could not tell what it was.
However, Su Wen had already told Emperor Zhou about this secret technique.
The old eunuch had already brought over the book on decoding the secret language.
Emperor Zhou looked at it and started to read the secret message!
"The Emperor of the Chu Country seems to be seriously ill at the moment. The descendants of the Royal Family are planning a compet.i.tion for the throne, so they have no time to care about the Yan Country. Perhaps because of this, the Yan Country can attack our Great Zhou with ease."
After reading the note, Emperor Zhou said in a deep voice, "Why didn"t Su Wen pa.s.s the news to the Secret Shadow Guard?"
"I don"t know. I will do whatever the Young Master had instructed me to do before he left." Su Wen appeared fearful.
Emperor Zhou narrowed his eyes and asked, "How did Su Wen send back the news?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, this lowly one doesn"t know either. It"s just that before Young Master left, he instructed me to search under the stone lion at the entrance every day. Today, when this lowly one went, I saw this slip of paper."
Emperor Zhou fell into deep thought. This Su Wen was something. He actually sent the news back home without anyone knowing?
This servant should be someone Su Wen trusted greatly.
"Hehe, this brat is quite cautious. Even though he came to the capital, he didn"t leak any information!" Emperor Zhou laughed.
Su Wen stole a glance at him and realized that he was in a good mood.
After all, this was the first time Su Wen sent back news after leaving for several months.
After pondering for a moment, Emperor Zhou asked, "Is there a way to contact Su Wen?"
Su Wen shook his head and said, "Young Master didn"t tell me."
"Alright, you may leave!" Emperor Zhou said, "It"s best if you go and read it on time every day. When you see the note, send it to the palace. This matter cannot be spread! As for you, you can be considered to have done a meritorious deed. When Su Wen returns, I"ll let you join the Secret Shadow Guard to make up for the numbers."
At this point, Emperor Zhou looked at the old eunuch and said, "Reward him with 50 taels of silver. If there"s any news next time, it"s better to do it this way."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Su Wen"s acting skills exploded as he kowtowed continuously. He appeared to be grateful, but in his heart, he was already mocking him. "Hehe, old fellow, you didn"t expect this, right? I"m back!"
After "Su Daqiang" left, Emperor Zhou revealed a trace of joy as he smiled. "This Su Wen is quite capable."
The old eunuch smiled and said, "He does have some ability."
Emperor Zhou held the slip of paper and pondered. "However, we can make use of this Su Daqiang. This person is in the Su Residence and looks like he has Su Wen"s trust. Give him more money these days. After we take him into the Secret Shadow Guard, we can get him to monitor Su Wen"s family."
The old eunuch smiled and flattered, "Your Majesty is wise."
Su Wen came out of the palace and returned to the Su Residence. He climbed over the wall and entered the courtyard. Suddenly, he saw a person standing in the courtyard facing him.
It was Ning Shuang. At that moment, she had already taken a stance!
"It"s me!" Su Wen"s expression returned to normal.
Ning Shuang immediately heaved a sigh of relief.
He said in surprise, "Young Master, were you the one who left the room just now?"
Su Wen smiled. "Of course it"s me!"
Suddenly, Ning Shuang frowned slightly and said, "Wait! Let me ask you, where does the mole on my body grow?"
Su Wen raised his eyebrows and said, "Nonsense, my Ning Shuang"s skin is as smooth as jade and there are no flaws on her body. Other than a big mole on her chest, where else would she have a mole!"
Ning Shuang plunged into Su Wen"s embrace. "Young Master, it"s really you!"
Ning Shuang was also trying to be careful. What if this was a disguise made by someone else?
Outsiders would definitely not know about such a private matter.
However, the two of them did not say anything. Su Wen returned to his room and not long after, Cui Yumian and Xie Yiyi came over.
At this moment, Yan Luoying had already gone to the front line of the Huai River, where the armies of Zhou and Yan Country were confronting each other.
After a night, Su Wen returned to Great Chu.
It was a little cold in the tent compared to the warmth of his home.
Once again, the team set off.
Xiang Feiyan was a little anxious as the team started to advance at a faster pace than yesterday.
Finally, the capital of Great Chu appeared in front of Su Wen.
Compared to the capital of Zhou, the capital of Chu looked even more imposing from afar.
The carriage slowly entered. Su Wen realized that compared to the Great Zhou Dynasty, whether it was the commoners or the high-ranking officials and n.o.bles, they behaved and dressed more simply.
To put it simply, they did not seem as luxurious as the Great Zhou Dynasty.
In reality, this was because of their terrain. The Great Zhou was close to the sea and connected to the outer world through trade, so it was naturally rich. On the other hand, Great Chu was much weaker in terms of natural resources.
The princess" carriage was in front while Su Wen"s carriage was behind.
They soon arrived at the princess"s residence.
After entering, the Eldest Princess directly instructed, "Clean up a room in the inner residence. Mister Su, you can stay inside."
Su Wen smiled. "This isn"t convenient, right? Won"t the prince consort be angry?"
Xiang Feiyan shook her head and said, "It"s fine. My consort died ten years ago."
When Su Wen heard this, he shook his head helplessly.
"Does Your Highness have any children?"
Xiang Feiyan nodded. She had managed to sire a son.
"His surname is Xiang?"
Xiang Feiyan smiled and asked, "How did you know?"
Su Wen shook his head. "If you don"t even have a son, you will definitely lose this compet.i.tion!"
A woman that was almost 40 years old, if she still did not have a child, or if the child did not have the royal surname, the emperor would never pa.s.s the throne to her. That would really be stupid!
At that moment, a thirteen or fourteen-year-old child came out. When he saw Xiang Feiyan, he bowed and said, "This child greets Mother!"
He already had the image of a little adult.
He then looked at Su Wen and said, "Mother, I saw the servants tidying up the room just now. They said that a gentleman wants to stay in the inner residence! I thought that this matter was inappropriate. Mother is a widow, so how can she let a man stay in the inner residence? If this gets out, it will damage Mother"s reputation!"
Xiang Feiyan"s expression turned stiff as she said, "Mister Su is here to protect mother, so he naturally has to live closer. Otherwise, how can he make it in time if something unexpected happens?"
Xiang Sheng looked at Su Wen with hostility in his eyes.
Su Wen laughed to himself. What a brat!
Xiang Sheng said in a low voice, "If he"s a guard, then he"s a servant. He should abide by the rules and live in the front yard. The inner residence is filled with women, so how can he live there?"
Xiang Feiyan shook her head helplessly and looked at Su Wen. "Mister Su, please don"t take offense. This is my son, Xiang Sheng. There are some things that this child doesn"t understand."
Su Wen smiled and said, "Why would I lower myself to the level of a child? I think this child has an extraordinary bearing though. Why don"t I take him in as a sworn son? What do you think?"
As soon as he said this, Xiang Feiyan blushed. However, Xiang Sheng shouted angrily, "Are you courting death?"
As he spoke, he actually drew his sword and slashed.
Ding!
Su Wen casually flicked his finger and the sword flew away. Su Wen smiled and said, "You brat, I"m warning you. If you don"t listen to me, I"ll strip you naked and hang you in the courtyard. I"ll let you experience what it means to feel coldness in your b.u.t.t every time a breeze blows!"
Xiang Sheng was even more furious. He flew up and wanted to kick Su Wen!
Bang!
This time, it was Xiang Feiyan who attacked. She punched Xiang Sheng straight to the ground and rebuked angrily, "Mister Su is just joking. If you don"t even have this bit of magnanimity, how can you become the King of Great Chu in the future?"
Su Wen did not expect Xiang Feiyan to say such words.
He smiled and said, "The Eldest Princess"s words are quite heroic."
Xiang Feiyan stroked her hair and said, "Now that things have come to this, there"s no turning back. If we fail, we will definitely die. Only by succeeding can we become a ruler!"
Xiang Sheng fell to the ground. He bit his lips and ran back to the inner residence without looking back.
As the two of them continued conversing, a servant suddenly ran over to report!
"The Crown Prince is here to pay a visit!"
Xiang Feiyan glanced at Su Wen and said, "Please excuse yourself for a moment. I"ll see what my brother has to say."
Su Wen smiled and nodded before walking towards the inner residence.
Not long after, the Crown Prince entered. The Great Chu Crown Prince was 37 years old this year.
He was in his prime and even sported a three-inch goatee. He looked rather dignified.
Dressed in an official robe, he took measured steps, radiating a calm and confident might like a dragon or a tiger.
After entering, he sat opposite the Eldest Princess.
"Was Sister"s trip to Mount Heaven Desert successful?" the Crown Prince asked softly.
This was also the reason the Eldest Princess used to go out.
The Eldest Princess smiled and said, "Not bad."
"I heard that Big Sister went to the Flame G.o.d Sect as well?"
"I naturally have to pay them a visit when I pa.s.s by the sect."
The siblings looked at each other for a moment.
After a while, the Crown Prince sighed.
"Big Sister, why do you have to do this? We are of the same mother, blood and flesh. If I become the emperor, what difference is it from you being the emperor? You are a woman. If you give up now, after I ascend the throne, I promise to let bygones be bygones."
The words made the Eldest Princess extremely touched, her face full of tears.
"Crown Prince, what are you saying? You and I have been together since we were young, and we are of the same blood. How could I compete with you? I really just went to pay a visit to my master. I have no other intentions!"
A pair of siblings could also be said to have revealed their true feelings. However, it was difficult to say how much was true and how much was false.
In the inner residence, Su Wen watched Xiang Sheng.
As the eldest princess"s son, this child was currently holding a sword and slas.h.i.+ng at a wooden puppet!
"Tsk tsk tsk, 13 years old and at 6th Grade Common Rank. Not bad!" Su Wen smiled.
His cultivation was indeed decent.
Xiang Sheng ignored him. Su Wen smiled and said to Xiang Sheng, "You, child, are being insensitive. Look at your mother. She is ambitious. Why is she doing this? Isn"t it because of you? Don"t you want to become the emperor in the future?"
This was nonsense. Xiang Feiyan was definitely more ambitious than everything else, but Su Wen was only teasing this child.
Since you want to be nasty, I"ll use this to crush you!
"Shut up!" Xiang Sheng said angrily, "How can you say such rebellious words?"
Su Wen sneered and said, "Rebellious? Who knows how many people are here in Great Chu plotting a rebellion? Don"t you want to become the emperor of Great Chu?"
He was born in the capital and understood these royal descendants too well.
Most of these descendants would have this thought.
The reason was very simple.
The education and pursuit one received since they were young would lead to this inevitable outcome.
People had different thoughts and goals in different positions.
To put it simply, would a beggar think about becoming an emperor? No, he would think about how to get more money and more food.
An ordinary person would think about how he could increase his salary and gain the boss"s recognition.
A businessman was thinking about how to expand his business, or maybe how to let his children enter the ranks of the government and surpa.s.s the hierarchy tier.
Most of the officials were thinking about how to defeat their political enemies and climb up.
But as relatives of the royal family…
They had wealth from birth.
As for partners… to put it bluntly, with so much clout, they could have their pick any time.
Only power and authority was something they could pursue.
The supreme royal authority was right in front of him, as though it was within his reach.
Was it possible not to think about it?
This was also the reason why most of the royal descendants were scheming and mature.
They were taught to scheme and govern the country.
The goal they could pursue had always been there.
"Hmph!"
Xiang Sheng fell silent and started hitting the wooden puppet again.
After all, he was still a child, so he felt a little guilty when someone exposed him.
Su Wen looked at this brat striking the wooden puppet and a thought appeared in his mind.
He activated the Breaking Ranks formation!
[Ding-dong. Both sides have no subordinate relations.h.i.+p. The target has not been completely stationary. The formation has failed.]
Su Wen touched his chin. It seemed like this trap could only be activated if there was a subordinate relations.h.i.+p.
For example, when Xue Qianxun activated the formation, she had already become Su Wen"s slave. Su Wen also ordered her not to move, so he was able to succeed.
However, it was useless to activate it directly like this.
However, Su Wen did not mind. Anyway, he was just giving it a try.
On the other side, the Crown Prince and the Eldest Princess exchanged some pleasantries before leaving.
After leaving, the Crown Prince boarded the carriage.
The guards escorted him out.
"Hmph, my big sister still won"t stop scheming… I"ll give her a taste of her own medicine…"
The Crown Prince muttered to himself.
Obviously, Xiang Feiyan"s performance of seemingly giving up could not dispel the Crown Prince"s suspicion.
Meanwhile, Su Wen did not reject the Eldest Princess"s arrangements and successfully entered the princess"s residence.
That night, when Su Wen was about to sleep…
There was a knock on the door.
When he opened the door, he saw the Eldest Princess clad in a light pink dress with two maids following behind her. She entered the room and even brought dishes and wine.
After setting up the dishes…
The maids retreated, leaving only the two of them in the room.
The Eldest Princess held her wine gla.s.s and smiled at Su Wen. "Mister Su, today is your first day in the residence. Let me toast you."
Su Wen did not stand on ceremony and immediately drank it.
After the two of them drank for three rounds, the Eldest Princess said softly, "I came this time because I have something to ask of you."
Su Wen narrowed his eyes. "What is it?"
"Mister"s combat strength is shocking. I wonder if you can a.s.sa.s.sinate someone!"
"Who?"
"The Crown Prince!"
Su Wen was not surprised to hear this news.
Currently, the Crown Prince had the advantage. As long as the Crown Prince died, the others would have a chance.
"If Mister agrees… tonight…" At this point, the Eldest Princess winked at Su Wen.
She knew very well that this matter was extremely dangerous!
She was afraid that Su Wen would not agree, so she added another chip. Furthermore, she had lived alone for many years… When she had heard Su Wen and Ni Hongxiao"s movements that day, and furthermore seen Su Wen"s muscular body, such images flashed past her mind from time to time.
Unfortunately, Su Wen shook his head and said, "This matter can"t be done!"
"Why?" The Eldest Princess"s expression turned cold, appearing somewhat dissatisfied.
Su Wen rolled his eyes and sneered. "It"s a given that the Crown Prince will have many experts protecting him. If I make a move and cause a fight in the capital, causing a Heaven Rank expert to make a move, who can save me?"
Su Wen was not arrogant enough to think that he could defeat a Heaven Rank expert.
He cherished his life!
The Eldest Princess advised in a deep voice, "Mister Su, this matter is risky, but with your skills, you might have a chance. Furthermore, if you see the situation isn"t good, you can retreat!"
Su Wen shook his head and said, "Your Highness, could it be that you"re still counting on me to kill all the princes? It"s not that I want to say this, but even if you kill the Crown Prince, His Majesty will definitely appoint another Crown Prince. At that time, you will still not have a share! This isn"t how you seize the throne!"
The Eldest Princess raised her eyebrows and sneered. "Mister Su, are you going to give me a lesson in how to scheme?"
In the Eldest Princess"s eyes, such experts in the martial world only knew how to fight and kill. In terms of strategy, they could not compare to the descendants of the royal family.
However, Su Wen was different. This fellow had thousands of years of experience in China.
Coupled with Su Changqing"s teachings and training in the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Su Wen was really not weak in this aspect!
Su Wen smiled and said, "Let"s just treat it as a casual chat. Let me ask you, in your eyes, what kind of person is your father?"
"Royal father?" The Eldest Princess fell into deep thought.
"Royal father is a wise ruler. He has been in power for many years and has governed Great Chu in an orderly manner. Although there are victories and losses in the war against Yan Country, to the other surrounding countries, it can be said that there are more victories than losses. In the past few decades, our Great Chu territory has also expanded greatly…"
"In terms of personality… Royal Father is suspicious by nature and likes to kill people. Royal Father never shows mercy to anyone who is disobedient…"
Su Wen ate a mouthful of stir-fried kidneys and drank a mouthful of wine before saying slowly, "There are only two paths for those who seize the throne! The first is to display your talent and obtain the Emperor"s favor. The second is to eradicate all dissidents."
He picked up another mouthful of chives, and after eating it, he said in a low voice, "Actually, in my opinion, it"s utterly impossible for you to ascend to the throne! The fact that you"re a woman is enough."
The Eldest Princess clenched her fists.
"And then?" The Eldest Princess gritted her teeth and said, "You won"t ask me to give up, right?"
Su Wen shook his head and said, "That"s not the case, but I think the first thing you have to do is not to fight with these princes and kill them. Instead, you have to first move your father and make him feel that you are someone worth entrusting."
"I"ll first ask, how is His Majesty now?"
"It"s been a few months since he last went to court. The court officials are all discussing the matter."
Su Wen smiled and said, "Then how long has it been since you last saw your father?"
The Eldest Princess shook her head and said, "Don"t tell me you think we don"t even know how to do such a thing? We go to the palace every day to pay our respects, but Father doesn"t summon us."
At this point, Su Wen frowned. "Are you sure His Majesty is still alive?"
"Of course, if Royal Father dies, news will definitely spread immediately. After all, there are several ancestors of my Great Chu Royal Family in the palace."
Su Wen could not help but sigh. Luckily in this world, the royal family basically controlled an extremely powerful martial force, which was suitable for his plans.
Su Wen took another sip of the wolfberry tiger whip soup and pondered for a moment before saying to the Eldest Princess, "Listen to me… Tomorrow, go and kneel in front of your father"s palace. Just kneel for a long time. You can do whatever you want to be filial to him and express your loyalty. Remember, put down your pride and must be sincere. Don"t think about obtaining anything. As for the rest, you don"t have to care!"
"Why?" The Eldest Princess was puzzled.
Su Wen sneered. "What do you think your father is like now?"
The Eldest Princess shook her head slightly and said, "I"m afraid he won"t be able to hold on much longer."
Su Wen didn"t think much of it. "I can promise you that even if your father"s health isn"t good, he probably won"t die tomorrow. He deliberately put on this posture because he wants to see what his children are going to do! He"s making his own final selections!
If he really can"t live for much longer, he will definitely support the Crown Prince to ascend the throne and eliminate all unstable factors to maintain the stability of Great Chu!"
Su Wen continued, "Of course, some people might have already seen through this, but even so, to the outside world, your father is still severely ill. Therefore, this can be considered as your father encouraging them to fight!"
"But even if Royal Father"s illness isn"t that serious, we have already paid our respects every day, right?" The Eldest Princess asked in confusion, "Why do you still need me to kneel for so long?"
Su Wen smiled and said, "Everyone will leave after paying their respects, so there"s naturally no problem. However, how can this make you stand out? As long as you do as I say tomorrow, no matter what your father is like, he will treat you differently. People are able to see who"s genuinely concerned for them. Since ancient times, this has never changed!"
Su Wen said in a deep voice, "You don"t have much time left, so you must build a good image in your father"s heart!"
The Eldest Princess pondered for a moment. She was not stupid. It was just that no one had given her any advice before. Now that she heard it, she felt enlightened.
"Is this what Mister means by showing off my talent?"
Su Wen smiled and replied, "This is only the first step. However, to you, this step is very important. Otherwise, even if the Crown Prince loses his position, you won"t have a chance!"
The Eldest Princess no longer mentioned about the a.s.sa.s.sination. Instead, she looked at Su Wen with charming eyes and asked, "Thank you for your guidance, Mister. I have underestimated you. Mister Su might be young, but you are wise and farsighted. Feiyan is truly impressed. I heard that you made a bold claim in the arena that day. I wonder if it"s true?"
Bold claim? About being big and powerful?
Su Wen instead stood up. "Qianxun! Send the guest out!"
The Eldest Princess was stunned!
Su Wen smiled and said, "The food today is delicious, but I still need to cultivate. Eldest Princess, please go back!"
At this moment, the door was pulled open by Xue Qianxun.
The Eldest Princess hesitated for a moment before finally standing up and leaving.
Su Wen inwardly sneered. "Hmph, I don"t want to reward you today, you have to hold it in! Eat your cuc.u.mber!"
As he spoke, he pulled Qianxun over and closed the door.
The next day, within the Great Chu Imperial Palace…
All the princes and princesses bowed in unison to pay respects!
There was a row of people kneeling outside the palace.
"This son (daughter) pays my respects to Royal Father!"
After a collective cry, a eunuch walked out and said softly, "His Majesty has issued a decree that his dragon body needs some peace and quiet. There"s no need to meet the emperor. Everyone, disperse."
The princes and princesses stood up and left.
Only the Eldest Princess remained motionless.
The eunuch walked over and said in a low voice, "Eldest Princess, His Majesty wants everyone to disperse."
Xiang Feiyan raised her head, her eyes filled with tears. She said sorrowfully, "I"m not leaving. Father has been ill for several months. I"m really worried. Today, I"ll kneel here and wait for Father to feel better before meeting him. Otherwise, as his daughter, I won"t be at ease!"
"This…" The eunuch looked troubled… but he went back into the hall.
Xiang Feiyan knelt at the door from morning until noon.
It was only in the afternoon that the eunuch came out again and said to her, "His Majesty said to let His Highness return."
Xiang Feiyan kowtowed to the main hall and cried, "Even if I defy the decree today, I will wait until Father sees me. If I don"t see Father, I won"t be able to rest easy…"
As she spoke, tears streamed down her face.
The eunuch entered the hall again.
Within the hall, Emperor Chu looked extremely withered. He shook his head and didn"t say anything.
He closed his eyes, seemingly taking a nap…
Time slowly pa.s.sed… until night fell.
For the entire day, the Eldest Princess did not even take a single grain of rice and directly knelt in front of the door. Even if she was a martial artist of Earth Rank, this feeling was definitely not good.
"Your Highness… His Majesty said… to let you in!"
Finally, the eunuch came out with another decree!
Xiang Feiyan was overjoyed!