Chapter 1: The Emperor’s Trust
Early in the morning, dark clouds covered the capital of Great Zhou as heavy snow fell. This was the first snow since winter arrived.
In the Prime Minister’s residence, the maidservant, Ning Shuang, was clad in a green robe. She walked up to the entrance of Su Wen’s room.
Ning Shuang had a sweet appearance and was the same age as Su Wen. Since young, she had been the maid in charge of dressing Su Wen.
“Third Young Master, hurry and get up! Didn’t you agree to go to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion with the son of the Grand Prince to drink? It’s almost time.”
(TL Note: In case anyone gets confused, Grand Prince is a title given to a prince. It does not equate to being a Crown Prince.)
Ning Shuang called out softly from the door.
But there was no sound in the room.
Ning Shuang pushed open the door and walked in. She saw Su Wen burying his head in the blanket, having no intention of getting up.
The cold air entering the room from the door only served to further make him tighten the blanket.
Ning Shuang quickly closed the door and walked to the bed. She gently pulled the blanket away, revealing a delicate looking youth. He had a pitiful expression as he muttered, “Ning Shuang, let me sleep a little longer.”
Ning Shuang gently replied, “Third Young Master, quickly get up. We have already agreed that it would be too rude if we were to be late.”
Su Wen said disdainfully, “So be it. The Grand Prince is merely a powerless prince. Even if I am lacking in manners, Zhao Rui will have to endure it.”
His words were domineering.
However, there was naturally a reason for his arrogance.
Su Wen was originally not from this world and had transmigrated here.
And his father was the current prime minister of Great Zhou, Su Changqing.
His authority was monstrous, and he could be said to be second only to a single person and above tens of thousands of people. His shadow could be seen in all matters of the royal court.
On the basis of his father’s authority, even in the Great Zhou Dynasty, the princes had to give Su Wen some face.
Not to mention the son of a prince.
Furthermore, Su Wen and Zhao Rui did not have a good relationship.
The two of them instead were involved in a conflict. Su Wen got his guards to beat up Zhao Rui, but in the end, Zhao Rui still wanted to treat Su Wen to a drink and even invited the Second Prince of Great Zhou to mediate the situation.
It couldn’t be helped. Everyone knew that Su Changqing took offense at the slightest issue, and he was extremely protective of his loved ones. His methods were ruthless, and he never showed mercy when eliminating his enemies.
As the number one minister of Great Zhou, there was no need to mention his ability to accumulate wealth and power. His influence had spread throughout the entire court.
When Ning Shuang saw that Su Wen was unwilling to get up, she continued to coax him. Su Wen was finally fully woken up by her, so he had no choice but to get up.
Ning Shuang helped Su Wen change his clothes and wash his face. Every action was meticulous.
After so many years, Su Wen was already used to having Ning Shuang around him.
After everything was tidied up, Su Wen tapped Ningshuang’s nose and smiled. “You are so virtuous. You will definitely take good care of our family in the future.”
Ning Shuang blushed in embarrassment.
The two of them had been together for many years and had a deep relationship. To Ningshuang, marrying Su Wen in the future was the best outcome and also the one she was most willing to accept.
Even if it was just a concubine.
Su Wen had already made a promise that there would be a position for Ning Shuang in the residence in the future.
After lightly kissing Ning Shuang, Su Wen went to the outer palace.
A middle-aged man was already waiting there. His face was grave and stern, a broken sword hanging from his waist. At the very least, from the scabbard, it looked as such.
However, Su Wen knew that he was an expert.
“Uncle He, let’s go.” Su Wen smiled.
Su Wen was someone with a high EQ. Although he behaved in a domineering and ridiculous manner when he was outside, he never put on airs when it came to his own people.
He Ping’an was employed by Su Changqing to be Su Wen’s bodyguard.
Su Changqing had countless enemies, and there was no lack of people who wished to take their revenge on him.
He thus arranged experts around all his sons to prevent any accidents from happening.
However, to Su Wen, He Ping’an was the best fighter. He Ping’an had always been the one to defeat the other party whenever he had conflicts with others.
As for assassins, he had never met any.
When He Ping’an saw Su Wen, he bowed and said with a smile, “Third Young Master, our old master is still the powerful one. That Zhao Rui is the son of the Grand Prince, he has suffered such a great loss this time, but still has to find someone to apologize to you.”
Su Wen said smugly, “Of course. Uncle He, look at who my father is. He’s the number one official in the Great Zhou Dynasty. What Grand Prince? Wouldn’t it be a piece of cake for my father to destroy him?”
“Cough, cough, cough!”
Su Wen had just finished speaking when he heard a cough.
A middle-aged man walked out from the backyard.
He was dressed in a green robe and looked rather refined. He sported a three-inch beard on his chin, which lent him a more dignified look.
This man was precisely Su Wen’s father, the number one official of the Great Zhou, Su Changqing.
“Su Wen, where are you going?” Su Changqing asked solemnly.
Su Wen cupped his hands and smiled. “Father, the Second Prince is here today to mediate between me and Zhao Rui. I’m preparing to go meet up with them.”
Su Changqing nodded and warned, “Don’t be overbearing when you’re there. The Second Prince is, after all, still one of the current princes of the dynasty. Even though the Crown Prince’s position is firm now, no one can say for sure in the future. It’s better to be polite to the Second Prince. Also, don’t cause trouble when you have nothing to do. Learn from your big brother and second brother, learning more abilities for yourself is the right way.”
Su Changqing had three sons and the one that gave him the biggest headache was his youngest son, Su Wen.
Ever since he was young, he did not like to study literature and did not like to practice martial arts. It should be known that Su Changqing’s eldest son had won the position of the Great Zhou’s martial arts champion five years ago, while his second son had won the position of the top scholar two years ago. With Su Changqing’s support, he had already stepped into the career of an official and seemed to have a bright future.
Only Su Wen did not have any other skills apart from picking and fooling around with the other prodigals in the city.
Su Wen smiled and replied casually, “Thank you for your teachings, father. I will take my leave first!”
With that, he led He Ping’an out of the Prime Minister’s mansion.
Meanwhile in the Capital, the streets were being decorated with lanterns and colored banners.
It was not because of a holiday, but rather due to news from the border. During the war against Yan Country, the Great Zhou General Yan Ze1 was suddenly afflicted with an acute illness. Thus, his daughter, Yan Luoying, went to war on behalf of her father. She led 150,000 troops and crushed the enemies of Yan Country!
They even attacked and managed to take down the Yan Country’s famed Fort Boulder!
When the news of the great victory spread, everyone was ecstatic!
But just moments ago, another piece of news was sent back to the capital!
Yan Luoying had killed a total of 400,000 people during the war, with some Yan Country citizens included in her kill count!
Such ruthless methods had completely shocked the world!
Many scholars of the Great Zhou were furious at Yan Luoying’s actions. Even the capital of the Zhou Country, which was originally celebrating, was covered in a haze.
Pairing this atmosphere to the coincidental heavy snow, many people linked it to Yan Luoying’s behavior.
When people talked about this female general, they couldn’t help but call her ruthless and heartless.
In the royal palace, Su Changqing arrived at the Earnest Palace Hall.
The Zhou Emperor was lying on his side inside the palace. The moment he saw Su Changqing come in, he waved and smiled. “Changqing, come quickly. I have something to discuss with you.”
Before the Zhou Emperor and Su Changqing ascended the throne, they had a deep relationship.
At that time, the former was just an unimportant prince, while the latter was just a down-and-out scholar.
The two of them started off at the same time. In the Emperor’s path of ascension, there was no lack of Su Changqing’s schemes.
It could be said that the relationship between these two people far surpassed that of an ordinary lord and minister. This was also an important reason why Su Changqing had power over everyone.
Su Changqing arrived in front of the reclining Zhou Emperor and bowed. He had always been able to constantly correct his position, never growing too arrogant because of the Emperor’s favor. This was where he was smart compared to the others.
“Your Majesty, why did you summon me here?” Su Changqing asked.
The Emperor’s eyes lit up and he smiled. “Su Wen turns 18 this year, right?”
Su Changqing’s heart raced when he heard him mention Su Wen.
Su Wen was just a playboy. Why would the Emperor suddenly ask about him?
He cupped his hands and said, “That is correct.”
The Emperor smiled and said, “I heard that that child is quite absurd. Compared to Su Cheng and Su Yu, he is quite lacking.”
Su Cheng and Su Yu were Su Changqing’s eldest son and second son respectively, Su Wen’s two older brothers.
Su Changqing said, “Reporting to Your Majesty, it is indeed a bit lacking. However, this subject won’t force him. A person has their own fate. Whatever he does in the future is his own business. After a few years, this subject will give him some money to get a wife and make him start up his own family. I won’t hide this from Your Majesty. In recent years, this subject has accumulated quite a bit of my family’s private wealth. As long as he doesn’t act recklessly, it will be more than enough for him to live a stable life!”
Su Changqing was greedy, it was a known fact.
Since his reputation was not good, at this moment, he naturally would not hide it from the Zhou Emperor.
Or rather, he had done it on purpose.
The Zhou Emperor was very satisfied with Su Changqing’s words.
He smiled and said, “I called you here today because I have a marriage proposal to discuss with you.”
Su Changqing was stunned and said hesitantly, “I wonder which family’s young miss it is? My child might not even be a match for her.”
A marriage bestowed by the Emperor was a totally different concept. If the bride suffered in the future, the emperor might even bring it up.
The Zhou Emperor stared at Su Changqing’s face before softly uttering, “Yan Luoying!”
Su Changqing’s heart tightened when he heard this name.
This person was not afraid of being bullied by Su Wen. In fact, it would be good enough that she did not bully Su Wen.
But why would it be her?
Su Changqing had to consider this matter properly because her identity was too special.
Not to mention anything else, General Yan Ze was in charge of guarding the border and was a true official of the border. He also had military power in his hands. As for himself, he had power over the entire country. If the two families were to get married, it would make them even more earth-shattering.
But the question was, why did the Zhou Emperor suggest this?
In the Royal Court, the heart of an Emperor was the hardest to guess.
Even Su Changqing was unable to figure out the reason.
The Emperor could naturally see the hesitation in the latter’s heart. He also knew that if he didn’t give him an explanation, this guy would find a way to decline.
Thus, he stood up. The current Zhou Emperor was in his prime, tall and well built with a cold demeanor.
He said in a deep voice, “Changqing, we’ve known each other for decades. You should know of my ambitions!”
“This country, Great Zhou, is still too small!”
“If I want to expand, Yan Ze is an extremely important card in my hands! But Yan Ze is different from you. I’m worried about him!”
The Zhou Emperor was full of mettle!
He continued, “Yan Ze is an unruly person. He guards the borders all year round and has a high reputation in the army. He also holds the country’s military power. If not for the fact that he never had any sons, I’m afraid I would have been unable to sleep and eat in peace. But now, it seems that Yan Ze’s daughter, Yan Luoying, is not simple either. She acts ruthlessly and is extremely good at leading troops. Naturally, I have to guard against her.”
“This woman has just turned 20 this year, yet she has already accomplished such meritorious deeds. Ten years from now, who will be able to suppress her? Moreover, a woman’s thoughts are the most strange and difficult to understand. Right now, she only has Yan Ze as her family, so I wanted Su Wen to marry this woman and imprison her in the Capital, in order to grind down her heart and will.
In addition, when she gives birth to a child, it will also allow her to have some restrictions and misgivings. When I use her in the future, she will be easier to control. This will also allow Yan Ze to have more misgivings if he develops any second thoughts!
The Zhou Emperor openly said his thoughts. He looked at Su Changqing and realized that the latter had not spoken anything up till now.
He could understand why. Just the fact that this woman killed 400,000 people from the Yan Country was shocking enough.
How many people would dare to marry such a woman without any scruples?
Emperor Zhou walked to Su Changqing’s side and patted his shoulder. He sighed and said, “Changqing, I trust you the most among all the civil and military officials in the Royal Court. I believe in you the most as well. If Yan Luoying marries someone else, I will still be worried!”
Su Changqing finally understood why the Zhou Emperor would choose his son.
Trust!
Only trust would motivate him to do so!
The ‘Yan’ (颜) in Yan Ze is different from the ‘Yan’ (燕) used in Yan Country
Early in the morning, dark clouds covered the capital of Great Zhou as heavy snow fell. This was the first snow since winter arrived.
In the Prime Minister’s residence, the maidservant, Ning Shuang, was clad in a green robe. She walked up to the entrance of Su Wen’s room.
Ning Shuang had a sweet appearance and was the same age as Su Wen. Since young, she had been the maid in charge of dressing Su Wen.
“Third Young Master, hurry and get up! Didn’t you agree to go to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion with the son of the Grand Prince to drink? It’s almost time.”
(TL Note: In case anyone gets confused, Grand Prince is a title given to a prince. It does not equate to being a Crown Prince.)
Ning Shuang called out softly from the door.
But there was no sound in the room.
Ning Shuang pushed open the door and walked in. She saw Su Wen burying his head in the blanket, having no intention of getting up.
The cold air entering the room from the door only served to further make him tighten the blanket.
Ning Shuang quickly closed the door and walked to the bed. She gently pulled the blanket away, revealing a delicate looking youth. He had a pitiful expression as he muttered, “Ning Shuang, let me sleep a little longer.”
Ning Shuang gently replied, “Third Young Master, quickly get up. We have already agreed that it would be too rude if we were to be late.”
Su Wen said disdainfully, “So be it. The Grand Prince is merely a powerless prince. Even if I am lacking in manners, Zhao Rui will have to endure it.”
His words were domineering.
However, there was naturally a reason for his arrogance.
Su Wen was originally not from this world and had transmigrated here.
And his father was the current prime minister of Great Zhou, Su Changqing.
His authority was monstrous, and he could be said to be second only to a single person and above tens of thousands of people. His shadow could be seen in all matters of the royal court.
On the basis of his father’s authority, even in the Great Zhou Dynasty, the princes had to give Su Wen some face.
Not to mention the son of a prince.
Furthermore, Su Wen and Zhao Rui did not have a good relationship.
The two of them instead were involved in a conflict. Su Wen got his guards to beat up Zhao Rui, but in the end, Zhao Rui still wanted to treat Su Wen to a drink and even invited the Second Prince of Great Zhou to mediate the situation.
It couldn’t be helped. Everyone knew that Su Changqing took offense at the slightest issue, and he was extremely protective of his loved ones. His methods were ruthless, and he never showed mercy when eliminating his enemies.
As the number one minister of Great Zhou, there was no need to mention his ability to accumulate wealth and power. His influence had spread throughout the entire court.
When Ning Shuang saw that Su Wen was unwilling to get up, she continued to coax him. Su Wen was finally fully woken up by her, so he had no choice but to get up.
Ning Shuang helped Su Wen change his clothes and wash his face. Every action was meticulous.
After so many years, Su Wen was already used to having Ning Shuang around him.
After everything was tidied up, Su Wen tapped Ningshuang’s nose and smiled. “You are so virtuous. You will definitely take good care of our family in the future.”
Ning Shuang blushed in embarrassment.
The two of them had been together for many years and had a deep relationship. To Ningshuang, marrying Su Wen in the future was the best outcome and also the one she was most willing to accept.
Even if it was just a concubine.
Su Wen had already made a promise that there would be a position for Ning Shuang in the residence in the future.
After lightly kissing Ning Shuang, Su Wen went to the outer palace.
A middle-aged man was already waiting there. His face was grave and stern, a broken sword hanging from his waist. At the very least, from the scabbard, it looked as such.
However, Su Wen knew that he was an expert.
“Uncle He, let’s go.” Su Wen smiled.
Su Wen was someone with a high EQ. Although he behaved in a domineering and ridiculous manner when he was outside, he never put on airs when it came to his own people.
He Ping’an was employed by Su Changqing to be Su Wen’s bodyguard.
Su Changqing had countless enemies, and there was no lack of people who wished to take their revenge on him.
He thus arranged experts around all his sons to prevent any accidents from happening.
However, to Su Wen, He Ping’an was the best fighter. He Ping’an had always been the one to defeat the other party whenever he had conflicts with others.
As for assassins, he had never met any.
When He Ping’an saw Su Wen, he bowed and said with a smile, “Third Young Master, our old master is still the powerful one. That Zhao Rui is the son of the Grand Prince, he has suffered such a great loss this time, but still has to find someone to apologize to you.”
Su Wen said smugly, “Of course. Uncle He, look at who my father is. He’s the number one official in the Great Zhou Dynasty. What Grand Prince? Wouldn’t it be a piece of cake for my father to destroy him?”
“Cough, cough, cough!”
Su Wen had just finished speaking when he heard a cough.
A middle-aged man walked out from the backyard.
He was dressed in a green robe and looked rather refined. He sported a three-inch beard on his chin, which lent him a more dignified look.
This man was precisely Su Wen’s father, the number one official of the Great Zhou, Su Changqing.
“Su Wen, where are you going?” Su Changqing asked solemnly.
Su Wen cupped his hands and smiled. “Father, the Second Prince is here today to mediate between me and Zhao Rui. I’m preparing to go meet up with them.”
Su Changqing nodded and warned, “Don’t be overbearing when you’re there. The Second Prince is, after all, still one of the current princes of the dynasty. Even though the Crown Prince’s position is firm now, no one can say for sure in the future. It’s better to be polite to the Second Prince. Also, don’t cause trouble when you have nothing to do. Learn from your big brother and second brother, learning more abilities for yourself is the right way.”
Su Changqing had three sons and the one that gave him the biggest headache was his youngest son, Su Wen.
Ever since he was young, he did not like to study literature and did not like to practice martial arts. It should be known that Su Changqing’s eldest son had won the position of the Great Zhou’s martial arts champion five years ago, while his second son had won the position of the top scholar two years ago. With Su Changqing’s support, he had already stepped into the career of an official and seemed to have a bright future.
Only Su Wen did not have any other skills apart from picking and fooling around with the other prodigals in the city.
Su Wen smiled and replied casually, “Thank you for your teachings, father. I will take my leave first!”
With that, he led He Ping’an out of the Prime Minister’s mansion.
Meanwhile in the Capital, the streets were being decorated with lanterns and colored banners.
It was not because of a holiday, but rather due to news from the border. During the war against Yan Country, the Great Zhou General Yan Ze1 was suddenly afflicted with an acute illness. Thus, his daughter, Yan Luoying, went to war on behalf of her father. She led 150,000 troops and crushed the enemies of Yan Country!
They even attacked and managed to take down the Yan Country’s famed Fort Boulder!
When the news of the great victory spread, everyone was ecstatic!
But just moments ago, another piece of news was sent back to the capital!
Yan Luoying had killed a total of 400,000 people during the war, with some Yan Country citizens included in her kill count!
Such ruthless methods had completely shocked the world!
Many scholars of the Great Zhou were furious at Yan Luoying’s actions. Even the capital of the Zhou Country, which was originally celebrating, was covered in a haze.
Pairing this atmosphere to the coincidental heavy snow, many people linked it to Yan Luoying’s behavior.
When people talked about this female general, they couldn’t help but call her ruthless and heartless.
In the royal palace, Su Changqing arrived at the Earnest Palace Hall.
The Zhou Emperor was lying on his side inside the palace. The moment he saw Su Changqing come in, he waved and smiled. “Changqing, come quickly. I have something to discuss with you.”
Before the Zhou Emperor and Su Changqing ascended the throne, they had a deep relationship.
At that time, the former was just an unimportant prince, while the latter was just a down-and-out scholar.
The two of them started off at the same time. In the Emperor’s path of ascension, there was no lack of Su Changqing’s schemes.
It could be said that the relationship between these two people far surpassed that of an ordinary lord and minister. This was also an important reason why Su Changqing had power over everyone.
Su Changqing arrived in front of the reclining Zhou Emperor and bowed. He had always been able to constantly correct his position, never growing too arrogant because of the Emperor’s favor. This was where he was smart compared to the others.
“Your Majesty, why did you summon me here?” Su Changqing asked.
The Emperor’s eyes lit up and he smiled. “Su Wen turns 18 this year, right?”
Su Changqing’s heart raced when he heard him mention Su Wen.
Su Wen was just a playboy. Why would the Emperor suddenly ask about him?
He cupped his hands and said, “That is correct.”
The Emperor smiled and said, “I heard that that child is quite absurd. Compared to Su Cheng and Su Yu, he is quite lacking.”
Su Cheng and Su Yu were Su Changqing’s eldest son and second son respectively, Su Wen’s two older brothers.
Su Changqing said, “Reporting to Your Majesty, it is indeed a bit lacking. However, this subject won’t force him. A person has their own fate. Whatever he does in the future is his own business. After a few years, this subject will give him some money to get a wife and make him start up his own family. I won’t hide this from Your Majesty. In recent years, this subject has accumulated quite a bit of my family’s private wealth. As long as he doesn’t act recklessly, it will be more than enough for him to live a stable life!”
Su Changqing was greedy, it was a known fact.
Since his reputation was not good, at this moment, he naturally would not hide it from the Zhou Emperor.
Or rather, he had done it on purpose.
The Zhou Emperor was very satisfied with Su Changqing’s words.
He smiled and said, “I called you here today because I have a marriage proposal to discuss with you.”
Su Changqing was stunned and said hesitantly, “I wonder which family’s young miss it is? My child might not even be a match for her.”
A marriage bestowed by the Emperor was a totally different concept. If the bride suffered in the future, the emperor might even bring it up.
The Zhou Emperor stared at Su Changqing’s face before softly uttering, “Yan Luoying!”
Su Changqing’s heart tightened when he heard this name.
This person was not afraid of being bullied by Su Wen. In fact, it would be good enough that she did not bully Su Wen.
But why would it be her?
Su Changqing had to consider this matter properly because her identity was too special.
Not to mention anything else, General Yan Ze was in charge of guarding the border and was a true official of the border. He also had military power in his hands. As for himself, he had power over the entire country. If the two families were to get married, it would make them even more earth-shattering.
But the question was, why did the Zhou Emperor suggest this?
In the Royal Court, the heart of an Emperor was the hardest to guess.
Even Su Changqing was unable to figure out the reason.
The Emperor could naturally see the hesitation in the latter’s heart. He also knew that if he didn’t give him an explanation, this guy would find a way to decline.
Thus, he stood up. The current Zhou Emperor was in his prime, tall and well built with a cold demeanor.
He said in a deep voice, “Changqing, we’ve known each other for decades. You should know of my ambitions!”
“This country, Great Zhou, is still too small!”
“If I want to expand, Yan Ze is an extremely important card in my hands! But Yan Ze is different from you. I’m worried about him!”
The Zhou Emperor was full of mettle!
He continued, “Yan Ze is an unruly person. He guards the borders all year round and has a high reputation in the army. He also holds the country’s military power. If not for the fact that he never had any sons, I’m afraid I would have been unable to sleep and eat in peace. But now, it seems that Yan Ze’s daughter, Yan Luoying, is not simple either. She acts ruthlessly and is extremely good at leading troops. Naturally, I have to guard against her.”
“This woman has just turned 20 this year, yet she has already accomplished such meritorious deeds. Ten years from now, who will be able to suppress her? Moreover, a woman’s thoughts are the most strange and difficult to understand. Right now, she only has Yan Ze as her family, so I wanted Su Wen to marry this woman and imprison her in the Capital, in order to grind down her heart and will.
In addition, when she gives birth to a child, it will also allow her to have some restrictions and misgivings. When I use her in the future, she will be easier to control. This will also allow Yan Ze to have more misgivings if he develops any second thoughts!
The Zhou Emperor openly said his thoughts. He looked at Su Changqing and realized that the latter had not spoken anything up till now.
He could understand why. Just the fact that this woman killed 400,000 people from the Yan Country was shocking enough.
How many people would dare to marry such a woman without any scruples?
Emperor Zhou walked to Su Changqing’s side and patted his shoulder. He sighed and said, “Changqing, I trust you the most among all the civil and military officials in the Royal Court. I believe in you the most as well. If Yan Luoying marries someone else, I will still be worried!”
Su Changqing finally understood why the Zhou Emperor would choose his son.
Trust!
Only trust would motivate him to do so!
Su Wen did not know that his marriage had been decided just like that.
At this moment, he had just arrived at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.
This was the tallest restaurant in the capital, with seven floors in total. Anyone who could ascend to the top floor and take a look at the capital had to be be an influential official of the court!
And today, the seventh floor had already been reserved.
When Su Wen entered, a waiter immediately welcomed him.
Su Wen was a frequent visitor of this building.
“Young Master Su, you’re here. The guests are already waiting for you on the seventh floor.”
Su Wen nodded and went upstairs.
He Ping’an followed behind him. As long as they were out of the Prime Minister’s mansion, he would never leave Su Wen’s side.
Su Wen went up to the seventh floor, where two well-dressed youths were already waiting.
One of them was the Grand Prince’s son, Zhao Rui, while the other was his cousin, the current second prince.
Zhao Rui’s face was still bruised from He Ping’an’s attack.
When they saw Su Wen coming up, both of them stood up at the same time.
The Second Prince smiled. “Su Wen, come quickly! We’ve been waiting for a long time!”
Su Wen went forward and the three of them greeted each other. After that, the Second Prince smiled and said, “Su Wen, Zhao Rui is my younger brother. He didn’t know you last time and got into a conflict with you. This time, he made a special effort to apologize to you.”
Zhao Rui felt aggrieved. He was the one who was being beaten up, yet he still had to apologize!
The problem was that he could not afford to offend Su Changqing’s family.
Although the Grand Prince had the word ‘Prince’ in its title, his actual authority in the court was miniscule. They were not considered to be part of the Zhou Emperor’s inner circle.
He really did not dare to offend Su Changqing.
Thus, when he returned home and told the Grand Prince that he had been beaten up, not only did he not receive any support, he was even beaten up once more. Furthermore, the Grand Prince personally sought out the Second Prince to mediate the situation.
Just like that, he invited Su Wen to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion.
The three of them sat down. Zhao Rui raised his cup and said, “Brother Su, I was in the wrong last time. I failed to recognize Mount Tai. This little brother here apologizes.”
In reality, he was a year older than Su Wen. However, at this moment, he did not dare to be careless.
Su Wen smiled and said, “There’s no need for the Young Lord to be so polite. I have long forgiven the Young Lord. However, the last time I injured my ankle due to your hip hitting me, and the medical expenses were quite high. Young Lord, how do you intend to settle this?”
Zhao Rui’s face froze!
He recalled the scene from that day.
He had been shopping happily when he met a beggar who was walking unsteadily in front of him.
At that time, he was already displeased and scolded, “Get lost.”
However, the beggar seemed to be deaf and had no reaction at all.
Zhao Rui was furious and directly kicked the beggar away.
He scolded, “F*ck, how dare you block my way? Are you tired of living?”
But he did not expect that just as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a strong force on his hips. Before he could look behind him, he toppled straight to the ground.
When he turned around, he saw Su Wen arrogantly saying, “F*ck, how dare you block this grandpa’s path? Are you tired of living?”
The same words, used against him. How arrogant was that?
Zhao Rui was after all a relative of the royal family, how could he tolerate this?
The two of them immediately started fighting!
In the end, Su Wen brought He Ping’an along and Zhao Rui was beaten up!
At this moment, Su Wen was asking for medical fees from him?
You were the one who hurt me!
What do you mean my hip hit your ankle? Is there any law? Is there any justice?’
Zhao Rui wanted to cry, but no tears could come out.
He could only turn towards the Second Prince for help.
The Second Prince remained silent for a bit before saying, “Su Wen, the medical fees shouldn’t cost much, right?”
Su Wen smiled and said, “Your Highness, you don’t know about this, but my father dotes on me the most. When he heard that my leg was injured, he fed me ten bottles of Snow Ginseng Jade Toad Pills and even bestowed upon me three bottles of Heaven Fey Blood to soak my leg. In the end, he even spent a huge sum of money to hire a personal disciple of the Jade God Sect to massage my leg. Tell me, how much money do you think this will cost?”
When Su Wen said this, he looked as if he was heartbroken. “It’s not easy for my father to embezzle money. As his son, how can I watch him spend money for nothing? I can’t be so lavish as to how I spend my father’s money. That would make me a prodigal son.”
Zhao Rui and the second prince’s jaws dropped.
This was too nonsensical. Could it be that Zhao Rui’s butt had some severe poison? Was it worth doing such a treatment?
The Snow Ginseng Jade Toad Pill and the Heaven Fey Blood were resources that cultivators yearned for in their dreams. How could he squander them like this?
However, Su Wen spoke in all seriousness.
At the same time, the Second Prince and Zhao Rui both had the same thought – Su Changqing might be trying to make use of this incident to extort a sum of money from them.
Everyone in the capital of Great Zhou knew of Su Changqing’s greed for money.
The Second Prince forced a smile on his face as he asked, “Then how much does Young Master Su think is suitable?”
Su Wen smiled and said, “It’s not much, just a million taels should be enough.”
As he spoke, he stared at Zhao Rui with a smile. It was obvious that he was waiting for Zhao Rui to express his stance!
Zhao Rui’s heart was bleeding. He hesitated, as he did not dare to make the decision for such a large sum of money.
Right at this moment, the Second Prince spoke up, “Alright, then it’s decided. Give him a few days’ grace, and he’ll send the money to your residence!”
The smile on Su Wen’s face widened as he raised his cup. “Then we’ll all be good brothers in the future! Don’t bully me again, Brother Zhao!”
Zhao Rui almost vomited blood. This was too much!
However, since the Second Prince had agreed on his behalf, Zhao Rui could only swallow his anger.
The three of them started drinking and chatting happily.
It was snowing heavily, but the three of them were seated at the top of the pavilion while drinking wine and enjoying themselves. This gave off a totally new type of atmosphere.
As they talked, the topic was brought to Yan Luoying.
After all, this was the hottest topic in all of Great Zhou.
Zhao Rui said, “That Yan Luoying is too ruthless. She killed 400,000 soldiers and civilians of the Yan Country. Not to mention women, even men don’t make such decisions. Her father, Yan Ze, has guarded the borders for so many years but even he has never done such a shocking thing.”
The Second Prince sighed, “That’s right. Yan Ze is a general of his generation, and she’s truly the daughter of a general. I heard that Yan Luoying is extremely beautiful, but it’s a pity that no one would dare to marry her.”
Su Wen smiled and said, “So what if she’s beautiful? Think about it, you’re lying next to someone who has killed hundreds of thousands of people. I’m afraid even if you wake up in the middle of the night, you would still have to touch your own head to make sure it’s still attached.”
Su Wen never thought that he would have any connection with Yan Luoying.
The second prince chuckled, “That’s right. In addition, I heard that Yan Luoying is already a Star Rank expert at such a young age. Even in the entire capital of Zhou, there aren’t many people who possess such talent. If her husband ever tries to argue with her, he might even get beat up instead. Wouldn’t that be a joke?”
At this moment, a person suddenly came up from the staircase. Su Wen frowned, as he recognized the person from the Su Residence.
That person cupped his hands at Su Wen and said, “Third Young Master, Old Master has summoned you back to the residence. He said he has something important to discuss.”
Su Wen thought about it. ‘Important matters? Why is my father looking for me? Could I have gotten into trouble again? Other than going to a few brothels and beating up a few young masters and losing some money, I don’t seem to have gotten into any big trouble.’
However, he had no intention of returning home immediately. Instead, he said, “Can’t you see that I’m drinking with the Second Prince right now? You go back first. I’ll be there later.”
According to convention, whenever Su Changqing was looking for him, nothing good would come out of it.
Su Wen planned to return home after drinking.
The door was helpless. This young master was used to being rebellious.
He pleaded, “Young Master, if you don’t go back, Master will punish me. You should go back and take a look.”
The Second Prince sighed, “Su Wen, the Prime Minister is looking for you. It might be an urgent matter. In my opinion, you should return first, don’t let the prime minister misunderstand.”
Zhao Rui also advised, “Brother Su, let’s go back first. Prime Minister Su’s matter is more important.”
Seeing the two of them persuading him repeatedly, Su Wen knew that even if he continued drinking, the two of them would definitely think of ways to get him home.
He stood up and said with a smile, “Alright then. However, I haven’t had a good time with the two of you today. I’ll be the host another day and invite the two of you to Hundred Flowers Pavilion. Let’s have a good time then.”
Of course, these were just words of courtesy.
Zhao Rui and the Second Prince did not take it seriously as well. The three of them chatted for a while before Su Wen left.
After he left, Zhao Rui looked at the Second Prince and wailed, “Royal Brother! You’re agreeing to this kid’s request just like that? That’s a million taels of silver!”
The second prince glared at Su Changqing and said, “If Su Changqing really makes a move, it’s hard to say whether or not your father will be able to keep his title of nobility. Do you think a million taels is that expensive? Do you think that kid would kick you for no reason? There are so many people on the streets, so why didn’t he kick someone else?
Your father had a close relationship with King Yu back then, and King Yu was a great enemy of my father. After he died, my father never pursued your father, but that doesn’t mean that he has forgotten about this matter! If he really decides to start a dispute, then your father won’t be able to win against Su Changqing. This one million taels of silver can be considered as spending money to avoid disaster!”
Zhao Rui was speechless.
Outside the door, Su Wen was already on the carriage.
He Ping’an drove the carriage towards the Prime Minister’s mansion.
[Ding-dong. Congratulations, Host has received 200 Points from Zhao Rui’s rage.]
Su Wen’s expression was calm as he looked at his personal attributes.
Host: Su Wen
Emotional Value: 1250 points
Level: 8
Cultivation: Star Rank 7th Grade
Cultivation Technique: Heaven & Earth Great Solar Sutra
Battle Technique: Jadebreak Fist (LV4) Layered Wave Saber (LV5)
Seeing that his Emotional Value had reached 1250, he tapped on the Jadebreak Fist option in the techniques column.
[Ding-dong. Does the Host wish to level up Jadebreak Fist? Emotional Value of 1,200 points is required!]
“Confirm!”
A golden light flashed, and information surged into Su Wen’s mind. He now had an even deeper understanding of the usage methods and combat applications of the Jadebreak Fist.
This was the golden finger he had obtained after transmigrating.
To put it simply, no matter what Su Wen did, as long as he triggered a strong emotional fluctuation, he would receive Emotional Value in the form of points.
It did not matter if the emotions were positive or negative.
The Emotional Value had many uses, able to exchange for heavenly materials, earthly treasures, elixirs, and even be used to improve one’s abilities.
However, it was not so easy to obtain emotional points. Firstly, only large emotional fluctuations would be detected by the system.
For example, ordinary feelings such as like, or feeling irked would not bring him much emotional value.
Furthermore, every time he leveled up, Su Wen would get a chance to draw the lottery.
There were good and bad items to be obtained from the lottery, and the best item Su Wen obtained was his Heaven & Earth Great Solar Sutra.
The corners of Su Wen’s lips curled up slightly in disdain. Yan Luoying? A twenty-year-old Star Rank genius?
If his true cultivation was exposed, he would immediately become the number one genius of Great Zhou.
Those cultivators who had reached Star Rank after breaking through Ordinary Rank 9th Grade could be considered to be accomplished in life. However, there was still the Earth Rank above the Star Rank. Only at this rank could one be considered an expert. Above the Earth Rank, there was still a higher tier, that was the Heaven Rank. That was a height that all cultivators dreamed of.
Star Rank. Earth Rank. Heaven Rank. Every rank would start from 1st Grade, with 9th Grade representing perfection in that rank. As for whether there existed a tier above the Heaven Rank, no one knew.
Any Heaven Rank would already be a force to be reckoned with.
There were also rumors in the capital that the Great Zhou Imperial Palace hosted an ancestor at the Heaven Rank.
On the other hand, Su Wen was only 18 years old, yet he was already a Star Rank 7th Grade cultivator. He could definitely be considered a top-notch genius.
Even in the major sects, it was extremely rare for someone to have such a cultivation at this age!
If this news were to spread, it would definitely shock the world.
“Third Young Master, we’re here.”
He Ping’an’s voice suddenly sounded from outside the carriage.
Download MangaToon APP on App Store and Google Play
