Chapter 100: A Little Surprise
“Stop!”
As Qin Bei and Fei Yu stepped out of the building, they were halted by a shout.
“Captain, what’s wrong?”
Fei Yu inquired, eyeing the person before them.
The individual was clad in military attire—clearly a captain from the Imperial Guards.
He was of a higher rank.
So, when intercepted, Fei Yu’s first instinct was to ask about the reason behind it.
“The Minister sent me to check your retrieval files,” the captain stated plainly.
Fei Yu frowned, glancing at Wen Hua in the distance, who was overseeing resource mobilization.
He felt a twinge of confusion.
Why would a minister be interested in the retrieval files in his possession?
After all, there were flaws in those files.
If this was pursued…
Even though he merely brought people in to retrieve it, it could still be classified as dereliction of duty.
“Captain, this…”
Fei Yu hesitated.
“Quit dawdling, it’s just a retrieval file, right? Don’t tell me you haven’t retrieved it?”
The captain frowned, demanding an answer.
He thought it was just a routine check; little did he know it could actually reveal a problem.
“Of course I have! How could I possibly use national treasury resources without the retrieval file? It’s just that…”
Fei Yu ultimately had no choice but to produce the retrieval file for the captain to see.
After reviewing it, the captain immediately grasped the issue.
It wasn’t that there wasn’t a retrieval file.
It’s just that there was a bit of a problem with this particular file…
“Prince Bei?”
“Yes, Captain. This is Prince Bei, authorized by Zhang Quande,” Fei Yu quickly explained.
Then he introduced Qin Bei.
“Greetings, Prince Bei.”
Upon realizing Qin Bei’s identity, the captain showed him due respect.
This person was currently a hotshot in the capital—everyone wanted to get in his good graces.
He was no exception.
After looking at the file’s instructions, it was meant for the upcoming royal tomb trial.
Although ordinary folks like them didn’t know exactly when the royal tomb trial would take place, if someone of Prince Bei’s stature said it would be in over a month, then it would indeed be in over a month.
“In that case, wait here for a moment. I’ll report this to the minister.”
The captain remembered that it was the minister who had sent him to investigate.
Even though Zhang Quande, the head of the Ministry of Revenue, had already approved it,
the assistant minister held a higher rank and needed to be informed.
“Okay, we’ll just be waiting here.”
Qin Bei replied nonchalantly.
After all, he had already taken out the spirit stones. Not to mention that the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue was a spy for the Beast Taming Sect.
Even if the favored right assistant minister showed up, Qin Bei was determined to claim the spirit stones today!
“But this Cosmos Bag needs to be stored with me first. What do you think, Prince Bei?”
The captain looked at Qin Bei, asking cautiously.
Qin Bei: …
This kid sure is bold, daring to say that!
“The assistant minister asked me to bring it over; please don’t make it difficult for a mere soldier like myself, Prince Bei.”
The captain did his utmost to express his predicament.
He wasn’t worried about anyone laughing at him.
With his position, he couldn’t afford to offend either side, so he could only hope for more leniency from one of them.
Glimpsing Qin Bei’s narrowed eyes,
the captain suddenly sensed the atmosphere change.
“I’m such a fool! Prince Bei is famously arrogant; doing this is like asking for death!”
He felt like slapping himself hard.
“Uh, I’m sorry…”
The captain began to admit his fault just as he heard Qin Bei say coolly, “Fei Yu, give it to him.”
Qin Bei had no intention of making things difficult for the captain.
He realized the disparity in status was too great, and the captain was merely following orders.
If he were to nitpick, it would seem a bit petty.
This unexpected turn didn’t just surprise the captain,
it astonished Fei Yu as well.
“It seems many things can’t be taken at face value,”
they both mused inwardly.
At least for now, Qin Bei was not the unreasonable and pompous prince everyone claimed him to be.
“Thank you for your understanding, Prince Bei.”
The captain bowed hurriedly in gratitude.
“Alright, go ahead and ask what your minister wants!”
Qin Bei said lightly.
…
Meanwhile, Wen Hua was busy arranging tasks but would occasionally glance in their direction.
He was waiting for Qin Bei to lose his temper so he could make his grand entrance.
His plan was to stand on the moral high ground and engage in verbal sparring with Qin Bei.
After all, he was aware that his status was inferior to Qin Bei’s.
Though he was confident he was stronger in terms of power,
the gap in status made direct confrontation impossible.
However…
Everything turned out to be a disappointment for him.
Qin Bei did not throw a fit when interrogated.
In fact, he had the captain bring him everything he needed.
“Damn! When did Prince Bei become so spineless? Can’t even get angry at an Imperial Guards captain?”
Wen Hua thought as he looked at the captain before him.
…
“Minister, I’ve completed the check, and there are no major issues.”
The captain returned to report to Wen Hua, handing over the retrieval documents and Cosmos Bag.
“Really? Is this what you call no major problems? Securing resources in advance, how is that different from misappropriating national treasury assets?!”
Since Qin Bei wasn’t losing his temper,
Wen Hua wouldn’t let him have a smooth ride.
“But there’s a reason this time—royal tombs are about to be opened. Didn’t Prince Xiu also take two months’ allocation from you early? Prince Bei’s has Zhang Quande’s seal as well; we, the Imperial Guards, approved it.”
The captain questioned, puzzled.
This situation might be rare, but it wasn’t unheard of.
In such a large dynasty, navigating personal connections and social norms was often unavoidable.
As long as it didn’t harm the royal family’s interests, even Emperor Xia wouldn’t mind.
“Humph! Prince Xiu has already reached the Nascent Soul realm. Once the royal tomb opens, he’ll definitely enter the trial.”
“But can Prince Bei say the same? It took him twenty years to reach the Foundation Establishment realm! Do you seriously think he can breakthrough to the Golden Core realm in no time? Don’t forget, the minimum cultivation level to enter the royal tomb trial is the Golden Core realm. Not even princes are exempt!”
“By now, you shouldn’t be a rookie; can you not distinguish truth from falsehood on matters like these?”
Wen Hua reprimanded him.
“It’s so blatant, using the royal tomb trial as an excuse to get resources early. Can’t you see it? You lot! Especially that Zhang Quande—what a bunch of useless nobodies! Good-for-nothings!”
Wen Hua’s voice grew increasingly loud.
The people around him heard it all but didn’t dare utter a word.
After all, he held the rank of a third-tier official.
No one present could afford to cross him.
“But… considering it’s Prince Bei, shouldn’t we yield a bit?”
The captain held some goodwill towards Qin Bei, as he hadn’t made things difficult for him earlier, so he tried to plead for him.
However, the reality was disappointing.
It would have been better if he stayed quiet; as soon as he spoke, Wen Hua found an outlet to vent his frustrations.
“Useless! What’s wrong with Prince Bei? You’re just following regulations, and those regulations were set by the Emperor as well as the Cabinet. We serve the Emperor, not Prince Bei!”
“Without skill, you still wish to override the rules! Go ahead and dream on!”
Wen Hua waved dismissively.
If it weren’t for the fact that the captain was a soldier and not his subordinate,
he would’ve directly taken action.
“What about the spirit stones in this Cosmos Bag?”
The captain ventured tentatively.
“Do I really need to tell you? Hand them back to me. And bring Zhang Quande in!”
Wen Hua continued.
“Yes.”
The captain was left with no choice but to follow Wen Hua’s orders.
After all, he was a third-tier official.
He couldn’t afford to offend him.
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