Chapter 135: The Mischievous Prince Encounters a Ruthless Emperor
“Your Majesty, here’s a memorial from the Ministry of War that requires your review.”
Shangshu Ling Gongsun Yao handed a jade slip over to Emperor Xia’s desk and said.
Clearly, this was an important memorial.
Emperor Xia picked up the jade slip, and a surge of information rushed into his mind.
A man dressed in Great Xia’s military uniform and possessing a fierce demeanor knelt on one knee, “This subordinate, Xing Yan, pays respects to Your Majesty.”
After that, Xing Yan stood up and began to narrate the matter he was reporting.
“I have secretly constructed a short-distance teleportation array. With just one imperial decree, the Ancient Beast Kingdom can be brought into our Great Xia territory within a day, establishing a new border defense line.”
“Additionally, several neighboring countries around the Ancient Beast Kingdom have shown changes in their military mobilizations in recent days; it seems they’ve sensed something. Therefore, I request that we announce immediately that the Ancient Beast Kingdom has been incorporated into our Great Xia territory.”
“Furthermore, many individuals from these countries have visited Langya Pavilion, likely wanting to know the truth. Should we remind Langya Pavilion about this?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Xing Yan’s figure disappeared.
Emperor Xia pondered for a moment.
He didn’t need to worry about Langya Pavilion. Although Langya Pavilion knew some court affairs, like the recent surrender of the Ancient Beast Kingdom, they must already be aware of it.
As long as Great Xia didn’t announce it, Langya Pavilion wouldn’t disclose the news to outsiders.
After all, abstaining from court issues and refraining from state conflicts is an ironclad rule for Langya Pavilion, which is also crucial for its standing.
As for announcing the surrender of the Ancient Beast Kingdom early, Emperor Xia hadn’t considered that yet; at least, he wanted to wait until the Royal Tomb Trial ended.
Thus, he directly declined Xing Yan’s request.
“Your Majesty, there are already so many memorials from Prince Bei. Are you sure you don’t want to take a look? Some of them make a lot of sense, in my opinion,” Gongsun Yao inquired after Emperor Xia put down the jade slip.
There were already dozens of jade slips stacked beside him, all pertaining to Prince Bei.
Most of these were from scholars, much like passionate youths.
These individuals were the reserve for Great Xia’s future civil servants. As long as officials were willing to make connections, they could also present memorials.
“I won’t look; I trust that after this incident, he will learn his lesson. At least on the surface, he will improve. Slowly, these people will quiet down. There’s no need to worry about them.”
Gongsun Yao and Zhongshu Ling Chang Tang exchanged glances, both recognizing the helplessness in each other’s eyes.
Ha!!
Ha!!
Ha!!
The sudden noise instantly drew the attention of the three within the cabinet.
Gongsun Yao and Chang Tang couldn’t help but frown.
Where was this? The cabinet!
The place where Emperor Xia reviewed memorials, an absolutely quiet place—who dared to make such a racket?
“Prince Bei, this is the cabinet, you can’t act so recklessly!”
The soldiers’ voices accompanied the commotion.
Upon hearing this, all three figures realized who was causing the ruckus.
It was likely only the audacious Prince Bei who would dare create noise here.
Outside the cabinet.
Qin Bei sized up the two approaching imperial guards and, brandishing his spear, halted their advance.
“I am diligently training; please don’t disturb me. If my spear techniques do not improve because of you, I will be furious!”
“You can practice your spear skills, of course, but you can’t do so here. His Majesty and the two ministers are reviewing memorials. Your actions will disturb them.”
One of the soldiers replied, distressed.
Just moments earlier, Qin Bei had arrived at the cabinet claiming he wanted to meet Emperor Xia.
Naturally, they let him enter; after all, this noble was no one to provoke.
But the moment he stepped into the cabinet, the soldiers witnessed Qin Bei pull out his spear from his Cosmos Bag and began practicing in the courtyard…
His spear techniques were so vigorous that it dazzled the two soldiers; they initially thought Qin Bei wanted to show off his skills.
Only when Qin Bei started yelling while executing his techniques did they realize something was amiss.
Isn’t he just here to make trouble?
“Don’t touch me! When I go wild, I can’t control myself, and if I injure you, it will be my fault for not warning you!”
Qin Bei pointed at the two soldiers, preventing them from getting close, and resumed his spear practice.
Ha!!
Ha!!
…
“Your Majesty!”
In the next moment, three figures arrived—the trio who were reviewing memorials in the cabinet.
“What on earth are you doing?”
Emperor Xia waved his hand to dismiss the two soldiers, then turned to Qin Bei, demanding an explanation.
“Father, I stumbled upon some insights last night. I felt the breakthrough of spear intent occurs in an instant, so I came early to practice.”
Seeing the main figure come out, Qin Bei finally put away his spear, smiling at Emperor Xia.
Emperor Xia took a deep breath, suppressing his inner fury before continuing, “I meant to ask why you came here!”
Qin Bei gazed at Emperor Xia, utterly puzzled, then responded, “Didn’t I already say? I came to practice my spear.”
Emperor Xia: …
Gongsun Yao: …
Chang Tang: …
The three were left speechless.
“Do you realize this is the cabinet? Not a training chamber! If you want to practice, you can return to your royal residence or, if not, go to the royal training grounds! How could the cabinet be a place for you to train? I’d say you’re just looking to get caught by the royal family for a proper lesson in etiquette; you clearly don’t understand even the basics!”
Emperor Xia reprimanded coldly.
“Are you not leaving already?!”
Seeing that Qin Bei still hadn’t made a move, Emperor Xia frowned.
He couldn’t comprehend what was going on with Qin Bei today.
Practicing spear techniques in the cabinet was utterly absurd; he couldn’t believe it was even being considered.
“Father, you misunderstand. I have a reason for being here to practice,” Qin Bei hastily defended himself.
“Oh? Then I’m curious. What reason could there be for you to come here?”
Emperor Xia asked, intrigued by Qin Bei’s serious demeanor.
As soon as Qin Bei heard this, a wide smile broke out on his face.
“I don’t know if Father remembers what I said before: the state of mind is crucial while cultivating. If I’m in a good mood, my training will yield significant improvements.”
Emperor Xia: ψ(*｀ー′)ψ
Oh no, not this again! I’ve already checked with the weapon spirit; no matter the bizarre abilities in this cultivation world, nothing is this absurd.
If it really involves the state of mind, then you’d need to reach at least my level.
And the state of mind at my level is not just about feeling good momentarily; it’s about deep inner comprehension.
What Qin Bei is describing is an entirely different concept, so his claims seem frivolous and cheeky to Emperor Xia.
Nevertheless, Emperor Xia nodded and said, “I remember.”
“It’s good that you still recall. After the incident with Concubine Shu… oh… no… it’s Concubine Yu, my state of mind changed drastically. My training speed dropped dramatically, and my comprehension worsened. Right when I was about to break through a barrier, I needed to adjust my mind. So I thought to look at the treasures I spent a fortune on for my residence to lift my spirits. But when I got to that point, it almost sent me away on the spot! Those scoundrels from the Ministry of Revenue ransacked all the rare items in my mansion, leaving not a single one behind! This is absolutely ridiculous!”
As Qin Bei spoke, he waved his arms around to vent his frustration; Gongsun Yao and the other two looked on, thinking if the Minister of Revenue were here, Qin Bei would probably punch him on the spot.
Emperor Xia quietly watched Qin Bei ramble on.
Now he finally understood why Qin Bei was here.
The cultivation, the state of mind—all just nonsense.
With that dramatic display, it was clear Qin Bei was upset about getting his extravagant purchases confiscated and decided to take it out on himself.
He was even cursing the Minister of Revenue?
Was he really blaming the Minister of Revenue?
It was blatantly directed at himself since he was the one who issued the order.
Otherwise, the Ministry of Revenue wouldn’t have had the guts to loots anything from a prince of three seals.
“Especially the two Golden Lion Kings in front of my residence! Father, you won’t believe it, they were my pride and joy! All my spirit stones went into buying them, and now they’ve been taken away, my heart is bleeding,” Qin Bei lamented, clutching his heart with a pained expression, his performance so melodramatic he looked close to tears.
Gongsun Yao finally couldn’t take it anymore; Qin Bei was overdoing it! His subtle accusations were so transparent it was impossible not to connect the dots, so he spoke up: “Um, Prince Bei, His Majesty didn’t ask you any of this, you don’t have to say it. His Majesty merely wants to know why you’ve come to practice in the cabinet. After all, this isn’t exactly a prime training spot, nor will it benefit your practice.”
“Tsk~ Minister, no need to rush, I’m just getting to the reason!”
Qin Bei shot Gongsun Yao an annoyed look, then turned his attention back to Emperor Xia, continuing, “There’s nothing of value left in my mansion to soothe me, but the royal tomb trial is approaching soon. I can’t just let myself go, so I thought about the palace; there must be plenty of good things here. As long as I glance at them from time to time, my mood will greatly improve, and my training speed will skyrocket!”
Saying that, Qin Bei made his way to a peculiar-looking stone nearby and declared, “See? This stone caught my eye instantly. Looking at it makes me feel incredibly happy, and my training speed is nothing short of remarkable! Thus, I practiced my spear technique here, without any other intentions—simply borrowing the venue.”
After he finished speaking, he gently caressed the stone as if it were his beloved.
This spectacle left Gongsun Yao and the others dumbfounded.
“But… Prince Bei, this stone is just an ordinary rock. There’s nothing special about it,” Chang Tang could no longer contain his urge to correct him.
Qin Bei, still stroking the stone, paused, then withdrew his hand, unperturbed, and replied, “Oh? Is that so? But it’s fine; so long as I’m here in the cabinet, I see this stone, and for some reason, I feel extraordinarily happy, and my cultivation speed just soars.”
Chang Tang: …
Come on, if you’re going to fabricate a lie to stir things up, can’t you craft a better one?
Even if you said the spiritual energy around the cabinet suits your training better, that’d be fine; after all, Emperor Xia has been here for years, and the spiritual energy must have some changes happening! Why such an obvious lie?
Meanwhile, Emperor Xia’s fists were already clenched tight.
If he hadn’t been trying hard to control himself, he would’ve slapped Qin Bei right out of the room.
Now, he understood everything: Qin Bei was upset about having his royal allocations retracted, and the treasures from his estate taken. It’s only natural for him to feel resentment.
But here came Qin Bei, creating chaos for himself.
If it were any ordinary prince, Emperor Xia would have lodged a direct order to have the guards escort him out…
Wait, no ordinary prince but Qin Bei would ever dare such a thing.
But what could he expect? Even if Emperor Xia believed he was fair and allowed Qin Bei to ascend through harsh competition, he had already internally accepted Qin Bei as the next crown prince. No matter how hard he tried not to favor one side, bias would seep in.
Just like this time with Ling Yu, no favoritism was evident on the surface, yet he had secretly invested effort.
However, reflecting on it, the price Qin Bei paid for this was substantial, and feeling bitter was somewhat warranted.
But this personality of Qin Bei…
He truly did not want to take any loss, and before he’d confronted him directly, he’d come to mess with him.
“Very well! I understand. Since my son is so passionate about training, I shall not hinder you. Train away; I will create a barrier to ensure no one interrupts your cultivation, so my son may focus on that stone, training well!”
To everyone’s surprise, Emperor Xia wasn’t angry at all; his tone even carried a hint of satisfaction.
‘Your Majesty wouldn’t have actually believed the nonsense from Prince Bei, would he? It can’t be!’
Gongsun Yao and Chang Tang exchanged glances, each reflecting confusion in the other’s eyes.
Qin Bei was taken aback.
In his plan, Emperor Xia should have been ready to scold him, after which he could continue to act rogue daily! Every day stirring chaos while Emperor Xia reviewed memorials.
Then, in a fury, Emperor Xia would toss him the stone, and as for the aftermath—he’d keep it going.
But now… Emperor Xia had agreed to let him train…
This was quite the awkward situation.
“No, Father, actually…”
Before Qin Bei could finish, he felt a force encircle the entire cabinet.
He was trapped inside the cabinet like this…
Damn!
Emperor Xia watched Qin Bei’s grim expression, chuckling inwardly. Wanting to train, huh?
Then just train here in the cabinet, and don’t think about going anywhere.
Based on Emperor Xia’s understanding of Qin Bei, if he weren’t at a breakthrough point, Qin Bei wouldn’t peacefully remain in one place for half a month, quietly training.
This time he might finally taste the bitterness of solitude.
However, Emperor Xia put on a stern face and said, “My son, quickly focus on cultivating with that stone! Don’t waste time; the royal tomb trial will commence in half a month.”
With that, Emperor Xia led Gongsun Yao and the others back into the chamber to continue reviewing the memorials.
“Father, you could have given me that stone; I could take it back to the palace to train with,” Qin Bei scrambled after him, eager.
But Emperor Xia had already tuned him out.
Once they entered the chamber, Emperor Xia easily set up a soundproof barrier, rendering Qin Bei’s words inaudible.
“Damn! How careless! I forgot that this old man’s cultivation is high-level!”
Qin Bei stomped his foot, cracking the ground beneath him, gritting his teeth in frustration.
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