Chapter 171: Can the delay be more obvious?
Within the Imperial Palace Cabinet.
At this moment, Emperor Xia sat at the head of the table, his brows tightly knitted.
His mood at this time was undoubtedly the worst it had been in recent years.
Because after a whole night, Qin Bei was still nowhere to be found.
“Your Majesty, it’s time to open the royal tomb. Commander Kong Fei has sent someone to ask if we should proceed,” inquired Gongsun Yao, the cabinet chief, respectfully.
“Wait!”
Emperor Xia spoke only that one word, with little elaboration.
However, Gongsun Yao could feel the emperor’s anger thick in the air.
He dared not say anything more and stepped out of the cabinet to convey the emperor’s intent to the commander of the imperial army.
…
On this side, Kong Fei, who received the emperor’s order, was in quite a bind.
The time to open the royal tomb had been announced earlier, and now that the time had come but it was still not opened, people on the scene were certainly gossiping away.
Sure enough, when the time to open the royal tomb arrived, all eyes turned toward the entrance, everyone buzzing like they’d just been injected with chicken blood.
But the entrance remained shut tight for a while longer.
This sparked immediate confusion.
“What’s going on? Isn’t it time yet? Why hasn’t the entrance opened?”
“Right! Is something wrong?”
“It’s possible; this time the tomb was supposed to open early. I wasn’t fully prepared, so maybe the royal family isn’t ready either.”
…
Listening to the crowd’s chatter, Kong Fei’s forehead creased in worry.
It wouldn’t be a good solution to keep waiting like this.
Considering this, he approached the royal tomb entrance.
Everyone thought Kong Fei was going to manually open the tomb.
Who would have guessed that he would stand at the entrance, facing the crowd.
“The royal tomb is about to open, and I need to clarify the rules for everyone.”
Kong Fei’s voice was deep, and even though the place was vast, his words resonated, catching everyone’s attention.
However, what he said left everyone momentarily stunned.
When did the commander of the imperial army need to explain the royal tomb rules?
Previously, those allowed inside already knew the rules ahead of time—there was no need for the royal family to spell it out.
Wouldn’t that just cause trouble for the royal family? No one dared to think this.
“The rules are as follows…”
Kong Fei seriously felt like he had no choice. This was the only way he could come up with to stall for time.
In fact, to stretch the time a bit longer, he split a single sentence into several parts.
When clearly stating there was only one point, he ended up breaking it down into countless sub-points.
“What is this for? My master’s chant isn’t as hypnotic as his explanations of the rules.”
“Is this really the commander of the imperial army? Wasn’t he supposed to be a rough fellow who’s not that good with words? What is happening here?”
“Could it be that General Kong is trying to change everyone’s perception of him?”
The crowd buzzed with speculations.
Gradually, those present began to understand the situation.
Kong Fei was clearly just stalling for time.
…
Inside the little world of the study.
At that moment, Qin Bei had no idea that he was the reason a rough man like Kong Fei had to put on a scholarly act.
As time clicked away, Qin Bei felt the entrance to the royal tomb was about to close.
If he wanted to get in before it shut, he had to exit this mini-world right now.
So Qin Bei wasted no time, grasping the key in his hand; he exited the little world and appeared in Emperor Xia’s study.
…
In the cabinet.
Gongsun Yao observed Emperor Xia, who was resting with his eyes closed in the chief seat, and softly asked, “Your Majesty, General Kong Fei is struggling, and several princes are already becoming impatient.”
“Wait!”
Emperor Xia held back his words, again just saying “wait.”
“Hmm?”
Suddenly, Emperor Xia’s previously tightly closed eyes opened, carrying a hint of confusion.
“Your Majesty, what’s going on?”
Gongsun Yao asked, puzzled.
But Emperor Xia didn’t answer him. In the next moment, he vanished from the cabinet.
…
“You’re quite good at hiding!”
A cold, majestic voice came from behind, causing cold sweat to suddenly break out on Qin Bei’s back.
Turning stiffly, Qin Bei met the serious gaze of Emperor Xia.
“Father… Father? Shouldn’t you be in the royal tomb at this time? Why are you here?”
Normally, during the royal tomb trial, Emperor Xia would also enter to observe.
Moreover, it wasn’t just Emperor Xia; the guardians from those big powers could watch as well.
Of course, only Emperor Xia and a few chosen ones could have a view in the central area.
This is why Qin Bei thought he could squeeze in at the last minute.
By the time Emperor Xia discovered him, he’d be well inside the royal tomb.
No matter how furious the other guy was, he wouldn’t be able to touch him right away.
Looking at the awkward Qin Bei standing before him, Emperor Xia felt the urge to just beat him up and then give a stern scolding.
But he ultimately resisted.
The royal tomb trial was the priority now; accounting would come later!
“If you fail to meet my requirements in this royal tomb trial, it’ll be your home from now on; you can just stay there forever!”
Emperor Xia looked at Qin Bei calmly as he spoke.
Once Qin Bei heard this, he knew it wasn’t a joke.
His father could indeed do something so outrageous to back him into a corner.
“As for the things you did behind my back, I’ll hold you accountable one by one after the trial, so don’t even think about running; there’s no escape!”
Before Qin Bei could come up with an excuse, Emperor Xia grabbed him and threw him out. The next second, Qin Bei landed in the square.
“You’re really brave, hiding out in the palace like this.”
Emperor Xia murmured softly.
He hadn’t expected Qin Bei to be hiding in this little world, so it was no wonder he hadn’t noticed him at all.
Clearly, Qin Bei had planned it all meticulously.
Including his own search efforts.
The only miscalculation was not anticipating that the royal tomb wouldn’t open without him.
This sort of oversight was quite normal.
It was the first time since the royal tomb trials began that the opening time was altered because of someone’s actions.
Perhaps it would be the last.
…
“Ah, I know—this time, there are more participants able to enter the royal tomb trial. Some factions are actually getting the chance to enter for the first time, so they aren’t very familiar with the rules. But no worries! I will now summarize the rules from earlier and repeat the most important ones.”
Listening to Kong Fei’s monologue, everyone in the square was nearing a meltdown.
This delay seemed endless!
…
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