Chapter 33
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Chapter 33:
At the same time, inside the Forbidden City.
Jian Hou was wearing a gray official robe, standing inside the magnificent Taihe Hall.
He didn’t have outstanding looks or body compared to others, blending in like a stone in the sea, but his light amber eyes gave Jian Hou a sense of calmness and composure.
It took Jian Hou only five days to rise from an unknown clerk to his current position.
Jian Hou looked up at the king destined to be remembered as a "weak ruler" in history. The throne, gilded and placed on a cedar platform in the center of the hall, was surrounded by six coiled dragon pillars, giving a magnificent aura. The current emperor of Daliang, Liang Yongyuan, nearing fifty, with a slightly overweight figure, looked even bulkier standing in front of the slender Jian Hou.
Jian Hou was greatly favored by the emperor. Liang Yongyuan even issued a decree to let him lead the Astronomical Bureau and Star-Picking Pavilion, breaking traditions.
Since its establishment, the Star-Picking Pavilion had been in constant competition with the Astronomical Bureau.
In their bid for the emperor’s favor and more power, the rivalry between the two institutions, involving mutual surveillance, denunciations, and even assassinations and false accusations, had been going on for a decade. The internal conflicts not only caused chaos within the court but also had a significant impact on the common people. Surprisingly, after Jian Hou took over, there was a rare period of peace. Witnessing Jian Hou’s methods, the emperor placed greater trust in him.
Though not exceptionally talented, the emperor also had his good points. The palace maids serving in the Yinhe Hall all knew that the current emperor had stable emotions, listened to advice, was generous to those around him, and never withheld rewards.
The current emperor not only didn’t give an intimidating vibe, but also exuded a laid-back and approachable demeanor.
In the kingdom, troubles increased while the king only cared about living a luxurious life. Honestly, Liang Yongyuan wasn’t a good ruler, but for the palace staff, he was considered decent to serve.
Jian Hou realized that the emperor in Daliang cared more about his own comfort than anything else. From their interactions, Jian Hou could see Liang Yongyuan’s attitude towards life – everything is good as long as it pleases the Prime Minister!
"Jian Hou, how did that thing you mentioned yesterday turn out?"
Hearing the king’s happy voice, Jian Hou focused his thoughts and calmly replied, "The three princes will arrive in the capital tomorrow, which should help get rid of the palace’s troubles. Regarding Minister Liu’s case, I have found some leads and expect to solve it soon. If Your Majesty grants me three hundred royal guards, I promise to deal with it effectively."
Liang Yongyuan was pleased and called out to Zhou Defu, instructing him to summon Prime Minister Gu and assign him three hundred Jinwei Guards, no, five hundred! All to be under Jian Hou’s command, as he will be of great use.
Zhou Defu bowed and left the hall, straightening up only after leaving. He gave some instructions to a young eunuch guarding the door, emphasizing a particular gesture indicating the number "two" discreetly.
Throughout the meeting with Jian Hou, the king’s mouth never stopped moving. After finishing one plate of pastries, he waved his hand for another to be brought over by the attendants. In a rare moment of respite, he inquired, "Jian Hou, have you found that ‘monster’ you mentioned that can grant my wishes?"
Jian Hou nodded, knowing he had caught the king’s interest by mentioning it. There indeed was a creature in the Dungeon, but it wasn’t the mystical entity he had described to Liang Yongyuan.
Jian Hou calmly stated, "Your Majesty, I have located traces of the monster on the outskirts of the capital the other day."
The emperor asked impatiently, "Why hasn’t it been captured yet?"
Jian Hou replied, "Your majesty, this monster doesn’t have a fixed form or voice, and doesn’t belong to our time and space. It feeds on the consciousness of other beings. To defeat it, we must find its ‘heart’. Also, it has a strong ability to learn, it might have learned to disguise itself by now. We shouldn’t act rashly. We should deal with the evil spirits in the palace first, then everything will be back on track and the world can operate normally."
Jian Hou glanced at the current emperor’s fat face, paused, thought that he wouldn’t understand, and added, "I will surely make Your Majesty’s empire stable and peaceful."
The emperor didn’t understand, but pretended he did, nodding and saying, "Alright, we will do as you say."
As long as Jian Hou could help him fulfill his wish, the emperor didn’t care about other small matters.
Having been used to delegating responsibilities over the years, Liang Yongyuan knew that no matter how big of a mess he made, Prime Minister Gu would always clean it up for him.
So even though there might be some deception in Jian Hou’s promises, Liang Yongyuan was willing to try for the possibility of fulfillment, after all, what if he could really achieve his forty-year-old dream…?
***
In the morning, after Jian Hou reported his plan to the emperor, before noon, the Second Prince received the news in the royal court. Zhou Defu played an important role in this fast and complete communication chain.
When Dark Guard passed the message to the Second Prince, Liang Changfeng was listening to the reports from a few estate managers about the recent income of the manor. His newly acquired skinny horse was kneeling by his feet, its eyes filled with tears. Its slender waist curved in a beautiful and alluring manner as it sobbed softly, evoking sympathy from onlookers. However, the Second Prince remained indifferent.
Initially, Kong Jiao treated the game NPC with some playful thoughts in front of the Second Prince, but now she had let go of all her ambitions and fantasies since entering the mansion. The tears on her face were not to seduce the Second Prince, but purely out of fear.
This was not her first time venturing into the Dungeon, and she voluntarily offered herself to the Second Prince through Huang Yuanwu, aiming to gain more information and resources.
The "skinny horse" industry in Daliang had a long history. Girls raised as skinny horses usually came from poor families. Some intermediaries would "reserve" girls from destitute families in advance, persuading them not to abandon the daughters born into poverty but to raise them to a certain age.
Then, at the appropriate age, these girls would be taken away by the intermediaries for training, which mainly involved skills like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Over the years, these girls underwent continuous "training" and were eventually presented to the aristocrats who came to "raise skinny horses."
A top-quality "skinny horse" in Shengjing could be sold for up to two thousand silver taels, a sky-high price for ordinary families. When the wealthy purchased these skinny horses, their parents only received a small portion of the payment, as intermediaries took the majority, leaving the skinny horse herself with no share of the money.
However, the life of a skinny horse was often tragic and short, much like livestock, passed around between different owners. A tiny fraction had better fates. Yet for Kong Jiao, being a skinny horse was simply a novel game.
Consequently, after being presented to the Second Prince’s mansion, she always maintained a composed attitude towards him, hoping to capture Liang Changfeng’s attention with her personal charm, despite being unable to use her skills and the system.
Until her legs were just broken, she had tried to conquer the Second Prince with her unique thoughts, glaring stubbornly at him. But now, suffering the consequences, she could only cry in sorrow.
The so-called individualism is just a slightly different scream when being oppressed by power.
The Second Prince is somewhat interested in taming wild horses, but only a little. He doesn’t mind women playing tricks in front of him, but Kong Jiao’s performance is too poor and boring, Liang Changfeng is already tired of it.
Liang Changfeng is the master of many people in the Second Prince’s mansion and in the vast Shengjing City, so naturally he is also the master of this skinny horse. He is a very controlling person, doesn’t like seeing others show off in front of him, or pretend to be noble.
The Second Prince only needs obedient slaves and useful tools.
"How?" Liang Changfeng slowly lowered his head and asked meaninglessly, "Didn’t Huang inform you when he brought you here? You and your life are now mine."
Kong Jiao continued to cry non-stop. The Second Prince impatiently lifted Kong Jiao’s face on the ground with the toe of his shoe, his eyes coldly looking down, "Understood?"
"Understand… I understand," Kong Jiao sobbed. Because she couldn’t use her skills, she was completely powerless in front of the maids and servants in the Second Prince’s mansion, feeling like a fish on a chopping board, waiting to be slaughtered. Now, all Kong Jiao can think of is for Huang Yuanwu and the others to quickly find a way to redeem her.
The Second Prince casually waved his hand backward, and two neatly dressed maids came forward and dragged away the skinny horse from the room.
"Jian Yi," Liang Changfeng took out a handkerchief and calmly wiped his hands stained with makeup, "Send two more people to keep an eye on the Spring Flowers Tower, and find out what has been happening these past few days."
He paused, then said, "Don’t let Lady Chun find out."
Jian Yi nodded, then quickly disappeared from sight.