Chapter 73 (1/2)

Chapter 73: Outs.h.i.+ning the Emperor

Qi Chen leveled Jun Huang with a meaningful look. He changed the subject and didn't say another word about Wan'er. ”I have been building connections in the imperial court as brother Feng suggested. What should be our next step?”

”I am the crown prince now, but everyone knows that Royal Father still holds the former crown prince dear to his heart. While I do have quite a lot of supporters in the court, Royal Father is still healthy and well and my youngest brother is maturing; I can tell Royal Father likes him. Royal Father has never mentioned anything regarding pa.s.sing down the throne to me. I'm worried that if we do nothing, I may not be able to ensure my triumph. Tell me, brother Feng, how should I keep my position as the crown prince?”

Jun Huang hummed. ”In my opinion, the reason why the emperor never speaks of pa.s.sing down the throne may not be due to the former crown prince. It's possible that he's worried that Your Royal Highness won't be able to look over the vast Northern Qi well. You have to remember that Qi Yin had been learning the art of ruling a country since his birth. If Your Royal Highness shows the emperor that you can be a good leader, he will trust you to govern Northern Qi.”

Jun Huang's words made sense to him. Qi Yin had neither talent nor integrity. Why would the emperor keep him in his mind? Maybe Qi Yin had been long forgotten. Perhaps the emperor didn't believe that he was capable enough to deal with affairs of the state. That was why he never got to do anything important. What he had to do now was to show the emperor what he could achieve and won his approval.

Jun Huang could see that Qi Chen was convinced. A fleeting smile appeared on her face and quickly disappeared before Qi Chen looked up at her.

”Is brother Feng willing to become an official? With your talent, you'll be able to achieve great things. And you will be my greatest a.s.set in the future. You are free to choose whatever position you want. I will make the necessary arrangements.”

Jun Huang scoffed inwardly. Qi Chen wanted to make her an official only because he wanted her to be of help to him in the future. She served as a strategist in the manor now, but she had never agreed to be Qi Chen's obedient little pet.

”Thank you, Your Royal Highness, for your recognition. This gentleman is still in mourning, thus I should not take the position of an official. I want only to make up plans for Your Royal Highness. Besides, no one with great ambitions should resort to buying a position. Once my mourning period ends, I will attend the imperial examination and earned a t.i.tle myself.”

Jun Huang spoke with such pa.s.sion, it was as if this had been her lifelong dream. Qi Chen didn't shy away from showing her his approval. This man I've chosen has such backbone, he thought. He is indeed a rare talent.

”Since brother Feng is so determined, I will not force you to go against your will,” Qi Chen said, waving his hand. ”You must be tired. Go rest. If one day you want to become an official, just tell me.”

Jun Huang bowed at him with dignity and left. The pavilion suddenly quieted down. Nan Guyue showed up with a plate of snacks, supported by a servant.

She looked towards the direction Jun Huang had left in before turning to Qi Chen. ”Guyue agrees that gentleman Feng will be of great help to Your Royal Highness if he becomes an official. Has Your Royal Highness really given up on the idea?”

Qi Chen sighed, keeping his eyes on Jun Huang as she walked away. ”There's nothing I can do. Feng Baiyu is a man of principles. While he is my honored guest, I cannot control him. We'll see how far he can go on his own. It's not necessarily a bad thing for him to gradually grow stronger on his own.”

Nan Guyue chuckled. ”Your Royal Highness is testing gentleman Feng for Wan'er, aren't you?”

”Nothing escapes my princess's eyes.” Qi Chen turned back to Nan Guyue with a tender smile. He ran a hand down the bridge of her nose in an intimate gesture. Nan Guyue ducked her head shyly and placed the plate of snacks on the table.

”I can tell that Wan'er really adores her,” Qi Chen said. ”No one has been able to convince her to give up. Brother Feng tried to talk to her today as well, but the result must have been the same. If he marries Wan'er, it'll be worth celebrating. If he wants to gain fame and success on his own first, then so be it. It'll be a learning process for him.”

Nan Guyue covered up a smile. ”Wan'er is a beautiful woman. Gentleman Feng will fall for her in the end. If he becomes a respected official through his own efforts, Wan'er will lead a happy life after they get married. Your Royal Highness shouldn't worry too much.”

Qi Chen nodded and left the pavilion with Nan Guyue at his side. The snacks were left untouched and covered in dirt.

Jun Huang knew that her repeated denials would make Qi Chen unhappy, but there was no other way for her. She didn't want to make a mess out of the imperial court of Northern Qi. She wanted this country to be relatively in order when Qi Yun took over.

No country could be without unrest forever. Just when problems at the border had been resolved and people were satisfied, another administrative zone descended into chaos. The local officials were corrupt, and the people were taken advantages of like fish being sliced open on a cutting board. There were even men from rich families forcing themselves on peasant women. Lives had been lost.

The emperor almost coughed out blood when he read the report. His face was so dark it was terrifying. The eunuchs dared not say anything. They stood by the wall silently.

The next day, the emperor still held a severe expression on his face when he attended the court meeting. He told the courtiers about this issue, but the they ended up arguing among themselves without giving him a good solution.

”What the h.e.l.l do you think your job is?” yelled the emperor. ”You useless people can never figure out anything when real problems arise. Is it so difficult for you to personally attend to this matter?”

Qi Chen looked around. No one was willing to volunteer themselves. He remembered what Jun Huang had said. The emperor would approve of him if he could solve this problem. Perhaps the emperor would then be willing to pa.s.s down the throne to him.