The Demon Lords-Chapter 750 - 165: Re-entering the Plate_4

The officials of the Qian State were preparing to confer the title of Duke upon the Zu family and the Zhong Family, while also granting ranks to a host of generals. Most importantly, they planned to redress the case involving the Tattoo-faced Master from years ago. This matter had not yet been made public and was still an undisclosed plan.

From this, it was evident that neighbor of mine had used the last great war to eliminate the influence of those few ministers in his court. Especially since this involved redressing the Tattoo-faced Master case—a case Minister Han had personally orchestrated years ago. To do so immediately after Minister Han retired and returned to his hometown truly showed no respect for Minister Han whatsoever. This also meant the scholar-bureaucrat class's influence on the Qian State was being weakened to an unprecedented degree, while the military generals' status was steadily rising.

This piece of information indicated that the neighboring Emperor was no longer merely training troops and accumulating provisions, but was actively sharpening his blades.

He borrowed My blade to remove his obstacles.

Because of this news, the Yan Emperor's mood was not very pleasant today. He already sensed that, some years later, when the Yan State was ready to attack the Qian State again, the difficulty would be vastly greater than it had been the year before last. Even the news of the great victory in the Three Jin region was considerably overshadowed by this matter.

Meanwhile, around noon, the Seventh Prince had an accident while flying a kite at his residence: he fell into a pond and received a fright. The Yan Emperor, already feeling vexed, decided to visit his young son at the prince's residence.

The Yan Emperor was an emperor, but he was also a father. However, unlike other fathers in the world who would spare no effort to provide for their children, for him, his children and grandchildren primarily served two purposes: first, as successors to the state, and second, to satisfy his occasional desire to dote on them. He still held a good deal of affection for this youngest son of his. This was because his other children had all grown up and were no longer as endearing.

The eunuchs and palace maids of the Seventh Prince's residence knelt on the ground in panic. However, the Yan Emperor did not excessively punish them for this incident. He went to his young son's bedside and, seeing that he seemed otherwise unharmed and not about to catch a chill, felt relieved.

Beside the young son's bed lay the whistle kite—the kind that emitted a clear whistling sound when flown high in the sky. It was exquisitely crafted and ingeniously designed; truly a fascinating object.

The Seventh Prince leaned against the Yan Emperor's chest, somewhat apprehensive, as if he knew he had done something wrong.

"Who gave you this kite?" the Yan Emperor asked. This kite was no ordinary object; it was clearly meticulously crafted and would be very difficult to find on the market.

"Father, Brother Chengjue gave it to me six months ago," the Seventh Prince replied. "Brother Chengjue knows I enjoy playing with such things, so he often makes toys and gives them to me. Father, is Brother Chengjue's illness any better yet? I... I want to see Brother Chengjue. I miss him."

"Be good and rest now," the Yan Emperor said gently. "Drink a bowl of ginger water later. If your Brother Chengjue's illness has improved, he will be able to come out."

"Yes, Father. I will definitely be obedient and drink the ginger water," the Seventh Prince said with a grimace, clearly disliking the taste.

The Yan Emperor stayed by the Seventh Prince's side for a while longer before leaving the room. Wei Zhonghe waited at the door, not entering, careful not to disturb the Royal Family's private moment.

The Yan Emperor reached out to massage his brow and casually asked, "What has Cheng Jue been up to recently?"

The Sixth Prince had been dispatched to Nan'an County to serve as a constable—a demotion personally decreed by the Yan Emperor. Naturally, his every move would not escape the notice of the Spy Bureau. Of course, the Yan Emperor didn't check on his son's activities daily; he had too many state affairs and too many children to keep track of them all. Sometimes, when he remembered, he would casually ask Wei Zhonghe.

"Your Majesty," Wei Zhonghe reported, "the Sixth Prince has recently taken a woman."

"Taken a concubine?" The Yan Emperor chuckled drily. "Heh, it seems he's living quite comfortably. Hardship never seems to find him."

Wei Zhonghe hesitated slightly. "Not a concubine?"

"Your Majesty, it seems... it doesn't appear to be so."

"Speak plainly."

"Yes, Your Majesty. The woman's surname is He. She is not a courtesan but a woman from a respectable family."

"The He family?"

"They are a family of butchers in Nan'an City."

"He... married a butcher's daughter?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Moreover, it seems the He family is pressing the Sixth Prince to take their daughter to meet his family and discuss the marriage."

"Meet his family?"

"Yes."

The Yan Emperor scoffed.

After a while, the Yan Emperor scoffed again.

"Your Majesty," Wei Zhonghe explained, "it was the butcher's daughter who took the initiative with the Sixth Prince. The He family was originally unwilling, but now that what's done is done, they've become anxious." Wei Zhonghe couldn't bring himself to utter the words "threw herself at him," but his meaning was perfectly clear.

Upon hearing this, a smile touched the corners of the Yan Emperor's mouth, different from his earlier coldness.

This was the benefit of having sons. They could casually pursue other people's prized daughters, and in any case, one's own family suffered no real loss, even if the girl's family were butchers.

An emperor, no matter how brilliant his strategies or grand his vision, was ultimately still just a man. He could deliberately cast aside many things, but how could he possibly eradicate everything completely?

The Yan Emperor asked, "That He family...?"

"Your Majesty, we've investigated," Wei Zhonghe replied. "The He family has a clean background; there are no issues."

The Yan Emperor nodded. "They're pressuring him to meet the prospective in-laws. What about him?"

"Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince left Nan'an County yesterday for the capital. I reported this to you last night."