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Chapter 168: Making the Little Emperor Cry
Chapter 168: Making the Little Emperor Cry
Zongzheng Xi thought he must have misheard. He flipped through the treasure book and official seal on the table—they were indeed the symbols of the Jin Yiwei.
They were given to him by the Emperor when he ascended the throne. Later, when the Emperor retired to his "palace" to recuperate, Lu Yuan kept the symbol under the pretext of Xi's young age.
After that, the Jin Yiwei became Lu Yuan's tool to eliminate dissent.
Zongzheng Xi never imagined that Lu Yuan would willingly return the Jin Yiwei one day.
He stared at Lu Yuan, dumbfounded: "You... what are you playing at now? Are you testing my loyalty?"
Lu Yuan smiled faintly: "Isn't this what Your Majesty wanted by recalling the Prime Minister? I congratulate you on your personal rule and wish you a long and prosperous reign."
"I..."
Zongzheng Xi was caught off guard by the sudden shift to personal rule, and even his self-proclaimed title had changed.
He felt a surge of panic, unsure if it was because Lu Yuan had seen through his intentions or if he had lost a valuable asset.
Lu Yuan rose gracefully and said to Zongzheng Xi: "Your Majesty, farewell."
Was this an order to leave?
Zongzheng Xi's eyes widened in surprise.
Every step of this encounter in the Governor's Mansion had exceeded his expectations.
Lu Yuan didn't wait for a response and turned to leave.
Staring at Lu Yuan's departing back, devoid of any hint of attachment, Zongzheng Xi felt an inexplicable sense of urgency: "Aren't you afraid of losing your power now that you've handed over the Jin Yiwei? Don't you rely on that power to maintain your position?"
Lu Yuan paused at the door, still not turning back, but gazing into the endless dusk, he said calmly: "Isn't this what you desire, Your Majesty? By removing this thorn from your side, I am giving you what you've long awaited."
"I..."
Once again, Zongzheng Xi was left speechless.
"Your Majesty, go ahead and fulfill your imperial ambitions. Henceforth, I will not interfere with any of your decisions."
With that, Lu Yuan left.
Zongzheng Xi clenched his fists and roared in anger: "It's better if you don't interfere! You're right, I've been looking forward to this day! Who do you think you are? If you won't assist me, the Prime Minister will! He's much better than you! He won't force me to study! As an emperor, I shouldn't have to learn those examination topics! I should be learning how to rule! If you won't teach me, the Prime Minister will!"
Little Dezi cautiously advised: "Your Majesty, anger is harmful to your body. Please take care of yourself..."
"Shut up!" Zongzheng Xi rebuked.
Little Dezi immediately fell silent.
Staring at the treasure book and seal on the table, Zongzheng Xi grabbed them, intending to throw them on the ground.
Little Dezi was so frightened that he knelt down with a thud.
Zongzheng Xi's hand froze in mid-air. He recalled that not long after his ascension, he had thrown the Four Treasures of the Study onto the ground because he didn't want to do his homework. As a result, Lu Yuan took a ruler and struck his palm hard.
Neither the Emperor nor the Empress had ever laid a finger on him, but Lu Yuan had repeatedly disciplined him, meting out punishment for every tantrum.
Eventually... he never dared to throw things again.
Since he didn't want anything to do with Lu Yuan anymore, why was he still subconsciously heeding his words? Zongzheng Xi lowered his hand, the memory of the ruler striking his palm felt like it was etched into his bones.
He sat back in his chair, feeling inexplicably aggrieved.
Wiping his reddened eyes, he gritted his teeth and said: "I came here today to gloat! I knew Lu Yuan had offended the Prime Minister. I took this opportunity to threaten him into returning the Jin Yiwei to me! I demanded it back! He didn't give it back out of goodwill! I don't want his loyalty anymore! I don't need him!"
In the small garden, Meng Qianqian stood side by side with Lu Yuan.
Seeing Zongzheng Xi leave in embarrassment, Meng Qianqian asked, "His Majesty is quite angry. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
With his hands clasped behind his back, Lu Yuan coldly huffed, "Let him be angry all he wants. It's his own fault for getting worked up."
Meng Qianqian smiled faintly. "I'm talking about the Jin Yiwei. Are you truly willing to give up the fruit of your labor so easily?"
Lu Yuan replied nonchalantly, "What choice do I have? Since Commander Shangguan betrayed me, the Jin Yiwei has become a hot potato. If I don't hand it over, am I just waiting for disaster to strike?"
Meng Qianqian let out a light laugh.
Although the analogy was not entirely fitting, it made sense in this context.
With the Jin Yiwei card, no matter how it was played, the opponent would always win. So, it was better to discard it first.
"But now, the Grand Preceptor is truly left with nothing," said Meng Qianqian.
"Are you scared?" Lu Yuan asked expressionlessly. "If you are, you can leave at any time. You and I had a transactional relationship; you don't need to follow me into this quagmire."
He paused for a moment before adding, "You were once betrothed to me. Consort Li won't be able to get you into the palace anymore, even if she wanted to win you over."
Meng Qianqian turned around and looked at him squarely. "In the Grand Preceptor's eyes, is Xiao Jiu the kind of person who would abandon her friends?"
Lu Yuan didn't meet her gaze, instead keeping his eyes fixed on Baoshi, who was rolling and playing on the grass. "Where did we ever become friends?" he said coldly.
Meng Qianqian nodded. "It seems the situation is even more dire than I imagined. The Grand Preceptor is in a hurry to push me away because he's afraid he'll ultimately fail, isn't he?"
Lu Yuan's eyes flickered, and he said sternly, "I am not afraid of failure."
"Then you're afraid that someone will fail with you," Meng Qianqian said, curving her lips. "Grand Preceptor, how about a bet? This time, you will definitely win."
Lu Yuan gave a cold snort.
"Without the Jin Yiwei, the Grand Preceptor still has Xiao Jiu," Meng Qianqian said. "Don't forget, I am one of the Twelve Guards. As long as I can reunite the Twelve Guards, we can bring back the Black Armored Army of the Great Marshal Chu."
Lu Yuan said indifferently, "So far, only you and Chen Long have appeared, and I'm not even sure if my godfather's new godson is Chen Long."
Meng Qianqian blinked. "Actually, my neighbor is... none other than Ji Li, the Rooster of the Twelve Guards."
Lu Yuan: "...No wonder Yu Zichuan couldn't beat him."
Meng Qianqian continued, "Moreover, Ji Li is skilled in divination. If he cooperates, it won't be difficult to find the whereabouts of the others. He suddenly disappeared these past few days, and I suspect he went to look for another one of the Twelve Guards."
"He's been gone for so long that with his abilities, he should have found them by now. Let's not delay any further. Let's head back to Fengshui Hutong and take a look!"
Baoshi pricked up her ears at the mention of Fengshui Hutong. She immediately scurried over and stretched out her tiny arms toward Meng Qianqian.
She wanted to go too.
Meng Qianqian picked up the little one. "Alright, I'll take you with us."
Seeing her act without any hesitation or fear, Lu Yuan turned away and muttered, "Bold and fearless. Doesn't know what's good for her."
He had come close to success countless times, only to be knocked down again and again. It was as if he were building a tower—no matter how solidly he constructed it, the final brick would always cause it to crumble.
That person wanted to crush his will entirely, to tame him into a dog with no dignity, obediently lying at his feet.
This time, could he truly win?
Could he? Could he? Come on, let's give the Grand Preceptor some encouragement!
(End of Chapter)
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