Chapter Eighty-Four: The Greater the Power, the Easier the Path

The powerful families each supported their favored princes in the fierce struggle for the throne, but Tihuang ultimately prevailed thanks to the strength of more than half of the Purple Palace behind him...

The Emperor of Tianjue let out a breath, and Kaiming relaxed as well. At least he’d stopped twisting his fingers, which had made her anxious.

"As the saying goes, the victor becomes the king and the loser the outlaw. From that day forward, he never saw his ten elder brothers or eight elder sisters again. Rumor had it that, with their families defeated, they were either killed by the Dai household or driven into exile in the other four palaces—either way, no trace was ever heard of them again. Within this beautiful and magnificent palace, he became truly alone..."

Though the Emperor of Tianjue tried to suppress the emotion on his face, he could not conceal the sorrow in his voice. Kaiming looked at him in a daze and suddenly remembered their first conversation in the audience chamber, when he had spoken of the palace with such scorn: "Who knows how much filth is hidden within, how many vibrant lives have been lost there?"

"He ascended the throne at nine, and was oppressed by Dai Huang ever since. Every decree and edict had to pass Dai Huang’s review before being issued. Everyone in court knew he was a puppet emperor of the Central Palace..."

Isn’t this just like Cao Cao of the Three Kingdoms, holding the emperor hostage to command the nobles? Kaiming thought foolishly, her sympathy swelling to excess, and she was about to say something.

"But now, aren’t you doing quite well? You have General Dayin at your side, capable officials in charge of internal affairs, the Central Palace is peaceful and prosperous, and everyone praises you as a good emperor..."

The Emperor of Tianjue turned his unfocused gaze back to her face. "Do you truly think I am a good emperor?"

"Yes, of course," she replied, forcing a weak smile.

"Then why won’t you join my side?"

There it was again. She sighed inwardly—please, give me a break! Sympathy doesn’t mean I have to abandon my principles.

"This is... a matter of personal conviction..."

"If you’re not with me, then I must consider you part of the opposition," he said coldly, his eyes as sharp as a blade, unsettling her. "I won’t give you time to hesitate. Dai Huang won’t give you time either!"

"What does this have to do with him?" she asked, confused.

The Emperor of Tianjue sneered, "Anyone I cannot use, Dai’s household will eliminate. That is their way. When he tacitly agreed to let me promote you to commander, I knew Dai Huang had his eye on you as well. Though I don’t know your value to him, I can’t stand by and let someone Dayin nurtured be snatched by the enemy."

What does he mean, someone Dayin nurtured? When did she ever nurture me? Kaiming widened her eyes, wanting to retort, but not knowing where to begin, so she held her tongue, enduring his nonsense.

"Recently, because of the national pearl policy, all five palaces are harboring secret schemes. I sense that these peaceful days are numbered. If war breaks out, it will be your chance to earn merit!" He actually began strategizing aloud, completely ignoring her frustration. "Once you have military achievements, there will be opportunities for promotion. I’ll pull you up step by step, until you’re second only to me, above all others. I’ll even give you a higher title than Dayin. Isn’t that a generous offer?"

He could barely hide his pride, certain that no one could refuse such a tempting position, his eyes shining as he watched her.

Second only to him? Kaiming screamed inwardly for help—did he want her dead even faster? This self-important little emperor!

"Your Majesty, to offer such generous terms to someone like me is a waste," Kaiming took a deep breath, restraining the urge to punch him. "All I wish for is the quiet life of a commoner, like a drifting cloud or a wild crane."

"A commoner’s life?" The Emperor was briefly taken aback, as if he hadn’t expected that answer. His gaze was intense, like lightning. "You don’t seek rank? What about wealth? Is gold not tempting enough?"

Kaiming sighed. This emperor was becoming confused, truly thinking her greedy for wealth and status!

"Compared to my life, wealth is as worthless as dirt," she replied calmly, her expression unchanged.

The Emperor stared at her for a long time, his eyes wrestling with countless emotions. She dared not look up, much less meet his gaze, afraid those bolts of lightning would reduce her to dust.

"So, there’s no room for negotiation," the Emperor said with self-deprecating laughter, "I have no power of persuasion at all."

Kaiming opened her mouth, wanting to speak, but fell silent.

The Emperor said nothing more, turning to look at the water. At some point, even the chattering waterfowl had flown away, leaving only the wide expanse of lotus leaves swaying alone in the wind.

"The peaceful commoner’s life you seek, is it really like this—idle and tranquil?" he suddenly asked. In the stillness, his gentle voice drifted to her on the breeze.

Her heart rippled at the sound. "Yes."

The Emperor’s sharp eyes narrowed, dimming their radiance as a sneer tugged at his lips. "I gave you an honorary post, but I’ve yet to assign you any real military duties. I hereby appoint you commander of the Thirty-Sixth Squadron. You take up the post immediately."

She was startled. "Your Majesty?"

His cold gaze swept over her. "Do you have any objection to the position I’ve bestowed?"

"I dare not," she replied, though she was puzzled—what was going on? Why was the Emperor so unpredictable? And the number thirty-six... so inauspicious.

Thirty-six and seventy-two, in her hometown, symbolized endings.

"You want to stay out of this? I won’t force you for now. I hope you keep your word and don’t become a lackey of the Dai household." He turned away, waving his sleeve. "Go."

Kaiming acknowledged the order and turned to leave.

The Emperor called after her, "The greater your power, the easier it is to accomplish anything—even revenge."

His final words made her whole body tremble, her fists clenched tight. Revenge?!

The Emperor saw exactly the effect he wanted, and smiled coldly, saying no more to provoke her.

She walked away, fists clenched, striding out of the pavilion. As soon as she reached the main road, she broke into a run, the attendant maid calling after her, "My lady, slow down! My lady!"

The Emperor knows! He spoke of revenge? He clearly knows! He knows the fire for vengeance burns deep within her heart, not extinguished, but blazing stronger than ever.

She had lost. Though it seemed she had come out on top in this contest, with just a few words the Emperor had left her utterly defeated.

On this alone, she could never turn to the Dai household. The Emperor saw the result he wanted.

He is just as frightening as Dayin.

Standing outside the palace gates, the warm sunlight made her dizzy and faint. She felt she could hardly bear it, almost needing the wall for support to keep from collapsing.

"Are you all right?" A cautious voice sounded beside her.

She cleared her head and saw a face before her—well-featured, small and delicate, but it was a boy. Looking closer, he seemed awfully familiar.

"You are..." She realized—he was the servant of Prince Nangong she had met a few days ago.

"Yingshi," he said, a little disappointed and discontented. "Is my face really so forgettable?"

"Did you need something from me?" she asked with a gentle smile, regaining her composure.

"My master wishes to ask for your help," he said with a fawning grin. "I didn’t expect you to come to the palace today. I’ve been waiting here for ages."

"What could I do for a prince?" she asked, then suddenly remembered, "Is he short of money?"

Yingshi’s face fell at once. "Do we look that poor?"

Kaiming smiled awkwardly. "That’s not what I meant."

"I know the commander has a good heart." Yingshi dropped the pretense and got right to the point. "We’d like your help finding a good place for cultivation."

"Cultivation?" She couldn’t help but laugh. "Wants to become an immortal, does he?"

Yingshi glared, annoyed. "How can you joke about something so solemn?"

His indignation amused her even more. "Tell me, what sort of solemn cultivation is it? And how much space do you need?"

"You’ll help us?" Yingshi’s face lit up with joy, like a child who’d just won a beloved toy. "Here’s the thing—my master has always enjoyed making gu poisons and refining elixirs, so he’s brought all sorts of rare insects and scorpions with him. You’ve seen them—the jars and vessels are all treasures he’s painstakingly collected. It’s inconvenient to make them at the relay station, and since we’re unfamiliar with the Central Palace, we hoped you might help us out."

"Making gu and refining elixirs?" Kaiming exclaimed in surprise. "The prince is into that sort of thing?"

"That sort of thing? It’s a sacred and solemn art, I’ll have you know," Yingshi protested.

"All right, it’s sacred and solemn," she replied, finding this little servant utterly amusing. After a moment’s thought, she said, "I haven’t been long in the Central Palace and don’t know all the best places for elixir making, but I do have a quiet little courtyard. If you like, you can stay there for a while."

"Wonderful!" Yingshi nearly jumped with excitement. "I knew you were a warm-hearted person and could help us out!"

"You’re welcome to use it, just don’t let those insects eat through my lovely floors." My precious gold—he had better not discover it, this money-eyed little servant.

"We won’t be living there," Yingshi quickly reassured her. "We might visit once or twice a week, just so the soldiers at the station don’t get suspicious. I promise, we won’t damage your floors, and if we do, I’ll pay for the repairs, all right?"

As if you could afford it, she thought, amused—the gold alone would cost a fortune!

"How long does it take to refine an elixir? Give me a time frame—I can’t let you use the place forever."

Yingshi rolled his eyes in thought. "Depends on the insects. You’ll have to ask my master—sometimes it’s quick, sometimes not."

"I’ll say this now—if I find you causing trouble there, I’ll reclaim the place at once!" She added this as a final condition.

"Understood, understood, don’t worry," Yingshi replied, too absorbed in the happiness of securing a place to take her words seriously. (To be continued...)