Chapter 78 - 69: You Rat, Trying to Backdoor?

Chapter 78: Chapter 69: You Rat, Trying to Backdoor?

Upon hearing that Xiang Yunzhan had arrived,

Zhao Huan immediately turned to the old minister beside him. "Liu Qing, We have an urgent matter to attend to. We shall discuss this later!"

"Your Majesty..."

The old minister, Liu, was at a loss for words, but seeing Zhao Huan’s resolute attitude, he could only nod and say, "Yes!"

With that,

he slowly withdrew.

As he was leaving the Imperial Study, he happened to cross paths with Xiang Yunzhan. They exchanged a bow and passed each other by.

"This commoner, Xiang Yunzhan, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Xiang Yunzhan was as boisterous as ever, giving a casual salute. Although he was currently the highest-ranking member of the Xiang Family in Lingge, he held no official position, so he habitually referred to himself as a commoner.

"Rise, quickly!"

Zhao Huan said with a grin, "Da Ban, bring General Xiang a seat."

Xiang Yunzhan took the chair offered by Eunuch Li, said his thanks, and sat down.

Zhao Huan asked with a faint smile, "Yunzhan, you returned this morning before you’d gotten enough sleep. Shouldn’t you be catching up on your rest?"

"I slept all morning, so I’m well-rested."

Xiang Yunzhan laughed heartily. "It’s because that boy Ci came looking for me, isn’t it? He asked me to help him build some Wine Refining Equipment and gave me the blueprints. I thought I’d help, but after staring at them for half a day, I couldn’t make heads or tails of them. So, I figured I’d come ask for help from your artisans."

"Oh?"

Zhao Huan was secretly pleased. He had expected things to go smoothly, but not this smoothly.

He smiled and said, "We have some skill with contraptions as well. Let Us see the blueprints first. If We can figure them out, there’ll be no need to trouble those Divine Artisans."

"That’s just you boasting..."

Xiang Yunzhan blurted out instinctively, but then remembered he was talking to the Emperor and quickly shut his mouth.

Zhao Huan wasn’t angry. Though the man came from a famous family, he had grown up carousing with old army grunts and had never learned to guard his tongue.

He took the blueprints and opened them with anticipation. He was also extremely curious how Zhao Ci had managed to crack the Alchemy of Wine, a technique that so many had attempted and failed to master.

But when he opened the blueprints, he was dumbfounded.

’This is...’

’The equipment for refining liquor?’

’Isn’t this just an iron box?’

He couldn’t help but look at Xiang Yunzhan. "Yunzhan, this..."

Xiang Yunzhan laughed boisterously. "Your Majesty! I told you you wouldn’t understand it, right? This morning I was even wondering if square pots were better for brewing wine than round ones."

Looking at his carefree demeanor,

Zhao Huan’s suspicions eased. He frowned in thought for a moment before handing the blueprints to Eunuch Li at his side. "Da Ban! Give these blueprints to Divine Artisan Shi. Tell him he must create the Wine Refining Equipment to help Ci."

Eunuch Li: "..."

’Seriously?’

’Aren’t you just sending me to get yelled at by Divine Artisan Shi?’

’Fine!’

’You’re the Emperor. You’re always right.’

He took the blueprints, replied, "Yes," and left.

Xiang Yunzhan also stood up. "Now that Your Majesty is willing to help the boy, I can rest easy. But about the Imperial Clan Court..."

Zhao Huan smiled faintly. "Don’t worry, I can still pull some strings for Ci."

"In that case, this commoner will take his leave!"

Looking relieved, Xiang Yunzhan gave a bow and left the Imperial Study.

Zhao Huan, however, shook his head, a trace of gloom clouding his eyes.

’He wasn’t an idiot. If this iron box could actually refine potent liquor, he’d give his throne to a dog.’

’There must be something else that goes inside this iron box.’

’So, there are two possibilities.’

’One is that there’s more equipment that goes inside the box, and Zhao Ci needs another artisan to build it.’

’The other possibility is that Zhao Ci is intentionally holding back.’

’Thinking it over, the first scenario was unlikely. He had been paying close attention to Zhao Ci’s movements, and there was no chance he could have contacted other artisans.’

’That only leaves the second option.’

This development, however, was somewhat unexpected.

’In the end, he had still underestimated Gu Xiangzhu. To think she could make Zhao Ci so cautious.’

’After all, Gu Xiangzhu’s previous efforts at managing her relationship with the Xiang Family had been clumsy. She typically only interacted with the people in charge of their businesses and almost completely ignored Xiang Yunzhan.’

’And since she wasn’t Zhao Ci’s birth mother, she naturally didn’t care about him and probably had no idea about the bond between Zhao Ci and Xiang Yunzhan.’

’For her to react so quickly this time, and even convince Zhao Ci to be wary of Xiang Yunzhan himself...’

’Such scheming was truly admirable.’

’The only question was, without Xiang Yunzhan, how exactly would Zhao Ci mass-produce the equipment?’

’No matter...’

Zhao Huan shook his head. No matter what, Zhao Ci was his son. Regardless of whether Gu Xiangzhu could steal the Alchemy of Wine, he was confident he could get his hands on it in the end.

’Worse comes to worst, he could just make it public. As long as the price of Qi Cultivation Pills plummeted, he would always be the winner.’

But the thought of Zhao Ci being so obedient to Gu Xiangzhu couldn’t help but darken his mood.

At that moment,

"Your Majesty, the Ninth Prince requests an audience!"

"Send him in!"

A short while later,

Zhao Yong entered with a measured, formal stride and bowed respectfully. "This son pays his respects to Father Emperor!"

Zhao Huan’s brow furrowed slightly. "Didn’t I tell you to face the wall at home for a day?"

"Reporting to Father Emperor!"

Zhao Yong said hurriedly, "After this son returned yesterday, I have been constantly reflecting on my actions and am filled with endless regret. Father Emperor’s punishment of facing the wall was a sign of your deep love and stern expectations, merely a way for this son to alleviate my remorse."

"But since this son has already done wrong, how could a single day of facing a wall possibly make up for it?"

"Therefore, this son... wishes to atone for my mistakes with meritorious deeds!"

"Oh?"

Zhao Huan looked at him with interest. "And how do you plan to atone?"

Zhao Yong quickly replied, "Yesterday, this son heard Lao Shi petition for the people, using pills worth two hundred thousand taels to subsidize the common folk, and I was filled with admiration."

"After returning home, I felt increasingly ashamed and pondered how I could do something for the people. After much thought, I realized that there were many young people from the Zhu and Feng Clans in the Pill Workshop, so I used them to contact their Chief Stewards in Lingge."

"This son reasoned with them and appealed to their emotions. The two Chief Stewards were also very understanding and have agreed to each donate three thousand Qi Cultivation Pills, joining Lao Shi in donating pills for the benefit of the people!"

Upon hearing this,

a knowing smile appeared on Zhao Huan’s lips. Having sat on the throne for so long, how could he not understand the hidden meaning behind those words?

’The two families are donating six thousand pills in total, just enough to beat Zhao Ci’s contribution by one thousand. If he’s not mistaken, as soon as he nods, Zhao Yong will immediately request to handle the Emperor’s Gift Pill distribution, pushing Zhao Ci aside. After all, Zhao Ci really stole the show this time.’

’He had been a Prince once, too. He knew exactly what went through their minds.’

However...

He frowned. "Yong, your Yonghe Pill Workshop is also one of the few large-scale pill workshops in Great Yu. Now that the Feng and Zhu families and the Xingyu Pill Association are all willing to donate pills, you..."

Hearing this, Zhao Yong’s scalp tingled with dread.

’He had considered this issue too, but he was already deeply in debt for merit points. Donating more pills would be like cutting off his own flesh, wouldn’t it?’

But since Zhao Huan had said it, he could only bite the bullet and force a smile. "This son would also like to donate one thousand pills. Although the Yonghe Pill Workshop is not in a good state, it’s worth the hardship for the people of Great Yu. This son only regrets my own lack of ability. If I also had Lao Shi’s medicinal liquid, I could help the people even more."

Only then did Zhao Huan reveal a smile. "You’ve worked hard."

’If you want to claim credit, how can you not bleed a little?’

’This child is still too young.’

Still, a total of twelve thousand Qi Cultivation Pills, even if they were all low-grade, was enough to cultivate four thousand people of average aptitude into Physical Body Realm experts. If the common families shouldered some of the burden themselves, producing another six thousand would be no problem.

’It’s impossible for all of them to join the army, but even if they scatter among the common folk as Rangers or join small local factions, it’s still more reassuring than them being attached to the major clans.’

’He had done nothing this time and yet reaped such a great benefit. It was truly a joyous occasion.’

"It is what this son ought to do!"

Zhao Yong responded with a smile, then paused in thought for a moment before suddenly speaking, "Oh, right, Father Emperor! This son used to think Lao Shi was mediocre and weak, but I never expected him to be so dedicated to the people that he would actually invent the Wine Refining Technique. If this technique could be used in all the major Pill Workshops, it would be a great benefit to the people. Lao Shi, he..."

Zhao Huan’s brow tightened. "What? Someone else developed a technique, and you’re already thinking of taking it?"

"This son wouldn’t dare!"

Zhao Yong said quickly, "That is Lao Shi’s life’s blood; how could this son dare ask for it with empty words? This son simply sees Father Emperor worrying day and night for Great Yu, constantly thinking of reclaiming our lost lands. This Alcohol Refining Technique happens to be the perfect medicine for Father Emperor’s troubles, so..."

Zhao Huan looked at him with great interest. "Oh?"

Zhao Yong felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles. "Father Emperor! This son has no selfish intentions, nor am I deliberately targeting Lao Shi. Lao Shi himself is also after merit points. If he is willing to use his technique to benefit the people, this son would have no complaints even if Father Emperor were to grant him hundreds or thousands of merit points."

’Of course, he knew Zhao Huan couldn’t possibly grant Zhao Ci hundreds or thousands of merit points.’

’Even if Zhao Huan were willing, he didn’t have the authority. The Imperial Clan Court would never agree.’

’For a civil technique like this, even if it were handed over, it would offset fifty merit points at most.’

Zhao Huan said with a half-smile, "Rest assured. A technique that benefits the people like this should naturally be brought out to benefit the people. However, it is Ci’s property, after all. He and his mother have not had an easy time in Lingge. Let them earn some more money and merit points for a while. It won’t be too late to make it public after the residence competition is over."

Hearing this, Zhao Yong could only nod. "Father Emperor is right. It was this son who was too anxious for the people’s welfare and overstepped my bounds."

He said as much, but his heart was filled with sour jealousy.

’At first, he had even suspected that this technique was something Zhao Huan had deliberately given to Zhao Ci to help him earn merit.’

’But the more he thought about it, the more he felt this theory was full of holes. It was more likely that Zhao Ci had developed it himself, or perhaps... Princess Consort Jing...’

’But for such a huge benefit, Zhao Huan was actually willing to leave it in Zhao Ci’s hands for three years.’

’He was so jealous!’

Seeing the jealousy faintly revealed in his eyes, Zhao Huan felt a little helpless himself. ’The technique isn’t even in my hands. It’s useless even if I want to make it public!’

HUFF...

Zhao Yong let out a light breath, clearing his mind of jealousy, and prepared to properly discuss the official business of the Emperor’s Gift Pill distribution.

Unexpectedly, just as he was about to speak, a voice came from outside the door.

"Your Majesty, the Tenth Prince requests an audience!"

"Hm?"

Zhao Yong’s heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t expected the man of the hour to arrive just then.

The smile on Zhao Huan’s face grew wider. "This boy, he came just in time for a meal. Quick, let him in."

A moment later,

Zhao Ci followed Eunuch Li in. He was a little surprised to see Zhao Yong also in the Imperial Study, but he didn’t think much of it and bowed respectfully.

"This son pays his respects to Father Emperor!"

"Ci, you may rise!"

Zhao Huan stood up and affectionately took Zhao Ci’s arm, a sight that made the jealousy in Zhao Yong, standing to the side, burn even brighter.

He asked softly, "Ci, you had a tiring day yesterday. Why did you come over so early?"

Zhao Ci replied offhandedly, "This son has been too busy lately and has missed several meals with Father Emperor. Since the Xingyu Pill Association is on break today, I came over specially to keep you company."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huan’s face lit up with a smile. Last night, he had worried that Gu Xiangzhu might, in a fit of anger, tell Zhao Ci the truth, or even directly control him with her Puppetry Skill. Although the possibility was small, it wasn’t zero.

But seeing Zhao Ci’s natural expression and clear eyes, it seemed he was fine.

"Good, good, good!"

Zhao Huan laughed. "Your Ninth Imperial Brother happens to be here too. Let’s all eat together!"

Zhao Yong felt a pang of jealousy. Aside from certain important banquets, he had barely shared any family meals with Zhao Huan in his entire life. Yet, in just a few short days, he’d had two.

And damn it all, both times were because he was piggybacking on Zhao Ci’s visit.

’It really left a bad taste in his mouth!’

’It was like finally getting to sleep with the woman of your dreams, only for her to say it was just a mission from her master.’

With this interruption from Zhao Ci,

and with lunch having been served,

he temporarily put aside the matter of the Emperor’s Gift Pill distribution.

The meal left him feeling rather depressed.

Zhao Ci, in contrast, ate with great relish.

When they were nearly finished eating,

Zhao Ci finally got to the point of his visit. "Oh, right, Father Emperor, this son would like to discuss the matter of the Emperor’s Gift Pill distribution with you."

Hearing this, Zhao Yong quickly chimed in, "Father Emperor! What a coincidence for us two brothers to be here. This son also wishes to discuss this matter with you!"

[Current Wish for Zhao Yong]: Seize the position of Dan Grant Envoy. Wish Fulfillment Reward: Insight +100, Cunning and Robbing Talisman x1.

Zhao Ci: "???"

’No wonder something felt a little off just now.’

’What was this guy, Yongzi, doing in the Imperial Study instead of being in confinement?’

’Turns out he wants to be a Lao Liu and steal what’s mine!’