Chapter 488 - 308: Gongbo, Three Bestowments! Hu Ben? Private Army!

Grand Duke? Titles? Three Bestowments?

Tang Guang and Hoong Xiao were both astonished upon hearing this.

The position of Grand Duke is equivalent to the Imperial Family; besides Emperor Qin, even the Crown Prince must respectfully address him as ’Duke Xirong.’

This position is one of the highest honors outside the Imperial Family since the founding of the Qin Dynasty, and no one has ever truly held the title of Grand Duke.

The other grand honor is the Three Bestowments.

The Three Bestowments comprise Carriage and Horses, Sacrificial Wine, and Hu Ben.

The meaning of Carriage and Horses is to drive within the Imperial City, a privilege that no one but Emperor Qin can have.

The meaning of Sacrificial Wine is to stand alongside Emperor Qin during ceremonies.

As for Hu Ben, it is even more astounding as it allows one to command elite troops.

Elite troops can also be understood as personal armies!

The Three Bestowments have only been granted a few times throughout a thousand years of the Qin Dynasty.

Tang Guang has never seen it, and Hoong Xiao has never heard of it.

Two grand honors bestowed simultaneously, unheard of.

A Grand Duke can have a fief, meaning Duke Xirong’s fief is in Xirong County.

And Three Bestowments enable one to have personal armies...

Fief... personal armies...

"His Majesty."

"Your Majesty."

Tang Guang and Hoong Xiao both spoke up, seemingly intending to dissuade.

"This is the ancestor’s intention."

Emperor Qin knew well the implications of granting two grand honors simultaneously, but he had no choice.

Though he was a monarch, he wasn’t really above millions upon millions.

The words of the ancestor could not be disregarded.

Emperor Min?

Tang Guang and Hoong Xiao’s hearts trembled again, and they dared not say more.

"Master Tang, Master Hoong, Chu Ming has achieved a name on the Golden List, and his future achievements are limitless. The ancestor attaches great importance," Emperor Qin continued.

A name on the Golden List?

Tang Guang and Hoong Xiao fell silent.

For a moment.

Hoong Xiao bowed and spoke: "His Majesty, Chu Ming’s realization was disrupted, can he still..."

The two were silent because of this.

"Chu Ming can participate in the Golden Hundred Knowledge Grand Competition again next year."

Next year?

Tang Guang and Hoong Xiao suddenly understood.

"Go and handle it."

"As you command."

"..."

...

Qin Capital, Inner City, Zuo Mansion.

"Quick, quick, move quickly!"

Deep within the mansion, Zuo Yuan was anxiously commanding over a dozen masked individuals to pack something.

These masked individuals were Death Warriors nurtured by Zuo Yuan.

Luu Xi disrupted the Golden List realization, and Zuo Yuan knew he was doomed.

Thus, he rushed back to the mansion, ordered his men to pack valuables, and prepared to flee.

Just at this moment.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

Three individuals wearing Evil Ghost Masks descended amidst the snow.

"Shadow Tower!"

Zuo Yuan immediately recognized the three.

"Tsk tsk, Left Minister seems to want to flee?" the leader sneered sinisterly.

"What do you intend to do?" Zuo Yuan retreated to hide behind the Death Warriors.

"Nothing much, just collecting some payment."

The leader waved his hand, and two Evil Ghost Mask individuals transformed into shadows.

Thump, thump, thump!

Over a dozen Death Warriors didn’t resist long and all met their demise.

Zuo Yuan cowered in the corner, terrified.

"Don’t kill me... don’t kill me... whatever you want... you can take..."

"Left Minister should still remember the illegitimate son you hired us to assassinate a few days ago?"

A long knife hovered over Zuo Yuan’s face, its gleam chilling.

"I remember... I remember..."

How could Zuo Yuan forget, his current plight is all thanks to that illegitimate son!

"Heard this son achieved a name on the Golden List today, our Shadow Tower thought, should we send our congratulations?"

"Send... send... whatever you want, you can take," Zuo Yuan said, trembling and incoherent.

"Want what?" Chang Baiba sneered coldly, his hands revealing icy flashes from the long knife.

Slash!

Zuo Yuan, Left Minister’s head rolled away.

"Pack it up, take it away!"

Shadow Tower’s Chang Baiba waved his hand, and his men collected Zuo Yuan’s head.

Just as the group was preparing to leave.

"Lord, there’s Huang Forbidden Army!"

"Quickly go!" Chang Baiba’s expression changed drastically.

"Where is the brigand running!" Huang Forbidden Army Cavalry Captain Tang Run charged with a spear.

Clang, clang!

Chang Baiba wielded his blade to block, moving swiftly, leapt to safety, and escaped via the roof.

The remaining two Shadow Tower assassins, their strength insufficient, were slain by the Huang Forbidden Army, knowing they couldn’t escape, slit their own throats simultaneously.

Cavalry Captain Tang Run pursued for several streets, losing track of the target.

"Lord, it’s the Shadow Tower!" The Huang Forbidden Army identified them by the attire of the two corpses.

"Shadow Tower..." Tang Run gazed at Zuo Yuan’s headless body, his brows furrowed.

Who hired the Shadow Tower to assassinate Zuo Yuan?

Why did the Shadow Tower unusually take the head away after the assassination?

...

Beyond Qin Capital, at a certain villa.

Shadow Tower’s Chang Baiba fled to this location, confirmed no one followed, and entered the villa swiftly.

"Manager Kong." Chang Baiba tossed aside Zuo Yuan’s head, his face showing anger, "Hu Song and Hu Pei are dead."

At the head of the hall sat a slightly plump middle-aged man, fiddling with a black tablet.

"What, feeling it’s not worth?" Kong Shang didn’t lift his eyelids while checking the tablet’s back.

"Hu Song and Hu Pei were nurtured by me for twenty years, sacrificed for the failed realization of an illegitimate son, I feel it’s not worth it," Chang Baiba suppressed his anger.

"You, ah, still see things too narrowly," Kong Shang slowly raised his eyes, his deep pupils seeming to penetrate the heart, "Hu Song and Hu Pei were simply Lower Realm Meridian Unlocking assassins, in my Shadow Tower, there are countless."

"But..." Chang Baiba was not very convinced.

"Chang Baiba, how long have you been stuck at Lower Realm Meridian Unlocking Perfection?" Kong Shang abruptly interrupted.

"... Fifteen or sixteen years, why is Steward Kong asking this?"

"Fifteen or sixteen years..." Kong Shang’s eyes flickered, "How much longer to breakthrough, do you think?"

Chang Baiba paused, then replied solemnly: "Three years at the shortest."

"Three years..." Kong Shang pondered for a moment before saying, "Some things shouldn’t be said to you, but you’ve been with me for over thirty years and are on the verge of crossing that step, so I’ll tell you."

"The Qin Dynasty’s National Treasure is profound and beyond your imagination, and illegitimate son Chu Ming is not as simple as he appears."

"What does Manager Kong mean?" Chang Baiba’s expression changed.