Chapter 448: Game of Thrones

"Did you kill Zhongsun Mou too?"

"No." Fu Shanyue felt a bit stifled. "That guy has a lucky life. This trip to the Twilight Plains, Lingxu City appointed him as an Inspection Envoy to conduct official business. At this critical juncture, if I kill a Lingxu Inspection Envoy, it will cause trouble for Chi Yan. Besides, he also comes from a prominent family, and the Zhongsun family still has some foundation in Lingxu City."

He Lingchuan was slightly surprised. There were people this kid didn't dare to kill?

This was too ironic; Fu Shanyue could even kill his own younger brother, the Monarch's most favored youngest son, but this Zhongsun Mou could live perfectly well just by wearing the title of Lingxu City Inspection Envoy?

"At this critical juncture?" Did that mean that although Fu Shanyue had killed his own brother, he hadn't yet been designated as the Crown Prince? "The situation is not looking good right now, I cannot add more variables for myself for the sake of a petty person." Fu Shanyue looked at him. "So I killed four of his close attendants and two followers in a row, then threw the corpses into his courtyard. That guy must not have been able to sleep for several days, right?"

On Lingxu City's turf, he couldn't do anything to Zhongsun Mou himself; but as long as he returned to the Chi Yan Nation, Zhongsun Mou couldn't do anything to him either.

The Shimen caravan being given a hard time was caused by Fu Shanyue, so he had to make up for it.

He Lingchuan smiled without warmth: "Just like that?" That didn't fit his "Little Tyrant" style of paying back every grievance.

"I just had a conflict with him; if he died right after, wouldn't everyone suspect it was me?" Fu Shanyue coughed. "Just wait, there will definitely be opportunities later!"

As for how the situation was not looking good, he refused to elaborate, so He Lingchuan had to change the subject: "There were high officials and nobles waiting for you all along the way."

"Really?" Fu Shanyue said nonchalantly. "It seems only the son of a minor Minister of Justice came to meet me."

He had returned late, so most people hadn't waited.

"You suddenly became a hot commodity, is it because you killed Fu Shanjie?"

"Of course." Fu Shanyue said lazily. "These people originally favored Fu Shanjie, now they have to change course quickly, right? Otherwise... they'll sink soon."

That night, Fu Shanyue grabbed He Lingchuan to go drinking: "I'm going back to the palace tomorrow, you have to wish me good luck."

"Are you so certain that your father the Monarch can't do anything to you?" He Lingchuan watched his leisurely appearance and couldn't help but ask him, "You killed his chosen successor."

Fu Shanyue laughed: "Is he going to kill his only remaining son too?"

He Lingchuan's attempt to probe failed, and he thought to himself that this kid was actually rough on the outside but fine on the inside.

He had originally wanted to ask if the Chi Yan Monarch's time was running out, which was why he was swallowing his pride, but Fu Shanyue's lips were sealed tight.

However, Fu Shanyue drank cup after cup, fast and urgently, so fast that Taozi couldn't even pour the wine in time.

From this point of view, he wasn't as broad-minded as he appeared.

At this moment, the Second Master Shi passed by, so He Lingchuan called him over to drink together.

The Second Master Shi had just finished auditing a batch of goods and was in a good mood, drinking two cups before exhaling: "It's great, we didn't encounter any bandits on this trip."

"Didn't you say the Beijia trade routes were all very peaceful?"

"Generally speaking, it's not bad, but every country is different. The Chi Yan capital isn't like Fufeng City, where you can leave your doors unlocked at night, right?" The Second Master Shi said. "Chi Yan's trade is weaker than that within the Baoshu Nation. Every time we pass through Chi Yan, the caravan has to be on high alert. Many demons here turn to banditry; the Shimen caravan has encountered them at least three times."

Even within Beijia, countries were still different.

Fu Shanyue said with displeasure: "I'm still here, and you're already badmouthing Chi Yan?"

He was the future Monarch of Chi Yan, so of course he didn't want this country to be compared unfavorably to other demon nations.

He Lingchuan looked at him: "Honestly, didn't you feel something was wrong?"

"What's wrong?"

"Just as the Second Master Shi said, we didn't encounter any bandits on this trip."

Fu Shanyue said irritably: "Isn't that how it should be!" Being surprised at not being robbed, was the public security in Chi Yan really that bad? "How long has it been since the Emperor's Flow of Milk?" He Lingchuan reminded him. "New demons are springing up in the wild, recklessly crashing into humans, that's normal. Didn't you have any trouble here after the last time the Emperor's Flow of Milk descended?"

How much effort did the Baoshu Nation spend to ensure the roads in the wild were clear—

Actually, they hadn't managed to do it either. The official guard battalion was defeated in the Fengmo Mountains; that Fengmo was fed a bit of the Emperor's Flow of Milk by Fu Shanyue, and then it absorbed the Noon-Midnight Divine Wind from the Piaomiao Sect ruins.

So after the Emperor's Flow of Milk, accidents were everywhere; how could Chi Yan be spared? "There were, quite a few." Fu Shanyue felt something was wrong after hearing him say this. "You're right. I heard that since the Emperor's Flow of Milk this time, the capital has only received a dozen reports of wild demons hurting people."

This guy actually paid attention to those kinds of reports? He wasn't as careless as he appeared on the surface either.

The next day, Fu Shanyue entered the palace early in the morning.

Li Qingge found time in her busy schedule to say to He Lingchuan: "Tonight, our bet will have a result."

As it turned out, before two hours had passed, Fu Shanyue returned, in high spirits.

The Second Master Shi said happily: "It seems Young Master Fu passed the test."

"You could say that!" Fu Shanyue couldn't help but laugh out loud, feeling extremely refreshed. The sparrows dozing on the eaves were all scared away by him.

"What did the King say?"

"I didn't see him." Fu Shanyue scratched his head. "He issued an order forbidding me from entering the palace, demanding that the guards at the palace gate chase me away if they see me."

The Second Master Shi's smile froze on his face: "Huh?" Then what was he so happy about? He Lingchuan said casually from the side: "The Chi Yan Monarch's anger hasn't subsided, but he only chased Fu Shanyue away, which means he doesn't intend to put this son to death; otherwise, he should have summoned him into the palace and taken him down to be killed on the spot." When it came to the twists and turns between father and son, no one knew better than him.

Fu Shanyue's smile didn't fade: "Right, right, you understand me."

He Lingchuan looked at him: I understand your old man.

Of course, He Lingchuan wasn't the only one who understood the Chi Yan Monarch's mind.

After returning to the capital, Fu Shanyue naturally moved back into his own mansion with little Taozi, and he was surrounded by guards.

After Fu Shanyue passed through this ghost gate, someone came to visit that very evening.

This was just the beginning; later, more and more people came, all of them high officials and wealthy gentry from various places. Even many high-ranking officials of the Chi Yan Wang Ting entrusted people to send gifts under various pretexts.

Calling it a visit, it was actually an act of submission.

The Second Master Shi also reminded He Lingchuan: "These are all humans."

"What?" He didn't understand.

"The ones looking to climb the social ladder with Young Master Fu are all of the human race." The Second Master Shi always observed from another angle. "Did you see a single demon? I didn't."

"There were few demons to begin with." He Lingchuan thought for a moment. "But you're right, it seems that's really the case."

The Second Master Shi pondered: "If Young Master Fu takes power soon, that will be the first change of generation in Chi Yan in over a hundred years, that's incredible!"

"What's so incredible about it?" Isn't it just changing a Monarch...?

"It's not easy for a human country to change positions peacefully, we've really seen too much of that."

Great power transitions often see external troubles and internal strife; if it's not an external enemy attacking, it's internal political instability. He Lingchuan immediately thought of the Xiji Nation. Once the old Monarch died, the whole country followed suit.

"Not to mention a demon nation that only changes owners every one or two hundred years?" The Second Master Shi sighed. "By then, this trade route might have to change again, it's not easy to walk, not easy to walk!"

He Lingchuan asked curiously: "Does the Chi Yan Nation have external enemies eyeing it?" For example, the external enemy of the Xiji Nation was Panlong City.

"I haven't heard of any."

"Since there are no external enemies, and the old Monarch doesn't have a third son, what's there to be chaotic about?"

"A new emperor, a new court." Li Qingge returned from outside and took off her cloak. "The change of ministers in a demon nation is different from other countries, it's very turbulent."

She looked outside twice, and there was no one else on the second floor, so she said softly: "You know, right? The internal politics of these demon nations are basically handled by human ministers."

He Lingchuan and Shi both nodded. The ability of most demons to govern and implement policies was ten thousand miles behind that of humans; this point was indisputable. Otherwise, since the medieval period, human nations had risen and demon races had retreated; this was not without reason.

Not to mention Lingxu City, if they wanted to manage any vassal demon nation well, the Demon King almost had no choice but to choose human ministers to serve them.

This had nothing to do with personal preference.

Governing a great country is like cooking small fish; one must employ people according to their talents. If a monarch is biased and stubborn in their way of employing people, the history of the Northern Demon Nations over the past few hundred years has had plenty of lessons.

"A demon nation is different from a human nation; human monarchs have short lifespans, changing every few decades, so the court ministers also have to change. But a demon nation is different. The Demon King has a long lifespan, sitting on the throne for over a hundred years or even several hundred years, and usually doesn't pay much attention to state affairs. The human ministers who assist them seize great power, developing into noble families within a dozen years, and after a hundred years, they are deeply rooted. At this time, when a new monarch ascends the throne, what they face are these old ministers of noble families."

Speaking of this, He Lingchuan understood. It was indeed a situation unique to demon nations.

Li Qingge continued to ask: "Guess how Fu Shanyue will replace the court ministers after he ascends the throne?"

A new emperor, a new court; the emperor ascends and changes his confidants.

"Based on his character?" He Lingchuan thought for a moment. "I'm afraid there will be a bloodbath."

"Of course, and it will be in the name of rectifying the court and purging the administration." Li Qingge smiled. "Not only will he have a legitimate reason, but the common people will also enthusiastically support him. This way, the new monarch will both sit firmly in his position and earn a good reputation, while also enriching the national treasury. Hmm, these noble families are all wealthier than the nation."

When the Second Master Shi heard this, he interjected: "I heard that these Demon Kings don't blink when they kill human ministers. There was a powerful minister in the Shan Yu Nation named Mao Qijun, who controlled half the Wang Ting at the height of his power. As a result, someone went to the Shan Yu Monarch to file a complaint, and the Demon King had been drinking with Mao Qijun the day before, but killed him the next day, and wiped out his nine generations cleanly."

"That's of course; the Yuan power and the army are all controlled by the Monarch, human ministers are merely working for the demon race, they must never be arrogant because of their merits."

It was the third day of the first lunar month, the holiday was more than half over, and everyone was busy playing.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 449 =====