Chapter 524: Hou Wanjing of Luoyang Prince Manor

Luoyang.

Night.

The chill still lingered in the streets and alleys.

Luoyang Prince Manor.

Inside the Shufang, however, candlelight shone brightly.

Hou Wanjing sat upright on the Grand Master's Chair at the head seat, wearing a dark purple gold‑threaded Brothel, its collar embroidered with intricate cloud patterns.

Time had etched fine lines at the corners of his eyes, yet it had not dulled the sharpness in his gaze; instead it added a few degrees of unfathomable composure.

His fingertips lightly tapped the jade‑stamped paper on the desk, his eyes calmly sweeping over the several trusted aides and generals standing opposite.

"My lord, the unrest in Luoyang City has been quelled," Shao Ling said, holding a scroll, bowing to report.

He wore a sky‑blue Brothel, his demeanor scholarly, a hint of fatigue from just having dealt with the turmoil between his brows, yet he still maintained composure.

The ink on the document was still fresh, recording the detailed course and casualties of the pacification.

Hou Wanjing, upon hearing this, gave a faint reply, "Hmm, I have taken note."

After a moment of silence, his gaze turned to the heavy night outside the window, as if recalling the displaced citizens of Luoyang City, and he slowly instructed, "In the lands of Henan, after this turmoil, the people's hearts are unsettled; the subsequent approach must focus on pacification..."

"Open the granaries, distribute food, aid the Liuren, strictly investigate those who take advantage to rebel or hoard, and remember not to kill innocents arbitrarily, lest the conflict be inflamed!"

"Yes, Shuyi obeys!" Shao Ling bowed to receive the order.

As soon as the words fell, Kezhuhun Qiyuan beside him could no longer hold back, stepping forward, his face full of unusual excitement, his eyes blazing as he looked at Hou Wanjing, "My lord! This is a once‑in‑a‑thousand‑years opportunity!"

Immediately, he thrust his hand toward the north, speaking forcefully, "The child on the throne is dim‑witted and incompetent, indulging treacherous favorites, allowing counterfeit Changping coins to flood, causing the world to descend into chaos and the people to suffer!"

"Now, although Jinyang and Yecheng have temporarily quelled the uprisings, the people's hearts are scattered and the nation's strength is hollow; this is precisely the best moment for us to raise troops and overthrow him!"

Chi Luo Tong immediately stepped forward to echo, his emotions also inflamed, veins bulging on his clenched fist, "Qiyuan is absolutely right! My lord, the chaos caused by these counterfeit Changping coins goes beyond mere political turmoil!"

"The currency is in disarray, prices soar, the people resort to eating their own children, Liuren are everywhere; this is a total sway of the people's hearts!"

He paused, then stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Hou Wanjing, earnestly saying, "We must decisively seize and fully swallow the Gao clan's realm!"

The atmosphere in the Shufang was instantly ignited, and several trusted aides also began to show signs of intent,

their gazes flickering toward Hou Wanjing at the head seat, awaiting his decision.

The candle flames leapt, casting everyone's silhouettes onto the Qiangbi, some fervent, some earnest, some expectant.

Hou Wanjing's gaze slowly fell on Kezhuhun Qiyuan and Chi Luo Tong, his expression still calm and unruffled.

Those deep eyes were as unfathomable as an ancient well.

He did not rush to respond, but instead swept his gaze over the remaining aides, from the scholarly Shao Ling to the generals with varied expressions.

Finally, his eyes returned to the two fervent generals before him.

The tapping of his fingertips had long ceased, leaving only a suppressed silence in the Shufang.

After a long while, just as Kezhuhun Qiyuan was about to urge again, Hou Wanjing finally opened his mouth slowly, uttering two words: "No hurry!"

Those two words were like cold water poured on his head, yet they could not extinguish the flame in Kezhuhun Qiyuan's heart.

He grew even more agitated, stepping forward, bowing with clasped fists, lifting his head, his Red Eyes fixed on Hou Wanjing at the head seat, shouting loudly, "My lord! Opportunity must not be missed, the time will not return!"

"If we do not act now, when else!"

His voice rang, bearing the resolve of burning the boats, "Pull that young Gao Ying from his horse, and you shall be the Son of Heaven!"

"Indeed, my lord!" Chi Luo Tong immediately stepped half a step forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Kezhuhun Qiyuan, his tone equally urgent, "Would you, my lord, willingly remain subservient to that Gao clan brat?"

He paused, clenching his fist, his tone full of resentment, "Now the Gao clan's fate is exhausted; this is the best moment for us to replace them, we must not miss it!"

Beside them, Zhi Huar Ren could no longer hold back, stepping forward to echo, "My lord, a true man living under heaven cannot remain depressed beneath others for long!"

"Destiny lies with you, my lord!"

The other several aides also nodded, their gazes full of expectation and urgency.

The atmosphere in the Shufang heated up again, everyone hoping Hou Wanjing would nod in agreement.

It seemed as if overturning the Gao clan imperial house and founding a new dynasty were right before their eyes…

Hou Wanjing, however, remained seated unmoving, only slowly raising his eyes, casting a sidelong glance at the crowd, his gaze carrying a barely perceptible hint of sarcasm and composure.

Then, he slowly spoke, "I have pledged allegiance to the young Gao Ying, but that is merely a temporary measure."

His tone shifted, suddenly deepening with full gravity, "But we still need to bide our time for a while…"

Kezhuhun Qiyuan's blood boiled instantly, his Red Eyes blazing, his fighting spirit soaring as he stepped forward, his voice shaking the candle flames, "My lord! What is there to hesitate about?"

"Seize his life while he is ill!"

His eyes were full of fervent yearning for the Dragon‑derived achievement.

In Kezhuhun Qiyuan's view, striking now would settle everything in a single battle; there was no need to waste more time!

"Well said!" Chi Luo Tong could no longer restrain his bravado, thrusting his fist upward toward his palm, gruffly echoing, "Just damn him and it's over!"

The two appeared ready, hands itching, as if about to raise troops immediately.

The other aides, though no longer echoing, also showed intent, their gazes burning at Hou Wanjing.

Seeing this, Hou Wanjing suddenly clapped his hands slowly, a faint, barely discernible smile curling at his mouth, and said, "Well spoken!"

This praise made both Kezhuhun Qiyuan and Chi Luo Tong rejoice, thinking the lord had finally been swayed.

But before they could speak again, Hou Wanjing already raised his hand, pointing at Kezhuhun Qiyuan, his tone decisive, "A Qiyuan, the troops and horses of Luoyang City are now entrusted to you for continued rigorous training!"

"Ensure a strict formation, day and night without rest, forging an elite force that can match ten!"

Kezhuhun Qiyuan's delighted expression froze instantly, his whole being struck like by lightning, staring blankly at Hou Wanjing, his eyes full of shock and incomprehension; after a while he finally recovered, opening dumbly, "My lord, this…"

He still wanted to say something, trying to salvage the situation, but Hou Wanjing suddenly lifted his gaze, a flash of cold light in his eyes, a sharp stare shooting straight at him, and in a low voice uttered a single word: "Hmm?"

Though the tone was light, it carried an oppressive pressure that left no room for reply; Kezhuhun Qiyuan felt a chill in his heart, and the words at his mouth were instantly swallowed.

He inhaled deeply, suppressing his disappointment and urgency, bowing with clasped fists, his tone tinged with a hint of resentment yet still respectful, "Shuyi… obey!"

"I shall not disappoint the prince's trust, training Luoyang's troops into an unstoppable tiger‑wolf elite!"

Hou Wanjing's gaze shifted to the restless Chi Luo Tong standing beside him, and he ordered, "Chi Luo Tong, immediately select articulate and prudent envoys, send them in two parties to the Zhou State and the Liang Kingdom to negotiate with them!"

"Make sure to forge an alliance with them!"

Hou Wanjing knew clearly that to oppose the deceased Gao of Qi, he must win more support....

The aid of Zhou and Liang is absolutely indispensable!

And the Yuwen Clan and Xiao have no reason to refuse.....

A flash of light crossed Chi Luo Tong's eyes, and he quickly bowed and clasped his fists, "Your subordinate obeys!"

Hou Wanjing nodded slightly, thought for a moment, and added, "You may promise them the lands of Henan, even the prefectures bordering Qi State and the Zhou and Liang territories!"

Since it's just an empty promise, inflating it a bit doesn't matter.....

First we deceive them into support; whether we can fulfill it later is another matter!

"Yes!" Chi Luo Tong replied in a deep voice.

As the candle flickered, Hou Wanjing was about to lift the tea bowl on the table when his fingertips suddenly paused, as if recalling a deeply buried memory.

His expression instantly darkened, and a flash of fierce hatred passed through his eyes.

That hatred was so intense that the temperature in the study seemed to drop a few degrees.

He slowly raised his gaze, his eyes landing precisely on Shao Ling standing silently beside him, and he called coldly, "Shao Ling."

"I am here." Shao Ling bowed in reply, his refined face full of respect, yet seeing his lord's unusual expression, a faint doubt rose in his heart.

"Continue to send more troops and hire the top assassins of the jianghu." Hou Wanjing's voice was low and hoarse, each word dripping with clenched determination, "The target remains Tuoba Shaozong; you must take his life!"

Shao Ling heard this, furrowed his brows slightly, looked up at Hou Wanjing, and asked with a hint of confusion, "My lord, I dare to ask, why are you so obsessed with Tuoba Shaozong?"

"He's merely a second‑rate general who is not given much responsibility....."

Shao Ling didn't understand why the king regarded this man as a thorn in his side.....

After all, assassins have been dispatched more than once.

"No need to ask further!" Hou Wanjing's face darkened abruptly, his tone grew heavier, "Just carry it out!"

His gaze fixed on a point on the table, as if that spot were Tuoba Shaozong's very image.

His eyes swirled with intense ferocity and poisonous resentment, as if harboring years of deep‑seated hatred.

"Even if it costs half the treasury's wealth, Tuoba Shaozong must be eliminated!" Hou Wanjing said word for word, resolute as if burning both jade and stone, "I will never allow him to live in this world!"

Shao Ling dared not speak further, quickly bowing and clasping his fists, "Yes."

Hou Wanjing nodded slightly, the hatred in his eyes gradually subsiding, waved his hand, "Enough, you may all withdraw!"

"Let me be alone....."

"I take my leave!" the crowd shouted in unison, bowing.

Kezhuhun Qiyuan, Chi Luo Tong, Shao Ling, Zhi Huaren and others turned in turn, slipping out of the study quietly.

The door was gently closed, sealing the study's heavy atmosphere from the outside.

After everyone left, the candlelight in the study grew increasingly lonely, stretching Hou Wanjing's shadow long and thin, casting it on the cold wall like a solid stone statue.

His fingertips unconsciously brushed the jade paper weight on the table, its warm feel unable to dispel the rising chill in his heart.

His thoughts, like a kite with its string cut, suddenly drifted back to a blood‑red dusk.

Memories flickered before his eyes like a revolving lantern—

Raising an army from thirteen prefectures of Henan, they were defeated by Tuoba Shaozong.....

Eight hundred men fled the Liang Kingdom.....

Self‑proclaimed Grand General of the Universe.....

Captured Taicheng, sending the superstitious Buddhist old emperor of the Liang Kingdom on his way.....

Defeated in battle and slain.....

And when he awoke again, it was the day King Gao died.....

No longer rebelling hastily as before, he decisively bowed to the Little Gao King, pledging allegiance to secure continued control over Henan, biding his time.....

The candle flickered, casting Hou Wanjing's face in shifting light and shadow.

He slowly lifted his eyes, squinting slightly, his gaze piercing the window lattice, crossing the heavy night to stare straight at the distant north.

That direction is where Yecheng's towering palace stands, where Jinyang's formidable fortifications lie, the heart of the Gao Clan's stronghold, and the end of his lifelong obsession.

The weariness and loneliness faded from his eyes, leaving only a thick, unmelting ferocity.

"Heaven has given me another chance to return....."

"Then I must never act rashly again!"

First ensure everything is ready, then wait for the optimal moment!

Either do nothing, or strike with a lethal blow!

I don't believe I could lose to Tuoba Shaozong again.....