[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens":3,"chapter-heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-22":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Heir to the Kingdom of 1.4 Billion Citizens",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2270897,4434,"Chapter 22: Howling Wolf of Sorrow","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-22",22,"\u003Cp>“Ah, okay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man retook the girl’s soft hand and shoulders, then focused all his attention on her face, as poetic and picturesque as a painting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze gradually grew distant, his awareness of the surroundings fading away; within his pupils, only the reflection of her face remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“P-Your Highness, why are you staring so long?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being so intensely gazed upon by the one she adored, Aria couldn’t help but blush, lowering her head as the crimson spread from her cheeks all the way to her ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But receiving no reply for a long while, she raised her head in confusion—only to see the young man suddenly pulling her into motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His dance steps instantly became fluid and elegant, his strong arms naturally encircling her waist, every movement, every turn perfectly executed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though puzzled, the girl soon became lost in the deep, night-like beauty of his dark eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Highness is looking at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Highness is looking only at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes hold only me!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl sank into a honeyed happiness; her skirt swirled with each step, her golden hair shimmering in the firelight, her smile like the brightest star in the night sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clear moonlight bathed the dancing pair, and in that moment, the entire world seemed to halt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The villagers beside the bonfire stopped dancing, clearing a wide enough space for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the dance of the young man and the girl was so magnificent that they could not help but cheer aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aria is so beautiful! By the gods, if only she were my wife, I’d spend my whole life weaving flower crowns for her!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young villager who had failed to find a dance partner earlier stared dreamily at the blue figure beside the bonfire, speaking without realizing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon he felt his neck being tightly choked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fer, I need to speak with you. Come with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boge dragged and pulled Fer into the nearby bushes, and soon came the sounds of blows and cries of pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a retainer, it was his duty to protect his lord’s woman from even the slightest glance or word of covetousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, he’d long disliked this brat—never tilling the fields, never picking fruit, never hunting, just shamelessly chasing after village girls every day, as useless as the big yellow dog at the village gate!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good! All good!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Bote watched the adopted daughter dancing with the Highness, then glanced at Boge dragging Fer into the bushes, a faint look of relief and satisfaction crossing his weathered face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt today was the happiest day of his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just days ago, he’d been tormented by tax collection, his old head wound throbbing with pain, unable to sleep through the night—but now he was so happy he doubted whether this was a long, beautiful dream!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the Sun and the God of Justice, I beg you to protect this kind-hearted Highness. I offer you my humble, devout soul—even if it means nothing to you, it is all I have.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gazing at the dark figure beside the bonfire, Luo Bote clasped his hands together and prayed with unprecedented devotion to his god.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the dance ended, Xia Mingyu slowly came back to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before him, the girl he had held around the waist was so shy that even the bare white skin exposed beyond her dress was flushed with a cherry-petal pink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet her clear blue eyes still gazed longingly at Xia Mingyu, shimmering with emotion, deeply captivating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, Aria slowly closed her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When a girl closes her eyes, it means she is asking you to kiss her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Mingyu knew this well, so he gently bent down and kissed the girl’s petal-soft lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knight Solin Brook, after weighing the pros and cons, decided to temporarily abandon his tax collection mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After entrusting the Kler merchant Mills to his trusted man and ordering him to deliver him to the Slave Capital, Knight Solin mounted his swift steed and rode without pause toward his lord’s castle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After several hours of relentless travel, Knight Solin finally arrived at the heart of the Black Wolf Domain—Langbao—at the moment the moonlight shone brightest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle Xiao En, immediately announce me to my lord—I have urgent news to report!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knight Solin leapt from his horse and urgently shouted to the castle’s steward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old steward, who had lived sixty years and watched Solin grow from boy to man, had never seen him so frantic before; he immediately summoned maids to wake the lord, who had already retired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, in the castle’s great hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>High above, a massive iron chandelier hung, its candles blazing with soft light, illuminating the gloom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On both walls, swords, daggers, and shields were displayed everywhere, symbolizing the lord’s formidable martial strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above the central throne hung a massive banner painted with a black wolf’s head—that was the Hughes family crest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knight Solin stood quietly on the wolf-skin rug beneath the throne, awaiting his lord’s arrival, while two beautiful maids stood beside the throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, a mature young man, seemingly in his early thirties, entered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His features were sharp and deep-set, his eyes a piercing emerald green, his beard neatly trimmed—he looked like a refined gentleman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet his frame was towering, over one meter ninety, broad-shouldered and thick-armed, unmistakably a warrior forged by years of training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only flaw: he wore not a noble black robe nor armor, but a loose, flowing red nightgown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even his neck bore several lip prints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This greatly undermined the lord’s dignity—but clearly neither man in the hall cared about such details, and the two maids would never dare judge their master’s dignity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, I apologize for disturbing your rest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon seeing him, Knight Solin immediately knelt on one knee, his proud head bowed low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No matter. I appear before you in my nightgown—that is my own breach of propriety. We are even.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lord of the Black Wolf Domain, the famed “Howling Wolf” Karon Hughes, stretched languidly and sat down on the throne without ceremony, accepting a cup of black tea from a maid and taking a small sip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, his gaze toward Solin below held an unexpected note of gratitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, no more grain taxes to collect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Solin, by the schedule, you shouldn’t have finished collecting taxes yet,” Karon asked in a low voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, because the information was too critical, I took the liberty of temporarily abandoning your order to collect taxes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Solin raised his head respectfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see,” Karon’s eyes grew deeper; he took another sip of tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could not imagine what kind of news would make Solin abandon his tax duties, ride through the night, and disturb his sleep just to report it immediately—had another war broken out in the kingdom?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sigh. If that were the case, it would be most unfortunate—his beloved son had only just been born.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Solin, report.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In Guolan Village, I met a noble prince. His identity blessing is—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of a shattered teacup rang out abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please, kind readers, cast your monthly votes—this is the most important thing for a new book. I beg you, on my knees. Thanks (ω)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1199,"2026-06-19T22:18:43.340Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","94dcd652f86986fa0bfcb82581aaff22abfbd5aa1f792158036097880680e2cb","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-23","heir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-chapter-21",186,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fheir-to-the-kingdom-of-1-4-billion-citizens-cover.jpg"]