Chapter 788: with translation of chapter title

Chen Wuji personally went into the kitchen and prepared a huge table of very sumptuous food for everyone.

Looking around, all were hearty dishes—rock goat roasted whole, deer meat prepared in four ways, plus Chen Wuji's especially favored mountain crab and stir-fried yellow eel.

The mountain crab is simply steamed, then served with a dipping sauce.

Although the dish is simple to prepare, it is exceptionally refreshing to eat.

After finishing dinner, Chen Wuji ordered lamps lit in the courtyard and, by starlight, opened the Emperor's letter.

This guy again gave him a long string of trivial matters.

Outrageously, he even wrote about palace affairs.

He also complained to Chen Wuji that a certain consort, after giving birth to a prince, had suddenly become unusually ardent, practically clinging to him every day; at first he could cope, but later he grew increasingly weary.

Although he truly loved that consort, he simply could not endure such frequency.

Moreover, the palace had many consorts; he ought to attend to others as well—he could not constantly indulge that one consort, or trouble would eventually arise.

After his complaint, the Emperor casually asked Chen Wuji for advice, seeking a solution.

Chen Wuji was dazed after reading it.

Is this something he ought to know?

The Emperor really treats him without reserve, even asking him about such matters.

Thus, Chen Wuji bluntly tossed the question to Xu Zengyi, who was copying documents by lamplight.

Xu Zengyi also went blank upon hearing it, saying, "My lord, is this what the Emperor asked?"

"Yes!"

"..."

Xu Zengyi remained silent for a moment, then said, "From the Emperor's tone, it seems he does not wish to dampen that consort's ardor. If so, the only recourse appears to be for His Majesty the Emperor to take up martial training, strengthening his physique like yours, my lord, so he can satisfy the consort while also spreading his favor evenly."

Chen Wuji raised his eyebrows slightly, "Sir, are you hinting at me?"

"I mean no such thing, I merely used you as an example, my lord!"

"Is there any other way?" Chen Wuji asked.

Xu Zengyi thought, then shook his head: "Besides reducing his encounters with that consort, the Emperor can only work on himself; there seems to be no other option."

"Such a situation with that consort is not uncommon; it does not appear to be a bodily problem, nor does it need regulation."

Chen Wuji temporarily noted the matter and continued reading.

The following content became somewhat more formal; the Emperor mentioned Yu Ren, the self-proclaimed Auspicious King, and throughout there was not a single kind word—only direct greetings to Yu Ren's ancestors eighteen generations back.

Finally, the Emperor gave Chen Wuji a suggestion.

He suggested that, when Chen Wuji had spare time, he should utterly level Yu Ren's three clans and send their Head Trophy to the Capital so the Emperor could also see what this Auspicious King actually looks like.

"His Majesty the Emperor's words are actually quite courteous; I think I should fulfill this modest wish of his, after all, as a subject I cannot simply ignore the Emperor's request." Chen Wuji chuckled, muttering to himself.

This letter truly amused him.

The joy was truly overwhelming.

Xu Zengyi looked up, "Your Majesty, what else do you want my lord to do?"

"He wants to see what the head of this Auspicious King Yu Ren looks like!" Chen Wuji laughed.

Yu Ren, this fellow, made the Emperor angry just by his appearance; to curse Yu Ren, he apparently even looked up the jade register (genealogy), listing Yu Ren's ancestors eighteen generations back by name and cursing them outright!

Having seen many insults, such a pragmatic one Chen Wuji had truly never seen before.

With such a long string of names, copying them would likely take several quarters of an hour—there are simply too many.

Xu Zengyi stared, astonished, "The Emperor is so blunt?"

He had seen many who greeted others' ancestors eighteen generations back, but directly naming and cursing them is indeed rare.

"Nevertheless, it is understandable." Xu Zengyi set his brush on the brush holder and drew his hands into his sleeves.

"Yu Ren's act is absolutely a grave provocation to the Emperor. The imperial clan is a special lineage, yet still a clan; in most emperors' eyes, they both rely on and guard against clans."

"But without doubt, what they hate most is certainly Yu Ren's kind of betraying from within. Though the Yu dynasty's realm is tempestuous, outsiders trying to overturn it would be expected, yet even this peripheral royal Yu Ren harbors such designs—how could the Emperor not hate him?"

Chen Wuji nodded, "The Emperor's little thought ought to be satisfied!"

"This time Kong Jianshi is personally leading the troops; even if Snake Staff Old Man can run as fast as he likes, there should be little cause for worry."

This remark made Xu Zengyi also feel moved, "From Yunan to Songzhou, this Snake Staff Old Man… truly lives up to his nickname."

"For a person to hide so deeply is itself a genuine ability. I have seen some of the world's vicissitudes, but a figure like Snake Staff Old Man is the first I have ever encountered, and the first I have heard of."

Speaking of this man, Chen Wuji feels both helpless and full of anger.

Snake Staff Old Man has actually caused him no harm; in their several skirmishes, he has always had the upper hand.

Yet each time Chen Wuji is thoroughly disgusted.

That old fellow's actions are indeed low in harm but high in insult.

Most outrageously, after fighting all the way to now, Chen Wuji still has not ascertained Snake Staff Old Man's true identity and background.

Though he commands two hundred thousand troops and has the mysterious Rivers and Lakes force Ciji Zhai under him, facing Snake Staff Old Man leaves him helpless.

This feeling, besides making Chen Wuji feel stifled, is also hard to describe.

Each time Snake Staff Old Man deals with him, it feels like punching cotton; and each time Chen Wuji deals with Snake Staff Old Man, it also feels like punching cotton.

"Enough talk about that damned thing—he is sure to die this time!" Chen Wuji gritted his teeth and cursed, then continued reading.

"Huh?"

Immediately, the text that appeared before his eyes made Chen Wuji involuntarily utter a soft "eh."

"The Court actually plans to use troops against us?"

Xu Zengyi suddenly looked up, "My lord, did the Emperor state this outright?"

Chen Wuji nodded, "It's exactly as said, very detailed."

"The Emperor also urged us to prepare early, fiercely crush the prestige of those rebel ministers and traitors, help him vent his anger, and best of all swallow whole the Bīngmǎ he sends, so that he can subsequently act more effectively."

This news left Chen Wuji and Xu Zengyi looking somewhat dazed.

It really is somewhat too horrifying.

Chen Wuji had no choice but to use this word to describe it.

According to his and Xu Zengyi's earlier speculation, the Emperor was unwilling to see his imperial power slip away, being sidelined by powerful ministers, and had been seeking various ways to consolidate power.

Nan Jun was also his chessboard.

Under this premise, he should at least have kept some reserve when leaking such military secrets.

But what he wrote between the lines was truly utterly frank, laying out both the good and the bad.