Chapter 192

192. Chapter 192: Childhood!

"Imperial Brother, it has been many years. Is your health well?"

"With rebellious subjects everywhere, how could I be well?"

"Since they are rebellious subjects, Imperial Brother should just kill them. There are 800,000 Imperial Guards in the capital at your disposal; is that not enough?"

"Rebellious subjects deserve to be killed by all. Your words, Imperial Brother, ease my worries."

The frost on the Emperor's face melted quietly, and he smiled: "Imperial Brother, you have been roaming the Jianghu for over a month. Do you have any interesting stories to tell me?"

Chu Yang shook his head and said, "No interesting stories. Along the way, I only saw starving people everywhere, the people unable to live, and in the southern lands, the Demon Race is running rampant, with the commoners suffering unspeakably."

"Oh?" The Emperor's lips curled, and he said playfully, "I didn't expect that after going out, you would actually learn to care for the common people. This is not your style."

"The famous Virtuous Prince, who doesn't go to brothels, doesn't drink flower wine, and isn't extravagant—could it be that you are going to start working hard at your desk and managing everything?"

As the Emperor's voice grew colder, the temperature in the Imperial Study seemed to drop a few degrees, and Wei Zhongxian, standing to the side, shuddered violently.

Standing by the door, Cao Zhengchun and Yu Huatian watched Chu Yang's back, their hands behind their backs, silently circulating their internal energy.

Chu Yang smiled and nodded, "It should be so."

The Emperor stared fixedly at Chu Yang, his killing intent fully revealed. He grabbed a paperweight from the table and threw it hard at Chu Yang.

Chu Yang flicked his finger, and sword Qi shattered the paperweight into powder; the broken stone fragments splashed everywhere.

This movement frightened Wei Zhongxian, who was closest to the two, so much that the old eunuch fell to his knees with a thud, trembling.

Cao Zhengchun and Yu Huatian's expressions changed, and they stepped forward simultaneously, about to make a move! "Stand down!"

The Emperor shouted angrily, "This is the Imperial Study; it is not your place to act wildly."

Cao Zhengchun and Yu Huatian stopped in their tracks, knelt on the ground, and said, "This servant dares not."

Chu Yang sighed lightly, "With the two Depots and the Guard, plus the Dragon-Protecting Villa, what in this world can escape your eyes, Imperial Brother? Why bother with such boring tests?"

"This trivial matter is not enough to make you lose your composure, so there is no need to act in front of me."

Upon hearing this, the anger on the Emperor's face vanished instantly. He nodded calmly and said, "Only now do you feel familiar to me, just like when we were children."

"Even though you were very young, you were more mature than most princes—mature to the point of being frightening."

Not showing joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness—no one present could guess what the Emperor was thinking, but just seeing him like this was enough to make one's heart turn cold.

The three powerful eunuchs felt genuine awe for the first time; they all felt that they had underestimated this Emperor in the past.

This demeanor was not a bit inferior to the late Emperor.

Chu Yang replied meaningfully, "Imperial Brother was not so composed when you were young..."

The Emperor knew which incident Chu Yang was referring to and deliberately smiled: "Is the lake water in the Imperial Palace cold?"

Chu Yang nodded, "Cold to the bone, like falling into hell."

The Emperor said with regret, "After all, it wasn't true hell."

If it were true hell, you wouldn't have climbed out, and you wouldn't have caused so much trouble.

He never regretted pushing Chu Yang into the lake; he only regretted not adding another kick at the time.

Chu Yang understood his thoughts and shook his head with some regret, "I thought there would be a trace of guilt in your heart."

The Emperor looked at Chu Yang with contempt and sneered, "I really didn't expect such childish words to come from you. It's disappointing."

Chu Yang smiled, "I won't let Imperial Brother be disappointed in the future."

Having said that, Chu Yang turned and walked toward the outside of the room.

The Emperor's surprised voice came from behind him.

"Not taking revenge?"

"Just children playing around, that's all."

While speaking, Chu Yang had already walked out of the Imperial Study. Cao Zhengchun and Yu Huatian then looked up at the Emperor, seemingly asking whether they should make a move.

The Emperor glanced at them, shook his head in disappointment, and sat back in his chair silently. A moment later, when there was no sound outside, he suddenly spoke: "More than twenty years ago, a meteorite fell in the outskirts of the capital. The Divine Marquis Mansion took most of it to forge weapons for exterminating demons, and the late Emperor, finding it interesting, also took a portion to forge some stationery."

"The paperweight just now was one of them; it is exceptionally tough, and even ordinary masters can hardly damage it at all."

Cao Zhengchun's body trembled, and Yu Huatian's expression turned ugly. They naturally knew about that meteorite; Zhuge Divine Marquis's unique weapons and the weapons of the Four Great Constables were all forged from this meteorite.

It could be called a rare divine weapon in the world.

Cao Zhengchun asked softly, "Was Your Majesty deliberately using that paperweight to test the Virtuous Prince?"

"Nonsense!" The dissatisfaction in the Emperor's eyes almost turned into substance, and he said viciously, "If it weren't for you two dog servants not even being able to figure out his cultivation, why would I have needed to let him enter the palace and put on this act?"

Yu Huatian immediately shouted, "This servant deserves to die!"

The Emperor sneered, "Don't be in such a hurry to talk about dying. When the Mid-Autumn Festival arrives, I will have the Virtuous Prince enter the palace to admire the moon. If you cannot join forces to take him down by then, I will execute your nine clans."

Cao Zhengchun hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, if the Virtuous Prince's martial cultivation is truly that powerful, it will be very difficult for us two alone to deal with him. I fear it might ruin Your Majesty's grand plan."

Yu Huatian bowed, "Eunuch Cao's words are true."

Things had reached this point; if they still dared to take full responsibility, they would simply be looking for death. Cao Zhengchun understood this, and Yu Huatian understood it even better, so the two stood together without hesitation.

"Can't I, the Emperor, think of what you two dog servants can think of?"

The Emperor turned to look at Wei Zhongxian, who was kneeling on the ground, and frowned: "How is Li Chengliang training the Imperial Guards?"

Wei Zhongxian said tremblingly, "Reporting to Your Majesty, General Li said that the Imperial Guards are of one heart and mind, recognizing only Your Majesty's edicts."

Forced by the threat of the six major factions, the civil officials and military generals finally reached a cooperation. The civil official group led by Yan Song recommended Li Chengliang to become the Imperial Guard instructor, commanding the 800,000 Imperial Guards stationed in the capital.

The Emperor naturally knew about the small movements between the two groups, but for him, Li Chengliang was indeed a good candidate.

Having just taken over the Imperial Guards, Li Chengliang displayed a resolute and swift style.

He scattered all of Guo Bujing's former subordinates, sent them elsewhere, and then inserted all his old subordinates he brought from Liaodong into the Imperial Guards.

He used various methods and gained control of this unit in just a few days.

"If you two cannot take him down, then add these 800,000 Imperial Guards; should that be enough?"

The Emperor's eyes were like knives, coldly scraping across Cao Zhengchun and Yu Huatian's faces.

"This servant will die to serve Your Majesty; please rest assured, Your Majesty!"

The two answered in unison.

The Emperor seemed to have completed an extremely important task, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long breath: "The Dragon-Protecting Villa, the Divine Marquis Mansion, and the Six Doors are all unreliable at critical moments. Once this matter is over, they will have no need to exist."

"In the future, the affairs of these three houses will be handled by your East and West Depots."

Painting a big picture is a professional skill that a boss must have.

Especially a boss as big as the Emperor. Cao Zhengchun and Yu Huatian had been struggling in the palace for so many years and knew he was painting a picture, but honestly speaking, it was hard not to be tempted.

In fact, let alone completely replacing the two Marquises and one gate, just squeezing some power out of their hands would be enough for the two Depots to completely turn things around.

Just now, when the two said they would die to serve the Emperor, it was at most just a verbal gesture. However, at this moment, they truly had the idea of risking their lives.

As the saying goes, wealth is sought in danger; provided the benefits are sufficient, any price can be paid.

Wei Zhongxian, who was watching as a third party, suddenly felt that the Emperor was very terrifying after seeing the fanatical expressions on Cao Zhengchun and Yu Huatian's faces...

At the same time.

Chu Yang had already left the Imperial Palace.

He came by sedan chair, but when he left, there was no one to see him off. The guards on duty at the palace gate couldn't help but laugh out loud when they saw this, as if nothing that happened to this Prince was surprising.

But he also felt that this was wrong, so he immediately returned to that stern face, looking straight ahead.

"If you want to laugh, then laugh. Why keep a straight face? Do you find me unpleasant to look at?"

"Your Highness, please calm your anger! This subordinate dares not!"

"A real man, yet you don't even dare to admit laughing a few times. You're a guard, yet I don't know who taught you."

"Your Highness, you can scold me, but you cannot scold Lord Guo."

"Yo, quite a temper. Now you know how to talk back? Why didn't you speak just now? What is your name?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, this subordinate is named Chai Hu."

Seeing that Chu Yang was relentless, the guard knew he couldn't escape this ordeal today. Holding the determination of "breaking the pot," his attitude suddenly became tough.

Chu Yang was stunned, "What is your name? Say it again."

The guard's expression was displeased, and a bit of a rough-and-tumble quality appeared on him. He cupped his hands and said, "My name is Chai Hu. The name was given by the doctor in town; it's not very pleasant, so please forgive me, Your Highness."

"That's not what I meant." Chu Yang waved his hand, looking up and down at the guard named Chai Hu, and suddenly discovered that the other party's physique was very sturdy, like a hard-body master.

The reason he was so surprised was that this man named Chai Hu was supposed to be a member of Li Ge Xiao's 【Yi Zhi Mei】 team, nicknamed "River-Crossing Bandit," specializing in robbing the rich to help the poor.

And now, he had become an Imperial Guard, responsible for duty at the gate of the Forbidden City.

"Were you brought into the Imperial Guards by Lord Guo?"

"That's right. Lord Guo has the grace of knowing me."

"Hehe, you brat, you committed a crime and were caught by Lord Guo, and he cherished your talent, so he put you into the Imperial Guards to train you, so you could make up for your crimes, right?"

"You... how did you know?!"

Chai Hu became very panicked. The fact that he was the "River-Crossing Bandit" was only known to Guo Bujing, and the other party had promised him never to tell a second person.

How on earth did this "useless Prince" in front of him know?

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Chai Hu's eyes. He had finally decided to settle down and live a normal life; if his true identity were known, how could he live?

If it really came to it, he would have to take ruthless action...

"Big guy, can you use your brain? This is the gate of the Imperial Palace. Isn't making a move here looking for death?"

"You don't think the patrolling guards nearby are idiots, do you?"

Chu Yang looked at him speechlessly.

Upon hearing this, the fierce expression on Chai Hu's face gradually disappeared, and he returned to his harmless appearance, his eyes revealing a clear stupidity.

To kill or not to kill—the big guy stood in place, at a loss.

Chu Yang couldn't be bothered to tease him anymore and said, "Since you know Lord Guo, why not go back and ask him? He will give you the answer. With your temperament, you had better not be a guard; you will cause a disaster sooner or later."

After saying this, Chu Yang left, and Chai Hu looked at his back in a daze.

Chai Hu didn't know that in Chu Yang's view, he had great potential, and it was a pity to stay in the Imperial Palace as a guard.

Perhaps Guo Bujing just wanted to hone him and then take him to the Six Doors to be a constable. If he didn't have the aptitude for that, he couldn't be a teammate with Li Ge Xiao.

And the one who knows thieves best must be a thief. On this point, the famous anti-theft expert "Saint of Thieves" Bai Zhantang has a lot of say.

From this, it can be seen how suitable Chai Hu, as the "River-Crossing Bandit," is for the work of the Six Doors.

The location of the Virtuous Prince's Mansion is very special. As the biggest playboy in the capital, Chu Yang's mansion was not in the most prosperous area, but only one street away from the slum area.

The so-called slum area is a gathering place for some commoners engaged in lowly trades.

Retired soldiers, blacksmiths, actors, pickpockets, etc. —almost all professions that couldn't be brought to the table would huddle together for warmth, although there was a chain of contempt among them.

Interestingly, at the very bottom of the chain of contempt was Chu Yang, this Prince.

Being a neighbor to the Prince, no one would think it was a glorious thing; on the contrary, it was possible that one's ancestral graves would explode. This Prince was already the most famous joke in the capital; whoever got close to him might become the next joke.

When Lu Xiaofeng first came to the Virtuous Prince's Mansion, he thought he had taken the wrong road. The mansion, which was more spacious than the Bliss Mansion, actually only had two or three old servants and maids.

Hearing from the old butler, it was because the current Emperor, in order to punish the Prince for his extravagance and debauchery, had dismissed most of the servants in the mansion.

Chu Yang therefore did not return to the mansion often, spending his days outside drinking and feasting; these people could sometimes not see Chu Yang for several years.

The clever Lu Xiaofeng heard a different meaning from this statement.

"Our Emperor is quite guarded against his own brother, not even leaving any able-bodied people in the mansion, for fear that the Prince will rebel."

"Having become Emperor, he is still suspicious all day long. Is there any need for that?"

"You are wrong. It is precisely because he became Emperor that he is suspicious. Only beggars are not afraid of being targeted by thieves."

Lu Xiaofeng and Sikong Zhaixing had a heated discussion about this in the courtyard of the Virtuous Prince's Mansion, not noticing at all that Chu Yang had already arrived behind them.

"You two have said enough; who are you calling a beggar?"

Chu Yang interrupted their conversation with an unhappy expression.

Lu Xiaofeng turned around, saw Chu Yang, and said with surprise, "Your Highness, you got out of the palace alive?!"

Chu Yang glared at him, "Little Chicken Lu, what kind of nonsense are you spouting? Are you hoping I die in there?"

Lu Xiaofeng smiled awkwardly, "How could that be? I was just worried about you. The Emperor guards against you like a thief; if he couldn't hold back..."

Chu Yang said, "He held back today; I don't know about two days from now."

Lu Xiaofeng put away his smile and asked with a serious expression, "Mid-Autumn Festival?"

"He will most likely invite me into the palace to admire the moon." Chu Yang smiled and said calmly, "I wanted to watch a play, but I didn't expect to become the protagonist myself."

"I hope you won't let me down either." (End of chapter)