Chapter 622

First Volume, Chapter 622: Half the Imperial Court Belongs to the Qin Family

Ji Wang spoke of punishing him, but his eyes brimmed with affection.

Among all the young nobles of Jingdu, only that brat Qin Feng truly won Ji Wang's favor, and his character was second to none.

All along, Ji Wang had regarded Qin Feng as his own young protégé.

As for the grudges between Qin Feng, the Grand Protector, and the Imperial Clan, Ji Wang sought only neutrality, taking no side.

Yet deep inside, he strongly disapproved of the Liang Emperor's cold-hearted hedging art.

Consolidating imperial power was not inherently wrong.

But if not a shred of sentiment was shown—even rewarding state heroes could be casually eliminated—

it would inevitably breed disunity; who would truly and sincerely pledge loyalty to the Li Imperial Clan?

As Xiao Yao Wang, Ji Wang held title without power; regarding these stakes, aside from muttering curses behind closed doors, he could do nothing.

Today's visit to the Qin Family to offer congratulations was, in its own way, Ji Wang's small act of protest against the Liang Emperor.

A silent reminder to His Majesty: everything has its limit; cross that limit, and even the most capable, most ruthless will become the target of all.

"Where is that brat Qin Feng? Come out here this instant, you little wretch!"

Ji Wang bellowed at the top of his lungs.

Even Qin Tianhu and the others burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, Old Prince, spare him this once."

"That boy hasn't slept all night—he's dozing off in the back courtyard right now."

"Shall I go fetch Qin Feng for you?"

Ji Wang let out a soft "oh," and swept his sleeve aside: "Then I'll spare his life today."

Everyone laughed again.

Qin Tianhu watched, his blood surging with excitement.

Even at the Qin Family's peak, it paled in comparison to now.

All because of Qin Feng—the elite nobles of Jingdu now treat the Qin Family as brothers.

What honor is this?

The old saying goes: wealth and glory come from risking one's life—Qin Feng truly achieved it.

After surviving one terrifying ordeal after another, Qin Feng has become a figure unmatched by any of his generation.

Take today's guests—why did they come? Not because of Qin Tianhu, the Minister of War—but because of Qin Feng's face!

The Qin Family has such a son—it truly is ancestral blessing.

Qin Tianhu could barely close his mouth; his only regret was that his wife could not share in this glorious moment unique to the Qin Family.

…

Imperial Palace, Imperial Study.

Hei Wei had already placed the list of officials who visited the Qin Family before the Liang Emperor.

The Liang Emperor's face was expressionless as he flipped through the list.

"Minister of Personnel, Minister of Revenue, Commander of Longhu Army, Director of Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Ji Wang, Marquis of Yong'an…"

"Heh."

The Liang Emperor let out a bitter laugh, then tore the list to shreds and hurled the pieces into the air.

Hei Wei's eyes flickered with surprise.

"Your Majesty, why this?"

"With your humble servant's shallow view, though the Qin Family now stands at its zenith, it is said that extreme prosperity inevitably leads to decline."

"One day, the Qin Family will fall—and given Qin Feng's methods, that day won't be far off."

"Then we can arrest them all based on this list."

In the past, the Liang Emperor would have thrown the list at Hei Wei's face and cursed him for his stupidity.

But now, the Liang Emperor's gaze was weary, even lacking the will to be angry with Hei Wei; he spoke weakly: "Those not in office should not meddle in governance."

"Just do your duty as Hei Wei. Don't offer me counsel."

Saying this, the Liang Emperor sighed lightly, every word heavy with helplessness.

"Add Qin Tianhu to this list—there are already three Ministers!"

"Half of the Six Ministries are gone."

"Plus the Director of Court of Imperial Sacrifices and Marquis of Yong'an."

"They already hold half the Imperial Court."

"Besides, there is Xie Bi—since the Traitor Case has been overturned, I must restore his title of Duke."

"The three Grand Generals of the Northern Border, my loyalists, the Longhu Army…"

"Heh."

The Liang Emperor let out a long, hollow laugh: "Arrest them based on this list? Who is arresting whom—me, or them?"

Hearing this, Hei Wei bowed his head low, his tone filled with resentment.

"Your Majesty is the Liang Holy Man; your loyalists include the Imperial Guard, Palace Guards, Western and Eastern Camps, City Patrol, Central Plains Imperial Party…"

Before Hei Wei finished listing the Imperial Clan's supporters, the Liang Emperor waved him to silence.

Out of respect for Hei Wei's loyalty, he did not reprimand him.

He merely asked softly: "The Imperial Guard and Palace Guards have lost their authority; their sole duty now is guarding the Imperial Palace."

"When Zhao Yulong escorted Mingyue Princess back to Jingdu, he brought back most of the Beixi Black Cavalry and many Beixi Soldiers."

"In short, one-third of Beixi's elite tactical advantage now stands by Qin Feng's side."

"Add to that Zhao Li of the Longhu Army lending assistance..."

The Liang Emperor did not continue speaking; in his heart, he did not know whether to fear or to despair.

Rumors in the streets claimed that the East and West Camps had already feared Qin Feng's power.

If a mutiny were to break out, no one could say for certain whether the East and West Camps would reinforce the King—or merely "go with the flow."

The City Patrol Office, surprisingly, remained loyal—but its tactical advantage was far too weak...

As for the role of the Central Plains Imperial Party, it had always been to suppress the Powerful Clans of Nan Jing; now it had taken on the additional task of restraining the Northern Border Noble Clans.

It was truly stretched too thin—distant water cannot quench immediate thirst.

The Liang Emperor's eagerness to reconcile with Qin Feng was born of desperation; if they truly fought, the Liang Emperor was already at a disadvantage.

"Transmit my edict: I am unwell; for the coming days, unless there is a major matter, do not come to court."

Upon hearing this, the Black Colonel's heart sank halfway.

The Liang Emperor was clearly... beginning to yield to Qin Feng proactively.

He feared that in the Imperial Court, Qin Feng would unite his allies to jointly resist him—when that time came... the consequences were unthinkable.

The Liang Emperor, for the first time ever, returned to the Hou Gong.

Sitting in the Western Flower Hall, he gazed at the Chang Princess and the Imperial Consort, muttering to himself: "Have I truly made a mistake?"

The Chang Princess understood the Liang Emperor's thoughts best; she softly reassured him: "Qin Feng knows his place. Your Majesty need not worry so much."

As she spoke these words, the Chang Princess herself felt a twinge of guilt.

But this was all she could say to comfort the Liang Emperor.

Unbeknownst to her, these words carried a different taste in the Liang Emperor's ears.

"So... I really was wrong..."

The Chang Princess's gaze shifted; she quickly lowered her head and busied herself with her needlework, pretending not to have heard.

The Liang Emperor sighed deeply: "If Qin Feng truly harbors ambitions to overstep his bounds, then my actions would be justified."

"But if Qin Feng has never disrespected me from the start, and I have driven him to this state, it becomes all the more ironic."

"Could it be..."

"That the Hedging Art varies by person? That it does not work on everyone?"

Seeing that the Chang Princess did not answer, the Liang Emperor did not press her; he turned to look at the Imperial Consort.

Since Qin Feng's return to Beijing, the Imperial Consort had suddenly changed her nature, abandoning her former arrogance and becoming gentle.

The Liang Emperor could not help but sneer: "Wenwan, what do you think? I want to hear your true thoughts."

Lin Wenwan shook her head: "Your servant does not know."