Chapter 64

First Volume, Chapter 64: Shockwave Continues

Although Li Zhan was highly respected in the palace, he was still a eunuch; to speak freely of state affairs before the Emperor, had it not been for his long service in the palace, his mere words alone would have been enough to convict him of overstepping his bounds.

The Liang Emperor surveyed the officials kneeling in a sea before him, saying nothing; this aura of silent authority left every official present trembling with dread, and for a moment, the entire Ji Wang Fu Xiaochang was suffused with deadly stillness—except for Qin Feng, who yawned repeatedly and occasionally grumbled irritably, "Are we still competing or not?"

As one of the stakes in this contest, Xie Yun'er had not entered the wager herself, and thus was among the very few standing figures present.

Watching Qin Feng, who leaned against the Talou in the distance, scratching his buttocks intermittently and tugging at his hair like a child with ADHD, Xie Yun'er felt a wave of doubt: "Is this fool just absurdly lucky, his actions somehow aligning perfectly with the Emperor's will—or… is he a sage in disguise, having already grasped the entire situation in the palm of his hand?"

As if sensing Xie Yun'er's gaze, Qin Feng slowly turned around.

At the moment their eyes met, Xie Yun'er silently cursed—under her furious, blushing stare, Qin Feng waved his hand, utterly unconcerned with the deadly atmosphere, and shouted loudly: "Yun'er, don't worry—I'm winning this contest, no need to fear for me."

Xie Yun'er's cheeks flushed crimson; she bit her lower lip and whispered, "Damn it, who's worried about you? You're shameless!"

Unbeknownst to them, Qin Feng's brazen shout had precisely shattered the oppressive atmosphere.

The Liang Emperor, who had been struggling to find a graceful exit, seized the opportunity and said sternly: "The contest is not yet over—my ministers, rise."

The officials exhaled in relief, hurriedly thanked the Emperor, and retreated to their positions.

In an instant, countless sharp gazes converged upon Qin Feng from all directions—only to be replaced by helplessness the next second: before the eyes of the Emperor and the Civil and Military Officials, Qin Feng was leaning against the Talou with one hand, the other on his hip, striking a flamboyant pose, and continuously winking at Xie Yun'er.

Even Xie Yun'er, the capital's most violent girl, could not help but blush and lower her head at such an audacious lecher.

The Liang Emperor's understanding of "brazen shamelessness" had been repeatedly shattered by Qin Feng; he shook his head and cleared his throat softly to ease his own embarrassment.

Qin Tianhu rushed forward, grabbed Qin Feng's collar, and growled angrily: "You brat, calm down at once! If you're missing your bride, I'll arrange a match for you at home—but right now, focus on the contest! If you lose and anger the Emperor, the entire Qin Family will die with you."

As the saying goes: the higher you're lifted, the harder you'll fall. If he falters at the final moment, Qin Tianhu dared not imagine what fate awaited the Qin Family.

Qin Feng's father looked ready to devour him; he stopped arguing and immediately raised both hands in surrender. Only after Qin Tianhu turned away did Qin Feng exhale in relief—then he turned and nearly laughed out loud again. Beside him, Ning Hu trembled with rage, his eyes blazing with Flame, yet powerless to act against Qin Feng, his face turning crimson from suppressed fury.

"Qin! You wait—I'll have my revenge. When your power crumbles, that's when you'll die!" Ning Hu gritted his teeth, now viewing Qin Feng as his lifelong mortal enemy.

The contest resumed; Qin Feng and Ning Hu took their positions beneath the Talou.

Every official present held their breath—this contest, to the Manchu Civil and Military, was no longer mere child's play.

At that moment, a Rope was thrown down from the top of the Talou, landing squarely before Qin Feng.

The crowd suddenly understood: had Qin Feng ordered the Imperial Guard to climb the Talou earlier just to tie this Rope?

Realizing Qin Feng's plan, the officials could not suppress low, mocking chuckles.

"I thought Qin Feng had some brilliant trick up his sleeve—but after all that buildup, this is it?"

"Hah! This brat's lost for sure! We were all tricked by him earlier—we've got our accounts ready, and we'll settle them all at once."

"Hmph! Once Qin Feng loses, the Emperor will fly into a rage—and even if the Emperor spares him, the Manchu Civil and Military won't let him live."

The Minister of Revenue finally let out the breath he'd been holding.

Having been outmaneuvered by Qin Feng earlier, his carefully constructed strategy had collapsed instantly; the decision to wage war against Di could no longer be reversed. The Minister of Revenue was seething with rage—and now, seeing Qin Feng's petty trick, even the most composed among them could not help but sneer.

"So after all that fuss, he's ended up trapping himself? Watch closely—once this brat loses, next year's same day will be his anniversary of death."

The Vice Minister of Revenue also exhaled in relief: "The Emperor placed such heavy bets on him—if he makes the Emperor publicly lose face, hah—given the Emperor's ruthless nature, he'll settle old and new debts together. Youth is youth—they don't understand the Emperor's power!"

Everyone was eager to see Qin Feng's glorious failure, drowned beneath the Emperor's wrath.

"Begin!"

At the Liang Emperor's command, Ning Hu, already primed, kicked off with both legs and shot upward over two meters, climbing the tower with hands and feet like a gecko scaling a wall, ascending at astonishing speed.

Ning Qingquan exhaled deeply; the fury in his eyes had been replaced by confidence: "He's won. That speed—even the top-tier warriors of the Imperial Guard couldn't move faster."

Just as the officials believed Qin Feng was defeated, Qin Tianhu's roar once again drew everyone's attention.

"You brat, what are you daydreaming about? Do you want to drive me to death?!" Qin Tianhu's eyes blazed with fury, as if he wished to strangle Qin Feng on the spot.

Only then did the crowd notice: Qin Feng was slowly tying a Rope around his waist; once secured, he raised his right hand slowly above his head, clenched his fist, and assumed a posture as if preparing to "charge."

At this moment, Ning Hu had reached halfway up the tower, only a few zhang from the summit.

Ning Qingquan smiled coldly: "Qin Feng, even if you use the Rope to gain leverage, the gap is too great—you've already lost. I advise you to stop struggling."

The Minister of Revenue narrowed his eyes, a deep killing intent flashing within: "I refuse to believe this brat can turn decay into wonder again."

Under the gaze of all, Qin Feng shouted: "Charge!"

The moment the words left his lips, a bulging sack of coarse hemp dropped from the tower's peak—weighing hundreds of jin—and, pulled by a simple pulley system at the top, yanked Qin Feng upward in an instant.

The seasoned Civil and Military Officials, who had weathered countless storms, stared with mouths gaping wider and wider.