Chapter 418

Sure enough, that old coot's next words were exactly as follows.

"But you're an exception!"

"Ji Ming, I think you're very suited to be this young master! I see you and my poor granddaughter are getting quite close—a talented gentleman and a beautiful lady—why not you… ah!"

The Sun King suddenly fell silent, because Ji Ming raised a bottle of red potion as if to smash it, frightening him into hastily reaching out with both hands to support it.

"No, no, I was just joking, why are you so worked up!"

"A joke?"

"I see you just want to freeload off me!"

Ji Ming slipped past the Sun King's poised fingers and lightly lifted his hand, successfully taking the potion back.

Your Majesty, I can frankly tell you that the raw materials for this potion are very precious, so I could never produce it for just anyone, and the amount I have on hand is indeed scarce.

I understand, I understand—truly good things can't be oversupplied. I've heard that in the Holy Tree Kingdom, even an elven master craftsman once spent a hundred years just to brew a spoonful of divine medicine.

That elf is truly a bored idiot—probably would even hang himself for fun when he has nothing to do, such a boring long-lived race…

Very good.

Ji Ming turned his wrist, and another vial slipped out from his sleeve, so he now held both vials in his hand.

How about this: we're all respectable people, so let's not cause trouble. I also don't want to see any turmoil among the Hui Guang Kingdom's high officials—just name your price seriously, and if it works I'll agree.

The Sun King fell silent for a moment, staring at Ji Ming's eyes, then began to speak.

Fine then… two chests of gold coins… three chests of jewels… a full set of crafted armor… one heavenly horse… hey, are you being greedy?

Ji Ming knew this old coot was a sly miser, definitely a penny-pincher, and he lightly shook the potion.

Your Majesty, you… you are the great Sun King Anton VI—how can you haggle like a petty vendor here, bit by bit?

Whoever heard of a vendor as generous as me!

The Sun King angrily slapped his thigh.

Do you know how precious a heavenly horse is? Every year I have to go back and forth with the Pope's emissary for half a day just to barely get one or two more!

Unfortunately, Ji Ming completely ignored his tactics and instead sneered.

That's just a horse, Your Majesty. The war mares I know are far stronger than your bunch of feeble dwarf toys!

Moreover, as a king, is your destiny—born with a golden weight—really less important than a mere beast?

……

Tch.

The Sun King let out a long sigh, helplessly closing his eyes, but before three seconds had passed he quietly opened a slit and sneaked a glance at the potion in Ji Ming's hand.

No, I can't bear to part with it!

Well, you… uh… you probably, maybe, should, perhaps… think I need to pay how much?

Then he felt his heart skip a beat, because Ji Ming merely said it offhand.

Don't worry, it's not much.

——Done.

As I just said, we're all respectable people, we're sensible adults.

Ji Ming extended his arm and slowly clenched his fist.

So, Your Majesty the King whom I respect, I want all the items you just listed, plus the earlier ones too!

The Sun King flew into a rage, about to condemn this bastard god's chosen one for taking advantage of the peril and opening his lion's mouth wide, but Ji Ming seemed to suddenly recall something and hurriedly clarified.

Hey, calm down, I misspoke—except for the last one.

He then fiercely condemned the Sun King as a shameless feudal patriarch who even wanted to arrange his granddaughter's marriage, his thinking utterly corrupt and backward.

He advised! This old man, behave yourself, reflect well, and don't commit such cleverness—petty cleverness—in the future!

If it were before, he definitely wouldn't use this trick, but from earlier chats he'd already seen that this old coot is much like himself—both will pose as ruffians and play the scoundrel for their own gain.

In other words, they're neither ruffians nor scoundrels; at least deep down, where they hide it well, there's still a plot of land they can draw a red line on.

Therefore, under the influence of shame, at least the duty that should have been fulfilled wasn't carried out fully, and the regret of failing to guard what they cherished until the end does exist.

So after Ji Ming shifted the matter from Elinor onto this young couple, Chang Ge, the old king no longer uttered a word.

Some things can't be avoided by running away; since the contradiction exists, it will sooner or later explode, and the longer you delay, the more likely trouble will arise.

Moreover, things are already like this; you should know from our journey that they're coming straight to bite you to death, so can't we at least show a little backbone?

Having said that, he conjured another bottle of SpiritGathering Liquid, placing all three bottles on the small table to the side.

These should be enough for you to steadily walk to the very end of your life…… Of course, if they're not enough, since I've stepped in, I'll see it through to the end.

Then he stood up, habitually smoothed his slightly wrinkled coat, turned his head, and walked toward the door.

All right, the consultation ends here, Your Majesty the King—I take my leave.

As he was about to press the door handle, he turned back for a glance.

Oh right, no need to trouble yourself with those things—just have someone send them to ShanShang when you're done; they should be able to find out where I live.

But as the door opened with a slap, then closed again amid the receding footsteps, the Sun King by the bed remained unmoved.

Heaven and earth, what kind of muddled monarch could bear to watch his land be trampled, what kind of father could watch his beloved daughter be beaten to death alive?

So actually, just now he wasn't fully entering the state of 【Regretful Tears】; he had originally wanted to scold Ji Ming, an outsider who knows nothing, for spouting off.

But when the words reached his lips, they all shrank back.

After all, cowardice is cowardice—no matter the reason, he was cowardly back then, and he sacrificed so many loyal patriots who gave their all for the country!

Before, he could still bury this sorrow in a life of wine, women, and extravagance, but now that SpiritGathering Liquid is wreaking havoc in his body, he can't even pretend to be clueless.

Curse, curse, curse……

After muttering for a while, he kept feeling like he'd forgotten something important.

Hmm, what is it?

……

He jumped to his feet.

"No, damn it, Ji Ming? When did I ever promise to give you those things!"

"Hey, boss, am I missing something?"

"【Can you not say nasty things when someone is completely furious and scolding you?】"

"Look at what you're saying—I've already been scolded; if I don't say it now, wouldn't I be losing out?"

"With maids and knights taking turns, Ji Ming left the Sun King's sleeping quarters, whose male-to-female ratio was comparable to that of the Heavenly King Hong."

"If it were an ordinary person, they'd hurry to leave the palace after finishing their business—but who made Ji Ming the Divine Chosen?"

"Anyway, since even the emperor's most cherished harem had been entered for fun, the guard knights directly escorted him to launch the 【Palace Tour】 dungeon."

"Moreover, if Ji Ming's dealings with the king are a sparring match of masters testing each other, then facing the red-hot new Divine Chosen, this group of knights eager for advancement hardly have any option but to curry favor."

"Thus this tour inadvertently took on the air of a superior leader's inspection, with local officials accompanying in a ceremonial fashion, leaving Ji Ming feeling he ought to wear a black business jacket."

"From the back garden where a noble lady's tea party was underway, to the alliance hall where several new knights were collectively swearing oaths, and then to the knights' temporary lodging in the palace to sample their favorite beer."

"When they saw from afar the king's close attendants and the nobles stationed in the royal capital emerging from the council palace, the sun was slanting west and the time had already come to dusk."

"The young guys dutifully accompanied him for an afternoon of fun; watching them, Ji Ming felt they were all fairly honest little brothers."

"Today I was forced to be alone with a foul old thing, but it's better to stay a while longer with this group of pure-hearted youngsters to cleanse the spirit."

"So Ji Ming planned to have them show him around; today, the elder Divine Chosen brother will treat, taking the brothers out for a good meal."

"As a result, after finally being generous once, taking a turn he ran into an acquaintance again."

"\"Divine Chosen Ji Ming, what a coincidence—I didn't expect to see you here. \""

"Who else could it be? Naturally it's Philip's prince, who has been lying in ambush here for a long time, waiting to strike midway."

"One can only say it's fortunate that Ji Ming doesn't like to make promises lightly; if he had just started boasting about treating them to a meal, it would be embarrassing now."

"Because the prince exchanged only a few pleasantries, he then began to casually invite him to a drink, saying he had a younger brother on his side, hearing that the elder brother had returned to the capital, so he set up a few tables for a welcome banquet."

"If the Divine Chosen doesn't mind, we're all buddies; I'll call you over—anyway, later we won't see each other if we keep our heads down, so hanging out in the capital to get a few familiar faces will make future business easier."

"The words definitely aren't put like that, but the meaning is roughly expressed this way,"

"So the invitation was practically shoved into his mouth; Ji Ming couldn't well refuse, so he gladly agreed."

"Moreover, although the host of this banquet is actually the one throwing this dinner for Philip."

"But under the emperor's feet, at the root of the imperial city, anyone who can stir up something here couldn't be just an ordinary person."

"In fact, this is a young noble from the household of the Eastern Border Duke, whose ancestors were one of the Twelve Marshals, and thus a main supporter of Philip's lineage."

"Recently he has been studying relevant courses at the Royal Capital's magic academy, which is why he has temporarily settled in Qixia City."

"\"Franco? Come on, come on, this is the Divine Chosen Ji Ming I mentioned to you, young and promising; the last time we met we had a pleasant talk. \""

"\"Divine Chosen Sir, this is Franco Jingguang; we've known each other since childhood, and we're old friends of many years. \""

"\"Oh oh, Divine Chosen Sir, hello, you don't need to be polite; Philip's older brother's friend is my friend! If anything comes up, just let me know, little brother. \""

"Seeing the young man's wink and grin, Ji Ming showed a warm smile and reached out to shake his hand."

"\"Haha, Your Highness the Prince, your friend speaks very humorously. \""

"Since he can call the Philip Prince brother, this Franco schoolmate is likely someone overwhelmed by family wealth, and judging by his sleeves that dance freely, he has no aristocratic airs……"

"Sure enough, afterward the Philip Prince subtly hinted to Ji Ming that this Franco is the family's first-in-line heir; coming to the capital to study is preparation to inherit his father's ducal title."

"Damn rich bro!"

"There's nothing more to say; since someone made an introduction, we might as well exchange pleasantries—who knows which connection might come in handy someday."

"So at the ensuing banquet, Ji Ming, as usual, became an important NPC that all coming and going guests must check in with."

"Moreover, although he doesn't really want to go into detail about how he treated the Sun King's illness—after all, it's a big deal, could cause an uproar across the city—as a doctor he must protect the patient's privacy."

"But considering that essentially he was invited by the Philip siblings to treat their father, the Divine Chosen's special trip to the sleeping quarters and his delayed emergence is something everyone present couldn't fail to notice."

"Therefore, even if Ji Ming remains tight-lipped about the king's exact condition and hasn't detailed how he treated him, he still let slip a vague hint of 'turning danger into safety.'"

"Now it's really lively; the old-timers want to come meet this youngster, see what kind of bearing the new nobles in aristocratic circles have, and whether they match the old-timers' own level and ability."

"The youngsters also want to come meet this elder brother, to see whether the currently red-hot extramural Divine Chosen can be of use to them, and figure out how to pull themselves up to a higher position."

"So Ji Ming, after deflecting eighty embarrassing praises, forty cooperation invitations, and worst of all, sixty-seven card-game hints involving both genders like the previous two, finally managed to get through the banquet's peak."

"\"Laughable, I almost got dragged by three guys to play mahjong! \""

"But strictly speaking he wasn't locked up the whole time; through this bunch of scheming folks, he still managed to dig up some dirty affairs in the royal capital's circle."

"For example, those two youngsters glare at each other upon meeting because their backers, the Minister of Defense Xiguang Duke and the Minister of Finance Huguang Duke, have some personal grudge; considering what a grudge is, no one can dig it out, likely it's just some trivial matter below the navel."

"Furthermore, the noble lady who earlier flirted with Ji Ming is actually the illegitimate daughter of a Marquis; rumor has it she's recently using personal capital to form a brotherhood club with enough influence to overthrow the Marquis's legitimate daughter who keeps trying to drive her away."

"What's worse is that these are actually already considered clean, after all they're all voluntary, everyone working together to climb upward—those 'inspirational' stories."

"The rest, from simple money-power deals to outright selling titles and offices, from normal banquet mingling to a dark alliance of hundreds, the misdeeds are too many to count."

"One can only say the royal capital indeed lives up to its name; even in this regard it can reach new heights, play at a high level—truly worthy of a thumbs-up, praising the old iron for its skill."

"This made Ji Ming dare not dig deeper; what if he ended up overturning the whole city—what then?"

"(End of chapter)"