Chapter 432: with translation of chapter title

Of course, no matter how high their former status, how deep their affection.

As for that extraordinarily born Princess Mengquan, who ultimately chose self‑sacrifice, this affection, having lost its final tie, existed in name only.

Lady Meilier, disheartened, chose to live in seclusion here and refused all subsequent visit requests from Andong Liùshì.

Perhaps it was because the king could not suffer repeated loss of face, perhaps the increasingly severe Dragon King's curse made him ever more aloof, or perhaps he simply had no face to meet her.

In short, over the twenty years that followed, they met no more than can be counted on one hand, and their last encounter was even twelve years ago.

Of course, this is from Andong Liùshì's perspective, but if he, a natural spellcaster's consort, were most skilled in night‑stealth magic?

You must understand, even if we consider only this three‑year period with monthly contact, given his suspicion and licentiousness, such a person simply does not exist around him.

Because even his most beloved concubine, after clinging to him for as short as three months or as long as half a year, would be forcibly distanced by him for a time.

So, including those who hate enough, understand enough, can skillfully use curses, and possess superb magical ability…

Probably the only one who can satisfy all these labels is the person standing before him right now.

Andong Liùshì had taken medicine before coming this time, so although his aged complexion was somewhat dark, his eyes remained sharp.

"Enough, I didn't come here to argue with you!"

He shouted sharply, stepped a few paces toward Meilier, and looked down on her from above.

"Abusing witchcraft, plotting to kill the king, Meilier, do you know how grave a crime this is?"

However, Lady Meilier remained unmoved, merely narrowing her eyes for a long while before sneering.

"You, still a king? What kind of king are you? Is there such a useless king as you? What did you promise? What did you protect? What have you actually accomplished?"

"I…"

Now Andong Liùshì had nothing left to say; he could only watch Meilier walk with her hands behind her back, then slowly sit in the rattan chair beneath the large tree in the courtyard.

She boiled a pot of hot water with magic, tossed in a handful of herbs, then poured it into the cup.

She took a sip, as if to suppress her sharp tongue with the tea, and then spoke again.

"How much is your life worth? Take your daughter's and son‑in‑law's lives in exchange—is that enough?"

Andong sat silently opposite her, reaching out to pour himself a cup, but she slapped his hand hard.

He could only answer while covering his reddened hand.

"This… I am the king!"

"Hmm."

Meilier nodded.

"Then add thirty‑five thousand six hundred thirty‑two warriors willing to die for the country, and eighty‑four thousand plus kind civilians who gave their all to provide logistics and medical care for them?"

"How can you even… with the numbers…"

Andong's facial expression changed three times in eight seconds, but in the end he chose pleadingly.

"No, I… I am the king."

"..."

This time Meilier did not continue pressing; instead she leaned forward and poured him a cup herself.

"Hehe."

Now Andong felt utterly pleased, grinning foolishly for a while before lifting the tea cup.

But before he could happily take a sip, Meilier's next words frightened him so much he nearly threw the cup away.

"Then what about adding me?"

Well, it wasn't just a near miss; after his wrist trembled several times, the innocent cup cruelly shattered on the ground.

With a crack, that was the tea cup's last words.

Meanwhile Andong jumped up three feet high, leaping backward three times.

Only then did he point at Meilier, his pupils bursting, forcing out four words through clenched teeth.

"You're really ruthless!"

Then he trotted back, seized her hand without hesitation, and used a bit of magic to sense it.

Three seconds, he raised his tone again.

"You really, damn it, even curse yourself?!"

But no matter how loud their voices, since they were engaged in a private talk, Ji Ming could not possibly know the true nature behind the Sun King's three‑year curse.

Moreover, having finally sold out the Southern Allied Forces, he was now hurrying along on a pegasus.

Because it was already the end of April, the date for this year's royal assessment had finally been set.

He had thought it would surely be mid‑month, or at least dragged to the end of the month as usual, but who knew this year it would fall on May 1st, right on people's foreheads.

"Holy shit!"

Originally planning to visit the dungeon again, he could only cancel everything and rush back at top speed.

Along the way he also borrowed several teleportation arrays from great nobles and cathedrals, thus managing to return to Guanghui Capital in just three days.

But before he even entered Qixia City, he received major news from the guards chatting at the gate.

This morning, Sun King Andong Liùshì exercised his royal authority at the monthly meeting and added a new proposal on the spot.

Exactly, it was to materialize his past verbal promise, requesting a separate ennoblement slot for Ālīnuò.

This is a major matter; as soon as it was spoken, whether the king himself was present or communicating magically, all the ministers and officials changed expression.

However, bringing this up now might be timely, for if it had been more than ten years ago, it would surely have been a unanimous rejection.

Back then the Royal Capital's situation was murky and unpredictable, the external conditions hard to gauge, and after the Holy Tree's fall, a full‑scale war of the greatest scale on the Yangyue continent could break out at any moment.

If we truly granted the couple Changge, who reside at the vortex's center, their sole descendant a bright future, it would be like pouring water vigorously into a boiling oil pot—purely inviting an explosion.

But now, more than ten years later, the interests of those present have completely overturned, so naturally they no longer hold their former stance.

These days the forest's relations with the kingdom have also eased considerably; it has been a long time since anyone inquired about Princess Ālīnuò.

Moreover, the royal assessment of the new term is about to begin; everyone has their own investments, and even if hope is slim, they certainly won't let go.

At least, the maternal relatives of the Fei siblings, the Minister of Finance who handles the kingdom's purse strings, Arc Light Duke, will surely support this proposal.

Therefore, right after the king finished speaking, he immediately expressed his opinion.

"I heard Princess Eleanor has been giving lectures on Holy Mountain lately and doing quite well; that's clearly talent, and talent deserves preferential treatment!"

Although the Xiguang Duke, who serves as Minister of Defense, has always been at odds with the Arc Light Duke, this time he immediately followed suit and raised his hand.

"Not bad, the Arc Light Duke's cultural cultivation has improved a lot recently; I support his view, Princess Eleanor indeed possesses all the qualifications needed to receive further ennoblement."

No way, although the Xiguang family has no stake in this year's royal assessment, they once made a far-reaching decision mistake that nearly got them kicked out of the Royal Capital's power circle outright.

Still, the then Archbishop of the Central Diocese, Tenisi, out of nostalgia and old affection, reached out to help them, which prevented the Xiguang from falling completely into eternal ruin.

Now the archbishop is advanced in age, and the days he can breathe are dwindling; to preserve the Xiguang's reputation and to repay kindness with gratitude, this time we must seize the opportunity to repay the great favor, otherwise……

Well, if the old lady suddenly kicks the bucket one day, things would get messy.

Moreover, with this old rivals' combination move that gets the blood boiling, plus the king himself clearly isn't just going through the motions but is determined to push it forward seriously.

"Ah, yes yes yes!"

The rest of the people on the scene, seeing this situation, could only express compliance.

Upon second thought, I realized it actually doesn't matter; even if the Chang Song affair caused a big fuss, it was something from over a decade ago, and enough time has passed to smooth over many things.

What's more, this little girl, who is isolated and helpless in the realm of royal authority, with all her foundations lying in the Church, what great deeds could she possibly accomplish?

Just give her a remote ordinary fief far to the west; it's convenient for everyone, you're good, I'm good, we're all good.

In short, for various reasons, this proposal actually passed with a high vote, its efficiency even surpassing those proposals that gave the crowd increased... sought rights.

Although such a major matter, it couldn't possibly be formally approved with just one vote; after all, good things don't come easily, and further discussion will definitely be needed at least two more times.

But since the initial vote went so smoothly, this bottle of half‑court champagne already belongs to the overlord's toast that cannot be refused.

... So the college entrance exam hasn't even started yet, and Student E has already been directly recommended for admission?

When this news came out, the nobles with no vested interest were delighted, because no matter which prince or princess succeeds in their tribulation, as subjects they will have to eagerly fawn over them.

The nobles with vested interests are also pleased, because the contender they support still has a chance to succeed in their tribulation, rather than failing inexplicably due to a promise made n years ago by the Three Donkey King.

The Church is likewise pleased, having won over a royal noble inclined toward the Church; this can be seen as a slight compensation for the series of disasters that previously occurred in the southern part of the kingdom.

The common folk are even happier, because the heroic tragedy that has been circulating for over ten years finally has a DLC with a decent ending today, instead of being relentlessly stabbed to death by that damned fate.

Then there are the players; what's not to be happy about just watching the drama? Moreover, they now have a fresh excuse to gather together and curse this bunch of corrupt nobles—truly a pack of living beasts—and it's immensely satisfying.

As for Shen Lin Wang Guo, they expressed no opinion on this matter, merely looking forward eagerly to this year's summer harvest in the western part of Hui Guang Kingdom, which could also be counted as them being pleased.

So everyone is happy—who wouldn't be?

Ji Ming is not happy.

"Come on, man, I painstakingly ran the map for three days, and only with great difficulty reached my doorstep, and you tell me I don't need to come?"

This made Ji Ming's blood pressure spike; right then he didn't even enter the city gate, turned around and headed back to Holy Mountain.

After finally managing to fly into position, he hadn't even had a chance to sit down and take a sip of water to wet his throat when someone came knocking at his door again.

"It's over, I have a bad feeling."

He hesitated a moment before standing up, then walked to the door with the steely resolve of someone about to draw a blade.

But he discovered that the one who had appeared outside the door was an unfamiliar holy knight, and judging by the feather decoration on the helmet, it was the kind specifically tasked with delivering messages in the Church.

Maybe it's just an invitation to a card game from some noble lady's wayward nun; if I play dead, I could get out of it……

He opened the door as if nothing had happened.

"Hello, fellow believer, may I ask what business you have?"

"Uh, ah! Ah!!!"

After abruptly revealing his potential for a tenor voice, the messenger hurriedly pulled out a letter from his satchel.

"Divine Chosen Sir, you have an urgent letter!"

Ji Ming didn't need to scrutinize the text; just a glance at the design and a feel of the texture was enough to know this was the so‑called "imperial edict".

--Damn, why is this old coot writing me a letter when he's got nothing better to do?

He couldn't be thinking that, seeing his own death near, he wants me to inherit the harem he left behind in the great cannon tower, could he? Don't disgust me.

But after all, he is the ruler of a country, and Ji Ming couldn't openly curse him, so after expressing his thanks for the messenger's trouble, he prepared to shut the door and curse.

Who would have thought the messenger would then start belting out high notes, and even before Ji Ming's hand reached the door, he swiftly pulled out a notebook from his satchel.

"No trouble, no trouble! Divine Chosen Sir, we're actually all your fans! Could you give me an autograph?"

Ji Ming: ……

After signing over twenty autographs for his seven great aunts, eight great uncles, second cousins, and little brothers, Ji Ming, now a church‑brought‑to‑fame star, finally had the chance to open the letter alone.

The letter's content is actually quite simple: basically, the king heard that Divine Chosen Sir had researched a new field of study, found it interesting, and wanted to invite him over to give some pointers in person, while also thanking him for the previous medical treatment.

As everyone knows, the simpler something seems, the more complex it tends to be; especially when the true purpose isn't written outright, it's all too obviously a deep pit eager to smash someone to death inside.

Unfortunately, there's nothing to be done; the tiger has already sent a clear challenge letter, so whether Ji Ming is Wu Song or Li Kui's mother, this known mountain is a must‑go.

So after resting overnight on ShanShang, early the next morning Ji Ming rode his heavenly steed, swaying leisurely as he flew toward Qixia City.

But before he even reached the Royal Capital, he encountered several elite city‑defense troops also riding heavenly steeds, whose attitude was quite courteous.

"Divine Chosen Sir, you have already obtained special permission to fly into the Royal Capital; please follow us."

Moreover, the Sun King's arrangements this time are no small matter; the landing point isn't the previous military "airfield" anymore.

Flying amid envious gazes, they passed over the morning commuters and came directly above the royal palace before beginning to lower their altitude.

Even before touching down, one could see a small garden packed with many people awaiting, as if welcoming a leader arriving for inspection.

But the smooth sailing all the way ended there, because after the old steward served Ji Ming some tea and snacks.

"Please wait a moment, Divine Chosen Sir; His Majesty the King has a morning meeting to attend and needs a bit more time before he can come see you."

Ji Ming voiced understanding on the surface, but inside he had already begun to grumble.

How could I not know that old brat Ma Le Ge Bi? Besides... besides the morning meeting, who knows, maybe he took advantage of still being alive, saying 'good morning' that thing, overworked and fainted right away.

Who would have thought that after waiting half an hour, he actually saw the Sun King bringing a few secretarial staff, walking and chatting with another impressive-looking bearded old man as they entered the garden.