[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence":3,"chapter-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-187":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Warlord: Starting with Daily Intelligence",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2338650,4572,"Chapter 187: Evan","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-187",187,"\u003Cp>The Marquis frowned, and with his second son’s reminder, he finally noticed the problem on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the Austen family’s prestige meant no one would accuse them of stinginess for lacking desserts,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a banquet without sweets or pastries would surely bring the family immense negative publicity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He waved his hand, and the steward waiting nearby immediately stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kael, what’s going on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steward Kael looked troubled but whispered, “My Lord, Young Master Adams is already preparing in the kitchen. I’ll go check on the situation right away!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hurry him up—don’t keep our guests waiting! That would be terribly rude!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, My Lord!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steward hurried away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Evan had no intention of letting this opportunity slip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, Adams had pretended to have a solution, telling Kael not to worry, which had prompted the steward to rush off to find his mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, his mother believed Adams was merely bluffing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Subsequent spies sent to monitor the situation confirmed this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the kitchen had been sealed off by Adams since morning, the watchers outside could be certain not even a single jar of honey had been brought in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without honey, there would be no reversal today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, I’ve heard a troubling rumor these past two days—I’m not sure if it’s true—but people in Odin City say the honey Young Master Adams prepared for your birthday celebration was stolen by pirates!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s why the castle now lacks enough honey to make desserts and pastries for tonight’s banquet!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gasps erupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nobles at the table began whispering among themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few vassals were fine—they’d already heard the news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the other honored guests, who had traveled from afar, heard it for the first time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Austen Marquis’s birthday banquet truly lacked desserts due to stolen honey, it would be a colossal joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marquis’s face darkened instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether from Evan’s meddling or the bad news, he couldn’t tell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marchioness’s eyes flickered with amusement, but she scolded, “Evan, where did you hear such nonsense? Didn’t Steward Kael just say your brother is already preparing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mother, I hope this rumor is false too—after all, a banquet without desserts would make the Austen family a laughingstock!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the city has been buzzing with it these past two days!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mother-and-son act left the Marquis utterly cornered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vassals at the table all knew: Young Master Adams was finished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nobles prized face above all, especially a great house like the Austens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this banquet failed and the Austen Marquis became a joke of the Eastern Frontier,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>even the last shred of paternal affection he held for Adams would vanish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vassals’ expressions varied—some delighted, others frowning in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, Adams, the legitimate eldest son, still had a few supporters among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he lost this round, he would forever lose any hope of inheriting the title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worse, stripped of his father’s final favor, Young Master Adams might very well be “killed off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, primogeniture could never be violated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My Lord, Young Master Adams has arrived!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Steward Kael returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the steward was none other than Young Master Adams himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, greetings. I wish you a joyous birthday!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Austen Marquis frowned at his eldest son, who looked disheveled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fine silk ceremonial robes were stained, his face dusted with flour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Adams, what is this?” the Marquis demanded, barely holding back his anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with forced restraint, his tone was unmistakable—any fool could hear it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marchioness and Evan both smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marquis was already furious over the honey—and now Adams had the audacity to show up at the banquet in such disarray, humiliating himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, forgive my impropriety,” Adams quickly apologized. “I intended to change into clean robes first, but Steward Kael said you wished to see me immediately! In my haste, I dared not delay!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steward added, “My Lord, when I went to the kitchen, Young Master Adams was personally overseeing the servants preparing tonight’s desserts and pastries for you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He said it was to thank you for raising him all these years!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marquis’s anger lessened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The noble guests, upon hearing this, nodded in understanding and began praising him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Father,” Adams replied respectfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Evan panicked. “Father, you haven’t even asked Brother about the pastries yet!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Austen Marquis shot his second son a furious glare, then turned back to Adams, waiting for an explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adams spoke calmly: “Father, the rumor is true. I prepared honey for this celebration six months in advance, but over ten days ago, pirates stole it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I sent the family fleet to pursue them, but we recovered no honey.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even when I offered five times the market price in Odin City, every merchant claimed they were out of stock—I couldn’t buy a single drop.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Marquis’s face grew darker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adams’s admission changed nothing: the banquet was still ruined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the Austen Marquis was about to speak, Adams continued, “But Father, thanks to the Grace of the God of Glory, I found a way to salvage the situation—I’ve made the desserts and pastries, and your birthday celebration will not be spoiled.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Otherwise, as your son, I could never forgive myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Adams, you’re lying!” Evan sneered. “If there’s no honey, how could you possibly make desserts? Even tonight’s juice won’t be sweet!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t let Adams get away with this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adams ignored him entirely. “Father, I’ll have the servants bring the desserts now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm,” the Marquis couldn’t tell what his eldest son intended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the situation had gone too far to hide—now he could only watch and see if Adams could truly recover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adams waved toward the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, dozens of servants entered in orderly procession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each carried a serving tray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon reaching the hall, they moved to each table and placed the elegant trays in the center of the long table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did guests notice: several empty spaces had been deliberately left along the table’s center—perfectly sized for the trays.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the trays were opened, beautifully shaped, vividly colored pastries appeared before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Undeniably, these were the work of the Marquis’s castle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every shape, every hue, was exquisite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet sharp-eyed guests soon realized: though beautiful, the pastries bore no trace of honey.\u003C\u002Fp>",1034,"2026-06-20T22:44:01.160Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","2599f36161fae5b7a8fd2355e2ab8600250957c66abac1d7b9fe42d994f50613","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-188","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-186",521,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwarlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-cover.jpg"]