The Demon Lords-Chapter 753 - 166 Lord Pingye_2

In the palace, the eunuchs often chatted about the princes in private. The Eldest Prince, bold; the Second Prince – that is, the Crown Prince, noble; the Third Prince, scholarly; the Fourth Prince, tough; the Fifth Prince, peaceable; the Seventh Prince, naughty. As for the Sixth Prince, their evaluation was often this:

"Him? HMPH!"

A ruler should provide what people need and align with their aspirations to win their hearts and make them serve his purpose. These very words were spoken to me by my Father Emperor when I was young, as he held me on his lap. That is why a peripheral spy for the Qian State's Spy Bureau would, quite coincidentally, suddenly overhear news from a certain Qian State minister's residence and send that secret report. And that is why Ji Chengsu would suddenly remember to fly the kite I had given him six months ago, and "accidentally" fall into the water. They are all minor figures, usually unnoticeable. But at the critical moment, they can achieve real results.

「...」

Eunuch Qin, now standing, spoke solemnly, "The Emperor's decree!"

Head Constable Yan immediately rose from his seat and knelt. "Long live the Emperor! Long live His Majesty!"

The He family's little lady also hurriedly knelt, her mind still buzzing.

He Chu, her elder brother, collapsed directly onto the ground. Well, it wasn't exactly kneeling, but he was fully prostrated, leaving no room for criticism.

Eunuch Qin first bowed in the direction of the imperial palace, saying, "May the Emperor be safe and healthy."

Then, Eunuch Qin looked at Head Constable Yan and continued, "The Emperor's decree: 'You worthless fool, get yourself to the palace and see me!'" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"This son accepts the decree!" Ji Chengjue rose from the ground and casually dusted off his knees.

Then, he extended his hand to help his wife stand. As for her elder brother, he was still prostrate on the ground, unable to extricate himself.

"Your Highness, the carriage to the palace is ready."

Ji Chengjue pointed at the He family's little lady by his side.

"His Majesty means everyone has to go."

Since they were his wife's family, of course, they had to go with him.

Ji Chengjue smiled contentedly, while Eunuch Qin whispered, "Your Highness, you've suffered greatly. You look to have lost a lot of weight."

"Indeed. But now, I am back."

I'm back, and I don't plan on leaving again.

「...」

In the carriage sat three people. He Chu no longer needed to drive and was seated inside as well. Ji Chengjue occupied the main seat, with He Sisi to one side and He Chu opposite him.

Throughout the journey, Ji Chengjue didn't utter a word. The He siblings, He Sisi and He Chu, also dared not speak. He Sisi snuck occasional glances at her husband, while her elder brother dared not even look.

It wasn't that Ji Chengjue was deliberately putting on airs or trying to appear profound by remaining silent. Rather, he was about to meet his father soon and needed to carefully strategize in his mind. The great victory in the Three Jin region meant his father was currently in a relaxed mood. However, the Qian State to the south was aggressively mobilizing its forces with considerable ambition. For the Yan State, already greatly depleted by a major war, this was becoming a genuine threat, which was certainly enough to vex his father.

A duel between masters is, in fact, a psychological battle.

Having been taught by his father for ten years, and tormented by him for another ten, Ji Chengjue felt that the Yan Emperor, so majestic in the eyes of others, held few secrets from him.

My father is indeed a great ruler of his generation, but his sights have always been set too high. That's why I've had the chance to employ a few minor stratagems and get things done right under his nose. Heh, those ten years of torment couldn't have been for nothing, could they? But when I actually have to stand before my father, when his gaze falls upon me, if I then try to hide anything, deceive him about anything, resort to petty tricks, or attempt any clever maneuvers... I could. Of course, I could. It would just be... rather life-threatening.

The carriage arrived at the palace gate. Eunuch Qin showed his token and was quickly allowed entry.

Once the carriage passed through the main gate of the inner palace, Ji Chengjue flicked his wrists and alighted.

Eunuch Wei was standing in front of him.

"Your Highness, please enter first. The He family members can wait here; this servant will see to their arrangements."

Ji Chengjue nodded and said, "Thank you for your trouble."

"Your Highness is too kind; this old servant dares not accept such praise."

Ji Chengjue glanced back at his wife, offering her a reassuring nod and smile. At this moment, he couldn't spare a thought to comfort her slightly pale face.

Her husband had to do what he must. If he failed, they would all be finished.

Only after watching his brother-in-law enter the inner gate did He Chu, as if waking from a dream, look around. Gazing at the high walls of the deep palace, the carved beams and painted rafters, He Chu subconsciously muttered to himself, "Father, you said you wanted our in-laws to see our family's wealth. Even if you sold a hundred pigs a day, we couldn't possibly compare to them."

Looking at the numerous guards standing all around, he continued, "Father, you even specifically told me to bring the pig-slaughtering knife, thinking of intimidating them, to see if they'd dare treat my sister poorly. Your son also wants to draw the knife and brandish it, but your son truly cannot bring himself to do it."

Finally, He Chu's gaze fell upon his own sister.

At this point, if He Chu still couldn't guess the identity of that "Head Constable Yan," then he truly would have something wrong with his head. The way things had unfolded was more dramatic than any play. Yet, everything before his eyes was undeniably real.

It wasn't that he coveted any wealth or status, nor did he wish to bask in any reflected glory. Simply from his perspective as her elder brother, he remembered how his sister, that night, had pressed a hairpin to her own neck, stubbornly insisting on going to deliver the meat...