Young Noble Be Monster Slaying

Chapter 617: Let's Eat the Qinghong Together

The moon had just risen, and its light shone through the window lattice, casting a grid of light and shadow across the spacious and vacant floor.

A man dressed in the long robes of a scholar sat calmly on the floor.

There was a teapot and cups on the table in front of him. Someone picked up the teapot and poured the tea out in a steady stream, filling the cups slowly. A delicate aroma rose from the tea with the steam.

The man in scholarly robes gazed out the window and remarked casually, "The Qinghong Banquet should have started by now."

"You suddenly said that you're sick and can't attend the banquet. Won't that arouse His Majesty's suspicion?" asked the man sitting on the other side of the table.

He appeared to be of a similar age to the man in scholarly robes. He was a slim middle-aged man dressed in black, almost blending into the darkness.

The man in scholarly robes replied slowly, "At first, I thought something major would happen. Unexpectedly, the imperial palace resolved the matter so swiftly. Now, Her Majesty has been captured, and the imperial consort is dead. That should put an end to the rising disturbances. What can His Majesty suspect me of when there's nothing happening?"

The man in scholarly robes was none other than Su Qian, the chancellor of the imperial court.

The person sitting across from him was Gu Shanfeng, the best fighter among Su Qian's subordinates. He was also the head of the Mystic Wind Sect, one of the sects in The Chancellor's Sixteen-Faction Alliance.

Compared to the other sects and factions in the alliance, the Mystic Wind Sect wasn't particularly prominent, as they didn't have any outstanding disciples. However, Gu Shanfeng was the most powerful among the leaders in the alliance. He was a genuine seventh-realm Eminent One.

In the past, Gu Shanfeng committed a grave mistake, resulting in the Greater-Yin Cult hunting him down. Su Qian mediated between the two parties and saved Gu Shanfeng's life.

Gu Shanfeng had been accompanying Su Qian loyally ever since.

"Miss Shen suffered a palm strike from me for nothing," Gu Shanfeng said with a chuckle. "A truly unfortunate event for her."

"It may end up being a good thing. Initially, I wanted her to enter the palace because it seemed like His Majesty had decided on the Second Prince for the position of crown prince. But in recent days, it seems His Majesty is wavering on that."

Gu Shanfeng added, "Especially now that Empress Wu has been exposed, the Second Prince's chances of becoming the crown prince seem even slimmer."

Su Qian shook his head. "His Majesty won't take such things into consideration in selecting his successor. He will focus more on the abilities of the two princes. The Second Prince has a mild disposition and is decently talented, so it initially seemed like had the demeanor of a ruler who would carry on the good work of his predecessors. Thus, His Majesty didn't even bother considering anyone else.

"However, in recent years, evildoers have been running rampant, and omens of disaster have appeared repeatedly. It's clear that even greater storms lie ahead. At such a time, the Yu Dynasty needs an intelligent and capable ruler that can open up new horizons for the dynasty. In comparison to the Second Prince, the Thirteenth Prince is young, but he is far more ambitious and skilled.

"That is the root of the emperor's hesitation. A ruler doesn't only think about the imperial palace; he takes all of the nine provinces into consideration."

Su Qian deduced the emperor's thoughts as if he were experiencing them firsthand.

"Your foresight is simply incredible, Chancellor. I am but a pale shadow in comparison to you," Gu Shanfeng said, praising him at just the right time.

A black swallow landed on the windowsill outside and tapped the window lattice with its beak. The window opened, and the swallow flew in. There was a flash of light, and the swallow transformed into a letter—black ink on white paper.

After reading the letter, Su Qian raised his head to speak.

"Elder Brother Gu, it's only because you're not in my position. For everyone in a position like mine, it is essential that we're able to deduce His Majesty's intent. The Guardian Ruler has made a move as well. It seems he, too, caught wind of tonight's developments."

"Wow," Gu Shanfeng uttered in surprise. "If that legendary figure is stepping in, there's no chance of anyone making unexpected movements at tonight's Qinghong Banquet."

Su Qian made another conjecture. "The Guardian Ruler hasn't entered the imperial palace for a very long time, so many have speculated that he's at odds with the imperial family. This move is likely to prove to everyone that he still stands with the Xia Family."

"In that case, should we be supporting the Thirteenth Prince instead once the situation stabilizes?" Gu Shanfeng asked.

Su Qian shook his head again. "The Thirteenth Prince is still too young and immature; his morals and conduct are lacking. He may be able to bear the heavy burden of a ruler, but his youth means it will be easy for the power to get to his head. He may not be a viable choice for the long term."

"Then does that mean we're sticking with the Second Prince?"

"The Second Prince..."

Gu Shanfeng's question made Su Qian hesitate, his gaze darkening slightly.

...

The legendary Guardian Ruler took a seat at a table near the emperor's throne, serving as proof of his high status.

Since the Guardian Ruler was sitting on the upper level, that meant that he would need to be served the Qinghong bird as well. The emperor felt relieved that he had ordered an extra Qinghong bird to be prepared in advance, as it was much too late to prepare another one now.

It was said that even the emperor could not kill a Qinghong bird just to indulge his cravings. From the ladies of the harem to the civil and military officials, everyone would oppose it as a breach of tradition. However, if the Guardian Ruler expressed the desire to eat a Qinghong bird, few would dare to object.

This prince, who had been made an outcast in his youth, had outlasted all his peers and elders who had scorned him. The current members of the imperial family were juniors who had grown up hearing tales of his prowess, so none of them dared show him disrespect.

Of course, the Guardian Ruler wasn't the type to covet a bite of the spirit bird. In fact, he paid no mind as to whether he would get to eat it.

After sitting down, the Guardian Ruler said, "When I entered the imperial palace, I heard that something's already happened. Is that right?"

The emperor let out a sigh, "Haaa..."

Then he recounted the events of the day.

The Guardian Ruler furrowed his brows. "Those evil people from the Celestial Charm Sect are indeed cunning. To think that they actually had someone infiltrate the imperial palace so many years in advance! They should truly be killed!"

The emperor and the Guardian Ruler had been conversing quietly thus far. However, after hearing about the events of the day, the Guardian Ruler flew into a rage, his voice ringing loud and clear like a flood bell. He yelled that last sentence with such ferocity that even those outside the hall heard him.

The banquet had only just begun, but the sound of his fury made everyone put down their chopsticks.

The Guardian Ruler turned and told them, "Keep eating!"

Everyone immediately lowered their heads to their bowls and plates, swiping at them with chopsticks even if they were empty.

"Fortunately, they've been exposed. The imperial city will increase its vigilance in the future to ensure there are no more infiltrators," the emperor said.

The Guardian Ruler grumbled, "I already said back then that Mingde was unfit to be the Imperial Guardian. The imperial palace is in such chaos. Just what exactly has he been protecting? He's utterly useless."

The emperor smiled but said nothing.

Both men were his elders, and both of them were at the eighth realm. What could he possibly say?

Nevertheless, there was someone who dared to speak.

A shout rang out, "You're full of shit!"

The rebuke stunned both the emperor and the Guardian Ruler.

This was the Golden Throne Hall. How long had it been since anyone dared to curse at someone here?

The Guardian Ruler, in particular, was very surprised. It had been at least a century since someone had dared to scold him to his face.

He shifted his gaze to the speaker and saw a stunning and imperious woman standing with her hands on her hips, glaring at him with a fierce expression. The Guardian Ruler could tell that the woman possessed the Divine Fire Spirit, indicating she was part of the imperial family.

Instead of getting angry, the Guardian Ruler laughed. "Hah. Were you cursing at me?"

"That's right," Di Nufeng admitted without the slightest hesitation. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Second Aunt... Guardian Ruler..." The emperor raised his hands, trying to calm the situation as he spoke in a controlled tone. "We're all family. Let's not ruin the harmony here."

Both Di Nufeng and the Guardian Ruler replied in unison, "Who's family with you?"

That was when they realized they were both renegades of the imperial family.

The Guardian Ruler asked, "Are you related to Mingde?"

Di Nufeng held her head high and answered, "He's my father."

"Hah," the Guardian Ruler sneered. "Even he wouldn't dare speak to me like this here."

"But I'm the one here!" Di Nufeng retorted, showing no sign of backing down. "I can criticize him, but you can't!"

"I've already done it. What are you going to do about it?" the Guardian Ruler fired back, totally unconcerned with his image.

"You'd better sleep with your eyes open. I might just burn your house to the ground one day!"

Di Nufeng was fully riled up now. She rolled up her sleeves, getting ready to fight.

Stuck between the two, one of the emperor's eyebrows twitched uncontrollably.

What a disaster...

Just what kind of cursed day is today? I lost my two wives that I loved the most, and now at the Qinghong Banquet, there are two people acting like a pair of fools shouting insults at each other in the street.

Maybe I should just retire.

Right then, the sound of gongs rang out, and a box was carried into the hall. It contained the huge Qinghong birds, freshly cooked and piping hot.

"Your Majesty, the Qinghong birds are ready to eat!"

"Wonderful!" the emperor exclaimed. He then tried to mediate between Di Nufeng and the Guardian Ruler. "Second Aunt, Guardian Ruler, this is a rare day that we get to have a family reunion, so let's stop the fighting. Let's eat! The! Qing! Hong!"

Bang!

What the emperor got in response was the Guardian Ruler slamming his hand onto the table.

He told Di Nufeng, "Considering you're my junior, I'd lose my prestige if I fight with you. So don't push your luck!"

"Hah," Di Nufeng sneered. "Then let's compete in something else. Do you dare?"

"What do you want to compete in? Not daring to do so would make me my grandson!"

"Even your grandson is more senior than her..." the emperor muttered quietly on the side.

"Bring the wine!" Di Nufeng yelled, placing one foot on the chair. "If you can outdrink me today, I'll respectfully call you Elder Brother. But if you lose, you'll recognize me as your grandauntie!"

The emperor turned to Di Nufeng. "What kind of logic is that?"

"Lose?" The Guardian Ruler burst into laughter. "I haven't gotten drunk in the past two hundred years, and it's been a long time since anyone dared to challenge me."

The emperor looked at him in shock. "You're agreeing to this?!"

"Today, I'll teach you what happens when you insult someone's father!" Di Nufeng exclaimed.

She grabbed a jar of wine and drank straight from it.

"But don't you insult others all the time?" the emperor muttered, with dark creases running across his forehead.

The Guardian Ruler replied, "Win first before you say that!"

He raised a jar of wine to his lips as well and poured in a steady stream of wine into his mouth.

"Even if you win, we don't gain anything!" the emperor cried out, about to give up all hope of stopping them.

Warrior Lao whispered to him, "Your Majesty, what should we do?"

"Do I look like I know?"

Exasperation was written all over the emperor's face.

The two monsters had already started their contest, and the officials on the lower level watched them with great interest.

The emperor let out a deep sigh. "Forget it. Let's just treat this as entertainment. Keep the music playing! Keep the food coming!"

...

Chu Liang was used to this. Di Nufeng treated everyone the same way; she bullied those weaker than herself and was just as domineering toward those who were stronger than her. Apart from the Discipline Master, Chu Liang had never seen Di Nufeng back down from anyone, inside or outside the Mount Shu Sect.

The cowardly draw their blades against the weak, while the brave draw their blades against the strong... But my teacher doesn't belong to either of those groups. She swings her blade at anyone she sees.

Di Nufeng had a knack for dragging others down to match her intelligence and character. Then she would use her copious amounts of battle experience to defeat them. This certainly wasn't her first time doing that.

After the cooked Qinghong birds were presented to the emperor, the birds were taken back to the kitchen and cut up for serving. The maids brought out plates of Qinghong meat to some of the tables.

The Qinghong meat gave off a deliciously enticing and fragrant aroma that stirred the soul, proving that Qinghong meat truly deserved its reputation as one of the world's finest delicacies.

Just as Chu Liang picked up his chopsticks to try some of that delicacy, a tiny voice suddenly said, "Give me a bite too!"