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Chapter 238 - 239: If I Were King, I Would Surely Find Her!
Chapter 238 - 239: If I Were King, I Would Surely Find Her!
Chapter 238: Chapter 239: If I Were King, I Would Surely Find Her!
Liaowang returned to his mansion and, as his first act, sent men to execute the eighth-grade official who had bought Su Mei'er that day.
Having faced battles for three years, his body was full of murderous aura, and concerning the person who had taken Su Mei'er, his heart harbored nothing but the intent to kill. His soldiers, ever so loyal, had beheaded that eighth-grade official by the same night.
For the first time, he realized the importance of holding power in his hands.
On the following day, the Prime Minister summoned him.
Liaowang felt somewhat apprehensive within. Su Mei'er was in the Prime Minister's Mansion, would they meet today?
The Prime Minister's Mansion was vast, and Liaowang searched inconspicuously in all directions but failed to find that familiar figure.
There was no good wine at the banquet, nor was the feast itself any satisfactory.
At the dining table, the Prime Minister extended an olive branch straightforwardly. The strife among factions within the Imperial Court was even more dangerous and intense than on the battlefield; forming cliques and striking down the dissimilar was the endeavor of every official.
To serve as an official in the Imperial Court meant that one must choose a side, and no one was an exception.
The Prime Minister guaranteed that as long as Liaowang was willing to join his faction, everything henceforth would go smoothly for him.
After a long silence, Liaowang asked, "Is there anyone in this Imperial Court who has never taken sides?"
After sipping his tea, the Prime Minister said indifferently, "Only the current Emperor."
Liaowang declined. He still remembered the young master's words; he wanted to live true to himself.
Two days later, the court and the public were shaken by news spreading like wildfire: Marquis Zhenyuan was accused of treason. The Emperor ordered a search of the Marquis's mansion where a letter plotting treason was found, revealing Zhenyuan Country's intent to assassinate the Emperor in front of the palace, with three thousand soldiers ready to stir up a bloody storm in the Capital City.
Marquis Zhenyuan was thrown into the Celestial Prison to await his fate.
All three thousand soldiers were executed without delay.
Seeing the faint smile on the Prime Minister's lips, Liaowang suddenly understood why the young master had chosen to flee that day. Serving as an official in the court, one could not live out their true self.
Apart from the Emperor, everyone was concealing their true selves.
Inside the Celestial Prison, Liaowang was whipped, and the prison guard interrogated him under severe torture, demanding that he reveal his imagined co-conspirators. Liaowang shook his head. When wishing to lay a charge, one is never at a loss for a pretext.
The Emperor visited several times during this period, his expression grim, showing none of his usual amiability and smile.
Between monarch and subject, there was no affection.
The following year.
The neighboring country invaded, their armies strong and vigorous, and no one within the Imperial Court dared to confront them. With the enemy at its fiercest, they were reluctant to clash directly and die in vain.
The Prime Minister advised, "Marquis Zhenyuan could be sent to lead a suicide charge."
The Emperor replied, "Granted!"
Liaowang was taken out of the Celestial Prison and beheld the daylight once again. At that moment, he only wished to see Su Mei'er one more time.
The Prime Minister read the imperial edict. Liaowang did not listen to a word but eventually asked, "Four years ago, did the Prime Minister ever purchase a girl named Su Mei'er?"
"I did."
"Where is she?"
"Not very obedient, she became a military prostitute. If you return to the army, perhaps you might see her."
Liaowang's face turned ashen. Having experienced military life for three years, he was acutely aware of the fate that befell a military prostitute.
"Accept the decree for now. If you survive this mission, you can consider other matters."
The Prime Minister snorted, dropped the imperial decree, and left.
The scene changes.
Liaowang led thirty thousand suicide soldiers into battle against the invading forces in the sweltering heat of summer.
With an indifferent expression, Liaowang employed a strategy to lure the enemy troops into a valley, ordered his soldiers to douse the area with alcohol, and then set it on fire.
The fire shot up to the sky, turning the entire sky red, the mountains and vegetation spared nothing; anything combustible was reduced to ashes.
The enemy army was on the verge of collapse, trying to withdraw, when Liaowang roared in anger, leading his troops to defend the entrance and exit of the valley, forcibly trapping the enemy within. Both sides fought madly, and the battle resulted in heavy casualties.
The flames burned for three days, leaving no survivors among the soldiers.
Liaowang lay on the ground, his body covered with knife wounds and burn marks, and looking at the weak and disabled around him, he said, "We've survived, triumphant!"
The Imperial Court trembled, with thirty thousand soldiers annihilating an army of over a hundred thousand; Liaowang's fame skyrocketed, and for a time, the Marquis of Zhenyuan's reputation spread throughout the court and beyond.
At the same time, news of the Prime Minister's intention to rebel spread quickly, and the Emperor ordered a search of the Prime Minister's mansion; among the findings were a secret letter plotting rebellion and another framing the Marquis of Zhenyuan.
The Prime Minister prostrated on the ground, his gaze vacant—he could not understand what was happening.
It wasn't until he saw the letter in the Emperor's hands that his pupils suddenly constricted; the scenario was all too familiar.
"Your Majesty, this is the Marquis of Zhenyuan's strategy. This man has ill intent and aims to frame your humble servant. I hope Your Majesty sees through his deceit!"
The Emperor's face was ice cold as he uttered a single word, "Behead!"
In a mere two years, officials had been caught rebelling twice, and both times it was the Prime Minister's doing. This time, the Emperor did not wish to inquire about any accomplices, he ordered an immediate execution.
The Prime Minister and his entire family, more than forty people, were executed.
The Marquis of Zhenyuan returned to the Imperial Court, was granted the title of King of Leisure, allowed to maintain an army of ten thousand, and ranked as First Grade.
"Thank you for Your Majesty's great kindness!"
Liaowang knelt in reverence, accepting the decree with gratitude, a smile unconsciously appearing on his face. From this moment on, he no longer needed to take sides.
Inside the King of Leisure's Mansion, the threshold was worn down by the endless stream of people bringing gifts and seeking connections; Liaowang did not turn anyone away, he accepted all gifts that came his way.
He also spread the word to find a woman named Su Mei'er, promising a generous reward for her discovery.
The officials were stirred, for finding the King of Leisure's woman, if successful, could pave the way for their careers.
...
Three years swiftly passed, and Wang Quan wielded great influence over the court and country, deeply rooted and so powerful that even the Emperor had to show some courtesy. However, he still had not found Su Mei'er.
His power was still not extensive enough; it was limited to his own territory. Although the officials did take action, they ultimately were not invested in the search, which rapidly cooled after a burst of initial enthusiasm. After another three years, Su Mei'er was probably even farther away.
At the Imperial Court, Liaowang requested leave to return to his hometown, and the Emperor consented.
The King of Leisure shunned the company of women and the lure of gold and luxuries. During his years in court, aside from searching for Su Mei'er, he was almost without desires. Naturally, his wish to return home was granted.
But he had forgotten that years ago, he had ordered the execution of the entire family of the City Lord's Mansion, wiping out nine generations.
The City Lord's Mansion now lay in ruins.
Liaowang, of course, knew this; he just felt that after so many years, it was time to visit his homeland.
Guided by memory, he erected monuments for the dozens in the City Lord's Mansion.
As he set up the last monument, Liaowang inscribed his own name.
"My lord, if you had not left that day, everything would be different now. However, I don't blame you; you had your reasons, and I... I just want to find Su Mei'er."
"The King of Leisure, honored by ten thousand, but I know this title is completely useless. I want to mobilize everyone in the world to look for traces of Su Mei'er—alive or dead, I must see her."
"If I were king, I could achieve what's in my heart!"
Liaowang stood up, his eyes flashing with a daunting brilliance.
Three strikes and you're out—this time, it was a genuine rebellion.
The King of Leisure's fief stretched thousands of miles, with an army of over thirty thousand elite soldiers. Compared to the Imperial Court's hundreds of thousands, it might not seem like much, but within the Capital City, it represented an unstoppable force.
In the grand hall, dance and song filled the air, the officials were in high spirits, utterly unaware that a crisis was at hand.
It was only when blood splattered three feet high inside the Imperial City, and Liaowang's blade rested on the Emperor's neck, that they awoke to the realization—the King of Leisure had truly rebelled.