61-70

Hearing Zhuang Qingbei's accusation, Su Yu said without hesitation, "How can the debate within the Profound Language Pavilion be counted? Back then, it was drawing lots to determine the direction of the debate, not my true thoughts!"

Zhuang Qingbei laughed coldly. "Oh, so that's how it is. It seems that Brother Su's insincere words were learned from Minister Su then?"

This fellow was being sinister and eccentric on purpose.

Su Yu replied, "The reestablishment of the Secret Shadow Guard naturally has its benefits. The Great Zhou Empire has always been governed by the cabinet. Now that we have caught wind of corruption, it's time to cleanse it. If we don't do something drastic, how can it be effective?"

At this moment, an old man with a grizzled beard spoke, "Corruption has taken wind in the Great Zhou's government? Wasn't it all caused by your father, Su Changqing? In this old man's opinion, we only need to change the prime minister and do an investigation of the Ministry of Appointments as well as the Royal Censorship. It won't take three to five years for the governing of the government to become clean, so why should we re-establish the Secret Shadow Guards?"

The old man who spoke was called Guo Bin. He was someone with an extremely high status in the Great Zhou's literary circle and was also a high-ranking official in the Great Zhou Dynasty's court. He competed with Su Changqing for the same position, but unfortunately, he ultimately failed and was pushed out of the court by Su Changqing.

As soon as Guo Bin spoke, Zhuang Qingbei's back straightened. He quickly echoed, "Elder Guo is right. Who doesn't know that Prime Minister Su's residence was confiscated of over 200 million taels of silver a few days ago? What kind of concept is this? If even the head of all officials is like this, how can you still blame the officials for being corrupt?"

Su Yu said furiously, "My father's wealth has its own source and is not corrupted. Otherwise, how can he still sit in the position of prime minister?"

Guo Bin sneered and said, "What do you know? He has a trade source? If he didn't keep his business route to himself and instead handed it over to the Imperial Court, wouldn't the Royal Treasury be filled to the brim? He used his authority to ship rare items back from the Southern Oceans and sold them at a high price to the people. Isn't that exploiting them?"

The moment Guo Bin finished his sentence, Su Wen, who was still seated outside, opened his eyes.

"Which old fart jumped out from his coffin? Zhao Jin, follow me in!"

"Yes!" Zhao Jin pulled open the carriage door.

Su Wen slowly walked down the stairs and walked to the door. At this moment, the waiter on duty hurriedly stopped him and said with a smile, "Sir, today is Roc's Journey Banquet, hence the Immortals' Abode Pavilion is not open to outsiders. Do you have an invitation?"

Zhao Jin took a step forward and puffed out his chest. He said fiercely, "F*ck! Don't you know who my Young Master is? It's Su Wen! Do you know? The Third Young Master of the Prime Minister's estate! So what if he doesn't have an invitation? Are you not allowing him to enter?"

Upon hearing Su Wen's identity, the waiter immediately cowered. In addition to Zhao Jin's fierce expression, he did not dare to stop him. He could only let Su Wen in and quickly went to look for the boss. After all, Su Wen did not look like he was here to do charity.

In the room, Zhuang Qingbei continued in an arrogant tone, "If Elder Guo hadn't said so, I wouldn't have known. So this is the source of the Su family's wealth. How ridiculous is it for a Prime Minister to personally run a business and degrade his status? However, I heard that Minister Su often accepts gifts and doesn't do anything, right? For some money, he doesn't even care about his face. Brother Su, if I were you, I would leave today. Why should I be humiliated here?"

Su Yu was about to refute when he heard a voice sounding from afar.

"Good sh*t! Good sh*t! What a really good load of bullsh*t!"

Su Wen slowly clapped as he walked in. He looked around and asked curiously, "When I passed by the door just now, I heard some loud farts coming from the Immortals' Abode Pavilion. I wonder who let it out?"

Zhuang Qingbei did not know Su Wen, but Su Wen's words were clearly meant to scold him and Guo Bin. Zhuang Qingbei raged, "Where did this brat come from? Get lost!"

"Zhao Jin, beat him up!"

Su Wen grabbed a handful of peanuts from the table as he casually instructed.

Zhao Jin immediately stepped forward, grabbed Zhuang Qingbei, and gave him a good slap.

With this slap, Zhuang Qingbei's face instantly turned red and swollen, and blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

And this was the result of Zhao Jin showing mercy.

However, this was only the beginning. Zhao Jin gave Zhuang Qingbei more than ten slaps to the face, causing him to feel dizzy, unable to differentiate between the ground and the sky.

At this moment, someone recognized Su Wen. "This is the Third Young Master of the Prime Minister's estate, Su Wen."

"That's right. I went to see him when he was competing in wealth. That's him."

"What the f*ck! He's too arrogant. He started beating someone up right away."

At this moment, the head organizer from the Profound Language Pavilion as well as the host, Fei Chi, stood up and said with a serious expression, "Su Wen, don't be impudent! This is the Roc's Journey Banquet! What are you doing?"

Su Wen tilted his head and looked at him with a smile. "Oh? You actually know who this Young Master is?"

Su Wen's expression turned serious as he said, "Everyone here, listen up. This Young Master here doesn't have any other rules. He just doesn't want to hear all of you talking nonsense. I'll beat up whoever dares to badmouth my father! If you have the ability, go f*cking complain about me. It doesn't matter who isn't convinced. Stand up and I'll beat them up together!"

After saying that, Su Wen looked at Guo Bin and sneered. "You old fart, it's you, right? I could hear your loud farts from afar. Zhao Jin, beat up this old dog for me!"

After saying those words, he turned to Su Yu and said with a smile, "You, have you gone stupid from studying? When others talk about your father, who cares if he's right or wrong? Beat him up first!"

"Are you kidding me?" Su Yu was helpless.

Su Wen rolled his eyes and sneered. "Why? Why are you debating with him about right and wrong when others are smearing your father's name? There are some things that don't have an outcome. Who can guarantee the future of the Secret Shadow Guard if it's established or not? However much you debate, it won't have an end. It will just end up with your father being mocked badly."

Su Yu felt extremely awkward when he heard Su Wen calling him 'your father'. "He's your father too!"

"Yeah, that's why I'm beating them up!"

While the brothers were talking on one side, Zhao Jin had already thrown the beaten Zhuang Qingbei to the side. He turned around and walked towards Guo Bin with a sinister smile.

Old Guo was stunned. He had always been proud of his seniority. When had he ever encountered such an unreasonable person?

He saw Zhuang Qingbei's miserable state clearly, but given his old age, he wondered if he could survive the same treatment. His legs began trembling when he saw Zhao Jin walking over.

At this moment, Fei Chi stood in front of Zhao Jin and harshly shouted, "Su Wen, this is not a place for you to fool around. I will definitely report this to His Majesty!"

Zhao Jin couldn't be bothered with what he was saying. He reached out and pushed Fei Bin away. How could Fei Bin be a match for him? He instantly fell to the ground like a rubber ball.

Su Wen burst into laughter at this comical scene.

Zhao Jin walked in front of Guo Bin. At this moment, Guo Bin clutched his chest and his eyes turned white. He immediately used the divine skill of an old man — pretending to faint!

Zhao Jin was stunned and turned to look at Su Wen.

Su Wen walked forward and reached out to pinch Guo Bin's nose. He cried out in shock, "F*ck, this old fellow has stopped breathing. You guys have seen for yourselves that he died on his own. It has nothing to do with me!"

However, throughout the process of talking, he did not let go of Guo Bin's nose at all.

Guo Bin's nose was tightly pinched. This old man was originally pretending to be unconscious, but with someone now pinching his nose, he couldn't breathe at all and felt as if his chest was about to explode.

He could not hold it in any longer and opened his mouth to breathe.

"Huuu!"

Su Wen cried out in alarm, "The corpse moved! A zombie!"

With that said, he punched Guo Bin's chest.

"Cough, cough, cough!" Guo Bin was punched in the chest by Su Wen, resulting in all the wind being knocked out of him.

The crowd immediately exclaimed, "Elder Guo!"

At this moment, Su Wen realized that his Emotional Values were soaring!

When these scholars saw how domineering he was behaving, they were about to explode in anger.

However, Su Wen did not care. The angrier they were, the happier he would be!

In just a short while, his points had increased by almost 2,000!

He could not help but punch this Old Guo again!

"Ouch! Help! Murder!"

Old Guo had never suffered such an attack before. He couldn't care less about his face and shouted loudly.

"Hahaha! Even if you scream your throat out, no one will come and save you!" Hearing Old Guo's loud shout, Su Wen gave him another punch without any worries!

Zhao Jin followed suit.

The scene of two burly men ganging up on an old man screaming wretchedly looked extremely cruel.

If you were to reason with these scholars, they would be able to argue with you for three days and three nights. However, Su Wen was such a troublemaker that they really did not dare to provoke him!

However, these people were quite quick-witted. They didn't dare to forcefully stop him. Quite a few people instead began to persuade him, saying good things.

But they were not trying to persuade Su Wen. Instead, they all ran to Su Yu.

"Quick, persuade your brother. It's not a big deal. Why must you do this?"

"That's right. If he really kills someone, His Majesty will punish him too."

"Hurry up and pull him away."

Su Yu went forward and whispered to Su Wen, "It's enough, right?"

Su Wen waved his hand and Zhao Jin stopped.

Su Wen looked at Old Guo with a smile that was yet not a smile, "Alright, we're done with the beatings today. Let me ask you again. What did you say just now? My father should have given the trade route to His Majesty? To fill up the empty royal treasury? You old bastard, why don't you tell everyone how much property do you have? Listening to your vigorous howls, I'm afraid you must have spent quite a bit of money on keeping yourself healthy. Why don't you hand over those assets to the treasury?

As for the things my father transported back to sell for a high price? If they took so much effort to transport back those items from thousands of miles away, if it wasn't to sell, then was it to hand them out to others? Besides, who among the commoners forced them to buy those things? Those things aren't necessities. If you don't buy them, wouldn't you still be able to live? Don't accuse others for no reason. Be careful that your nephew's uncle's son (aka his own son) will make you a cuckold."

Fei Chi stood at the side howled, "Su Wen, don't be so arrogant. I will definitely go to His Majesty to report your misbehavior!"

Su Wen rolled his eyes and could not be bothered with him.

However, he did not ask Zhao Jin to beat him up as punishment.

Su Wen was very clear about the importance of having a good reason. He could be domineering, but he could not be brainless.

Otherwise, not even the emperor could tolerate him.

He had beaten up Zhuang Qingbei and Guo Bin because they had spoken rudely about Su Changqing. As his son, it was understandable for him to make a move.

But if he'd gone to beat Fei Chi, that would be a different story.

Su Wen walked in front of Su Yu and pulled him outside.

The people attending the Roc's Journey Banquet watched the two brothers leave. Only then did someone say in a low voice, "This Su Wen is so arrogant!"

"That's right! Look at how he beat up Elder Guo. He can't even speak now."

"This is too much."

Fei Chi stood up and said, "I'm going to impeach him in the assembly tomorrow. I want to see if His Majesty cares!"

"I support you, Elder Fei!"

"Exactly. We can't just let it go."

"We must punish this person severely."

While they were discussing among themselves, Su Wen and Su Yu had already walked out of the Immortals' Abode Pavilion and stood at the entrance. Su Wen said, "Originally, Father was a little worried about you today and asked me to come and see you. He told you not to force yourself and take care of yourself. However, I didn't expect to meet these two fellows and disrupt the atmosphere. Second Brother, please take care of yourself."

Su Yu said, "I will!"

At this moment, Su Wen tilted his head and looked at Su Yu with a smile. "I thought you wouldn't stand up for him. I didn't expect you to stand up for him."

Su Yu shook his head and said, "We're a family after all. One glory leads to another, and one loss leads to another. I understand this principle, but I don't want to borrow Father's power. I just want to rely on myself."

"Yeah, we're family, after all."

Even though Su Wen had transmigrated here, he had been in the Su Residence since he was young. After so many years, he had long regarded the members of the Su Family as his family.

Even if Su Yu and Su Changqing had disagreements and quarreled occasionally, it could not change the bond between the two.

"You beat up Guo Bin, Zhuang Qingbei, and caused a huge ruckus at the Pengcheng Banquet. I'm afraid these people will impeach you. You'd better hurry home and report this matter to Father," Su Yu said.

Su Wen smiled and did not seem to care. "Don't worry, it will be fine. These two fellows are destined to suffer today's beating for nothing."

Su Yu stared at Su Wen for a long while before a smile appeared on his face. "You're right! They are really suffering this beating for nothing!"

After sending Su Yu off, Su Wen thought for a moment and said to Zhao Jin with a smile, "Let's go and pay a visit to the Martial Inspectorate. I haven't been there for many days, and these guys are probably very anxious."

That's right, they were truly and urgently awaiting his arrival.

In the Martial Inspectorate, the group of subordinates who had signed a contract with Su Wen were gathered together. One of them hung his head low as he spoke in a dejected tone, "Isn't this nonsense? We agreed on a 10 days contract, but it looks like it's going to pass soon. That Su Wen didn't even appear, and we can't possibly sneak into his house!"

"Hmph! In my opinion, we should go to his house and ambush him. Otherwise, what can we do? Do we really have to give him a thousand taels of silver each?"

"A thousand taels of silver is fine, but the main problem is that this is just too stifling! He didn't even make a move once and he has to pay?"

"That's right. Didn't we already discuss what to do with the hundred thousand taels we would be getting? Anyway, he didn't say that we can't attack together. As long as we attack together and subdue him, it will be a hundred thousand taels of silver!"

"But this guy doesn't come to the Martial Inspectorate at all. How can no one care?"

"Why are you asking about this? I went to ask Lord Ruan the other day. He said that Su Wen has an official position outside, so unless it's a necessary mission, he can choose not to participate in any of the Martial Inspectorate's matters."

"Ugh… then what are we supposed to do?"

"I don't care. If he doesn't come in ten days, I won't give him the money!"

Just as the last person finished speaking, Su Wen's voice was heard outside. "Oh? Are you guys still planning to renege on your debt to this Young Master? Are you all crazy?"

Everyone turned around and saw Su Wen walking into the courtyard, followed closely by Zhao Jin.

Zhao Jin smiled and said, "I knew that Young Master's charisma was unmatched. You've only been at the Martial Inspectorate for a day, but your subordinates are already prostrating themselves in admiration towards you out of admiration. They've probably missed you to the extreme!"

Su Wen rolled his eyes and interrupted him. "Stop, don't use such flowery words if you don't know how to use it. What nonsense is this?"

All of the subordinates looked at Su Wen with scorching eyes.

It was as if they could see a walking bag of hundred thousand taels of silver!

"Brothers, let's attack together!"

"It's time to earn money!"

"Lord Su, don't blame us!"

Everyone rushed forward. They did not dare to let Su Wen go anymore. Otherwise, they might really need to pay up after the 10 days had passed.

Right at this moment, Su Wen's body moved quickly.

He quickly distanced himself and laughed. "Brother Jin, I'll leave it to you!"

Zhao Jin was still calm and fearless. He faced the charging Martial Inspectorate people and took action!

It was only then that the members in the Martial Inspectorate realized that the person beside Su Wen was actually an expert!

Furthermore, this person was not even in the earlier stages of the Earth Rank. At the very least, he had achieved a cultivation of the middle or higher stages of Earth Rank.

Zhao Jin was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, cutting down everyone like vegetables.

Su Wen stood at the back and laughed maniacally. "How can you hide your thoughts from me? Can you see that? In front of absolute power, all schemes are useless!"

The members of the Martial Inspectorate fell to the ground like flies. By the side, Su Wen mocked with a smile, "See? In front of absolute strength, all schemes and plots are futile!"

This group had the same thought at the same time. 'You think you are qualified to say that? This is not your strength either!'

At this time, Fatty Ruan walked in, his face still full of smiles.

"Hey, Brother Su, are you playing with your underlings?"

Su Wen raised his eyebrows. Why did these words sound so strange when coming out of his mouth?

"Old Ruan, we're just idling around and doing some games to entertain ourselves."

With that said, Su Wen looked at the men on the ground and smiled. "Prepare the money for me. If anyone dares to renege on their debt, don't blame me for being merciless!"

Ruan Ze also said loudly, "That's right. Since you've lost, you have to hand over the money obediently. Otherwise, not to mention Brother Su, even I won't tolerate it!"

He also knew about Su Wen's bet with the rest of the deacons.

With him speaking up, the group could only resign themselves to fate.

At this moment, Zhao Jin returned to Su Wen's side and looked at Ruan Ze warily.

From the moment this fellow entered the room, he exuded a fawning aura. This made Zhao Jin, who was also Su Wenzhong's subordinate, very displeased.

Ruan Ze looked at Su Wen and smiled. "Brother Su, since you're here, I have something to tell you. The higher-ups want us to send people to monitor Honorable Xie day and night. It's that zither player. You should also send some people over."

Su Wen was stunned and asked curiously, "Why are we monitoring her?"

Ruan Ze shook his head. "I don't know. I only received an order from above. Let's just carry it out."

Su Wen turned around to look at his subordinates before turning to Ruan Ze. "What happens if we're discovered?"

He didn't know what the cultivation level of Xie Dajia was, but after he got awakened from the sound of the zither playing that day, Su Wen had become wary of this person. To be able to entrance him with the sound of the zither, logically speaking, herhis cultivation level shouldn't be too low. The cultivation level of this group of brothers below him was even lower than his, so they would probably be easily discovered if they tried to keep tabs on her.

Ruan Ze laughed. "So what if she finds out? What can she do?"

As he spoke, Fatty Yuan explained, "There are as many martial experts as there are stars in the sky in this world. Our Martial Inspectorate's ordinary deacons are nothing in front of them, but there's no need to be secretive about this surveillance. Even if they know we're spying on them, it doesn't matter.

It's not that we are trying to capture any evidence of their crimes, but we still have to try our best not to let them cause trouble. Therefore, it's not a big problem if they discover our surveillance or not. Sometimes, it's even better if they discover."

Su Wen had a rough idea of what was going on. To put it bluntly, they just needed to tell others that they were keeping an eye, and that they had to behave themselves.

After arranging some people and chatting with Fatty Ruan, Su Wen brought Zhao Jin away from the Supervisory Department.

The carriage moved slowly. This capital city was the most prosperous place. Although it was already the dead of winter, there were still many hawkers and peddlers on the streets. There were also many passers-by on the streets, creating a flourishing scene.

"Stop the car!"

Su Wen got Zhao Jin to stop at a fried vermicelli stall. The boss was a beautiful lady with big eyes and plain clothes. Her face and hands were red from the cold. When she saw Su Wen alighting from the car, she got a little nervous.

After all, Su Wen was clearly not an ordinary person. Su Wen smiled at her and said, "Two servings of fried vermicelli!"

After saying that, he beckoned Zhao Jin to sit at a table. Looking at the beautiful boss busily preparing his order, he sighed, "Back then, I envied others for being able to stir-fry vermicelli. In fact, my dream was to be able to open up a store of mine which served stir-frys. Unfortunately, while things remain the same, the people themselves have changed over time."

Zhao Jin was dumbfounded.

He could only ask, "Young Master, you wanted to open a fried vermicelli shop? What's the point?"

Su Wen glanced at him and smiled. "You don't know the joy of stir-fryed vermicelli!"

Zhao Jin looked at the busy back of the beautiful boss and said in a low voice, "It's true that I don't know the joy of stir-frying vermicelli, but I know why Young Master is eating at this stall!"

Su Wen asked curiously, "Why?"

"Because she's round!"

Staring at the wretched-looking Zhao Jin, Su Wen said with grief and indignation, "Am I such a person in your eyes?"

"But it does look pretty round and full."

Su Wen and Zhao Jin stared intently at the beautiful boss as she busied herself. Suddenly, a delicate voice sounded from behind them. "Su Wen?"

Turning around and realized that it was Wu Muyu, the girl who was sitting opposite him at the banquet hosted by the Crown Prince.

She was followed by a maid and a servant, with the latter carrying many things.

"Haha, Miss Muyu, what a coincidence. Why are you here?" Su Wen greeted her with a smile.

Wu Muyu sat down and said with a smile, "The fried vermicelli here is delicious. I have to eat it every time I come out. Boss, three bowls of fried vermicelli!"

The last sentence was directed at the boss. Compared to her behavior at the banquet, the Wu Muyu now was more lively.

After saying that, Wu Muyu looked at her servants and instructed, "You two can sit at the empty table over there."

Zhao Jin tactfully said, "I'll go over as well!" After speaking, he stood up and sat down with her servants as well.

Only Wu Muyu and Su Wen were left on the table.

Only then did Wu Muyu look at Su Wen and ask curiously, "I heard you guys talking about something round just now. What's round?"

Su Wen smiled. "We are discussing the essence of the world. For example, the land under our feet is actually round!"

Wu Muyu didn't believe him at all. She smiled, "You're lying. How can the ground be round?"

Su Wen said, "If you have the time one day and continuously walk towards a direction, one day, you will return to where you came from. At that time, this will prove that the land is round."

Disappointment flashed across Wu Muyu's eyes. "I've never even been out of the capital. How could I have the chance to do what you said?"

At this moment, the stir-fried vermicelli was served. Su Wen took a bite and gave the beautiful boss a thumbs up as he smiled, "The taste is delicious!"

This were his sincere words.

The fried vermicelli here was really delicious.

Su Wen then turned to Wu Muyu, saying with a smile, "Maybe one day, there will come a chance."

Looking at Su Wen who was busy gobbling down his noodles, Wu Muyu smiled lightly.

She recalled the conversation between Wu Lie and Wu Kunhu that day.

It was the same day she returned home from the banquet.

Wu Lie went to look for Wu Kunhu once more, and an intense argument erupted between the two.

"Father, I don't care. I want to marry Yan Luoying. If you don't help me, I won't marry anyone for the rest of my life! I'll leave the Wu family without any descendents!"

Wu Lie's threat was something Wu Kunhu was unwilling to accept. He wasn't sure if his son was telling the truth or not, but Wu Lie had always been stubborn. Wu Kunhu didn't dare to take the risk.

In the end, Wu Kunhu agreed to help Wu Lie with his demand.

"Do you like Yan Luoying?" Wu Muyu suddenly asked.

Su Wen was stunned for a moment before he raised his head and swallowed the vermicelli still in his mouth. He honestly replied, "I don't really like her, but I can't say that I hate her either. However, if we are to get married, I still can't accept it. After all, you know that even though she is pretty, she has killed 400,000 people. This makes me feel uneasy.."

Wu Muyu looked at Su Wen and said with a smile, "Sister Yan is a general, so she naturally kills countless people. She's unlike other people, who have not even killed a chicken since young."

"Eh?"

Why did this sound like she was trying to make herself seem very pure and innocent compared to Yan Luoying?

Su Wen looked at the beautiful Wu Muyu in front of him and stroked his chin. Hmm yes, she definitely looked quite pure and innocent.

The two of them chatted as they ate.

The topic also touched on Xie Dajia. After all, in the capital's upper-class circle, there was a lot of fanfare on Honorable Xie and her performances.

Wu Muyu said regretfully, "It's a pity that I didn't manage to get a ticket for Xie Dajia's performance. I didn't want to trouble my father, so I think I won't be able to listen to her perform this time round."

Su Wen smiled and said, "I don't think that's necessary. I heard that the zither performance of Xie Dajia is actually just average."

Wu Muyu pursed his lips and said, "Liar. Everyone says that Xie Dajia is known for her stunning recitals!"

At this moment, Su Wen recalled that the Second Prince had mentioned before that he could bring in a few others to attend Honorable Xie's concert with him. (TL Note: Ch. 49)

Thus, he said, "If you really want to take a look, I'll let the Second Prince know. I heard that Xie Dajia has given the royal family a special quota. Every prince can bring three people with him. The Second Prince had only mentioned that he wants to bring me and Zhao Rui along. Coincidentally, there's still one quota left, so let's go together."

Wu Muyu smiled. "If that's the case, then I'll have to thank Brother Su."

After eating the fried vermicelli, Su Wen left some money behind and left with Zhao Jin.

In Cloud Gazing Tower, one of the capital's upper class pavilions, Honorable Xie stood on the highest floor with a zither behind her.

A veiled woman stood behind her.

"Have you taken the Cultivation Dispersion Pill?" asked Xie Dajia.

"I've consumed it. 80% of my power has already dissipated! In another four hours, my cultivation will completely disperse." The woman's voice was somewhat bitter.

Xie Dajia turned to look at the woman and said in a low voice, "Don't blame Mother for being ruthless. Our Demonic Music Sect is currently facing both internal and external threats. If we want to develop our sect, we'll need external forces to intervene, such as the Great Zhou royal family which is unparalleled.

I have already invited all the princes. At that time, no matter which prince takes a fancy to you, you can bewitch them with your demonic charm to make them work for us. Although the Cultivation Dispersion Pill will disperse all the energy in your body, it will help you achieve a body of charm that no man can resist."

At this point, she sighed and said, "The Martial Inspectorate's people are already setting up a trap outside. If you don't disperse all of your power, you will never be able to get close to these princes. Only by completely dispersing all of your cultivation will you have a chance of becoming a prince's concubine.

Don't worry, no matter which prince you follow, once my Demonic Music Sect becomes powerful, we will definitely help them ascend to the throne. At that time, you will be able to enjoy the world's glory and splendor."

At this point, her eyes flashed with excitement. "Furthermore, think about it. If your future son is willing to become the Emperor of Great Zhou and rule over the world, at that time, our Sect will be able to borrow the power of the royal family to become the strongest sect in the world. How wonderful would it be if we could achieve this?"

Looking at her mother, Xie Yiyi sighed inwardly.

She did not understand why her mother was so obsessed with reviving the Demonic Music Sect and gaining power.

To her, she wanted to maintain her current life more.

Unfortunately, things seldom go in the way of one's wishes.

She knew very well that she had no room to resist.

Marry a prince, become an empress, become the mother of the world?

Maybe, this was also a pretty good option.

Xie Yiyi accepted her fate.

However, no one knew if they could even succeed.

On the other side, the Eastern District's patrolling area had fallen into a state of peace ever since Wen Jinming died.

Everyone became really obedient.

It seemed as though the area had reverted back to normalcy.

At the same time, Yan Luoying finally heaved a sigh of relief.

It was getting dark when she emerged from the Patrol Office and made her way home. She had almost reached her residence when she saw a guard carrying a struggling beggar on the street.

"You brat! Stop struggling, do you believe I'll beat you up?"

The beggar wailed, "Don't catch me, I'm not going to your Young Craftsman Camp!"

The guard slapped him and angrily said, "Brat, don't be so shameless. Do you believe I won't care even if I beat you to death?"

Yan Luoying couldn't help but step forward and shout, "Stop! What are you doing!"

The guard looked at Yan Luoying and frowned. "Who are you?"

"Yan Luoying, Eastern District Patrol Office Commander!"

While Yan Luoying's position may not be high, she was an existence that ordinary guards could not afford to offend.

The guard hurriedly bowed, "Greetings, Lady Yan."

Yan Luoying frowned. "Why do you want to catch this child?"

"Under the benevolence of His Majesty, a new juvenile artisan camp has been built to gather all the young beggars in the capital. They will be provided with daily necessities, and be educated on the skills of an artisan. After their craftsmanship is completed, they will be sent to various places to craft for the country!"

The moment the guard finished speaking, the beggar shouted, "I'm not going! I'm not learning! I can get food every day, why should I go to your place to learn craftsmanship?"

When she heard this, Yan Luoying felt a chill in her heart. It was really just like how Su Wen had described things to her. Once they were accustomed to receiving things the moment they stretched out their hands, they would naturally become useless.

"Take him away!" Yan Luoying sighed and said in a low voice.

She knew that she could not interfere in this matter.

As for the child being beaten up, there was no such thing as not being able to beat a child in this era. That guard did not go all out either.

Inside her residence, Yan Luoying felt a little depressed as she sat down.

However, she admired Emperor Zhou even more.

He was indeed a good emperor.

At the very least, he still wanted to do something for these beggars.

At that moment, Old Zhou walked over and smiled. "Miss, why? Are you unhappy?"

After Yan Luoying told him about the incident, he sighed and said, "Although I know that this is a good thing, I feel a little disappointed when I see that child trying to hide. I even suspect if I did the right thing a few days ago."

Old Zhou said with a smile, "It's always good for Miss to do good deeds. After all, in this cold winter, if one can't get food, they might lose their life. However, His Majesty is indeed benevolent, coming out with such a policy. Whilst helping these children, they can also obtain a skill. In the future, they can rely on their craftsmanship to make a living. You can also nurture many craftsmen for Great Zhou. It can be said that this can kill three birds with one stone."

"That's right. His Majesty cares for the common people. He is indeed a wise ruler!"

Yan Luoying praised.

"Miss, there's something I want to tell you to make you happy. Haven't you been nagging about wanting to go and listen to Xie Dajia playing the zither these past few days? I managed to persuade my old friend in the capital and got a ticket. This thing is in high demand now. I've exhausted a lot of my connections just to obtain this!"

"Really?!" Yan Luoying was pleasantly surprised when she heard this.

After Su Wen's wealth competition, Honorable Xie's reputation spread even further in the capital.

The sound of the zither that was like the sound of nature seemed extremely magical in the eyes of the public.

Entertainment methods were scarce in this era, and coincidentally, Yan Luoying also liked music.

After hearing that, she couldn't help but be curious and brought it up a few times. She didn't expect Old Zhou to quietly settle this matter!

"Haha, Uncle Zhou, I knew you were the best!"

Yan Luoying smiled like a child. Compared to her usual sternness, she revealed her true nature at this moment..

At the Second Prince's residence, the Prince pulled Su Wen in as he laughed loudly. "Brother Su, what brings you here?"

This was the first time Su Wen took the initiative to visit.

The two of them entered the guest hall as Su Wen smiled, "It's like this. Didn't you say last time that Xie Dajia had invited all of the princes for her performance? Coincidentally, the matters at the patrolling office have already been settled. I wouldn't mind going to take a look as well."

The second prince chuckled, "I was wondering what it was about. If it's just about this, no problem!"

Su Wen continued, "Wu Muyu also wants to go. She's Wu Kunhu's daughter. Will there be a problem?"

The second prince furrowed his brows upon hearing Su Wen's next words.

He replied, "I'm afraid that will be difficult to handle."

"Why?" Su Wen was a little confused. Although Wu Kunhu currently did not have the authority to deploy troops, he still possessed the title of General.

Someone that important definitely had a say in court assemblies.

Logically speaking, this was a good opportunity to pull connections.

The second prince smiled bitterly, "I just promised my Fifth Sister that I would bring her along today, so there's only one spot left."

Su Wen roared with laughter, "I was wondering what kind of difficulty it would be. Your Highness, call Zhao Rui over. I'll advise him to give up his spot."

"That's not very appropriate, is it?" The second prince was slightly hesitant.

Su Wen smiled. "Don't worry, Zhao Rui knows nothing about music. It's fine even if he doesn't listen to it!"

The second prince immediately dispatched his men to look for Zhao Rui.

After roughly an hour, Zhao Rui arrived. When he saw the second prince, he heartily greeted the other party, "I wonder why the Second Brother is looking for me?"

Su Wen smiled and said, "His Highness is not looking for you, it's me that has something to ask of you."

Zhao Rui was surprised. "Why are you looking for me, Brother Su?"

"I've always treated you well, haven't I?" Su Wen said without shame. After all, this was the standard line one had to say before making others suffer.

Zhao Rui: "????"

Where did this come from?

Su Wen said, "It's like this. I want to bring Wu Muyu over to watch Xie Dajia's performance. As for your second brother, he doesn't have enough headcount."

At this point, Zhao Rui understood Su Wen's meaning. He said with difficulty, "Brother Su, I've long heard of Honorable Xie's unparalleled zither skills and have long anticipated it… This…"

Su Wen shamelessly grabbed Zhao Rui in a bear hug.

He smiled and whispered, "Have you heard? Recently, there's a lady named Han Yan in the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. I heard that she's quite athletic and fit, and even possesses a pair of long and toned legs!"

Zhao Rui's eyes lit up. "There's such a woman?"

"I've been short on money recently, but here's twenty thousand taels of silver…"

Zhao Rui immediately grabbed onto Su Wen's hand and said righteously, "Brother Su, what are you saying? You are my brother and Muyu is my sister. I was not good at music originally, so I will give up my spot to you."

Su Wen praised loudly, "Good brother, you're a true brother!"

The second prince's lips twitched as he chimed in, "How loyal! Your righteousness is as high as the skies!"

…

The next morning, Emperor Zhou sat on the dragon throne once more.

He was prepared to argue with the officials. He had to push forward with the re-establishment of the Secret Shadow Guards.

As soon as he sat down, he discovered that the Profound Literature Pavilion Head, Fei Chi, seemed to be extremely tense today.

"This old fellow has something to say."

Emperor Zhou immediately came to this conclusion.

Sure enough, just as the eunuch announced that the court assembly would be adjourned if there were no other matters to report, Fei Chi took a step forward and knelt on the ground. His face was full of emotions as he exclaimed, "Your Majesty, you have to uphold justice for us scholars! I want to sue the Eastern District's deputy commander, Su Wen!"

Tears streamed down his face as he spoke.

By the side, Su Changqing raised his eyebrows.

What did that fellow do this time?

He still wasn't aware that Su Wen had beaten up Guo Bin and Zhuang Qingbei!

At this moment, the Assistant Minister of Revenue, Zhuang Yi also stood up and knelt on the ground. He wailed, "Your Majesty, I also want to sue that Eastern District's deputy commander, Su Wen!"

Emperor Zhou rubbed his brows and said, "What did Su Wen do this time?"

Fei Chi recounted the incident of Su Wen beating someone up with snot and tears. However, this old fellow was extremely scheming. He left out their discussion about the Secret Shadow Guards, as well as Guo Bin and Zhuang Qingbei slandering Su Changqing. He only mentioned that Su Yu and him had a few disagreements, which led to Su Wen coming in to beat someone up!

After Fei Chi finished explaining what had happened, he said, "Your Majesty, that Su Wen is simply lawless. Elder Guo was slapped so hard by his guard that he couldn't even speak. Right now, he's lying at home, his fate unknown."

Zhuang Yi also cried and complained, "My son is the same. That person was extremely ruthless. My son's cheeks are red and swollen, and they have yet to fade!"

As soon as the two of them finished speaking, Emperor Zhou angrily slapped the dragon throne and scolded, "Are you two blind? What kind of place is this? This is the Great Zhou Imperial Hall! A place to discuss state affairs! You even dare to talk about private fights? What crime did Su Wen commit? You can just report him to the government office! Why do you have to look for me for such a thing? Could it be that all of my officials are dead?"

Although Emperor Zhou's words seemed fair, they were actually not true.

His words basically confirmed the situation. A personal brawl!

And any sort of fighting involved the problems of the parties involved.

Basically, with such a classification, one's sentence would definitely not be too severe.

Fei Chi kowtowed heavily on the ground as blood flowed from his forehead. He said loudly, "Your Majesty, you can't do this. The Roc's Journey Banquet is a grand occasion in the Great Zhou's literary circle. It has created countless famous stories in the literary circle. Guo Bin is also a great scholar in the literary circle. Now that Su Wen is doing this, how can this be considered an ordinary fight? He is simply slapping the face of the Great Zhou's scholars. Your Majesty, please punish Su Wen severely!"

Zhuang Yi was a little terrified. To put it bluntly, his son had indeed been beaten up. However, Emperor Zhou's attitude clearly indicated that he did not want to punish Su Wen. He was not afraid of Su Changqing, but he did not want to provoke the Emperor!

However, Fei Chi gritted his teeth before rushing forward once more as he pressed, "Your Majesty, please punish Su Wen severely!"

Emperor Zhou pondered for a moment and said indifferently, "Send word to Su Wen, summon him to the palace!"

An official immediately went to pass on the decree. Not long after, Su Wen came up to the palace.

After the customary greetings, Emperor Zhou went straight into the topic, "Su Wen, what do you have to say now that Fei Chi has accused you of causing a ruckus at the Roc's Journey Banquet and beating up the scholars?"

Su Wen raised his brows and said, "Your Majesty, what are you saying, this subject doesn't even know what the Roc's Journey Banquet means!"

Fei Bin was furious and scolded, "You brat, you dare to do it but don't dare to admit it? Did you go to the Immortals' Abode Pavilion yesterday?"

"Yes!" Su Wen admitted frankly.

"Did you hit anyone?"

"Yes!"

"Then why did you say you don't know about the Roc's Journey Banquet?"

Su Wen smiled and said, "But I think His Majesty didn't give this banquet a name. Do you think that just because you've called it the Roc's Journey Banquet, this is really its title now? I think the event last night resembled more like a banquet for strays."

"You! You! You!" Fei Chi was so angry that he was trembling. He pointed at Su Wen and was speechless for a long time.

Emperor Zhou coughed dryly and said, "Don't talk nonsense!"

Fei Chi kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, this brat has already admitted to beating someone up. Your Majesty, please punish this madman!"

Emperor Zhou asked, "Su Wen, do you have an explanation?"

Su Wen said in a solemn voice, "Your Majesty, I have indeed hit someone, but even if I do it again, I will still hit them. Because I am the son of Su Changqing, Your Majesty's subject.. To such people there who has neither a ruler nor a father in their eyes, even if I die, I must hit him!"

In the royal court, Su Wen spoke righteously, making Emperor Zhou somewhat astonished. He asked curiously, "You brat, you usually don't have any proper conduct. Why are you so serious this time? Tell me, why did you beat someone up?"

Su Wen said in a deep voice, "One of the reasons why I hit him was because Guo Bin and Zhuang Qingbei were rude and slandered my father!"

As he spoke, Su Wen repeated Zhuang Qingbei and Guo Bin's words in front of Emperor Zhou. After the explanation, Su Wen loudly proclaimed to all, "Zhuang Qingbei said that my father was degrading himself and that my father was shameless. That old thief Guo Bin then added that the corruption of the government officials in Great Zhou was all caused by my father. He also said that my father exploited the people. As a son, my father was humiliated. If I still don't dare to do anything, then I might as well not be a son and not be a human!"

Hearing Su Wen's complete recount, the Zhou Emperor's expression became even darker.

It was fine if they had just slandered Su Changqing, but the two of them had even publicly objected to the reestablishment of the Secret Shadow Guards.

This made him even more displeased. He glanced sideways at Fei Chi and said, "Minister Fei, you didn't say anything about Guo Bin and Zhuang Qingbei slandering Minister Su earlier."

Fei Chi said, "This is a debate on political affairs. How could it be considered rude?"

He had only spoken this one sentence when Su Wen interjected, "Good fellow, you accept bribes every day and even brought a prostitute back to the Profound Language Pavilion to mess around. To do such a thing, how could you still have the face to stand in the royal court?"

Fei Chi was shocked for a moment before he turned furious. When had he done these things?

He pointed at Su Wen and scolded, "Don't you dare slander me!"

Su Wen sneered, "I'm also arguing about political affairs, so how did it become slander? You said that their use of fake news to destroy my father is considered arguing about political affairs. I say, old man, how is this slander?"

"Those things about Su Changqing are not completely false!" Fei Chi said.

Su Wen smiled and said, "Alright then. Elder Fei has never accepted any bribes. He only finds some women to return to the Profound Language Pavilion every night to mess around! This shouldn't be a complete lie, right? Elder Fei, do you think this is appropriate?"

Fei Chi was shaking with rage, but he could not utter a single word.

Emperor Zhou looked at Su Wen and narrowed his eyes. He then asked, "Since you acted on behalf of your father, it is understandable. However, I am very curious. Why did you say that these two people do not have their father nor ruler in their eyes?"

Su Wen cupped his hands at Emperor Zhou and said, "The Emperor is the highest authority of the country since time immemorial. Ever since you ascended to the throne, the sea has been leveled and the people have been living in peace. You have expanded your territory to the outside world and have made outstanding military achievements.

As such a wise and wise ruler, our subjects should naturally follow Your Majesty's lead. Since Your Majesty said you would like to reestablish the Secret Shadow Guards, we as your subjects should be wholeheartedly supporting you. Yet, these two people are openly opposing Your Majesty, even resorting to bewitching the people and wantonly spreading false information. Shouldn't we beat up such people?"

All of the officials present furrowed their brows upon hearing this.

It had to be known that this was the crucial moment for the Secret Shadow Guards to reestablish themselves. Once Su Wen's words were spoken, if no one in the imperial court came forward to refute him, this would definitely allow Emperor Zhou to make use of this opportunity to make a move.

Immediately, a minister stepped forward and said, "Su Wen's words are incorrect. It's true that Your Majesty has been the highest authority since time immemorial, but even the ancient Virtuous Paragon Lords make mistakes. A wise ruler must heed his subjects' advice and not decide the country's affairs for his own personal evil!"

Su Wen turned around and asked, "Then, I would like to ask, how do you know that reestablishing the Secret Shadow Guard is wrong?"

"History has already shown us a very good example. How can we not know?"

Su Wen sneered and said, "If we're using the past as an example, then all the officials in every position in the dynasty who are guilty of corruption should be just captured and killed just like in the past? Is being an official evil? No, the ones who are wrong are the people. Is there anything wrong with the Secret Shadow Guards? No, the ones who are wrong are also the people.

I would like to ask this lord, if I were to secretly let you be the commander of the Secret Shadow Guards, would you also end up giving an unjust charge to the entire imperial court?"

Su Wen's question was difficult to answer. If this person wanted to prevent the establishment of the Secret Shadow Guards, he had to answer positively… but that would mean that he had a problem with his morals.

Besides, it was in front of Emperor Zhou. How could he dare to say it?

After hesitating for a long time, he muttered. "This… naturally won't happen!"

Su Wen turned to look at Emperor Zhou and cupped his hands. "Your Majesty, you have seen it. This lord has already turned over a new leaf and is supporting the establishment of the Secret Shadow Guard."

Emperor Zhou's eyes were full of smiles as he praised loudly, "Well said!"

Su Wen's sophistry simply opened a new door for Emperor Zhou.

He immediately took the opportunity to look at the officials and asked loudly, "Let me ask all of you today. If I let any of you become the commander of the Secret Shadow Guards, will you also end up performing a miscarriage of justice? Whoever thinks that they will end up in such a state, step forward. You will be pardoned of all offenses today!"

LOL, nice try. Pardoned of all offense?

One might be pardoned today. But what about after?

Besides, if someone were to stand up now, wouldn't it mean that there was something wrong with his morals?

"It's decided then. The Secret Shadow Guard shall be reestablished!"

Under Emperor Zhou's command, the entire court sighed, but no one could say anything.

At that moment, a person stood out and said, "Forgive me for being blunt, but I believe it would be very suitable for me to be the commander of the Secret Shadow Guards! I would like to recommend myself!"

This person was the Minister of the Judiciary Branch, and also the Head of the Prisons Branch. In terms of professionalism, this fellow was indeed very suitable!

The moment he stepped out, everyone immediately realized what he was trying to do!

Once the Secret Shadow Guard was re-established, it would become the most powerful department in Great Zhou!

In fact, it was even more important than the Ministry of Appointments and could contend with the entire board of civil officials. Once one obtained this position, they would immediately become an important official under the Great Zhou Dynasty, above everyone else and only below the Emperor.

His appearance seemed to have given a wake-up call to all the ministers. Immediately, a few more ministers stood out to seek this position.

No one was stupid. If they were really transferred into the Secret Shadow Guard, not only would they have great authority, they would not have to worry about being investigated. It was killing two birds with one stone.

Unfortunately, Emperor Zhou said, "I have my own plans for the members of the Secret Shadow Guard. You don't have to worry about it, just manage your own affairs!"

With that said, he had the eunuch announce that the court session was adjourned.

Everyone dispersed. Su Changqing however did not leave, and neither did Su Wen.

After the officials left, Su Changqing walked to Su Wen's side and said in a low voice, "Brat, you aren't hiding your abilities anymore?"

Su Wen sighed. "I can't hide it. Your son, I, am like a shining star in the night sky. I'm so dazzling and charming. His Majesty has already bestowed me with a Heaven Rank cultivation technique. It's obvious that he wants to nurture me. What's there to hide? From today onwards, your son will be invincible and take over your job."

Su Changqing burst into laughter. "Hahaha, you brat. It's still too early for you to take over my position!"

Looking at Su Wen in front of him, Su Changqing was still very pleased. "His Majesty must be very satisfied with you now. But remember, don't cause any more trouble during this period of time. Let's aim to pass the New Year in peace!"

"I'll try my best!" Su Wen smiled and said, "Sometimes, it's not that I want to cause trouble, it's just that it always comes knocking!"

Outside the hall, the ministers began to whisper amongst themselves.

"This Su Wen is just like his father. If His Majesty wants to do something, they will help him. They have no integrity at all."

"Haha, Old Zhang, when you said that you wanted to go to the Secret Shadow Guard, you didn't show any moral integrity as well."

"What are you saying? Since we can't stop His Majesty, we naturally have to help him."

"What a noble character! However, this Su Wen doesn't look like an easy person to deal with."

"In my opinion, this sharp tongue is even above Su Changqing's!"

In the general's residence, Wu Muyu had dressed up meticulously. She wore a light yellow dress and her elegant makeup gave off a refreshing feeling.

"How is it? Does it look good?"

"Of course, Miss looks good in anything!"

Wu Muyu revealed a satisfied smile before walking out of the room.

Right at this moment, a carriage arrived outside the Wu Residence. Zhao Jin was driving the carriage while Su Wen was seated inside.

The carriage had just stopped when Wu Lie returned on horseback.

There were even corpses of the wild beasts still hanging on the horses. Clearly, he had gone out of the city to hunt.

Seeing the carriage, Wu Lie frowned. This carriage looked really familiar to him….

Right at this moment, Su Wen alighted from the carriage and spoke to Zhao Jin with a smile, "Go tell the door that we're here to pick up Miss Wu!"

"Hold up!"

Wu Lie shouted and walked towards Su Wen. "What did you say just now? You're here to pick up my sister?"

Su Wen raised his head and looked at him with a smile. "That's right, what's the problem? Didn't Muyu tell you? We're going to attend Xie Dajia's performance today!"

Wu Lie said angrily, "No, my sister will not go with you. Leave quickly!"

Su Wen touched his chin and smiled. "I'm afraid what you said doesn't count. If you ask Muyu to come out and tell me personally, I'll leave."

"You! You wait!"

Wu Lie rushed in.

Coincidentally, he bumped into Wu Muyu, who was about to leave. He went forward and angrily exclaimed, "Why are you going out with Su Wen? Do you know who he is?!"

Wu Muyu looked at her brother and smiled. "Who is he? The son of the prime minister? The deputy commander of East City? Or Yan Luoying's fiancé?"

At the mention of Yan Luoying, Wu Lie became even angrier. "You knew that I like Yan Luoying, yet you are still going out with him? What are you trying to do?"

Wu Muyu smiled and said, "Brother, whether you like Yan Luoying or not, what does that have to do with me going out with Su Wen? Brother Su Wen doesn't like Yan Luoying, and besides, can't you tell that he has something for your sister?"

"Eh?" Wu Lie felt that something was amiss, but he could not put his finger on it.

Wu Muyu continued, "Look, you like Yan Luoying, and I like Su Wen, right? If I get together with Su Wen, then won't his engagement with Yan Luoying be cancelled? Brother, I'm doing this for you!"

Wu Lie frowned. "Is that so?"

After thinking for a moment, he got convinced. The anger on his face disappeared and he smiled. "Little sister, be careful and come back early."

"Got it, brother!"

Wu Muyu ran out of the Wu residence as she shouted back.

Wu Lie stroked his chin and chuckled.

"Yan Luoying, you can't escape. Once Su Wen's engagement with you is annulled, my father will propose to His Majesty. When that time comes, you will still be mine!"

"But no matter how you look at that Su Wen, he's not pleasing to the eye! Being his brother-in-law is also annoying!"

While he was letting his imagination run wild, Wu Muyu got into Su Wen's carriage.

Her hand held onto a food container, which she pushed out in front of herself.

"Brother Su, this is the Jiangnan pastry that I specially learned from the chef. Try it and see if it suits your taste!"

Wu Muyu said as she opened the food box.

The pastries inside were exquisite and exuded a faint fragrance.

Su Wen picked up a piece and tasted it. The flavor was indeed delicious.

The two of them chatted as they ate. Soon, they arrived at the Eternal Music Pavilion, which was also the place Xie Dajia was holding her performance.

This was the capital city's exclusive performing area.

However, those who could come here were usually famous actors. To put it bluntly, they had to have a certain status before they could play in the pavilion.

The Second Prince was already waiting at the entrance. Beside him was a woman with an aloof expression. It was the Fifth Princess, Zhao Xuanxuan.

She was also the most well-known among the princesses.

Seeing Su Wen and Wu Muyu, the few of them greeted one another. The Second Prince smiled as he whispered, "Sister Muyu, Brother Su has put in a lot of effort in order for you to come and listen to Xie Dajia's performance. That cousin of mine, Zhao Rui, insisted on coming. He only gave up this opportunity because of Brother Su."

Wu Muyu stole a glance at Su Wen and smiled. "I owe Brother Su and His Highness a favor this time. I'll treat you guys to a meal at my house another day."

"Good!" The second prince immediately agreed.

As they talked, they moved into the pavilion.

Su Wen looked around and realized that the tables were laid out in a way which allowed four people to sit. On every table was a fruit platter along with tea prepared.

As more people arrived and sat down, the entire hall was soon filled with the chatting of people.

After all, the performance had not started yet, but everyone was already looking forward to it.

At this moment, Su Wen suddenly saw a familiar figure two tables away!

Yan Luoying!?

Why was she here?

Su Wen muttered to himself. At this moment, Wu Muyu, who had been paying attention to Su Wen, also noticed Yan Luoying.

Yan Luoying was originally already known for her beauty. Coupled with that unique heroic spirit, Wu Muyu immediately guessed her identity despite not having seen her before.

At this moment, Yan Luoying also saw Su Wen. She tilted her head as she saw the two extremely beautiful ladies beside Su Wen.

A weird sense of discomfort surfaced in the heart.

Thus, she immediately stood up and walked towards Su Wen's table.

"I didn't expect to see you here." This time, Yan Luoying did not call address him as Lord Su Wen.

Su Wen smiled. "Yes, what a coincidence!"

The second prince knew Yan Luoying, thus he smiled in greeting as well, "Since we know each other, why don't we sit together?"

"Sure!" To Su Wen's surprise, Yan Luoying agreed.

She went to the side and grabbed a chair to join their table.

However, just as she moved over, Wu Muyu obediently shifted over to Su Wen's side and pointed to her other side with a smile, "Sister, sit here. The view over here is much better!"

What a masterful plan. In one move, she took the spot beside Su Wen, and even 'forced' Yan Luoying to sit beside her instead of Su Wen.

Yan Luoying stared at Wu Muyu for a while, before she smiled. "Thank you, sister."

After saying that, she sat down. At this moment, Wu Muyu placed a handful of melon seeds in front of Su Wen and said with a smile, "Brother Su, I've just peeled some melon seeds for you."

"Eh?"

The Second Prince and the Fifth Princess immediately trained their gazes at Yan Luoying at the same time.

Yan Luoying narrowed her eyes as she exuded a faint murderous aura.

"May I know who you are?"

Wu Muyu revealed a sweet smile. "Hello, Sister. My name is Wu Muyu. My brother is Wu Lie, and our father is Wu Kunhu. My brother likes you very much, Sister Yan! I like you very much too."

Su Wen picked up the melon seeds in front of him and stuffed them into his mouth like popcorn as he looked at Wu Muyu's performance with a smile.

Hearing Wu Lie's name being mentioned, Yan Luoying's face turned even darker.

When Wu Muyu mentioned that Wu Lie liked her, she was a little angry, but she didn't know how to flare up.

At that moment, Wu Muyu asked with concern, "Sister Yan, you don't look well. Are you tired? Why don't you go back and rest first? Your health is the most important.. Brother Su, don't you think so?"

What do you think, Brother Su?" Wu Muyu threw a loaded question over.

The Second Prince and the Fifth Princess looked at Su Wen at the same time. As spectators, they could already feel the atmosphere of a potential blockbuster movie.

Yan Luoying also looked at Su Wen.

Su Wen slowly chewed on melon seeds before he gently smiled. "If you're really not feeling well, it's better to go back."

Yan Luoying suddenly stood up.

Just as everyone thought that she was going to erupt, Yan Luoying unexpectedly turned to the Second Prince with a smile. "Your Highness, I am indeed feeling a little uncomfortable. I would like to lean on my Su Wen to rest. Is that okay with you?"

Su Wen: "????"

Your Su Wen? What does this woman mean? Who is yours?

Although the two of them were engaged, they were in actual fact only colleagues who had formed an alliance. Why did she suddenly say such words?

Su Wen now had Wu Muyu on his right and the Second Prince on his left. Yan Luoying knew very well that with Wu Muyu's angry expression, if she tried to say this to her, the latter might end up doing something weird.

Thus, she set her sights on the Second Prince.

As a spectator, the Second Prince naturally wouldn't refuse an offer to make the show more exciting. He immediately stood up and smiled, "It was my negligence. Come, let's switch seats."

Thus, he took Yan Luoying's seat.

Yan Luoying sat down and gently approached Su Wen.

She wrapped her cold hands around Su Wen's arm as a faint fragrance entered his nose. As she gently leaned against Su Wen, she gave Wu Muyu a provocative look!

The Great Zhou did not have an open-minded culture. Men and women rarely acted so intimately in public.

However, Yan Luoying and Su Wen were engaged after all, so this action was understandable.

Wu Muyu looked at Yan Luoying's actions and secretly gritted her teeth. However, there was nothing she could do. After all, they were still engaged. This was something she could not compare to.

It was impossible for her to hug Su Wen's other arm.

"Hmph." Wu Muyu turned her head away and said in a low voice, "Muyu is not angry. Muyu will peel melon seeds for brother."

Meanwhile, the audience numbers were still rising steadily throughout this time.

Casting his eyes around, Su Wen could see the Crown Prince, as well as all the other Princes around him.

The Crown Prince had also noticed the Second Prince seated, and when he saw who was seated at the table with, he couldn't help but frown hard at this sight.

Yan Luoying, the daughter of Yan Ze, the General of the Border Armies!

Su Wen, the son of Prime Minister Su, who wielded great power within the country.

Wu Muyu, daughter of Wu Kunhu. Although her father did not have power to command the army, he served as the defense barrier of the Great Zhou Dynasty and his authority was not weak.

"Second Brother, what a good move!"

He muttered to himself, even more on guard.

At this moment, Su Wen lowered his head to look at Yan Luoying and whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "It's about time, isn't it? You've managed to anger the little girl. It's time to let go."

Su Wen naturally knew that Yan Luoying was doing this to compete with Wu Muyu.

However, he did not know that the girl's heart was racing wildly the moment she hugged his arm.

Even when she gave the order to kill 400,000 people, Yan Luoying was certain that her heart was not beating as fast as it was now.

It was a very strange feeling.

Through her interactions with Su Wen, she had already changed begun to change her opinion of him. Now, the physical contact between both of them made Yan Luoying's heart beat faster.

Sometimes, between a man and a woman, even the smallest actions such as the exchanging of glances could give rise to a myriad of emotions.

At this moment, Yan Luoying was like this. As she hugged Su Wen's arm, she suddenly felt a sense of security.

Yan Luoying raised her head slightly and their eyes met. Yan Luoying's mouth bloomed into a smile.

This smile was like the warm sun in winter, and her eyes narrowed till they looked like crescent moons. The smile that came from the bottom of her heart was extremely infectious.

This was the first time Yan Luoying had smiled from the bottom of her heart since entering the capital.

Being hit with such a critical attack made Su Wen feel a little dizzy. Yan Luoying rarely smiled, and naturally Su Wen also typically avoided looking at her.

Seeing Yan Luoying's smile at such proximity was an instant fatality.

"Badump, badump!"

Su Wen's heart also began to race.

Although there were many people around them, at that moment in time, it was as though they were the only two left in this world.

Then… Su Wen shifted his gaze away.

But he did not mention letting go any more.

D*mn it, this woman's smile is too beautiful! Su Wen thought to himself.

At this moment, someone appeared on the stage. She loudly proclaimed, "Today is the day that Xie Dajia will perform in the capital, and also her final performance in the capital. Today, Xie Dajia will be bringing six pieces for everyone. They are all famous songs of the present age. Please enjoy!"

Obviously, the performance was about to begin.

Xie Dajia zither was brought up. But unexpectedly, the zither was placed at the edge of the stage. Soon, Xie Dajia came on stage and bowed.

There was a round of applause.

Xie Dajia sat down. With a flick of her fingers, in the next second, the zither sounded and the music started.

All of a sudden, a woman appeared on the stage, wearing a veil and a long green dress.

Following the sound of the zither, the lady began to dance.

Although her face could not be seen clearly, everyone present felt as though the the woman was looking at them.

Those eyes of hers were mesmerizing.

Her eyes seemed to be able to speak. Every frown and smile, although separated by a veil, could be clearly felt by everyone.

The sound of the zither floated in the air. The audience was attracted by the music and felt that the sound of the zither was extremely moving. However, their eyes were unconsciously attracted by the dancer on the stage. They only felt that the woman was like a fairy.

Inside Su Wen's body, the Gu was circulating once again. He did not fall into the music like everybody.

However, he had to say that Xie Dajia still had the skills to play the zither. Even if one was not trapped by the zither's music, it was still a good tune. On the other hand, the woman on the stage had her every movement synchronized with the rhythm of the zither. She appeared charming and natural.

As she moved her hips, that sexy and charming aura kept leaking out. Her charming eyes made people unable to resist looking at her. Even if Su Wen was not affected by the zither music, he still felt that this woman was extremely charming, full of appeal!

"F*ck, if one were to throw this girl into a brothel, wouldn't she be invincible?"

A weird thought surfaced in Su Wen's mind.

He had already thrown everything regarding Yan Luoying and her smile to the back of his mind.

In front of sex appeal, everything is akin to floating clouds, ephemeral!

This woman was not the type that exuded sex appeal through her revealing clothes. Even though her actions were not that explicit, every frown, every smile, every action, and every gaze could make men feel her sultryness.

Charm, this was a charm that came from her bones.

The sound of the zither was melodious, and the woman was incomparably good at dancing.

When the music ended, the woman stopped dancing. Everyone's consciousness was pulled back to reality.

"Alright!"

"Nice music, nice dance!"

"This trip was not in vain! This trip so was not in vain!"

"Reward! This master rewards you!"

There were loud cheers.

Xie Dajia and Xie Yiyi bowed, before leaving the stage to rest.

However, all the men, including Su Wen, had already started fantasizing about Xie Yiyi.

Even the eyes of the Second Prince, the Crown Prince, and the others were filled with burning desire!At the Wu Residence's dining table, Wu Kunhu looked around and frowned. "Where's Muyu?"

Wu Lie replied, "Younger Sister, Second Prince, and Su Wen went to listen to Xie Dajia's concert.

Wu Kunhu looked at Wu Lie as he instructed, "Keep an eye on your younger sister. Tell her to stay away from the royal family and to keep her distance from Su Wen as well."

"Why?" Wu Lie asked.

Wu Kunhu had a cold smile on his face, "Most of these imperial descendants are cold. In their eyes, there's only the throne. Most of the people who approach your sister are probably trying to rope me in. There's no need to associate with people that have such thoughts."

"As for Su Wen, this brat is just like his father and is His Majesty's lackey. Now that His Majesty is still around, he can let them bark like crazy. If one day His Majesty dies and the new Emperor ascends the throne, it will be time to settle this father and son!"

After all, he was in his own home, so Wu Kunhu dared to speak more casually.

"Father, you said you wanted to help me with the marriage. When are you going to look for His Majesty?" Wu Lie couldn't help but ask.

Wu Suihu looked at him helplessly and said, "When did I say I was going to find His Majesty?"

"Huh?"

"This marriage was decided by His Majesty. Su Wen's father is Su Changqing. Even if I went to look for His Majesty, His Majesty would definitely not agree to change Yan Luoying's marriage partner just like that!" Wu Kunhu explained.

"His Majesty's relationship with Su Changqing is much closer than mine. If I told His Majesty that I wanted him to betroth Yan Luoying to you, His Majesty would not agree for fear of disappointing Su Changqing. In fact, it would be better if I didn't mention it. If I told His Majesty, there would be no chance to turn this marriage around."

"Then what should we do?" Wu Lie could not help but ask. This was what he was most concerned about.

Wu Zehu smiled and said, "What should we do? Just wait and see. I heard that Yan Luoying also doesn't want to marry Su Wen. Su Wen is arrogant and despotic, always causing trouble. If it was just once or twice, His Majesty would still protect him on account of Su Changqing.

However, after so many times, His Majesty will definitely be displeased. Yan Luoying will also have an excuse to cancel the engagement. When that time comes, His Majesty will probably have to think about it. After all, Yan Luoying is someone His Majesty still wants to use in the future!"

"As long as this marriage is annulled, I can propose for His Majesty to betroth Yan Luoying to you!"

"Just wait patiently. With your father around, this marriage will not succeed!"

Wu Lie fell into deep thought. If his father was so confident, could it be that his sister did not need to date Su Wen anymore?

He did not want Su Wen to become his brother-in-law!

"Alright, I'll tell my sister to stay away from Su Wen when she comes back!"

At the Eternal Music Pavilion, Honorable Xie and Xie Yiyi had retreated from the stage to rest.

However, all the men's gazes were focused on Xie Yiyi until she left the stage. Only then did they return to normal.

On the other hand, even though the ladies felt that Xie Yiyi's dance was moving, they didn't have the desire that a man would have to possess her. Instead, it only made them admire the music even more.

Su Wen was no exception from the rest of the men. He watched Xie Yiyi leave reluctantly.

Suddenly, he felt a piece of flesh on his waist being pulled up and gently twisted. Although it didn't hurt, the feeling was very obvious.

Looking down, it was indeed Yan Luoying doing this.

"Is she that nice to look at?" Yan Luoying stared at him and questioned.

Su Wen smiled. "She's indeed gorgeous! I really want to know what's under that veil!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Muyu smiled and added, "Brother Su, do you like that girl's dance? I can't learn Xie Dajia's zither skills, but I can attempt to practice that dance. When I have time, I can give Brother and Sister Yan a performance too!"

She stared at Yan Luoying with her big innocent eyes and smiled, "Sister Yan, you don't mind, do you?"

Yan Luoying looked at Wu Muyu, whose smile was literally dripping with saccharine sweetness. She wanted to punch her in the face and knock her out on the spot.

However, she could only hold it in and squeeze out a smile. "I don't mind. It's just that I reckon your dance might not be as good as the one on stage."

Wu Muyu was surprisingly not offended, "I'm definitely not as good as that person, but I'm willing to learn for Brother Su."

Yan Luoying gritted her teeth and said, "Aren't you afraid that your future husband will be unhappy if you dance for Su Wen?"

Wu Muyu glanced at Su Wen with a smile. "I'm especially envious of Sister Yan for having a husband like Brother Su. I hope that Sister Yan can introduce me to a husband who is as broad-minded as Brother Su. That way, he won't mind if I dance for other men."

Yan Luoying realized that every word of this girl seemed to be able to prick her emotions.

She had never hated someone so much!

'As expected, they're really a family. Both brother and sister are equally irritating!'

Yan Luoying complained inwardly.

Right this moment, the Second Prince turned to Su Wen and asked in a low voice, "Brother, can you help me ask about that woman's identity?"

Su Wen narrowed his eyes. It was clear that the Second Prince had been tempted.

However, the Second Prince was still royalty after all. If he were to rashly ask for her name, it would make him appear rather frivolous.

In reality, he was not the only one who did this.

Be it the Crown Prince or the Third, they also entrusted their tablemates to investigate.

Su Wen's eyes shifted as he smiled. "Alright, I'll go take a look now!"

Coincidentally, he was also very interested in that woman.

Su Wen got up and went backstage.

When she arrived at the backstage entrance, she saw many people being blocked at the entrance. The person who stopped them was the lady announcer who was in charge of the performance today.

Su Wen leaned forward and heard her say, "The dancer is Miss Yiyi. She is the daughter of the royal family of Qi Country. After the fall of the Qi Country, she managed to escape and used her dancing skills to make a living. This is her first time coming to our Zhou Country and she is currently staying at Cloud Gazing Tower with Honorable Xie. The Eternal Music Pavilion doesn't know anything else. Please leave!"

Hearing this, Su Wen turned back to his seat, where he recounted everything to the Second Prince.

After listening to Su Wen's explanation, the Fifth Princess Zhao Xuanxuan said, "The Qi Country was destroyed by Yan Country ten years ago. If she really is a daughter of the Royal Family, it is not impossible for her to be lost among the common people. But now, even if she is a Princess of the Qi Country, she is merely a slave from a fallen country. It means nothing."

The Second Prince laughed, "Fifth Sister's words are a bit biased. After all, the daughter from the Qi Country's royal family is still considered royal blood. Compared to ordinary people, she is naturally much more noble."

Zhao Xuanxuan was no fool, she could naturally tell what the Second Prince was thinking. She smiled and asked, "Is Second Brother tempted?"

The second prince laughed awkwardly, "Haha! What are you talking about, Little Sister? I've never even seen that woman's appearance, so how could I possibly be moved by her? I'm just curious about that woman's beautiful dance moves!"

He was a little embarrassed.

Right at this moment, Su Wen said, "That's great! I thought that Your Highness had taken a liking to this woman and had decided to give up on her in account of our brotherhood. Since Your Highness isn't interested, then I'll tell you the truth. When I saw this woman's dance and her eyes, my heart surged. I've already made my decision. I will definitely bring this woman home!"

Second Prince: "????"

He was momentarily at a loss for words. He felt like screaming, 'I was too embarrassed to say it out loud. Why did you insist on interfering with my affairs now?'

However, he had just refuted his sister's claims, so he could not possibly admit his desire for the woman and shoot himself on his foot!

The Second Prince wanted to cry, but no tears could come out!

When the Second Prince heard Su Wen's words, he wanted to cry.

Su Wen continued, "Your Highness, only you could have done this. If it was someone else, I would not give up no matter what. It's precisely because of you, Your Highness, that I decided to give up. Since Your Highness is not interested in this woman, then I will not stand on ceremony!"

Su Wen's words were akin to hands firmly throttling his neck. What the hell? One moment he saw talking about loyalty and righteousness, the next moment he said that his heart was moved and that he would not stand on ceremony??"

The Second Prince grabbed Su Wen's hand forced the words out with gritted teeth. "Little brother… you… you are too good to me!"

At this moment, the Second Prince suddenly saw Yan Luoying and Wu Muyu looking at him with resentment!

Obviously, these two ladies were very dissatisfied with his choice!

"I'm feeling urgent… I'll go relieve myself…" The second prince couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and left, heading towards the thatched cottage which was the latrine.

Soon, a strange sound came from within.

Peng!

Pa!

"You and your f**king mouth!"

"Don't be so quick to speak next time!"

"This is so infuriating!"

Peng!

Pa!

By the time he came out, his cheeks were slightly red and his forehead was a little swollen.

It was obvious how much he regretted it.

On Su Wen's side, Yan Luoying shifted her body away before looking at Su Wen. She gritted her teeth as she said, "Is your heart so easily moved?"

Su Wen smiled. "It's that easy!"

"Humph!" Yan Luoying turned her head away.

On the other side, Wu Muyu said gently, "Sister Yan, are you angry? As expected of a general, your temper is not something that ordinary people can compare to."

Clearly, this lady's mentality was much better.

There were very few monogamous nobles in Great Zhou. Yan Ze was an exception.

This resulted in a different mentality between the ladies.

Yan Luoying glared at Wu Muyu in return.

Wu Muyu looked wronged and tears started to well up in her eyes. "Sister Yan, what's wrong? Did Muyu make you unhappy? Muyu will apologize to you."

"I…" At this moment, Yan Luoying felt that the martial arts skills she was so proud of were useless in front of this girl.

Right at this moment, the second prince returned.

After returning to his seat, the Fifth Princess noted in curiosity, "Second Brother, why is your face red and your forehead a little swollen?"

"I accidentally knocked on the door when I was walking earlier. The door to this latrine is too short." The Second Prince remarked indifferently.

Zhao Xuanxuan could tell that her second brother was suffering because of his pride, but she could not bear to expose him, so she did not dwell on it.

After a short intermission, the performance resumed.

The next few songs were the same. Xie Dajia played the zither while Xie Yiyi danced.

Xie Yiyi even changed a few sets of clothes according to the type of music being played, but she never took off her veil.

Sometimes, the more mysterious a lady appeared, the more interested the men would be.

After the performance ended, the venue was extremely lively. Many people were shouting for Xie Yiyi to come on stage to greet them, but she did not do so. Instead, she left on her own.

Su Wen and the others also left the pavilion soon after.

The second prince sighed as he stood at the door, "This Miss Yiyi is truly an unsurpassed bearing. I've seen countless dancers, but she's the only one who's able to hide her face and make one's blood boil without revealing her clothes!"

Su Wen nodded in agreement. "That's right. That pair of eyes is extremely captivating and unforgettable. When I think about how Your Highness could not even be moved by such a woman, she is indeed extraordinary."

Second Prince: "…"

He ignored Su Wen.

At the side, Zhao Xuanxuan pursed her lips and snickered, no longer as cold as before.

In reality, she did not have a good impression of Su Wen. After all, Su Wen was known to be a playboy. However, she now found Su Wen very interesting.

At this moment, Zhao Jin arrived with the carriage. Su Wen smiled at Wu Muyu and said, "Let's go."

"Huh?" Yan Luoying looked at him doubtfully.

The Second Prince explained, "We couldn't bring our servants today, so I asked Su Wen to fetch Muyu."

Wu Muyu looked at Yan Luoying and smiled. "Sister Yan, do you want to come with me? I'm not in a hurry. Brother Su can send you back first!"

"No need!"

After Yan Luoying finished speaking coldly, she turned around and walked towards Old Zhou's carriage.

Wu Muyu and Su Wen thus got into the carriage together.

Wu Muyu smiled. "Brother Su, has Sister Yan always been like this?"

Su Wen did not reply. Instead, he leaned forward and stared at Wu Muyu seriously.

The two of them faced each other, their noses only a centimeter away from touching.

They could clearly feel each other's breath and warmth.

Wu Muyu looked at Su Wen nervously. She had never been so close to a man before.

"What is he doing? Going to kiss me? Should I dodge? Should I shout for help?"

"What to do? What should I do?"

Wu Muyu grabbed the corner of her dress with both hands and started rubbing it nervously.

However, she maintained a calm expression.

Su Wen continued to stare at her for a while before stepping back slightly. He reached out to bop her nose before sitting back down as he chuckled, "You little fox, if it's just the two of us, then stop your tricks. It's fine if you're angry at Yan Luoying, but don't try to sabotage me in private. I don't like it."

Wu Muyu heaved a sigh of relief in her heart, but also felt a little disappointed. However, she immediately adjusted her mood and smiled. "Yes, Muyu was wrong. It won't happen again. Muyu listens to Brother Su the most."

On the other side, Yan Luoying boarded Old Zhou's carriage.

Old Zhou could tell that she was not in a good mood.

As she drove, she asked, "What's wrong, Miss?"

"Nothing, I just met an annoying fellow!"

"How annoying?"

"More annoying than Wu Lie."

Old Zhou immediately laughed out, "That's really annoying. We have to stay away from her in the future."

Yan Luoying shook her head slightly and said, "Uncle Zhou, do you think all men are never satisfied with what they have?"

Old Zhou was a little stunned. Why did his house's Miss suddenly ask this question?

"Do you want to hear the sweet lie or bitter truth?" Old Zhou asked.

In the carriage, Yan Luoying rolled her eyes. "Of course it's the truth!"

"Then the answer is yes." Old Zhou smiled. "Who doesn't want to have multiple wives and concubines? Who doesn't want to take more? Not everyone is like your father. You don't know what the brothers said about him in private. They all said that he's a slave to women. He blushes when he sees women and doesn't know how to speak…"

Yan Luoying sighed.

At the Wu Residence, Wu Muyu bade farewell to Su Wen and entered the house.

The moment she entered, she found Wu Lie guarding the door.

"Brother, what are you doing, standing here like a House Protector?"

Wu Lie said seriously, "Father said to stay away from the royal family and Su Wen!"

Wu Muyu smiled. "I've never seen you so obedient to your father before. Have you changed your sex today?"

Wu Lie said righteously, "Cut the crap! I don't like Su Wen either. I don't think what you said today is reliable. Stay away from him in the future. I, Wu Lie, will never sacrifice my sister's happiness for my own benefit!"

"Today, Yan Luoying also went to the Eternal Music Pavilion. She even took the initiative to sit beside Su Wen and hugged his arm. From what I can see, Yan Luoying has fallen in love with Su Wen," Wu Muyu casually said. Wu Lie's eyes were wide open, but he only saw Wu Muyu continue, "I don't know what Father told you, but Father will definitely not bring up the matter of breaking off the engagement with His Majesty.

In the end, Yan Luoying still has to bring up the matter herself. Or perhaps, His Majesty can just say it directly. Do you think that if Yan Luoying and Su Wen really fall in love with each other, outsiders will still be able to stop this marriage? Or perhaps, in the next few days, the two of them might just directly do the deed and get married!"

"Nooooo!" Wu Lie roared.

He looked at Wu Muyu and changed his tune, "Those words were all ordered by Father. In fact, Su Wen might be a little ridiculous, but he is still considered a talent. Sister, if you have nothing to do, call him out for a walk.. Don't let him stay at the patrolling office!"