tallest building

On this day, the King of Chu returned from the morning court with a very grim expression.

Upon seeing this, the Princess Consort of Chu hurriedly asked, "What's wrong, Your Highness?"

"Somehow someone found out about Yu Fengshan's son," the King of Chu said, wiping his face. "Today, someone from the Ministry of Personnel brought up Yu Fengshan's son's matter in court, pointing not only at the Liu family but also implicating me. I managed to cover it up for now, but I don't know if there will be any follow-ups."

Princess Chu was also surprised to hear this: "Who is behind this? We have dealt with countless similar cases in the past, and we have never seen anyone impeach anyone."

"Hmph, don't you know? Can't you guess?" The King of Chu sneered. "This must have been ordered by the King of Zhao, otherwise who would have the guts?"

“I think so too. Who else would do that?” Princess Chu sighed. “A few days ago, they invited Prince Fenye and Princess to their residence, but not us. That’s fine. For two days in a row, I went to their residence to see Princess Zhao, but they both said they were sick and wouldn’t see guests. But the carriage of Marquis Changning’s residence was parked in front of their door, and they still glared at me and lied.”

"Never mind all that, let's deal with the immediate problem first. They don't seem like they're going to let this go easily," said the King of Chu. "You've already received the money they offered, right? Use that money to find someone to take the blame. Even though it was the Liu family who did it, we can't completely ignore it. Otherwise, if we push them too far, they might drag us into it."

“I’m afraid 30,000 taels of silver won’t be enough. We’ll have to spend some more.” Princess Chu thought for a moment and said, “There’s nothing we can do. We’ve been targeted. I’ll discuss it with the Liu family later.”

"This can't go on forever; we can't afford to be so passive." The King of Chu had been pondering this the whole way. "What if they decide to fight to the death? Wouldn't we be doomed?"

"Yes, we've been avoiding them and giving way all along, but they're pressing us relentlessly. What will we do when we're pushed to the edge of a cliff?" Princess Chu said, her face full of worry. "But who can help us then?"

“I’m reminded of someone,” the King of Chu said, looking at the teacup on the table but not in the mood to drink. “Given the current situation, I’m afraid only he can help us break this deadlock.”

Upon hearing this, the Queen Consort of Chu immediately asked, "Who is it?"

“Master Zhuge,” said the King of Chu, “is the only one I can think of.”

Princess Chu frowned upon hearing this: "Master Zhuge? He... can he help us? We've never had any dealings with him, and besides, he's someone of that status..."

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you," the King of Chu said, taking a sip of his tea. "It was back when King Fenye had just arrived in the capital..."

The King of Chu then recounted the words that Master Zhuge had spoken to him when he was admiring the chrysanthemums that day.

“He told me to have a long-lasting heart, and said that with such outstanding beauty and noble lineage, how could I give up? This is clearly an implication that I should have the ambition to compete for the throne!”
But at the time I hesitated and dared not reply, so I just gave a vague answer. Now it seems that Master Zhuge was truly farsighted; he had already foreseen the current situation back then.”

"If what Your Highness says is true, then Master Zhuge really cares about us. He must have taken a liking to Bai'er's talent and felt that Ying Tong was not as good as him." Upon hearing this, Princess Chu's heart was also filled with hope.

"That's just a woman's view," the King of Chu sneered. "While Bai'er's aptitude is indeed better than Ying Tong's, it's not the most important thing."

"Then what is it because of?" Princess Chu asked, puzzled.

"The Dong family wields immense power, comparable to Huo Guang of the Han Dynasty. With Master Zhuge's foresight, would you allow them to continue their tyrannical rule and oppress the people?" King Chu said coldly. "If Ying Tong is made crown prince, then the future empire will still belong to the Dong family. You don't study, so you naturally don't understand these great principles. The Three Paths Academy only opens its doors when there's chaos. Do you think Master Zhuge only enters the palace when there's nothing to do?"

"So that's how it is!" The Queen Consort of Chu understood a bit. "The Dong family has been in power for too long, and they will inevitably usurp the country one day. We really shouldn't let them continue like this." "I'll try to find a way to go to the palace to see the Master in the next few days and ask him to help me think about this," said the King of Chu. "We can't just sit here and wait for our doom any longer."

“That’s right! We’ve been tolerating and yielding before only hoping they’d leave us a place, but it seems that’s no longer possible. Besides, Master Zhuge is willing to help us. If Master Zhuge is willing to help, it means that the Sanjing Academy is on our side.” The Princess of Chu was no longer as timid and cautious as before.

How many people in this world are truly without ambition? Often, it's just that they haven't had the right opportunity.

Meanwhile, the King of Chu was planning when he could go to the palace to meet Master Zhuge.

At dusk, a servant came in and reported: "Your Highness, someone outside says he came from the mountain and wants to present you with a treasure. Should Your Highness see him or not?"

"I won't see them." The King of Chu was already annoyed and had no time to meet these wandering sorcerers.

"Uh... that person also said that if Your Highness says he won't see him, he'll tell you that you can't go any way, no matter which way you go, east, west, or south," the servant said cautiously.

Upon hearing this, the King of Chu frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and then said, "Let him in! Take him to the guest room."

The man was very tall, wearing a pure black cloak and a large hood that covered most of his face.

Only after meeting the King of Chu did he remove his hat, revealing a refined yet resolute face. He was in his thirties, with piercing eyes.

"May I ask your name, sir? And what brings you to see the King?" The King of Chu, seeing the man's extraordinary bearing, dared not be negligent.

"My name is Hua Ying, and I have come to pay my respects on the orders of Master Zhuge," the man said, bowing slightly.

"Oh, so you are Mr. Hua Ying. I've heard so much about you!" King Chu had naturally heard of Mr. Hua Ying.

He was one of the most famous disciples at the Sanjin Academy, and his refusal to graduate for so many years only made him more famous.

"Your Highness, there's no need for such formality. You must already know why I've come," Hua Ying said with a smile.

"I am too foolish to make any wild guesses, please enlighten me, sir." At this point, the King of Chu still chose to be cautious, after all, what he was about to do could cost him his head.

“If Your Highness cannot be trusted, then I should be able to trust the Master. The Master knows Your Highness is in trouble, but he cannot leave the palace, so he sent me instead.” Hua Ying went straight to the point. “Today, Prince Zhao sent someone to impeach Your Highness in court. I imagine Your Highness is still quite alarmed.”

"Although you are not currently in court, you are well-versed in its affairs, truly befitting your background as a graduate of the Sanjing Academy." Seeing his directness, the King of Chu stopped beating around the bush. "I am indeed facing some difficulties at this moment. I wonder if you have any brilliant solutions?"

"His Majesty will have a tutor to speak on behalf of the Prince," said Mr. Hua Ying, "ensuring His Majesty will not lose trust in the Prince. Furthermore, I have my own ways of dealing with Prince Zhao, to teach him to restrain his claws and not dare to act rashly. The Prince can rest assured and need not worry about this matter." (End of Chapter)