The world is like a prison, my body is holy

"Your subject Xia Lan greets Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"

Inside the Imperial Palace in the capital, Xia Lan, the commander of the Demon Suppression Division, strode into the Wende Hall and bowed with his hands clasped.

Emperor Tianqi, after reviewing an urgent report from the Northwest, calmly waved his hand and said, "Minister Xia, rise..."

Grand Eunuch Liu Zhi'en stood with his head bowed beside the dragon throne, holding a whisk in his hand. He scrutinized His Highness, a "veteran minister of three dynasties" who had repeatedly slandered the emperor, with a cold gaze, wondering what shocking remarks this fellow would make today as he entered the palace.

Xia Lan was promoted by Emperor Hongtai to be the commander of the Demon Suppression Division. Emperor Zhaode had been on the throne for less than a year, and his main focus was on balancing the court and fighting against Prince Qin. He had not yet been able to free up his hands to reorganize the Demon Suppression Division.

After Emperor Tianqi ascended the throne, for reasons that could not be spoken of, he retained his position as Commander of the Demon Suppression Division...

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Xia Lan stood up, her voice trembling slightly: "Your Majesty, intelligence has arrived from the Yellow River. General Wang Wen, the Demon-Slaying General of Huainan, has killed the Yellow River God at the mouth of the Banzhu River, and his demon army is currently wiping out the Yellow River demons... with unstoppable momentum!"

He tried his best to remain calm, but he couldn't hide his panic.

"Clap."

The vermilion brush that Emperor Tianqi had just picked up suddenly slipped from his hand and fell onto the unfolded memorial, splattering a blob of bright red ink, as red as blood.

He looked up at Xia Lan in disbelief, wondering if he had misheard: "What did you say? Who killed whom, where?"

Xia Lan dared not look him in the eye, nor did she dare repeat what she had just said; her heart was pounding in her throat.

The Tianqi Emperor's hostility towards Wang Wen was instigated by him.

He also acted as a go-between when the Yellow River God went to the capital to pay homage to the Tianqi Emperor.

As for the source of his hostility towards Wang Wen, that's a long story.

In short, it all boils down to one sentence: the Demon Suppression Division cannot tolerate someone as powerful as Wang Wen!

Because of Wang Wen's existence, the Great Zhou Demon Suppression Division has essentially split into two parts.

Part of it is the Demon Suppression Division.

Part of it is the residence of the Demon-Slaying General of Huainan.

Everyone in the world knows the name of Wang Wen, the Demon-Slaying General of Huainan.

Few people know his name, Xia Lan, the commander of the Demon Suppression Division.

What's even more disheartening is that all the important figures who knew him, including Emperor Tianqi in the palace, always had a hint of disdain and contempt in their eyes when they saw him.

That strange look was as if someone were slapping him in the face from above, saying, "Look at Wang Wen, and then look at yourself..."

The hall remained quiet for a long time.

Finally, Liu Zhi'en kindly whispered, "Your Majesty, Lord Xia is saying that the Mighty Prince killed the Yellow River God at Banzhu, and now the Mighty Prince's demon army is clearing out those unruly mountain monsters that are causing havoc on the Yellow River..."

Emperor Tianqi: 'Thank you, kind person!'

At this moment, his mind was in turmoil, a mix of confusion and trepidation, and a hint of relief...

In his memory, it had only been two days since the Yellow River God came to the capital to see him, and at that time the fellow had confidently said that he had a way to deal with Wang Laohu.

In the blink of an eye, he was dead?

'Thank goodness, I played it safe back then and didn't immediately appoint that guy as emperor!'

Emperor Tianqi's back was soaked with cold sweat. If it weren't for the presence of foreign officials mindful of imperial dignity, he would have immediately raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead: 'Otherwise, after Wang Laohu killed that scoundrel, wouldn't he have turned around and headed straight for the capital?'

His Highness Xia Lan is even less capable than him.

After all, Emperor Tianqi only vaguely hinted at him to do many things, but he actually took action. If those things were to reach Wang Laohu's ears, given that guy's violent temper, wouldn't his whole family be smashed like eggs and earthworms?
Although those things were not particularly insulting or harmful...

In fact, by taking the initiative to report this matter today, instead of passively waiting for Emperor Tianqi to hold him accountable, he was essentially admitting defeat.

Wang Wen's unfathomable power filled him with despair.

Emperor Tianqi pondered for a long time, finishing his entire bowl of tea, before finally speaking softly, "Xia Qing, go back and pack your things, and move your whole family to the Northwest."

Upon hearing this, Xia Lan, her face a mixture of sorrow and relief, knelt down and performed a deep bow, clasping her hands in gratitude, saying, "I, Xia Lan, thank Your Majesty for your grace!"

The Tianqi Emperor looked down at him, then said in a more emphasizing tone: "Draft an edict, appointing the Prince of Weiwu as Grand Tutor, and Wang Wen as General Who Subdues Demons of Huainan and Pacification Commissioner of Huainan, to eliminate demons, uphold justice, and protect the country..."

Upon hearing this, Xia Lan, who was bowing her head, immediately lowered it even further.

Just then, a young eunuch rushed in, flustered: "Your Majesty, Prince Wang Wen of the Mighty County requests an audience!"

These two short sentences sent shivers down the spines of the three people in the hall.

Emperor Tianqi picked up the dry teacup beside him in a panic, wanting to drink some tea to calm his nerves, but his hands trembled so much that the lid of the teacup kept tapping against it, making a "crackling" sound.

Xia Lan, who was performing the deepest kneeling salute, was almost collapsing to the ground, and beads of sweat visibly appeared on her neatly trimmed temples...

Liu Zhi'en secretly took in the reactions of the two, and barely managed to suppress the upturned corners of her mouth by digging her toes into the floor.

He kindly whispered again, "Your Majesty, please don't keep the Prince of Weiwu waiting!"

Emperor Tianqi seemed to awaken from a dream, and opened his mouth to summon Wang Wen to the palace for an audience, but then he caught sight of Xia Lan, who was curled up in a ball, and the words he was about to say were immediately stuck in his throat.

He turned to look at Liu Zhi'en, bewildered.

Liu Zhi'en forced a serious expression and silently shook her head slightly.

Emperor Tianqi paused for two seconds, his gaze gradually hardening...

He turned around, trying to suppress the shock in his heart, and said in a calm manner: "Immediately carry my imperial carriage over there. Please invite the Prince of Weiwu to ride in the imperial carriage, with his sword and shoes, into the palace."

"Here!"

The eunuch was stunned for several seconds before he understood the imperial edict, then turned and ran away.

Xia Lan, who was curled up in a ball, felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave after failing to receive Emperor Tianqi's order to withdraw and temporarily take refuge.

He is still alive.

But he felt he was already dead...

……

Outside the imperial city, Wang Wen, dressed in a blue robe, was leaning against the palace gate, chatting idly with the imperial guards standing beside him, when he saw a group of burly eunuchs carrying a vermilion eight-bearer sedan chair rushing towards him like the wind...

He stared blankly at the crimson sedan chair, adorned with gilded dragons and carried by eight men, and asked the head eunuch, puzzled, "What's the meaning of this?"

The young eunuch, panting from running, forced a smile upon hearing the commotion: "By imperial decree, Your Highness is requested to ride in the imperial carriage, sword and shoes, into the palace!"

'Oh no, I've become Boss Cao!' Wang Wen's lips twitched speechlessly. He threw down a "Bullshit" and took a step, disappearing from the spot.

A few moments later, Wang Wen stepped into the Wende Hall, startling the Tianqi Emperor, who was sitting on pins and needles. He almost cried out, but Wang Wen looked at him like an old man taking a stroll, then at the stranger kneeling below, and said with a smile, "Oh, busy, huh?"

Emperor Tianqi's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to jump out of his throat. He forced a stiff smile and replied, "No rush, no rush..."

Wang Wen frowned: "Not busy? So you're just playing around all day?"

Emperor Tianqi: ? ? ?

No, why don't you do things the usual way?

He hurriedly corrected himself, saying, "Busy, busy, look, I'm reviewing urgent reports from the Northwest..."

He picked up the memorial stained with vermilion ink in front of him and showed it to Wang Wen.

Wang Wen glanced at him and said, "Why do I feel like you're afraid to see me? Have you done something wrong behind my back again?"

"No, no, how could I dare to do anything wrong behind your back..."

Emperor Tianqi shook his head vigorously, almost crying from being teased by him.

He was somewhat afraid of Wang Wen even before he took office.

The longer he sat on the throne, the more he knew, and the more terrified he became of Wang Wen.

Once fear reaches a certain level, it will rebound from rock bottom, and one can't help but secretly engage in some underhanded tactics.

Now, upon seeing Wang Wen, the little courage he had mustered to bounce back vanished instantly...

Looking at his tense expression, on the verge of tears, Wang Wen suddenly laughed and said, "I was just joking with you. You are the emperor, the father of the Great Zhou Dynasty. What wrong thing could you possibly do? Don't you think so?"

"Yes Yes Yes……"

Emperor Tianqi nodded vigorously, like a chicken pecking at rice: "How could I possibly do anything wrong!"

Although Wang Wen let him off the hook, he felt no sense of relief or liberation. Instead, his mind became even more tense, and he even had the illusion that he could see the cold and stern face hidden beneath Wang Wen's smiling face.

He knew that Wang Wen was giving him a warning...

"Let's get down to business first. I had a fight with that long snake of the Yellow River these past few days, and one of my demon generals did a great job. I'm going to promote him to be the Yellow River God, and I came here to ask you for an official title."

Wang Wen said solemnly.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Tianqi breathed a sigh of relief: "Is that all?"

Wang Wen suddenly laughed and asked, "Is there anything else you want to do?"

Emperor Tianqi: "N-nothing. I was just saying that this is such a trivial matter, why would the Grand Tutor have to make such a trip in person? Just send someone to the palace to inform me!"

Wang Wen: "It's no trouble at all, just a step away. I happened to be passing by to see how you're doing as emperor, whether you're fulfilling your duties and whether you're comfortable with yourself."

"Thank you for your trouble, Grand Tutor!"

Emperor Tianqi quickly patted his chest and said, "With the Grand Tutor protecting the country, how could I not do my best and how could I not be at ease?"

He dared not give Wang Wen another chance to ask questions, and continued, "Zhi'en, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and draft the imperial edict to officially recognize the Grand Tutor! You dare to delay such an important matter concerning the Grand Tutor?"

"The Emperor is right!"

Liu Zhi'en bowed respectfully, clasped his hands in agreement, and then descended the golden steps, smiling broadly as he bowed to Wang Wen: "It's been a long time! Your Highness has become even more valiant and imposing!"

Wang Wen smiled and nodded: "Nothing compares to the carefree life of you, you clever little devil... Go on, my subordinate is called Ao Qing, the Ao of the dragon clan, and the Qing of 'surpassing one's teacher.' Confer upon him the title of River God of the Yellow River, and give him a minor official title of third or fourth rank. Make sure his official documents are written neatly and formally. All future titles for mountain spirits and wild monsters should follow this pattern. They can't just be servants; they have to be able to be commanded. Any mountain spirits or wild monsters that are unwilling to be commanded should stay away!"

Liu Zhi'en crossed her hands: "Your Highness, rest assured, this servant will certainly handle it properly for Your Highness."

Wang Wen waved his hand, and Liu Zhi'en, clutching his whisk, bowed his head and hurriedly left.

After he left, Wang Wencai glanced at the stranger huddled up beside him like a quail: "Who is this guy? What is he doing kneeling here?"

He had never seen this man before, but could only judge from the crimson official robe he was wearing and the silver fish-shaped pouch hanging from his waist that this fellow must be a high-ranking official.

Following his gaze, Emperor Tianqi looked at Xia Lan. After a moment's hesitation, he smiled casually and said, "A corrupt official who messed up his job. I was just about to send him to the Northwest to govern the army and pacify the people."

Wang Wen asked in surprise, "Is the Northwest some kind of poor and lowly place? They dump all sorts of garbage there? If you're going to be exiled, you should go to Annam or Goguryeo. If you do well, you can come back and start over. If you don't do well, you can die there and rot in their land!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Tianqi sighed inwardly, thinking to himself, 'You heard that. This is not because I don't want to protect you.'

"Did you hear that? Get out of here now, pack your things and head to Annam tomorrow?"

Xia Lan's emotions had been on a rollercoaster ride several times, and upon hearing this, she actually thought going to Annam might not be a bad idea...

"This guilty subject kowtows to express gratitude for the Emperor's grace and to the valiant Prince for his leniency beyond the law."

He kowtowed three more times with a loud "bang bang bang", then got up, bowed his head, and backed out of the Wende Hall.

Throughout the entire ordeal, he never mustered the courage to look up at Wang Wen.

Look at this opponent to whom he staked most of his life's achievements...

Wang Wen never looked at this insignificant little man again.

Unbeknownst to him, this insignificant little man was once the boss's boss's boss's boss...

"Someone, bring a seat for the Grand Tutor!"

"Someone, brew a pot of my favorite 'Dragon Ball Snow' tea for the Grand Tutor. Instruct the imperial kitchen to prepare dinner; I wish to drink with the Grand Tutor tonight..."

Wang Wen sat down in the grand chair and waved his hand to interrupt Emperor Tianqi's fawning: "Don't bother, I have a mess to deal with back home. I'll leave as soon as Liu Qi finishes the imperial edict."

Emperor Tianqi was delighted upon hearing this, but said aloud, "How can that be? It's rare for the Grand Tutor to come to the palace. If I don't even offer him a meal, wouldn't the people of the world say I'm heartless and ungrateful?"

"Whether someone is mean or ungrateful cannot be proven by a single meal..."

Wang Wen: "By the way, let me ask you something important. Have any shady characters from Liaodong come looking for you?"

Emperor Tianqi's heart skipped a beat, and he cautiously asked, "Whom is the Grand Tutor referring to?"

Wang Wen glanced at him and said, "Whether you really don't know or you're pretending to be ignorant, I'll make this clear from the start: your fight is a matter of state and your family. As long as you don't harm the people, I won't meddle... But if anyone colludes with foreigners to bully their own people, don't blame me for going back on my word and turning my back on them."

"I've always acted solely on my own likes and dislikes, without much regard for rules or regulations. But colluding with outsiders to bully my own family is something I absolutely abhor. If I see one, I'll kill him; if I see two, I'll kill them both. No amount of friendship matters!"

Hearing this stated absolutely, with no room for negotiation, Emperor Tianqi's heart skipped a beat. He immediately replied solemnly, "Grand Tutor, rest assured, Prince Qin and I are brothers by blood. If I were to defeat him, I would do so honorably and fair. I would never do anything despicable that would bring shame upon our ancestors. If I were to break this promise, Grand Tutor, feel free to take my head and replace Prince Qin with him in this position!"

Wang Wen stared at him for a few seconds, then nodded approvingly and said, "You're more promising than your deadbeat older brother!" (End of Chapter)