The Demonic World I designed-Chapter 41 - 39 Am I
41: Chapter 39: Am I…
that popular?
41 -39: Am I…
that popular?
“Is it…
Lord Song from the other day who escorted my junior into the palace?” Chen Qing asked somewhat blankly.
Imperial Concubine Dong was amused by his silly smile, “Other than him, is there another Lord Song in this world?”
Chen Qing silently looked outside; the weather today was exceptionally good, yet this news was exceptionally chilling….
A sudden death?
Tsk….
A Big Dipper Sorcerer who could teleport several people with a wave of his hand, nearly at the level of a spirit, suddenly died?
Chen Qing couldn’t help but drink a mouthful of hot tea, but it felt like no matter how hot the tea was, it couldn’t warm his heart that was somewhat chillingly shocked at this moment.
It really was the king after all….
Even a country bumpkin like him had heard quite a bit about the title of Lord Song.
From what Wang Ye occasionally revealed about the court’s situation, Liu Yu’s role as Lord Song was immensely significant.
And talking about strength alone, he was likely one of the top figures in the Human Race.
But such a person, just gone like that….
Chen Qing felt somewhat suffocated and always had the feeling that he didn’t have much time left….
Imperial Concubine Dong observed Chen Qing and saw that although his complexion wasn’t good, he didn’t show too much panic and she nodded slightly in approval.
He was a young fellow who could keep his composure, not bad….
“Oh my, let’s not talk about these frightening things anymore….” Imperial Concubine Dong looked outside, “Ming Xue is coming….”
“Huh?” Chen Qing was startled and hurriedly looked over, but then he felt it was impolite and quickly bowed his head to sip his tea to cover up.
This scene made Imperial Concubine Dong chuckle.
Even if he was cunning, he was still an inexperienced boy.
“Greetings, mother!”
Princess Siao Mingxue walked over in an extremely ladylike manner.
It nearly took her half an incense stick’s time to approach from the distance, and Chen Qing felt he had finished his tea.
It was inappropriate to pour another cup, so he chewed on the tea leaves for fun until he heard her voice and quickly stood up, “Greetings, Princess.”
Siao Mingxue quickly glanced at Chen Qing, then immediately lowered her head, her cheeks turning red as she returned the greeting, “Imperial Scholar Chen, you need not be overly courteous.”
Mother was right, he really was fair-skinned, not as much as Cui Yan, but still quite handsome….
Her heart suddenly felt relieved.
After receiving the news, she had asked around a little and heard from Fei Jun that he was quite a capable young man, but that blockhead Fei Jun didn’t understand a girl’s heart; being capable didn’t necessarily mean good-looking.
Weichi Peng was also capable; at the age of seventeen, he had won against his own father and taken over the title, but he was universally acknowledged as ugly.
Chen Qing also quickly glanced at her, his heart giving a small leap.
As a straight man, his thoughts were relatively simple and he didn’t have as many considerations as the princess….
So, what would be a good name for the child?
“Ah, the weather today is really good!” Imperial Concubine Dong said with a smile as she rose and touched her belly, “The Imperial Physician said that my baby has been nourished too well, I need to walk more.
You two chat amongst yourselves.”
“Mother?” Siao Mingxue was suddenly flustered.
Was her mother planning to leave her here?
Chen Qing quickly bowed, “Your student sees you out, Your Highness.”
“We still have time, talk some more….” Imperial Concubine Dong said with a smile, “Otherwise, it might be a long time before you see each other again.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Qing was momentarily stuck, ah, he had forgotten about that; it seems the child might have to wait three more years….
————————————
The news of Liu Yu’s sudden death caused a huge uproar in the Capital, no matter which faction, be it civil or military, none had expected such a thing to happen!
After the court meeting, civil and military officials alike went to Lord Song’s residence to pay their respects.
With no sons, Lord Song’s funeral was arranged by the Royal Family; the scale was not small.
The Crown Prince was in charge of presiding, while the other princes hosted the guests, indicating the extraordinary honor.
But such honor still couldn’t suppress the chill that Liu Yu’s sudden death brought to everyone.
Outside the hall, civil and military officials mixed without distinction.
Those who usually squabbled upon meeting were unusually harmonious on this occasion, silently drinking, with grave expressions on their faces.
All the Chiefs of Staff were present, each an elderly scholar with a white beard, but they drank like military generals, one cup after another.
No one dared to persuade them to stop; those of lower ranks did not dare, and those of equal rank understood their feelings and preferred not to persuade.
The Chiefs of Staff who were currently in office were mostly well-known magicians of the previous dynasty, personally visited by the Emperor, who won them over with his charisma.
But in fact, they all knew that it was Liu Yu who had pulled the strings.
The Great Jin Dynasty had established the new capital in just one year.
Although its scale was not as magnificent as Tiandu, its structure and strength of mystical techniques were by no means inferior to that of the ancient city which had stood for a thousand years.
Such a massive project progressed smoothly because Liu Yu had convinced many magicians to serve the Royal Family.
It was also because of Liu Yu’s tactics that the Siao Family was able to establish a scholarly faction to counterbalance the arrogant and powerful noble families with bloodline heritage.
But now such a meritorious figure was just gone?
With each cup of alcohol that went down, the burning sensation rose to their hearts, yet it could not dispel the coldness within.
The military was also silent.
Most of the noble families had complex feelings about Liu Yu.
On one hand, as the only literary noble, he was essentially the spiritual leader of the magician group, employed by the Emperor to balance out their bloodline noble families.
On the other hand, during the initial war to claim the kingdom, this seemingly weak magician was on the frontlines, planning strategies, aiding countless generals to win difficult battles, and was considered a comrade-in-arms!
This led to even the most haughty of generals being unable to act arrogantly in Liu Yu’s presence because anyone who had dealt with him knew of his capabilities, and none could help but respect him.
Those who wanted to incite the Duke of Qin to rebel considered Liu Yu the biggest obstacle, but now that he was suddenly gone, they felt an emptiness inside.
The Emperor…
truly ruthless….
“The Judicial Court’s Minister Wang has arrived!”
The doorman announced the guests’ names as they arrived, and all eyes turned in their direction.
In terms of status, Wang Ye had the most qualifications to preside over Liu Yu’s funeral rites, yet the royal family seemed to have omitted him from the list of hosts.
The most favored disciple attending as a guest indeed struck people as odd.
“Has Minister Wang arrived?” Wearing mourning clothes, the Crown Prince personally came out to welcome his guest.
From his appearance, the Crown Prince seemed to have not yet recovered his health, looking quite weak.
But starting from yesterday’s wee hours, he had been presiding over Liu Yu’s posthumous affairs without a moment’s rest, and everyone saw this and could not fault him.
“I have seen the Crown Prince,” Wang Ye said as he bowed in salute, his expression neither joyful nor sorrowful, truly resembling a guest who had casually come to express condolences.
“Minister Wang, did you rush over as soon as your service ended?” the Crown Prince asked, helping Wang Ye up, “Come and offer the incense.”
Wang Ye nodded and, after exchanging greetings with the other officials, slowly walked to the mourning hall to burn incense and pay homage.
Wang Ye’s indifferent expression provoked much discussion among the officials, as he was, after all, the sole direct disciple of Lord Liu.
This indifference contrasted starkly with the Crown Prince’s earnest effort, causing some to think that Lord Liu had made a poor judgment of character.
Those officials who knew a little of the inside story looked at Wang Ye with complex expressions.
Liu Yu had clearly become entangled in something that made the Emperor uneasy, hence his downfall.
But what about Wang Ye?
If the Emperor could move against Liu Yu, why would he spare his disciple?
“Magistrate of Lyuzhou, Chen Qing has arrived!”
Oh?
Another name that captured everyone’s attention instantly shifted the focus away from Wang Ye to the newcomer.
In the provinces, a Magistrate nears the standard of a high-ranking frontier official, but in the Capital, that is indeed a minor role not worth mentioning.
Theoretically, if there was no connection with Lord Liu, this youngster named Chen Qing shouldn’t even have the right to pay respects with incense.
Yet those who knew the inside story were aware that this young man seemed to have started the recent turmoil…
“Lord Chen is also here?”
The Crown Prince still exhibited warmth, maintaining a respectful demeanor towards the talented, whether it was a Chief of Staff or a Fourth Rank minor official like Chen Qing, showcasing the bearing fit for a Crown Prince.
“Speaking of which, wasn’t Lord Chen in the palace seeing my Imperial Sister?” the Crown Prince asked with a hint of an insinuating smile as he moved closer to whisper.
To the uninformed, their relationship would seem rather close.
Chen Qing, however, noticed a chilling coldness in the other’s eyes.
Thinking to himself, I indeed wanted to grow closer to your sister, but my skills at courting women are lacking; after sputtering through an awkward conversation, I swiftly excused myself.
I had thought to slip away, but as I happened to pass by North Street, I remembered Lord Liu’s funeral was being held and decided to pay respects with incense, considering we shared a bond through adversity.
“The undersigned is also friends with Lord Wang.
Now that Lord Wang’s master has passed away, as a junior, it is natural for me to pay respects.
By the way, is your health all right, Your Highness?”
Bringing up the topic of health instantly caused a crack in the Crown Prince’s smile, which he had maintained all day, and he cast a cold look at Chen Qing.
Seeing this, Chen Qing smirked slightly.
Is that all it takes to break your facade? freewebnσvel.cøm
Acting skills are mediocre…
He wasn’t afraid of this so-called Crown Prince; after all, a eunuch Crown Prince ascending the throne would be an impossibility.
The Emperor promised his daughter to him with the condition that he raise a son for that idiot…
But the child being raised was not for this dim-witted Crown Prince; perhaps in the old Emperor’s plan, this Crown Prince was to step aside for his grandson in the future!
One had to say… royal family relationships are truly messy.
Ignoring the Crown Prince, Chen Qing directly went to the mourning hall.
As he offered incense and saw Liu Yu’s peacefully closed eyes, he felt a wave of emotion.
You truly died an unworthy death…
What would the old Emperor think if he knew he had discarded such a strong arm, and the grandson he had so eagerly anticipated turned out to belong to someone else?
Chen Qing had a good impression of Lord Liu, a senior with great responsibility.
Sensing trouble brewing at the time, he immediately sent WeiChi Peng and Fei Jun away as a precaution.
He had taken good care of him, and Chen Qing now surmised that when the Path of Yin and Yang was first entered in haste, it wasn’t because he had forgotten him.
Lord Liu likely knew it was a deadly path; that’s why he acted with such urgency, so the Emperor wouldn’t think to bring him along.
This was evident later when Wang Ye could regularly stabilize the Path of Yin and Yang’s barrier – Liu Yu had the skill and needn’t have been so hasty.
“Farewell, Lord Liu…” Chen Qing thought to himself solemnly, seriously offering incense and bowing three times.
After paying his respects, as he was about to take a seat, he sensed something amiss.
Even as a mortal, he could feel everyone’s eyes on him.
So… where should I sit?
“Lord Chen…” A familiar voice called out, and Chen Qing quickly looked over, taken aback to see it was Fei Jun, who gestured invitingly, “Come sit here.”
Just as Chen Qing nodded, another voice called out to him from not too far away, much more boisterous than Fei Jun’s refined and gentle tone – it was WeiChi Peng sitting to the north.
“Chen Qing, over here!” WeiChi Peng waved, “Join me for a drink or two.”
“You’re Chen Qing?”
Just as Chen Qing was uncertain which side to choose, another voice rang out.
But this person felt very unfamiliar to Chen Qing; he was sure they had never met.
It was a thin man, yet he wore black clothes similar to those of a military general.
“Why don’t you come sit with me?”
As this person spoke, the surroundings fell into an eerie silence, and Chen Qing felt somewhat stunned.
Am I…
that sought after?
