Within the resplendent yet chillingly majestic palace, Emperor Wen's voice boomed like a great bell, devoid of emotion:
"I hear Anwu Marquis has neglected you all these years and even fathered a younger brother for you in the Eastern Wilderness. Do you harbor any resentment?"
Xia Chen's body trembled slightly, and in an instant, his face seemed to undergo a dramatic change.
First, anger, like a flickering flame, danced in his eyes, then it was enveloped by a cloud of sorrow, yet he forcefully suppressed it, the slight tremor at the corner of his mouth finally turning into a choked sob in his voice:
"Replying to Your Majesty, this subject... indeed harbors resentment!"
Emperor Wen's voice suddenly grew stern, like a cold wind sweeping across a frozen lake:
"Do you know that for 800 years, our Great Wu Dynasty has been governed by filial piety? That is your father; as a son, how can you harbor resentment!"
Xia Chen knelt with a thud, his forehead heavily knocking against the floor, his voice firm and sincere:
"Our Great Wu Dynasty is governed by filial piety, where the relationship between ruler and subject comes before that of father and son.
Your Majesty is both ruler and father, therefore, when Your Majesty questions, how dare this subject deceive Your Majesty!"
At this moment, a golden light suddenly burst forth in Emperor Wen's eyes, like the sun breaking through the clouds.
Xia Chen instantly felt an overwhelming pressure surge towards him, as if a giant beast that had slept for a thousand years was awakening, and he was secretly alarmed:
"Is Emperor Wen also a sorcerer? His Realm is actually this profound!"
This powerful Aura seemed to transcend the mundane; it must be a peerless master of the third Rank or above, perhaps even the second Rank.
Xia Chen couldn't help but wonder, with such a powerful Emperor Wen, how did the Third Prince manage to assassinate him five years later?
Even facing a siege by a large army, Emperor Wen should have been able to retreat unscathed, unless there was a coup and someone of a similar or even greater caliber made a move.
Xia Chen's thoughts raced, but his face remained sincere; at this moment, his acting was truly masterful.
"A good 'ruler and subject, father and son'! If our Great Wu Dynasty had more people like you, who clearly understand the relationships between ruler and subject, and father and son, I would have much less trouble."
Emperor Wen turned, his gaze sharp, carefully scrutinizing the young man kneeling at his feet.
"Raise your head and let me see!"
Xia Chen looked up at the sound, subtly noting that Emperor Wen usually referred to himself as "I" rather than the majestic "I" (zhen, a royal 'I').
"Indeed, you have a handsome face, worthy of my daughter Yaoguang!" Emperor Wen nodded slightly in approval upon seeing him.
His eyes were deep and profound, and despite his white hair, his complexion was youthful, his spirit full like the morning sun.
"At such a young age, you can articulate the concept of 'ruler and subject, father and son.' I imagine you've read quite a few books in the Marquis Manor. This knowledge already surpasses many great Confucian scholars in the court."
Although Emperor Wen often presented himself to his ministers like a monk or a Taoist, no one could deny that he was an extremely intelligent emperor.
Even though he had only heard these words for the first time, Emperor Wen keenly perceived the extraordinary significance they held for the stability of political order.
These words were like a cornerstone, solidifying monarchical centralization, emphasizing order and hierarchy, and compelling everyone to unconditionally submit to the monarch.
Emperor Wen naturally loved these words.
"Did someone teach you this phrase?" Emperor Wen asked.
"Replying to Your Majesty, this is what I thought of myself!" Xia Chen answered crisply.
"Good, good, good. Everyone says the Zhendong Marquis Manor is flourishing in martial arts, but I never expected such a studious talent like you to emerge from this generation, not inferior to those great Confucian scholars!"
Emperor Wen rarely broke into a smile, and the maids and eunuchs standing in the palace corners were surprised to see it.
They had served Emperor Wen for many years, yet had never seen him display such emotional fluctuations; not even when receiving the Grand Secretaries of the Grand Secretariat had Emperor Wen been like this.
"Do you know why I summoned you today?" Emperor Wen's tone shifted.
"Replying to Your Majesty, I do not know!"
Xia Chen still replied respectfully, knowing that he had gained some of Emperor Wen's trust.
And the phrase "ruler and subject, father and son" was the heavy chess piece he had thrown out.
To a feudal monarch, these words were like an indestructible Divine Artifact, a supreme treasure for maintaining rule.
"I heard you uncovered the military defense map case and arrested a large number of Surveillance Institute's secret agents in the capital.
Originally, with this merit, you could be promoted to the position of Commandant, but I do not intend to give you this position now. Do you have any resentment?"
"No resentment. Both thunder and dew are acts of imperial grace. This subject deeply believes that Your Majesty's decision not to grant this subject the position of Commandant must have a deeper meaning, therefore, this subject is entirely at Your Majesty's discretion!" Xia Chen's words were earnest.
"What a 'both thunder and dew are acts of imperial grace'! If all the courtiers had your level of understanding, where would all the disputes in the court come from!"
Xia Chen's words seemed to strike a chord in Emperor Wen's heart, and Emperor Wen's gaze towards him had completely changed.
He was originally just a chess piece casually dropped, but he didn't expect so many surprises.
"If you had studied from childhood and followed the path of scholarship into officialdom, entering the Hanlin Academy, you would have the potential to become a Grand Secretary!"
Emperor Wen's calm words echoed in the palace, causing the expressions of the maids and eunuchs hidden behind the corner pillars to change dramatically.
If anyone else had said someone had the potential to be a Grand Secretary, it would likely be dismissed as flattery.
But these words came from Emperor Wen's mouth; although they seemed casual, who could say whether he truly harbored such a thought in his heart.
"My lifelong ambition is to protect my home and defend my country.
If Your Majesty needs me, I am willing to be the sharpest blade in Your Majesty's hand, even if it means bleeding on the battlefield and dying in battle!"
Xia Chen spoke with conviction; at this moment, his acting was so superb that even he almost believed it himself.
"Dying in battle!"
Emperor Wen murmured, as if savoring the tragic grandeur and desolation in those words.
"It's truly a pity you chose to practice martial arts!"
Finally, Emperor Wen slowly said:
"You are right, I do have important plans for you. With your talent and wisdom, staying in the Imperial Guards is too much of a waste. I want you to go to the Lantern Bearers!"
The previous conversation had already convinced Emperor Wen that this son-in-law was loyal to him and harbored resentment towards the Zhendong Marquis Manor, especially his father, Lord Antong, which perfectly suited Emperor Wen's intentions.
"Lantern Bearers?" Xia Chen feigned confusion.
"You don't want to go?" Emperor Wen asked.
"Replying to Your Majesty, no matter where I go, as long as it is Your Majesty's command, this subject yearns to go!"
Xia Chen's face showed excitement, truly embodying an eager, passionate young man keen to display his abilities and achieve great deeds before the monarch.
Emperor Wen nodded in satisfaction: "The Lantern Bearers' Nine Divisions are still short of a Division Chief; you shall temporarily act as the Division Chief!"
"Your Majesty, for this position, this subject fears his qualifications are too shallow..."
Xia Chen's face showed hesitation. The Lantern Bearers' Nine Divisions' Division Chief is a fourth-Rank official position, and he is currently only a seventh-Rank Commandant. To jump from seventh-Rank to fourth-Rank is truly against the rules.
"If I tell you to go, no one will dare to object! And it's only temporary. I'm sending you to the Lantern Bearers, naturally, because I have a task to entrust to you!"
Emperor Wen's words were domineering, but by the end, his tone became solemn.
"Your Majesty, what is the task? Even if it means climbing mountains of knives or plunging into seas of fire, this subject vows to complete it to the death!"
Xia Chen's voice was impassioned, his face flushed; at this moment, his acting was enough to win him a Golden Man Best Actor award.
...
PS: Brothers, it's currently 1:05 AM on December 13, 2024. I just finished writing this chapter, and the book has reached 80,000 words. It's now entering the validation period.
The 80,000 to 100,000 words mark is very important, as it relates to the future performance of the book. So, during this time, if you think it's decent, please try not to 'hoard' chapters. Read a little every day.
From 80,000 to 100,000 words, there will be two chapters daily. Because the validation period is a total of seven days, I can't release more, but I will save drafts. After seven days, when the word count reaches 100,000 words, once it starts its debut, I will begin mass updates. Thank you for your support, brothers ♦(｡￫v￩｡)♦