Perhaps Wu Yuancheng had stayed for a reason related to the youngest imperial prince.
After all, the young prince was only eight years old.
Wu Yuancheng felt distressed when he thought about the possible fate of the young emperor, but he didn’t have any way to resolve it, so perhaps it was just a case of feeling sorrow for like creatures!
Yet there was a chance for a turnaround.
“Your Majesty, this time I didn’t bring any food, but I have brought someone, one of the nine Great Grandmasters of the world, the esteemed Valley Master of Stargazing Valley.”
The Valley Master of Stargazing Valley was the young emperor’s chance for a turnaround.
“Stargazing Valley? Is it the powerful force my father talked about? Being the Valley Master, you must be very strong, right? Can you take me out to see the night market? I heard it’s very lively!”
Night market?
The night markets of the Imperial City were long gone, but the Valley Master of Stargazing Valley still nodded.
“Taking the young emperor out for a bit now shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
Wu Yuancheng nodded.
There was no perceived use for the young emperor anymore, so not many people would care about him.
The only consideration might be that he is the last direct descendant of the Imperial Family.
As long as the young emperor died, it meant that the line of the Master of Destiny, the great forebears, had completely perished.
Hence, the young emperor had to die.
Logically, Wu Yuancheng should have organized a departure for the young emperor; if he could not prevent it, at least he should have reminded him to return.
But for some reason, Wu Yuancheng said nothing.
He just watched the two figures vanish into the night within the palace walls.
Perhaps they were heading for the non-existent night market!
But in reality, the old and the young hadn’t left the palace at all, instead climbing atop the city wall.
“This is where my father used his trump card and perished together with Shen Xuan. This wall, which was claimed to withstand the full-force attack of a Grandmaster, was nearly destroyed. But with the ’united effort’ of various families, it was reconstructed in less than half a month, almost showing no sign of prior damage.”
It was the young emperor speaking, his voice still childish but with a maturity utterly different from before.
The Valley Master of Stargazing Valley thought the young emperor would continue to play along, but to his surprise, the young emperor didn’t intend to keep up the act.
He laid all his cards on the table!
“As one of the nine Great Grandmasters, Valley Master of Stargazing Valley, you come to seek out a mere puppet like me. You certainly have a motive. Say no more, I agree!”
Even the Valley Master was taken aback momentarily and asked, “Aren’t you afraid it might be something that could destroy Great Zhou?”
The young emperor said, “Great Zhou should have been destroyed long ago. Only my father harbored any hope… No, even he lost hope, otherwise, why would he have sent away my elder brother and sister?”
The previous emperor was not the kind to loiter in the harems.
Moreover, as a strong man, he found it difficult to have many children, thus having only three.
The eldest son, the Crown Prince Zhou Qinghai; the second daughter, Zhou Qingxue; and the current young emperor, Zhou Qingjiang.
With the eldest son and daughters sent away, only the youngest son Zhou Qingjiang remained under control in the north.
The Valley Master of Stargazing Valley couldn’t detect any bitterness in Zhou Qingjiang’s voice; it all seemed to have nothing to do with him.
“He birthed me, raised me, gave me the finest conditions, and now merely asks for everything in return, including my life. A fair trade.”
Zhou Qingjiang’s speech seemed indifferent, but he couldn’t hide the sadness in his words.
He had become bait in the hands of his own father.
No matter how mature an eight-year-old’s personality could be, it would still show some true nature, though the young emperor masked it very well.
It was hard to imagine how someone so young managed to do so.
“You could leave, for example, by letting me help you.”
“There’s no need. They all say my father could have been a great ruler who revived Great Zhou; the old ancestors thought so, the royal kin thought so, and perhaps even you do too. But the moment he sent away my elder brother, he was no longer worthy of that title.
Great Zhou’s Imperial Family, those who retreat without a fight, beheaded! Those who desert on the battlefield, beheaded! Those who abandon the clan’s land, beheaded!
These were the earliest commands of Great Zhou.
Not given by the ancestors of the Master of Destiny, but by an even earlier generation. Now, whether it’s my elder brother or my father, they have violated these commands. Since they do not abide by them, I will uphold them; the honor of the Great Zhou Imperial Family shall be preserved by me!”
Listening to these last words, the Valley Master of Stargazing Valley felt that this indeed sounded like a child!
But he found himself at a loss for words, just watching the silent tears of the young emperor, realizing that the person in front of him was just an eight-year-old child used as bait by his father, abandoned by his elder brother and sister.
A child trapped in the Imperial City, facing endless despair.
He had not enjoyed the luxury for long, yet he had to deal with all the mess without any power to respond.
“Do you really not plan to leave?”
The young emperor wiped away his tears and said, “No, I’m not leaving!”
“Fine, then state your terms.”
“Help me kill the Prime Minister, the Minister of Rites… a total of twenty-three officials.”
“These are all high officials in the court.”
“Of course, I know that. What of it? After all, Great Zhou is in name only, and how many in the world will heed the Imperial Family’s orders. Those people all want me dead, so I’ll have them die first!”
The voice of the young emperor was resolute.
He should have had no chance, but now it might not necessarily be so!